Daily Update: April 21, 2022

April 21, 2022 | Daily Update

Ontario to allow third-party renewable installation & expand access to net-metering, Niagara EI claimants drops 75% year-over-year, and more.

In this edition:

Ontario to allow third-party renewables installation, expand access to net-metering
Number of Niagara EI claimants dropped 13% in February, down 75% year-over-year
FAO: Average Ontario family receives net benefit of $846 from provincial government

Ontario to allow third-party renewables installation, expand access to net-metering

The government has made amendments to Ontario’s net metering regulation (O. Reg. 541/05), under the Ontario Energy Board Act, 1998, and consequential amendments to O. Reg. 389/10 (General) under the Energy Consumer Protection Act, 2010.

The regulatory changes introduced today will allow interested customers to enter into agreements with a third-party to install renewable generation systems, like rooftop solar. This new option will expand access to net metering, which allows customers to generate electricity on their property for their own use, while sending excess power to the grid for a credit on their bill, lowering their electricity bill.

Click here to find your utility provider.

Click here to read more.

Number of Niagara EI claimants dropped 13% in February, down 75% year-over-year

The number of Niagara residents claiming regular Employment Insurance (EI) benefits in February dropped to 7,090 from 8,180 in January and from a pandemic-era high of 28,800 in May, 2021. In February 2021, 28,100 Niagara residents were claiming EI; that figure has fallen by over 75% in 12 months.

Nationally, approximately 565,000 Canadians received regular Employment Insurance (EI) benefits in February, down by 68,000 (-10.8%) from a month earlier.

Niagara’s larger drop is likely explained by the stronger representation of the accommodation and food service industry in our economy. In Canada, the number of beneficiaries who most recently worked in accommodation and food services fell by 21,000 (-27.5%) between January and February 2022 (not seasonally adjusted). Despite the decline, regular EI beneficiaries who recently worked in accommodation and food services accounted for 7.6% of all beneficiaries in February 2022, higher than the February average of 5.8% between 2018 and 2020.

Click here to read more.

FAO: Average Ontario family receives net benefit of $846 from provincial government

The Financial Accountability Office of Ontario (FAO) has released a report on the impact of provincial spending and revenue collection on Ontario families. The FAO estimates that in 2019-20, Ontario’s 6.5 million families[1] contributed an average of $23,426 in revenue to the Province and received an average of $24,272 in services or payments, resulting in an average net benefit of $846 per family.

Although the average family in Ontario received a net benefit from the provincial government, there was a wide variation across families, with 60% receiving more in government services and payments than they contributed in revenue, 20% breaking even, and 20% contributing more in revenue than they received in services and payments.

The most important factor was family income: those earning less than $76,296 were net beneficiaries, those earning between $76,926 and $131,473 were in a net neutral position, and those earning $131,474 or more were net contributors.

Click here to read more.

Reading Recommendations

Zoom’s thumbs-up and raise-hand gesture recognition now works in its desktop apps

The Verge

Zoom’s reaction emoji are one of the platform’s handiest features, letting you quickly applaud a co-worker or send a heart to a friend. With the latest update to its desktop apps, Zoom is making a couple of those reactions easier to find. Its gesture recognition feature will show a thumbs-up emoji in the meeting when you give one to your webcam, or flag a raised-hand emoji when you raise your hand.

Gesture recognition won’t be news to those who use Zoom’s iPad and iPhone apps, which have supported the same two gestures since last summer. And those who have used it know that it can be as frustrating as it is helpful. Zoom has a tendency to read “I’m scratching my face” as “I’m raising my hand,” and at least in my experience only responds to the most aggressive of thumbs-ups. Still, when it works it does help Zoom bridge the gap between natural and digital communication, and it’s not surprising that the company is still investing in the idea.

Click here to read more.

How will streaming services pivot as they face challenges in adding subscribers?

CBC News

Streaming services that revolutionized how people consume entertainment are now facing a host of challenges when it comes to growing — or even sustaining — their subscriber base.

On Tuesday, Netflix’s first-quarter earnings showed the streaming service lost 200,000 subscribers — its first decline since 2011. The results rattled investors, and Netflix’s stock took a 37 per cent plunge by Thursday morning.

The market was expecting weak performance in this last quarter, but the extent of the drop came as a “total shock,” said senior Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Geetha Ranganathan.

“It raises questions about the ultimate endgame for Netflix, of course, and for all streamers,” she said.

Click here to read more.

Update on Ukraine

Russia sanctions 61 more Canadians, including top Trudeau staffers, premiers, mayors and journalists

CTV News

Russia has issued a fresh round of sanctions, “indefinitely” banning 61 Canadians from entering Russia, including premiers, mayors, journalists, military officials and top staffers in Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government.

Those named have been put on a “stop list” meaning they’d be denied entry to the Russian Federation. It’s a move Russia says is in direct retaliation for Canada’s ongoing imposition of sanctions on influential Russians in an effort to pressure Russian President Vladimir Putin to stop his military’s attacks on Ukraine.

Five premiers — Ontario Premier Doug Ford, Manitoba Premier Heather Stefanson, Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe, Alberta Premier Jason Kenney and British Columbia Premier John Horgan — are on the latest list, published on Thursday.

Toronto Mayor John Tory and Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson have been banned from Russia, as have Canada’s ambassador to the United Nations Bob Rae, Bank of Canada Governor Tiff Macklem, Acting Clerk of the Privy Council Janice Charette, former foreign affairs minister Lloyd Axworthy, and former senator Romeo Dallaire.

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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Daily Update: April 5, 2022

April 5, 2022 | Daily Update

Ontario will raise minimum wage October 1st, Health Minister says Ontario will soon offer fourth doses to those 60+, and more.

In this edition:

Ontario will raise minimum wage October 1st
Niagara Region launches Community Dashboard
Health Minister says Ontario will soon offer fourth doses to those 60+
Port Colborne to hold public meeting on increasing building permit fees
Ontario reports 1,091 people in hospital with COVID, up nearly 40 per cent in a week
Niagara College receives a $4.43M boost for applied research
Minister Jaczek to announce support for southern Ontario’s tourism industry tomorrow
Government of Canada introduces bill for sustainability of local news
Goodman School of Business holding digital marketing focus group for Niagara businesses and organizations

Ontario will raise minimum wage October 1st

The Government of Ontario will raise the general minimum wage to $15.50 per hour, starting October 1, 2022, representing an eight per cent increase over one year.

