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Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce

Home / Daily Update  /  Daily Update: November 6, 2025

Daily Update: November 6, 2025

November 6, 2025 | Daily Update

In this edition:

  • Ontario aims to support businesses with programs in Fall Economic Statement
  • Recycling services ending soon for Niagara stores, restaurants, salons, churches
  • Taxes climbing in Port Colborne as first strong-mayor budget OK’d
  • Thorold suspends downtown parking limits for holiday shopping season
  • Province invests in future of the Welland Hospital
  • Ontario fall update: Projections for new home construction slowing yet again
  • Majority of Americans think Canada is negotiating in good faith, poll shows
  • Liberals treating votes on opposition budget amendments as confidence votes
  • Focus on Finance & Economy

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Minister of Finance Peter Bethlenfalvy speaks at a GNCC event

Photo credit: Brad Demers / Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce

Ontario aims to support businesses with programs in Fall Economic Statement

Today, Minister of Finance Peter Bethlenfalvy released the 2025 Ontario Economic Outlook and Fiscal Review: A Plan to Protect Ontario, intended to support the government’s plan to protect Ontario by building a more competitive, resilient and self-reliant economy by cutting red tape, investing in infrastructure, supporting workers, improving services and making life more affordable.

Highlights of the 2025 Fall Economic Statement include:

  • Rebating the full provincial portion of the HST for first-time home buyers of most new homes.
  • Updating Ontario’s personal and corporate income taxes to encourage and attract more business investment.
  • Investing an additional $100 million in the Ontario Together Trade Fund (OTTF).
  • Enhancing and expanding the Ontario Made Manufacturing Investment Tax Credit (OMMITC).
  • Supporting sectors affected by U.S. tariffs through the $5 billion Protecting Ontario Account.

Click here to read more.

A collection of empty aluminum drink cans

Picture credit: Kwangmoozaa / Adobe Stock

Recycling services ending soon for Niagara stores, restaurants, salons, churches

An end to curbside recycling for thousands of Niagara businesses, churches and daycares eight weeks from now is recommended by councillors on Niagara Region’s public works committee — but they aren’t happy about it.

The Ontario government has essentially mandated the reduction in service as part of a single provincewide blue box system that packaging producers fund, govern and operate.

Click here to read more.

Stacks of coins on a paper spreadsheet

Picture credit: Summit Art Creations / Adobe Stock

Taxes climbing in Port Colborne as first strong-mayor budget OK’d

Strong-mayor powers have been put to use in Port Colborne as the city’s budget was adopted during a special council meeting on Tuesday night.

The 2026 capital and operating budget results in a 3.87 per cent city levy increase, or roughly $90 more in taxes for a residential property assessed at $203,084.

Click here to read more.

A 3D illustration of two model cars "parked" on a cellphone

Picture credit: Vadim Georgiev / Adobe Stock

The holiday season is just around the corner and the city wants to make it easier for residents to do their shopping in downtown Thorold.

That’s why, starting Tuesday November 11, the city is putting parking exemptions in place in the downtown core.

Click here to read more.

Picture credit: Niagara Health

Province invests in future of the Welland Hospital

The Ontario government has approved both the renovations to the Welland Hospital to prepare for the opening of the South Niagara Hospital and a planning grant for the future Welland Hospital Redevelopment Project. Together, these investments demonstrate the province’s strong commitment to hospital care in Niagara and to the long-term success of Niagara Health’s three-site hospital model.

Click here to read more.

A blue model house with a red arrow pointing downwards

Photo credit: adragan / Adobe Stock

Ontario fall update: Projections for new home construction slowing yet again

Ontario is lowering projections for new home construction levels in its fall economic statement, putting the government further away from its goal of building 1.5 million homes in 10 years. 

It is the third consecutive budget or fall economic statement in which projections have been revised downward, and Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister Rob Flack has recently appeared to back away from the 1.5 million homes goal. 

Click here to read more.

United States and Canada flags together textile cloth, fabric texture

Picture credit: Oleksii / Adobe Stock

Majority of Americans think Canada is negotiating in good faith, poll shows

Most Americans — including Republicans — continue to view Canada positively in economic and trade matters even as U.S. President Donald Trump directs anger at their northern neighbour.

That finding comes from new polling by Leger, Maintenant Media and Canada 338 that also says Americans trust that Canada is negotiating in good faith as the countries face an uncertain trade relationship.

Click here to read more.

The interior of the House of Commons, Ottawa, Canada.

Picture credit: Rixie / Adobe Stock

Liberals treating votes on opposition budget amendments as confidence votes

The first confidence vote connected to Finance Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne’s 2025 federal budget will take place in the House of Commons on Thursday night.

Government House Leader Steven MacKinnon’s office confirmed to CTV News that the Liberals are treating both the Conservative sub-amendment, and the Bloc Quebecois amendment to Champagne’s motion seeking approval for the budget, as confidence votes.

Click here to read more.

Focus on Finance & Economy

Experts are cautiously optimistic that the federal government’s plan to spur business investment will move the needle on better productivity and economic growth.

This week’s budget, Prime Minister Mark Carney’s first since taking office, looks to make Canada’s economy a more attractive place to invest by promising billions of dollars for infrastructure and new tax opportunities for businesses.

The measures should have a positive effect on investment, but it remains to be seen how the plan will be executed, said Rachel Samson, vice-president of research at the Institute for Research on Public Policy.

“The question is, will the private sector respond to these initiatives and will they invest? (Is it) enough to overcome some of the barriers they face, such as economic uncertainty (and) trade uncertainty? Have they calibrated these incentives to be enough to push businesses over the edge towards investment?” she said.

Click here to read more.

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.

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