The economic outlook for 2013 is bright in the Maritimes.

RBC Economics expects Nova Scotia’s GDP to jump 3.2 per cent.

APEC’S Patrick Brannon says Muskrat Falls, wind turbines and more development in tidal energy are all keys to economic growth in the coming years.

Brannon adds Halifax in particular is poised to see big things.

“Of our 133 projects that we have for Nova Scotia that we have on our list, 75 are in the Halifax area,” he explains. “Investment in Halifax major projects is expected to be about $1.1 billion this year and we see that increasing in 2013 to over $1.2 billion.”

Export performance is expected to jump, as there becomes less pressure on the paper and natural gas industries and U.S. growth picks up.

While there is less federal stimulus money coming in, the Nova Scotia provincial government continues to be one of the few in the region that has invested in the public sector.