Economic Indicators:
• Quebec retail sales rose 0.7% in December to $8.15 billion (over November/seasonally adjusted). Sales are up 6.3% over 2008 having trended upward throughout 2009; compared to an 8.4% rise in Ontario.

• Quebec wholesale trade rose 0.5% in December to $8.1 billion (over November/seasonally adjusted). This follows a 1.6% rise in November.
Higher sales in the food, beverages and tobacco products sectors led the December rise.

• Quebec manufacturing sales increased 0.2% in December to $11.12 billion (over November/seasonally adjusted).

• According to a new forecast by the Conference Board of Canada, Quebec’s economy will grow by 2.2% in 2010.

Jobs:
• The number of Quebecers on employment insurance in December fell 2.3% or 4 600 to 198 100 (over November/seasonally adjusted). Since June 2009, the number has declined by 12 000. The number remained up 14.5% over 2008; compared to a 43.8% rise in Ontario. The number of Montréalers on employment insurance has risen by 27.4% since December 2008.

• According to a study by the Canadian Space Agency, 829 Quebecers worked in the space sector in 2008, down from a high of 1 477 in 2004.
There were 4 679 working in Ontario in the sector in 2008.

Contracts:
• Bombardier has signed a $1.15 billion order with France’s SNCF for the delivery of 80 bi-level regional trains.

Venture Capital:
• According to Canada’s Venture Capital and Private Equity Exchange, venture capital funding of Quebec businesses rose by 10% in 2009, compared to a 27% decline across Canada. $430 million was invested in Quebec companies out of $1 billion Canada-wide.

Investments:
• The Caisse de dépôt has invested $4 million in Longueuil-based D-Box Technologies, a firm specializing in motion simulators for the entertainment industry.

• The Port of Montreal is investing $9.3 million to double the capacity of its electrical network in the containers sector.

Real Estate:
• According to Jones Lang LaSalle, office vacancy rates in Montreal’s core rose to 8.9% in the 4th quarter. It was the first increase in 3 quarters. Class A asking rates in the GMA fell 6 cents per square foot to an average of $18.64.

• According to a report, Quebec’s horse-racing agency SONACC is seeking to realize $100 million from the sale of the Hippodrome de Montreal.

• According to the Canadian Real Estate Association, the average price of a home in Quebec rose 9.8% in January to $236 424 (over 2009).

• CB Richard Ellis reports that there were 191 property transactions in the Montreal area valued at over $1 million in 2009.

Mergers and Acquisitions:
• Waterloo-based Open Text has acquired Montreal-based IT firm Nstein for $35 billion.

• Montreal-based Yellow Pages has acquired ClearSky Media and the 411.ca brand.

Source: Forum Action Québec & PIRA Communications.