The SVZ Catch-Up: May Edition
The latest news updates from the world of social enterprise for May 2025
By: Aqsa Rehman
May 21st, 2025
The summer months are coming, but that doesn't mean the social enterprise world is slowing down! There's lots going on, and we want to help you get your head around it with this month's SVZ Catch-Up. Read on for the latest on the current Canada Post situation, tariffs, and more!
Canada Post strike looming as May 22nd deadline approaches
Canada Post Corporation has been served with a strike notice from their worker’s union, CUPW, meaning that more than 55,000 workers postal workers could go on strike starting Friday. Many founders are worried about what the strike will mean for their businesses, and how another strike so soon will impact their operations.
The strike could mean consumers of small businesses start looking elsewhere for their products and it may force them to shop at big box stores with separate shipping facilities/services. The Canadian Federation of Independent Business has said that 80 per cent of the country's small businesses rely on Canada Post for their daily operations, including shipping goods, invoicing and receiving payments, and that private couriers can be more expensive.
Canadian startups look to local funders amidst Canada-U.S. tension
Alongside the headline-grabbing tariffs seen over the last several months, U.S President Donald Trump's administration also froze the U.S. Agency for International Development’s spending. This affected Canadian startup owners directly: Canadian entrepreneur Tatiana Estevez, who was set to receive funding for her fog water collection startup, called the sudden funding pull "heartbreaking".
As the tariff war begins to affect the startup world, some startup owners have noticed positive changes from domestic investors who want to invest in local businesses. Said Canadian agri-tech startup Growcer's co-founder Corey Ellis: "We've had investors who are calling us back saying, 'Given what's going on, I want to reconsider this opportunity and I want to participate".
Most Canadian startup founders believe tariffs will impact their venture
According to a new survey, more than three-quarters of Canadian startups believe tariffs will impact their operations. The survey, which interviewed representatives for 175 ventures linked to Ontario tech hubs MaRS and Communitech, reported that 38% expect tariffs to directly impact them.
Many startup owners are taking precautionary measures to protect their business regardless of if the tariffs directly affect their industries. The survey also found that 58% of respondents were worried about material sourcing and supply chain issues as a result of the imposed tariffs.
Fears of a sustainable finance pullback grow as RBC abandons green targets
Last week, the Royal Bank of Canada announced that it was scrapping its $500 billion sustainable finance target, a goal the bank had originally set in 2021. This decision comes following the retreat of all Canadian banks from the Net-Zero Banking Alliance.
There are currently a number of calls for new Prime Minister Mark Carney to enact sustainable finance legislation and hold banks accountable. RBC’s decision sparks worry that other banks will follow suit and abandon their sustainability targets completely with zero accountability. RBC also refused to share metrics such as ratio of clean energy financing versus fossil fuels or energy supply ratio.
