Daily Update: August 3rd, 2021

August 3, 2021 | Daily Update

All students will be able to return to the classroom full time this September under the Ontario government’s back-to-school plan.

Share your thoughts on in-person events

The GNCC would like to hear how comfortable you would feel attending in-person events this year. Please take a minute to complete our confidential survey, and feel free to share with others. The results will be given in the Daily Update this week.

Ontario unveils back-to-school plan for September. Here’s what you need to know

All students will be able to return to the classroom full time this September under the Ontario government’s highly anticipated back-to-school plan.

The 26-page plan says elementary students and secondary students will attend school in-person five days per week, for the first time in months.

Remote learning will remain an option for parents and students who don’t feel comfortable returning to the classroom.

Click here for more information.

Federal government announces funding for the 2022 Canada Games in the Niagara region

Today, the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Canadian Heritage, announced an investment of up to $1.1 million for the 2022 Canada Summer Games Host Society in the Niagara region. This funding will help cover additional costs due to the postponement of the Games and impacts of COVID-19. The Games, which were originally planned for the summer of 2021, were rescheduled to August 6 to 21, 2022.

Click here for more information.

Canada rolls out first federal fund dedicated to rural transit solutions

Today, the Honourable Bernadette Jordan, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, together with Pat Finnigan, Member of Parliament for Miramichi—Grand Lake, Keith West, Mayor of Chipman, and Erica Barnette, Mayor of Minto, announced the launch of the $250 million Rural Transit Solutions Fund—the first federal fund to target the development of transit solutions in rural and remote communities.

From on-demand services, to publicly-owned, electric vehicle ride shares, and volunteer community car-pooling, eligible communities and organizations from across Canada will be able to submit applications to the new Fund. The initial call for applications under the Fund will include grants of up to $50,000 in support of project planning for future capital projects or pilot projects, up to $3 million to help cover capital costs (e.g. purchase of a vehicle or digital platforms) and up to $5 million to support zero-emission transit solutions (e.g. for the purchase of zero-emission vehicles).

Click here for more information.

Reading Recommendations

Desperate employers dangle signing bonuses to lure in workers

CBC News

CBC News reviewed dozens of popular job listings sites in Canada such as Glassdoor, Indeed, LinkedIn, SimplyHired, and Workopolis — all of which are owned by the same corporate parent — along with WowJobs, ZipRecruiter, and individual company hiring pages.

CBC News found signing bonuses listed for jobs at big businesses like Amazon, Aspire Bakeries and Fairmont Hotels and Resorts.

The use of signing bonuses for common jobs signals that “these are desperate times” for some companies, says Marie-Hélène Budworth, an associate professor with the School of Human Resource Management at York University.

What if bitcoin went to zero?

The Economist

The recent expansion of the crypto-universe is a thing of wonder. Only a year ago there were about 6,000 currencies listed on CoinMarketCap, a website. Today there are 11,145. Their combined market capitalisation has exploded from $330bn to $1.6trn today—roughly equivalent to the nominal GDP of Canada. More than 100m unique digital wallets hold them, about three times the number in 2018.

This maturation, however, has failed to tame the wild gyrations that characterise crypto markets. Bitcoin sank from $64,000 in April to $30,000 in May. Today it hovers around $40,000, having dipped to $29,000 as recently as July 29th. Every downwards lurch raises the question of how bad the fallout might be. Too much seems at stake for the cryptocurrency to collapse—and not just for the die-hards who see bitcoin as the future of finance.

Niagara COVID-19 data

These data show the status of the COVID-19 pandemic in Niagara. The Province of Ontario is now using a provincewide approach to reopening, and these data no longer have any influence on Niagara’s restrictions. Lower numbers are better in all metrics.

December 18December 25January 1January 8January 15January 22January 29
Reproductive number1.41.81.41.11.00.70.9
New cases per 100,000101.2267.3469.8575.8507.1295.5250.6
New cases per day (not including outbreaks)60.7178.7311.7376.9325.4182.7145.7
Percent of hospital beds occupied97%95.2%98.2%103.2%104.5%103.6%106%
Percent of intensive care beds occupied78.8%77.3%87.9%87.9%90.9%89.4%93.9%
Percentage of positive tests6.1%15.6%28.1%28.6%26.6%21.2%16.2%

Last updated: July 24, 2021

There is currently 1 patient admitted to Niagara Health with COVID-19. There is currently 1 patient with COVID-19 in a Niagara Health Intensive Care Unit.

Data are drawn from Niagara Region Public Health and Niagara Health.

Niagara COVID vaccination tracker

Niagara’s most up-to-date vaccination numbers are presented below, along with comparison data from Ontario, Canada, and G7 countries.

Percentage of population with one dosePercentage of population fully vaccinated
Niagara82.7%78.2%
Ontario84.6%79.1%
Canada84.7%78.6%
United States75%64%
United Kingdom78%72%
Germany76%74%
France80%77%
Italy83%76%
Japan80%79%
World63%53%

Total doses administered in Niagara: 625,618

New daily doses administered to Niagara residents: 470

Last updated: August 3, 2021

Data are drawn from Niagara Region, the Government of Ontario, and Oxford University’s Our World in Data project.

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

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

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Daily Update: July 30th, 2021

July 30, 2021 | Daily Update

Government extends COVID-19 benefits and business supports

Survey on in-person events

The GNCC would like your feedback on attending in-person events this year. Please take a minute to complete our confidential survey. Results will be shared in the Daily Update next week.

