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Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce

Daily Update: September 20, 2023

Planning and Partnerships for Affordable Housing, and more.

In this edition:

  • Bank of Canada Governing Council concern over lack of progress in tackling inflation preceded last hold in interest rate
  • Thorold council votes unanimously to deny gas plant expansion in city’s south end
  • Niagara Falls issues call for Santa Claus parade participants
  • Gillian’s Place launches Responsible Media Reporting Training Program
  • Grimsby councillors approve tourism working group for GEDAC
  • One-third of young Canadians cannot buy a home or move to a new rental for financial reasons: StatCan
  • Amazon to hire 6,000 workers in Canada for full-time, part-time and seasonal jobs
  • Mastercard research shows small businesses need additional support to combat cyber attacks
  • Reading Recommendations: Climate

Experience the Best Breakfast in Niagara

Drum roll, please! Tipsy Theory asked their readers to choose the best breakfast in Niagara for 2023 and the votes are finally in! If you’re looking to visit some mouthwatering spots this summer, you’ll want to add these top six choices to your bucket list.

Queen’s Coach Family Restaurant has come out on top, with many favourites following close behind.

This vote is part of their Reader’s Choice Award series, where readers are asked to choose the best local spots in Niagara including winery, brewery, breakfast, fine dining and more.

Sponsored content from Tipsy Theory

Click here to read more.


Bank of Canada Governing Council concern over lack of progress in tackling inflation preceded last hold in interest rate

The Bank of Canada has released the summary of its August 31st deliberations, which preceded and informed its September 6 decision to hold the overnight rate.

Members agreed that data since their last decision had shown more clearly that demand was slowing, and excess demand was diminishing as monetary policy gained traction. In particular, demand had levelled out in several industries in the services sector, suggesting that the impact of higher interest rates had broadened. At the same time, Governing Council agreed that the lack of progress in underlying inflation remained a significant concern. Members weighed the possibility that high core inflation could persist even as evidence accumulated that restrictive monetary policy was slowing demand.


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Thorold council votes unanimously to deny gas plant expansion in city’s south end

Thorold city council unanimously voted against the Northland Power’s proposed gas plant expansion during a special meeting held Tuesday night.

Concerned residents packed council chambers to voice worries about what their community would become if plans for the new plant moved forward.

Councillors heard submissions from Northland Power and anxious residents, as many residents were upset about potential fallout from the plant expansion.

Click here to read more.


Niagara Falls issues call for Santa Claus parade participants

he 2023 Niagara Falls Santa Claus Parade is officially set for Saturday, November 18, 2023, beginning at 2:30 p.m. The parade will commence on Victoria Avenue at Armoury Street, heading northbound on Victoria to Valley Way. The route will then veer from Valley Way onto Queen Street, ending at Centennial Square in front of City Hall.

Any group interested in participating in the parade is required to fill out the application form. Entries are due by Saturday, October 21 at 5 p.m.

Click here to read more.


Gillian’s Place launches Responsible Media Reporting Training Program

No matter the issue being discussed, media plays an important role – arguably the most important role – in forming public opinion. How events and stories are covered by the media has the potential to shape and reinforce not only opinion among the general public but also political and public policy and how governments address – or do not address – the events and issues that are being covered.

After nearly two years of work that began with a comprehensive literature review and interviewing experts, advocates, subject matter experts, and journalists, Gillian’s Place has launched their guide to Responsible Media Reporting on Gender-Based Violence and Gendered Issues. Responsible Media Reporting on Gender-Based Violence and Gendered Issues is currently a free training program, which includes a complementary Guide for Journalists and a complete docu-series.

Click here to read more.


If you weren’t from Niagara, would you visit Grimsby?

That’s the discussion councillors had as they looked into the town’s Economic Development Advisory Committee (GEDAC) focus on tourism, when it hasn’t been set out as a strategic priority. While they ultimately approved the creation of a tourism working group for GEDAC, it wasn’t before plenty of discussion on both sides.

At the Sept. 18 meeting, Coun. Veronica Charrois lifted the item from the GEDAC meeting pertaining to the creation of a tourism strategy for the town, establishing a Workforce Development and Alignment Group, and looking into hiring a tourism consultant, dependent on 2024 budget approval.

Click here to read more.


One-third of youth who want to buy a home or move to a new rental are unable for financial reasons: StatCan

At over 7.3 million people in 2022, nearly one-fifth (19%) of Canada’s population is made up of youth and young adults aged 15-29. Between disruptions related to the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as high inflation and interest rates, this group has faced disproportionate challenges to their quality of life compared with other age groups. Recent surveys of Canadian youth indicate that they are less satisfied and less hopeful about the future. The rising cost of living is forcing some to make major sacrifices; for example, in 2022, 32% of youth said that they wanted to buy a home or move to a new rental but decided not to because of price concerns.

While economic, social, and environmental challenges are influencing major life decisions and the morale of young adults, these issues are also complex and nuanced.

Click here to read more.


Amazon to hire 6,000 workers in Canada for full-time, part-time and seasonal jobs

Amazon.com Inc. says it is ramping up to hire more than 6,000 people across Canada. The Seattle-based e-commerce giant says the new hires will cover full-time, seasonal and part-time roles. They will work across Amazon’s operations network in jobs that involve picking, packing, sorting and shipping customer orders.

The hiring comes as Amazon is investing more than $70 million in pay increases for fulfillment and transportation employees, who will see their average hourly wage rise to $21 from $17 in 2018.

Click here to read more.


New Mastercard research shows Canadian small business owners need additional support to effectively prevent, recover from cyber attacks

Cybercrime in Canada has increased over 600 per cent since the start of the pandemic and small businesses are particularly vulnerable. Ahead of Cybersecurity Awareness Month 2023, Mastercard surveyed small business owners across Canada who said they struggle to invest in cybersecurity tools that would best protect them due to limited resources and lack the know-how to effectively recover once a cyber attack occurs.1

In our connected world, the value of any business is increasingly tied to data. A cyber breach can cost small businesses money and a loss of trust.

Yet, just 16 per cent of Canadian small business owners surveyed feel certain they know the best steps to take following a cyber attack and only 18 per cent are totally confident that their business would recover fully from an attack in the next six months. The reality facing small businesses in today’s digital landscape is that cyber attacks are not a matter of if, but when—and what next?

Click here to read more.


Did you know?

KLM has operated under its original name since October 7th, 1919, making it the oldest airline to do so.


Focus on Climate

Canada’s ongoing and record-breaking wildfire season and the recent heat waves around the world have galvanized Western public attention to the climate crisis like never before.

The message is stark.

If we fail to rein in global warming below the 1.5 C threshold, impacts on humans and the natural environment are poised to worsen as extreme weather events overlap with increased frequency. What is needed, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, is an urgent, integrated effort to reduce carbon emissions while adapting to the impacts of climate change.

Unfortunately, Canada has consistently failed to make a significant contribution to this broader effort. And this failure is due, in no small part to political polarization and a corresponding inability of governments to follow through on high-level commitments. We argue that climate assemblies can be a powerful tool in moving past these limitations and driving meaningful action on climate policy, if designed and executed thoughtfully.

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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