[[“Labour force characteristics”,”March 2020″,”April 2020″,”2020 Annual”,”Feb 2021″,”March 2021″,”April 2021″],[“Labour force”,”211,200″,”204,100″,”211,200″,”206,400″,”208,900″,”213,600″],[“Employment”,”192,800″,”182,000″,”190,600″,”179,900″,”181,600″,”186,900″],[“Full-time employment”,”149,500″,”142,200″,”147,200″,”137,500″,”142,500″,”148,200″],[“Part-time employment”,”43,300″,”39,800″,”43,400″,”42,400″,”39,100″,”38,800″],[“Unemployment”,”18,400″,”22,100″,”20,600″,”26,500″,”27,200″,”26,600″],[“Unemployment rate”,”8.7%”,”10.8%”,”9.8%”,”12.8%”,”13.0%”,”12.5%”],[“Participation rate”,”57.0%”,”55.1%”,”56.9%”,”55.4%”,”56.1%”,”57.3%”],[“Employment rate”,”52.1%”,”49.1%”,”51.3%”,”48.3%”,”48.7%”,”50.1%”]]
Search Results for: bill 148
Daily Update: April 20th, 2021
Regional Chair Jim Bradley delivers State of the Region address
Today, Regional Chair Jim Bradley delivered his annual State of the Region speech, and was joined by a panel that included Acting Medical Officer of Health Dr. Mustafa Hirji, Deloitte Senior Economist Alicia Macdonald, Niagara Region Economic Development Director George Spezza, and Metrolinx President & CEO Phil Verster for a discussion moderated by Brock University Community Relations Manager and GNCC Women in Niagara Chair Julie Rorison.
Click here to watch the speech and panel discussion.
Non-essential border crossing restrictions extended
Today, the Honourable Bill Blair, Minister of Public Safety, tweeted that non-essential travel restrictions with the United States have been extended until May 21st, 2021. No additional information was available at the time of writing. The U.S. State Department updated its travel guidance for Canada, now listed as “Level 4: Do Not Travel.”
Nominations open for Regional Chair’s Niagara Impact Awards
At today’s 2021 State of the Region address, Regional Chair Jim Bradley officially launched the new Niagara Impact Awards to recognize community members who have made a positive impact on life in Niagara.
Throughout the past year, there have been numerous stories of people or organizations in our community who have risen to the unique challenges of the past 13 months. The Niagara Impact Awards highlight those who have risen to the occasion, lending a helping hand in order to make living in Niagara a little better for others.
Residents are encouraged to go online to nominate individuals, businesses, and non-profit organizations who have shown a spirit of volunteerism and community.
Nominations will close on May 21. Award recipients will be announced at a Regional Council meeting in June.
Reading recommendations
Toronto, Peel to close businesses with 5 or more COVID-19 cases linked to the workplace
CBC News
Toronto and Peel Region are issuing orders to force businesses with five or more cases of COVID-19 in the last two weeks to close.
Peel’s top doctor said closures will last 10 days if it is found that those infected “could have reasonably acquired their infection at work” or if “no obvious source” for transmission is identified outside of the workplace.
“Workplaces that remain open continue to be a major driver of COVID-19 cases in Peel, as they have been throughout the course of our emergency response,” Dr. Lawrence Loh, medical officer of health for Peel Region, said in a news release Tuesday morning.
All employees impacted by a closure will need to self-isolate and cannot work anywhere else during that period.
The order will be issued through Section 22 of Ontario’s Health Protection and Promotion Act, which grants local medical officers certain authority when faced with public health crises.
Bank of Canada set to dial back bond buying
Erik Hertzberg, Bloomberg News
The Bank of Canada is poised to pare back its asset purchases amid a stronger-than-expected economic recovery, taking one of the biggest steps yet by a developed country to reduce emergency levels of monetary stimulus.
Governor Tiff Macklem is expected to cut the central bank’s weekly government bond purchases on Wednesday to $3 billion, from the current pace of $4 billion. Officials may also give clues to whether they expect to bring forward their timeline for interest rate hikes, with current guidance pointing to no move before 2023.
The policy decision, due at 10 a.m. in Ottawa, is a pivotal one for the central bank. Its quantitative easing program is too large given the size of Canada’s bond market. Just on technical grounds, it needs to be pared back as the government’s financing requirements drop.
Niagara COVID status tracker (April 4 – April 10)
Niagara’s most up-to-date COVID statistics, measured against the targets for the various stages of the Ontario COVID-19 Response Framework, are presented below. This does not predict government policy, but is offered to give you an idea of where Niagara is situated and how likely a relaxation (or further restrictions) may be. These data are the most recent published by Niagara Region. The Grey-Lockdown level does not have its own metrics, but is triggered when the COVID-specific measurements in a Red-Control region have continued to deteriorate.
▲: Metric has increased since last published measurement
▼: Metric has decreased since last published measurement
| December 18 | December 25 | January 1 | January 8 | January 15 | January 22 | January 29 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reproductive number | 1.4 | 1.8 | 1.4 | 1.1 | 1.0 | 0.7 | 0.9 |
| New cases per 100,000 | 101.2 | 267.3 | 469.8 | 575.8 | 507.1 | 295.5 | 250.6 |
| New cases per day (not including outbreaks) | 60.7 | 178.7 | 311.7 | 376.9 | 325.4 | 182.7 | 145.7 |
| Percent of hospital beds occupied | 97% | 95.2% | 98.2% | 103.2% | 104.5% | 103.6% | 106% |
| Percent of intensive care beds occupied | 78.8% | 77.3% | 87.9% | 87.9% | 90.9% | 89.4% | 93.9% |
| Percentage of positive tests | 6.1% | 15.6% | 28.1% | 28.6% | 26.6% | 21.2% | 16.2% |
Definitions:
- Weekly Incidence Rate: the number of new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people per week
- Percent Positivity: the number of positive COVID-19 tests as a percentage of all COVID-19 tests performed
- Rt: the reproductive rate, or the number of people infected by each case of the virus
Niagara COVID vaccination tracker (April 20)
Niagara’s most up-to-date vaccination numbers are presented below, along with comparison data from Ontario, Canada, and G7 countries.
Total doses administered in Niagara: 138,514
Total doses administered in Niagara since yesterday: 3,342
| Percentage of population with one dose | Percentage of population fully vaccinated | |
|---|---|---|
| Niagara | 82.7% | 78.2% |
| Ontario | 84.6% | 79.1% |
| Canada | 84.7% | 78.6% |
| United States | 75% | 64% |
| United Kingdom | 78% | 72% |
| Germany | 76% | 74% |
| France | 80% | 77% |
| Italy | 83% | 76% |
| Japan | 80% | 79% |
| World | 63% | 53% |
Data are drawn from Niagara Region, the Government of Ontario, and Oxford University’s Our World in Data project.
Daily Update: April 14th, 2021
Ontario launches public consultation on municipal codes of conduct
The Ontario government has launched a 90-day consultation to obtain feedback on how to strengthen municipal codes of conduct.
Under the Municipal Act, 2001, all municipalities are required to establish a code of conduct for councillors and certain local boards. They are also required to provide access to an integrity commissioner.
The government is also collecting feedback on AMO’s recommendations for holding municipal councillors accountable, including increased financial penalties, suspension for certain violations, removal from office in certain circumstances, and better training and standards for integrity commissioners.
Comments for the consultation are welcome through the online survey by July 15, 2021. Anyone can participate in the online survey to provide feedback.
More COVID-19 vaccination clinic dates available for booking
To continue to meet the demand for COVID-19 vaccination appointments, Niagara Region Public Health is pleased to announce the following clinic dates have now been added to the provincial booking portal:
- April 19-20 – Pelham, Meridian Community Centre
- Apr. 23-27– Niagara Falls, MacBain Community Centre
- Apr. 29-30 – Niagara Falls, MacBain Community Centre
Appointments are also still available for the Public Health vaccination clinics in May:
- May 3-8 – West Lincoln, West Lincoln Community Centre
- May 10-15 – Port Colborne, Vale Health and Wellness Centre
The provincial booking portal is currently open to Niagara residents who are turning 60 or older in 2021 (born in 1961 or earlier). Those 50+ with a postal code starting with ‘L2G’ can also book an appointment through the portal.
In partnership with over 15 local Indigenous leaders and Niagara Region Public Health, three Indigenous specific pop-up COVID-19 vaccination clinics are open for bookings on April 21, 22, and 28 at the MacBain Community Centre in Niagara Falls.
Indigenous adults 18+, as well as those in their household who are 18+ and not Indigenous, are eligible to register through an online registration form supported by the De dwa da dehs nye>s Aboriginal Health Centre. Registrants will be contacted with their appointment time and date.
Residents 55 years of age and older are welcome to book an appointment at one of many Niagara pharmacies providing vaccinations. Visit the Province of Ontario vaccination locations webpage for a list of pharmacies in Niagara and information on how to book an appointment.
St. Catharines adopts Transportation Master Plan
On Monday, St. Catharines City Council approved the adoption of a new Transportation Master Plan. The document is the product of extensive public consultation — including technical workshops, in-person open houses and online information sessions — and study that first began in 2017. The TMP will provide a roadmap for the development of new transportation infrastructure and redevelopment for decades to come, with an eye towards meeting changing transportation needs; increased active transportation; public transit use; and changing technologies.
Ontario Chamber: Supplier Diversity Has Economic and Social Benefits
Today, Rocco Rossi, President and CEO of the Ontario Chamber of Commerce, released a statement in support of the Ontario NDP’s Private Member’s Bill, the Supply Chain Management Amendment Act (Provincial Diverse Vendor Strategy), 202.
As the largest customers in the economy, governments have tremendous power to incentivize suppliers. Currently, Ontario’s public-sector request for proposal processes are driven almost entirely by short-term cost considerations.
Both the Governments of Ontario and Canada should adjust their procurement processes to expand opportunities for diverse businesses and suppliers that champion diversity. Changing the incentive structures is the most powerful way to change outcomes.
Supplier diversity has been shown to increase innovation, reduce risk, and open new opportunities for economic development.
The GNCC has lobbied for government procurement and supply policy to be more open to the province’s small and medium-sized enterprises, and, in partnership with several other chambers of commerce in Ontario, sponsored a successful policy resolution to that effect at the Ontario Chamber of Commerce AGM.
Click here to read the statement.
Canadian Chamber of Commerce calls new permanent residency program “an important step towards inclusive pandemic recovery”
Immigration will continue have an important place in filling labour market gaps as Canada starts planning for economic recovery and getting Canadians back to work. International students and temporary foreign workers are essential sources for talent pipelines for communities and industries across this country. We have long been advocating for the government to facilitate pathways to permanent residency for temporary residents.
Immigration plays a vital role in the inclusive growth and diversity of Canadian workforces and communities, and we will continue to encourage innovative and effective policies and programming to support new Canadians and permanent residents with community and labour market integration.
The GNCC has previously called for government policy that will encourage more immigration of skilled workers that will grow our talent pool, particularly for regions such as Niagara which attract comparatively few immigrants.
The focus of the new pathway will be on temporary workers employed in hospitals and long-term care homes and on the frontlines of other essential sectors, as well as international graduates.