Government extends COVID-19 benefits and business supports

Today, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, the Honourable Chrystia Freeland, and the Honourable Carla Qualtrough, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion, announced the extension of COVID-19 support measures for Canadians and Canadian businesses in recognition that uneven economic reopening across regions and sectors means workers and businesses continue to need support. These extensions include:

· Extending the eligibility period for the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy, the Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy and Lockdown Support until October 23, 2021, and increasing the rate of support employers and organizations can receive during the period between August 29 and September 25, 2021.

· Extending the Canada Recovery Benefit (CRB), the Canada Recovery Caregiving Benefit (CRCB), and the Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit (CRSB) until October 23, 2021.

· Increasing the maximum number of weeks available for the CRB, by an additional 4 weeks, to a total of 54 weeks, at a rate of $300 per week, and ensuring it is available to those who have exhausted their employment insurance (EI) benefits.

For more information, click here.

Government investing in Hamilton’s steel industry

The Honourable Chrystia Freeland, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, together with the Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, and the Honourable Filomena Tassi, Minister of Labour, announced a federal investment of $400 million in ArcelorMittal Dofasco G.P., Canada’s largest producer of flat-rolled steel. This investment will support a $1.765-billion project to convert the steel production process and phase out coal-fired steelmaking at its facilities in Hamilton, Ontario. For more information, click here.

Additional temporary support for Canadian families

The Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, highlighted additional temporary support in 2021 through the CCB Young Child Supplement for families with children under the age of six. A payment of up to $300 for each child under the age of six will be issued today to families entitled to the CCB. For more information, click here.

Canada’s economy shrank for second month in a row in May

Canada’s gross domestic product shrank by 0.3 per cent in May, the second consecutive monthly contraction as most industries slowed down. Statistics Canada reported today that most industries shrank, especially construction, manufacturing and retail.

Even Canada’s real estate sector shrank for the second month in a row. The real estate and rental and leasing sector was down 0.4 per cent in May after falling by 0.8 per cent in April. For more information, click here.

First Nations and Ottawa agree to $8 billion settlement on drinking water advisories

A proposed settlement agreement worth nearly $8 billion has been reached in two national class action lawsuits launched against the federal government by First Nations living under drinking water advisories. About 142,000 individuals from 258 First Nations could be compensated, along with 120 First Nations. For more information, click here.

Budget 2021 measures under new Canada Student Financial Assistance Program begin August 1st

As of August 1, 2021, the Government is extending the doubling of Canada Student Grants (CSG) for an additional two years. This means that the maximum amount available for the CSG will be up to $6,000 for full-time students and $10,000 for students with disabilities until July 31, 2023. The Government is also making permanent the flexibility for students to use their current year’s income when applying for the CSG, so those in financial need will not have their previous workforce participation count against them. For more information, click here.

Featured Content

Tourism and Gender Employment Update

NWPB has released a new set of data on our tourism employment and gender-driven research hub. This update, which tracks employment and job demand in Niagara’s tourism supporting sectors, while also offering a gender-focused measure of local employment trends can be accessed through this link.

NWPB tracks these data because COVID-19 has significantly impacted employment across the tourism sector. Additionally, the pandemic has seen women experience greater employment losses than men, with employment still not returned to pre-pandemic levels.

Some trends from the latest update to data include:

  • Slight employment decreases across all industries between May and June of 2021, with women seeing some employment gains while men experienced employment losses.
  • Tourism-supporting industries reporting an increase in employment across this same period.
  • Continued employment gains in the accommodations and food services sector.
  • A 90.7% job post increase between May and June for tourism-supporting occupations. Jobs with the most demand included retail salespersons and cooks.

These reports as well as job demand tools for both employers and job seekers can be found at our website, www.nwpb.ca

Reading Recommendations

Canada’s big wireless companies spend nearly $9B on new 5G spectrum

The federal government raised $8.9 billion in a licence auction for a key band of 5G wireless spectrum in results announced after the close of markets Thursday.

Canada’s Big Three wireless companies led the pack, grabbing hundreds of licences for the 3,500-megahertz band of airwaves.

The 3,500 MHz band of spectrum will be important because carriers are using it as a building block for their 5G networks. More equipment for carriers and smartphone hardware is expected to work with that frequency band.

The Coming Creativity Boom: How human ingenuity will power the 2020s

RBC, Trinh Theresa Do, Sonya Bell, Andrew Schrumm

Welcome to the soaring ‘20s, where creativity is the new “it” skill. As Canada emerges from the COVID-19 crisis and enters a “two-dose summer,” there is an opportunity in the air: to harness the energy to rethink and rebuild in a new era of creativity.

Worried your COVID-19 vaccine won’t be accepted abroad? Here’s what you need to know

Fully vaccinated and ready to travel? Before booking your trip, make sure your destination recognizes your COVID-19 vaccine. As some Canadian travellers have already discovered, not all COVID-19 vaccines are considered equal.

Here’s the latest on which vaccines distributed in Canada might cause problems for travellers abroad.

Niagara COVID-19 data

These data show the status of the COVID-19 pandemic in Niagara. The Province of Ontario is now using a provincewide approach to reopening, and these data no longer have any influence on Niagara’s restrictions.

Current number of admitted Niagara Health patients with COVID-19: 3

Patients with COVID-19 in Niagara Health ICU’s: 1

Data are drawn from Niagara Region Public Health and Niagara Health.

