Written by Kieran Delamont, Associate Editor, London Inc.

Mr. Morgan goes to Washington

Mayor (and chair of Canada’s Big City Mayors caucus) Josh Morgan was in Washington this week, part of a Canadian delegation led by premier Doug Ford that’s attempting to sway the Trump administration in an ongoing tariff war. “We are here advocating alongside Americans to the Trump administration that this is a bad idea,” Morgan said in a video call to council. “There’s a lot of support from Americans, for Canada and what we’re doing. There’s not a lot of people who support the idea of tariffs, but the one thing that has been very clear is that the united approach that Canadians are taking is very effective.” The lobbying effort came as city council voted unanimously on Tuesday to have the city review its procurement policies with an eye to making sure as much of it is staying in Canada as possible, something Councillor Paul Van Meerbergen called “110 per cent necessary.”

The upshot: It’s a full-court press from Canada’s politicians and business community, with all 13 premiers also down in Washington this week as part of the same delegation. Many ideas, from buying local to pressure campaigns, have been tossed around. The only question is whether any of it will actually move the needle one bit with Trump and his team, who not only slapped tariffs on steel and aluminum on Monday but also barrelled ahead with a suite of reciprocal tariffs on Thursday. It seems impossible for Canadian officials to pin down exactly why Trump is raising tariffs, and as a result it’s proving hard to figure out what to do to avoid them. And for businesses caught up in all of it, the uncertainty itself is proving to be almost as bad as the tariffs. “A lot of small businesses are still trying to figure out exactly what the impact is going to be,” Steve Pellarin, director of the London Small Business Centre, told CBC News London. Morgan said that he’s heard of “a lot of business decisions already being made because of the uncertainty that’s out there.” (One free idea for the mayor: winner of the Canada-USA game in 4 Nations Face-Off on Saturday gets to set the tariff policy…)

Read more: CBC News London | CTV News London

Residential rental rates ease for the fourth consecutive month

London saw another drop in residential average asking rents, its fourth straight month of declines, according to the latest Rentals.ca report. In January, average asking rent for all property types was $2,006, a three per cent drop compared to last year. And there’s been an even bigger drop in one-bedroom units, which are now renting for an average of $1,766 ― down 4.3 per cent from January 2024. Forecasts are calling for rate stabilization through this year. According to a recent Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. (CMHC) report, supply in the rental market is eclipsing new demand, which when added to lower immigration levels, is expected to keep rents around this level through 2025.

The upshot: Economists like CIBC’s Benjamin Tal have said that under current conditions, rental inflation over the last couple years has pretty much maxed out what Canadians can “realistically afford,” And then there’s the tariff war to think about. Economists predict that potential tariff action could lead to lower rents, though nobody’s really cheering on that possibility since it’s more a case of rents deflating during a recession. Real estate agents have also been reporting that new tenants have a bit more leverage these days, with landlords signalling they are more open to negotiation on prices and terms. 

Read more: Rentals.ca | London Free Press

Reya Health launches app to simplify finding the right birth control

A new app that promises to help Canadians access birth control information announced its launch this week. London-based Reya Health, founded by Dallas Barnes, aims to offer “contraceptive counselling that is personalized to the user,” essentially trying to avoid the trial-and-error process that has long been a pain-point associated with birth control methods. “The current approach to offering birth control choices lacks the precisions that is possible with tech,” said Dr. Thara Vayali, a medical advisor with Reya. According to Reya Health, 70 per cent of birth control users have this kind of negative experience, and it causes 50 per cent of Gen Z users to stop. “Women and people with ovaries continue to be failed by the healthcare system,” Barnes said. “Women’s health has been neglected and overlooked for far too long. Women’s healthcare solutions are labelled ‘good enough’ and people who are struggling are told to deal with it. I’m inspired that Reya is part of something much larger than just our app.”

The upshot: Reya Health is one of a number of new femtech startups that have hit the market in recent years. It’s a growing market, but not one that is without its challenges ― particularly when it comes to raising capital (often from male investors) and getting products to market, something that Barnes spoke with The Globe and Mail about last year. “We always have to say, ‘this is 50 per cent of the population who’s experiencing it.’ It’s not a niche problem,” she said. And she’s right about that. It’s a market that is expected to explode in the coming years ― one estimate suggests that femtech could balloon to a trillion-dollar industry by 2027. 

