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March 2009 (Previous release)

Contractors took out $4.5 billion in building permits in March, up 23.5% from February, halting five consecutive monthly declines. March's increase came mainly from the non-residential sector in Ontario, Quebec and Alberta.

Value of permits increases in March

Intentions in the non-residential sector rose 47.9% to $2.3 billion, in the wake of increases in the commercial and institutional components in Ontario, Quebec and Alberta.

Note to readers

Unless otherwise stated, this release presents seasonally adjusted data, which eases comparisons by removing the effects of seasonal variations.

The Building Permits Survey covers 2,400 municipalities representing 95% of the population. It provides an early indication of building activity. The communities representing the other 5% of the population are very small, and their levels of building activity have little impact on the total.

The value of planned construction activities shown in this release excludes engineering projects (e.g., waterworks, sewers or culverts) and land.

For the purpose of this release, the census metropolitan area of Ottawa–Gatineau (Ontario/Quebec) is divided into two areas: Gatineau part and Ottawa part.

In the residential sector, the value of permits advanced 5.0% to $2.2 billion. This increase was the result of higher construction intentions in both multi-family and single-family permits.

Non-residential sector: Increases in both institutional and commercial components

Following a 30.0% decrease in February, the value of the non-residential sector increased in six provinces, mainly as a result of gains in the commercial and institutional components.

In the commercial component, the value of permits increased 45.6% to $1.4 billion. This increase came mostly from higher construction intentions for office buildings in Ontario.

Permits in the institutional component increased 89.2% to $722 million, following a 54.2% decline in February. This increase was largely the result of higher construction intentions for medical buildings in British Columbia and government and education buildings in Ontario.

In the industrial component, the value of permits fell 8.8% to $216 million following a 14.7% increase in February. The decline in March was due to lower construction intentions in Prince Edward Island, Ontario, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador.

Both the non-residential and the residential sectors increase

Residential sector: Intentions up for both single- and multi-family permits

Municipalities issued $817 million worth of multi-family permits in March, up 7.3% from February. Quebec and Alberta accounted for most of the increase, although four other provinces showed higher intentions for the construction of multiple dwellings. In contrast, British Columbia posted a large decline.

Single-family permits halted their eight-month decline, increasing 3.7% to $1.4 billion. Ontario and Alberta accounted for most of the gain.

Municipalities approved 11,305 new dwellings in March, up 10.5%. This was due to a 26.5% increase in multi-family units to 6,479. The number of single-family units approved declined 5.6% to 4,826 units.

Permits up in half of the provinces

The value of building permits increased in half of the provinces in March.

The most significant increases occurred in Ontario (+45.7% to $1.8 billion), Quebec (+30.3% to $1.0 billion) and Alberta (+34.1% to $696 million). The increases were mostly a result of higher construction intentions in the non-residential sector.

Declines occurred in the Atlantic provinces, except for Newfoundland and Labrador, as well as Manitoba and British Columbia.

Permits up in most census metropolitan areas

The total value of permits was up in 24 of the 34 census metropolitan areas.

Permits values increased in Toronto as higher construction intentions in all non-residential components more than offset decreases in the residential sector.

The increase in permit value in Edmonton came from both the residential and non-residential sectors.

The value of building permits in Vancouver fell 42% to $192 millions, the sixth decline in seven months. This was a result of drops in all components except for permits for industrial projects.

Available on CANSIM: tables 026-0001 to 026-0008 and 026-0010.

Definitions, data sources and methods: survey number 2802.

The March 2009 issue of Building Permits (64-001-X, free) will be available soon.

The April building permit estimate will be released on June 4.

To order data, contact Jasmine Gaudreault (toll-free 1-800-579-8533; 613-951-6321; bdp_information@statcan.gc.ca). For more information, or to enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact Nicole Charron (613-951-0087), Investments and Capital Stock Division.

