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September 2010  (Previous release)

The value of building permits increased 15.3% to $6.6 billion in September, following two months of declines. This gain was a result of increases in both the residential and non-residential sectors.

Total value of permits

In the residential sector, the value of permits was up for a second consecutive month. Residential construction intentions increased 8.3% to $3.9 billion. Ontario and British Columbia accounted for most of the growth at the national level.

In the non-residential sector, municipalities issued permits worth $2.7 billion, up 26.7%, following a 24.2% decline in August. September's increase came mostly from higher construction intentions for commercial buildings in Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia.

The total value of building permits increased in five provinces, led by Ontario, British Columbia and Quebec.

Residential sector: Intentions up for single- and multiple-family permits

The value of building permits for single-family dwellings increased by 9.5% in September to $2.2 billion, following five months of declines. This increase was due to higher construction intentions in seven provinces, led by Ontario.

Intentions for multi-family dwellings rose 6.7% to $1.6 billion, the second monthly increase in a row. British Columbia recorded the largest increase among the six provinces that reported a gain. Construction intentions for multi-family dwellings declined in Quebec, Alberta, Manitoba and Newfoundland and Labrador.

Nationally, municipalities approved 17,510 new dwellings in September, up 4.0% from August. The increase came mostly from single-family dwellings, which rose 9.2% to 7,178 units. The number of multiple-family dwellings edged up 0.6% to 10,332 units.

Residential and non-residential sectors

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.

Revision

Preliminary data are provided for the current reference month. Revised data, based on late responses, are updated for the previous month.

Non-residential sector: Large gains in the commercial and institutional components

In the commercial component, municipalities issued permits worth $1.5 billion in September, a 37.8% increase following two monthly declines. The increase was due mainly to construction intentions for office buildings in Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia.

In the institutional component, the value of permits increased 23.4% to $858 million. The gain was largely attributable to higher construction intentions for medical facilities and religious buildings in Ontario, which was enough to offset decreases in seven provinces.

In the industrial component, the value of permits edged up 0.3% to $375 million. An increase in the value of permits for manufacturing plants in five provinces offset declines in intentions for utilities and transportation buildings in eight provinces.

Strong gains in Ontario, British Columbia and Quebec

The value of building permits increased in five provinces: Ontario, British Columbia, Quebec, Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia.

In Ontario, the gain was the result of increases in the commercial and institutional components, as well as in the residential sector. In British Columbia, the increase came from the non-residential sector and higher intentions for multiple-family dwellings. In Quebec, the increase was due mostly to gains in the commercial component of the non-residential sector. Various institutional and commercial buildings increased the value of the non-residential sector in Prince Edward Island.

New Brunswick and Manitoba posted the largest decreases. In New Brunswick, construction intentions were down in the institutional component. In Manitoba, the largest declines occured in permits for commercial buidings and multi-family dwellings.

Permits up in most metropolitan areas

The total value of permits increased in 21 of the 34 census metropolitan areas. The strongest gains occurred in Toronto, Vancouver, Gatineau and Guelph.

In Toronto, the increase came mostly from single-family dwellings, while in Vancouver it was due mostly to multiple-family dwellings. In both Gatineau and Guelph, the commercial component led the increase.

The largest declines occurred in Edmonton and Montréal. The decrease in Edmonton came from both the residential and non-residential sectors. In Montréal, it was the result of reduced intentions for multi-family dwellings and institutional buildings.

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

Definitions, data sources and methods: survey number 2802.

The September 2010 issue of Building Permits (64-001-X, free) will be available soon.

