In this edition:
- Ontario education talks won’t proceed unless strike cancelled, Lecce says
- Ontario’s top doc weighs bad upcoming flu season in decision on mask recommendations
- Two of three official Ontario legislature wines to come from Niagara
- Meridian partners with Habitat for Humanity to build affordable tiny homes to be located on First Nations land
- Conservatives say no new spending, NDP voice recession worries ahead of fiscal update
- U.S. CBD company Charlotte’s Web signs manufacturing, distribution deal with Tilray Brands
- Eh Amigos Cantina receives $10,000 through My Main Street to support its downtown small business
Ontario education talks won’t proceed unless strike cancelled, Lecce says
Ontario’s education minister suggested Wednesday there wouldn’t be much movement at the bargaining table with education workers ahead of a looming strike despite the union proposing a counter-offer.
The government has said it would return to the table if the mediator asks, and had wanted to hear if the new offer from the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) was “reasonable.” But Stephen Lecce said Wednesday any new proposal must include cancelling a strike planned for Friday.
CUPE negotiators presented a counter-offer late Tuesday night in response to the imposed contract terms in the legislation. The union has not provided details of its new proposal.
Interim NDP Leader Peter Tabuns was kicked out of question period Wednesday after asking when Ford would “stop lying,” then refusing to withdraw the comment when asked by Speaker Ted Arnott.
Also ejected were Niagara MPPs Jeff Burch, Wayne Gates, and Jennie Stevens.
Ontario’s top doc weighs bad upcoming flu season in decision on mask recommendations
Ontario’s chief medical officer of health says he’ll be considering whether to make a stronger recommendation on masking in about two weeks after looking closely at data on flu cases.
Dr. Kieran Moore says the dominant flu strain this season is a bad one and the influenza season is expected to start picking up in the next couple of weeks.
Moore says this year’s flu shot formulation appears to be quite good at preventing hospitalizations, but it takes about 10 to 14 days to take effect, so Ontarians should get their shots now.
Click here to find flu shot locations in Niagara.
Two of three official Ontario legislature wines to come from Niagara
Two of the three official wines for the Ontario legislature in the coming year are from Niagara-based wineries. Speaker and Wellington-Halton Hills MPP Ted Arnott, along with representatives from the Grape Growers of Ontario, hosted a special wine tasting event on Oct. 26, where the three wines were unveiled.
Wines from Vineland’s Kacaba Vineyards and Winery and Niagara-on-the-Lake’s Ferox by Fabian Reis were named as the official red and white. They’ll be joined by Hinterland’s sparkling wine Borealis 2021 Method Charmat as the three wines for 2023.
Meridian partners with Habitat for Humanity to build affordable tiny homes to be located on First Nations land
Meridian is pleased to announce its $100,000 title sponsorship with Habitat for Humanity Halton-Mississauga-Dufferin’s (Habitat HMD) innovative Tiny Homes Pilot Program, working alongside skilled trades students and Indigenous communities to build and establish affordable housing options.
“The Tiny Homes Pilot Program is an exciting and unique initiative helping to accelerate economic reconciliation and youth community activism and aligns with Meridian’s interest in supporting community-based affordable housing solutions,” says Jay-Ann Gilfoy, President & CEO, Meridian. “Our corporate partnership with Habitat is the outcome of an imaginative combination which brought together Meridian volunteers, Indigenous community members and students.”
Conservatives say no new spending, NDP voice recession worries ahead of fiscal update
Federal opposition parties are making their priorities known ahead of the government’s fall fiscal update, with the Conservatives calling for the Liberals to curb new spending and the NDP raising concerns about a potential recession.
Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland will present the fall economic statement on Thursday in the House of Commons, which will shed light on the state of federal finances.
U.S. CBD company Charlotte’s Web signs manufacturing, distribution deal with Tilray Brands
Charlotte’s Web Holdings Inc. has signed a deal with Tilray Brands Inc. for the manufacturing, marketing and distribution of Charlotte’s Web CBD hemp extract products in Canada.
Financial terms of the agreement were not immediately available.
The deal means Charlotte’s Web’s full spectrum CBD products will be available in Canada through Tilray’s distribution network. The companies say Charlotte’s Web hemp extract previously had only been available to Canadians that qualified for a special access medical exemption through Health Canada.
Eh Amigos Cantina receives $10,000 through My Main Street to support its downtown small business
Port Colborne restaurant Eh Amigos Cantina has received a non-repayable contribution of $10,000 through the My Main Street Local Business Accelerator program.
This contribution will allow Eh Amigos Cantina to support findings from the market research provided by My Main Street to drive economic growth and attract new customers to the business and the entire Port Colborne community.
The My Main Street, Local Business Accelerator program is delivered by the Economic Developers Council of Ontario with an overall Government of Canada investment of $23.25 million through the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario) to support the recovery and strength of main streets and local businesses in southern Ontario.
Niagara Economic Summit
Jeff Murrell to speak on trades and education at Summit
Some of our worker shortages are new, such as in the service industry. Others, like nursing and construction trades, seem perennial. How – and how fast – are we training new workers in these professions? What are we doing to attract young people to these trades? Will international students play a greater part in our workforce, and how?
Niagara College School of Trades’ Associate Dean Jeff Murrell will join the War for Talent panel at this year’s Niagara Economic Summit to answer these questions and more. Himself a professional electrician, Jeff took up a professorship in 2009 and in 2012, became Dean of Apprenticeship and Trades Training at Lambton College before taking his current post at Niagara College in 2016. He sits on the board for the Canadian Apprenticeship Forum and is a member of the Board of Directors for the Niagara Home Builders Association. Jeff’s professional and educational background make him uniquely qualified to speak on the challenges of the trades and training, and how we can deliver the workforce that future economic growth requires.
Contact us to submit your questions for Jeff.
Click here for tickets to this year’s Niagara Economic Summit.
Focus on Climate
Ottawa says it’s willing to hold big banks accountable for their climate pledges
High-ranking Liberals responsible for the government’s climate file say financial institutions will be held to their net-zero commitments — with regulations, if necessary.
“Nothing is off the table,” said Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson before a cabinet meeting Tuesday. “At the end of the day, we want to make sure Canadians have transparency when it comes to financial institutions.”
Environment and Climate Change Minister Steven Guilbeault also would not rule out imposing new financial disclosure rules through regulations.
“We are looking at regulating when we need to,” said Guilbeault.
Europe’s climate warming at twice rate of global average, says report
Temperatures in Europe have increased at more than twice the global average in the last 30 years, according to a report from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).
The effects of this warming are already being seen, with droughts, wildfires and ice melts taking place across the continent. The European State of the Climate report, produced with the EU’s Copernicus service, warns that as the warming trend continues, exceptional heat, wildfires, floods and other climate breakdown outcomes will affect society, economies and ecosystems.
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.
