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Business Offices \ Laval - Laurentides - Lanaudière
Laval - Laurentides - Lanaudière Economic Highlights
Laval
Area
- The area of the Laval administrative region covers both the Regional
Municipal County (MRC) and the City of Laval.
Population and Personal Income
In 2004, personal income per capita ($30,623) was higher than for Quebec as
a whole ($28,595), an ongoing trend for several years.
Employment
- The unemployment rate, which was 8.2% in 2004, was lower than the
provincial average (8.5%), an ongoing trend for several years.
Economic activity
The manufacturing sector (701 companies and 28,200 jobs) is highly
diversified. The major industrial sectors are metal products, pharmaceutical
products, printing and publishing, food and machinery. In 2004, it accounted
for 16% of jobs.
Laval is now recognized as a centre of excellence in biotechnology, owing
to the presence of major assets, including the Cité de la biotechnologie et de
la santé humaine du Montréal métropolitain, the Quebec Biotechnology
Innovation Centre (QBIC), the INRS-Institut Armand-Frappier and the Centre
national en biologie expérimentale (CNBE). The region also benefits from the
fact that biotechnology and biopharmaceutical companies are concentrated in
the area; they could double in number by 2010.
The primary sector is
based on agriculture. Laval, Quebec’s horticultural capital, produces 25% of
the flowers sold in Quebec.
Please refer to the statistical profile (
PDF /
HTM Version ) for more information.
Laurentides
Area
- The Laurentides region covers eight Regional County Municipalities (MRCs):
Deux-Montagnes, Mirabel, Argenteuil, Thérèse-De-Blainville, La
Rivière-du-Nord, Les Pays-d'en-Haut, Les Laurentides and Antoine-Labelle.
The major cities are: St Jérôme (62,684 inhabitants), St Eustache
(41,635 inhabitants) and Blainville (40,635 inhabitants).
Population and personal income
- The population was close to 500,000 inhabitants in 2004, that is, 7% of
Quebec’s total population. The region ranks first in Quebec in terms of its
potential for demographic growth, estimated at 29% by 2026 (in comparison with
9.3% for Quebec as a whole).
In 2004, personal income per capita
($29,614) was higher than for Quebec as a whole ($28,595).
Employment
-
The unemployment rate, which was 6.8% in 2004, was clearly lower than the
provincial average (8.5%), an ongoing trend for several
years.
Economic activity
-
Service industries dominate economic activity (74% of total employment).
Jobs related to trade and health care and social assistance are
prominent.
The tourism industry, which has great development potential,
plays an important role in the Upper Laurentian economy. The region ranks
third in Quebec in terms of the average number of rooms occupied on a daily
basis, after Montreal and Quebec City. Owing to the development generated by
the Mont-Tremblant Resort, a world class four-season destination, tourism is
now reconized as an area of excellence.
In the manufacturing sector
(823 companies and 48,200 jobs), the southern part of the Laurentides region
has the distinction of being home to a number of companies in the
transportation sector, including major contract awarders such as Bell
Helicopter Textron, Bombardier Aerospace, Nova Bus Corporation, Paccar and
Messier-Dowty.
Agriculture and forestry make up most of the primary
industry in the area. Forestry is especially prominent in the Antoine-Labelle
MRC where there are a number of sawmills.
Please refer to the statistical profile (
PDF /
HTM Version ) for more information.
Lanaudière
Area
- The Lanaudière region is comprised of six Regional County Municipalities
(MRCs): Les Moulins, L'Assomption, Montcalm, Joliette, D'Autray and
Matawinie.
The major municipalities are: Terrebonne (85,960
inhabitants) and Repentigny (74,485 inhabitants).
Population
-
The population consisted of 413,600 inhabitants in 2004,
that is 6% of the population of Quebec. The region ranks third in Quebec in
terms of its potential for demographic growth, estimated at 18% by 2026 (in
comparison with 9.3% for Quebec as a whole).
Employment
-
The unemployment rate, which was 7.6% in 2004, was lower
than the provincial average (8.5%), an ongoing trend for several
years.
Economic activity
-
Service industries dominate economic activity (73% of total employment).
Jobs related to trade are prominent.
Tourism also plays a key role in
diversifying the region’s economic base, particularly in Matawinie (rural part
of the area located in the North) because of the popularity of
snowmobiling.
The manufacturing sector, which is highly diversified, is
based on traditional industries such as the lumber industry. It includes
companies that manufacture the complete range of products used in housing
construction.
Agriculture and forestry make up most of the primary
industry. The organic food sector is emerging since it has acquired enviable
know-how with respect to traditional local produce.
Please refer to the statistical profile (
PDF /
HTM Version )for more
information.
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