The tragic rail accident in Lac-Mégantic, Que., terrible fires last year in Fort McMurray, Alta., and extensive flooding this spring in Eastern Canada have again driven home the message that bad things can happen with little warning – with huge financial, economic, environmental and human costs. This latest op-ed by Glen Hodgson, Senior Fellow, The Conference Board of Canada asks: Do Canadians have the right policies and practices in place to manage catastrophic events? http://ow.ly/CoHE30dDj5I

The Conference Board of Canada has upgraded its outlook for the Canadian economy to 2.6 per cent GDP growth in 2017. Beyond this year, more modest growth is expected. Matthew Stewart, Director, National Forecast says, "The Canadian economy has shifted into high gear, thanks to strong household spending and strong home construction. However, Canada’s current rate of expansion is unlikely to last, with growth expected to fall back below 2 per cent in 2018.” More insights on the outlook for the Canadian economy: http://ow.ly/3EpA30dBv1h

The world is moving toward a cleaner, low-carbon economy. Canada can benefit from the large and growing opportunities to export climate-friendly technologies.
What climate-friendly technologies do we have a competitive edge in exporting? Find out how your province measures up by using this interactive map and the charts below. These tools identify provincial strengths in exporting climate-friendly technologies: http://ow.ly/qbmp30dBinl

“The Canadian economy no longer requires the rate cuts that were delivered to help reduce the negative fallout from lower commodity prices. Moreover, the tightening of monetary policy will help to incrementally reduce risks associated with high levels of household indebtedness and real estate price imbalances in parts of the country. Accordingly, the rate hike is welcome news,” said Craig Alexander, Senior Vice-President and Chief Economist, The Conference Board of Canada. More insights on The Bank of Canada's decision to raise the overnight rate by a quarter percentage point: http://ow.ly/dtPM30dzxsi

“Despite U.S. President Trump rolling back climate-friendly policies, the world is moving toward a cleaner, low-carbon economy and this represents a huge opportunity for Canadian companies,” said Jacqueline Palladini, Senior Economist, The Conference Board of Canada. “Canadian innovators, investors, and producers can play a key role in helping the world’s businesses decrease their carbon footprint and lessen adverse environmental impacts by capitalizing on their global export strengths.” Our latest report examines a few key climate-friendly technologies including wind and solar power, energy efficient turbines, and waste management in which Canada has a competitive edge: http://ow.ly/P0sw30dxnnC

The economy has been advancing at a solid pace in recent months. Employment and GDP have seen solid increases, while trade and earnings have also made improvements. Employment rose by a strong 45,000 jobs in June, and weekly payroll earnings rebounded after a few dismal months, up 2.0 per cent from a year earlier. GDP was up 0.2 per cent from March to April, and an incredible 3.3 per cent over the previous 12 months. Export growth from April to May was solid at 1.3 per cent—but the year-over-year growth of 17.8 per cent was downright spectacular. All these positive signs have fuelled expectations that the Bank of Canada is set to raise interest rates in July. Our latest Canadian Economic Month at a Glance is now available: http://ow.ly/udU430dvt0i

“Canada delivered yet another month of strong job creation, adding to the picture of an economy expanding at a robust pace. The great mystery is the lack of wage growth. This creates a challenge for the Bank of Canada, as inflation is below target and wage pressures are not evident. Nevertheless, if the Bank has conviction in the health of the Canadian economy, they are likely hike next week,” said Craig Alexander, Senior Vice-President and Chief Economist, The Conference Board of Canada. More insights on today's Statistics Canada Labour Force Survey release: http://ow.ly/kxqG30drmaN

The July 2017 edition of our newsletter is now available. In this issue, you'll read about the outlook for Canada’s business services industries, rewards and recognition programs in the workplace, the Canadian economic outlook beyond its 150th anniversary and much more: http://ow.ly/HS7u30draXw

“Improving global economic conditions are helping Canadian exports and net trade should be a positive contributor to economic growth in the second quarter. The jump in the trade deficit in May is likely temporary, as the surge in imports was concentrated in the volatile aircraft imports component,” said Craig Alexander, Senior Vice-President and Chief Economist, The Conference Board of Canada. More insights on today's international merchandise trade data release from Statistics Canada: http://ow.ly/UMgq30doSi9