Building permit data for October will be released on December 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

Dwelling units, value of residential and non-residential building permits, Canada
  September 2009 July 2010 August 2010r September 2010p August to September 2010 September 2009 to September 2010
  Seasonally adjusted
  value in $ millions % change
Total 5,332.5 6,333.8 5,732.1 6,607.5 15.3 23.9
Residential 3,411.5 3,476.7 3,565.4 3,861.7 8.3 13.2
Single1 2,269.1 2,137.3 2,037.3 2,231.2 9.5 -1.7
Multiple 1,142.4 1,339.4 1,528.1 1,630.5 6.7 42.7
Non-residential 1,921.1 2,857.2 2,166.7 2,745.8 26.7 42.9
Industrial 367.2 417.2 374.1 375.4 0.3 2.2
Commercial 954.4 1,286.3 1,097.0 1,512.1 37.8 58.4
Institutional 599.5 1,153.7 695.6 858.4 23.4 43.2
  number of units % change
Total dwellings 16,047 16,814 16,843 17,510 4.0 9.1
Single1 7,883 7,275 6,571 7,178 9.2 -8.9
Multiples 8,164 9,539 10,272 10,332 0.6 26.6
revised
preliminary
Included in this category are the following types of dwellings: single-detached, mobile home and cottage.
Note(s):
Data may not add to totals as a result of rounding.

Table 2

Value of building permits, by province and territory
  September 2009 July 2010 August 2010r September 2010p August to September 2010 September 2009 to September 2010
  Seasonally adjusted
  $ millions % change
Canada 5,332.5 6,333.8 5,732.1 6,607.5 15.3 23.9
Residential 3,411.5 3,476.7 3,565.4 3,861.7 8.3 13.2
Non-residential 1,921.1 2,857.2 2,166.7 2,745.8 26.7 42.9
Newfoundland and Labrador 52.3 76.3 84.7 79.2 -6.4 51.6
Residential 41.9 47.0 51.6 56.9 10.2 35.6
Non-residential 10.3 29.3 33.1 22.4 -32.3 116.7
Prince Edward Island 21.0 17.1 14.2 34.0 139.9 61.9
Residential 13.5 11.4 8.6 9.8 13.2 -27.8
Non-residential 7.5 5.7 5.5 24.2 337.4 225.1
Nova Scotia 124.6 131.0 112.9 113.1 0.2 -9.3
Residential 86.6 70.6 65.7 77.3 17.7 -10.8
Non-residential 38.0 60.4 47.2 35.8 -24.1 -5.9
New Brunswick 136.6 116.0 124.1 97.1 -21.8 -28.9
Residential 49.4 50.1 47.3 49.1 3.7 -0.7
Non-residential 87.2 65.9 76.8 48.0 -37.4 -44.9
Quebec 1,208.5 1,276.2 1,226.0 1,351.5 10.2 11.8
Residential 758.9 815.1 848.2 830.3 -2.1 9.4
Non-residential 449.6 461.1 377.8 521.3 38.0 15.9
Ontario 1,886.4 2,556.5 2,089.5 2,667.5 27.7 41.4
Residential 1,186.9 1,186.0 1,221.6 1,410.8 15.5 18.9
Non-residential 699.5 1,370.4 867.9 1,256.8 44.8 79.7
Manitoba 107.8 155.4 161.4 137.2 -15.0 27.3
Residential 76.6 91.6 106.1 92.8 -12.5 21.2
Non-residential 31.2 63.8 55.3 44.4 -19.7 42.3
Saskatchewan 142.7 160.4 164.6 147.8 -10.2 3.6
Residential 66.1 74.4 68.5 85.7 25.2 29.7
Non-residential 76.6 85.9 96.1 62.1 -35.4 -18.9
Alberta 952.1 959.3 851.6 849.1 -0.3 -10.8
Residential 620.3 605.7 481.6 486.7 1.1 -21.5
Non-residential 331.8 353.6 370.0 362.3 -2.1 9.2
British Columbia 676.6 870.7 877.7 1,105.5 26.0 63.4
Residential 498.2 517.1 653.7 758.1 16.0 52.1
Non-residential 178.3 353.6 224.0 347.5 55.2 94.8
Yukon 13.0 6.9 8.2 17.0 108.8 30.6
Residential 8.0 3.1 3.3 2.5 -22.9 -68.7
Non-residential 5.0 3.8 4.9 14.5 196.9 190.4
Northwest Territories 5.1 5.3 5.1 7.5 47.5 47.5
Residential 1.5 1.7 1.1 1.3 13.8 -15.0
Non-residential 3.5 3.6 3.9 6.2 57.3 74.4
Nunavut 6.0 2.9 12.3 0.9 -92.5 -84.5
Residential 3.3 2.7 8.2 0.5 -93.4 -83.9
Non-residential 2.6 0.2 4.1 0.4 -90.6 -85.2
revised
preliminary
Note(s):
Data may not add to totals as a result of rounding.

