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Municipalities issued building permits worth $6.2 billion in October, down 6.5% from September, when permits were up 14.9%. The October value of permits remains comparable to levels prior to the economic downturn. A decline in both the residential and non-residential sectors in Ontario and Quebec led the October decrease.
In the residential sector, the value of permits fell 11.2% from September to $3.4 billion in October, following two consecutive monthly gains. The decrease was due to declines in both single- and multi-family permits issued in Ontario and Quebec.
The value of permits in the non-residential sector remained at $2.7 billion. Higher commercial and industrial construction intentions offset a decline in the value of building permits for institutional projects.
The total value of permits decreased in half of the provinces, led by Ontario and Quebec. Newfoundland and Labrador had the largest increase.
Residential sector: Lower intentions for single- and multi-family permits
The value of building permits for single-family units fell 9.4% from September to $2.0 billion in October. This was the sixth decrease in seven months. The October decline was attributable to decreases in seven provinces, led by Ontario and Quebec.
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.
Municipalities issued $1.4 billion worth of building permits for multi-family dwellings in October, down 13.6% from September. The decline came in the wake of two consecutive monthly gains. As in the case of single-family permits, Ontario and Quebec posted the largest decreases.
Municipalities approved the construction of 16,218 new dwellings in October, down 6.6% from September. The decrease was caused by both single-family dwellings, which fell 8.5% to 6,524 units, and multi-family dwellings, which declined 5.4% to 9,694 units.
Non-residential sector: Increases in the commercial and industrial components
The value of commercial building permits totalled $1.7 billion in October, up 8.8% from September. This was the highest level since May 2008, following a substantial 38.4% increase in September 2010. Higher construction intentions for a wide variety of buildings, including laboratories, warehouses and retail stores, offset lower demand for office building permits in Ontario and Quebec.
Following four months of declines, industrial construction intentions rose 12.2% to $408 million. The increase was mainly attributable to manufacturing plants in Ontario and primary sector buildings in Quebec. Construction intentions for industrial buildings were up in eight provinces.
The value of institutional building permits fell 20.4% to $685 million, following a 23.7% increase in September. The decline was due primarily to construction intentions for educational institutions, medical facilities and religious buildings in Ontario.
Largest decreases in Ontario and Quebec
The value of building permits was down in five provinces in October.
The largest declines were in Ontario and Quebec. Both provinces experienced large decreases in both the residential and non-residential sectors. New Brunswick, Alberta and Prince Edward Island also registered declines.
In contrast, Newfoundland and Labrador, British Columbia and Saskatchewan posted the largest gains. In Newfoundland and Labrador, the value of all permit types was up, led by institutional building permits. In British Columbia, the increase was mainly due to multi-family and non-residential permits. In Saskatchewan, the increase was widespread except for permits for multi-family dwellings.
Declines in half of the census metropolitan areas
The total value of permits declined in half of Canada's census metropolitan areas.
Toronto had the largest decrease as a result of declines in the residential sector. Gatineau, Guelph and Hamilton followed with declines in both sectors.
The biggest gains were in Vancouver and St. John's. In Vancouver, the increase was mainly attributable to institutional and multi-family permits. The advance in St. John's was due to institutional permits.
Available on CANSIM: tables 026-0001 to 026-0008 and 026-0010.
Definitions, data sources and methods: survey number 2802.
