Canadian municipalities issued building permits worth C$7.1 billion (US$5.7 billion) in December, up 7.7 percent from November. The increase in December resulted mostly from higher construction intentions in the non-residential sector in Alberta and British Columbia.
The total value of building permits for 2014 was C$85.1 billion (US$68.2 billion), up 5.2 percent from 2013.
The value of non-residential building permits rose 22.9 percent to C$2.7 billion (US$2.2 billion) in December, following a 29.4 percent decrease in November. Alberta was responsible for most of the monthly increase at the national level, followed by British Columbia. Declines were recorded in five provinces, with Saskatchewan posting the largest decrease.
Between January and December 2014, municipalities issued non-residential building permits worth C$34.2 billion (US$27.4 billion), an increase of 5.4 percent from 2013.
In the residential sector, the value of permits was unchanged at C$4.4 billion (US$3.5 billion) in December, following a 2.5 percent decrease in November. Gains were posted in seven provinces, led by Alberta, British Columbia and Quebec. Ontario posted the largest decrease, following a 16.9 percent gain the previous month. Saskatchewan and Manitoba also registered declines.
Overall for the year, the value of residential building permits totaled C$50.9 billion (US$40.8 billion), up 5.1 percent from the total value in 2013.
Nonresidential sector
In December, construction intentions for commercial buildings increased 21.2 percent to C$1.4 billion (US$1.1 billion), following a 25 percent decrease in November. Declines were posted in six provinces, led by British Columbia, Quebec and Alberta. The increase was the result of higher construction intentions for a variety of commercial buildings, including office buildings, recreational facilities, hotels and restaurants as well as warehouses. Gains were recorded in six provinces, with Ontario, British Columbia and Quebec posting the largest increases. In contrast, Saskatchewan and New Brunswick reported the largest decreases.
In the industrial component, construction intentions rose 36.5 percent to C$529 million (US$424 million), following a 41.4 percent decline the previous month. The increase was mainly attributable to higher construction intentions for transportation-related buildings and, to a lesser degree, manufacturing plants. Gains were registered in five provinces, led by Ontario, with British Columbia and Quebec a distant second and third. Manitoba posted the largest decline.
The value of building permits in the institutional component increased 17.7 percent to C$768 million (US$615.9 million) in December, following a 28.4 percent decrease in November. Alberta, which saw the largest advance, posted a significant increase in construction intentions for educational institutions, while in British Columbia, medical facilities contributed most to the gain. Construction intentions for institutional buildings declined in seven provinces, led by Ontario.
Residential sector
In December Canadian municipalities issued building permits for single-family dwellings worth C$2.6 billion (US$2.1 billion) in December, up 8 percent from November. Increases were reported in every province, led by British Columbia, Ontario and Alberta.
Construction intentions for multi-family dwellings fell 9.5 percent to C$1.8 billion (US$1.4 billion) in December, marking a second consecutive monthly decrease. The decline in December was mainly the result of lower construction intentions in Ontario, followed by Saskatchewan and British Columbia. Gains were registered in five provinces, led by Alberta, followed by New Brunswick and Quebec.
At the national level, municipalities approved the construction of 16,023 new dwellings in December, down 5.6 percent from November. The decrease came from multi-family dwellings, down 11.9 percent to 9,550 units. The number of single-family dwellings rose 5.5 percent to 6,473 units.
By geography
The total value of permits was up in seven provinces in December, led by Alberta, followed by British Columbia. In Alberta, the value of permits rose 30.7 percent to C$1.7 billion (US$1.3 billion), with higher construction intentions for all types of buildings, most notably for institutional buildings. British Columbia reported a 20.1 percent increase to C$989 million (US$793 million), the result of higher construction intentions in every component except multi-family dwellings.
The largest decline occurred in Ontario, with institutional buildings and multi-family dwellings accounting for the decrease. Saskatchewan and Manitoba also registered declines.
Construction intentions were down in 18 of the 34 census metropolitan areas. Edmonton registered the largest gain, followed by Toronto and Vancouver.
In Edmonton, higher construction intentions, mainly for institutional buildings and multi-family dwellings, were responsible for the increase. In Toronto, the advance was largely the result of higher construction intentions for industrial buildings, while in Vancouver, the increase came mainly from higher construction intentions for commercial buildings.
Barrie recorded the largest decrease in December, after posting a notable gain the previous month. The decline was the result of lower construction intentions in all components of the residential and non-residential sectors, particularly in multi-family dwellings. Ottawa and Greater Sudbury also registered decreases. In Ottawa, the decline was largely attributable to lower construction intentions for institutional buildings. In Greater Sudbury, institutional and industrial buildings were responsible for the decline.
