The strength of the Canadian economy will provide the main focus this week in terms of key numbers to watch, offering a glimpse as to what to expect at next month’s meeting of the Bank of Canada.

Gross domestic product by industry for July will be released early Thursday morning, with most economists calling for growth of 0.3% for the month, which would be the third consecutive monthly advance by that amount.

That would suggest growth for the third quarter in the 3.5% (annualized) range — sturdy although not spectacular growth, but certainly enough to cause the Central bank to maintain its tightening mode.

GDP will also be out in the U.S. — on Wednesday — but it will be the final figure for the second quarter. The expectation is that growth will come in at 3% or just slightly ahead.

But with recent data on the U.S. manufacturing sector offering a somewhat mixed view, most of the attention for the U.S. next week will be on Thursday and Friday. Thursday will offer the September reading of the Chicago Purchasing Managers Index, while Friday will produce the results of the important ISM manufacturing survey for September. The latter is expected to show a decline from August, which itself fell three points. Look for an ISM figure of between 57 and 58.5, down from 59 in August, a bullish result nonetheless.

“A reading of 57 still points to expanding activity in the factory sector, and we expect manufacturing to make a strong contribution to growth in the third quarter,” says Leslie Preston, an economist with CIBC World Markets Inc.

Other releases coming out of the U.S. this week include August new home sales on Monday, consumer confidence (for September) on Tuesday and second quarter GDP numbers (final) on Wednesday. Thursday is packed with releases including weekly initial jobless claims, August personal income, August personal consumption expenditure as well as the September reading of the Chicago PMI.

Other Canadian releases this week include employment earnings for the month of July on Tuesday, the industrial and raw material price indexes for the month of August on Wednesday.

The Investment Funds Institute of Canada’s 18the annual conference kicks off Tuesday in Toronto. Compliance concerns are expected to boost conference attendance this year.

Last week, the Ontario Securities Commission said four mutual fund companies may face enforcement proceedings for allegedly allowing market timing trading is some of their funds.

Over 700 exhibitors will be on hand for the three-day conference.