In January, Ontario raised the general minimum wage to $15 and removed the lower minimum wage for liquor servers. The government’s Working for Workers Act 2, if passed, would build on this action by expanding this minimum wage to digital platform workers for active hours worked.

The next increase this fall, which is tied to the Consumer Price Index, means that workers earning the general minimum wage and working 40 hours per week would see their annual pay rise by $1,768. Liquor servers who work 40 hours per week would see an annual raise of $5,512.

Click here to read more.

Niagara Region launches Community Dashboard

Niagara Region’s Community Dashboard uses key indicators to monitor and share important information about our community and Niagara Region’s programs and services.  It tracks data over time, telling us what we’re doing well and where more focus and attention may be needed. The Dashboard groups approximately 90 indicators into four themes to give an overview of the community and Regional services. The dashboard is a hybrid that is broader than a typical organizational performance dashboard and includes data and information that is of community interest.

Click here to learn more.

Health Minister says Ontario will soon offer fourth doses to those 60+

Ontario’s health minister says the province plans to soon make fourth doses of COVID-19 vaccines available to residents aged 60 and older. Christine Elliott says the province will announce a plan tomorrow for expanding eligibility for fourth doses.

Fourth doses in Ontario are already available to long-term care and retirement home residents as well as those who are immunocompromised. The government’s plan comes as COVID-19 hospitalizations have been rising in Ontario _ the province reported 1,091 people in hospital with the virus today, nearly 40 per cent higher than a week ago.

Elliott says the rise in cases is no surprise and the province can manage it.

Click here to read more.

Port Colborne to hold public meeting on increasing building permit fees

The City of Port Colborne is proposing to adopt a new Building Permit Fee By-law following a review of the building permit fees under Section 7(b) of the Building Code Act.

The effect will be to increase the existing fee structure and introduce new fees. Information will be provided at the meeting on the estimated costs of enforcing and administering the Building Code Act, the amount of the proposed fee(s) and the rationale for changing (and/or imposing) fees.

A public meeting will be held on May 17.

Click here to learn more.

Ontario reports 1,091 people in hospital with COVID, up nearly 40 per cent in a week

Ontario is reporting 1,091 people in hospital with COVID-19 today, nearly 40 per cent higher than a week ago. There were 790 people in hospital with COVID-19 last Tuesday. The province is also reporting 173 COVID-19 patients in intensive care today, compared with 165 a week ago.

There are six new COVID-19 deaths logged today, and three that the province says occurred more than a week ago have been added to the total count. Ontario is also reporting 1,991 new infections, though the province’s top doctor has said the number is likely 10 times higher since access to PCR tests is limited.

Click here to read more.

Niagara College receives a $4.43M boost for applied research

Niagara College researchers welcome the news of a $4.43-million investment from the National Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC).

On April 5, NSERC’s College and Community Innovation (CCI) program announced three new Applied Research and Technology Partnership (ARTP) funding grants for NC. Funds included an ARTP grant to support a NC project in sustainable cannabis and hemp production research, as well as two multi-institutional ARTP grants for NC-led projects: to support craft breweries in Canada, and to expand the Southern Ontario Network for Advanced Manufacturing Innovation (SONAMI).

Click here to read more.

Minister Jaczek to announce support for southern Ontario’s tourism industry tomorrow

The Honourable Helena Jaczek, Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario), will make a significant announcement  supporting tourism across southern Ontario tomorrow at 9 a.m. The Minister will be joined by Irek Kusmierczyk, Member of Parliament for Windsor–Tecumseh.

Click here to read more.

Government of Canada introduces bill for sustainability of local news

Today, the Minister of Canadian Heritage, Pablo Rodriguez, introduced Bill C-18, the Online News Act, which would establish a new legislative and regulatory framework to ensure fairness in the Canadian digital news marketplace and for independent local news businesses, including rural and remote news organizations, by ensuring that news media and journalists receive fair compensation for their work.

More than 450 news outlets have closed since 2008. More than 60 of those closures have occurred in the last two years alone. Digital platforms and social media are now the gateways where people find, read and share news. Because of this, advertising revenues have shifted away from local news and journalists to these gatekeepers, who profit from the sharing and distribution of Canadian news content. In 2020, online advertising revenues in Canada reached $9.7 billion, with two companies taking in more than 80 percent of those revenues.

Click here to read more.

Goodman School of Business holding digital marketing focus group for Niagara businesses and organizations

A Goodman focus group aims to identify current needs and challenges that businesses/organizations in the Niagara Region have and encounter around digital marketing training.

Input at the group will provide important information for developing a Digital Marketing Certification (DMC) program that will help local communities to expand their businesses with an online presence and improve utilization of Internet and social media. The program will provide digital marketing training to existing and prospective employees. Learners will acquire knowledge and practical skills in digital marketing after completing the program and these newly trained employees will be able to help local businesses enhance their digital and online presence.

The meeting will be held virtually for 30 to 60 minutes. Participants can choose to attend at 12pm on Tuesday April 19, 2022, or 1pm on Thursday April 21, 2022.

As a token of appreciation, participants will receive a $30 Tim Hortons gift card.

Please sign up for this meeting by emailing Ms. Shuang Wang at sw18wh@brocku.ca.  You will receive an MS Teams invite once registered.

Reading Recommendations

With her latest budget, Freeland faces pressure to do more — and a lot less

CBC News

In her first budget a year ago, Chrystia Freeland told Canadians that there was a risk of doing too little to secure the post-pandemic recovery.

As the finance minister prepares to deliver her second financial plan later this week, there’s every expectation that she will continue to spend.

Between the Liberals’ own election pledges — on housing, climate change and seniors — and commitments to pursue universal dental and drug care through the party’s supply and confidence deal with the New Democrats, the budget is expected to include billions of dollars in new spending.

All of it is affordable, Freeland argued last week in the House of Commons.

Click here to read more.

Update on Ukraine

More than 60% of Putin’s war chest frozen, [UK Foreign Secretary] Truss says

BBC

More than 60% of Putin’s war chest has been frozen by sanctions but more needs to be done, Liz Truss has said.

