Trade dispute draws attention to whether US tourists will remain stateside
Tourism numbers tend to fluctuate with value of Canadian dollar, but external events can also have an effect
U.S. tourism is crucial for Canada's economy. In 2024, U.S. tourists visiting Canada numbered over 14 million, more than double the levels of all other international tourists combi...
Montreal’s hospitality sector's make-or-break summer season under threat from fewer expected visitors
Fewer tourists are expected in Montreal this summer; international air passenger traffic to the city is also down
Montreal’s prime summer tourism season is getting ready to kick into high gear with the Canadian Grand Prix in mid-June followed in quick succession by the Festival International d...
After increasing online spending in 2024, Quebec residents indicate they are making changes
Latest NETendances survey suggests desire to avoid spending on US goods and shopping sites, which could mean more local retail shopping
The latest University of Laval’s NETendances survey, which focuses on Quebecers' online shopping habits, included a few questions covering the first quarter of 2025. The objective ...
Rising costs of building apartments have mostly slowed in Ottawa
General requirements remain one cost category that continues to increase
After increasing substantially in 2021 and 2022, increases in apartment construction costs in Ottawa have slowed. During most of the pandemic, construction cost increases in the pr...
Headline numbers suggest Montreal's condo market is healthier than it really is
Despite price and listings growth, city’s condo market faces hurdles as reflected in the number of mortgages in arrears, which has doubled since 2022
On the surface, Montreal’s condo market may appear to be holding up better than Toronto's or Vancouver's. As tracked by the Quebec Professional Association of Real Estate Brokers, ...
Downtown Montreal's office vacancy is concentrated in handful of buildings
Less than 20% of office buildings account for around half of all downtown vacant office space
Montreal’s downtown office vacancy rate has continued to move higher in recent quarters and now sits at over 15%, or over 20% for only those buildings actively marketing available ...
Expansion of Montreal’s Contrecoeur terminal could help absorb increased EU imports
Since 2021, imports from the EU to Canada increased by 9% per year
The current U.S.-Canada trade dispute could result in Canada increasingly shifting trade away from the U.S. and towards other countries—all of which are located overseas. Such a sh...
Full implementation of EU-Canada trade deal could lead to more investment from Europe
The potential for increased cross-border investment could lead to more European capital flowing into the country’s real estate sector in the future
Foreign investment in Canadian real estate has followed overall trends in recent years, increasing from 2021 through 2023 but then slowing down more recently. Examples of recent fo...
Over half of all high-clear height industrial space in Montreal was built between 2020 and 2024
Rise in clear heights increases as automation and racking systems become de rigueur for many occupiers
Industrial space is increasingly a matter of cubic feet rather than square feet, based on the increase in facilities built with clear heights exceeding 32 feet. This change has bee...
Canadian remote, hybrid job postings remain stable after four years
Job adverts support the notion that hybrid work is here to stay
Data from job site Indeed shows that the percentage of Canadian job postings mentioning remote or hybrid terms has remained stable over the last four years, varying between 12.5% a...
Lack of space hinders many small Canadian businesses
Space costs are also an issue, but less so than in recent months
For the last several years, Canadian small businesses have cited taxes and regulations, insurance and wages as the top three areas causing them cost difficulties, according to the ...
Ottawa investors staying on the sidelines in early 2025
Capital markets proved resilient in 2024, but 2025 has started out challenging
Ottawa’s capital markets proved resilient last year, with three out of the four property sectors showing increased sales volumes. Yet sales volumes have started out slowly in 2025....
Canadian small-business owners have an overwhelmingly negative one-year outlook
Pessimism is growing across sectors, especially among hospitality firms
According to the March 2025 Business Barometer index published by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, or CFIB, fewer small businesses surveyed held an optimistic outlo...
Troubling increase in business closings comes at a bad time for Montreal
More city businesses have been closing than opening over the past year
Although the city of Montreal’s headline GDP increased around 2% for much of 2024, the city's business sector has not been faring well. Data from Statistics Canada shows an ongoing...
Montreal office and industrial sales volumes fall to lowest in four years
City’s drop in transactions follows trend in the rest of Canada
Transaction activity in Montreal’s office and industrial sectors continued to decline in 2024, echoing a trend across Canada.
Ottawa's industrial sector is likely to be more resilient than the rest of Canada
Tenants' local focus should help the city’s industrial sector weather the trade storm
In contrast with other Canadian industrial markets, manufacturing tenants in Ottawa make up only around 15% of occupiers, based on industrial leases signed over the last five years...
Quebec's economy faces heightened risks in volatile US-Canada trade dispute
Trade-related disruptions likely to vary among major provincial cities
Quebec produces a wide array of goods, and its largest city, Montreal, has a diversified manufacturing base across numerous sectors. Nearly 75% of Quebec exports are shipped to the...
Montreal’s aging population has major implications for real estate market
Oldest age cohort forecast to increase rapidly compared to overall population
The oldest age group of Montreal's population is projected to grow the fastest, according to data from the Institut de la statistique du Québec or ISQ, underscoring what will likel...
Small business delinquencies reach highest point on record
Increased uncertainty around U.S. trade and tariff policy poses a new challenge for small businesses
PayNet’s Canadian Small Business Delinquency Index, or CSBDI, shows that more small businesses are behind on their bill payments than during the Great Financial Crisis or the initi...
Quebec’s rent control board allowed rents to increase twice as fast as inflation in 2024
Average permitted rent increases in 2025 expected to be in line with 2024 levels, if not slightly higher
Quebec’s rent control board, known in French as the Tribunal administratif du logement or TAL, recently released the average rent increases it authorized on apartment units subject...