In this edition:
- Federal government invests in over 8,600 affordable homes in Hamilton, Halton and Niagara
- LCBO stores reopen in Ontario today
- St. Catharines Enteprise Centre gears up for 2024 round of Starter Company Plus
- GM Defense Canada receives contract award from Canadian Armed Forces for modern light tactical vehicles
- StatCan reports rise in Canadian university revenues, but both tuition and provincial investment are down in Ontario
- Government of Canada narrows or removes one-third of federal inter-provincial trade barriers
- Focus on Technology
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Photo credit: Anne Kalagian
Federal government invests in over 8,600 affordable homes in Hamilton, Halton and Niagara
Today, the Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities, announced more than $97 million in contributions and low-cost loans through the Affordable Housing Fund (AHF) to help build and repair 8,669 affordable homes in Hamilton, Halton and Niagara regions.
Minister Fraser had spoken to over 150 people the previous afternoon (pictured) at a GNCC event, in partnership with Niagara Association of Realtors and Niagara Home Builders Association, where the importance of funding affordable homes emerged as a key theme, along with topics such as the GNCC-backed Federation of Canadian Municipalities’ Municipal Growth Framework proposal, the need for loans at lower rates, and the need for more investment and more responsiveness from government.
Photo credit: Xander Wu / CC BY-SA 4.0
LCBO stores reopen in Ontario today
Union members with Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) stores are back on the job today (July 23) following a two-week strike.
It was the first time members have been on strike, but a new, three-year collective agreement was ratified by employees on Monday.
Photo credit: City of St. Catharines
St. Catharines Enterprise Centre gears up for 2024 round of Starter Company Plus
Once again, the Enterprise Centre is gearing up for another annual run of Starter Company Plus. Through the provincially funded program, the team at the Enterprise Centre provides business training, mentorship, plus a grant up to $5,000 to help eligible entrepreneurs successfully launch their own businesses.
Since 2013, the centre has assisted more than 100 new businesses through the grant and hundreds more through the training opportunity. The majority of businesses started have successfully created local jobs.
This year’s application deadline is Aug. 2. For more information on the Starter Company Plus program, including how to apply, visit https://www.investinstc.ca/site/startercompany.
Photo credit: GM Canada
GM Defense Canada receives contract award from Canadian Armed Forces for modern light tactical vehicles
GM Defense Canada, a subsidiary of GM Defense, has been awarded a C$35.8 million contract by the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) for 90 light tactical vehicles (LTVs), with an option to procure up to an additional 18 LTVs. GM Defense Canada will also deliver training, technical manuals and additional vehicle content sourced from Canadian companies.
“General Motors’ support of the Canadian Armed Forces with this contract is a prime example of the meaningful contributions GM makes in Canada,” said Kristian Aquilina, president and managing director of GM Canada.
Photo credit: mnirat / Adobe Stock
StatCan reports rise in Canadian university revenues, but both tuition and provincial investment are down in Ontario
Revenue at Canadian universities rose by $2.2 billion from one year earlier to $47.5 billion in 2022/2023, while expenditures increased $1.4 billion to $45.1 billion, Statistics Canada reported today.
However, the inflation rate of 4.3% in 2022/2023 resulted in higher operating costs for Canadian universities in terms of materials and supplies, maintenance, travel, furniture and equipment, and it followed a 6.7% increase in 2021/2022. Provincial funding decreased in seven provinces in 2022/2023, including a 1.1% decline in Ontario, which also saw a decline in tuition revenues of -0.3%.
Federal university funding for Ontario increased in Ontario by 7.3%, but declined in every other province.
Photo credit: The Government of New Brunswick / Public Domain
Government of Canada narrows or removes one-third of federal inter-provincial trade barriers
Today, the Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Public Safety, Democratic Institutions and Intergovernmental Affairs, announced that the Government of Canada has removed or narrowed 17, or one third, of its federal exceptions in the CFTA. Most of the exceptions removed relate to federal government procurement, providing Canadian businesses with more opportunities to be competitive across the country.
As the government continues to work towards making further changes to the CFTA, even though the actions taken today have removed the most significant barriers to success for businesses, the Government of Canada has called upon all provinces and territories to similarly take steps to publicly share the rationales for any of their remaining exceptions.
Did you know?
Focus on Technology
What is CrowdStrike, and what happened?
Through the Daily Updates, the GNCC aims to deliver important business news in a timely manner. We disseminate all news and information we feel will be important to businesses. Inclusion in the Daily Update is not an endorsement by the GNCC.