Niagara COVID vaccination tracker

Last updated: July 30, 2021

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: 617,006

New daily doses administered to Niagara residents: 2,713

Data are drawn from Niagara Region, the Government of Ontario, and Oxford University’s Our World in Data project.

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

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

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Daily Update: July 29th, 2021

July 29, 2021 | Daily Update

Niagara receives $2 million in direct federal support for tourism sector

Free rapid COVID-19 testing kits are now available to businesses

Visit gncc.ca/workplace-self-screening-kits to learn more and reserve kits for your organization.

Survey on in-person events

The GNCC would like your feedback on attending in-person events this year. Please take a minute to complete our confidential survey. Results will be shared in the Daily Update next week.

Niagara receives $2 million in direct federal support for tourism sector

Niagara Economic Development has secured $2 million in direct funding from The Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario) to support Niagara’s tourism industry in its recovery from COVID-19.

The funding provided 167 Niagara tourism-dependent businesses with up to $20,000 in non-repayable contributions to support costs associated with adapting and eventually reopening, such as space renovations and retrofits, purchase of equipment and fixtures, personal protective equipment, and support for technology and digitization. For more information, click here.

Support for Ontario’s Tender Fruit Growers

The Government of Ontario is investing over $865,000 to support Ontario Tender Fruit Growers in purchasing branded display bins to make it easier for consumers to identify locally grown tender fruit at their local grocery stores.

This three-year funding extension adds to Ontario’s previous commitment to produce and print 7,000 newly designed display bins to promote locally grown tender fruit across the province. The investment will increase in-store product visibility and shelf space during peak season to create demand and ensure economic opportunities for Ontario growers. For more information, click here.

Ontario investing in new resources for construction sector

The Ontario government is investing over $3 million to create a virtual training hub that will help construction supervisors learn the skills they need to mentor and train their team. The funding will also go toward the creation of an online job bank that will help up to 200 laid-off and unemployed workers find good jobs in construction. For more information, click here.

Government of Canada releases recommendations for moving forward on National Infrastructure Assessment

Today, the Honourable Catherine McKenna, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities joined Tamara Vrooman, Chair of the Canada Infrastructure Bank, to release the recommendations for moving forward on the National Infrastructure Assessment that summarizes consultation findings to inform the national infrastructure assessment. Launched last March, the consultation – named “Building the Canada We Want in 2050” – sought input from the public, Indigenous communities and organizations, provinces, territories, municipalities, and stakeholders on three main priorities of the assessment:

  • Assessing Canada’s infrastructure needs and establishing a long-term vision;
  • Improving coordination among infrastructure owners and funders; and
  • Determining the best ways to fund and finance infrastructure.

For more information, click here.

Announcement on the appointment of Senators

Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today announced that Canada’s new Governor General, Her Excellency the Right Honourable Mary Simon, appointed the following individuals as independent Senators to fill vacancies across Canada:

  • David Arnot, for Saskatchewan
  • Michèle Audette, for Québec
  • Amina Gerba, for Québec
  • Clément Gignac, for Québec
  • Karen Sorensen, for Alberta

For more information, read here.

Creating a Safe, Inclusive and Open Online Environment

Today, the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Canadian Heritage, alongside the Honourable Bill Blair, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, and the Honourable David Lametti, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, launched a public consultation on a proposed approach for promoting a safe, inclusive and open online environment. Click here for more information or to submit comments.

Reading Recommendations

Google mandates vaccines for employees and delays its return to the office to October

The New York Times, Kellen Browning, Erin Woo and Kate Conger

Google is postponing a return to the office for most workers until mid-October and rolling out a policy that will eventually require everyone to be vaccinated once its sprawling campuses are fully reopened.

The more highly contagious delta variant of the coronavirus is driving a dramatic spike in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations. Google’s announcement was shortly followed by Facebook, which also said it will make vaccines mandatory for U.S. employees who work in offices.

Tax-to-GDP Ratio: Comparing tax systems around the world

Visual Capitalist, Carmen Ang

Taxes are an important source of revenue for most countries. In fact, taxes provide around 50 per cent or more of government funds in almost every country in the world.

How does each country’s tax system compare to one another? Since countries’ populations and economies differ greatly, measuring total tax revenue is not the best way to compare international tax systems. Instead, using a tax-to-GDP ratio is one of the more useful ways to compare tax systems around the world.

Today’s Resources

  • Free rapid antigen COVID-19 testing kits are now available to businesses.
  • Based on today’s GNCC Espresso webinar with Workplace Safety and Prevention Services (WSPS), please find a link to their Roadmap to Reopening For complete resources such as safety plans and templates, screening tools, guidance documents and more, click here.

Niagara COVID-19 data

These data show the status of the COVID-19 pandemic in Niagara. The Province of Ontario is now using a provincewide approach to reopening, and these data no longer have any influence on Niagara’s restrictions.

Current number of admitted Niagara Health patients with COVID-19: 3

Patients with COVID-19 in Niagara Health ICU’s: 1

Data are drawn from Niagara Region Public Health and Niagara Health.

Niagara COVID vaccination tracker

Last updated: July 29, 2021

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: 617,006

New daily doses administered to Niagara residents: 2,713

Data are drawn from Niagara Region, the Government of Ontario, and Oxford University’s Our World in Data project.

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

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Daily Update: July 28th, 2021

July 28, 2021 | Daily Update

Housing and transportation costs push Canada’s annual rate of inflation to 3.1% in June

Free rapid COVID-19 testing kits are now available to businesses

Visit gncc.ca/workplace-self-screening-kits to learn more and reserve kits for your organization.

