• Ontario Saving Businesses $160 Million as WSIB Lowers Premiums

  Source: Ontario - Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development
  Date: 2026-10-22 14:00:00.0
  Tags: [Ontario, Economy, Labour, Taxation, Trade]

  The Ontario Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development announced that the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) will decrease its average premium rate from $1.23 to $1.18 per $100 of insurable payroll, effective January 1, 2027, saving employers a total of $160 million. This reduction applies to over 80 per cent of premium-paying businesses—encompassing approximately 330,000 insured businesses and 5.6 million workers—and lowers Ontario's average WSIB premium rate to nearly 30 per cent below the national average. The initiative is paired with broader provincial economic measures to offset U.S. tariffs, including cutting the small business corporate income tax rate from 3.2 per cent to 2.2 per cent to deliver $1.1 billion in relief, investing $150 million through the Ontario Together Trade Fund, expanding the $1 billion Protect Ontario Financing Program, and allocating $228 million through the Canada–Ontario Workforce Tariff Response.

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• Small Businesses are the Backbone of Saskatchewan's Economy

  Source: Saskatchewan - Government News
  Date: 2026-10-21 02:00:00.0
  Tags: [Saskatchewan, Economy, Taxation, Industry, Labour]

  The Government of Saskatchewan recognized Small Business Week for October 19 to 25, 2026, and released the Saskatchewan Small Business Profile by the Ministry of Trade and Export Development. The report notes that the province is home to 156,850 small businesses (defined federally as having fewer than 50 employees), which accounted for 98.8 percent of all businesses in 2025, employed approximately 30 percent of the provincial workforce, and provided over $8.3 billion in wages and salaries. The province maintains a permanent small business tax rate of 1 percent and has increased the small business income threshold from $500,000 to $600,000.

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• Ontario Celebrates Small Business Week

  Source: Ontario - Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade
  Date: 2026-10-19 14:00:00.0
  Tags: [Ontario, Economy, Taxation, Finance, Industry, Labour]

  In recognition of Small Business Week, Associate Minister Nina Tangri highlighted that Ontario's over 500,000 small businesses employ nearly 2.5 million people. The 2026 Ontario Budget cut the small business corporate income tax rate from 3.2 per cent to 2.2 per cent, providing $1.1 billion in relief and up to $5,000 in annual savings to over 375,000 small businesses. Additionally, the government is investing a record $49 million over the next three years in the Ontario Small Business Advisory Centres (OSBACs) network across more than 50 locations, alongside ongoing investments in Futurpreneur and Summer Company.

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• House of Commons returns for fall sitting after turbulent summer

  Source: CBC Politics
  Date: 2026-09-21 16:59:49.0
  Tags: [National, Economy, Trade, Taxation, Governance, Labour]

  The House of Commons resumes its fall sitting under Prime Minister Mark Carney, with the legislative agenda dominated by U.S.-Canada trade tensions and retaliatory tariffs following the collapse of trade talks. The federal government plans to introduce a productivity "mega-deduction" allowing companies to expense total capital investments, balance the day-to-day operating budget by next year, and advance Bill C-31 to implement 2025 budget tax and defence procurement provisions. Additional legislative priorities include extending the excise tax holiday on gasoline, streamlining major project reviews, modifying the Labour Code, and progressing left-over spring bills concerning under-16 social media restrictions, First Nations drinking water frameworks, and corporate data privacy rules.

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• House of Commons is back as Liberals vow ‘significant’ legislation coming

  Source: Global News Politics
  Date: 2026-09-21 12:19:28.0
  Tags: [National, Economy, Trade, Taxation, Labour, Governance]

  As the House of Commons resumes the fall sitting, Prime Minister Mark Carney and Government House leader Steven MacKinnon have announced plans to introduce significant economic legislation and major changes to the federal labour code. Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne is preparing to introduce a bill extending relief for the excise tax on fuel alongside an upcoming fall budget. Meanwhile, the federal government faces escalating cross-border trade tensions and tariff disputes with the United States administration under President Donald Trump after trade talks stalled.

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• MPs are heading back to Parliament Hill. Here's what to watch this sitting

  Source: CBC Politics
  Date: 2026-09-20 08:00:00.0
  Tags: [National, Economy, Taxation, Trade, Labour, Governance]

  As Parliament returns for the fall 2026 sitting, Prime Minister Mark Carney's majority government faces a legislative agenda focused on economic growth, upcoming federal budget measures, and trade developments involving the United States and the European Union. Key legislative items include the Building Canada Strong Act to streamline major project reviews, Bill C-31 implementing 2025 budget provisions, tax policy initiatives including a productivity mega-deduction, and amendments to the Labour Code affecting the Canada Industrial Relations Board regarding high-risk work stoppages in export industries. The Liberals hold 173 seats in the House of Commons alongside six vacant seats, while managing ongoing trade fallout with the U.S. administration and proposed closer economic alliances with the European Union.

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