To be eligible, workers must have at least 1 year of Canadian work experience in a health-care profession or another pre-approved essential occupation. International graduates must have completed an eligible Canadian post-secondary program within the last 4 years, and no earlier than January 2017.
Click here to read the statement.
Government of Canada establishes Critical Drug Reserve to bolster Canada’s supply of drugs used to treat COVID-19
Today, the Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Health, announced the establishment of a Critical Drug Reserve, an additional safety net of key drugs used in the treatment of COVID-19 symptoms.
Canada is procuring an initial 3-month supply of 12 drugs. The reserve targets the drugs that hospitals rely on most to treat patients who are critically ill with COVID-19, and are at risk of shortage. In selecting which drugs to procure, the Department looked at Canada’s experience with COVID-19 to date, as well as advice from the provinces and territories and critical care health experts.
Health Canada established the reserve with provinces and territories and other partners. The Critical Drug Reserve complements other federal, provincial and territorial drug shortage management efforts, and functions as a safety net by augmenting the supply of key drugs used in treating patients with COVID-19 in Canada.
Health Canada provides update on safety review of AstraZeneca and COVISHIELD COVID-19 vaccines
After a thorough, independent assessment of the currently available scientific data, Health Canada has concluded that these very rare events may be linked to use of the vaccine. This is in line with the findings of other regulators. As a result, the Department has updated warnings in the product information to inform Canadians of the possible side effects and to provide information about the signs and symptoms and when to seek prompt medical attention following vaccination.
Based on the review of available data from Europe and from the United Kingdom and AstraZeneca, no specific risk factors have been identified. Therefore, Health Canada is not restricting the use of the vaccine in any specific populations at this time.
In the very rare event that someone experiences unusual blood clots with low platelets, there are treatments available.
For further information on COVID-19 vaccines authorized by Health Canada, including post-market updates, please visit Health Canada’s COVID-19 vaccines and treatments portal.
Statistics Canada: 2020 “a year without precedent” for international trade
Strong declines for exports and imports in 2020
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the value of Canada’s annual merchandise exports decreased 12.4% in 2020 to $524 billion, while annual imports fell 8.5% to $561 billion. Consequently, the merchandise trade deficit with the world more than doubled from $15.4 billion in 2019 to $37.3 billion in 2020. When international trade in goods and international trade in services are combined, Canada’s total trade deficit went from $36.9 billion in 2019 to $44.8 billion in 2020.
To explore Canada’s international merchandise trade statistics for 2020 in an interactive format, see “The International Trade Explorer” and the “International merchandise trade monthly interactive dashboard.”
Extreme movements within 2020 for Canada’s merchandise trade
Even before the effects of the pandemic, the year 2020 had already been marked by several events that affected Canada’s international trade activity. By the end of 2019, a car assembly plant closed in Ontario; a strike in the rail industry impacted the movement of goods; and a pipeline rupture in North Dakota, which lasted for weeks, affected crude oil exports to the United States. Some export products were impacted by global trade tensions, and rail blockades threatened to further constrain Canada’s merchandise trade. These events were overshadowed by lockdowns in early spring 2020 and their extraordinary impact on Canada’s trade activity.
With the shutdown of several industries in Canada during the first wave of the pandemic in March, April and May, both exports and imports of goods and services fell to historic lows. Merchandise trade then recovered fairly quickly as goods-producing industries, in Canada and abroad, progressively reopened. Global demand for goods also remained strong, with households spending more on goods rather than on services, and with governments investing in infrastructure projects and providing financial assistance to support the economy.
Click here to read the report.
Auditor-General finds government was not as ready for pandemic as it could have been
In her opening statement to the Standing Committee on Public Accounts, Karen Hogan, Auditor General of Canada, remarked that while her office found that the government was not as ready as it could have been for a pandemic of this magnitude, the public service mobilized, prioritized the needs of Canadians and quickly delivered support and services. They did not observe the same service mindset and inter-departmental coordination in the audit of the Investing in Canada Plan, which was unable to present a full picture of results achieved and progress made.
In contrast, the AG observed nimbleness during audits of the government’s COVID‑19 response, including the CERB and CEWS programs.
Lastly, the AG found that the Public Health Agency of Canada was not as well prepared as it could have been to respond to the COVID‑19 pandemic. Not all emergency and response plans were up to date or tested, and data sharing agreements with the provinces and territories were not finalized. The Agency relied on a risk assessment tool that was untested and not designed to consider pandemic risk.
Click here to read the Auditor General’s opening remarks.
Featured Content
The long and short of it
Nicholas Pollice, Pollice Consulting Group
The saying; The Long & Short of It is from a play called “The Merry Wives of Windsor”. It is a comedy written in 1595 by William Shakespeare, played to an audience in Berkshire, England in 1602 and centres around an individual (John Falstaff) who decides to court two wealthy married women in his search for financial stability.
The saying itself means the plain and simple truth or substance of discussion when numerous details are being presented and you wish to cut to the so called facts by removing yourself from all of the rhetoric.
The other day I was reading a piece by Tim Arnold the President of Leaders for Leaders located in the Niagara Region of Ontario. Tim does a wonderful job in inspiring our leaders of today and preparing them for the challenges of tomorrow. Tim wrote about his interview with Allison Alley, President & CEO of Compassion Canada; a not for profit Canadian organization located in London, Ontario. What Allison and Tim had to say inspired me to take heed of the content and put some colour and private sector credibility into what was said. Not all content in this article is mine, it really belongs to Allison and Tim however, the real life, drama and experiences are mine and I’d like to share them with you.
Reading recommendations
Lessons from Quebec City’s gym outbreak, one of Canada’s largest COVID-19 superspreading events
Benjamin Shingler, Adam Miller, CBC News
We still don’t know exactly how it started — a runner on a treadmill, or perhaps someone lifting weights — but an outbreak at a gym in Quebec City has become one of the largest recorded COVID-19 superspreading events in Canada.
The Mega Fitness Gym 24H, tucked behind a busy highway in an industrial section of the provincial capital, became a major source of contagion for the B117 variant first identified in the United Kingdom, which now accounts for 70 per cent of all cases in Quebec City.
The gym was shut down March 31 as the city was once again put under lockdown. To date, there have been 224 people infected at the gym, and another 356 related cases involving outbreaks at 49 workplaces. A 40-year-old man who trained at the gym has died.
But officials have yet to provide key details on the outbreak that can help inform the public, including whether it was sparked by the more contagious and potentially more deadly variant and whether it was driven by aerosol transmission — or microscopic airborne particles.
The soft power of Yuri Gagarin
Stephen Dowling, BBC Future
Yuri Gagarin belied the West’s austere impression of the Soviet Union – a charming, easygoing Russian with a ready smile. The first man in space became a powerful propaganda tool.
It was the smile that clinched it.
The first cadre of Soviet space explorers gathered together numbered 20. Among them were Gherman Titov, still the youngest person to fly in space (aged 26), and Alexei Leonov, the first person to venture out of the safety of a capsule to conduct a spacewalk.
But these pioneers still followed in the footsteps of another.
The cosmonaut who would become the first man in orbit needed to be a calm and confident pilot, someone able to function on a mission no person had ever encountered without going to pieces. But there was more to this selection process than pure technical skill.
Yuri Gagarin’s smile, it’s been said, could melt the stoniest heart, and not even those at the highest echelons of Soviet power were immune. When Sergei Korolev – the USSR’s chief rocket designer – first met the cadre of pioneering cosmonauts, he spent most of that first meeting chatting to the charismatic Gagarin. Korolev would later call him his “little eagle”.
Niagara COVID status tracker (April 4 – April 10)
Niagara’s most up-to-date COVID statistics, measured against the targets for the various stages of the Ontario COVID-19 Response Framework, are presented below. This does not predict government policy, but is offered to give you an idea of where Niagara is situated and how likely a relaxation (or further restrictions) may be. These data are the most recent published by Niagara Region. The Grey-Lockdown level does not have its own metrics, but is triggered when the COVID-specific measurements in a Red-Control region have continued to deteriorate.
▲: Metric has increased since last published measurement
▼: Metric has decreased since last published measurement
| December 18 | December 25 | January 1 | January 8 | January 15 | January 22 | January 29 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reproductive number | 1.4 | 1.8 | 1.4 | 1.1 | 1.0 | 0.7 | 0.9 |
| New cases per 100,000 | 101.2 | 267.3 | 469.8 | 575.8 | 507.1 | 295.5 | 250.6 |
| New cases per day (not including outbreaks) | 60.7 | 178.7 | 311.7 | 376.9 | 325.4 | 182.7 | 145.7 |
| Percent of hospital beds occupied | 97% | 95.2% | 98.2% | 103.2% | 104.5% | 103.6% | 106% |
| Percent of intensive care beds occupied | 78.8% | 77.3% | 87.9% | 87.9% | 90.9% | 89.4% | 93.9% |
| Percentage of positive tests | 6.1% | 15.6% | 28.1% | 28.6% | 26.6% | 21.2% | 16.2% |
Definitions:
- Weekly Incidence Rate: the number of new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people per week
- Percent Positivity: the number of positive COVID-19 tests as a percentage of all COVID-19 tests performed
- Rt: the reproductive rate, or the number of people infected by each case of the virus
Niagara COVID vaccination tracker (April 13)
Niagara’s most up-to-date vaccination numbers are presented below, along with comparison data from Ontario, Canada, and G7 countries.
Total doses administered in Niagara: 116,500
Total doses administered in Niagara since yesterday: 3,270
| Percentage of population with one dose | Percentage of population fully vaccinated | |
|---|---|---|
| Niagara | 82.7% | 78.2% |
| Ontario | 84.6% | 79.1% |
| Canada | 84.7% | 78.6% |
| United States | 75% | 64% |
| United Kingdom | 78% | 72% |
| Germany | 76% | 74% |
| France | 80% | 77% |
| Italy | 83% | 76% |
| Japan | 80% | 79% |
| World | 63% | 53% |
Data are drawn from Niagara Region, the Government of Ontario, and Oxford University’s Our World in Data project.
Daily Update: March 25th, 2021
Auditor General reports on Public Health, Canada Emergency Response Benefit, Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy, and Infrastructure Canada
Canada’s Public Health Agency could have been better prepared for a pandemic of this magnitude
A report from Auditor General Karen Hogan tabled today in the House of Commons concludes that the Public Health Agency of Canada was not as well prepared as it could have been to respond to the COVID‑19 pandemic but that it has been working persistently since January 2020 to support Canada through the unprecedented challenges brought on by this crisis.
The audit found that prior to the arrival in Canada of the virus that causes COVID‑19, the Agency had developed plans and worked with federal, provincial, and territorial partners to support its readiness, but it had not completed planned testing or updated all of these plans before the pandemic began.
The audit also found that the Agency relied on a risk assessment tool that was not designed to consider pandemic risk. The Agency continued to assess this risk as low despite growing numbers of COVID‑19 cases in Canada and worldwide. In addition, the Global Public Health Intelligence Network did not issue an alert to provide early warning of the virus that would become known as causing COVID‑19.
The Public Health Agency of Canada also verified compliance of only one third of incoming travelers, and it did not consistently refer for follow-up travelers who risked not complying with quarantine orders.
The Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Health, and the Honourable Bill Blair, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, thanked the Auditor General for her work and noted that the Government of Canada has adapted its response and provided funding and resources, including $690.7 million over two years in the Fall 2020 Economic Statement.
The Canada Emergency Response Benefit prioritized speedy payments
The Auditor General found that the Department of Finance Canada, Employment and Social Development Canada, and the Canada Revenue Agency worked quickly to analyze, design, and deliver the Canada Emergency Response Benefit to workers who lost income because of the COVID‑19 pandemic.
The audit found that despite having little time to perform analysis before launching the benefit, Employment and Social Development Canada and the Department of Finance Canada considered and analyzed key elements in the initial design and subsequent adjustments to the Canada Emergency Response Benefit.
The Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion, Carla Qualtrough, and the Minister of National Revenue, Diane Lebouthillier, welcomed the report.
Rollout of Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy prioritized payments
The Auditor General concluded that the Department of Finance Canada and the Canada Revenue Agency worked together to support the development and rollout of the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS) program within short time frames. The CEWS is one of the largest initiatives the government has ever undertaken and one of the key programs meant to support employers and economic recovery after the COVID‑19 pandemic.
The audit found that the Department of Finance Canada performed a partial analysis to support the initial design of the CEWS program. As the program rolled out, the department provided sound and complete analysis to inform adjustments.
The audit further found that to prioritize issuing subsidy payments, and as a result of pre‑existing weaknesses in information systems and tax data, the Canada Revenue Agency made decisions about which information it would require and which controls it would apply up front. For example, the agency decided that it would not ask employers applying for the subsidy to provide their employees’ social insurance numbers, though this information could have helped the agency prevent the doubling‑up of financial support. The decision limited the agency’s ability to perform pre‑payment validations, as did the absence of complete and up‑to‑date tax information, which would also have helped it efficiently assess applications. As a result, starting in spring 2021, the agency will have to rely on comprehensive audits to track down and recover payments made to ineligible CEWS recipients.
The Minister of National Revenue, the Honourable Diane Lebouthillier thanked the Auditor General and responded that the CRA’s priority was to help get Canadian workers back on their employers’ payrolls, offering Canada’s recovery 80% of jobs lost since the start of the pandemic, as of February, as proof that the program was effective.
To improve the integrity and validation efficiency of all CRA programs, the Minister noted, the CRA will assess and determine how best to use automated validations with a common identifier across programs. In addition, the CRA will continue to work closely with businesses and their representative organizations as it refines the delivery of this program, as well as any new emergency benefit programs the CRA may need to administer should Canada ever face another crisis in the future.
Infrastructure Canada could not show that Investing in Canada Plan was on track to meet objectives
Infrastructure Canada was unable to provide meaningful public reporting on whether the Investing in Canada Plan was meeting its objectives, the Auditor General reported.
The audit found that the department’s reporting did not include programs that predate the creation of the Investing in Canada Plan, even though they account for almost half of the plan’s $188‑billion commitment. Although this issue was raised as early as 2017 by one of the plan’s oversight committees, and later in a 2019 internal review, the audit found that this reporting gap remained unresolved. Reporting on the plan’s progress was also affected by inconsistent information provided by federal partner organizations. Infrastructure Canada’s reporting captured only some programs each year, and year‑over‑year reporting did not reflect comparable results nor provide a complete picture of the plan’s overall results.
The audit also found that funds were not being spent as quickly as originally planned. Approximately a fifth of planned spending was unspent in the first 3 years of the plan and was moved to later years. No one was tracking the overall impact of this frequent reallocation of unspent funds. Continuously delaying and reallocating unspent funds means that Infrastructure Canada and its federal partner organizations risk not meeting the plan’s objectives.
The Honourable Catherine McKenna, Canada’s Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, thanked the Auditor General for the report, agreed that the government needed to do a better job of showing their work, and pointed to engagement on Canada’s first-ever National Infrastructure Assessment as part of an evidence-based expert assessment of Canada’s infrastructure needs to guide future investment.
Government of Canada announces additional pandemic support for vaccines, health care, and municipalities
In recognition of the extraordinary pressures faced by all orders of government and First Nations communities during the ongoing pandemic, today, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, the Honourable Chrystia Freeland, introduced Bill C-25. This legislation would provide an additional $7.2 billion in support for urgent health care needs across the country, the COVID-19 vaccine roll-out, and for local infrastructure projects in our cities and communities.
The proposed funding includes:
- $4 billion through the Canada Health Transfer to help provinces and territories address immediate health care system pressures, including addressing backlogs in access to care as the pandemic continues.
- $1 billion as a one-time payment to the provinces and territories to ensure the COVID-19 vaccine roll-out continues to accelerate and keeps pace with growing supply, and does not encounter any delays.
- $2.2 billion to address short-term infrastructure priorities in municipalities and First Nations communities. The funds would flow through the federal Gas Tax Fund.
- The federal government also proposes to rename the federal Gas Tax Fund as the Canada Community-Building Fund.
To date, more than eight out of every ten dollars to fight the pandemic has been provided by the federal government. Today’s announcement will build on the substantial investments made to support provinces and territories.
Canada’s top court upholds pillar of Trudeau’s plan to fight climate change
Canada’s Supreme Court ruled in favour of the federal government’s carbon pricing policy on Thursday, upholding a central pillar of Prime Minister Justin’s Trudeau’s climate plan and infuriating some provinces that opposed it.
The country’s top court said climate change is a threat to Canada a whole and upheld the legality of the Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act, which had been challenged by Alberta, Saskatchewan and Ontario.
Carbon pricing, often called a carbon tax by opponents, is the lynchpin of the federal government’s plan to ultimately reach net-zero emissions by 2050. Ottawa will steadily ramp up the price of carbon to C$170 ($135.08) a ton by 2030, from C$30 a ton currently.
Canada is the fourth-largest oil producer in the world and the fifth-largest greenhouse gas emitter on a per capita basis.
“Parliament has jurisdiction to enact this law as a matter of national concern,” Chief Justice Richard Wagner wrote in the ruling. “All parties to this proceeding agree that climate change is an existential challenge. It is a threat of the highest order to the country, and indeed to the world.”
Under the carbon pricing act, Ottawa can impose a federal levy on provinces that do not have an adequate carbon pricing system of their own. Opposing provinces argued this infringed on their jurisdiction, but the Supreme Court ruled federal intervention was justified.
Number of regular EI beneficiaries up sharply in January, Statistics Canada reports
Proportion of regular Employment Insurance beneficiaries qualifying under the new rules up in most provinces (not seasonally adjusted)
The number of Canadians receiving regular EI benefits rose 11.2% (+149,000) to 1.5 million in January. Results from the Labour Force Survey (LFS) indicate that 1.9 million people were unemployed in January, including 1.5 million who were looking for work and 400,000 who had a connection to a job, either because they were on temporary layoff or had arrangements to begin a new job in the near future.
In September, temporary changes to the EI program, including a reduction in the number of required insured hours, were introduced to increase EI eligibility. In January, the proportion of EI recipients qualifying for EI under these new eligibility rules continued to grow in most provinces.
In January, the increase in the number of regular EI beneficiaries was concentrated in Ontario (+82,000; +17.2%) and Quebec (+75,000; +25.0%), reflecting employment losses associated with public health measures implemented in both provinces at the end of December.
The number of regular EI recipients was up in all industries compared with 12 months earlier, with accommodation and food services (+251,000; +728.5%) and retail trade (+177,000; +438.8%) posting the largest increases (not seasonally adjusted).
Illustrating the impact of ongoing public health measures, accommodation and food services (16.7%) continued to have the highest proportion of total regular EI recipients (not seasonally adjusted). According to January LFS data, employment in this industry was almost one-third (-31.4%) below its pre-pandemic February level, making this industry the one furthest from full recovery among all industries.
Youth aged 15 to 24 accounted for 15.0% of total regular EI recipients in January, up from 9.1% one year earlier. The increase in proportion among young women (+4.1 percentage points) was more than double that among young men (+1.8 percentage points). January LFS results indicate that young women remained further from pre-pandemic employment levels than all other demographic groups.
Reading recommendations
Massive container ship stuck in Suez Canal, blocking world’s busiest shipping route
CBC News
A container ship almost as long as the height of the CN Tower and twice as heavy is wedged across Egypt’s Suez Canal, having blocked all traffic in the vital waterway for more than a day — with no sign that it’s moving any time soon.
The MV Ever Given, a Panama-flagged ship that carries cargo between Asia and Europe, ran aground Tuesday in the narrow, man-made canal dividing continental Africa from the Sinai Peninsula. Images showed the ship’s bow had collided with the eastern wall of the canal, while its stern looked lodged against the western wall.
Nearly a dozen tugboats worked together to try to nudge the obstruction out of the way as ships hoping to enter the waterway began lining up in the Mediterranean and Red Seas.
An earlier report Wednesday suggested that the ship has been “partially refloated,” but Ahmed Mekawy, an assistant manager at marine agency GAC, says that report was wrong, and that the 400-metre-long ship with a sailing weight of 220,000 tonnes was still very much stuck late in the day local time.
Famed London-based shipping journal Lloyd’s List estimates each day the Suez Canal is closed disrupts over $9 billion US worth of goods that should be passing through the waterway.
The great remote work experiment – what happens next? Podcast
Daniel Merino, Gemma Ware, The Conversation
In this episode of The Conversation Weekly, four experts dissect the impact a year of working from home has had on employees and the companies they work for – and what a more hybrid future might look like.
For many people who can do their job from home, the pandemic meant a sudden shift from office-based to remote working. But after a year of working from home, some company bosses really don’t want it to become the new normal. The chief executive of Goldman Sachs, David Solomon, called it an “aberration”, and Barclays chief executive Jes Staley said it wasn’t sustainable, because of how hard it is to maintain culture and collaboration with teams working remotely.
Meanwhile, others are fully embracing a remote work future. Twitter said its employees could work from home forever, and Spotify announced a “work from anywhere” policy. Other firms are starting to announce more hybrid policies, where people are expected to split their week between the home and the office: in March, BP told employees they would be expected to work from home two days a week.
Niagara COVID status tracker
Niagara’s most up-to-date COVID statistics, measured against the targets for the various stages of the Ontario COVID-19 Response Framework, are presented below. This does not predict government policy, but is offered to give you an idea of where Niagara is situated and how likely a relaxation (or further restrictions) may be. These data are drawn daily from Niagara Region. The Grey-Lockdown level does not have its own metrics, but is triggered when the COVID-specific measurements in a Red-Control region have continued to deteriorate.
| December 18 | December 25 | January 1 | January 8 | January 15 | January 22 | January 29 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reproductive number | 1.4 | 1.8 | 1.4 | 1.1 | 1.0 | 0.7 | 0.9 |
| New cases per 100,000 | 101.2 | 267.3 | 469.8 | 575.8 | 507.1 | 295.5 | 250.6 |
| New cases per day (not including outbreaks) | 60.7 | 178.7 | 311.7 | 376.9 | 325.4 | 182.7 | 145.7 |
| Percent of hospital beds occupied | 97% | 95.2% | 98.2% | 103.2% | 104.5% | 103.6% | 106% |
| Percent of intensive care beds occupied | 78.8% | 77.3% | 87.9% | 87.9% | 90.9% | 89.4% | 93.9% |
| Percentage of positive tests | 6.1% | 15.6% | 28.1% | 28.6% | 26.6% | 21.2% | 16.2% |
Definitions:
- Weekly Incidence Rate: the number of new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people per week
- Percent Positivity: the number of positive COVID-19 tests as a percentage of all COVID-19 tests performed
- Rt: the reproductive rate, or the number of people infected by each case of the virus
Daily Update: March 19th, 2021
Ontario invests $106.4 million to help publicly assisted colleges and universities
The Ontario government is providing $106.4 million to help publicly assisted colleges and universities address the financial impacts of COVID-19. This investment will support the sustainability of the postsecondary sector and aims to ensure students continue to get the skills and education they need for the in-demand jobs of today and tomorrow.
