In this edition:
- Ottawa expands tariff supports with $7.5-billion package highlighted in St. Catharines
- Carney rejects U.S. blame for trade-talk collapse, says Canada is ready to return
- Ontario boosts Niagara ambulance funding 11%, adds $1.9 million for hospital offload
- Canadian exports to U.S. fall 6.6% as non-U.S. exports hit record high
- VIA Rail awards $4.7-billion Alstom contract to build passenger cars in Canada
- Ontario EV sales hit record 9.4% market share after federal rebate returns
- Canadian labour productivity rises 1.0% as goods-producing industries rebound
- Loblaw raises 2026 store-opening target to 75 amid discount demand
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Minister of Women and Gender Equality of Canada Rechie Valdez, Ontaruio Shipyards | Picture credit: Hugo Chesshire / Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce
Ottawa expands tariff supports with $7.5-billion package highlighted in St. Catharines
The federal government is expanding support for tariff-affected businesses and workers through a $7.5-billion package highlighted Thursday in St. Catharines. Measures include $1.5 billion more for regional tariff response, a $500-million BDC liquidity stream, $2 billion for diversification projects and $3.5 billion in worker and employer supports.
Picture credit: Office of the Prime Minister of Canada
Carney rejects U.S. blame for trade-talk collapse, says Canada is ready to return
Prime Minister Mark Carney rejected U.S. claims that Canada deliberately derailed trade negotiations, saying American negotiators maintained “take it or leave it” positions on key issues until the final moments. Carney said Canada remains ready to return to the table when the U.S. is prepared to negotiate a durable agreement.
Picture credit: Dvermeirre / CC BY-SA 4.0
Ontario boosts Niagara ambulance funding 11%, adds $1.9 million for hospital offload
Ontario is increasing land ambulance funding for Niagara Region by 11% to $35.4 million this year and providing another $1.85 million for dedicated hospital offload staff. The province says the funding is intended to reduce transfer delays and get paramedics and ambulances back into the community faster.
Picture credit: Lazy_Bear / Adobe Stock
Canadian exports to U.S. fall 6.6% as non-U.S. exports hit record high
Canadian merchandise exports fell 2.3% in July while imports rose 2.2%, shrinking the trade surplus to $769 million. Exports to the U.S. dropped 6.6%, the sharpest decline since April 2025, while exports to other countries climbed 7.4% to a record $25.6 billion.
Picture credit: SockaGPhoto / Adobe Stock
VIA Rail awards $4.7-billion Alstom contract to build passenger cars in Canada
Ottawa is investing more than $4.7 billion for VIA Rail to acquire and maintain 313 new passenger cars from Alstom Canada, with manufacturing and assembly in Thunder Bay and La Pocatière. The project is expected to support nearly 700 jobs and draw on Alstom’s network of more than 900 Canadian suppliers.
Picture credit: Yeongsik Im / Adobe Stock
Ontario EV sales hit record 9.4% market share after federal rebate returns
EVs captured a record 9.4% of Ontario new-vehicle sales in June, nearly doubling from a year earlier, after Ottawa restored purchase rebates of up to $5,000. Canadian zero-emission vehicle sales also rose sharply, although uncertainty around federal sales mandates and North American auto manufacturing continues to cloud the sector’s outlook.
Picture credit: THINK b / Adobe Stock
Canadian labour productivity rises 1.0% as goods-producing industries rebound
Canadian business labour productivity rose 1.0% in the second quarter, its strongest increase since the pandemic-driven jump of 2020. Goods-producing businesses led the rebound with a 1.7% increase, while manufacturing was among the largest contributors. Unit labour costs nevertheless rose 0.6%, their fifth consecutive quarterly increase.
Photo credit: JHVEPhoto / Adobe Stock
Loblaw raises 2026 store-opening target to 75 amid discount demand
Loblaw now expects to open about 75 grocery and pharmacy locations in 2026, up from roughly 70 planned earlier, as it focuses expansion on No Frills and Maxi discount formats. The company says its $2.4-billion 2026 capital program will create about 9,700 retail and construction jobs across Canada.
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.
