News
CSC to present economic forecaster Alex Carrick

Jan. 26, 2012 – The Toronto chapter of Construction Specifications Canada will host a dinner meeting on Feb. 7 featuring an economic forecast on the construction industry by Reed Construction Data chief economist, Alex Carrick. The meeting will take place at the Toronto Cricket Skating and Curling Club. Non-members may attend for $50.

Carrick will present overview forecasts of the world and Canadian
economies, with a particular emphasis on what they will mean for
construction activity levels in this country. Nationally and
provincially, he will include 2012 and 2013 projections of housing
starts, non-residential building square footage starts and investment
put-in-place figures for engineering work.
 
The European debt crisis, monetary tightening in China and the 24/7 presidential election season in the U.S. are some of the factors that
will have an impact on employment, interest rates and the value of the
Canadian dollar. Carrick will demonstrate how commodities and
construction will continue to be key building blocks for Canada over the
next decade. He will try to keep the subject matter entertaining and
informative as he seeks the most likely path through the uncertainty.

Alex Carrick did his undergraduate work at the University of Western
Ontario, and completed an M.A. in economics at
the University of Toronto. After the first year of a doctorate while
living at U of T's Massey College, the lure of the job market was too
great and in 1972 Alex went to work for the Canadian Institute of Steel
Construction. The CISC is a trade association for structural
steel fabricators in Canada. Carrick later became
Secretary-Treasurer as well as economist for the CISC. Since 1985, Carrick has been chief economist with CanaData, the
leading supplier of statistics and forecasting information for the
Canadian construction industry. He is the closing speaker at the
CanaData Annual Construction Industry Forecasts Conference, which just
marked its 25th anniversary.

The meeting will start with a cocktail hour at 5 p.m. The cost is $40 for members, $50 for non-members and $55 at the door (cash or cheques only). Attendees can purchase a booklet of six tickets for $200. Online registration is available from the CSC Toronto website.
 
Related links
Construction Specifications Canada Toronto
Reed Construction Data