The funding will provide immediate and targeted support for postsecondary institutions that are most affected by decreases in tuition and ancillary revenues and have incurred expenses associated with online learning, personal protective equipment and enhanced cleaning. Institutions can also use the funding in 2020-21 to offset COVID-19 expenses related to student financial supports and human resources.
Niagara College received $6.8M, while Brock University was allocated $7.9M.
Goodman School of Business earns prestigious designation for contribution to economy
Brock University’s Goodman School of Business has received the Business School Impact System (BSIS) label in recognition of the significant contribution the School makes both locally and globally.
The BSIS external review quantifies the extent and nature of a business school’s impact on its environment. What it found was Goodman’s contribution to the Niagara economy adds up.
The School’s activities contribute to an economic impact totalling $380 million annually through direct, indirect and induced contributions.
Goodman is just the third North American business school to receive this label.
Region seeks input on Regional Incentive Review
Niagara Region offers a wide range of incentive programs to help create jobs, build affordable housing, protect our environment and improve our communities. Many of these programs match funding provided by Niagara’s cities, towns and townships. These programs are paid for using Regional property taxes.
Since 2002, the number of Regional incentive programs has grown, and many no longer meet the critical needs of our communities. Niagara Region is undertaking a review of these incentive programs, in consultation with Regional Council, local municipalities, community stakeholders and the public.
Following the review and consultation, Regional staff will bring a new incentives strategy to Regional Council for consideration in the summer of 2021.
The Region encourages you to share your views through a brief survey on Regional incentives, located here: https://niagararegion.ca/projects/regional-incentive-review/default.aspx. The survey will be available through April 1, 2021.
If you would like to learn more about Regional incentives and the incentive review, there will be a free Zoom webinar on Wednesday, March 24 at 6:30 p.m. You can register for this webinar and learn more at the link above.
Ontario ‘by-name list’ strategy aims to combat homelessness
The Ontario government is directing municipal service managers to begin collecting detailed, up-to-date information from individuals experiencing homelessness and use a strategy called by-name lists. This innovative approach is being launched across Ontario following significant consultation, and will help connect people with local housing and homelessness supports that better respond to their needs.
By-name lists are a real-time list of people experiencing homelessness that includes detailed information about the needs of each individual. They can help create a foundation to improve access to supportive housing, connect people to services, and provide a more standardized approach for assessment and referral protocols to make sure people are being matched to the services they need.
Ontario is partnering with the Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness (CAEH) to support service managers throughout the process. CAEH has significant expertise in this area and will develop a best practices guide to help service managers develop and implement effective by-name lists. CAEH will also deliver training and workshops, offer intensive coaching and provide a portal with online tools.
Vaccine appointment bookings will extend to individuals aged 75 and over on Monday
With over 50 per cent of Ontario residents aged 80 and over having received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, the Ontario government is expanding appointments through its online booking system to individuals aged 75 and over, effective Monday, March 22, 2021, ahead of schedule.
Ontario began vaccinating individuals aged 80 and over in February, and launched an online booking tool and a call centre to help answer questions and support appointment bookings at mass immunization clinics. Since the provincial booking system was launched on March 15, more than 239,000 appointments have been scheduled for the first and second doses.
Ontario is leading the country in the total number of vaccines administered and has fully immunized more individuals than all provinces and territories combined. To date, over 1.4 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered across the province, including over 129,000 doses administered to long-term care home residents. Over 294,000 Ontarians are fully immunized, including over 61,000 long term-care home residents.
On March 16, 2021, the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) expanded its recommendation for the use of the AstraZeneca/COVISHIELD vaccine to people 18 years old and older. In alignment with NACI’s latest recommendation and Ontario’s Ethical Framework, as of March 22, 2021, participating pharmacies and primary care settings will offer vaccination appointments to individuals aged 60 and over. Eligible Ontarians can contact a participating pharmacy directly to make an appointment. In addition, many primary care providers are directly contacting eligible patients to book an appointment.
Canada to ratify Canada-United Kingdom Trade Continuity Agreement
Today, the Honourable Mary Ng, Minister of Small Business, Export Promotion and International Trade, during a call with Elizabeth Truss, the United Kingdom’s Secretary of State for International Trade, announced that Canada is ratifying the Canada-United Kingdom (U.K.) Trade Continuity Agreement (TCA). This announcement follows the Royal Assent of Bill C-18: An Act to implement the Agreement on Trade Continuity between Canada and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in the House of Commons.
The Canada-U.K. TCA will provide Canadian exporters and businesses with continued preferential access to the U.K. market and 98% of Canadian products will continue to be exported to the UK tariff-free. The agreement provides much needed predictability and stability, and will support workers and businesses on both sides of the Atlantic. Canada and the U.K. are taking all necessary steps required to implement this agreement for April 1, 2021.
As the Canada-U.K. TCA is meant to be an interim measure, Canada and the U.K. look forward to engaging in future negotiations on a new, high-standard and ambitious free trade agreement that will best reflect the bilateral relationship and trade priorities.
Health Canada confirms benefits of AstraZeneca vaccine continue to outweigh risks
Health Canada confirms that the benefits of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine in protecting Canadians from COVID-19 continue to outweigh the risks, and encourages Canadians to get immunized with any of the COVID-19 vaccines that are authorized in Canada.
There have been recent reports in Europe of blood clots following vaccination with the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine. Health Canada communicated on March 11, 2021 that it was assessing these events, in collaboration with international regulatory partners, particularly the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). Today, both the EMA and the MHRA communicated that the benefits of the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine continue to outweigh any risks.
Health Canada has assessed the available data on the reported events and has determined that the AstraZeneca vaccine has not been associated with an increase in the overall risk of blood clots. There have been very rare reports in Europe of blood clots associated with low levels of blood platelets (thrombocytopenia). Blood clots, sometimes fatal, can also be due to COVID-19. Health Canada will continue to work with international regulators and review data and evidence as it becomes available, including as it pertains to these rare events. The Department is also working with AstraZeneca to ensure that healthcare professionals and Canadians have the safety information they need.
For further information on COVID-19 vaccines authorized by Health Canada, including post-market updates, please visit Health Canada’s COVID-19 vaccines and treatments portal.
Grimsby Green Advisory Committee seeks members
The Town of Grimsby is seeking individuals interested in serving on the Grimsby Green Advisory Committee for the remainder of the current term (term ends December 31, 2022). There are 2 volunteer positions to be filled. Applicants must be qualified to be elected as a member of Council, must be 18 years of age, a Canadian citizen and a resident in the Municipality or the owner or tenant of land, or spouse of such person. Application forms and further information about the Committee can be found at www.grimsby.ca/apply.
Niagara-on-the-Lake seeks feedback on customer service throughout COVID-19 pandemic (PDF Link)
The public is invited to complete a Customer Service Survey, available through the Town’s Join the Conversation platform. Results of the survey will assist Staff in making service adjustments, as required, and will help to support Council’s strategic plan initiatives regarding customer service delivery.
Tourism Industry Association of Ontario seeks input for advocacy
The tourism sector of Ontario is a $36bn industry that supports over 200,000 businesses and 400,000 jobs. It provides billions in tax revenues and helps to drive economic growth in our province. The catastrophic effects of COVID-19 mean that sector will require prolonged and targeted support to survive a period of adaptation and reduced and limited operations.
TIAO asks for your help to shape their message to government on what support you need to secure your business’ future and ensure the tourism industry bounces back stronger than ever. It’s never been more important for our industry to be at the decision-making table with a clear and strong message. Please take a few minutes to complete the following survey, compiled in cooperation with TIAO’s partners at Navigator.
Click here to start the survey.
Please note that the survey will be open until 5 p.m. on March 29th.
U.S extends travel restrictions at Canada, Mexico land borders
U.S. land borders with Canada and Mexico will remain closed to non-essential travel until at least April 21, the U.S. government said on Thursday. The 30-day extension is the second announced under President Joe Biden and comes as U.S lawmakers in northern border states have urged lifting the nearly year-old restrictions to address the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a notice Thursday, the Department of Homeland Security said the three countries have all “determined that non-essential travel … poses additional risk of transmission and spread of the virus.” Canadian Public Safety Minister Bill Blair confirmed the extension of restrictions on Twitter.
Canada has shown little interest in lifting the restrictions and last month imposed new COVID-19 testing requirements for some Canadians returning at land crossings.
On Jan. 26, the U.S. government began requiring nearly all international air travelers to get negative COVID-19 test results within three days of travel but has no similar requirements for land border crossings.
The Biden administration has spent weeks reviewing whether to impose COVID-19 testing requirements for land border crossings but has not issued new requirements.
Retail sales fall for second consecutive month
Retail sales decrease in January
Retail sales fell for the second consecutive month, down 1.1% to $52.5 billion in January. Sales declined in 6 of 11 subsectors, representing 39.4% of retail sales.
Core retail sales—which exclude gasoline stations and motor vehicle and parts dealers—also posted their second consecutive decline, falling 1.4% in January because of lower sales at clothing and clothing accessories stores, furniture and home furnishings stores, and sporting goods, hobby, book and music stores.
In terms of volume, retail sales fell 1.6% in January.
With the resurgence of COVID-19 cases in Canada, provincial governments began to reintroduce physical distancing measures, which directly affected the retail sector. Based on respondent feedback, approximately 14% of retailers were closed at some point in January for an average of three business days.
Statistics Canada thanked retailers for their continued collaboration during these challenging times.
Core retail sales fell for the second month in a row, down 1.4% in January because of lower sales at non-essential retailers, which were mandated to close their brick and mortar stores to in-person shopping in many regions across the country. Clothing and clothing accessories stores (-17.8%) led the decline, down for a fourth consecutive month.
Furniture and home furnishings stores (-15.1%) posted declines in January after decreasing by 7.1% in December.
Sales down in 6 of 11 subsectors
Sales were also down at sporting goods, hobby, book and music stores (-16.8%).
Sales at food and beverage stores were flat in January (+0.1%), driven by lower sales at supermarkets and other grocery stores (-1.9%). The decline in supermarkets and other grocery stores followed gains in November and December, when more Canadians hosted their own holiday dinners following pandemic-related restrictions on gatherings.
Sales at general merchandise stores—many of which are considered essential—increased by 3.3% in January after falling in December. Building material and garden equipment and supplies dealers also posted gains (+2.9%) in January, following a decrease in December.
