Latest news with #Bill190
Business Upturn
28-05-2025
- Business
- Business Upturn
Bunzl Helps Employers with Washroom Hygiene Legislation Compliance
Exclusive CleanWatch™ platform launched ahead of Ontario's Bill 190 July 1, 2025 Deadline . BURLINGTON, Ontario, May 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — As Ontario's Bill 190 introduces stricter washroom hygiene standards effective July 1st, Bunzl Canada, the exclusive distributor of WandaNEXT™, is proud to introduce CleanWatch™, a cost-effective, simplified version of the platform designed to help employers comply with the new rules while improving cleanliness, safety and employee experience. Introduced in Ontario in 2024, Bill 190, also known as the Working for Workers Five Act , is a new law that makes changes to various employment-related statutes, including the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) and the Employment Standards Act (ESA). Under the new legislation, the first phase of which comes into effect July 1, 2025, constructors and employers are obligated to ensure that washroom facilities provided for workers are kept in a clean and sanitary state and maintain cleaning records. In phase two, which comes into effect January 1, 2026, washroom cleaning records must also be made easily accessible to workers. The CleanWatch™ Solution CleanWatch™ is a cutting-edge addition to WandaNEXT™ digital cleaning management software, which transitions facilities from traditional, reactive cleaning methods to a proactive, data-driven approach. The new, simplified CleanWatch™ application enables employers to easily record washroom cleaning activities and make the information conveniently accessible via QR code, so that compliance with Bill 190 legislation is both straightforward and cost effective. Compliance Made Easy CleanWatch™ simplifies adherence to the legislative requirements by providing real-time monitoring and detailed reporting on washroom cleaning, ensuring that employers can quickly and easily meet the new standards. 'As the July 1st implementation deadline for Bill 190 approaches, Bunzl is here to support Ontario businesses in achieving seamless compliance with minimal disruption,' said Bunzl Cleaning & Hygiene's Sr. Vice President, Brock Tully. 'By adopting this innovative solution, employers can not only meet the new legislative requirements but also exceed them, setting a new standard for workplace hygiene and employee safety.' As the exclusive distributor of WandaNEXT™, Bunzl is committed to providing innovative solutions to enhance facility cleaning efficiency and effectiveness. WandaNEXT™ is trusted for its in-depth analytics, helping optimize resource allocation, improve cleaning protocols, and foster a positive user experience. To enable its customers to achieve compliance ahead of the legislation's effective date, Bunzl is offering the new CleanWatch™ product on a complimentary basis from June-December 2025. For more information about CleanWatch™ or to schedule a demo, please visit: About Bunzl Canada Bunzl Canada Inc. ( provides the cleaning and hygiene products and equipment, food and retail packaging, safety products and industrial supplies which keep over 45,000 Canadian businesses running optimally, every day. The company brings its customers the advantage of global sourcing, product innovation and national scale combined with responsive local service and deep category expertise. Bunzl Canada Inc. is an operating company of Bunzl plc (BNZL.L), a FTSE100 company listed on the London Stock Exchange in the Support Services sector. Media Inquiries Margo HunnisettVice President, Marketing & CommunicationsBunzl Canada Inc. [email protected] (905) 630-3749
The Market Online
09-05-2025
- Business
- The Market Online
Two micro-cap companies solving multi-billion-dollar problems
The only reason to leave the relative safety of index funds behind and pick individual stocks is the disciplined pursuit of market-beating returns. This pursuit, backed by often tedious due diligence, seeks to identify companies with potential strong enough to stay invested, no matter how volatile shares get, thanks to the high-conviction data you manage to uncover. This is no easy task, especially compared to owning a global stock ETF and calling it a day, requiring that your research process be sound from step one. While each investor will approach the stock market in their own special way, we'll go ahead and suppose that due diligence begins with finding companies whose products or services are differentiated from competitors, granting them at least the potential for long-term shareholder value creation. In the newest edition of Stockhouse's Weekly Market Movers, I'll go over two micro-cap tech stocks tracking companies in the early stages of disrupting multi-billion-dollar industries. Visionstate Our first micro-cap stock pick this week is Visionstate, a technology developer focused on solutions in the Internet of Things (IoT), big data and analytics. The company's flagship technology, Wanda, is a turnkey solution for facility cleaning management, allowing users to track frequency, duration and effectiveness and make more data-driven resource allocation decisions. Optional components to foster client and constituent trust include smart people counters, a public alert system and QR code functionality for customer feedback. The ability to monitor staff in real time, for as little as $250 per month, offers governments and businesses a way around the facility wear-and-tear, compliance violations and loss of reputation that can result from inefficient cleaning practices, granting Wanda a privileged position as a value optimizer in the growing US$415 billion