Table 3

Value of building permits, by census metropolitan area1
  September 2009 July 2010 August 2010r September 2010p August to September 2010 September 2009 to September 2010
  Seasonally adjusted
  $ millions % change
Total, census metropolitan areas 3,867.0 4,759.5 4,144.6 4,786.8 15.5 23.8
St. John's 29.4 43.8 57.6 53.6 -7.0 82.1
Halifax 54.8 64.4 48.8 52.3 7.2 -4.5
Moncton 22.1 31.8 16.8 33.0 96.8 49.2
Saint John 76.7 12.5 45.9 14.2 -69.1 -81.5
Saguenay 21.2 24.7 31.9 31.1 -2.4 46.9
Québec 194.3 117.6 130.3 124.4 -4.6 -36.0
Sherbrooke 32.7 60.5 30.3 38.4 26.7 17.4
Trois-Rivières 38.9 56.1 12.6 34.3 173.3 -11.6
Montréal 522.3 637.9 563.3 508.0 -9.8 -2.7
Ottawa–Gatineau, Ontario/Quebec 199.8 197.9 215.1 406.5 89.0 103.5
Gatineau part 41.9 45.2 64.1 196.6 206.6 368.7
Ottawa part 157.9 152.7 151.0 209.9 39.0 33.0
Kingston 99.1 14.8 30.4 15.5 -49.2 -84.4
Peterborough 11.2 9.1 8.3 9.5 15.1 -15.1
Oshawa 64.2 74.4 52.6 47.2 -10.1 -26.4
Toronto 761.6 1,018.4 1,021.8 1,220.1 19.4 60.2
Hamilton 55.1 133.8 158.9 194.6 22.4 253.0
St. Catharines–Niagara 84.6 446.2 27.1 40.4 48.8 -52.3
Kitchener–Cambridge–Waterloo 112.8 96.0 58.8 89.0 51.3 -21.1
Brantford 8.1 29.2 15.1 8.7 -42.6 7.5
Guelph 14.3 10.4 23.9 135.2 465.1 846.0
London 97.9 101.6 65.6 58.9 -10.2 -39.8
Windsor 16.7 36.0 36.0 23.6 -34.4 41.8
Barrie 12.7 17.3 31.4 52.2 66.2 309.4
Greater Sudbury 16.1 49.0 14.5 23.6 62.6 46.9
Thunder Bay 12.2 11.2 16.1 23.6 46.7 93.7
Winnipeg 58.3 92.3 105.2 79.9 -24.1 37.1
Regina 29.5 28.2 50.8 25.1 -50.5 -14.9
Saskatoon 59.4 79.0 44.4 72.2 62.5 21.5
Calgary 311.8 291.7 260.1 265.7 2.1 -14.8
Edmonton 362.3 365.3 328.6 265.1 -19.3 -26.8
Kelowna 30.0 40.5 50.3 52.9 5.2 76.4
Abbotsford–Mission 13.4 12.3 7.8 19.6 151.8 46.4
Vancouver 377.7 497.6 547.4 718.5 31.3 90.2
Victoria 65.8 58.1 36.9 49.9 35.4 -24.2
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.