SPECIAL SECTION
Canadian Economic Outlook
March 9, 2010
Investment intentions up strongly in Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia
Driven partly by the stronger growth of profits during the second half of 2009 and sustained government spending, investment in non-residential construction and machinery and equipment is projected to increase by 5.3% in 2010.
March 8, 2010
Pace of Canada’s GDP growth accelerates in 2009’s fourth quarter to +5.0%
The nationwide economy grew 5.0% (quarter to quarter annualized) in the final quarter of last year, according to Statistics Canada’s latest update. That was the fastest growth rate since the third quarter of 2000, almost a decade ago.
March 8, 2010
Unsold inventories of singles and multiples go their separate ways
February 2010 housing starts in Canada continued along their remarkable recovery path, according to Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation.
March 5, 2010
CanaData’s February construction starts a mix of pluses and minuses
CanaData’s construction starts statistics for buildings are in a lot better shape through February of this year than they were through the first two months of last year. In fact, they are 51% better.
March 4, 2010
Stronger profits in 2010 point to full-time job growth
While many have described the current recovery in Canada as sub-par and “cyclically challenged,” this view is not supported by the most recent quarterly financial statistics for corporations.
March 2, 2010
Start defusing Canada’s demographically driven fiscal time bomb now, not later
A recent report by the Parliamentary Budget Office (PBO) reiterates what many have been saying for some time.
February 25, 2010
Inflation and retail sales implications for interest rates
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics has released January 2010 Consumer Price Index estimates. They show a 2.6% increase for all prices in the latest month versus January 2009.
February 23, 2010
Multi-unit housing in Canada growing in significance compared to singles
Several interesting trends emerge from an analysis of Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp.’s (CMHC) 2009 provincial starts figures. They show up clearly in the accompanying graphs.
February 23, 2010
Stronger growth of late 2009 will likely carry over into 2010
As the statistical picture of the Canadian economy’s performance in the final quarter of 2009 becomes clearer, it appears that growth in the quarter will be stronger than most analysts expected just a few months ago.
February 22, 2010
CanaData’s latest 2010 housing starts forecast raised to 180,000 units
National housing starts have averaged 182,000 units annualized over the past four months, according to Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC). This is a giant step up from their low points of last year: 118,000 units in February and 112,000 units in April.
February 19, 2010
Canadian retail sales in December OK, verging on pretty good
Current-dollar national retail sales in December 2009 were +0.4% month to month and +6.7% year over year, according to Statistics Canada. On a three-month moving average “smoothed” basis, they were +2.1% year over year.
February 18, 2010
Heading into 2010, Saskatoon’s economic health is second to none
Saskatoon appears to be leading the country in terms of overall economic health. Its rate of job creation in January was the second fastest among the 27 largest metro areas in the country. Saskatoon has the third lowest rate of unemployment.
February 17, 2010
Ontario has some winners, but mainly losers, in major city labour market rankings
Ontario has some winners, but mainly losers, in CanaData’s latest ranking of major city labour markets. CanaData’s ranking takes into account year-over-year employment growth (fastest to slowest) and the latest unemployment rate (lowest to highest).
February 16, 2010
Expect a full-time, not part-time, job recovery in the coming year
At first glance, the larger-than-expected jump in total employment (43,000) suggests that as Canadian employers entered the new year, they were more positive about future sales and production prospects and needed to add staff to boost output.
February 11, 2010
Office construction fundamentals still weak, but starting to stabilize
Commercial office construction for Canada as a whole will probably remain in the doldrums at least for the next four to six quarters, according to a recent report by Cushman & Wakefield.
February 10, 2010
Canadian housing starts recover nicely in January 2010
January 2010 was the second-highest level of national housing starts in the past four months, with 186,300 units seasonally-adjusted and annualized, according to Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. (CMHC).
February 9, 2010
With few exceptions, productivity growth across Canada has been sub-par
It is generally acknowledged that the key to Canada’s longer term economic health is our ability to increase productivity.
February 8, 2010
2010 to be another difficult year for construction, but take heart over the longer-term outlook
CanaData’s latest square footage forecasts are set out for provinces and regions of the country in the accompanying table. The forecast was made after compilation of 2009 year-end results.
