Sudden dairy price increase leaves food-service industry scrambling to adjust
Canada’s food-service industry is facing tough choices after the Canadian Dairy Commission announced it is raising the price of butter fat and raw milk by 4.1 per cent. The hike, which goes into effect on Sept. 1, is the first in two years and caught dairy processors and food producers off guard. Full story (Globe subscribers)
Syrian refugee, fisherman’s friend: How a retiring couple found a new heir to their Lake Ontario business
Slieman al-Jasem, 21, chats comfortably with customers as he weighs and bags snowy filets of fresh-caught white and yellow perch and pickerel from nearby Lake Ontario. He even attempts a little French for a Montreal couple at his booth at the Wellington Farmers' Market. Not bad, for a kid who had little formal education and spoke not a word of English or French just a few years ago, when he and his family arrived in Prince Edward County in one of the first waves of Syrian refugees to be sponsored by Canadians. Full story
The rise of ‘weed tech’: Cannabis tech sector flourishes in lead up to legalization
A growing number of Canadian tech entrepreneurs are betting big on the future of cannabis in the lead up to legalization later this year. These “weed tech,” or “canna tech,” companies, as they are sometimes called, are hoping to cash in on the new legal market by creating specialized software and hardware to serve the cannabis industry and consumers. Full story (Globe subscribers)
Fintech startup looks to expedite tax-free shopping online for First Nations
Richard Cochrane thinks he has the solution for a problem that has plagued First Nations online shoppers since the start of the digital age. That solution is his fintech startup, Status Exempt. The 29-year-old entrepreneur has developed a service and plugin for Shopify Inc.’s e-commerce platform that allows First Nations people to shop online without being charged the harmonized sales tax (HST), provincial sales tax or goods-and-services tax. Full story
Calgary’s Robots and Pencils inks deal with workplace messaging app Slack
Calgary-founded app development company Robots & Pencils has signed a deal with workplace communications platform Slack, which will see the San Francisco-based tech giant acquire a Robots & Pencils venture called Missions. Full story
Vancouver startup Trulioo taps market for Philippines remittances
A Vancouver startup specializing in identity verification is setting its sights on the remittance market in the Philippines. Trulioo announced July 24 it’s now offering its ID verification platform to customers in the Philippines. Full story
Come for the education, stay for the startup: N.L. adds immigration options
The Newfoundland and Labrador government announced two new categories under its provincial nominee program: international graduate entrepreneur and international entrepreneur. Full story
Who wants to do business in North Korea?
North Korea is one of the world’s most isolated countries. It is ruled by an unpredictable dictator with his finger on the nuclear button. So, who’s ready to do business there? Well, basically nobody. Full story
Journey to work a daily grind? How to make your commute more productive
Take advantage of the blackout zone and crack on with that piece of work that requires more focus and less connectivity. Whether it’s a report your colleague asked you to review, documents circulated for an upcoming meeting, or wider industry updates to help you stay ahead, save it for your commute. Full story