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Ontario’s housing boom is filtering into government coffers, swelling tax revenue and leading to a smaller-than-expected budget deficit for Canada’s most populous province.

Ontario now sees a $1.9 billion deficit for the fiscal year ending March 31, after reducing its reserve by $600 million, down from $4.3 billion projected in the 2016 budget. Finance Minister Charles Sousa reiterated the province’s long-standing plan to balance the budget in the 2017-18 fiscal year. That would be the first balance since before the 2008 financial crisis.

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“Despite an uncertain global environment, Ontario’s economy continues to grow ahead of others,” Sousa said at media conference in Toronto on Tuesday. “More business succeeding, more people working, consumer confidence improving and exports rising — have had a positive effect on Ontario’s finances, ahead of plan.”