Canada - background market data

Population – 32.8 million.  Language English and French.

Currency – Canadian dollar (C$): UK£1=C$2.0614, US$1=C$1.1058.  A solid Canadian economy has seen a rapid reversal of value between the US dollar and the Canadian dollar over the past three years.

Government – Bicameral federal parliament.  Cabinet headed by the prime minister, Stephen Harper, leader of the Conservatives who ended almost 13 years of Liberal government by winning the general election on January 23, 2006.

Economy – Canada’s economy is booming, with strong federal finances boosted by buoyant tax receipts and high resource prices.  The country’s GDP lies at C$1.1 trillion (estimated 2005) with unemployment at 6.6 per cent, and an inflation rate of 2.8 per cent.  The total marine market output is C$11.5 billion, with expenditure by boaters lying at C$7.1 billion.  There are currently 84,000 full-time jobs in the Canadian marine industry.

Boating Geography – land area of 9.9 million sqkm (3.8 million sqm), with more than 3,000 miles (4828km) separating the eastern and western seaboards.  The total length of Canada’s coastline, which includes the mainland coast and also the coasts of offshore islands, amounts to around 202,080km (125,600m).  About half of all boating activity is in Ontario, principally on Lakes Ontario, Erie, Huron and Superior.  Most of the country’s boating is found within 300 miles (483km) of Toronto, an arc that take sin other major cities such as Ottawa and Montreal.  Beyond the Great Lakes there is activity on local lakes and waterways and on the Atlantic and Pacific coasts.  The season is shorter in the east owing to the cold winters, and milder but wetter in the west.  The average boating season is May-September, but variation by province can be considerable.

Boat Park – 2,200,000 boats with a boat ownership per capita of 1:15.

Industry Body – CMMA, Canadian Marine Manufacturers Association, 243 North Service Road West, Suite 106, Oakville, Ontario, L6M 3E5.  Tel: 905.845.4999.  Fax: 905.845.1701.  Email: Sandy Currie, executive director, scurrie@cmma.ca.  Web: www.cmma.ca.  National, not-for-profit association with 80 members, which provides advocacy services to the recreational boating industry. 

Key Boat Shows (3)-

 - Toronto In-Water Boat Show - September 14-17, 2006
Location: Ontario Place, Toronto, ON
Contact: Linda Waddell
Email: lwaddell@nmma.org
Tel: (905) 951-0009
More Info: www.torontoboatshow.com

- Toronto International Boat Show - January 13-27, 2007
Location: National Trade Centre, Exhibition Place, Toronto, ON
Contact: Linda Waddell
Email: lwaddell@nmma.org
Tel: (905) 951-0009
More Info: www.torontoboatshow.com

- Vancouver International Boat Show - February 7-11, 2007
Location: BC Place Stadium, Vancouver, BC
Contact: Jennifer Kastelein
Email: jkastelein@nmma.org
Tel: 604-678-8820
More Info: www.vancouverboatshow.ca

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