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OTTAWA — Viewed through a rear-view mirror of economic data, Canada’s growth prospects appear to be fading into the distance.

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On the surface, Canada’s economy is displaying signs of returning — albeit in small steps — to some form of normalcy. But scratch that surface and you might find a dark undercoating.

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Looking at October alone, output in gross domestic product was flat — disappointing, but not as bad as the out-and-out contraction of 0.5 per cent seen in the previous month.

Still, when compared to October of last year, the country’s GDP is actually down — by about 0.2 per cent, the same measure most analysts had predicted the economy would grow in the month.

So much for Canada’s recovery, which only began in the second half of this year after a two-quarter recession fuelled by the collapse of oil prices.

“That’s a pretty tough pill to swallow for the economy, (and) that shows you how long-lasting this period of sluggishness has been,” said Douglas Porter, chief economist at BMO Capital Markets.