Talk of Western Alienation in the aftermath of the last federal election seems to be having a subtle effect on the national perspective in this country. A case in point is a think piece on the state of the Canadian economy issued by the team at RBC Royal Bank.
They note that ‘national’ figures have tended to mask some regional trends that are emerging. To put it another way: the Prairies are emerging as the key growth engine in the country while Ontario is becoming a drag.
Alberta, followed by Saskatchewan, are growth generators in 2024 when compared to last year. Alberta alone will be responsible for more than a quarter of all growth in the country, despite representing only 10-percent of the population. Basically, it will generate as much growth Ontario which is more than three-times its size.
Saskatchewan, it notes, is riding the wave of mining with growth in potash and uranium while investment is enjoying a lift from the Jansen project. That improvement will put us in second place among the provinces behind only Prince Edward Island.
