Housing & Affordability: Fraser Valley home prices inched down in July, with buyer urgency still “notably absent” as inventory stays high and sales lag seasonal norms. Immigration for SMEs & hiring: Ontario opened its Workforce Priority Stream under the OINP, letting eligible foreign workers submit an EOI (linked to a qualifying job offer) for possible permanent residence. E-commerce & AI for small merchants: Shopify reported a “monster quarter,” with revenue and GMV up strongly and AI tools like Sidekick driving adoption among small- and medium-sized businesses. Business financing: Reflex Advanced plans a C$1.5M private placement of unsecured convertible debentures, while Stack Capital posted Q2 results showing book value growth tied to major AI and infrastructure bets. Climate tech & risk: A climate-tech event in the Pacific Northwest pushed investors toward scalable, profitable essentials (grid, EVs, solar, ag-tech), and Tive said its shipment visibility helped Venture Metals+ prevent $1M+ in cargo theft losses this year. Public safety tech: Volatus and Kraus Hamdani Aerospace partnered to build a Canadian persistent intelligence capability for wildfire response and other missions. Local entrepreneurship: Kingston’s AR platform Augify is helping local tourism and business storytelling come alive. Corporate moves: ATIS acquired elevator consulting firm Buckley Belcher to expand consulting and managed services.