In this edition:
- Ontario’s minimum wage will increase starting Oct. 1. Here’s what you need to know
- Niagara Region appoints new senior staff
- White Oaks proposes new, high-density condo towers
- Ontario high school teachers approve deal to avoid strikes
- Number of unfilled jobs continues steady downward trend in July
- Health Canada authorizes new vaccine targeting Omicron XBB.1.5 COVID subvariant
- Ontario government introduces Affordable Homes and Good Jobs Act
- Tourism sector posts small gains in Q2 2023
- Focus on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
Ontario’s minimum wage will increase starting Oct. 1. Here’s what you need to know
Starting this weekend, the province’s lowest-paid workers will get a pay bump. On Oct. 1, Ontario’s general minimum wage will rise from $15.50 to $16.55 per hour.
The 6.8 per cent hike is tied to the rate of inflation for 2023, in line with legislation introduced by Kathleen Wynne’s Liberal government in 2014.
Liquor servers, who until 2021 were subject to a lower minimum wage, are now entitled to the general minimum wage. Students, who are still subject to a lower minimum wage, will begin earning $15.60 on Oct. 1, up from the current $14.60. This pay rate applies to people under 18 who work 28 hours per week or less when school is in session or work during a school break or summer vacation.
Niagara Region appoints new senior staff
Niagara Region has appointed Dan Carnegie as Deputy Chief Administrative Officer. Dan Carnegie has spent more than thirty years in the public sector holding positions with Toronto Hydro, the Town of Oakville, the City of Oshawa and most recently, prior to his work with Niagara Region, with the City of St. Catharines as their Chief Administrative Officer from 2014 to 2017. For the past four months Carnegie has been serving as the temporary Commissioner of Public Works for Niagara Region.
Terry Ricketts has been announced as the new Commissioner of Public Works. Ricketts’ appointment follows an extensive, Canada-wide, recruitment process that was undertaken by an independent recruitment agency. Ricketts joins Niagara Region from Peel Region where she has been the Director of Transportation since 2020.
White Oaks proposes new, high-density condo towers
Glendale is taking the first step toward becoming a bona fide urban centre in Niagara-on-the-Lake – with the unveiling of a major new development complete with four highrise condo towers for the area’s growing number of inhabitants.
Michael Rietta, an architect retained by developer White Oaks Tennis World Inc., presented designs for a mixed-use highrise development at a virtual open house meeting on Sept. 19. The proposed development will be built on almost two hectares (about five acres) near the corner of Glendale Avenue and Taylor Road, across from the Niagara Outlet Collection and next door to White Oaks Resort and Spa.
Ontario high school teachers approve deal to avoid strikes
Ontario’s public high school teachers have agreed not to strike this year, or for the next three years, as they ratified a deal with the government to settle any unresolved contract bargaining issues through an arbitrator.
The Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation reached a tentative deal with the government last month to continue negotiating until Oct. 27, then go to arbitration, giving up their right to strike. Union members voted on the proposal and it has now passed, with 78.4 per cent in favour.
Number of unfilled jobs continues steady downward trend in July
The number of employees receiving pay and benefits from their employer—measured as “payroll employment” in the Survey of Employment, Payrolls and Hours—was little changed (+4,900) in July, following an increase of 65,900 (+0.4%) in June. Meanwhile, job vacancies declined by 43,100 (-5.8%) to 701,300 in July, continuing a steady downward trend since June 2022.
Payroll employment changes were modest in all sectors in July 2023. Public administration (+6,000; +0.5%) and health care and social assistance (+4,500; +0.2%) recorded the largest increases, followed by finance and insurance (+3,400; +0.4%) and arts, entertainment and recreation (+3,000; +1.0%).
Health Canada authorizes new vaccine targeting Omicron XBB.1.5 COVID subvariant
Health Canada has authorized the use of the Pfizer-BioNTech Comirnaty COVID-19 vaccine targeting the Omicron XBB.1.5 subvariant for individuals six months of age and older.
Health Canada received Pfizer-BioNTech’s submission on June 29, 2023. After a thorough and independent review of the evidence, Health Canada has determined that the vaccine meets the Department’s stringent safety, efficacy and quality requirements.
Ontario government introduces Affordable Homes and Good Jobs Act
Today, the Ontario government introduced the Affordable Homes and Good Jobs Act, which the government hopes will make it cheaper and easier to build affordable homes, provide certainty to municipalities and help more Ontarians find an affordable home based on their household income.
The proposed change would update the definition of affordable housing units that would qualify for development-related charge discounts and exemptions. This approach reflects the ability of local households to pay for housing and recognizes the diversity of housing markets across the province.
Tourism sector posts small gains in Q2 2023
Tourism GDP grew 1.2% in the second quarter, following a 2.2% increase in the previous quarter. Transportation services (+5.0%) contributed the most to the growth in tourism GDP and was partially offset by a decline in accommodation services (-0.6%). With economy-wide GDP flat in the second quarter, tourism’s share of GDP increased to 1.70%.
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 Equity, Diversity & Inclusion
Indigenous entrepreneurs: Checklist to exporting
Expanding your business outside Canada can be daunting. There are always risks to entering a new market, especially when it’s halfway across the world and you don’t speak the language or understand the trade regulations, tax laws or business culture.
If you’re an Indigenous entrepreneur living on a reserve or in a remote community, it can be even more challenging.
The majority of Indigenous-owned companies in Canada are small- to medium-sized enterprises (SMES) in sectors ranging from fashion and beauty products to mining, seafood and technology services.
Connecting with new customers, shipping logistics, setting up an online presence and accessing working capital to grow their business are just some of the unique challenges they face.
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.