cleaning services industry. Wanda is complemented by Visionstate's recent expansion into AI models and auditing and inspection management software, as well as the debut of WandaLITE, a simplified version of the company's flagship product to help the thousands of businesses affected by Ontario's newly introduced Bill 190 mandating easy public access to restroom cleaning records. Despite a growing list of potential clients, including multiple municipalities, a major Canadian university, a prominent health authority and a national janitorial service provider, investors have yet to recognize the company's value-added facility management technology. Visionstate stock (TSXV:VIS) has given back 66.67 per cent since 2020, las trading at C$0.02 per share. PlasCred Circular Innovations Our second micro-cap company worth your scrutiny is PlasCred, an emerging plastic waste recycler vying for industry leadership with the help of first-mover, patent-pending technology, which has been proven at pilot-plant stage to convert up to 80 per cent of unsorted waste plastic into renewable green condensate. This condensate can then be used to produce virgin plastic, transportation fuels or pipeline diluent, offering industry players a new catalyst towards minimizing a major source of global pollution, and offering the company multiple global industries to generate revenue streams, pursue growth, gain pricing power and progress on its path to profitability. To this end, PlasCred has secured strategic partnerships with CN Rail, Palantir Technologies and Fibreco Export to bolster operational intelligence and logistics support. The company estimates that it could go from nil to C$15 million in revenue as soon as 2026, with a plan in place to ramp up condensate production from an initial 500 to 10,000 barrels per day over subsequent years. PlasCred has already taken the first step in this direction, signing its first supply agreement with a global commodities company – fixed price of C$120 per barrel of condensate over five years – incentivizing ongoing engineering work towards its first production facility. Troy Lupul, PlasCred's president and chief executive officer, sat down with Lyndsay Malchuk to discuss the agreement. Watch the interview here. Sitting at a 90 per cent loss since inception in 2023, PlasCred stock (CSE:PLAS) has lost the thread when it comes to its underlying company's near-term cash flow and global appeal in a world drowning in plastic. Should revenue start to scale, look for a swift re-rating, as the company's potentially profound effects on the environment begin to take shape. Thanks for reading! I'll see you next week for a new edition of Stockhouse's Weekly Market Movers. Here's last week's article, in case you missed it. Join the discussion: Find out what everybody's saying about these micro-cap companies with billion-dollar aspirations on the Visionstate Corp. and PlasCred Circular Innovations Inc. Bullboards and check out Stockhouse's stock forums and message boards. This is sponsored content issued on behalf of Visionstate Corp. and PlasCred Circular Innovations Inc., please see full disclaimer here.
The Market Online
08-05-2025
- Business
- The Market Online
Visionstate set to prosper from Ontario Bill 190
Visionstate Corp. ( is a company focused on smart technology solutions that are transforming the way businesses manage facilities, operations, and sustainability efforts. Now their flagship product, Wanda is already making an impact in the facility management space and the company continues to expand its reach into new markets and technologies John Putters, CEO and Shannon Moore, President join Lyndsay Malchuk for the latest developments. The following is a transcription of the above video, and The Market Online has edited it for clarity . Lyndsay: So Shannon, maybe we can actually start with you. I mean, you made a recent announcement about your sales pipeline and deployment, But first, let's talk about the latest technology update, especially around that Ontario Bill 190. Can you explain that Bill just a little bit and what challenges it presents? Shannon: Absolutely. So the legislative requirement, Ontario now with Bill 190 is to mandate employers to provide access to real time blogs and service records. This is really about emphasizing proper cleaning standards. At the core of it, we're talking about compliance, we're talking about a solid infrastructure, we're talking about clean staff rooms in an environment where maybe those logs were manual or maybe even inconsistent. So at the heart of it, you're talking about accurate, accessible and timestamped. And really the way to do that is you pull those requirements into electronics, to data, so that they're accessible for everybody. Lyndsay: Well, that's a smart move right out of the gate for sure. So how does Visionstate's technology help address those challenges then more so than just going into technology? Shannon:, When we first read the bill, we were all like, this is what Wanda does and this is what we are delivering to all of our customers. But Wanda does a whole lot more than that. We also have alert systems, we have work order systems, we have communication systems, so it's a really robust software. But the truth of the matter is not everybody needs a fully robust software, and we're aware of that, especially with entry level into data collection. So we really studied the bill and made sure that we answered exactly those requirements, hold those out of our Wanda system and created a 'Wanda Light'. The advantage to that is giving our customers a couple of really great things. First, that gives them an easy answer that's low cost, simple, not overwhelming, they