Paul Martin commentary
For players in the manufacturing sector in this country, a look at their book of sales is a lot like riding a roller coaster.
February’s sales or revenue numbers for the sector have just been released. And they’re up in the big regions but down in the West.
The biggest gains were in Ontario as the automotive sector got back into production mode after being down for retooling and planned maintenance shutdowns. Quebec also had a strong month, especially in the aviation sector.
But the pullback was out West. Saskatchewan manufacturers have been dealing with shrinking sales for the better part of a year. The trend line has not been as severe as the one for the automotive sector which looks a lot like a roller coaster but its direction is clear.
Revenues in February in Saskatchewan fell more than five-percent, the steepest percentage decline in the West although in real numbers, Alberta’s pullback was larger.
When that is broken down to the local level, Saskatoon manufacturers reported declines of four-percent while in Regina revenues actually went up roughly seven percentage points.