The foreign secretary said “crippling” sanctions are pushing the Russian economy back “into the Soviet era”.

More than $350bn (£266bn) of Russia’s $604bn foreign currency reserves are unavailable to the regime, she added.

Her call for more to be done comes amid condemnation after images of bodies in the streets of Bucha, near Kyiv, emerged after Russian troops withdrew.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has warned he believes the worst atrocities committed by Russian forces are yet to be discovered, but Russia has denied killing civilians – claiming, without evidence, that Ukraine has staged such scenes.

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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6 ways to help employees recover from COVID-19 burnout

April 4, 2022 | WSPS

A recent survey found that 84% of Canadian employees have experienced burnout, with 34% reporting high or extreme levels.* Will easing public or workplace restrictions around COVID-19 automatically reverse employees’ pandemic-related burnout?

“It may not be that easy,” says Kart Vyas, WSPS Specialized Consultant. Kart defines burnout as “physical, emotional, and/or mental exhaustion resulting from persistent, prolonged unresolved stress that may take time and effort to heal and recover from.”

Much of this burnout has been fueled by pandemic worry, aggravated by increased workloads, longer work hours, isolation, and little vacation time. Employees who are experiencing burnout often have less energy, are less productive, have difficulty concentrating, and feel less motivated.

Well-being is composed of physical health, social health, and mental health. It is important that we support and engage in activities that incorporate all three aspects of well-being in our routine,” explains Kart.

What can you do to help your employees recover from COVID-related burnout? Because many different factors may contribute to COVID-related burnout, take a multi-faceted approach. Your end goal is to provide a physically and psychologically safe and healthy workplace. Consider these six opportunities:

  1. Ask employees how they’re doing. Conduct a comfort survey asking workers about their mental health and whether they are experiencing burnout. “Just participating in a well thought out comfort survey will provide mental relief for some employees by making them part of the decision-making process,” says Kart.
  2. Share the survey results, and how you plan to address employee issues and concerns, such as returning to work and devolving COVID requirements. Engage workplace stakeholders in identifying solutions.
  3. Raise awareness of COVID-related burnout. Educate employees on how to recognize symptoms, anticipate and adjust to difficulties, and set priorities. Introduce them to self-help techniques that focus on emotional, physical, intellectual, social and mental health. “Consistent daily routines help increase a sense of control in people with burnout,” notes Kart. Reassure employees they can speak in confidence with supervisors or HR about how to accommodate their needs.
  4. Assess workload levels. Prioritize tasks and keep expectations reasonable: base assignments and deadlines on each employee’s abilities, proficiency and experience. Encourage employees to speak up if they have questions or feel overwhelmed. Be open to employees’ ideas about how to do things better.
  5. Actively support work-life balance. Infringements on family time because of longer workdays, virtual schooling and expectations of being always available have contributed to COVID-related burnout. “Ensure employees are able to disconnect from work at the end of their prescribed workday, and that your company culture supports this.”** Encourage employees to take vacation time and proper rest breaks. Allow for flexible work arrangements so employees can meet personal or family needs.
  6. Put a mental health first aid policy in place. Train your employees to recognize the signs and symptoms of mental disorders and provide access to resources. Learn more about mental health first aid and how to respond to a mental health emergency.

How WSPS can help

Our workplace mental health/healthy workplace consultants can help you design a comfort survey for your workplace and implement healthy workplace solutions and wellness initiatives. WSPS ergonomists can assist with ergonomic assessments of workstations to achieve employees’ physical safety and comfort. Find out more by emailing or speaking with our on-duty consultant.

Sign up for any or all of these training solutions:

* Ceridian 2022 Pulse of Talent Report

** Bill 27, the Working for Workers Act 2021, states that as of June 2, 2022 employers in Ontario with 25+ employees must develop a written policy giving workers the right to disconnect at the end of their workday. For insights on possible policy considerations, see 6 tips to launch a “disconnect” policy now.

 

The information in this article is accurate as of its publication date.

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Daily Update: March 30, 2022

March 30, 2022 | Daily Update

Government of Ontario introduces More Homes for Everyone Act, Niagara Falls issues call for vendors, tourism spending up in Q4 2021, and more

In this edition:

Government of Ontario introduces More Homes for Everyone Act
Niagara Falls issues call for positive environmental product vendors
National tourism spending up in Q4 2021
Ontario introduces A Plan to Stay Open

Government of Ontario introduces More Homes for Everyone Act

The More Homes for Everyone Act outlines the next suite of actions the province is taking in an attempt to address Ontario’s housing crisis. This plan, built on recommendations from the Housing Affordability Task Force and the first-ever Provincial-Municipal Housing Summit, aims to deliver both near-term solutions and long-term commitments to provide more attainable housing options for Ontario families.

More Homes for Everyone will, if passed:

  • Increase the non-resident speculation tax rate to 20 per cent and expand the tax beyond the Greater Golden Horseshoe to apply provincewide.
  • Work with municipalities to identify measures that will crack down on land speculation in response to feedback the province solicited from municipalities regarding projects that are approved by the municipality, but unbuilt by the developer.
  • Double fines and extend building license suspensions for developers, and enable Tarion to extend warranties on unfinished items in a new home.
  • Offer municipalities resources, tools and standards to provide timely review and adjudication processes by both extending legislated timelines for decisions while focusing the decision-making process.
  • Create a Community Infrastructure and Housing Accelerator to help municipalities expedite approvals for housing and community infrastructure, like hospitals and community centres, with clear requirements for both consultation and public notice. The tool will not apply in the Greenbelt.
  • Invest over $19 million to help the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT) and the Landlord and Tenant Board to reduce their backlogs.
  • Conduct consultation on the concept of a multi-generational community, which will begin the process of implementing “missing middle” housing policies that will work to implement gentle density and multi-generational homes on the ground across different types of municipalities.
  • Make better use of provincially-owned lands for non-profit housing providers.

Ontario commits to a housing supply action plan every year over four years, starting in 2022-23, with policies and tools that support implementing the recommendations from the housing affordability Task Force’s report.

Click here to read more.

