Economy

Recent Posts

With nearly eight percent inflation, seniors in Northumberland are feeling pinch

Seniors inflation

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Inflation is in Canada at 7.7 percent. The Bank of Canada raised interest rates at record levels earlier this week. The price of groceries continues to rise. The price of gasoline is a bit lower but still expensive. The cost of everything goes up and up. Continue Reading →

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Major tourism promotion run by four chambers of commerce in Northumberland gets review

Nancy Allanson

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Tourism in Ontario is a $38 billion business. It is a critical part of Northumberland County’s economy. It generates $120 million annually, according to a 2021 county report. Tourism operators and related businesses have faced tough times for the past two years. Lockdowns, travel restrictions, and various public health measures crippled the industry. Continue Reading →

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Details of a $110-million project bringing high-speed Internet to rural Northumberland

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If you are a person living anywhere in rural Northumberland County, there was good news for you last week. High-speed internet is coming. The little spinning beach ball is gone. The downloads that seem to take an eternity are over. That’s what politicians are promising. Continue Reading →

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Cobourg mayor reflects on past year and the coming months in the face of an election year

Coburg Development

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Cobourg is booming. If you ask Cobourg Mayor John Henderson, he would tell you. And, he has proof. All kinds of development is taking place, both residential and commercial. Several companies in Northam Industrial Park just renewed multi-year leases. Continue Reading →

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Four chambers of commerce join to deliver creative buy local program to stimulate Northumberland economy

Coderington Farmers Market

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Two things are striking about the campaign being launched jointly by the four local chambers of commerce. The first is the level of collaboration between the various players. This includes the Port Hope Chamber of Commerce, the Northumberland Central Chamber of Commerce, the Trent Hills Chamber of Commerce, and the Brighton-Cramahe Chamber of Commerce. It is not the first time these organizations have worked together. But as you will hear, it is undoubtedly an innovative project. Continue Reading →

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Rice Lake Hard Cider launches during COVID as couple pursues dream

Rice Lake Hard Cider

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Rice Lake Hard Cider produces small-batch artisan beverages from their brewery located in Baltimore. It is always tough starting a business. But as you will hear in this special report from correspondent Marc Cowin, Jana Crawford and her husband, Graham Smith, faced an unexpected hurdle when the global pandemic hit in March 2020. Tenacity, creativity, and a bit of luck has brought them to a point where they are growing their fledgling business and realizing their dream. Here is Marc Cowin with the story. Continue Reading →

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The number of people joining unions is on the rise during the pandemic as workers rethink jobs

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Drive along any street in town, and you will see laws signs or maybe a billboard where a local business is looking to hire. The Canadian economy added 94,000 jobs in July, bringing employment to within 250,000 of pre-pandemic levels. But the numbers also show weaker-than-expected hiring, especially in restaurants and hotels. Employers are struggling to find staff. Not since 2018 have businesses struggled this hard to find skilled or semi-skilled labour, according to a Canadian Federation of Independent Business survey done in July. Continue Reading →

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The journey towards a sustainable start-up in Colborne during the challenges of a pandemic

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Sustainability. We hear a lot of talk about it. But what does it really mean, especially to those of us living in Northumberland? In its most simple sense, being sustainable means something can exist or go on for a long time. It doesn’t necessarily mean it will grow. Continue Reading →

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County’s Faster Forward Summit Program aims to assist larger local businesses to grow

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Millions of dollars are being spent by the provincial and federal governments to keep small and medium-sized businesses afloat during the pandemic. For larger enterprises, support to sustain them or even help them grow has not always been available. The people behind economic development for Northumberland County launched a new imitative recently to address this gap. It is called the Faster Forward Summit Program. As you will hear, it is aimed at bigger businesses – those with more than $250,000 in revenue annually. Continue Reading →

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Burnham Family Market transitions during pandemic, as legacy farm moves to next generation

 

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Take a drive out into rural Northumberland. You will see all kinds of farms. It is easy to assume most of those are family farms. Yet, the family farm is on the decline in Canada. Well over 90 percent of farms are family-owned and operated. Barely half the farms are sole proprietorships. The rest are either partnerships or corporations, according to Statistics Canada in 2016. Continue Reading →

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