In this edition:
- Government of Canada to remove COVID-19 border and travel measures
- GNCC mourns loss of Niagara business leader Keith Simmonds
- Ontario to invest additional $90 million into Skills Development Fund
- Indigenous crosswalk unveiled near Niagara Region Headquarters
- Online voting set to open in West Lincoln for municipal election
- Ontarians 18+ eligible for bivalent booster today
Government of Canada to remove COVID-19 border and travel measures effective October 1
Today the Government of Canada announced the removal of all COVID-19 entry restrictions, as well as testing, quarantine, and isolation requirements for anyone entering Canada, effective October 1, 2022.
Effective October 1, 2022, all travellers, regardless of citizenship, will no longer have to:
- submit public health information through the ArriveCAN app or website;
- provide proof of vaccination;
- undergo pre- or on-arrival testing;
- carry out COVID-19-related quarantine or isolation;
- monitor and report if they develop signs or symptoms of COVID-19 upon arriving to Canada.
In a statement, GNCC CEO Mishka said that “the ArriveCAN app has caused huge slowdowns at the border and been a deterrent to tourist traffic. We were one of many voices, including chambers of commerce, tourism associations, bridge commissions, and labour organizations asking for these to be relaxed. The Government of Canada has shown flexibility and responsiveness in this decision.”
GNCC mourns loss of Niagara business leader Keith Simmonds
The Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce (GNCC) is greatly saddened to learn of the passing of Keith Simmonds, the General Manager and Vice President of Great Wolf Lodge of Niagara Falls, in an accident on September 24.
Keith was a pillar of Niagara’s tourism industry and a tireless advocate for our region, and had made Great Wolf Lodge an icon. He was dedicated to the community, and for his work, the GNCC is glad to have presented him with the Innovative Leader Award at the 2022 Niagara Business Achievement Awards just a few months ago.
“Keith was one of a kind,” said Mishka Balsom, CEO of the GNCC, “known not just for his hard work and his entrepreneurial spirit, but for his character and his giving. Keith was loved by many, and we have lost a colleague, a partner, and a friend. On behalf of my team at the GNCC and the business community it is our privilege to represent, we extend our greatest sympathies to Keith’s wife, Toby, and his sons, Ben and Nick. A life that was so great has been cut short far too soon.”
Ontario to invest additional $90 million into Skills Development Fund
The Ontario government is working for workers by investing an additional $90 million in the Skills Development Fund (SDF) to support innovative training projects that upskill workers and jobseekers. This third funding round, which opens September 29th, is open to anyone who is unemployed or underemployed, and will prioritize programs helping people with prior involvement in the criminal justice system, at-risk youth, people with disabilities, Indigenous people, Ukrainian newcomers, and others facing barriers to employment.
Today’s announcement brings Ontario’s total investment in the Skills Development Fund to over $560 million.
Indigenous crosswalk unveiled near Niagara Region Headquarters
Yesterday, Niagara Region unveiled an Indigenous crosswalk at the corner of Merrittville Highway and Sir Isaac Brock Way.
The crosswalk was designed by Alyssa General, a local Indigenous graphic designer, artist, poet, and film-maker from Six Nations of the Grand River. Alyssa is also the Art Director of Spirit & Intent, an Indigenous-owned art production company which celebrates Haudenosaunee knowledge’s, languages and ways of living through storytelling and art.
Online voting set to open in West Lincoln for municipal election for the first time
This year, for the first time, voters in West Lincoln can get a head start on voting soon thanks to online voting.
The municipal election is being held Oct. 24, but advance online voting will run from Monday, Sept. 26 to Monday, Oct. 17, inclusive.
To vote online, voters need to follow the new online voting instructions included in the traditional voter cards sent through the mail.
Ontarians 18+ eligible for bivalent booster today
The Ontario government is reminding individuals that starting today, September 26, all adults aged 18 and over are eligible to receive the bivalent booster dose, which may offer more targeted protection against the Omicron variants.
Appointments can be booked through the COVID-19 vaccination portal or by calling the Provincial Vaccine Contact Centre (PVCC) at 1-833-943-3900. Eligible individuals can also book an appointment directly through public health units that use their own booking systems, Indigenous-led vaccination clinics, participating health care providers and participating pharmacies.
Focus on Small Business
Etsy sellers frustrated by company’s confusing approach to new sales-tax law
The Globe and Mail
Etsy Inc. is one of the largest online marketplaces for small-business owners who specialize in handmade goods and vintage items. According to the U.S.-based company, it has 378,000 sellers in Canada who made a combined $15.5-billion in sales in 2021.
On social media and on the Etsy community’s message boards, sellers have increasingly complained about how the company has responded to the new federal law meant to ensure digital platforms – including such giants as Amazon.com Inc. and Netflix Inc. – are charging sales tax to their Canadian customers.
Could asking customers to tip as much as 30% backfire on restaurants?
Toronto Star
Since the return of in-person dining, the trend is towards increased tipping. In Ontario, 53 per cent of diners are tipping more at table-service restaurants compared to before the pandemic, according to an Angus Reid survey released in April. The average tip in the province is 18.9 per cent.
At full-service restaurants across Toronto, it’s not uncommon to see payment terminals with tip prompts starting at 18 or 20 per cent, and climbing as high as 30 per cent. But as Torontonians are being asked to tip more, some diners are questioning the city’s tipping culture, and asking whether the onus should be on diners to decide how much servers make — or if it’s on employers to pay a livable wage.
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.
