Saskatoon leads strong showing by western cities in Conference Board of Canada report
The Conference Board of Canada’s annual metropolitan outlook sees Saskatoon leading in growth, while St. John’s falls to last place among 27 cities surveyed. The report notes a widening divide between cities in the West, which are showing signs of strong economic growth, and those in the East, where the economy is weakening, the Globe and Mail reports. Saskatoon’s yearly growth sits at four per cent, well ahead of the national average of 2.4 per cent per annum. Calgary, Edmonton and Regina also grew at rates well above the national average. Toronto’s growth is forecast for a mere 2.6 per cent for the coming year, while Ottawa comes in at a lowly 1.8 per cent in terms of real GDP. Bucking the Western trend, Vancouver is tied with Toronto, and Victoria manages a mere 1.9 per cent projected growth–still well ahead of St. John’s, with its tiny 0.7 per cent projection.