Sales at motor vehicle and parts dealers contracted by 1.0% in January—their third consecutive decline. The decrease was mostly due to lower sales at other motor vehicle dealers (-13.5%) and used car dealers (-6.5%). By contrast, new car dealers (+1.2%) posted their first gain in four months.
Sales at gasoline stations increased for the second month in a row, rising 0.9% in January. Growth was largely the result of higher gasoline prices, which were up on a month-over-month basis. In volume terms, sales at gasoline stations were down 1.2%.
In Ontario, sales decreased by 2.6% on lower activity at clothing and clothing accessories stores. Much of the province was under lockdown restrictions in January, which included the closure of non-essential retailers to in-person shopping, while physical distancing measures were in place at essential retailers.
On an unadjusted basis, retail e-commerce sales were up 110.7% year over year to $3.5 billion in January, accounting for 7.8% of total retail trade. The continued rise in e-commerce sales coincided with an increase in store closures in January.
Reading recommendations
Plastic credits are the newest kind of pollution offset—but do they make a difference?
Kristin Toussaint, Fast Company
One factor at the core of our climate crisis is excess: We’re producing too many carbon emissions, more than our atmosphere can handle. We’re creating too much single-use plastic, more than can be recycled. This excess has reached dangerous levels. Our planet has just 9% of its global carbon budget left, and each year, 8 million tons of plastic makes its way into our oceans.
To combat all this excess, companies can try to simply produce less, but these excesses can be hard to remove entirely from a business model. When a company can’t reduce, there are offsets or credits, which create a market for the effort to reduce these pollutants. When an organization does something that would reduce carbon, like planting trees, they can sell that benefit to a company looking to effectively reduce their emissions. The 1997 Kyoto Protocol standardized carbon credits: each credit would represent one metric ton of CO2. That protocol also created different types of credits, from emission trading—when one country hasn’t emitted as much pollution as they’re “allowed” to, they can sell the left over amount to countries that have already passed their emission targets—to removal units, which use things like reforestation to remove CO2.
Now, the concept of credits are moving beyond emissions to one of the other most pressing forms of pollution: plastic. But while the idea of buying and selling plastic pollution credits is gaining traction, no standards like the Kyoto carbon credit standards exist. Instead, there’s a hodgepodge of different types of plastic removal, and different types of plastics, making environmental experts concerned about whether any promises that a company makes about being “plastic neutral” can be taken at face value if they involve credits.
Ontario’s 3rd wave of COVID-19 could hit younger adults harder. Here’s why
Lauren Pelley, CBC News
Across Ontario, there’s growing consensus among medical experts that the province has entered a third wave of COVID-19 cases.
There’s also growing concern that anecdotal evidence of recent serious infections skewing toward younger adults is a harbinger of a difficult stretch to come — one that may upend persistent notions of COVID-19 typically only being a grave illness for the elderly.
Clinicians and epidemiologists suspect multiple factors could shift the trajectory of the pandemic in Ontario.
On one hand, vaccinations are slowly making an impact for certain populations, including front-line health-care workers and the elderly — with the death toll in long-term care dropping dramatically as vaccination rates have picked up.
But there are still hospitalizations and deaths happening among other groups, with younger adults remaining vulnerable, said Dr. Kali Barrett, a critical care physician at Toronto’s University Health Network and a member of the COVID-19 Modelling Collaborative, a group of scientists and clinicians affiliated with Toronto’s university and hospital system.
Against that backdrop, there’s a patchwork of restrictions and reopenings across the province, giving people more chances to mingle and spread the virus, whether that’s in a shopping mall or a spin class.
Niagara COVID status tracker
Niagara’s most up-to-date COVID statistics, measured against the targets for the various stages of the Ontario COVID-19 Response Framework, are presented below. This does not predict government policy, but is offered to give you an idea of where Niagara is situated and how likely a relaxation (or further restrictions) may be. These data are drawn daily from Niagara Region. The Grey-Lockdown level does not have its own metrics, but is triggered when the COVID-specific measurements in a Red-Control region have continued to deteriorate.
| December 18 | December 25 | January 1 | January 8 | January 15 | January 22 | January 29 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reproductive number | 1.4 | 1.8 | 1.4 | 1.1 | 1.0 | 0.7 | 0.9 |
| New cases per 100,000 | 101.2 | 267.3 | 469.8 | 575.8 | 507.1 | 295.5 | 250.6 |
| New cases per day (not including outbreaks) | 60.7 | 178.7 | 311.7 | 376.9 | 325.4 | 182.7 | 145.7 |
| Percent of hospital beds occupied | 97% | 95.2% | 98.2% | 103.2% | 104.5% | 103.6% | 106% |
| Percent of intensive care beds occupied | 78.8% | 77.3% | 87.9% | 87.9% | 90.9% | 89.4% | 93.9% |
| Percentage of positive tests | 6.1% | 15.6% | 28.1% | 28.6% | 26.6% | 21.2% | 16.2% |
Definitions:
- Weekly Incidence Rate: the number of new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people per week
- Percent Positivity: the number of positive COVID-19 tests as a percentage of all COVID-19 tests performed
- Rt: the reproductive rate, or the number of people infected by each case of the virus
Daily Update: March 2nd, 2021
Ontario, Canada invest in arts sector
The Ontario government is supporting the arts sector with a one-time investment of $25 million to help artists and arts organizations survive the COVID-19 pandemic, remain solvent and prepare for a time when they can fully re-open their facilities, resume full programming and welcome back their visitors and audiences. The arts sector has been affected badly by the COVID-19 pandemic and the attendant loss of live events and audiences.
$24 million has been allocated to 140 organizations across the province, including the Niagara Symphony Association and the Shaw Festival.
Additionally, $1 million will provide much-needed support directly to artists and creators from across the province. More information on this, including eligibility requirements and application deadlines, will be available soon on the Ontario Arts Council website.
The Government of Canada also announced that it will allocate $181.5 million in funding for the live arts and music sectors in 2021–2022. This funding will support the planning and presentation of COVID-19-safe events in the arts and music sectors—including both live and digital—and provide work opportunities in these sectors. Funding will also help stabilize the overall environment for the arts and music sectors by providing a one-year renewal of funding for three Canadian Heritage programs originally provided in Budget 2019.
The Department of Canadian Heritage is receiving $40 million in new funding to stimulate short-term contracting of workers in the live events sector through three Canadian Heritage programs: Building Communities through Arts and Heritage, the Canada Arts Presentation Fund and the Canada Music Fund. Information on how to access the new fund will be available next week on the Canadian Heritage website.
Ontario Small Business Grants surpass $1 billion
The Ontario government has to-date provided more than $1 billion through the Ontario Small Business Support Grant to help eligible business owners affected by the COVID-19 restrictions. The grant provides a minimum of $10,000 to a maximum of $20,000 and can be used in whatever way makes the most sense for individual businesses; from paying employee wages, to offsetting the cost of rent, to purchasing inventory.
Applications are still open until March 31, 2021 and a detailed step-by-step instructional video on the application portal is available to help guide applicants through the process.
The government is also providing eligible businesses with rebates for property tax and energy costs. Grant programs are available through a simple online application, and businesses can learn more by visiting Ontario.ca/COVIDsupport.
Ontario is also helping small businesses go digital in order to reach more customers through the $57-million Digital Main Street program, supported by the federal and provincial government. This initiative is expected to help up to 22,900 Ontario businesses create and enhance their online presence by April 2021.
Small businesses can visit ontario.ca/smallbusiness to learn about the many supports available to them. These include resources to find Ontario-made PPE through the Workplace PPE Supplier Directory, tailored local support through the Small Business COVID-19 Recovery Network, and obtain free financial advice.
St. Lawrence Seaway offering leases on prime industrial land
As part of a long-term growth and business diversification strategy, the St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation (SLSMC) is making prime industrial land available for lease on the Welland Canal.
The marine facility in Thorold, Ont., consists of six individual parcels of land and a 120-metre commercial dock that can accommodate Seaway full-sized vessels. The properties at Wharf 5 and 6 on the Welland Canal hit the market Jan. 27, through a request for proposals (RFP) on the MERX Canadian Public Tenders website. Qualified companies can apply for long-term leases on all or a portion of the available lands, located just 17 kilometres from the U.S. border at Niagara Falls and 111 kilometres from Toronto.
The Seaway ships to more than 50 countries around the world and generates $9 billion in economic activity each year. There are 150 million people within an eight-hour drive of most Seaway ports, and all are connected to highways and rail lines that provide access to major markets in North America.
The SLSMC is accepting proposals for the lands in Niagara until March 31, and will host site tours in the week of Feb. 22. For more information about St. Lawrence Seaway real estate, visit seawayrealestate.ca. To submit a proposal under the Niagara RFP, visit the MERX website.
Grimsby Council approves 2021 budget
At the Council meeting of March 1, 2021, Grimsby Town Council approved the 2021 Budget. The operating and capital works associated with the 2021 Budget results in a 1.81 per cent tax levy increase over 2020. This increase amounts to an additional $21 per year ($1.75 a month), for an average residential household assessed at $443,686.
West Lincoln Council approves 2021 budget
At its March 1st Council meeting, the Township of West Lincoln approved a 2021 Operating Budget of $18.6 million and a 2021 Capital Budget of $5.9 million.
This budget is supported with a general tax levy of $8,130,140 that includes a new levy of $75,300 for the West Lincoln Memorial Hospital rebuild. A homeowner with an average assessed home valued at $382,397 can expect to see their overall tax bill increase by an estimated 3.10% or $11.32/month. The 2021 budget focused on building adequate reserve levels and on expanding the volume of road rehabilitation works. In addition, this budget commits funding for the hard-topping of a gravel road.
The Township is now able to provide budget data through OpenBook in an easy to use format using charts, graphs and maps.
Pelham to continue to allow “pop-up” patios
The Town of Pelham will continue to temporarily waive the requirement of up to 6 parking spaces for restaurants and allow those spaces to be used as ‘pop- up’ patios during the pandemic in 2021. These patios are temporary in nature and will only be allowed during the period of pandemic.
The Town also has a Sidewalk Encroachment Policy that allows for restaurants to apply to the Town for permission to encroach on the municipal right-of-way i.e. the sidewalk, for outdoor sidewalk patio use subject to meeting the policy requirements related to proof of insurance, provincial licensing requirements, pedestrian accessibility requirements and urban design zoning, sign and Building Code requirements. Approval of sidewalk patios under the Sidewalk Encroachment policy is managed through the Clerk’s Office and there is no fee associated with this permission.
Canadian Economy saw steepest annual decline on record in 2020
Gross domestic product and final domestic demand
Real gross domestic product (GDP) grew 2.3% in the fourth quarter of 2020, following record fluctuations in the previous two quarters. In 2020, real GDP shrank 5.4%, the steepest annual decline since quarterly data were first recorded in 1961. Final domestic demand rose 0.9% in the fourth quarter, but was down 4.5% for 2020 overall. Goods-producing industries were up 0.6% while services-producing industries edged down 0.1% as 12 of 20 industrial sectors increased in December.