Housing and transportation costs push Canada’s annual rate of inflation to 3.1% in June

The Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 3.1% in June from a year earlier, slowing from a 3.6% gain in May. The result was dampened by stronger prices as Canada reopened in June of 2020. On a monthly basis, CPI jumped 0.3 per cent.

Statistics Canada reported that shelter costs have increased by 4.4 per cent in the past year as the cost of buying or renting a home continues to increase, and transportation costs went up by 5.6 per cent compared to June of 2020. The inflation rate was dragged lower because the price of many goods has come down from where it was last year, including beef, which has declined by 11 per cent, fresh vegetables (down by 7.5 per cent) and cellular services (down 21 per cent).

Excluding gasoline, the CPI rose 2.2% year over year. For more information, click here.

Ontario earmarks $324M to ramp up efforts to reduce surgical wait times

Ontario says it will spend up to $324 million in new funding to enable hospitals and the community health sector to perform more surgeries, MRI and CT scans and procedures, as part of a wider, comprehensive surgical recovery plan to provide patients with the care they need.

Ontario plans to enable hospitals and community providers to operate at 110 to 115 per cent capacity. $216 million has been dedicated for hospitals to extend operating room hours into evenings and weekends and perform up to 67,000 additional surgeries. For more details, click here.

Minister Ng launches call for applications to deliver the Women Entrepreneurship Loan Fund

Today, the Honourable Mary Ng, Minister of Small Business, Export Promotion and International Trade, announced the launch of a call for applications to deliver the Women Entrepreneurship Loan Fund, a loan fund helping women entrepreneurs access the funding they need to start up, scale up and export to new markets.

The call for applications invites not-for-profit business support organizations with significant experience in the management and delivery of loans to apply to deliver the loan fund. Applicants will need to demonstrate their ability to assess business plans, fulfill and underwrite loans, and reach groups that have traditionally experienced greater difficulty in accessing financing, such as start-ups or individuals from under-represented communities. For more information, click here.

The Government of Canada announces Biomanufacturing and Life Sciences Strategy

Today, the Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, and the Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Health, launched the Biomanufacturing and Life Sciences Strategy, outlining a $2.2 billion investment over seven years from Budget 2021.

The Biomanufacturing and Life Sciences Strategy is driven by two objectives: to grow a strong, competitive domestic life sciences sector, with cutting-edge biomanufacturing capabilities, while creating good jobs for Canadians, and to make sure Canada is prepared for pandemics and other health emergencies in the future. This includes increasing domestic capacity through investments and partnerships to produce life-saving vaccines and therapeutics. For more information, click here.

Canada invests $9 million for nature conservation across southern Ontario

Today, the Honourable Deb Schulte, Minister of Seniors, on behalf of the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, announced $9 million in funding for Conservation Ontario to better conserve lands across southern Ontario.

Through approximately sixty-three projects, Conservation Ontario and regional conservation authorities will implement a variety of conservation activities on grasslands and wetlands, including protecting more land, restoring wetlands, and enhancing agricultural management. For more information, click here.

Signing of the Canada–France Coproduction Agreement

Today, the Government of the French Republic and the Government of Canada signed a coproduction agreement with respect to film, television and audiovisual media services. This agreement provides opportunities for French and Canadian professionals to collaborate on audiovisual projects, and represents the culmination of an ambitious joint effort by the Department of Canadian Heritage and the French Ministry of Culture, which oversee the development of international coproduction. For more information, click here.

Reading Recommendations

More U.S. companies tie CEO pay to diversity metrics – study

Reuters, Ross Kerber

Corporate diversity has become the most common type of sustainability metric used in setting executive pay, a new study found, as companies look to increase the share of women and minorities in their workforces.

Among 61 metrics used by Fortune 100 companies to tie executive pay to environmental, social or governance factors, 14 of them, or 23%, were diversity metrics, according to Nathan Grantz, senior research analyst at compensation consultant Equilar. In all, 44 companies use one or more ESG metrics, including seven that adopted them this year, Equilar found.

Failure to help poor countries fight Covid ‘could cost global economy $4.5tn’, says IMF

The Guardian, Phillip Inman

The world economy risks losing $4.5tn from highly infectious variants of Covid-19 spreading through poor countrieswhere vaccination rates are lower, the International Monetary Fund has warned.

Calling on rich countries to take urgent action to share at least 1bn doses with developing nations, or risk severe economic consequences, the Washington-based fund said the gap between rich and poor economies had widened during the pandemic and risked worsening further next year.

Niagara COVID-19 data

These data show the status of the COVID-19 pandemic in Niagara. The Province of Ontario is now using a provincewide approach to reopening, and these data no longer have any influence on Niagara’s restrictions.

Current number of admitted Niagara Health patients with COVID-19: 3

Patients with COVID-19 in Niagara Health ICU’s: 1

Data are drawn from Niagara Region Public Health and Niagara Health.

Niagara COVID vaccination tracker

Last updated: July 28, 2021

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: 614,284

New daily doses administered to Niagara residents: 2,210

Data are drawn from Niagara Region, the Government of Ontario, and Oxford University’s Our World in Data project.

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

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Daily Update: July 27th, 2021

July 27, 2021 | COVID-19 Member News

Ontario has asked the federal government to ensure Canadians who received mixed COVID-19 vaccines will be cleared for international travel as border measures lift.

Free rapid COVID-19 testing kits are now available to businesses

Visit gncc.ca/workplace-self-screening-kits to learn more and reserve kits for your organization.

