Economic growth in Canada should average about 3 ½ per cent through the remainder of 2004 and in the first half of 2005, before easing to 3 per cent in the second half. This would imply average annual growth of about 2 ¾ per cent in 2004 and 3 ½ per cent in 2005.
For my part, I will briefly review the financial crisis and talk about the future of Japan’s financial system and challenges for Japanese financial institutions. I. Global financial crisis and Japan’s financial system  A.