The Canadian Chamber of Commerce called 2020 “a historically grim year for the Canadian economy,” but noted that “there are likely brighter days ahead.”
Business investment in engineering structures rose 1.6% in the fourth quarter, but investment in non-residential buildings fell 10.9%. This reflected weak demand for office buildings and shopping malls as remote working and online shopping became more common. Increased investment in machinery and equipment (+7.0%) coincided with higher imports of industrial machinery and equipment. Nevertheless, investment in machinery and equipment was down 16.4% in 2020.
Household spending edged down 0.1% in the fourth quarter, after a 13.1% increase in the third quarter. Spending was down 6.1% in 2020, compared with 2019.
The public sector (educational services, health care and social assistance, and public administration) grew 0.6% in December, as all three components were up. Health care and social assistance rose 0.8%, led by ambulatory health care services (+1.7%). The educational services sector was up 0.6%, as elementary and secondary schools contributed the most to the increase. Public administration grew 0.5% as all levels of government services recorded growth in December.
Sales in the retail trade sector fell 3.3% in December, after seven consecutive months of growth, as 10 of 12 subsectors were down. December saw the reintroduction of lockdown measures across many parts the country including the closure of all non-essential retailing and strict capacity and physical distancing control at essential retailers. Activity at gasoline stations declined 3.4% in December as stay-at-home orders and other measures contributed to lower gasoline product demand during what would typically be a busy driving season.
The reintroduction of lockdown measures and announcements of additional travel restrictions to come also took a bite out of accommodation and food services and contributed to a 6.8% contraction in the sector. Food services and drinking places were down 6.7%, as most types of restaurants and drinking places reported lower activity, while accommodation services shrank 7.1%.
The manufacturing sector contracted 1.1% in December, as lower sales and lower inventory contributed to the largest, and only the second decline in the sector since April.
Reading recommendations
AstraZeneca doses set to arrive tomorrow — but questions remain about who gets them first
John Paul Tasker, CBC News
The first batch of Canada’s supply of the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine is set to arrive tomorrow — but public health officials still have some distribution issues to sort out before they can deliver those shots. Health Canada approved the AstraZeneca product last Friday. The National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI), the independent panel that sets the guidelines for vaccine deployment, is not recommending that these shots be used in people aged 65 and over.
While Health Canada has determined the product is safe to use on all adults, NACI said there isn’t enough clinical trial data available to determine how effective this product is in preventing COVID-19 infection among people in this older cohort.
How employers can reduce vaccine hesitancy
Jessica H. Jones, Jeff Levin-Scherz, Julie Noblick, Harvard Business Review
Vaccines can only end this pandemic and prevent even more death and economic disruption if enough people get them, allowing a country to achieve herd immunity. Employers can play an essential role in achieving that goal by embracing the tenets of behavioral economics to combat vaccine hesitancy.
Featured Content
Winning the Hearts & Minds of your Employees
Nicholas Pollice, Pollice Management
The implied contract that has traditionally bound employees and employers has disappeared from the fabric of employee – employer relationships. Thousands of employees have experienced the agony and suffering that has been handed to them due to economic downturns, reduction in conversion costs, organizational rationalization, and mergers.
Employees today are far less loyal and committed to their organizations than what they were ten years ago and for good reason. Canadian Labour Statistics show that employees stay at each job for 4.5 years and the average expected tenure of younger employees is approximately 2.2 years. Tessa Basford and Bill Schaninger of McKinsey & Company say that their research shows that “job hopping” is the new normal where millennials (born 1981 – 1996) are expected to hold 15 – 20 positions over the course of their working career.
Niagara COVID status tracker
Niagara’s most up-to-date COVID statistics, measured against the targets for the various stages of the Ontario COVID-19 Response Framework, are presented below. This does not predict government policy, but is offered to give you an idea of where Niagara is situated and how likely a relaxation (or further restrictions) may be. These data are drawn daily from Niagara Region. The Grey-Lockdown level does not have its own metrics, but is triggered when the COVID-specific measurements in a Red-Control region have continued to deteriorate.
| December 18 | December 25 | January 1 | January 8 | January 15 | January 22 | January 29 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reproductive number | 1.4 | 1.8 | 1.4 | 1.1 | 1.0 | 0.7 | 0.9 |
| New cases per 100,000 | 101.2 | 267.3 | 469.8 | 575.8 | 507.1 | 295.5 | 250.6 |
| New cases per day (not including outbreaks) | 60.7 | 178.7 | 311.7 | 376.9 | 325.4 | 182.7 | 145.7 |
| Percent of hospital beds occupied | 97% | 95.2% | 98.2% | 103.2% | 104.5% | 103.6% | 106% |
| Percent of intensive care beds occupied | 78.8% | 77.3% | 87.9% | 87.9% | 90.9% | 89.4% | 93.9% |
| Percentage of positive tests | 6.1% | 15.6% | 28.1% | 28.6% | 26.6% | 21.2% | 16.2% |
Definitions:
- Weekly Incidence Rate: the number of new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people per week
- Percent Positivity: the number of positive COVID-19 tests as a percentage of all COVID-19 tests performed
- Rt: the reproductive rate, or the number of people infected by each case of the virus
Daily Update: February 25th, 2021
Niagara may move into Red-Control
There are reports the provincial government could announce as soon as Friday that Niagara will be moved out of the grey zone to the less restrictive red. That move is supported by 11 of Niagara’s mayors — only Niagara-on-the-Lake Lord Mayor Betty Disero didn’t sign on — but is contrary to the advice of public health officials.
Aside from the Niagara Acting Medical Officer of Health and the provincial association of public health units, the Registered Nurses Association, Ontario Medical Association, Ontario Hospital Association and Public Health Ontario (PHO) have all advised the government of Doug Ford not to reopen yet. The Ontario Chief Medical Officer of Health has also advised that Ontario should get down to 150 ICU patients before reopening, which has not been followed.
In the event of a move to Red-Control, retailers, bars, restaurants, and food-service establishments should note that local Section 22 orders will remain in effect.
The GNCC has sought and received clarification from Niagara Public Health on the recent orders.
Draft legislation to increase accessibility of Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy and Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy introduced
Today, the Department of Finance released draft legislative proposals that would implement technical amendments to ensure these programs better support the businesses and workers who are facing challenges as a result of the pandemic.
The draft legislative proposals released today would:
- Provide applicants with more flexibility in determining the revenue decline for the wage and rent subsidies for the qualifying period from December 20, 2020 to January 16, 2021.
- Ensure that Lockdown Support is available to an eligible property owner whose tenant is not arm’s length but has a qualifying business at the property that is subject to a lockdown and must shut their doors or significantly restrict their activities under a public health order.
The Canada Revenue Agency will administer the subsidies on the basis of these draft legislative proposals.
Details on the measures proposed today are available in the backgrounder issued with today’s announcement.
Canada introduces legislation to increase number of weeks for EI regular benefits
Today, the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion, Carla Qualtrough, introduced Bill C-24, to increase the maximum number of weeks available to workers through EI regular benefits. The proposed legislation would provide workers with up to a maximum of 50 weeks for claims that are established between September 27, 2020 and September 25, 2021.
In addition, self-employed workers who have opted in to the EI program to access special benefits would be able to use a 2020 earnings threshold of $5,000, compared to the previous threshold of $7,555. This change would be retroactive to claims established as of January 3, 2021 and would apply until September 25, 2021.
As part of this proposed legislation, all international travellers who need to quarantine or isolate upon their return to Canada, including people returning from vacation, would be made ineligible to receive support from any of the Canada Recovery Benefits for the period of their mandatory quarantine or isolation. These changes would be retroactive to October 2, 2020.
As announced on Feb. 19, 2021, the Government will be increasing the number of weeks available under the Canada Recovery Benefits through regulations. This includes:
- increasing the number of weeks available under the Canada Recovery Benefit (CRB) and the Canada Recovery Caregiving Benefit (CRCB) by 12 weeks, extending the maximum duration of the benefits from 26 weeks to up to 38 weeks; and,
- increasing the number of weeks available under the Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit (CRSB) from the current 2 weeks to 4 weeks.
To ensure employees in the federally regulated private sector can access the proposed additional weeks of CRCB and CRSB without the risk of losing their jobs, the maximum length of the leave related to COVID-19 under the Canada Labour Code will also be extended.
Employers should be aware that employees can be brought back at reduced hours/pay and still qualify for EI payments. Detailed can be found here.
Ontario unveils new COVID-19 modelling as active infections climb for 1st time in weeks
Ontario’s public health measures have decreased COVID-19 transmission and have slowed down the spread of variants of concern, according to new modelling released by the province’s Science Table Thursday. But that good news comes with a caveat — according to that group of scientists, variants of concern, like B117, are still continuing to spread and cases, hospitalizations and ICU admissions will likely increase soon.
Still, the province’s latest projections come with a less dire tone than in recent weeks, with a smattering of positive news amongst warnings to remain vigilant. Variants of concern continue to spread quickly in Ontario, the data shows, and are projected to likely make up 40 per cent of the province’s cases by the second week of March. The modelling also noted a new grim milestone with more than 1,886 deaths reported in the second wave, surpassing 1,848 deaths in the first.
Meanwhile, Ontario reported another 1,138 cases of COVID-19 on Thursday, as the number of active infections provincewide increased for the first time in more than six weeks. The upward climb was small — in total, there were just 21 more active cases yesterday than the day before (10,071 compared to 10,050) — but it could be notable, given that until now infections marked as resolved have outpaced newly confirmed cases every day since Jan. 12. The new cases in today’s update include 339 in Toronto, 204 in Peel Region and 106 in York Region.
Town of Lincoln launches online engagement site, Speak Up Lincoln
As part of its effort to increase the level of communications and engagement with Lincoln residents and businesses, the Town has developed a new digital communication and engagement platform called Speak Up Lincoln.
Speak Up Lincoln will enhance existing engagement opportunities and provide a place where community members can get updates and provide input on important Town of Lincoln projects and initiatives, at a time and place that is convenient for them.
Community members are invited to share comments on specific projects and identify which areas or topics they would like to learn more about and provide feedback on. More projects will be added to the site in line with corporate and Council priorities, annual budgets and the need for public feedback.
NPCA & Township of Wainfleet launch public awareness campaign for wetlands
The Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority (NPCA) and the Township of Wainfleet are pleased to announce the launch of a public awareness campaign that aims to engage the community and seek their feedback on the Wainfleet Wetlands and Quarry Conservation Area.
The Wainfleet Wetlands and Quarry Conservation Area Public Awareness Campaign consists of various phases, with the first focusing on an anonymous survey aimed at residents of Wainfleet and other nearby locals who may have visited the property in the last 12 months. With preparations for the upcoming season well underway, the survey will enable both organizations to learn more about community use and future aspirations for the site, gauge interest in stewardship and engagement activities, and explore short-term and long-term solutions.
The survey will be followed by a Water Safety Blitz in May, to provide community members with information on permitted and responsible uses of the conservation area, and the potential dangers of swimming in undesignated and unmonitored bodies of water. Upon thorough analysis of the feedback provided through the public survey, the NPCA and Township of Wainfleet will continue to engage the community with stewardship opportunities and next steps related to the management of conservation area.
