Highlights
- According to Statistics Canada, non-residential investment grew by 18% in the Quebec City census metropolitan area (CMA) in the first six months of 2013, reaching a total of $537.4 million.
- The Quebec City region is still ahead of last year’s figure despite an 8.9% drop in the second quarter.
- In the province of Quebec, non-residential investment rose by 8.4% in the first six months of 2013, reaching a total of $4.6 billion.
Commentary
A number of major projects are fuelling non-residential capital expenditures in the Quebec City CMA this year. The commercial sector (+23.9%) continues to expand, thanks mainly to preparations surrounding the Target store openings scheduled for September. Activity in the industrial sector (+3.7%) is based on manufacturers’ modernization and expansion projects aimed at boosting competitiveness. The institutional sector is also flourishing (+2.2%). Low vacancy rates (6.7% in the second quarter of 2013) will be conducive to growth in the office building market.
Serving as a bellwether, the 40.7% increase in the value of building permits in the first five months of the year, compared with the same period in 2012, indicates that non-residential investment will also fare well in the second half of the year. The private sector is already active with more than 80 major projects underway or announced valued at more than $3 billion. There are also several major public initiatives, including a multi-purpose amphitheatre. In addition, the region stands to benefit from major projects (such as wind farms) in the surrounding areas.
Louis Gagnon
Senior Economist
Quebec International