can install it themselves, and answer the bill, but then they can also see if they like collecting this data and maybe do they want to expand on it and add some of our other functionality. Lyndsay: So let's move then over to the sales pipeline. Shannon, what can you tell investors about where things stand right now? Shannon: This is a really important piece of the puzzle. Ontario obviously with this legislation is giving us a lineup and it's starting strong in post-secondary. It's starting very strong in municipalities and it will expand from there. It's a requirement through all of Ontario and our sales partner bundle is bringing it to every single one of their customers as a requirement. I would hope that as that expands, we start looking into the whole country, not necessarily because it's a legislative requirement, but it's the right thing to do and to ensure that these standards are met in all of their stack washrooms. Lyndsay: So John, let's pull you into the conversation here. In terms of deployment, what progress has been made so far and what kind of feedback are you getting from clients? John:, I think we're very much at the beginning of the digitalization process of the facility management industry. Everybody's familiar with a piece of paper that's , always in the restroom and really it's reflective of where that was at. It was really a sign off. Well, we're in an age of AI and analytics so you can't really achieve your goals that way, so we're finding now that not only is it being legislated but it's a requirement in order to stay competitive in the industry. What we're seeing is a lot of our customers are leveraging this technology to get more business, in fact, because they're saying, look, we can provide historical information and analytics. and we're three quarters of the way through an extremely interesting AI project with Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute, which is one of the leading institutes across the world, which will have a huge impact on facility management. So we're finding the adoption rate going up significantly. You know, it obviously helps when governments decide to legislate because that sets the direction for the future. So we're very excited about that. Lyndsay: So John, something investors might not be as familiar with is you have a potential 40% equity stake in s soul spaces, and they've been getting a lot of attention for their high tech greenhouses. So what can you tell us about the company and what they're working on? John: You're right, they have developed an expertise around high-tech greenhouses and that's done them very well, for example with First Nations communities. It's really all about food security, I think it was bad enough with climate change issues and supply chain disruptions, but now you have tariffs on top of it all, so there's more and more movement toward localization. But the fact of the matter is that old technology doesn't really work in extreme temperatures, so this is where the technology comes in. But I should also mention that's a stepping stone for them into really disrupting the construction industry, which I think is required in order to meet goals around sustainability and affordability. It just doesn't exist today. So, similar to the way Tesla took the combustion engine and introduced technology to produce the electric vehicle, they're taking the same approach to construction and we're starting to see the results of that because it's inevitable. So, we're really excited about their prospects and they just keep growing leaps and bounds. You can find Visionstate on the venture exchange under the ticker symbol VIS, and their website is Join the discussion: Find out what everybody's saying about this stock on the Visionstate Corp investor discussion forum, and check out the rest of Stockhouse's stock forums and message boards. The material provided in this article is for information only and should not be treated as investment advice. For full disclaimer information, please click here
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ohio bill would block schools from using trans students' preferred names, pronouns without parent consent
Apr. 3—A new Ohio House bill would require parental permission before public schools could begin addressing students by any name or pronouns that don't correspond to their birth certificate or biological sex. The proposed House Bill 190 is jointly-sponsored by Rep. Johnathan Newman, a Republican pastor from Troy who told this outlet that he's hoping to crack down on schools "socially transitioning" students. "This bill seeks to say that employees at school cannot use a name other than the child's given name on their birth certificate that aligns with their sex at birth," said Newman, who now has several bills aimed at expanding parental rights. "A name like that can't be used unless the parents agree and give permission, written permission, that they're aware of it and they condone their child transitioning." The bill goes further than just regulating teachers' ability to use a child's preferred name. As proposed, it would also: — Prohibit addressing a student by any name other than their given name or a derivative thereof without parental consent; — Prohibit addressing a student by "a pronoun or title that is inconsistent with the student's biological sex" without parental consent; — Block faculty or contractors from informing students about their own preferred pronouns or titles if they are "inconsistent with the employee's or contractor's biological sex;" — Bar faculty or school contractors from asking students for their preferred pronouns or names; — Bar faculty or school contractors from penalizing a