Niagara Falls issues call for positive environmental product vendors

Mother Earth Day, a new event celebrating the environment, will take place Saturday, June 11, 2022, between 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., at Firemen’s Park. The event, presented by PenFinancial Credit Union, is being organized and hosted by Park in the City Committee, in partnership with the Stamford Centre Volunteer Firemen’s Association. Planned activities will enable residents to interact with demonstrators and vendors throughout the day. Entry will be free and open to the public to attend and participate.

The Park in the City Committee is currently accepting retail vendors, specifically those that focus on positive environmental products or services. Businesses interested in becoming a vendor can submit an application here by Friday, April 15, 2022.

For more information, please visit niagarafalls.ca/motherearthday.

National tourism spending up in Q4 2021

Tourism spending in Canada increased 8.7% in the fourth quarter, following a 29.3% rise in the third quarter. Annually, tourism spending rose 4.4% in 2021 after a 49.0% decline in 2020. Tourism gross domestic product (GDP) rose 11.9% in the fourth quarter of 2021 and was up 5.0% annually.

Growth in tourism spending in the fourth quarter was partly attributable to increased outlays in passenger air transport (+27.5%). This reflects the easing of travel requirements seen up until December 21st. Increased spending in accommodation services (+12.3%) further contributed to the quarterly rise. Tourism spending was 64.4% of what it was in the fourth quarter of 2019, prior to the pandemic.

Click here to read more.

Ontario introduces A Plan to Stay Open

Ontario is introducing A Plan to Stay Open, which includes legislation that, if passed, will expand on policies and measures already in place to build a stronger, more resilient health care system that is better able to respond to crisis.

The cornerstone of the province’s Plan to Stay Open are innovative measures to recruit more doctors, nurses and personal support workers to the province’s health system. The Plan includes measures such as:

  • Offering tuition reimbursement for nurses who practice in underserved communities
  • Reduce barriers for foreign-credentialed healthcare workers
  • Make the temporary wage enhancement for personal support (PSWs) and direct support workers (DSWs) permanent
  • Add 160 undergraduate seats and 295 postgraduate positions for medical schools
  • Add 3,000 new hospital beds over 10 years

Click here to read more.

Reading Recommendations

Ford government unveils plans to fix soaring Ontario housing prices — but not everything’s on the table

CBC News

Premier Doug Ford’s government is unveiling the first phase of its plan to deal with the skyrocketing cost of buying a home in Ontario.

The government has tabled a bill that, in part, takes aim at delays within planning at the municipal level, suggesting the approval process in place slows down home construction and drives up prices.

Steve Clark, municipal affairs and housing minister, told reporters after the legislation was tabled Wednesday that he is confident this bill will create more housing, faster.

“While housing starts have hit record levels over the past two years, long, drawn out processes are delaying housing, and pushing the dream of home ownership out of reach for too many Ontarians,” Clark said at a news conference.

The province first revealed the details of its plans in a dense, 42-page document during a technical briefing with reporters Wednesday afternoon.

Click here to read more.

Sixth wave was ‘guaranteed’ after mask mandates dropped, experts say

CTV News

As officials in Ontario and Quebec report the provinces have entered a sixth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, some experts say the rise in infections was inevitable as health authorities removed restrictions, such as mask mandates and proof of vaccination requirements, amid the emergence of the Omicron subvariant BA.2.

Dr. Kashif Pirzada, an emergency physician in Toronto, told CTV News Channel on Wednesday that decreased public health vigilance cleared a path for BA.2 to drive up infections and hospitalizations.

“I think it was pretty predictable that when they dropped the mask mandates it pretty much guaranteed that this would happen,” said Pirzada, adding that the sudden rise in hospitalizations in Ontario is “alarming.”

Click here to read more.

Update on Ukraine

Putin ‘feels misled by Russian military’ and has lost trust in top brass

The Telegraph

Vladimir Putin feels “misled by the Russian military” and has lost faith in his top officials, a western intelligence chief has revealed.

The Russian president is being misinformed about how poorly the military campaign is progressing in Ukraine because his advisors “are too afraid to tell him the truth,” a US official has said.

New declassified intelligence, first reported by CNN, found that Putin “didn’t even know his military was using and losing conscripts…showing a clear breakdown in the flow of accurate information.”

“We have information that Putin felt misled by the Russian military. There is now persistent tension between Putin and the MOD, stemming from Putin’s mistrust in MOD leadership,” the US official said.

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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Daily Update: March 21, 2022

March 21, 2022 | Daily Update

Ontario introduces bill to limit disruptions of cross-border commerce, Municipal 511 brings road and emergency info to Niagara, and more.

In this edition:

Ontario introduces legislation to limit disruptions of cross-border commerce
Municipal 511 brings road closure and emergency information to Niagara residents
Fair offered to Niagara Falls child and youth sport & recreation providers
Watch St. Catharines State of the City 2022 on YourTV

Ontario introduces legislation to limit disruptions of cross-border commerce

The Keeping Ontario Open for Business Act, 2022 includes legislative measures to enable police officers to better protect international border crossings.

If passed, the Act would:

  • make it illegal to obstruct certain transportation infrastructure if the blockage disrupts economic activity or interferes with the safety, health or well-being of the public
  • grant police officers the power to remove, maintain possession of and store objects, including vehicles, for 30 days
  • permit police to impose roadside suspension of drivers’ licences and vehicle permits or to seize licence plates for 14 days when a vehicle is used in an illegal blockade of protected transportation infrastructure
  • allow the Registrar of Motor Vehicles to suspend or cancel the plate portion of a commercial motor vehicle or trailer permit or a Commercial Vehicle Operator’s Registration (CVOR) certificate
  • punish offences under the new legislation, except a failure to identify oneself, with one-year imprisonment and/or a fine of up to $100,000 for an individual. Directors and officers of corporations could face up to $500,000 in fines, up to one year imprisonment, or both. Corporations can face up to $10,000,000 in fines
  • allow a provincial offences court to direct the Registrar to suspend the driver’s licence and deny vehicle permit renewals for people who are convicted of violating the new legislation and do not pay their fines.

Click here to read more.

Click here for a summary of the Act.

Municipal 511 brings road closure and emergency information to Niagara residents through pilot program

Niagara Region is pleased to collaborate with Municipal 511 on a two-year pilot program to provide accurate and up-to-date information regarding road closures, construction activities on Regional roads and emergency information to the community. Municipal 511 is a bilingual digital traveller information service used by more than 50 per cent of municipalities in Ontario and the Ministry of Transportation (Ontario 511).

