OTTAWA—Bank of Canada governor Stephen Poloz says the country’s economy is finally gathering momentum after hobbling through the effects of the slow U.S. recovery, feeble exports, and a stubborn commodity-price slump.
In prepared remarks of a speech Wednesday in Whitehorse, Yukon, Poloz said while the economic situation remained complicated and uncertain, he was confident Canada was emerging from its stretch of slow growth.
“Continued patience is required, but we have the right to be optimistic,” Poloz said.
Poloz pointed to signs that Canada is benefiting from a stronger U.S. economy, a robust level of household spending, and a rebound in many non-energy export categories.
For example, he noted that recent numbers have shown improvements in the export of items such as packaging materials, furniture, and pharmaceutical products. He added that tourism has also seen a boost in Canada, which has seen its currency depreciate.
But Poloz said the national economy has also suffered an unexpected hit from the huge wildfire that swept through Alberta. It forced 90,000 people to flee Fort McMurray and the shutdowns of crucial oil-production facilities.
He predicted the impact of the wildfires to shave between 1 and 1.25 percentage points from second quarter growth, which could produce a slight contraction. However, Poloz added that the dip likely means the third quarter will show bigger-than-expected growth.
“This suggests that GDP growth will be very choppy in the second and third quarters,” he said.
The Bank of Canada will update its projections next month in its monetary policy report—a package of forecasts that Poloz suggested could shift once again depending on the outcome of the upcoming referendum on whether Britain will leave the European Union.
The federal Liberals have warned that a vote by the United Kingdom in favour of leaving the E.U. —the so-called Brexit—would be a negative for the Canadian economy.
“Two steps forward, one step backward,” Poloz said. “There’s a resilience and flexibility among Canadians that gives me confidence that we will get through these adjustments and our economy will return to natural, self-sustaining growth.”