Ontario asks Ottawa to work with WHO on ensuring mixed vaccines recognized abroad

Ontario has asked the federal government to ensure Canadians who received mixed COVID-19 vaccines will be cleared for international travel as border measures lift.

Ontario and other provinces have offered residents the option of taking one shot each of Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines or an mRNA shot after a first dose of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine. Provinces offered the mixed option this year as the country grappled with a shifting incoming vaccine supply schedule and concerns about a rare but serious blood clot disorder linked to the AstraZeneca shot.

The U.S. has been reluctant to sanction the practice of following a Moderna shot with a Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, or vice versa, while many European countries don’t recognize the Oxford-AstraZeneca shot made at the Serum Institute of India, which may impact Canadians who received it. Several cruise lines have also said they won’t accept customers who have received different types of vaccine, or mixed brands at all.

The ministers wrote that it’s critical for “the integrity and confidence” in Canada’s and Ontario’s vaccination programs that people who “have done the right thing” by taking doses of two different vaccines are considered immunized abroad. For more information, click here.

Canada border guards vote to strike days ahead of border reopening to vaccinated U.S. travellers

Canadian border guards and customs officials voted today, Tuesday, July 27, 2021, to go on strike just days ahead of the reopening of the border with the United States. Unions representing workers with the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) – members of the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) and the Customs and Immigration Union (CIU) – indicated that workers have been without a contract for over three years. For more information, click here.

Government of Canada funds two new projects to encourage COVID-19 vaccination in youth

Today, the Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Health, announced two new projects aimed at youth that will receive funding through the Immunization Partnership Fund (IPF). These projects will promote the importance of vaccinating against COVID-19 to youth aged 12 and over, parents and caretakers, and teachers through school-based interventions and community-based outreach.

BGC Canada (formerly Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada) will receive up to $500,000 in funding to promote the benefits of vaccinating against COVID-19 and foster evidence-based dialogue around vaccination among families of children and youth who access programming at local Clubs across Canada.

The Canada Safety Council will receive up to $220,000 in funding to create a COVID-19 vaccine education and awareness program to be delivered in schools with the support of teachers across Canada to engage both students and their parents on the importance of vaccinating against COVID-19. For more information, click here.

Energy regulator approves change to Trans Mountain pipeline route

Trans Mountain Corp. has won approval from Canadian federal authorities for a route detour to end a prolonged Indigenous territorial and environmental dispute that threatened to delay its C$12.6 billion Trans Mountain Expansion crude pipeline project (TMX).

The Canada Energy Regulator (CER) on Monday authorized the construction change, observing that no opposition had emerged against the new route. The expansion would triple the amount of crude oil capacity on the existing Trans Mountain system. The system carries oil from landlocked Alberta to the British Columbia coast. For more information, click here.

Reading Recommendations

Lumber demand plummets as do-it-yourself boom ends

The Globe and Mail, Brent Jang

Demand for lumber has fallen over the past nine weeks as the do-it-yourself boom ends with a whimper while consumers reallocate their budgets.

What had been a huge imbalance between supply and demand in mid-May has shifted toward a lumber market that appears to be stabilizing, barring any unforeseen events. Lumber prices are expected to be less volatile in August after tumbling from record highs.

Investors commit US$7 billion to Brookfield’s energy transition fund

Brookfield News via COMTEX

Major institutional investors have committed US$7 billion to Brookfield Asset Management’s Global Transition Fund, making it the largest pool of private money aimed at accelerating the shift to a net-zero carbon economy. The founding investment partners, Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan Board and Temasek, have both committed to achieving net zero by 2050 or sooner.

The Global Transition Fund is co-managed by Connor Teskey, chief executive officer of Brookfield Renewables, and Mark Carney, who served as governor of the Bank of Canada and then as governor of the Bank of England before his term in the latter role ended last year.

Disney closing at least a dozen stores in Canada amid e-commerce push

The Canadian Press

Walt Disney Co. is expected to close most of its Canadian stores this summer as part of the company’s broader plan to focus on its e-commerce business and reduce its brick-and-mortar footprint.

The mass media and entertainment conglomerate says it’s closing at least 60 stores across North America, including most of its locations in Canada.

The Disney Store, a chain of specialty stores selling Disney-themed toys, costumes and other items, currently has 16 locations in Canada listed on its website.

Niagara COVID-19 data

These data show the status of the COVID-19 pandemic in Niagara. The Province of Ontario is now using a provincewide approach to reopening, and these data no longer have any influence on Niagara’s restrictions.

Current number of admitted Niagara Health patients with COVID-19: 3

Patients with COVID-19 in Niagara Health ICU’s: 1

Data are drawn from Niagara Region Public Health and Niagara Health.

Niagara COVID vaccination tracker

Last updated: July 27, 2021

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: 611,930

New daily doses administered to Niagara residents: 2,744

Data are drawn from Niagara Region, the Government of Ontario, and Oxford University’s Our World in Data project.

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

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Daily Update: July 26th, 2021

July 26, 2021 | COVID-19 Member News

Mary Simon Installed as 30th Governor-General, first Indigenous Person, to Serve as Queen’s Representative in Canada

Free rapid COVID-19 testing kits are now available to businesses

Visit gncc.ca/workplace-self-screening-kits to learn more and reserve kits for your organization.