Click here to read more.

Sport and Recreation Fair offered to Niagara Falls child and youth sport & recreation providers

The City of Niagara Falls Recreation & Culture Department is hosting a Sport and Recreation Fair at the MacBain Community Centre on Saturday, April 23, 2022.

The City invites businesses and organizations providing these services to showcase themselves to the community by participating in this one-stop-shop for families to discover programs and activities such as gymnastics, martial arts, dance, soccer, baseball, rowing, and much more.

Click here for more information.

Watch St. Catharines State of the City 2022 on YourTV

Those who missed Mayor Sendzik’s 2022 State of the City address can watch it this evening on YourTV Niagara. Click here for more information.

Reading Recommendations

Update on Ukraine

$17bn of global assets linked to 35 Russians with alleged ties to Putin

The Guardian

More than $17bn (£13bn) of global assets – including offshore bank accounts, yachts, private jets and luxury properties in London, Tuscany and the French Riviera – have been linked to 35 oligarchs and Russian officials alleged to have close ties to Vladimir Putin.

Today, the Guardian, working in a partnership with the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project and other international news organisations, is unveiling the initial research in an ongoing project to track the wealth of Russia’s most powerful operators.

The Russian asset tracker project will start by focusing on a list of 35 men and women named last year as Putin’s alleged enablers by the jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny. It will record assets outside Russia where the reporting partners have seen evidence connecting them to these individuals.

Navalny’s organisation wrote to western governments requesting the names on its list be considered for sanctions and all but two have since been blacklisted by either the US, EU, UK or Canada.

The names include four of the wealthiest oligarchs, plus heads of state-controlled companies, prominent broadcasters, spy agency chiefs, ministers, political advisers and regional governors. They have been read out in the US Congress by lawmakers seeking tougher penalties for the Russian elite and in the UK parliament by the Liberal Democrat foreign affairs spokesperson, Layla Moran.

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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Daily Update: March 4, 2022

March 4, 2022 | Daily Update

Deputy Premier Christine Elliott will not seek re-election, entrepreneur Jenn Harper honoured at International Women’s Day event, and more.

In this edition:

Deputy Premier Christine Elliott will not seek re-election
Women interested in municipal politics encouraged to participate in Seat at the Table
Entrepreneur Jenn Harper honoured at GNCC International Women’s Day event
Mental health-related disability rises among employed Canadians during pandemic
Legislation to increase access to rapid testing across the country receives Royal Assent

Deputy Premier Christine Elliott will not seek re-election

Ontario Premier Doug Ford is facing another high-profile resignation just months away from the provincial election, CBC news reports, as Christine Elliott, his deputy premier, announced on Friday that she’s leaving politics.

Elliott has served as health minister since Ford’s Progressive Conservatives took office in 2018, putting her at the forefront of the government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

​In a statement issued Friday morning, Elliott said she made the decision to not run in the coming provincial election after “considerable reflection and discussion” with her family.

Elliott will stay on as health minister until the spring.

Click here to read more.

Women interested in municipal politics encouraged to participate in Niagara Region Seat at the Table

Niagara Region is partnering with the Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce (GNCC) Women in Niagara (WIN) Council, the City of St. Catharines, YWCA, Future Black Female, Services 4 Humanity, Muslim Senior Circle and Niagara Region’s Women’s Advisory Committee to encourage more diversity in elected councils in 2022.

Niagara Region’s Seat at the Table program aims to address barriers that women and gender diverse people face when running for municipal office, while also improving the environment once elected. Despite being just over half of the Niagara population, women are underrepresented in local government, especially in senior leadership.

The program consists of four workshops that will help women, gender diverse people, and underrepresented groups feel informed and educated when making the decision to run for local government or supporting a female or gender diverse candidate.

The first session, taking place virtually on Thursday, April 7 at 6 p.m., will be open to all women and gender diverse people across all 12 local municipalities. The workshop will inspire and prepare women from underrepresented backgrounds to run for election and change the face of elected councils to better represent the people of Niagara. Register by April 5 for the first session on Niagara Region’s website.

Click here to read more.

Entrepreneur Jenn Harper honoured at GNCC International Women’s Day event

The GNCC, in partnership with PenFinancial Credit Union and Niagara Economic Development, conferred an award on St. Catharines Indigenous entrepreneur Jenn Harper, founder of Cheekbone Beauty, an ethical cosmetics company renowned for its charitable activity and activism for the environment and for Indigenous youth.

The keynote speech, delivered by advocate and organizer Steph Guthrie, discussed the topic of intimidation and harassment and those who commit crimes using “free speech” as a shield. With incidents of vandalism, intimidation, and threats on the rise against Niagara’s elected officials and community leaders, conversation on the subject could not be more timely.

View the livestreamed event here.

Mental health-related disability rises among employed Canadians during pandemic

New combined data from the Labour Force Survey (LFS) and the Canadian Income Survey shed new light on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the prevalence of disability in the workplace. Among those who were employed during the first four months of 2021, more than one in five (21.5%) had a physical, mental health, cognitive or other disability. This was an increase of 2.7 percentage points compared with 2019 (18.8%), continuing a long-term upward trend associated with population aging and other factors.

Click here to read more.

Legislation to increase access to rapid testing across the country receives Royal Assent

oday, the Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Health, welcomed the Royal Assent in Parliament of Bill C-10 – An Act respecting certain measures related to COVID-19. This bill provides Health Canada with $2.5 billion in funding and the statutory authority to purchase and distribute COVID-19 rapid tests across Canada.

With this funding, the Government of Canada will ship hundreds of millions of additional COVID-19 rapid tests to provinces and territories and Indigenous communities over the next three months, free of charge. The funding also allows Health Canada to continue to provide tests for distribution through partners such as the Canadian Red Cross, chambers of commerce and pharmacies.

Click here to read more.

Reading Recommendations

Commodities soar as anxiety over supply shortages increases

Bloomberg News

Commodities extended their massive rally as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine continues to roil global markets and fuel fears of supply crunches.

Prices from crude and nickel to aluminum and wheat soared, as raw materials stage their most stunning weekly surge since 1974, during the days of the oil crisis.

