Municipalities issued C$8.1 billion (US$6.4 billion) worth of building permits in December, up 4.8 percent from November, according to Statistics Canada. The December increase stemmed from higher construction intentions in the residential sector. Across Canada, all components climbed in 2017, up 10.4 percent from the previous year, led by the multi-family dwelling component.
Construction intentions for single-family homes led the rise in December. Canadian municipalities issued C$2.8 billion (US$2.2 billion) in permits for single-family dwellings, rising 8.9 percent from the previous month and the largest month-over-month increase in 2017. Ontario reported the largest gain, up 15.7 percent from the previous month. Permits issued for new single-family housing developments in the census metropolitan areas (CMAs) of Kitchener–Cambridge–Waterloo and Barrie helped offset the 12.1 percent decline in the CMA of Toronto.
The value of permits for multi-family dwellings increased to C$2.4 billion (US$1.9 billion) in December, up 7 percent from the previous month. Higher construction intentions in British Columbia led to the rise, as the province outpaced Ontario and Quebec for the largest contribution to the national total.
The value of permits for multi-family dwellings in British Columbia hit C$808.7 million (US$643.4 million) in December, almost double the value from the previous month. On an annual basis, the value of permits for multi-family dwellings has outpaced that for single-family dwellings for the past six years. Furthermore, the value of permits for multi-family dwellings surpassed single-family dwellings in all four CMAs in British Columbia in 2017.
Nationally, construction intentions for multi-family dwellings have been trending upwards since 2009, closing the gap between the value of permits for single-family dwellings and multi-family dwellings. British Columbia and Quebec were the driving forces of this shift, specifically the CMAs of Vancouver and Montréal.
The annual data presented in the remaining sections uses unadjusted figures, as seasonal adjustment is used to facilitate month-to-month comparisons.
Nationally, all components were up in 2017, climbing 10.4 percent from the previous year. The value of permits in the residential sector has increased every year since 2009, primarily stemming from the multi-family component. In 2017, the residential sector increased 7.8 percent, pushed up by the multi-family component (+13.7 percent).
Canadian municipalities issued C$35.4 billion (US$28.2 billion) in permits for non-residential structures in 2017, climbing 15.1 percent from the previous year and the first increase since 2014. The institutional component led the increase in 2017, rising C$2 billion (US$1.6 billion) from 2016, followed by the industrial (+C$1.9 billion (US$1.5 billion)) and commercial (+C$840.5 million (US$668.7 million)) components.
The value of permits for multi-family dwellings in British Columbia reached C$7 billion (US$5.6 billion) in 2017, up 22.9 percent and the largest increase of all the provincial components. Quebec followed, issuing C$6.1 billion (US$4.9 billion) in permits for multi-family dwellings, up 26.7 percent from the previous year. Meanwhile, single-family dwellings in the Prairie provinces gained C$1.1 billion (US$880 million) in 2017, up 17.1 percent from the previous year.
Municipalities in the CMA of Toronto issued C$19.1 billion (US$15.2 billion) in building permits in 2017, accounting for approximately one-fifth of the national total. The value for all components increased, with the exception of that for single family dwellings, which declined 15 percent from the previous year. The industrial component saw the largest gain, rising 86.9 percent from 2016. The rise in this component stemmed primarily from transportation terminals such as those associated with the Toronto-York Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) Subway Extension.
Municipalities in the Montréal CMA issued C$9.6 billion (US$7.6 billion) in building permits, up 29.5 percent from 2016. All components increased, led by multi-family dwellings, which climbed 42.7 percent to C$4.2 billion (US$x billion). Construction intentions for multiple high-value apartment projects also contributed to the rise in this component.
In the CMA of Vancouver, the value of building permits climbed 14.2 percent to C$9.4 billion (US$7.5 billion). All components rose, with the exception of single-family dwellings, which declined 7.3 percent from the previous year. The value of permits for multi-family dwellings increased 16.1 percent to C$5 billion (US$4 billion) and contributed over half of the CMA's total value for the third consecutive year.
In the Calgary CMA, the value of building permits edged up 0.1 percent to C$5.4 billion (US$4.3 billion). The institutional component registered the largest increase, posting a value of C$1.1 billion (US$880 million), more than double the previous year's value. The single-family component followed, up 23.1 percent to C$1.9 billion (US$1.5 billion). The value of permits for multi-family dwellings posted the largest decline, falling 39.5 percent from 2016.
Municipalities in the CMA of Edmonton issued C$5.2 billion (US$4.1 billion) in building permits in 2017, down 4.6 percent from the previous year. The commercial component experienced the largest decline, falling 34.8 percent from C$1.5 billion (US$1.2 billion) in 2016 to C$1 billion (US$800 million) in 2017. The value of single-family dwellings increased 14.7 percent to C$2 billion (US$1.6 billion) in 2017, exceeding the total value of permits for the non-residential sector.
