September 5, 2008

CanaData conference offers expert construction forecasts for 2009 and beyond

Denise Holtby

Editor, Digital Media

With the world-wide economy in turmoil, what’s the outlook for Canadian construction industry in 2009 and beyond?

Industry leaders looking for an expert answer to this question will find it at the 23rd annual CanaData Construction Forecasts Conference in Toronto on September 25, 2008.

“We have nine high-profile speakers lined up for this year’s conference,” says CanaData chief economist Alex Carrick. “Their expert insights and analysis will be invaluable to those construction professionals who rely on forecasts to plan their future business strategy.”

In the morning sessions, Scotiabank’s chief economist Dr. Warren Jestin will look at the economic outlooks for the world, U.S. and Canada, while Patricia Mohr, Vice-President, Economics at Scotiabank will discuss the outlook for world commodity demand, supply and prices.

Also on the roster is Paul Morse, who will provide insights into Canada’s office vacancy rates and commercial construction markets. Mr. Morse is Senior Vice President and General Manager and National Practice Director of Cushman & Wakefield LePage.

Andrew King, managing partner of Desrosiers Automotive Consulting Inc., will discuss the outlook for Canada’s automotive sector and investment spending plans. Meanwhile, Will Dunning, president of Will Dunning Inc., will provide an expert analysis of the Canadian housing market, both in terms of starts forecasts and renovation work.

The conference luncheon includes a keynote speech by Revitalization Institute founder Storm Cunningham. Mr. Cunningham will expand on the ideas found in his best-selling books on integrating construction approaches and activity levels with new environmental demands.

Later in the day, Dr. Roger Gibbons - president and CEO of the Canada West Foundation, will talk about mega energy projects currently underway in resource regions and their impact.

Jim Dougan will discuss the investment outlook for “hard” and “soft” infrastructure projects. He brings more than 25 years of comprehensive development and construction experience to Infrastructure Ontario as Executive Vice President, Project Delivery.

At the end of the day, CanaData chief cconomist Alex Carrick will wrap up the conference with his forecast for Canadian construction activity out to 2010.

For more information about the conference and how to register, go to the Canadata website or call 1-800-465-6475.

Print | Email | Comment