Mary Simon Installed as 30th Governor-General, first Indigenous Person, to Serve as Queen’s Representative in Canada

Today, Mary Simon has been installed as Canada’s first Indigenous governor general. Her role comes after a long career in Indigenous policy making. In the early 1980s, she worked on the patriation of the Canadian Constitution. She also had a senior role in the 1996 Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples and represented the Inuit in the government’s 2008 residential schools apology. She was also president of the Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami (ITK), a non-profit group representing more than 65,000 Inuit in Canada, beginning in 2006. For the full news story, click here.

Health Canada Released What We Heard Report From The Public Engagement on The National Strategy For Drugs For Rare Diseases

Many Canadians are struggling to access the drugs they need, especially if they have a rare condition. From January to March of this year, Health Canada undertook public and stakeholder engagement to seek ideas and views on what a national strategy could look like.

The engagement garnered diverse perspectives from over 650 individuals and organizations, including patients with lived experience, family members, and caregivers. Throughout the engagement, participants overwhelmingly felt a national approach was the most important element for a strategy and should be guided by key principles and values such as transparency, accountability, flexibility and being patient-centred. The report is available here.

Ontario Proposing to Add Darlington Provincial Park Into The Greenbelt

The Ontario government announced their intention to add Darlington Provincial Park to the Greenbelt. Following public consultation and engagement with Indigenous communities this fall, Darlington Provincial Park could begin the process of being added to the Harmony and Farewell Creek Urban River Valley, connecting it to Lake Ontario.

The proposal to add the park came from the Municipality of Clarington, the City of Oshawa, the Central Lake Ontario Conservation Authority and Conservation Ontario. For the full press release, click here.

Niagara Health Expands Walk-in Hours at Seymour-Hannah Vaccination Clinic

Starting today, Niagara Health’s Seymour-Hannah vaccination clinic is accepting daily walk-in appointments on a first-come, first-served basis for first and second doses between 9:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Residents also continue to have the option to book future date or same day appointments through the provincial booking tool or by calling 1-833-943-3900. For full public service announcement, click here.

Digital Service Squad Will Help Grimsby Small Businesses With Digital Transformation

The Town of Grimsby has announced that it has received a $15,980 grant from Digital Main Street’s Ontario Grants Program for a Digital Service Squad (DSS), which will provide trained digital specialists to local small businesses to help them adopt online technologies and digitally transform their sales, marketing and back-office operations. The squad will begin visiting businesses in the community today. For more information, click here.

St. Catharines Museum and Welland Canals Centre Celebrating Black Voices Through New Exhibit

The St. Catharines Museum and Welland Canals Centre is set to welcome guests to a new photographic journey that will highlight the families of Freedom Seekers who fled to the northern end of the Underground Railroad. For more information, click here.

Reading Recommendations

COVID-19 vaccines have changed how we assess risk of the virus

Globe and Mail, Kelly Grant

When Ontario’s COVID-19 science table and its pediatric hospitals released their advice on opening schools, they recommended that a community’s coronavirus risk level be judged primarily by the number of infected people in hospital, not by case counts alone.

It was a subtle but important shift, one that raises a fundamental question for the fall: Are case counts still the most important factor in determining whether to tighten pandemic restrictions in a highly vaccinated country?

“A case now has a context that is different depending on the immune status of the patient,” said David Naylor, co-chair of Canada’s COVID-19 Immunity Task Force. “That’s the nub of the problem. If we simply count cases and respond to that, we’re going to be spooked and overreact consistently. If we ignore cases, then the risk is that we’ll end up with a bad clone of the British experiment, which most of us regard as reckless.”

Cryptocurrencies could lead to ‘limitless’ losses for UK government

The Guardian

Experts in the UK warn of danger of untraceable funds if companies accepting payments in cryptos go bust. A growing number of companies, including the ethical cosmetics firm Lush and office-sharing firm WeWork, have begun taking payments for goods and services in cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin, alongside debit payments, credit or cash. But while the shift has been welcomed by crypto-enthusiasts, experts said it could be an easy way for directors to hide cash from authorities, particularly when companies go bust.

Record-smashing heat extremes may become much more likely with climate change – study

Reuters, Andrea Januta

Cyprus. Cuba. Turkey. Canada. Northern Ireland. Antarctica. All recorded their hottest-ever temperatures in the last two years, and according to a new study, more such extremes are coming.

In the next three decades, “record-shattering” heat waves could become two to seven times more frequent in the world than in the last 30 years, scientists report in a study published Monday here in the journal Nature Climate Change.

Niagara COVID Stat Tracker

December 18December 25January 1January 8January 15January 22January 29
Reproductive number1.41.81.41.11.00.70.9
New cases per 100,000101.2267.3469.8575.8507.1295.5250.6
New cases per day (not including outbreaks)60.7178.7311.7376.9325.4182.7145.7
Percent of hospital beds occupied97%95.2%98.2%103.2%104.5%103.6%106%
Percent of intensive care beds occupied78.8%77.3%87.9%87.9%90.9%89.4%93.9%
Percentage of positive tests6.1%15.6%28.1%28.6%26.6%21.2%16.2%

Last updated: July 17, 2021

These data show the status of the COVID-19 pandemic in Niagara. The Province of Ontario is now using a provincewide approach to reopening, and these data no longer have any influence on Niagara’s restrictions.

Data are drawn from Niagara Region Public Health.

Click here for a guide to this table.