Read more: Future Fem Health | Reya Health

London Chamber announces finalists for 2025 Business Achievement Awards

The London Chamber of Commerce has announced the finalist firms for the 2025 Business Achievement Awards, to be held May 13 at RBC Place London. This year’s finalists represent the broad spectrum of our local business community — everything from technology and healthcare organizations to a host of specialized manufacturers and food-and-beverage firms. Over the past few months, a line-up of volunteer BAA judges have reviewed and reduced a list of nominees to 24 finalists in nine categories. While hard statistics like revenues, employment growth and bottom-line results are all important criteria in selecting the finalists, other qualities like innovation, people and culture, business initiatives and building on a stronger community are equally critical.

The upshot: The annual BAA gala is the crowning event of London’s business calendar, and the event — which this year marks its 42nd anniversary — has grown to become the largest of its kind in Canada, with an anticipated attendance of more than 1,200 people. Also included in the BAA program is the Corporate Icon Award, given annually to a business that has demonstrated a substantial long-term contribution to the economic progress of the London community. Unlike other BAA awards, the Corporate Icon Award is announced in advance of the awards gala, and the Chamber said it will announce this year’s recipient shortly.

View finalists here: London Chamber of Commerce

Peter White appointed as new Airshow London board chair

Airshow London has appointed Peter White (pictured, inset) as its new board chair, replacing outgoing chair Jim Graham, who has been in the role from the inception of Airshow London in 2015 until this week. “It’s truly an honour to step into this role and carry forward the incredible work that has been done so far,” said White in a press release. “I look forward to collaborating with our dedicated team to not only push boundaries and continue delivering top-tier aviation entertainment, but also in supporting local organizations.” Airshow London’s executive director Holly Doty added they “appreciate Jim’s leadership over the past ten years,” and said that Graham will stay on as part of the board moving forward.

The upshot: During Graham’s tenure he has overseen several initiatives that significantly broadened Airshow London’s visibility and appeal, including the advent of the SkyDrive format. Initially a pandemic adaptation, the innovative SkyDrive drive-in format earned recognition and praise from fans and show operators around the world and helped position Airshow London as one of North America’s premier air show events. White will be keen to keep up Airshow London’s run of being named the top AirShow in North America, which it’s won for the last three years (doing what the Kansas City Chiefs couldn’t). He’ll have to hit the ground running: tickets for the 2025 show, a sell-out last year, are on sale now. 

Read more: Skies Magazine | CTV News London

2025 YMCA Women of Excellence recipients unveiled

This year’s recipients of the YMCA’s Women of Excellence Awards ― the 40^th iteration of the program ― were announced this week, honouring local women and their contributions in a wide range of fields. “These remarkable women, leaders in their respective fields, have driven progress and innovation,” said YMCA Women of Excellence co-chair Kathleen Holland. “Their accomplishments serve as a true testament to excellence and a source of inspiration for others.” This year’s winners (and their respective categories) are: Saidat Abari (Arts, Culture, Education & Training); Lynne Livingstone (Business and Professions); Dr. Janet Collins (Breaking Barriers); Cass Bayley (Entrepreneurs); Dr. Susan McNair (Health, Science & Technology); Dr. Treena Orchard (Social Justice); Dr. Sarah Woodruff (Sports, Fitness & Recreation); and Ghallia Hashem (Young Woman of Excellence).

The upshot: Included in the honourable recipients are two who have made their mark on the Forest City’s business and economic landscape: Lynne Livingstone and Cass Bayley. Livingstone, a public servant for more than 35 years, was the second woman to serve as London’s city manager. She helped create Ontario’s Early Years Centres (now called EarlyON programs) and played a key role in Safe Cities London and the city’s efforts to combat Islamophobia. Bayley launched her event management firm, The Bayley Group Inc., in 1992 and made her mark in event planning, tourism and hospitality. She has managed numerous major events, such as London 200 and the Canadian Comedy Awards, and has built a crack all-female team that manages national and international medical conferences.

Read more: YMCA of SWO | CTV News London

Dispatch: February 14, 2025

A summary of recent business appointments and announcements, plus event listings for the upcoming week.

View listings here

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