In Quebec, housing starts rose 18 per cent in December to 44,400 units, its highest level of the year. For all of 2009, starts fell 12 per cent, the smallest regional decline in Canada (starts fell by one-third in Ontario and the prairies and by over one-half in BC). Manufacturing sales in November edged up after a 7 per cent jump in October, as increases for chemicals (notably medicinals) and petroleum offset a drop in aerospace.
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