Niagara COVID Vaccination Tracker

Last updated: July 26, 2021

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: 607,434

New daily doses administered to Niagara residents: 2,004

Percentage of population with one dosePercentage of population fully vaccinated
Niagara82.7%78.2%
Ontario84.6%79.1%
Canada84.7%78.6%
United States75%64%
United Kingdom78%72%
Germany76%74%
France80%77%
Italy83%76%
Japan80%79%
World63%53%

Data are drawn from Niagara Region, the Government of Ontario, and Oxford University’s Our World in Data project.

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

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Daily Update: July 23rd, 2021

July 23, 2021 | Daily Update

Government of Canada will invest in POST Promise initiative to support the safe reopening of Canadian small businesses

Free rapid COVID-19 testing kits are now available to businesses

Visit gncc.ca/workplace-self-screening-kits to learn more and reserve kits for your organization.

Government of Canada will invest in POST Promise initiative to support the safe reopening of Canadian small businesses

Today, the Honourable Mary Ng, Minister of Small Business, Export Promotion and International Trade, announced an investment of more than $1 million to support the POST Promise initiative, led by a national not-for-profit organization. The mission of the POST Promise is to help boost consumer and employee confidence through enhanced awareness and execution of workplace health measures so that customers feel safe shopping as public health restrictions begin to lift and the economy begins to safely reopen.

Click here for more information.

Yukon becomes latest territory to make agreement with Government of Canada for affordable daycare

Today, the Honourable Chrystia Freeland, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, the Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, the Honourable Sandy Silver, Yukon Premier, and the Honourable Jeanie McLean, Yukon Minister of Education, announced an agreement that significantly improves early learning and child care for children in Yukon.

The Government of Canada’s investment builds on Yukon’s efforts to date to ensure that all families have access to an average of $10 a day out-of-pocket parent fees for full-time regulated child care spaces for children under age six.

Click here for more information.

Walk-ins now available at all Niagara Region Public Health COVID-19 vaccination clinics

Walk-ins for those getting their first and second doses are now welcome at all Niagara Region Public Health COVID-19 vaccination clinics from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.

 

Anyone 12 years of age or older who does not yet have their first or second dose of COVID-19 vaccine is encouraged to come to any Public Health clinic across the region whenever and wherever works best for them. Both Moderna and Pfizer vaccines will be available at all clinics.

Click here for more information.

Click here for a list of clinic locations and dates.

Visit Ontario.ca/bookvaccine or call 1-833-943-3900 to book an appointment.

Susan Venditti named 2021 T. Roy Adams Humanitarian Award Recipient

Susan Venditti has been named the 2021 recipient of the T. Roy Adams Humanitarian Award in recognition of her lifelong dedication to caring for those less fortunate in our community.

 

Venditti recently retired as CEO of Start Me Up Niagara, an organization she founded and has overseen since 1998.

Click here for more information.

Canadian retail sales decline in May

Retail sales declined 2.1% to $53.8 billion in May. The largest declines occurred at building material and garden equipment and supplies dealers (-11.3%) and motor vehicle and parts dealers (-2.4%). During the month of May, many retailers continued to face closures due to the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sales decreased in 8 of 11 subsectors, representing 65.6% of retail trade.

Click here for more information.

Featured Content

COVID-19 has significantly impacted young people’s ability to find and maintain employment. Compared to 2019, the first year of the pandemic almost doubled youth unemployment rates. To provide up-to-date insights on these and other youth employment trends, NWPB has developed a youth employment dashboard. This dashboard will ensure there are easy-to-access and public metrics available to support pandemic recovery on a monthly basis.

Some trends from the latest update include:

  • 21,400 youth reported being employed in June 2021. This is an increase compared to June 2020 (19,500 employed) but is still much lower than June 2019 (32,200 employed).
  • The youth employment rate increased from 42.6% in May to 45.5% in June 2021
  • The youth participation rate increased from 56.6% in May to 57.9% in June 2021
  • The youth unemployment rate decreased from 24.8% in May to 21.3% in June 2021

All of NWPB’s recent reports, including our monthly eye on employment, can be found on our website, www.nwpb.ca.

Reading Recommendations 

Back in the room: what do we need to think about?

Wilson Sherriff

Increasingly our clients are thinking about holding events face to face – back in the real room rather than the Zoom room.

As facilitators, our risk assessments for events were usually straightforward. We have been doing a lot of thinking about how to handle the new situation arising in the UK where citizens will no longer have to abide by a full range of specific rules but are being asked to use ‘personal responsibility’ to make judgements about risk from Covid.

The question is: how do we organise events to enable individuals attending to exercise personal responsibility when different people have different ideas of what that means? It’s easy to allow people to choose to wear masks or not, but do we make provision for people who want to observe social distancing?

Bank of Canada to let staff clock in up to half their hours from home

Reuters

The Bank of Canada will allow most of its staff to clock in up to half their hours remotely once public health guidelines allow it to fully reopen offices, a spokesperson for the central bank said on Friday.

The bank expects to bring back many employees to offices after the summer, but it does not see conditions returning to normal until 2022, a Bloomberg News report said.

Niagara COVID Stat Tracker

December 18December 25January 1January 8January 15January 22January 29
Reproductive number1.41.81.41.11.00.70.9
New cases per 100,000101.2267.3469.8575.8507.1295.5250.6
New cases per day (not including outbreaks)60.7178.7311.7376.9325.4182.7145.7
Percent of hospital beds occupied97%95.2%98.2%103.2%104.5%103.6%106%
Percent of intensive care beds occupied78.8%77.3%87.9%87.9%90.9%89.4%93.9%
Percentage of positive tests6.1%15.6%28.1%28.6%26.6%21.2%16.2%

Last updated: July 17, 2021

These data show the status of the COVID-19 pandemic in Niagara. The Province of Ontario is now using a provincewide approach to reopening, and these data no longer have any influence on Niagara’s restrictions.

