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May 2009 (Previous release)

In May, the value of building permits surpassed the $5.0-billion mark for the first time since October 2008. Construction intentions were up 14.8% from April, as a result of gains in both residential components and two of the three non-residential components.

Provincially, the main contributing factors were increases in multi-family dwelling permits in Ontario and institutional permits in Alberta and Ontario.

In the residential sector, the value of permits has increased for three consecutive months. Residential intentions rose 14.4% to $2.6 billion, with Ontario accounting for most of the increase at the national level.

In the non-residential sector, the value of permits increased 15.3% to $2.4 billion following a 12.9% decrease in April. The gain was mainly a result of increases in the institutional component in Alberta and Ontario.

Total value of permits

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

Municipalities issued $1.1 billion worth of permits for multi-family dwellings in May, up 40.6% from April. All provinces (except for Nova Scotia) reported increases in multi-family construction intentions. Intentions nearly doubled in Ontario compared with April.

Single-family permits rose 1.4% to $1.6 billion, the third consecutive monthly increase. The gain was a result of higher construction intentions in seven provinces.

Following increases in the two previous months, single-family permits declined by 10.6% in Alberta in May.

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.

Municipalities approved 13,087 new dwellings in May, up 22.1%. This was mainly a result of a 40.5% increase in multi-family units to 7,948. The number of single-family units approved rose 1.5% to 5,139.

 Residential and non-residential sectors

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

After a 16.3% decline in April, the value of permits for institutional buildings increased 47.9% to $913 million. The increase came mainly from construction intentions for medical buildings in Alberta and educational buildings in Ontario.

In the industrial component, the value of permits rose 7.3% to $346 million, the third consecutive monthly advance. Quebec and British Columbia accounted for most of the increase in May, while New Brunswick and Nova Scotia posted the largest monthly declines.

Permit values for the commercial component remained virtually unchanged at $1.1 billion (-0.3%). This was due largely to a decline in construction intentions in seven provinces. In contrast, British Columbia, Saskatchewan and Alberta experienced growth in this component.

Strong increases in Alberta and Ontario

The value of building permits increased in all provinces except for the four Atlantic provinces.

The most significant increases occurred in Alberta (+48.4% to $1.1 billion), the result of advances in all components except single-family dwellings. Ontario followed with a 15.0% increase to $1.8 billion, as a result of gains in both single and multi-family permits and in the institutional component.

British Columbia, Saskatchewan and Quebec all experienced gains in both the residential and non-residential sectors.

All Atlantic provinces posted declines, mainly as a result of lower construction intentions in the non-residential sector. New Brunswick and Nova Scotia experienced the largest drops.

Metropolitan areas: Large gains in Calgary and Toronto

The total value of permits increased in 21 of 34 census metropolitan areas.

The largest gains occurred in Calgary, with all components of the non-residential sector advancing. Toronto followed with increases in multi-family dwelling permits.

In contrast, the total value of permits in the census metropolitan area of Québec declined in May, after two consecutive monthly increases. May's decline came mostly from the commercial component.

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

Definitions, data sources and methods: survey number 2802.

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

The June building permit estimate will be released on August 6.

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), Investment and Capital Stock Division.

