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OTTAWA — Ever since the recession — the big one in 2008-09, not the mini-downturn of 2015 — manufacturers have been wishing and hoping for a big turnaround in their sector.

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Growth in Canada’s economy was flat in October, following a decline in the previous month and setting an uncertain tone for the end of the year.

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Ditto for many construction companies and other businesses hoping to benefit from increased demand and investments.

Numerous fits and starts later, not a lot have seen that recovery materialize in any sustainable fashion.

Canada has many balls in one big court — the United States — but still not enough in Europe, for instance, despite Canada’s free-trade agreement with the EU. Asia remains a work in progress as well, with the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement now signed but likely a couple years away from implementation.

Still, even as talks at the government level to expand trade drag on, there are Canadian companies making inroads to new sectors and markets. To get there, some have taken the proverbial path less followed.