Ottawa-Gatineau poised for strong economic rebound, report suggests

As major cities across the country are poised for an economic recovery, a report from the Conference Board of Canada suggests Ottawa will be one of the quickest to rebound.

“Ottawa and Gatineau tend to be a recession-proof city because of the stability of public sector employment and that has knock on effects,” said Pedro Antunes with the Conference Board of Canada.

Ottawa-Gatineau’s concentration of public sector employees accounts for one-third of the region’s GDP. This, combined with high vaccination rates, the easing of restrictions, and an increase in travel and tourism in the warmer months should help with the rapid recovery.

“At the end of the day, people have been trapped in their homes for close to two years they want to get out and travel,” said Mayor Jim Watson. “I think more people will come visit here as tourists and continue to invest in Ottawa, which is a stable economy.”

Even with restrictions eased, and some workers back in the office, many businesses say it’s a long way from pre-pandemic times.

“We can look out on Sparks Street, it’s the middle of the afternoon and there’s no one there. You need traffic, you need people to walk,” said Ottawa Bike Cafe owner, Jason Komendat. “A day’s business lost is a day’s business lost. Even with an economic recovery, you don’t get that back.”

Other businesses on Sparks Street, like the Snow Goose Gallery, are also feeling the effects of the ongoing pandemic.

“We’ve had ups and downs, certainly. When we were mandated to close, of course, big down. Summers tended to bring people out, but generally down across the board,” said owner Ian Wright.

Wright is now hoping for brighter days ahead.

“Anything helps and the tourism is going to be wonderful,” he said.