Table 1

Value of building permits, by census metropolitan area1
  January 2009 February 2009 March 2009 April 2009r May 2009p April to May 2009
  Seasonally adjusted
  $ millions % change
Total 3,147.6 2,597.6 3,485.5 3,031.7 3,718.7 22.7
St. John's 27.2 41.5 75.9 37.1 34.3 -7.5
Halifax 30.2 46.9 27.8 90.5 80.1 -11.5
Moncton 10.0 68.8 16.4 16.4 17.8 8.0
Saint John 10.2 21.8 15.3 39.7 16.4 -58.7
Saguenay 11.9 6.8 13.9 31.5 21.8 -30.8
Québec 129.0 84.9 149.8 205.6 153.7 -25.2
Sherbrooke 19.8 16.3 33.4 32.0 22.7 -29.0
Trois-Rivières 11.5 13.3 19.6 10.8 35.3 225.2
Montréal 423.4 332.6 422.0 391.8 408.2 4.2
Ottawa–Gatineau, Ontario/Quebec 142.9 146.5 233.2 182.9 202.0 10.4
Gatineau part 59.4 35.7 42.1 42.5 42.8 0.8
Ottawa part 83.4 110.8 191.1 140.4 159.2 13.3
Kingston 11.6 18.4 5.4 34.2 26.6 -22.1
Peterborough 6.3 4.9 9.2 22.5 8.8 -61.0
Oshawa 117.1 19.1 20.8 47.5 36.1 -24.1
Toronto 960.9 569.7 919.6 721.1 914.2 26.8
Hamilton 32.0 39.3 138.1 40.4 41.4 2.4
St. Catharines–Niagara 13.0 37.5 42.7 33.5 35.9 7.0
Kitchener 47.7 66.1 117.4 65.6 44.2 -32.7
Brantford 8.2 15.8 32.3 8.9 5.2 -41.0
Guelph 8.2 20.8 16.2 8.3 6.9 -16.8
London 40.9 29.1 51.5 37.9 76.8 102.6
Windsor 23.8 10.1 8.6 11.6 103.6 794.7
Barrie 229.5 4.2 16.5 8.0 16.4 106.3
Greater Sudbury 8.3 18.7 14.1 27.6 38.6 40.0
Thunder Bay 5.7 5.2 3.0 8.3 9.2 11.4
Winnipeg 61.7 50.1 54.1 81.3 71.0 -12.7
Regina 73.3 38.2 32.0 28.7 51.6 79.6
Saskatoon 53.9 26.1 33.9 41.8 43.7 4.6
Calgary 175.2 197.1 238.4 310.2 626.3 101.9
Edmonton 236.7 166.9 296.2 232.2 234.2 0.9
Kelowna 38.7 20.7 38.7 16.5 38.0 131.0
Abbotsford–Mission 5.7 9.2 26.7 5.7 6.6 14.9
Vancouver 139.5 331.3 203.2 173.6 246.7 42.1
Victoria 33.8 119.7 159.8 28.1 44.5 58.4
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
  January 2009 February 2009 March 2009 April 2009r May 2009p April to May 2009
  Seasonally adjusted
  $ millions % change
Canada 4,370.0 3,646.0 4,576.8 4,372.3 5,020.4 14.8
Residential 2,108.5 2,096.3 2,213.7 2,313.4 2,646.0 14.4
Non-residential 2,261.5 1,549.8 2,363.1 2,058.9 2,374.4 15.3
Newfoundland and Labrador 49.3 61.2 94.3 57.8 55.7 -3.7
Residential 44.6 53.3 64.7 46.2 46.3 0.2
Non-residential 4.7 7.9 29.6 11.6 9.4 -19.1
Prince Edward Island 12.6 12.8 12.2 17.2 14.0 -18.7
Residential 6.7 6.5 6.4 10.0 9.1 -8.9
Non-residential 5.8 6.3 5.8 7.2 4.9 -32.3
Nova Scotia 88.3 83.2 60.1 146.8 126.4 -13.9
Residential 50.1 63.1 45.3 62.1 61.2 -1.5
Non-residential 38.2 20.0 14.9 84.8 65.3 -23.0
New Brunswick 75.3 116.8 60.0 100.9 73.1 -27.6
Residential 42.7 37.0 40.3 42.2 47.8 13.2
Non-residential 32.6 79.8 19.8 58.7 25.3 -56.9
Quebec 933.6 767.5 1,017.3 1,021.6 1,055.2 3.3
Residential 619.9 525.0 611.7 621.6 645.8 3.9
Non-residential 313.7 242.4 405.6 400.1 409.4 2.3
Ontario 2,009.4 1,246.6 1,818.5 1,547.1 1,778.7 15.0
Residential 779.0 745.3 769.9 802.9 1,095.1 36.4
Non-residential 1,230.4 501.3 1,048.6 744.1 683.6 -8.1
Manitoba 109.5 116.7 87.9 125.6 129.9 3.4
Residential 70.1 64.6 64.8 68.0 85.7 26.1
Non-residential 39.4 52.1 23.1 57.6 44.2 -23.3
Saskatchewan 181.0 98.7 118.1 121.6 187.9 54.5
Residential 97.8 51.3 53.8 50.7 65.3 28.7
Non-residential 83.3 47.3 64.4 70.9 122.6 73.0
Alberta 573.2 519.2 700.2 743.7 1,103.5 48.4
Residential 219.5 237.0 309.4 349.2 324.2 -7.2
Non-residential 353.7 282.2 390.9 394.6 779.3 97.5
British Columbia 331.5 614.6 597.5 377.4 477.2 26.4
Residential 174.2 309.0 237.6 248.6 258.4 3.9
Non-residential 157.4 305.6 359.9 128.8 218.8 69.8
Yukon 5.8 3.8 2.8 8.7 11.9 36.7
Residential 3.6 2.6 2.7 4.2 2.7 -37.0
Non-residential 2.2 1.2 0.1 4.4 9.2 107.0
Northwest Territories 0.4 4.0 1.7 98.3 5.8 -94.1
Residential 0.3 0.5 1.2 2.2 3.6 62.8
Non-residential 0.2 3.5 0.6 96.1 2.3 -97.6
Nunavut 0.0 1.0 6.0 5.5 1.2 -77.9
Residential 0.0 1.0 6.0 5.5 1.0 -81.6
Non-residential 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.2 ...
revised
preliminary
not applicable
Note(s):
Data may not add to totals as a result of rounding.