|
News, updates, and so much more…
|
|
Government of Canada releases Budget 2022
Today, the Honourable Chrystia Freeland, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, released Budget 2022: A Plan to Grow Our Economy and Make Life More Affordable.
Key highlights include:
- double housing construction over the next decade
- taxation of property-flipping as business income
- a tax-free First Home Savings Account for up to $40,000
- a Multigenerational Home Renovation Tax Credit to provide up to $7,500 in support for constructing a secondary suite
- create an operationally independent federal innovation and investment agency
- phase out access to the small business tax rate more gradually, with access to be fully phased out when taxable capital reaches $50 million, rather than at $15 million
- $450 million over five years to support supply chain projects through the National Trade Corridors Fund
- $136.3 million over five years to develop industry-driven solutions to use data to make our supply chains more efficient
- $16.9 million over five years to continue making Canada’s supply chains more competitive by cutting needless red tape
- a one-time 15-per-cent tax on taxable income above $1 billion for the 2021 tax year for banking and insurers’ groups
- an increase in the corporate income tax rate by 1.5 percentage points on the taxable income of banking and life insurance groups above $100 million
- $43.5 million over five years and $8.7 million ongoing to create a new Canada Water Agency
- $1.7 billion over five years to extend the Incentives for Zero-Emission Vehicles program until March 2025
- $547.5 million over four years to launch a new purchase incentive program for medium- and heavy-duty ZEVs
- $2.2 billion over seven years to expand and extend the Low Carbon Economy Fund
- a refundable investment tax credit for businesses that incur eligible carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) expenses
- an investment tax credit of up to 30 per cent, focused on net-zero technologies, battery storage solutions, and clean hydrogen
- up to $30 million over two years to Environment and Climate Change Canada to administer direct payments to support emission-intensive, trade-exposed small and medium-sized enterprises
- tripling the size of the Agricultural Clean Technology Program
- $458.5 million for the Canada Greener Homes Loan program
- $625 million over four years, beginning in 2023-24, for an Early Learning and Child Care Infrastructure Fund
- tax recognition on up to $4,000 per year in eligible travel and temporary relocation expenses to eligible tradespersons and apprentices
- $4 billion over five years, starting in 2022-23, to launch a new Housing Accelerator Fund
- $6.1 billion over five years, starting in 2022-23, for the Canadian Armed Forces
- $875.2 million over five years for additional measures to address the rapidly evolving cyber threat landscape
- up to $1 billion in new loan resources to the Ukrainian government through a new Administered Account for Ukraine at the International Monetary Fund (IMF)
- 5.3 billion over five years, starting in 2022-23, and $1.7 billion ongoing, to provide dental care for Canadians
- $26.2 million over four years, starting in 2023-24, and $7 million ongoing, to increase the maximum amount of forgivable Canada Student Loans by 50 per cent for healthcare workers
Click here to read more.
|
|
|
|
Government of Canada announces $68.5 million in relief support for southern Ontario tourism sector
Today, the Honourable Helena Jaczek, Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario), announced a Government of Canada investment of $68.5 million to support Indigenous Tourism Ontario and 11 Regional Tourism Organizations (RTOs) in southern Ontario.
The Tourism Partnership of Niagara will receive $8.5 million as part of this investment – the second-largest after the $10 million earmarked for the Toronto Convention & Visitor Association.
To learn more, visit FedDev Ontario’s web page. Applications will open in the coming weeks. Visit your local RTO or ITO website to learn more about eligibility and how to apply.
Click here to read more.
|
|
Ontario acts to clear Landlord-Tenant Board backlog
The Ontario government is investing more than $19 million over three years to help reduce the longstanding backlogs and accelerate decisions at the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT) and Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB).
Investments at the OLT will support faster case resolution by:
- Significantly increasing the number of full-time adjudicators and case processing staff
- Creating flexibility to address caseload trends by appointing more part-time adjudicators
- More than doubling the capacity for the use of expert land use planning mediators to help settle disputes earlier and narrow issues for faster adjudication
- Improving IT platforms to improve access to services online
Investments at the Landlord and Tenant Board will raise staffing to unprecedented new levels, allowing the Board to more quickly resolve existing backlogs.
Click here to read more.
|
|
Ontario will raise minimum wage October 1st
The Government of Ontario will raise the general minimum wage to $15.50 per hour, starting October 1, 2022, representing an eight per cent increase over one year.
In January, Ontario raised the general minimum wage to $15 and removed the lower minimum wage for liquor servers. The government’s Working for Workers Act 2, if passed, would build on this action by expanding this minimum wage to digital platform workers for active hours worked.
The next increase this fall, which is tied to the Consumer Price Index, means that workers earning the general minimum wage and working 40 hours per week would see their annual pay rise by $1,768. Liquor servers who work 40 hours per week would see an annual raise of $5,512.
Click here to read more.
|
|
Niagara Region launches Community Dashboard
Niagara Region’s Community Dashboard uses key indicators to monitor and share important information about our community and Niagara Region’s programs and services. It tracks data over time, telling us what we’re doing well and where more focus and attention may be needed. The Dashboard groups approximately 90 indicators into four themes to give an overview of the community and Regional services. The dashboard is a hybrid that is broader than a typical organizational performance dashboard and includes data and information that is of community interest.
Click here to learn more.
|
|
Ontario expanding fourth-dose eligibility
The Ontario government, in consultation with the Chief Medical Officer of Health, is expanding eligibility for fourth doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to individuals aged 60 and over as well as First Nation, Inuit and Métis individuals and their non-Indigenous household members aged 18 and over starting on April 7, 2022. Expanding booster eligibility will provide an extra layer of protection against the Omicron and BA.2 variants.
Starting on Thursday, April 7 at 8:00 a.m., eligible individuals will be able to book their fourth dose appointment through the COVID-19 vaccination portal or by calling the Provincial Vaccine Contact Centre at 1-833-943-3900, directly through public health units that use their own booking systems, through Indigenous-led vaccination clinics, participating pharmacies, and participating primary care settings. Booster doses are being offered to these individuals at a recommended interval of five months after receiving their last booster.
Click here to learn more.
|
|
Best regards,
Alexis Higginbotham
Executive Director
WDBIA
60 East Main Street
Welland, ON
L3B 3X4
905.736.2884
downtownwelland.ca
|
|
|
|
|