The survey is now open and will remain available until March 22, 2021. Interested participants are encouraged to visit the Get Involved NPCA portal to complete the survey, learn more about this initiative, and reach out with any questions they may have.
For more information on the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority and Wainfleet Wetlands & Quarry Conservation Area, visit www.npca.ca. Follow Facebook and Twitter for more updates.
Niagara Falls to hold public meeting on Central Business Commercial (CB) Zone
The City of Niagara Falls approved a Secondary Plan for the GO Transit Station Area in 2018 through Official Plan Amendment No. 125. The Secondary Plan policies aim to support transit supportive development and to create a walkable neighbourhood with a mix of uses, a range of housing choices and new employment opportunities.
The City has initiated an amendment to the City’s Zoning By-law to implement the policies of the Secondary Plan within the area bounded by Bridge Street to the north, Morrison Street to the south, River Road to the east and Victoria Avenue to the west.
The draft amendment proposes to replace the current Central Business Commercial (CB) Zone with CB1, CB2, CB3, CB4, CB5 and CB5 zones. The amendment includes:
- The continuation of all current uses under the CB Zone, with the addition of a ‘vacation rental unit’ use for all zones;
- A maximum retail floor area of 930 sq. m. (10,010 sq. ft.) in all CB zones;
- Ground floor residential uses permitted on the ground floor within the CB3 – CB6 zones and within some areas of the CB2 zone;
- Varying height restrictions for each zone: 4 storeys for CB1; 6 storeys for CB2, 8 storeys for CB3, 10 storeys for CB4, 14 storeys for CB5 and 20 storeys for CB6;
- Parking requirements at a rate of 0.75 spaces per dwelling unit, no minimum parking requirement for non-residential uses, and new requirements for bicycle parking;
- New built form regulations regarding screening requirements for roof top materials and ground level parking (structure or ground level); and,
- New definitions for amenity area, licensed establishment, nightclubs, and bicycle parking.
Digital copies of plans and documents submitted with the application may be obtained on the Planning Department Current Applications Webpage. Businesses in the affected zone are encouraged to share their thoughts. Niagara Falls City Council can be contacted here.
A remote electronic public meeting will be held on March 2nd, 2021 at 4:30 pm.
Government of Ontario proposes changes to provincial elections
The Protecting Ontario Elections Act, 2021 would, if passed, help guard against threats such as the long-term impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, under-regulated third-party advertising, irregular campaign spending and collusion.
19 legislative amendments have been proposed to:
- increase advance polling days from five to ten,
- double the amount individuals can donate to a candidate, constituency association, leadership contestant or party from $1,650 to $3,300 per year
- extend third-party advertising spending limits from six to 12 months before an election period and introduce a definition of collusion
- clarify the rules that allow Members of Provincial Parliament to maintain individual social media accounts before, during and after a writ period, as well as pave the way for the legislature to set other social media rules.
Elections Ontario has reported that the scale of third-party advertising in Ontario is greater than at the federal level, and Ontario is the only province in Canada where third-party spending is counted in the millions of dollars, rather than in the thousands. In 2018, third parties spent over $5 million during the election period and the six months prior to the election.
The proposed reforms follow the Ontario legislature’s 2016 decision to ban corporate and union donations to political parties.
The full reforms can be read here.
Survey of Employment, Payrolls and Hours reveals employees receiving pay rose in December
Payroll employment increases in December after a dip in the previous month
The number of employees receiving pay or benefits from their employer—measured in the SEPH as payroll employment—rose by 44,200 (+0.3%) in December, after decreasing by 64,500 (-0.4%) in November. The largest increases were in health care and social assistance, and transportation and warehousing. December gains were tempered by declines in accommodation and food services; retail trade; and arts, entertainment and recreation. The total number of employees receiving pay or benefits from their employer was 1.1 million (-6.2%) lower than in February 2020.
The December LFS—for the week of December 6 to 12—recorded a decrease of 53,000 (-0.3%) in the number of people with a job or business, with the largest declines in accommodation and food services; “other services”; and information, culture and recreation. Employment declines were in self-employment and part-time work.
Average weekly earnings were $1,112 in December, little changed compared with November.
On a year-over-year basis, earnings grew 6.4%, as job losses since February have been concentrated among hourly paid—and largely lower-paid—employees. In December, the number of hourly paid employees was 8.9% below its pre-COVID-19 level, compared with a gap of 2.8% for salaried employees.
In December, payroll employment rose in the services-producing sector (+0.2%; +31,900), nearly offsetting the loss in the previous month. December gains were spread across a number of sectors but largest in health care and social assistance (+22,400), and transportation and warehousing (+10,500). At the same time, there were notable losses in accommodation and food services (-32,900); retail trade (-5,600); and arts, entertainment and recreation (-3,600).
Employment in the goods-producing sector was little changed for a second consecutive month. Prior to this, employment in the goods-producing sector had been trending up since May.
In December, payroll employment in the services-producing sector and the goods-producing sector was 6.5% and 4.6% below pre-COVID-19 levels, respectively.
Reading recommendations
Hard-hit tourism industry adapts to changing times
Jim Wilson, Canadian HR Reporter
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a huge impact on employment in all industries, but the tourism sector has been dealt a worse card than many.
“The reality is the industry took a very, very large hit, very early. And we do know it’s going to take a long time to recover, longer than the economy overall,” says Philip Mondor, CEO of Tourism HR Canada.
“Once it was announced that there was a global pandemic, we lost about a third of our workforce or 880,000 workers within 10 weeks. And still today, we are short of about 500,000 of those workers. So you can anticipate that there’s been a lot of impact as a result of all these displaced people and what it means in terms of their jobs and the businesses.”
But employers in the tourism industry have not left these workers out to dry, according to Mondor.
“For some who were furloughed or were not in their jobs anymore, most of the things that businesses did are to get in touch with them and to provide supports. In recent months, it’s been much more around mental health supports and attaching them to resources to help with issues of that type.”
Can you still transmit Covid-19 after vaccination?
Zaria Gorvett, BBC Future
There’s no evidence that any of the current Covid-19 vaccines can completely stop people from being infected – and this has implications for our prospects of achieving herd immunity. There are two main types of immunity you can achieve with vaccines. One is so-called “effective” immunity, which can prevent a pathogen from causing serious disease, but can’t stop it from entering the body or making more copies of itself. The other is “sterilising immunity”, which can thwart infections entirely, and even prevent asymptomatic cases. The latter is the aspiration of all vaccine research, but surprisingly rarely achieved.
Making the Hybrid Workplace Fair
Mark Mortensen & Martine Haas, Harvard Business Review
The pandemic has upended much about how we work, and what comes next is neither the death of the office nor a return to the way things were. Instead, our new reality will be hybridity: working with employees who are co-located in the same physical space as well as employees working remotely.
Hybridity promises organizations the benefits of remote working (increased flexibility, reduced carbon footprint, labor-cost optimization, and increased employee satisfaction) alongside the critical strengths of traditional, co-located work (smoother coordination, informal networking, stronger cultural socialization, greater creativity, and face-to-face collaboration). But hybridity is also inextricably tied to power — it creates power differentials within teams that can damage relationships, impede effective collaboration, and ultimately reduce performance. To lead effectively in a hybrid environment, managers must recognize and actively manage the two distinct sources of power that can impede — or facilitate — hybrid work: hybridity positioning and hybridity competence.
Niagara COVID status tracker
Niagara’s most up-to-date COVID statistics, measured against the targets for the various stages of the Ontario COVID-19 Response Framework, are presented below. This does not predict government policy, but is offered to give you an idea of where Niagara is situated and how likely a relaxation (or further restrictions) may be. These data are drawn daily from Niagara Region. The Grey-Lockdown level does not have its own metrics, but is triggered when the COVID-specific measurements in a Red-Control region have continued to deteriorate.
| December 18 | December 25 | January 1 | January 8 | January 15 | January 22 | January 29 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reproductive number | 1.4 | 1.8 | 1.4 | 1.1 | 1.0 | 0.7 | 0.9 |
| New cases per 100,000 | 101.2 | 267.3 | 469.8 | 575.8 | 507.1 | 295.5 | 250.6 |
| New cases per day (not including outbreaks) | 60.7 | 178.7 | 311.7 | 376.9 | 325.4 | 182.7 | 145.7 |
| Percent of hospital beds occupied | 97% | 95.2% | 98.2% | 103.2% | 104.5% | 103.6% | 106% |
| Percent of intensive care beds occupied | 78.8% | 77.3% | 87.9% | 87.9% | 90.9% | 89.4% | 93.9% |
| Percentage of positive tests | 6.1% | 15.6% | 28.1% | 28.6% | 26.6% | 21.2% | 16.2% |
Definitions:
- Weekly Incidence Rate: the number of new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people per week
- Percent Positivity: the number of positive COVID-19 tests as a percentage of all COVID-19 tests performed
- Rt: the reproductive rate, or the number of people infected by each case of the virus
Daily Update: February 16th, 2021
Ontario Expands Eligibility for Main Street Relief Grant
The Ontario government is expanding the number of small businesses that can apply for the Main Street Relief Grant to help offset the costs of purchasing personal protective equipment (PPE). Small businesses with 2 to 19 employees in all eligible sectors – expanded from 2-9 employees – including those in the arts, entertainment, and recreation sector, can now apply for up to $1,000 in financial support. This one-time grant reimburses main street businesses for PPE costs incurred since March 17, 2020. Eligible businesses for the Main Street Relief Grant include those in the following sectors:
- retail trade;
- accommodation and food services;
- repair and maintenance;
- personal and laundry services;
- gyms and yoga studios; and
- arts, entertainment, and recreation.
Ontario Improving Farm Safety for Agri-Food Workers
The Government of Ontario is providing up to $118,500 to develop specialized COVID-19 resources to better protect the health and safety of temporary foreign workers and others employed in the agri-food sector. Informed by health, cultural and support organizations, these new resources, entitled the “Cultural Resources Library,” will be designed by the Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers’ Association in a variety of languages and formats and will be distributed to farms, greenhouses and food processing operations across Ontario.
Federal Government tables gun-control bill
The Liberal government has tabled its long-awaited legislation to further restrict the possession of guns. The bill does not institute a nation-wide ban on handguns, but does allow municipalities to put in local bans through by-laws. The bill also increases the criminal penalties on many gun-related offences. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said a buyback program will follow.
Canadian Chamber of Commerce announces leading Canadian CEOs to form COVID-19 Recovery Leadership Council
The Canadian Chamber of Commerce has brought together 19 CEOs and senior executives to help accelerate the deployment of COVID-19 mitigation tools on the ground by connecting companies creating vaccines, delivering testing, tracing and other support programs for the businesses requiring these services.
