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Reed Construction Data (RCD) is providing a free webinar, offering a snapshot of the Canadian building industry in the current economy.

Reed Construction Data Canada has announced a national webinar, "CanaData: A Mid-year Economic Update," with free admission for design/construction professionals. Held prior to the company's annual CanaData Construction Industry Forecast Conference, the hour-long online presentation will take place June 23 at 2:00 p.m. EDT.

Hosted by Alex Carrick, RCD chief economist, the webinar serves as an economic outlook for the country, helping participants plan for the remainder of 2009. Topics include:
• current economy in terms of employment, interest rates, and value of the Canadian dollar;
• main drivers of the residential and non-residential building and engineering markets;
• housing starts forecast for Canada;
• whether we are seeing the impact of stimulus in the industry;
• influence of rising oil prices on construction materials;
• when private investment will again be a factor in non-residential construction;
• regional square footage forecasts for industrial/commercial/institutional work; and
• investment forecasts covering all categories of construction.

The event will be of interest to all design professionals, RCD vice-president/general manager Mark Casaletto told Construction Canada Online.

Photo courtesy RCD

RCD chief economist, Alex Carrick, will host the webinar.

"We are in the midst of one of the most significant and unique economic slowdowns in generations," he said. "The question, as we reach the mid-year point, is have we bottomed out and will we see recovery, as most economists believe in the last quarter of 2009? This is the key question that will be answered by Alex; more importantly, he will explain what this means for construction in Canada for the balance of 2009 and 2010."

"There has no doubt been a wave of optimism and confidence—sparked first by rallies in the market and more recently with some positive signs of recovery with several key economic indicators," Casaletto continued. "Alex will put this optimism into context and verify if we have, in fact, turned the corner and are on the road to recovery."

To register for the webinar, click here.