Russia’s growing isolation is choking off a major source of energy, metals and crops, sparking fears of prolonged shortages and accelerating global inflation. Traders, banks and shipowners are increasingly avoiding business with Russia because of the difficulty in securing payments, while shipping lines are shunning bookings from the region.

Tensions rose early Friday after Russia attacked a Ukrainian nuclear plant, the biggest in Europe, according to Ukrainian officials. As Russian forces occupied the area, Ukraine’s nuclear regulator said its last check before it halted monitoring showed normal radiation levels.

Click here to read more.

Update on Ukraine

Russia to foreign firms: stay, leave or hand over the keys

Financial Post

Companies around the globe grappled with a dilemma over what to do with their Russian investments today as Moscow laid out their options: stay in the country, exit entirely or hand over their holdings to local managers until they return.

First Deputy Prime Minister Andrei Belousov spelt out the government’s position a little more than a week after Russia invaded Ukraine, and a day after French bank Societe Generale sent a chill through the corporate world by saying Russian authorities could seize its assets in the country.

Click here to read more.

Niagara COVID-19 statistics tracker

Niagara COVID vaccination tracker

Information on government grants, resources, and programs, policies, forms, and posters for download and use, are available here. The GNCC is here to support you. Contact us with any questions you have.

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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Daily Update: January 31, 2022

January 31, 2022 | Daily Update

The federal government has introduced legislation to authorize the purchase of up to $2.5 billion worth of rapid tests on world markets.

In this edition:

Canada proposes legislation to buy $2.5bn worth of rapid tests
Niagara-on-the-Lake requests business assistance at ROMA
CFP for in-demand job training programs
New Port Colborne vaccination clinic
Canada to modernize immigration system

Government of Canada introduces legislation to purchase COVID rapid tests

Today, the Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Health, introduced Bill C-10 – An Act respecting certain measures related to COVID-19 in Parliament to provide Health Canada with the statutory authority to purchase and distribute across the country up to $2.5 billion worth of COVID-19 rapid tests. With this funding, the Government of Canada would put in place critical contracts in a highly competitive global market, to purchase sufficient quantities of rapid tests to meet the continued demand across the country.

Click here for more information.

Niagara-on-the-Lake advocates for business at Rural Ontario Municipal Association

Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake Staff and Council Members participated in the Rural Ontario Municipal Association (ROMA) 2022 Virtual Conference from Sunday, January 23, to Tuesday, January 25. Town advocacy items included, among others:

  • Requesting permanent legislation on the provincial temporary patio program, and requesting that business-owners be able to invest capital without jeopardizing their participation
  • Requesting the elimination of the VQA tax, enable wineries to deliver direct to grocery stores, increase shelf space for VQA wines, and eliminate import taxes on 100% VQA wines

The GNCC shares these priorities and has previously advocated on them, and is heartened to see the Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake supporting its businesses.

Click here to read the media release (PDF link).

Canada launches CFP for in-demand job training

The Government of Canada has announced a Call for Proposals (CFP) for the Sectoral Workforce Solutions Program. Priority will be placed on projects that support underrepresented groups, including women, persons with disabilities, Indigenous people, racialized Canadians, newcomers, and LGBTQ2 Canadians, and will also promote a diverse and inclusive workforce.

The program is focused on projects that will:

  • support workforce development needs in sectors that contribute to the low carbon economy, protect the environment, oceanic or aquatic ecosystems, and/or manage natural resources
  • support activities that can be launched quickly to address the changing labour supply, skills and employment needs of workers and employers hardest hit by the pandemic
  • address the challenges faced by in-demand health care occupations, including skills and labour shortages, labour mobility, workforce mental health needs and integration of internationally trained health care professionals

Applications are open until March 18th.

Click here for more information.

Port Colborne vaccination clinic open January 31-February 2

A vaccination clinic at the Port Colborne Visitor Information Centre, 76 Main Street W, will run from Jan. 31 to Feb. 2, open 9:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. The clinic will serve:

  • Ages 5+ (1st and 2nd dose)
  • Ages 18+ (1st, 2nd, and booster doses)

Appointments are available, and walk-ins are welcome.

For more information and COVID-19 updates, visit www.portcolborne.ca/covid19.

Canada to modernize immigration system

Today, the Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, announced measures to improve client experience and modernize the immigration system. In the Economic and Fiscal Update 2021, the Government of Canada proposed $85 million in new funding to reduce application inventories.

The government intends to expand the use of advanced data analytics in helping officers sort and process visitor visa applications submitted from outside Canada. During the time the data analytics system has been used for visitor visas, it has been shown that routine files can be assessed 87% faster, resulting in some applicants receiving decisions more quickly while program integrity is maintained. An IRCC officer will always make the final decision, however.

The government will also expand the digital application portal to include more clients in summer 2022. The transition to an online application process will minimize COVID-19-related delays associated with processing paper applications, and will provide clients with immediate confirmation that their application was successfully submitted. Efforts to date have allowed average processing times for spousal sponsorship applicants to return to the service standard of 12 months for new applications.

Click here for more information.

Reading Recommendations

Busting the myth of Canada’s million or more vacant homes

Financial Post

Recent media accounts and development agency reports suggest Canada’s housing affordability problem is being made worse by more than a million homes sitting empty, but a deep dive into the vacancy data reveals the alarmists have misinterpreted the information.

Many believe investors and those owning multiple homes contribute to worsening housing affordability by keeping dwellings empty that could house tenants or new millennial owners. Hence, critics say, housing conditions would improve if these million-plus “vacant homes” were made available for buying or renting.

Vancouver imposed a vacant home tax in 2017 and Toronto is doing the same this year. But the vacant tax in Vancouver has not netted tens of thousands of empty properties. A similar outcome is expected in Toronto, where the local government expects to find 6,500 to 9,600 vacant dwellings, though some or many would qualify for an exemption from the vacant home tax.

But it turns out that the percentage of vacant homes is actually low, and even lower in high-demand urban areas. Furthermore, some dwellings are temporarily vacant for a reason, for example, transitioning from one occupant to the next.

Omicron variant raises uncertainty as companies downgrade forecasts

Canadian Press/BNN Bloomberg

The extremely transmissible Omicron variant has prompted companies in the manufacturing and resource sectors to downgrade their earnings forecasts amid the ongoing uncertainty.

