In this edition:
- Council votes to delay Shaw’s redevelopment of Royal George Theatre
- Walker Industries donates $2M to support new South Niagara Hospital
- Prefab apartment building in the works for St. Catharines surplus land
- Meridian Launches Climate Preparedness Hub to help prepare for climate-related emergencies
- Skip reports significant growth in retail delivery
- International students contributed 20% more to Canadian economy in 2024 than in previous year
- Competition Bureau seeks feedback on updated merger guidelines
- Focus on International Trade
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Picture credit: Shaw Festival
Council votes to delay Shaw’s redevelopment of Royal George Theatre
A decision to delay the Shaw Festival’s proposed redevelopment of the Royal George Theatre prompted Lord Mayor Gary Zalepa to withdraw from the Nov. 11 Committee of the Whole meeting, citing a violation of the Municipal Act.
After hearing residents’ concerns, some councillors said they wanted more time to give the Shaw Festival an opportunity to address specific design issues.
Picture credit: Walker Industries
Walker Industries donates $2M to support new South Niagara Hospital
Walker Industries has announced a landmark $2-million contribution to the Niagara Health Foundation’s It’s Our Future campaign, supporting the construction of the new South Niagara Hospital — a state-of-the-art health-care facility that will transform the way care is delivered across Niagara.
Picture credit: Alphabet / Google streetview
Prefab apartment building in the works for St. Catharines surplus land
Axe Living has partnered with the St. Catharines Municipal Development Corp. to transform a piece of property at 6-8 Academy St., declared surplus by the city in 2018. The building that once housed the city’s fire prevention office will be demolished and a new prefabricated two-storey structure will take its place.
Picture credit: by-studio / Adobe Stock
Meridian launches Climate Preparedness Hub to help prepare for climate-related emergencies
The tools found within Meridian’s Climate Preparedness Hub were developed by the University of Waterloo’s Intact Centre on Climate Adaptation. These tools will help Canadians proactively protect their homes and communities from flooding, wildfire, and extreme heat. The hub can be found at https://www.meridiancu.ca/ClimatePreparedness on Meridian’s website.
Picture credit: Julia / Adobe Stock
Skip reports significant growth in retail delivery
Skip released its 2025 National Order Report, spotlighting trends among users.
The report notes its fastest-growing categories this year were retail, which grew more than 1,700% in comparison to last year, and pet supplies, which rose more than 1,000% from last year.
Picture credit: Right 3 / Adobe Stock
International students contributed 20% more to Canadian economy in 2024 than in previous year
Education-related travel services was the country’s fastest-growing export sector, Statistics Canada reported today, as international students’ expenditures in Canada reached $36.1 billion, up 19.6% from 2023. Expenditures of international students in Canada relate to tuition, food and accommodation.
Picture credit: Dilok / Adobe Stock
Competition Bureau seeks feedback on updated merger guidelines
The Competition Bureau is inviting Canadians to provide comments on its Proposed Merger Enforcement Guidelines. This follows an initial consultation held as part of the Bureau’s review of its merger guidance in November 2024.
The proposed guidelines update and change the guidelines issued in 2011 to better reflect how the Bureau analyzes mergers following the recent modernization of Canada’s competition laws. They also provide guidance for businesses adapted to the modern economy and to the evolving role of digital technologies.
Focus on International Trade
Reduction of immigration targets could hurt Canada’s reputation, expert says
Katherine DeClerq / Parliament Today
Through the Daily Updates, the GNCC aims to deliver important business news in a timely manner. We disseminate all news and information we feel will be important to businesses. Inclusion in the Daily Update is not an endorsement by the GNCC.
