Ontario’s $6.4 billion post-secondary funding package signals a major shift in education policy, lifting the tuition freeze and expanding in-demand seats. But sweeping changes to OSAP, including reduced grants and higher reliance on loans, raise deeper questions about affordability, productivity, and the long-term civic and economic costs of narrowing access to higher education....
Read MoreThe 2026 municipal budgets in Brampton and Vaughan tell two very different stories about growth, risk, and fiscal strategy. On the surface, both cities are touting restraint. Vaughan is proposing a 0% property tax increase on their portion of the tax bill. Brampton has also adopted a 0% increase on their portion, notwithstanding the dedicated 1% levy increase for a second hospital. But beneath those headlines lie fundamentally different assumptions...
Read MorePrime Minister Mark Carney’s recent speech is the clearest acknowledgements yet from a senior Canadian figure that the post–Cold War world is over. Not fading, not evolving, but ruptured. In his speech at The World Economic Forum in Davos, the Prime Minister rejects the comforting language of “transition” and instead describes a global system that has broken under the weight...
Read MoreCouncil released Brampton’s 2026 budget late last week and began celebrating a headline figure: a 1.5% increase in the City’s portion of the property tax bill. We’re told this is among the lowest in the GTHA and below inflation, which is hovering around 2%. On its face, that sounds like a remarkable achievement, especially at a time when municipalities across Ontario are grappling with cost...
Read MoreAt the Brampton Board of Trade, we hear that access to skilled labour is the most critical need for businesses not just in Brampton but across the province, so you can imagine my confusion when I heard that thousands of skilled, job-ready newcomers were effectively rendered unable to work. Ontario made a sudden and...
Read MoreThe Business Confidence Index (BCI) survey has been extended until November 27th, 2025. This is an important opportunity to shape the Brampton Board of Trade’s advocacy priorities and ensure your business voice is heard. Take just 5 minutes to complete the survey now: https://buff.ly/Yr2TQHS How We Use the BCI The BCI provides essential direction for...
Read MoreThe federal government’s 2025 budget, the first under Prime Minister Mark Carney, is being billed as a generational investment in Canada’s future. It’s a budget framed around growth, resilience, and fiscal balance, all at once; a challenging mix to get right. From a Brampton perspective, there’s much to be encouraged by: long-term commitments to infrastructure,...
Read MoreThe Bank of Canada (BoC) has lowered its policy rate to 2.25% on October 29th, marking its second consecutive cut in 2025. This decision comes amid a challenging economic backdrop filled with trade uncertainty, a soft labour market, and weakening business investment. While rate cuts are traditionally aimed at stimulating growth, their effectiveness in the...
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