Cascades Inc., the Quebec-based packaging and tissue company, said Monday it expects fourth-quarter results to fall below its already revised outlook after Omicron-related labour shortages and supply chain issues worsened in the latter half of December.

The cut at Cascades followed an announcement last week from Teck Resources Ltd. that its fourth-quarter steelmaking coal sales would fall below the guidance it had ratcheted down in Dec. 5 following severe flooding in B.C. that washed out key rail and road infrastructure. The Vancouver-based company warned that COVID-19 was also leading to higher costs and could disrupt production.

Sick leave along with labour shortages and inflation all make for angst-inducing variables over the first half of 2022.

Niagara COVID-19 statistics tracker

Niagara COVID vaccination tracker

Information on government grants, resources, and programs, policies, forms, and posters for download and use, are available here. The GNCC is here to support you. Contact us with any questions you have.

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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Daily Update: January 7, 2022

January 7, 2022 | Daily Update

Ontario has announced a grant for small businesses subject to closure under the modified Roadmap to Reopen beginning January 5, 2022.

Government of Ontario announces new business support

Ontario COVID-19 Small Business Relief Grant

The Ontario COVID-19 Small Business Relief Grant is for small businesses that are subject to closure under modified Step Two of Roadmap to Reopen beginning January 5, 2022. It will provide eligible small businesses with a one-time grant payment of $10,000.

Eligible small businesses will include:

  • Restaurants and bars
  • Facilities for indoor sports and recreational fitness activities (including fitness centres and gyms)
  • Performing arts venues and cinemas, museums, galleries, aquariums, zoos, science centres, landmarks, historic sites, botanical gardens and similar attractions
  • Meeting or event spaces
  • Tour and guide services
  • Conference centres and convention centres.

Eligible businesses that qualified for the Ontario Small Business Support Grant and that are subject to closure under modified Step Two of Roadmap to Reopen will be pre-screened to verify eligibility and will not need to apply to the new program. Newly established and newly eligible small businesses will need to apply once the application portal opens in the coming weeks. Small businesses who qualify can expect to receive their payment in February.

Electricity Rate Relief Support

For 21 days, starting at 12:01 am on Tuesday, January 18, 2022, electricity prices will be set 24 hours a day at the current off-peak rate of 8.2 cents per kilowatt-hour, which is less than half the cost of the current on-peak rate. The off-peak rate will apply automatically to residential, small businesses and farms who pay regulated rates set by the Ontario Energy Board and get a bill from a utility and will benefit customers on both Time-of-Use and Tiered rate plans. This will provide immediate savings for families, small businesses and farms as all Ontarians work together to slow the spread of the Omicron variant.

Ontario Business Costs Rebate Program

Online applications for the Ontario Business Costs Rebate Program will open on January 18. This program will provide eligible businesses that are required to close or reduce capacity with rebate payments for up to 100 per cent of the property tax and energy costs they incur while subject to public health measures in response to the Omicron variant.

Eligible businesses required to close for indoor activities, such as restaurants and gyms, will receive a rebate payment equivalent to 100 per cent of their costs. Those required to reduce capacity to 50 per cent, such as smaller retail stores, will receive a rebate payment equivalent to 50 per cent of their costs. A complete list of eligible businesses will be provided prior to the launch of the application portal.

Improving Cash Flow for Ontario Businesses

The government is providing up to $7.5 billion through a six-month interest- and penalty-free period starting January 1, 2022 for Ontario businesses to make payments for most provincially administered taxes.

The Province continues to call on the federal government to match provincial tax deferral efforts by allowing small businesses impacted by public health restrictions to  defer their HST remittances for a period of six months.

Read the Government of Ontario’s media release here.

GNCC welcomes new business supports, but some in need are ineligible

The GNCC today issued a media release regarding new supports for businesses affected by COVID-related restrictions and closures.

These included the Ontario COVID-19 Small Business Relief Grant for small businesses subject to closure under the modified Step Two of the Roadmap to Reopen. It will provide eligible small businesses with a grant payment of $10,000.

Additional reductions to electricity costs were also announced along with a rebate program.

“This grant will be a significant help to businesses that have been forced to close owing to COVID-related restrictions, and it is most welcome at this difficult time,” said Mishka Balsom, CEO of the GNCC. “However, the program does not cover all the businesses that were restricted on January 3rd, and many will be without help.”

Examples of businesses that will be severely impacted but are ineligible for the relief grant include food suppliers for restaurants, or hair salons and other personal services currently working at 50% capacity.

Additionally, property tax deferrals and energy bill relief are only useful to those businesses which own their premises and/or pay their own energy bills. For businesses that rent a property, the program relies on the goodwill of a landlord to pass the savings on.

The GNCC has called on the Government of Ontario to extend relief to all affected businesses under the Reopening Ontario Act regulations of January 3rd.

Click here to read the GNCC’s letter to the Honourable Peter Bethlenfalvy, Minister of Finance.

Government of Canada extends eligibility for Lockdown Program and Worker Lockdown Benefit

Today, through regulatory authorities that were approved with the passage of Bill C-2, the Government of Canada announced its intent to temporarily expand the definition of a lockdown so that wage and rent support programs will apply to workers and businesses that see capacity restricted by 50 per cent or more.

If you are an employer who has to reduce the capacity of your main business by 50 per cent or more, you will be eligible for the wage and rent subsidy support through the Local Lockdown Program.

The Government of Canada is also lowering the revenue decline threshold from 40 per cent to 25 per cent. Eligible employers will receive wage and rent subsidy support from 25 per cent up to 75 per cent, depending on how much revenue they have lost. An organization only needs to demonstrate revenue loss during the current month, compared with 2019.

Employers will be able to apply for these expanded support programs after the end of each program period, in exactly the same way that they received wage and rent subsidy support when those programs were launched.

Click here to read the Deputy Prime Minister’s remarks.

Click here for more information including how to apply.

Niagara sees employment rate drop in late 2021

Today’s update from Statistics Canada’s Labour Force Survey shows that Niagara saw an overall employment decrease between November and December 2021. Locally, Niagara Workforce Planning Board noted declines in both the participation and employment rates alongside an increase in the unemployment rate. This contrasts the unemployment rate decreases seen provincially and nationally.

