News
Ontario, Quebec lead public construction spending

July
23, 2009 – A report in today’s Financial Post notes that
one of the most resilient sectors remains public construction, with Ontario and Quebec
standing their ground in the face of the recession.

"Spending within Quebec remains by far
the most resilient, with a flat performance so far in 2009 compared with 2008 —
remarkable given the current economic environment," said Desjardins
analyst Pierre Lacroix.

Ontario
spending did decline, but at a rate slower than the western provinces, he said.

Meanwhile spending in the United States
is up 4% in the first five months of 2009, compared with the same period in
2008.