February 4, 2010
International Monetary Fund expects stronger recovery for world and Canada
The International Monetary Fund’s outlook for global economic growth is considerably stronger than it projected just three months ago.
February 4, 2010
A fuller Canadian understanding of the personal versus business mood disparity in the U.S.
The disparities between the personal and business sides of the U.S. economy are glaring. The mood of the former has been particularly hammered by weak housing markets. In Canada, we saw some declines in home prices. These were especially acute in regions of the country where there was an earlier speculative fever tied to the commodity price boom just after mid-decade.
| MOST POPULAR STORIES |
- Infrastructure gets funding increase in B.C. Budget 2010
- Terrane Metals Corp. set to start construction on mine near Fort St. James, British Columbia
- In wake of toddler death, committee will study Calgary construction safety
- Budget includes $7.7 billion in infrastructure stimulus funding
- JJM Construction in the trenches for Highway 1 project
- 20 Most Popular Stories
| TODAY’S TOP CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS |
These projects have been selected from 342 projects with a total value of $3,058,704,875 that Reed Construction Data Building Reports reported on yesterday.
$1,200,000,000 Calgary AB Negotiated
$110,000,000 Wood Buffalo AB CANCELLED/ DEFERRED
CONDOMINIUMS, RETAIL, RESTAURANTS
$50,000,000 Invermere BC Prebid
| CURRENT STORIES |
- Infrastructure gets funding increase in B.C. Budget 2010
- Finning’s Chilean operations in decent shape after massive earthquake
- Scott Construction continues work on research centre at Vancouver General Hospital
- Independent contractors association criticizes Burnaby’s fair wage policy
- Eastern, central focus of federal budget a concern to industry
- Industry welcomes federal government’s commitment to labour-market tracking
- International Living Building Institute launches new challenge
- International snowplow championship packs ‘em in
- Study supports domed stadium for Saskatchewan Roughriders in Regina
- U.S. construction spending drops by $5.5 billion
- Canada BIM Council nears information exchange agreement with U.S. counterpart
- SNC Lavalin awarded Saskatchewan carbon capture project
- Dominion Construction gets two B.C. contracts
- Industry welcomes federal government’s commitment to labour-market tracking
- Light House Sustainable Building Centre publishes green building guide
- Tip Top condos get glass in Toronto
- WSIB report a clear response to ideas we submitted, Ontario General Contractors Association chief says
- University of Winnipeg aims for LEED Gold certification
- ‘You don’t create job opportunities by cutting off business:’ Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters CEO
- EllisDon continues construction on 18 York Street office building in Toronto
- Niagara Construction Association award winner honoured for decades-long contributions
- Society aiming for net zero energy for all new builds by 2030
- Ottawa spending $6.3 million on new VIA Rail station for Windsor, Ontario
- Court clears way for 22-acre Atlantic Yards project in New York
- Highway construction crew uncovers ancient B.C. glacier
- TransCanada may give Montana, North Dakota access to Keystone pipeline
- Prince Edward Island tightens rules for wind energy projects
- Collapsed Montreal parking garage was poorly built: coroner
| ALEX’S ECONOMICS BLOG |

Reed Construction Data Chief Economist Alex Carrick discusses current developments in the North American economic environment with emphasis on the construction industry.
- A dozen incredible measurement sets on Canada’s changing ethnic mix (March 9, 2010)
- How fragile is recovery around the world? (March 3, 2010)
- The world financial crisis goes into extra innings (February 25, 2010)
- More

| PROJECT NEWS BRIEFS |
Updates on Canadian construction projects from Reed Construction Data’s research team. More 
- Rounthwaite Dick & Hadley Architects begin work on arena plans for Flamborough, Ontario (Aug 17, 2009)
- Orillia Market Square aims for LEED Silver certification (Jun 25, 2009)
- Designs for new York Region District School Board building features energy efficiency (Jun 23, 2009)
- IPC Energy considers Milford location for future wind farm (May 22, 2009)
- Waterloo partnership seeks LEED Silver for West Side Family YMCA and District Library (May 22, 2009)