These data reflect trends from the week of December 5-11, 2021. Since these data were collected, a variety of pandemic-related changes have occurred, including a provincial shift into a modified Stage 2 of pandemic response due to the spread of the Omicron variant.

Trends to Consider

  • Given what we have seen in terms of employment-related impacts of past shutdowns, it will be important to examine potential employment impacts to cohorts we have seen be more impacted throughout prior shutdowns or restrictions (e.g., women and youth); sectors that have been heavily impacted such as accommodations and food services, and wholesale and retail trade; and any potential impacts to sectors such as health care and social assistance, and educational services.
  • Discussion around potential labour shortages have been ongoing. In Niagara, December 2021 displayed a decrease in the labour force size which means there were fewer people employed or actively searching for work; however, the unemployment rate increased indicating that a larger portion of individuals in the labour force are still seeking employment. Provincially we see that many industries had a decrease in the unemployment rate between November and December 2021 (Table 1). For example, across Ontario the unemployment rate in manufacturing decreased to 2.4% with an increase in employment of over 20,000 individuals which indicates high demand for workers in this sector, and demonstrates the tight labour market.
  • Another factor to consider are impacts to individuals’ ability to participate in the labour force due to either temporary sector shutdowns/layoffs or being unable to work due to potential infection with COVD-19. Related to this could be work absences where national level data indicate that the total number of days lost per worker increased throughout 2020 and 2021 compared to prior years (Statistics Canada. Table 14-10-0196-01 )

Click here for more information.

Town of Lincoln launches business support telephone line

The Town of Lincoln has launched a business support line to assist our business community during the Omicron wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. In response to the return to a modified version of Step Two of the Roadmap to Reopen, the Town wants to further support the business community with any questions or concerns related to their business and the COVID-19 pandemic. Lincoln staff are ready to provide information and assistance to businesses in need.

If you have questions or concerns about your business and the COVID-19 pandemic, please contact the Business Support Phone Line at 905.563.2799 ext. 518. The Business Support Phone Line is open Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Click here for more information.

Port Colborne accepting grant applications for non-profit organizations

The City of Port Colborne is accepting the first round of grant applications from non-profit organizations until Monday, Jan. 31, 2022.

The granting committee distributes approximately $30,000 annually to non-profit organizations, charitable organizations, and service organizations that benefit the citizens of Port Colborne and enhance the quality of life of the community.

The second due date for applications in 2022 is June 30, 2022; however, organizations can only apply once in a fiscal period.

To download the grant application, visit the city’s website. For more information about the application process and/or grant policy committee, call Nancy Giles, EA to Mayor and CAO at 905-835-2900 x 301 or email mayoradmin@portcolborne.ca.

Reading Recommendations

Execs fear omicron’s impact on employee retention, hiring

Canadian HR Reporter

Most business leaders in the U.S. — 87 per cent — believe their organization could endure an outbreak of the omicron variant of COVID-19.

Eighty-six per cent feel that existing policies and procedures aimed at stopping the spread of COVID-19 in the workplace gave them confidence, finds a survey by SHRM (the Society for Human Resource Management).

“Clearly, this variant is causing significant disruptions across the economy, and business leaders must continue taking steps to protect employees and their families and retain talent,” said Johnny Taylor, Jr., SHRM president and CEO.

“Despite the anxiety, there is good news. Employers are confident the hard work of the last few years — all the planning and safety protocols — will help get them through the twists and turns of the pandemic.”

Nearly 500 employees at the City of Toronto have lost their jobs because of the municipality’s vaccine mandate.

Until we address chronic underfunding, Canada will keep failing at emergency management

The Conversation

The COVID-19 pandemic is different from the disasters Canadians are more familiar with. The public’s confusion partly stems from the fact that the pandemic doesn’t follow the usual pattern of news media coverage featuring stories about first responders dealing with the immediate harm and damage, and then moving on to the next story.

Instead we’ve had almost two years of public health and safety orders that have dramatically changed the way we work, travel and live. While requiring evacuation during a flood or wildfire is common sense, we’ve been dealing with emergency orders that vary across the country, come and go with each wave and have divided communities.

These emergency orders expose how disasters unfold and the status of the emergency management system in Canada. Some of the characters are familiar, like mayors and fire chiefs, while others are equally important even though they are seldom talked about. To understand the role of these emergency managers, we need to understand disasters.

Niagara COVID-19 statistics tracker

Niagara COVID vaccination tracker

Free rapid COVID-19 testing kits are now available to businesses. Visit gncc.ca/workplace-self-screening-kits to learn more and reserve kits for your organization.

For information on rapid testing kits for individuals, click here.

Information on government grants, resources, and programs, policies, forms, and posters for download and use, are available here. The GNCC is here to support you. Contact us with any questions you have.

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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New business supports welcome, but some in need are ineligible

January 7, 2022 | Media Releases

The Government of Ontario today announced new supports for businesses affected by COVID-related restrictions and closures.

These included the Ontario COVID-19 Small Business Relief Grant for small businesses subject to closure under the modified Step Two of the Roadmap to Reopen. It will provide eligible small businesses with a grant payment of $10,000.

Additional reductions to electricity costs were also announced along with a rebate program.

“This grant will be a significant help to businesses that have been forced to close owing to COVID-related restrictions, and it is most welcome at this difficult time,” said Mishka Balsom, CEO of the GNCC. “However, the program does not cover all the businesses that were restricted on January 3rd, and many will be without help.”

Examples of businesses that will be severely impacted but are ineligible for the relief grant include food suppliers for restaurants, or hair salons and other personal services currently working at 50% capacity.

Additionally, property tax deferrals and energy bill relief are only useful to those businesses which own their premises and/or pay their own energy bills. For businesses that rent a property, the program relies on the goodwill of a landlord to pass the savings on.

The GNCC has called on the Government of Ontario to extend relief to all affected businesses under the Reopening Ontario Act regulations of January 3rd.

The Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce is the voice of business in Niagara, the largest business organization in the region and the second-largest Chamber of Commerce in Ontario, with 1,500 members representing 50,000 employees. More information on the GNCC is available at gncc.ca.

Contact:
Mishka Balsom, CEO of GNCC
Mishka@gncc.ca or 905-684-2361

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