-The Canadian economy is in for a rough ride through the first half of the year and will see little or no growth in 2009 as the recession takes hold, top economists from Canada`s largest banks said on Wednesday.-The economy will also continue to shed thousands of jobs and the unemployment rate...

A return to $100 oil may not be in the cards for at least the next three years, after industry observers sharply lowered their short-term oil and gas price forecasts. But Calgary-based AJM Petroleum Consultants on Tuesday said the longer-term outlook remains intact after it reduced its 2009 oil...

-Five prominent economists who correctly predicted the 2008 world economic meltdown say the crisis is only going to get worse. "Beware the happy talk from those who say we are `turning the corner,` " writes Dean Baker of the Washington, DC-based Center for Economic Research. "Ignore the daily...

-Thanks to a perfect storm of falling commodity prices, ravaged equity markets and higher royalties, Alberta`s outlook for conventional oil and gas exploration has never been so bleak in what is usually the busiest time of the year, industry observers say. "I think it`s (the economic downturn)...

-Hood has left the hustle and bustle of life in Toronto, enticed to the West with her husband and four children after meeting a delegation from Saskatchewan at a recent job fair. "I was just really overwhelmed with how excited everybody was about Saskatchewan and how nice they were. There was...

-At least four times last week I was contacted by a young reporter from the Globe and Mail who told me he was writing a story about the coming of 40-year mortgages to Canada. He had heard I’d been the only MP to object to changes in the regulation of mortgages when they were proposed, then...

-Canada’s currency may extend its biggest annual decline on record, as tumbling crude prices hobble foreign investment in the country’s oil patch, according to the world’s biggest strategists and economists. -The Canadian dollar fell 18 percent this year as a global recession cut demand for...

-Crude oil fell, poised for its first annual decline in seven years, on speculation that U.S. fuel stockpiles are increasing as the recession reduces demand.-“The predominant feature that’s been guiding the oil market is poor demand,” said Gene McGillian, an analyst at Tradition Energy in...

-The Conference Board measure of consumer confidence came in much weaker than expected in December, falling to 38 from 44.7 in November (originally reported as 44.9). This represented a record-low reading for household confidence. Expectations had been for falling gasoline prices to continue...

-House prices across Canada have dropped 11 per cent since hitting a peak of $316,896 in May 2008, down to $280,880 in November, according to latest figures from the Canadian Real Estate Association. The drop is weighed heavily by cities such as Vancouver, Canada`s most expensive housing market...

The Misery Index is an economic indicator of what consumer confidence might be in a given region. The formula is CPI inflation + unemployment rate. Obviously, the lower the number, the better. Here`s how Canada`s provinces play out: 01) Alberta: 6.3 02) Manitoba: 7.5 03) Saskatchewan: 7.6...

When analyzing an area to invest, do you all do much of the legwork yourselves, or do most simply follow REIN`s recommendations (Top-10 Towns, etc.)? If much is done yourself, what are the filters that you use? And what kind of sources do you use? Where do you get your most valuable information...

-Eric Sprott, the investor whose flagship $900 million fund has beaten 89 percent of Canadian rivals since 2003, said he’s betting against domestic bank shares because he expects loan losses to soar as the global economy heads into a depression. -“There are so many job cuts and output cutbacks...

-A little over two months ago, Prime Minister Stephen Harper assured Canadians the economy was well placed to deal with the global recession and dismissed talk of budget deficits. That relatively upbeat era is now over, washed away by an ever-widening river of gloom, stark language, pleas for...

Methodology: A)Average house price, 1997; average house price, 2007 --Averarage annually compounded appreciation rate found using discounting techniques B)Percentage change in CPI, 1997 - 2007, averaged out by dividing the sum total by the time period. -Average annual inflation-adjusted...

Enjoy the ride!

-If Alberta lacked sufficient incentive to squirrel away the bulk of its resource windfall before, a government document obtained by the National Post that calculates the province faces a $215-billion unfunded liability suggests that Premier Ed Stelmach`s government will have to work...

-The Bank of Canada is warning of severe economic turmoil, including the risk of many Canadians losing their homes, if the financial-market crisis worsens.-if global financial conditions deteriorate, the bank warns the repercussions for Canada could be serious, including a deep and prolonged...

October`s YOY statistics. Notable items:Top-5 Biggest Gaining Cities vs. October 2007: 1) Regina, SK 2) St. John`s, NL 3) Halifax, NS 4) Winnipeg, MB 5) Quebec City, PQ -Note: Regina & St. John`s` gains much greater than the rest. Top-5 Biggest Losing Cities vs. October 2007: 1) Edmonton, AB...

-the OECD also predicted that Canada will lead the recovery among G7 nations in 2010; it forecasts that the Canadian economy will advance by 2.1% that year. -Although the report praised Canada`s relative strengths, including government fiscal positions and relatively sound banking and housing...