TORONTO - Ontario says Ottawa’s tax holiday will cost the province $1 billion, but it will support the GST break for consumers. Last week, the federal Liberal government announced plans to pause the GST for two months on prepared food, toys, some types of alcohol and other holiday season staples. In provinces like Ontario, where the provincial and federal sales taxes are blended together into a harmonized sales tax, the entire HST would be removed from such items. Premier Doug Ford has said he was supportive of the move. Now, the office of Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy confirms it will remove the provincial sales tax on items not already covered under provincial rebate. Ontario has long removed the provincial portion of the harmonized sales tax from similar items listed in Ottawa’s GST break plan, such as children’s clothes and some food. The premiers of New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island have said they want to be compensated by Ottawa for the provincial revenue lost during the tax holiday. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 27, 2024.
Cowboys set for Thanksgiving visit from Giants after ending 5-game losing streakThe spotlight shined on Niagara women’s achievements in the business world Thursday as winners of the 2024 Women in Business Awards were announced. During a reception held Thursday at Sheraton Fallsview Hotel in Niagara Falls, Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce (GNCC) and Women in Niagara (WIN) announced the recipients of 11 awards, along with a pair of special honours for lifetime achievement and legacy. The awards are given out every year and recognize the leadership and success of women in Niagara’s business community. The aim is to encourage more women to seek out and reach for leadership roles in business, non-profits and in their community. While the awards recognize the work women do on behalf of the organization they’re affiliated with, they are specifically awarded to the individual. In a release, WIN chair N’ora Kalb congratulated all the finalists for making the region better. “We are so grateful to them all for everything they do every day,” Kalb said. GNCC chief executive officer Mishka Balsom said it’s a “privilege” to recognize outstanding women. “But it is a greater privilege to witness and to benefit from their work,” she said. “We hope that these awards will shine a light on their achievements and inspire women and girls in Niagara to follow their example.” This year’s recipients are: Cultural arts award: Barbara Worthy, Worthy Projects Excellence in environmental leadership award: Bobbie Armstrong, Uptake Alliance Community impact award: Bonnie Watts, Niagara Community Legal Clinic Young professional award: Brittany Davy, Anchor Rehabilitation Support Services Inc. Emerging business award: Harlee Barfknecht-Zuber, Iron and Oak Railroad Services Entrepreneurship award: Melissa Achal, NEOB Lavender Health care hero award: Leah Jeffery, Bethesda Equity entrepreneur award: Lilian Lum Mbah, Divine Favour Healthcare Staffing Inc. Excellence in the public sector award: Lina DeChellis, City of Welland Excellence in the not-for-profit sector award: Lori Gill, ATTCH Niagara Corporate leadership award: Marrianne Wilson, CAA Niagara Excellence in hospitality and tourism award: Melissa Achal, NEOB Lavender Science, technology, engineering and math award: Nattaly Gerena Romero, General Motors St. Catharines Propulsion Plant Excellence in trades award: Sabrina Frechette, Board Boss Drywall Michele O’Keefe was presented with ta lifetime achievement award during the 2024 Women in Business Awards reception. Michele O’Keefe was presented with a lifetime achievement award. O’Keefe is director of athletics and student engagement at Niagara College and a highly respected figure in the world of sports. Formerly CEO and president of Canada Basketball, she joined the college in 2018, the same year she received the leadership in sport award at the Canadian Sport Awards. She also received the CICan Leadership Excellence Award in 2024. Engineering manager Stephanie Thompson was given the Ruth Unrau Legacy Award. The award is named for WIN’s founder and is given to a woman who shares her spirit and dedication to advocacy for women in business. According to a news release, Thompson puts her heart into the technical world of engineering, empowering women and students to break down technology barriers and explore new possibilities.Eric Kripke says the world is getting more like The Boys, not the other way around
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EPL: Danny Murphy urges Liverpool to sign Chelsea star as Alexander-Arnold’s replacementEdwardsville golfer Mason Lewis will carry on family legacy at SMUUkraine must be placed in the “strongest possible position for negotiations” to end the war with Russia, Sir Keir Starmer has said. The Prime Minister insisted the UK will back Ukraine “for as long as it takes” as he made a speech at the Lord Mayor’s Banquet in London, but for the first time acknowledged the conflict could move towards a negotiated end. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has in recent weeks suggested he is open to a possible ceasefire with Vladimir Putin’s Russia. Kyiv and its European allies meanwhile fear the advent of Donald Trump’s return to the White House could result in American aid being halted. President-elect Trump has said he would prefer to move towards a peace deal, and has claimed he could end the conflict on “day one” of his time in power. As he attempts to strike up a good relationship with the incoming president, Sir Keir revealed he had told Mr Trump the UK “will invest more deeply than ever in this transatlantic bond with our American friends in the years to come”. In his speech at London’s Guildhall, the Prime Minister said there is “no question it is right we support Ukraine”, as the UK’s aid to Kyiv is “deeply in our self-interest”. Allowing Russia to win the war would mean “other autocrats would believe they can follow Putin’s example,” he warned. Sir Keir added: “So we must continue to back Ukraine and do what it takes to support their self-defence for as long as it takes. “To put Ukraine in the strongest possible position for negotiations so they can secure a just and lasting peace on their terms that guarantees their security, independence, and right to choose their own future.” Mr Zelensky told Sky News over the weekend he would be open to speaking with Mr Putin, but branded the Russian president a “terrorist”. He also suggested Ukrainian territory under his control should be taken under the “Nato umbrella” to try to stop the “hot stage” of the war with Russia. In a banquet speech focused on foreign affairs, the Prime Minister said it was “plain wrong” to suggest the UK must choose between its allies, adding: “I reject it utterly. “(Clement) Attlee did not choose between allies. (Winston) Churchill did not choose. “The national interest demands that we work with both.” Sir Keir said the UK and the US were “intertwined” when it came to commerce, technology and security. The Prime Minister added: “That’s why, when President Trump graciously hosted me for dinner in Trump Tower, I told him that we will invest more deeply than ever in this transatlantic bond with our American friends in the years to come.” He also repeated his commitment to “rebuild our ties with Europe” and insisted he was right to try to build closer links with China. “It is remarkable that until I met President Xi last month there had been no face-to-face meeting between British and Chinese leaders for six years,” the Prime Minister said. “We can’t simply look the other way. We need to engage. To co-operate, to compete and to challenge on growth, on security concerns, on climate as well as addressing our differences in a full and frank way on issues like Hong Kong, human rights, and sanctions on our parliamentarians,” he added. The Prime Minister said he wants Britain’s role in the world to be that of “a constant and responsible actor in turbulent times”. He added: “To be the soundest ally and to be determined, always, in everything we do. “Every exchange we have with other nations, every agreement we enter into to deliver for the British people and show, beyond doubt, that Britain is back.” Ahead of Sir Keir’s speech, Lord Mayor Alastair King urged the Prime Minister and his Government to loosen regulations on the City of London to help it maintain its competitive edge. In an echo of Sir Keir’s commitment to drive the UK’s economic growth, the Lord Mayor said: “The idealist will dream of growth, but the pragmatist understands that our most effective machinery to drive growth is here in the City, in the hands of some of the brightest and most committed people that you will find anywhere in the world.”