The new COVID-19 Recovery Leadership Council will help develop practical solutions to reduce and ultimately eliminate COVID-19 in Canada and pave the way for a business-led economic recovery. The council will be comprised of the following business leaders:
- CAE – Marc Parent – President and CEO (Council Co-Chair)
- Pfizer Canada – Cole Pinnow – President (Council Co-Chair)
- T&T Supermarkets – Tina Lee – CEO (Council Co-Chair)
- Akawe Technologies – Leanne Bellegarde – President
- BFL Canada – Barry Lorenzetti – CEO and Founder
- BlackBerry – Marjorie Dickman – Chief Government Affairs and Public Policy Officer
- Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec – Charles Emond – President and CEO
- Canada Life – Jeff Macoun – President and COO, Canada
- Cogeco – Philippe Jetté – President and CEO
- Franchise Management Inc. – Arlene Dore – Chief Financial Officer
- Franco Nevada – Paul Brink – President and CEO
- Get Ready – Scott Ashley – President and CEO
- Greater Toronto Airports Authority – Deborah Flint – President and CEO
- Mosaic Forest Management – Jeffery Zweig – President and CEO
- Paramount Fine Foods – Mohamad Fakih – President and CEO
- Providence Therapeutics – Brad Sorenson – CEO
- RioCan Real Estate Investment Trust – Ed Sonshine – CEO
- Shoppers Drug Mart – Jeff Leger – President
- WestJet – Edward Sims – President and CEO
Reading recommendations
None of Ottawa’s new travel rules apply to the largest group of people entering Canada — truckers
CBC News
None of the federal government’s recently announced new travel measures — which include COVID-19 testing upon arrival — apply to the largest group of people regularly entering Canada: Commercial truck drivers. Of the 10 million entries into Canada since March 21, 2020, close to half — 4.6 million — were made by commercial truck drivers crossing by land, according to the Canada Border Services Agency. Because truck drivers deliver essential goods across the border during the pandemic, the government has exempted them from quarantine and all COVID-19 test requirements. Ottawa says it’s exploring tests for truckers at the border but has not yet presented concrete plans.
Canadian home sales hit new January record; prices reach new highs
BNN Bloomberg
Canadians didn’t let COVID-19 or a lack of housing supply stop them from flocking to the real estate market in January as they snatched up a record number of homes and shelled out more than they had in previous years. The Canadian Real Estate Association said Tuesday that January sales were up 35.2 per cent compared with a year earlier and up two per cent when compared to December. The increase came as the national sales-to-new listings ratio rose to 90.7 per cent, the highest level on record. The previous monthly record was 81.5 per cent set 19 years ago.
Niagara COVID status tracker
Niagara’s most up-to-date COVID statistics, measured against the targets for the various stages of the Ontario COVID-19 Response Framework, are presented below. This does not predict government policy, but is offered to give you an idea of where Niagara is situated and how likely a relaxation (or further restrictions) may be. These data are drawn daily from Niagara Region. The Grey-Lockdown level does not have its own metrics, but is triggered when the COVID-specific measurements in a Red-Control region have continued to deteriorate.
Note that the Provincewide Shutdown is not the same as the Grey-Lockdown level listed in the Ontario COVID-19 Response Framework, which has been suspended for the duration of the shutdown. Additional restrictions for businesses apply during the Shutdown. Businesses should not use the Response Framework as a guide during this time, but should instead refer to the Shutdown guidelines.
| December 18 | December 25 | January 1 | January 8 | January 15 | January 22 | January 29 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reproductive number | 1.4 | 1.8 | 1.4 | 1.1 | 1.0 | 0.7 | 0.9 |
| New cases per 100,000 | 101.2 | 267.3 | 469.8 | 575.8 | 507.1 | 295.5 | 250.6 |
| New cases per day (not including outbreaks) | 60.7 | 178.7 | 311.7 | 376.9 | 325.4 | 182.7 | 145.7 |
| Percent of hospital beds occupied | 97% | 95.2% | 98.2% | 103.2% | 104.5% | 103.6% | 106% |
| Percent of intensive care beds occupied | 78.8% | 77.3% | 87.9% | 87.9% | 90.9% | 89.4% | 93.9% |
| Percentage of positive tests | 6.1% | 15.6% | 28.1% | 28.6% | 26.6% | 21.2% | 16.2% |
Definitions:
- Weekly Incidence Rate: the number of new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people per week
- Percent Positivity: the number of positive COVID-19 tests as a percentage of all COVID-19 tests performed
- Rt: the reproductive rate, or the number of people infected by each case of the virus
Daily Update: February 10th, 2021
Ontario government releases 2020-21 Third Quarter Finances
Today, the Ontario government released the province’s 2020-21 Third Quarter Finances. The report shows that the government is projecting to spend $25 billion more than last year, including an additional $2.6 billion since the 2020 Budget. The government has remarked that the increase was due to funding for the Ontario Small Business Support Grant, hospital supplies and PPE, and COVID measures for long-term care homes and child care settings.
Additionally, the government is now using the fiscal reserve to top up the standard contingency fund, making an additional $2.1 billion available for spending before the end of the year. This added contingency is aimed at ensuring that the government can continue to respond with flexibility during the second wave, as well as to the emergence of new, concerning variants of COVID-19.
The 2020-21 Third Quarter Finances project a deficit of $38.5 billion in 2020-21, unchanged from the deficit outlook projected in the 2020 Budget and the 2020-21 First Quarter Finances.
Ontario extends off-peak electricity rates
The Ontario government is once again extending electricity rate relief for families, small businesses and farms. The government will continue to hold electricity prices to the off-peak rate of 8.5 cents per kilowatt-hour until February 22, 2021. This lower rate is available 24 hours per day, seven days a week for Time-Of-Use and tiered customers.
The off-peak rate came into effect January 1, 2021, providing families, farms and small businesses with immediate electricity rate relief. The off-peak rate will now be extended until the end of day February 22, 2021, for a total of 53 days of emergency rate relief. During this period, the off-peak price will continue to be automatically applied to electricity bills of all residential, small business, and farm customers who pay regulated rates set by the Ontario Energy Board and get a bill from a utility.
The online application portal will also now allow businesses to apply for rebates on energy costs for one additional billing cycle.
Niagara Region warns of vaccination telephone scam
Niagara Region Public Health has received a number of reports of a phone scam in the area about the COVID-19 vaccine. Please note that the Region is not calling residents to schedule vaccine appointments at this time, and will never ask for payment for COVID-19 immunization. If you receive a call like this, please hang up immediately and do not provide any personal information such as your health card or credit card number.
Lincoln approves 2021 budget
At their meeting on February 8, Town of Lincoln Council approved the 2021 Budget with an overall increase of 1.9% on the Town’s portion of the tax rate. This is broken down as an increase of 0% on the capital side, 0.9% in the operating budget, and 1% money in the bank dedicated to the special infrastructure levy, at a blended rate of 1.75% on the tax bill. For more information visit, https://lincoln.ca/budget/2021-budget.
Niagara Falls approves 2021 budget
Niagara Falls City Council approved the 2021 Operating Budget with a gross expenditure of $128,482,661, equaling a net tax levy increase of 1.7 per cent. The budget limits the municipal tax increase to 1.7%, amounting to an extra $23.75 annual increase for the average residential household ($279,854). The actual tax bill for each property owner will depend on the assessed value of the property. These estimates also reflect the City’s portion of taxes only.
Thorold approves 2021 budget
Thorold City Council approved the 2021 Operating and Capital Budgets at its Council meeting of February 9, 2021 with the City’s levy increase at 1.8%. The approved budget continues to make investments in the community, support growth and deliver core essential services to residents.
The average home valued at $258,800 will see an estimated impact of $23.76 to the City General portion of the tax bill. The estimated change in the overall tax bill including City, Region, Education, Urban Service Area and Hospital is $47.16.
Oxford-AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 shot OK to use despite variant questions, WHO panel says
The Oxford-AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine is safe and effective and should be deployed widely, including in countries where the variant of the coronavirus first identified in South Africa may reduce its efficacy, a World Health Organization panel said on Wednesday.
In interim recommendations on the shot, the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization (SAGE) panel said the vaccine should be given in two doses with an interval of eight to 12 weeks, and should also be used in people aged 65 and older.
Even in countries such as South Africa, where questions have been raised about the AstraZeneca vaccine’s efficacy against a newly emerged variant of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, “there is no reason not to recommend its use,” SAGE’s chair, Alejandro Cravioto, told a briefing.
Reading recommendations
Crypto is here to stay, but bitcoin is in a ‘massive bubble’: Rosenberg
Ian Vandaelle, BNN Bloomberg
Bay Street veteran David Rosenberg isn’t buying into the hype swirling around bitcoin.
In a television interview, Rosenberg, Chief Economist and Strategist at Rosenberg Research & Associates Inc., said that while cryptocurrencies are here to stay, there’s no rational explanation for the massive run-up in the price of bitcoin.
“Crypto is here to stay. It has a function in the capital markets. But valuing it is next to impossible,” he said. “So all you really have to do is look at the price, and look at the chart, and you can see it’s a massive price bubble. The chart itself is telling you that.”
The roots of Canada’s COVID-19 vaccine shortage go back decades
Joel Lexchin, The Conversation
As of Feb. 5, Canada had administered 2.7 COVID-19 vaccination doses per 100 people compared to 61.7 for Israel and 16.2 for the United Kingdom. By contrast, Canada has signed contracts with seven different companies for a total of 234 million doses with options for tens of millions more.
What’s going on?
To understand the problem, we need to go back to the 1980s. At that time, the government-owned Connaught Labs was producing vaccines here in Canada and decision-making was in the public realm. But Connaught was partially privatized and then finally allowed to be sold to the French company Merieux (now part of Sanofi) by the Conservative government of Brian Mulroney.
Niagara COVID status tracker
Niagara’s most up-to-date COVID statistics, measured against the targets for the various stages of the Ontario COVID-19 Response Framework, are presented below. This does not predict government policy, but is offered to give you an idea of where Niagara is situated and how likely a relaxation (or further restrictions) may be. These data are drawn daily from Niagara Region. The Grey-Lockdown level does not have its own metrics, but is triggered when the COVID-specific measurements in a Red-Control region have continued to deteriorate.
Note that the Provincewide Shutdown is not the same as the Grey-Lockdown level listed in the Ontario COVID-19 Response Framework, which has been suspended for the duration of the shutdown. Additional restrictions for businesses apply during the Shutdown. Businesses should not use the Response Framework as a guide during this time, but should instead refer to the Shutdown guidelines.
| December 18 | December 25 | January 1 | January 8 | January 15 | January 22 | January 29 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reproductive number | 1.4 | 1.8 | 1.4 | 1.1 | 1.0 | 0.7 | 0.9 |
| New cases per 100,000 | 101.2 | 267.3 | 469.8 | 575.8 | 507.1 | 295.5 | 250.6 |
| New cases per day (not including outbreaks) | 60.7 | 178.7 | 311.7 | 376.9 | 325.4 | 182.7 | 145.7 |
| Percent of hospital beds occupied | 97% | 95.2% | 98.2% | 103.2% | 104.5% | 103.6% | 106% |
| Percent of intensive care beds occupied | 78.8% | 77.3% | 87.9% | 87.9% | 90.9% | 89.4% | 93.9% |
| Percentage of positive tests | 6.1% | 15.6% | 28.1% | 28.6% | 26.6% | 21.2% | 16.2% |
Definitions:
- Weekly Incidence Rate: the number of new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people per week
- Percent Positivity: the number of positive COVID-19 tests as a percentage of all COVID-19 tests performed
- Rt: the reproductive rate, or the number of people infected by each case of the virus