October 25th Newsletter

Niagara Region to open new temporary, housing focused shelter in St. Catharines

Niagara Region announced today that it is establishing a temporary, housing focused, 50-bed modular shelter at 29 Riordon St.

Operational in early 2024, the site will remain open for approximately two years while a permanent, year-round shelter is established, in a location yet to be determined. Modular housing units will provide a unique and rapid solution that allows the Region to advance recommendations made in a recent shelter capacity review. 

Click here to read more.

Welland Mayor Frank Campion says he will invoke strong mayor powers

Mayor Frank Campion will be accepting his strong mayor powers when they come into effect at the end of the month.

In front of a boisterous crowd that packed city council chambers Tuesday, Ward 6 Coun. Bonnie Fokkens asked Campion to not invoke the powers and moved that they be delegated back to council.

Prior to Tuesday’s council meeting, on at least three occasions Campion had told fellow elected officials he was undecided whether he would use the powers.

Click here to read more.

Premiers ask Ottawa for COVID-19 small business loan extension

Canada’s premiers have sent a joint letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau asking the federal government to extend the repayment period for a year for interest-free loans given to small businesses and non-profits during the pandemic.

The federal government’s Canada Emergency Business Account offered interest-free loans of up to $60,000 to small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic.

B.C. Premier David Eby says in a letter to the prime minister that small businesses, like most other Canadians, are feeling squeezed by the rising cost of housing, groceries and other daily essentials, and just when they are starting to recover after the pandemic they are facing higher inflation and interest rates.

Click here to read more.

Government of Ontario introduces new consumer protection laws

The Ontario government has introduced new legislation that, if passed, would strengthen protections for Ontarians from unfair business practices such as price gouging, and aims to make it easier for businesses to comply with consumer protection rules.

Consumer protection laws have not been comprehensively reviewed and updated since the Consumer Protection Act, 2002, came into force in 2005.

Changes in the legislation include:

• Prohibiting unfair business practices such as taking advantage of a consumer’s inability to understand language in a contract.
• Limiting when businesses can make one-sided contract amendments, renewals, and extensions without express consumer consent.
• Prohibiting businesses from creating unnecessary barriers when consumers are trying to cancel a subscription or membership-based contract.
• Providing fairer exit options to consumers and their families who find themselves locked indefinitely into a timeshare contract as well as homeowners tied to long-term leases for home comfort appliances like HVAC systems.
• Providing stronger enforcement powers to better enable the ministry to hold bad actors accountable including doubling maximum fines to further deter offences and egregious business behaviour.

Click here to read more.

Media Release

Tree Canada and LCBO plant $10,000 grant in Welland to help replace trees lost to disease

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 24, 2023

Welland, ON – An area along Kingsway that saw the removal of approximately 250 trees due to Emerald Ash Borer will begin a rejuvenation of its tree canopy thanks to a $10,000 grant from Tree Canada and the LCBO’s Spirit of Sustainability initiative.

The grant allows the City of Welland to plant 20 native tree species along the canal, primarily in the location of Kingsway and Glenwood Parkway. This project area is used for many summer recreational events, including international rowing competitions.

“Increasing canopy in Welland is important to the Community Services – Parks and Forestry Division,” said Dave Steven, manager of parks, forestry, cemeteries, operations, and development. “By improving our park green spaces through canopy replacement, it provides residents with an area that is more inviting and cooler for recreation and relaxation, plus they provide habitat and food for animals.”

City staff plant 300 to 350 trees annually to beautify residential and park spaces as part of the City’s canopy replacement strategy.

“Each year, Tree Canada’s Community Tree Grants help support schools, community groups, Indigenous communities and municipalities across Canada to increase their green infrastructure through the planting of trees and shrubs,” says Nicole Hurtubise, CEO, Tree Canada. “Thanks to the contribution of partners like LCBO’s Spirit of Sustainability initiative, we are able to take meaningful steps to increase Canada’s tree canopy and help grow better places to live in communities like the City of Welland.”

The City is looking for five to 10 volunteers to join Tree Canada and the City as they plant and mulch the new trees. The City will supply all volunteers with shovels, gloves, and other necessary equipment. Planting occurs on Friday, October 27, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Anyone interested in volunteering can contact cnexfnaqsberfgel@jryynaq.pn.

Tree Canada is the only national non-profit organization dedicated to planting and nurturing trees in rural and urban environments in every province across the country.

Tree Canada helps to grow Canada’s tree canopy through their programs, research, and engagement efforts and by offering grants to communities and schools. Learn more about Tree Canada by visiting their website www.treecanada.ca.

For media inquiries, please contact:

Marc MacDonald

Corporate Communications Manager

905-735-1700 x2337

znep.znpqbanyq@jryynaq.pn   

7 tips for setting goals for your business plan

It’s never a bad time to sit down with your team to set goals. A strategic plan with ambitious targets will help you grow, confront challenges and make adjustments to changing conditions.

“By setting goals, you mobilize your team and generate action,” says BDC Business Consultant Jean Joncas. “This is how you achieve your vision for the business.”

He offered some tips on how to plan and set goals for the year ahead.

Click here to read more.

Ontario Energy Board announces changes to electricity prices for small business

The Ontario Energy Board (OEB) announced that electricity prices under the Regulated Price Plan (RPP) for households, small business and farms will increase as of November 1. The winter Time-of-Use (TOU) hours and the change in the threshold for residential customers on Tiered pricing will take effect November 1 as usual.

Also effective November 1, the Ontario government’s Ontario Electricity Rebate (OER) will increase to 19.3 per cent. The OER provides a rebate on the electricity bill of residential, small business and farm customers. For a typical residential customer who uses 700 kWh of electricity per month, the OER will decrease bills by about $26 each month.

Click here to read more.