Manitoba’s distinctive blend of primary, manufacturing, and service businesses represents a true cross-section of the Canadian economy. A focus on business is also appropriate at this stage of the economic cycle. A key determinant of the pace and sustainability of Canada’s recovery will be how investment and hiring intentions of businesses in all sectors evolve as policy stimulus begins to fade.
My message is relatively straightforward: the thaw is coming. That may sound a little premature to someone standing at the corner of Portage and Main in early February, but it broadly captures the state of our economy. While its pace will likely be somewhat muted (given the depth of the recession) and while there may be setbacks, the recovery has begun.