Next year will be extremely good. From a regional point of view, Ontario and Alberta with its oil will do very well. On the other hand, British Columbia has perhaps underperformed as has Quebec and most of the Maritimes, all of them below the national average. However, these regions will still have a very good year. Until the turn of the century, I don't see any clouds on the horizon.
Economic fundamentals are good.
Space is sold out for the January Toronto International Home Furnishings Market, Saturday January 10 to 13 at Mississauga's International Centre with more than 400 domestic and foreign manufacturers represented. Another indication of good things happening is the dramatic increase in participation in the national Trillium Furniture Awards, also celebrating its twenty-fourth birthday. Manufacturers from coast to coast have entered an unprecedented number of new designs and concepts according to hard working Neil Devereaux, Ontario Furniture Manufacturers' Association's Director of Marketing and Distribution. The competition becomes more national every year, four from the west, five from Quebec and, in Ontario, 27. They gained a unique perspective of what the industry has to offer this time around, and what we'll see on retail floors spring 1998.