student for failing to respond to a request for preferred name or pronoun; — Require faculty and school contractors to report any students' request to be addressed by a preferred pronoun or name to the school administrator, who is then required to report that request to the student's parents. H.B. 190 would also set up a parental complaint system with the state if they believe school faculty have been using different pronouns or names for their child without their consent. Under the bill, that complaint would prompt a investigation from the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce into the alleged incident, which Newman said could involve parents, faculty or the students themselves. Asked if he had reservations about a student potentially being swept into a state investigation, Newman said it was "a great concern." "But the greater concern is that this would happen to a student (without parental consent)," Newman said. Under the bill, if the state determines a school or employee violated the law, the state would be required to "withhold ten per cent of the school's state foundation aid ... each month until such time that the school is confirmed by the director to be in compliance with this section," H.B. 190 reads. "We're not trying to hurt the schools, we're not trying to take funding from the schools," said Newman. "But it's enough, it's a message, that this is a serious matter that parents take seriously." The bill has not yet had a hearing in the Ohio House Education Committee, but leading public school lobbying organization the Ohio Education Association told this outlet that it flatly opposes the bill. "House Bill 190 does nothing to support Ohio's public school students or to address any of the real issues facing our schools," OEA President Scott DiMauro said in a statement. "The Ohio Education Association urges lawmakers to reject this latest attempt to distract and divide Ohioans, so they can focus on the important work of ensuring our students have the resources and funding they actually need to succeed." Dara Adkison, who serves as the executive director of an advocacy group called TransOhio, called the bill "bad legislation" in an interview with this outlet. "(H.B.) 190 is going to ask teachers and staff to misgender trans students — and if they themselves are transgender, ask them to misgender themselves — all at the risk of losing a percentage of state funding," Adkison said. Adkison denied the notion that schools are "socially transitioning" students. They argued H.B. 190 would damage teacher-student relationships, which are "based off of trust and acceptance to help garner and foster (a student's) ability to receive an education." Ultimately, Adkison framed H.B. 190 as another legislative attempt to remove transgender Ohioans from public spaces. "That is unabashedly the goal," Adkison said. "We have seen our legislatures and public spaces talk about how they would like it if trans people did not exist at all." When this outlet asked Newman if he thought K-12 students were capable of determining if they truly wanted to be called by a different name or different pronouns without their parents' consent, he denied that anyone could be transgender and called it a case of "confusion." "I don't think there is such a thing as transgender," Newman said. "That's not reality. A boy never, ever becomes a girl. A girl never, ever becomes a boy. That's not reality. That cannot happen." Newman told this outlet that H.B. 190 would actually help students, if it became law. "We want to see children who have confusion like this, we want to see them get the help that they really need to address the confusion," Newman said. "I think the message is affirming the confusion is the wrong direction. We want to see them get the help they need to address the confusion." Newman's views are antithetical to those held by an array of leading medical organizations, including the American Medical Association. In 2024, the American Psychological Association published a resolution that criticized states' attempts to take away access to gender-affirming care. ------ For more stories like this, sign up for our Ohio Politics newsletter. It's free, curated, and delivered straight to your inbox every Thursday evening. Avery Kreemer can be reached at 614-981-1422, on X, via email, or you can drop him a comment/tip with the survey below.
Yahoo
25-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Today at the Roundhouse, Feb. 25
Feb. 25—As legislators lengthen their afternoon floor sessions in hopes of fending off evening sessions for a little longer, you can expect longer days at the Roundhouse. Here are a few things to watch out for on Tuesday, Feb. 25: Victim protections: The House Consumer and Public Affairs Committee in the afternoon will hear House Bill 190, which would amend the Victims of Crime Act to add more victims' protections. Workforce reentry: House Bill 419, a bipartisan effort seeking $13.5 million so the North Central New Mexico Economic Development District can expand a correctional reentry workforce development program, is on the House Rural Development, Land Grants and Cultural Affairs Committee's schedule. Official state vehicle & winter song: Two bills seek to implement new state symbols. Senate Bill 498 would make the lowrider the official state vehicle. Senate Bill 379 would make "Gracias New Mexico," written by Carol J. Mayberry-Sanchez, the state winter holiday song. Grab your notebooks: It's Higher Education Day at the Roundhouse, with more than two dozen New Mexico colleges, universities and other education partners available to share information on degree and certificate programs, as well as scholarships.
