In this edition:
- Ontario releases audited finances for year end 2023
- Edith Dumont to become first francophone Lieutenant-Governor in Ontario history
- Canada likely one of top 20 fastest growing countries in the world as population growth hits record high
- Ontario won’t compensate developers after Greenbelt land swap reversal: housing minister
- Project Share opens satellite food bank in Niagara Falls
- May Chang elected as new Vineland Board Chair
- Interac expanding e-transfer service, Wealthsimple to join
- NPCA Foundation welcomes new board and staff
- Reading Recommendations: Climate
Ontario releases audited finances for year end 2023
Today, the Ontario government released the 2022-23 Public Accounts, which provide the final audited financial results of the province for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2023.
The 2022-23 Public Accounts illustrate government spending of $186.4 billion across all programs. This represents a $15.9 billion or 9.3 per cent increase over program spending in the previous fiscal year. Infrastructure spending increased by 8.5 per cent, to a total of $19.2 billion, while health and education spending increased by 8 and 16 per cent respectively.
Edith Dumont to become first francophone Lieutenant-Governor in Ontario history
The installation ceremony of Madame Edith Dumont as Ontario’s 30th Lieutenant Governor will take place on Tuesday, November 14, 2023 in the Queen’s Park Legislative Chamber.
Further and more detailed information about the installation will be released at a later date.
The Honourable Elizabeth Dowdeswell continues in office as Lieutenant Governor until the installation of Madame Dumont.
Canada likely one of top 20 fastest growing countries in the world as population growth hits record high
After celebrating the Canadian population reaching 40 million on June 16, the country’s population was estimated at 40,097,761 on July 1, 2023, an increase of 1,158,705 people (+2.9%) from July 1, 2022.
On June 16, 2023, Statistics Canada announced that Canada’s population passed the 40 million mark according to the Canada’s population clock (real-time model). Today’s release of total demographic estimates and related data tables for a reference date of July 1, 2023, is the first since reaching that milestone.
Canada continued to lead G7 countries for population growth and was likely among the top 20 fastest growing countries in the world. The population growth on July 1, 2023, marks the highest population growth rate recorded for a 12-month period since 1957 (+3.3%),
Ontario won’t compensate developers after Greenbelt land swap reversal: housing minister
Ontario Housing Minister Paul Calandra says the province will not compensate developers whose lands are going back in the protected Greenbelt. Calandra says he has put that into draft legislation that is coming soon that will also “codify” the boundaries of the Greenbelt.
The province removed land from the Greenbelt last year as part of its broader push to build 1.5 million homes by 2031.
Premier Doug Ford apologized last week when he announced the province would return those lands to the protected area after damning reports from two legislative watchdogs that found the process was flawed and favoured certain developers. The auditor general found the developers stood to see their land value increase by $8.3 billion.
Project Share opens satellite food bank in Niagara Falls
Project Share is opening up a satellite food bank in Niagara Falls, open Wednesdays between 1-6 p.m. at Chippawa Presbyterian Church at 8280 Willoughby Drive. The new location is aimed at reducing transportation barriers.
The Stanley Avenue location will remain open Monday to Friday 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Unifor contract talks with General Motors begin after workers ratify Ford deal
Contract talks between Unifor and General Motors Canada begin today. The negotiations cover about 4,300 workers at the automaker’s St. Catharines Powertrain Plant, the Oshawa Assembly Complex and the Woodstock Parts Distribution Centre.
Unifor announced GM as the next target company in its negotiations with the U.S. automakers on Monday. The talks come after workers represented by the union at Ford Motor Co. of Canada voted on the weekend to approve a new contract that Unifor plans to use as a pattern agreement in its talks with GM and Stellantis.
May Chang elected as new Vineland Board Chair
Vineland Research and Innovation Centre (Vineland) is pleased to announce May Chang has been elected as the centre’s Board Chair for a two-year term.
Ms. Chang joined the board in 2020 and served as the Vice Chair since 2021. She succeeds Karen Belaire who served as the Board Chair since 2020. Ms. Belaire will remain a member of the Board and serve as Past Chair.
Interac expanding e-transfer service, Wealthsimple to join
Interac Corp. is broadening the range of financial institutions that can participate in its e-transfer service, with financial services firm Wealthsimple as the first to become a new participant under the expansion.
The company, which announced provisional approval for Wealthsimple on Wednesday, said the move extends access beyond federally regulated banks and provincially regulated credit unions.
Under the new rules, organizations that are both FINTRAC-regulated money service businesses and investment dealers regulated by the Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization can apply to become participants.
NPCA Foundation welcomes new board and staff
At its June 29, 2023, Annual General Meeting, the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Foundation (NPCF) elected its new 2023-24 Board of Directors to lead it into an ambitious year ahead, which includes the launch of a three-year $5-million capital campaign to support the next-generation conservation work of the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority (NPCA).
Diana Huson, Niagara Regional Councillor for Pelham, was elected as the Foundation’s Chair; Barbara Greenwood, former NPCA Board member and Niagara Regional Councillor for Niagara Falls, was elected Vice-Chair; and Donna Cridland, a citizen representative on NPCA’s Board of Directors and former councillor for the Township of Wainfleet, was elected Treasurer.
Truth and Reconciliation around Niagara
Each year, September 30 marks the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
The day honours the children who never returned home and Survivors of residential schools, as well as their families and communities. Public commemoration of the tragic and painful history and ongoing impacts of residential schools is a vital component of the reconciliation process.
This federal statutory holiday was created through legislative amendments made by Parliament.
Learning opportunities abound in Lincoln on 2023 National Day of Truth and Reconciliation
City of Thorold to mark National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and Orange Shirt Day
St. Catharines to commemorate National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
Did you know?
Focus on Climate
Here’s how climate change will impact businesses everywhere – and what can be done
The climate crisis is changing the way we live and the way we work.
The affects are already being felt across many businesses in most industries. But climate change and the transition to a net-zero future could create new industries and new growth opportunities for business, which will bring new jobs and could revitalize economies.
But there’s a downside. Almost all industries are also threatened by the effects of climate change, either directly or indirectly. For companies thinking about the ways the changing climate might affect their business, they should consider the risks that broadly fall into three categories: physical, transitional and liability risks.
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.