Data are drawn from Niagara Region Public Health.

Click here for a guide to this table.

Niagara COVID vaccination tracker

Last updated: July 23, 2021

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: 599,172

Total doses administered in Niagara since yesterday: 2,924

Ontario is currently in Step Three of the Roadmap to Reopen.

Percentage of population with one dosePercentage of population fully vaccinated
Niagara82.7%78.2%
Ontario84.6%79.1%
Canada84.7%78.6%
United States75%64%
United Kingdom78%72%
Germany76%74%
France80%77%
Italy83%76%
Japan80%79%
World63%53%

Data are drawn from Niagara Region, the Government of Ontario, and Oxford University’s Our World in Data project.

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

 

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Daily Update: July 22nd, 2021

July 22, 2021 | Daily Update

Governments of Canada and Ontario to invest $7.3 million in farmers and agri-food businesses

Free rapid COVID-19 testing kits are now available to businesses

Visit gncc.ca/workplace-self-screening-kits to learn more and reserve kits for your organization.

Governments of Canada and Ontario to invest $7.3 million in farmers and agri-food businesses

The Governments of Canada and Ontario are investing $7.3 million through the Canadian Agricultural Partnership to help support farmers and agri-food businesses. This funding supports more than 600 cost-shared projects for eligible farmers in over 270 communities across the province.

Click here for more information.

Survey: In-person events

The GNCC would like your feedback on your willingness to attend in-person events this year. Please take a few minutes to

Pathstone Mental Health offering free mental health support to children and youth

This fall will be a challenging time for many children and youth. Pathstone Mental Health is offering in-person walk-in clinics, video counselling, and their 24/7 Crisis & Support line to all children and youth from birth to age 18 and their families at no cost and without delay. Call 1-800-263-4944 or visit https://pathstonementalhealth.ca/ for more information.

Niagara Health to wind down mass COVID-19 vaccination clinic at Seymour-Hannah arena

Niagara Health announced today that it will wind down its mass vaccination clinic at the Seymour-Hannah arena in mid-August, allowing the sports and entertainment centre to be returned to the City of St. Catharines and restored to its original purpose.

A smaller vaccination clinic will be opened at the St. Catharines hospital to continue vaccinating those who still need their first or second dose.

Click here for more information.

Canadians receiving Employment Insurance up by 83,000 in May

Approximately 1.7 million Canadians received regular Employment Insurance (EI) benefits in May, up 83,000 (+5.2%) from a month earlier. Nova Scotia, Alberta and British Columbia reported the largest increases in beneficiaries.

May EI statistics reflect labour market conditions as of the week of May 9 to 15.

Click here for more information.

Reading Recommendations

CSIS warns of increasingly sophisticated state-sponsored activity targeting elections

Canadian Press/CTV News

The Canadian Security Intelligence Service says it continues to observe steady, and in some cases increasing, foreign interference by state actors against Canada.

In a new report on the threat, CSIS says it has observed persistent and sophisticated state-sponsored threat activity targeting elections for many years and continues to see a rise in its frequency and sophistication.

4 strategies for building a hybrid workplace that works

Harvard Business Review

The global pandemic has created new challenges and opportunities in almost every industry, and as the economy reopens competition will be intense. Winners will be those who most clearly understand their customer’s needs, collaborate to identify multiple solutions, prototype, iterate and bring new ideas to market. Those behaviors will only happen when people come together in the new, modern workplace.

By all indications the future of work is hybrid: 52% of U.S. workers would prefer a mix of working from home and the office, saying it has a positive impact on their ability to be creative, solve problems and build relationships. Global research tells us 72% of corporate leaders plan to offer a hybrid model, and only 13% say they expect to decrease their real estate footprint in the next year, suggesting that organizations will continue to leverage their workplaces within a hybrid work future.

Niagara COVID Stat Tracker

December 18December 25January 1January 8January 15January 22January 29
Reproductive number1.41.81.41.11.00.70.9
New cases per 100,000101.2267.3469.8575.8507.1295.5250.6
New cases per day (not including outbreaks)60.7178.7311.7376.9325.4182.7145.7
Percent of hospital beds occupied97%95.2%98.2%103.2%104.5%103.6%106%
Percent of intensive care beds occupied78.8%77.3%87.9%87.9%90.9%89.4%93.9%
Percentage of positive tests6.1%15.6%28.1%28.6%26.6%21.2%16.2%

Last updated: July 17, 2021

These data show the status of the COVID-19 pandemic in Niagara. The Province of Ontario is now using a provincewide approach to reopening, and these data no longer have any influence on Niagara’s restrictions.

Data are drawn from Niagara Region Public Health.

Click here for a guide to this table.

Niagara COVID vaccination tracker

Last updated: July 22, 2021

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: 596,236

Total doses administered in Niagara since yesterday: 3,660

Ontario is currently in Step Three of the Roadmap to Reopen.

Percentage of population with one dosePercentage of population fully vaccinated
Niagara82.7%78.2%
Ontario84.6%79.1%
Canada84.7%78.6%
United States75%64%
United Kingdom78%72%
Germany76%74%
France80%77%
Italy83%76%
Japan80%79%
World63%53%

Data are drawn from Niagara Region, the Government of Ontario, and Oxford University’s Our World in Data project.

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

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