In its latest report on building construction indexes, Statistics Canada shows a jump of 0.5 percent for the cost of non-residential construction, and a jump of 0.6 percent for residential structures.

Say what you will about Ottawa’s economy – that it’s unspectacular or that it’s heavily dependent on public-sector growth – it’s nothing if not consistent. While many other cities in the province and across the country have seen growth rates about 6 percent in recent years, these are the same cities that have also seen those years followed up with contractions.

Construction is set to begin on an 1,800-kilometre transmission line project in Northwestern Ontario.

Financial details of the Wataynikaneyap Power Transmission Project were completed late last month, and a notice to proceed with construction issued to Valard LP

In its latest Metropolitan Outlook forecast document, the Conference Board of Canada says it expects GDP growth in Ontario to slow to 1.4 percent in 2019, and inch up to just 1.7 percent in 2020.

A variety of factors are in play. Chief among these is a decrease in spending by the provincial government on such high-growth producing industries as education, health and social services. Also slowing down the economy will be reduced investments in the residential and non-residential construction industries.