Table 1

Value of building permits, by census metropolitan area1
  November 2008 December 2008 January 2009 February 2009r March 2009p February to March 2009
  Seasonally adjusted
  $ millions % change
Total 3,486.5 3,491.6 3,147.6 2,597.6 3,450.9 32.8
St. John's 43.9 59.3 27.2 41.5 76.0 83.1
Halifax 58.3 28.6 30.2 46.9 27.7 -41.0
Moncton 13.5 20.6 10.0 68.8 16.4 -76.2
Saint John 27.2 28.2 10.2 21.8 15.3 -29.8
Saguenay 26.2 170.0 11.9 6.8 13.5 99.8
Québec 78.5 101.0 129.0 84.9 145.6 71.5
Sherbrooke 29.3 18.4 19.8 16.3 33.3 104.5
Trois-Rivières 48.6 25.8 11.5 13.3 19.5 46.7
Montréal 561.0 534.2 423.4 332.6 407.7 22.6
Ottawa–Gatineau, Ontario/Quebec 189.7 134.7 142.9 146.5 233.0 59.0
Gatineau part 62.8 83.6 59.4 35.7 42.6 19.1
Ottawa part 126.9 51.1 83.4 110.8 190.4 71.9
Kingston 13.2 10.7 11.6 18.4 5.3 -71.3
Peterborough 13.7 6.1 6.3 4.9 9.1 85.3
Oshawa 59.1 19.7 117.1 19.1 20.6 7.7
Toronto 684.5 1,094.2 960.9 569.7 917.3 61.0
Hamilton 59.0 87.2 32.0 39.3 138.0 250.6
St. Catharines–Niagara 35.4 34.6 13.0 37.5 42.6 13.4
Kitchener 89.1 85.5 47.7 66.1 115.4 74.6
Brantford 10.4 10.9 8.2 15.8 32.3 105.1
Guelph 8.5 5.2 8.2 20.8 16.1 -22.2
London 29.1 48.1 40.9 29.1 51.4 76.5
Windsor 12.8 6.5 23.8 10.1 8.5 -16.0
Barrie 24.9 18.0 229.5 4.2 16.5 295.6
Greater Sudbury 16.2 35.0 8.3 18.7 14.1 -25.0
Thunder Bay 8.4 5.7 5.7 5.2 2.9 -43.3
Winnipeg 65.8 84.1 61.7 50.1 54.9 9.6
Regina 47.2 42.3 73.3 38.2 31.9 -16.5
Saskatoon 38.3 48.3 53.9 26.1 37.3 43.1
Calgary 457.9 200.1 175.2 197.1 236.5 20.0
Edmonton 292.4 286.3 236.7 166.9 295.1 76.8
Kelowna 30.6 15.8 38.7 20.7 38.6 86.0
Abbotsford 8.3 3.6 5.7 9.2 26.7 191.1
Vancouver 356.1 193.3 139.5 331.3 192.2 -42.0
Victoria 49.3 29.5 33.8 119.7 159.7 33.4
revised
preliminary
Go online to view the census subdivisions that comprise the census metropolitan areas.
Note(s):
Data may not add to totals as a result of rounding.

Table 2

Value of building permits, by province and territory
  November 2008 December 2008 January 2009 February 2009r March 2009p February to March 2009
  Seasonally adjusted
  $ millions % change
Canada 4,820.8 4,647.1 4,370.0 3,679.3 4,543.1 23.5
Residential 2,748.7 2,630.2 2,108.5 2,096.3 2,201.2 5.0
Non-residential 2,072.0 2,016.8 2,261.5 1,583.1 2,341.9 47.9
Newfoundland and Labrador 66.4 83.0 49.3 61.2 94.6 54.6
Residential 56.1 69.8 44.6 53.3 65.0 22.0
Non-residential 10.4 13.1 4.7 7.9 29.6 273.7
Prince Edward Island 17.6 16.2 12.6 46.1 12.3 -73.3
Residential 8.5 14.2 6.7 6.5 6.6 1.1
Non-residential 9.1 2.0 5.8 39.6 5.8 -85.5
Nova Scotia 107.6 102.4 88.3 83.2 62.1 -25.4
Residential 48.2 47.5 50.1 63.1 45.1 -28.6
Non-residential 59.4 54.9 38.2 20.0 17.0 -15.1
New Brunswick 78.9 94.9 75.3 116.8 58.8 -49.7
Residential 49.6 41.9 42.7 37.0 40.4 9.2
Non-residential 29.3 53.0 32.6 79.8 18.3 -77.0
Quebec 1,104.6 1,197.8 933.6 767.5 1,000.3 30.3
Residential 750.6 685.9 619.9 525.0 609.8 16.2
Non-residential 354.0 511.9 313.7 242.4 390.5 61.1
Ontario 1,497.8 1,770.5 2,009.4 1,246.6 1,816.6 45.7
Residential 914.1 1,065.3 779.0 745.3 769.2 3.2
Non-residential 583.8 705.2 1,230.4 501.3 1,047.4 109.0
Manitoba 101.7 119.8 109.5 116.7 89.6 -23.2
Residential 71.8 83.6 70.1 64.6 66.1 2.3
Non-residential 29.9 36.1 39.4 52.1 23.5 -54.9
Saskatchewan 154.8 138.8 181.0 98.7 117.7 19.2
Residential 75.0 71.0 97.8 51.3 56.4 9.8
Non-residential 79.8 67.8 83.3 47.3 61.3 29.4
Alberta 1,045.2 754.6 573.2 519.2 696.5 34.1
Residential 438.7 361.0 219.5 237.0 309.3 30.5
Non-residential 606.6 393.5 353.7 282.2 387.2 37.2
British Columbia 604.9 357.3 331.5 614.6 584.6 -4.9
Residential 326.1 187.0 174.2 309.0 223.8 -27.6
Non-residential 278.9 170.3 157.4 305.6 360.7 18.0
Yukon 7.0 2.7 5.8 3.8 2.4 -36.7
Residential 6.3 2.7 3.6 2.6 2.3 -10.5
Non-residential 0.8 0.0 2.2 1.2 0.1 -92.2
Northwest Territories 26.9 9.1 0.4 4.0 1.7 -57.1
Residential 0.8 0.3 0.3 0.5 1.2 131.4
Non-residential 26.1 8.9 0.2 3.5 0.6 -84.3
Nunavut 7.0 0.0 0.0 1.0 6.0 518.5
Residential 3.0 0.0 0.0 1.0 6.0 518.5
Non-residential 4.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 ...
revised
preliminary
not applicable
Note(s):
Data may not add to totals as a result of rounding.