The October 2010 issue of Building Permits (64-001-X, free) will be available soon.
The November 2010 building permit data will be released on January 10, 2011.
To order data, contact Joanne Bureau (toll-free 1-800-579-8533; 613-951-9689; 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
| October 2009 | August 2010 | September 2010r | October 2010p | September to October 2010 | October 2009 to October 2010 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seasonally adjusted | ||||||
| value in $ millions | % change | |||||
| Total | 6,228.6 | 5,732.1 | 6,588.6 | 6,161.4 | -6.5 | -1.1 |
| Residential | 3,565.6 | 3,565.4 | 3,846.7 | 3,416.9 | -11.2 | -4.2 |
| Single1 | 2,495.3 | 2,037.3 | 2,226.6 | 2,017.7 | -9.4 | -19.1 |
| Multiple | 1,070.3 | 1,528.1 | 1,620.1 | 1,399.2 | -13.6 | 30.7 |
| Non-residential | 2,663.0 | 2,166.7 | 2,741.9 | 2,744.4 | 0.1 | 3.1 |
| Industrial | 626.1 | 374.1 | 363.1 | 407.5 | 12.2 | -34.9 |
| Commercial | 1,119.7 | 1,097.0 | 1,518.5 | 1,652.3 | 8.8 | 47.6 |
| Institutional | 917.2 | 695.6 | 860.3 | 684.7 | -20.4 | -25.3 |
| number of units | % change | |||||
| Total dwellings | 16,098 | 16,843 | 17,369 | 16,218 | -6.6 | 0.7 |
| Single1 | 8,430 | 6,571 | 7,127 | 6,524 | -8.5 | -22.6 |
| Multiples | 7,668 | 10,272 | 10,242 | 9,694 | -5.4 | 26.4 |
Table 2
| October 2009 | August 2010 | September 2010r | October 2010p | September to October 2010 | October 2009 to October 2010 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seasonally adjusted | ||||||
| $ millions | % change | |||||
| Canada | 6,228.6 | 5,732.1 | 6,588.6 | 6,161.4 | -6.5 | -1.1 |
| Residential | 3,565.6 | 3,565.4 | 3,846.7 | 3,417.0 | -11.2 | -4.2 |
| Non-residential | 2,663.0 | 2,166.7 | 2,741.9 | 2,744.4 | 0.1 | 3.1 |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 67.1 | 84.7 | 79.9 | 188.3 | 135.8 | 180.6 |
| Residential | 40.3 | 51.6 | 57.5 | 60.0 | 4.3 | 48.8 |
| Non-residential | 26.8 | 33.1 | 22.4 | 128.4 | 473.7 | 379.0 |
| Prince Edward Island | 14.3 | 14.2 | 33.8 | 20.4 | -39.7 | 42.3 |
| Residential | 10.4 | 8.6 | 9.6 | 11.9 | 24.2 | 13.9 |
| Non-residential | 3.9 | 5.5 | 24.2 | 8.5 | -65.0 | 119.4 |
| Nova Scotia | 106.0 | 112.9 | 112.6 | 169.5 | 50.5 | 59.8 |
| Residential | 61.8 | 65.7 | 76.9 | 80.7 | 4.9 | 30.7 |
| Non-residential | 44.3 | 47.2 | 35.7 | 88.8 | 148.7 | 100.4 |
| New Brunswick | 89.7 | 124.1 | 96.9 | 73.7 | -23.9 | -17.9 |
| Residential | 54.1 | 47.3 | 49.0 | 42.0 | -14.2 | -22.3 |
| Non-residential | 35.6 | 76.8 | 47.8 | 31.7 | -33.8 | -11.2 |
| Quebec | 1,269.6 | 1,226.0 | 1,342.2 | 1,097.3 | -18.2 | -13.6 |
| Residential | 789.1 | 848.2 | 823.0 | 667.8 | -18.9 | -15.4 |
| Non-residential | 480.4 | 377.8 | 519.2 | 429.5 | -17.3 | -10.6 |
| Ontario | 2,090.5 | 2,089.5 | 2,671.4 | 2,193.0 | -17.9 | 4.9 |
| Residential | 1,315.4 | 1,221.6 | 1,400.0 | 1,057.8 | -24.4 | -19.6 |
| Non-residential | 775.1 | 867.9 | 1,271.4 | 1,135.2 | -10.7 | 46.5 |
| Manitoba | 135.9 | 161.4 | 138.0 | 168.1 | 21.8 | 23.7 |
| Residential | 85.3 | 106.1 | 92.4 | 107.1 | 15.9 | 25.5 |
| Non-residential | 50.5 | 55.3 | 45.6 | 61.0 | 33.7 | 20.7 |
| Saskatchewan | 275.9 | 164.6 | 149.6 | 228.0 | 52.4 | -17.3 |
| Residential | 76.1 | 68.5 | 87.7 | 100.7 | 14.9 | 32.4 |
| Non-residential | 199.8 | 96.1 | 61.9 | 127.3 | 105.6 | -36.3 |
| Alberta | 1,464.4 | 851.6 | 853.4 | 835.9 | -2.1 | -42.9 |
| Residential | 642.3 | 481.6 | 489.8 | 480.7 | -1.9 | -25.2 |
| Non-residential | 822.1 | 370.0 | 363.7 | 355.2 | -2.3 | -56.8 |
| British Columbia | 676.0 | 877.7 | 1,085.7 | 1,169.2 | 7.7 | 73.0 |
| Residential | 484.6 | 653.7 | 756.4 | 798.9 | 5.6 | 64.8 |
| Non-residential | 191.4 | 224.0 | 329.2 | 370.3 | 12.5 | 93.5 |
| Yukon | 23.3 | 8.2 | 17.5 | 6.4 | -63.5 | -72.5 |
| Residential | 5.1 | 3.3 | 2.9 | 2.9 | -1.2 | -42.8 |
| Non-residential | 18.3 | 4.9 | 14.6 | 3.5 | -75.9 | -80.8 |
| Northwest Territories | 13.4 | 5.1 | 6.5 | 6.0 | -8.1 | -55.2 |
| Residential | 0.4 | 1.1 | 1.3 | 1.2 | -11.0 | 183.0 |
| Non-residential | 12.9 | 3.9 | 5.2 | 4.8 | -7.3 | -63.0 |
| Nunavut | 2.5 | 12.3 | 1.2 | 5.7 | 386.3 | 128.1 |
| Residential | 0.7 | 8.2 | 0.2 | 5.2 | 2,815.0 | 704.8 |
| Non-residential | 1.8 | 4.1 | 1.0 | 0.4 | -57.9 | -77.4 |
Table 3
| October 2009 | August 2010 | September 2010r | October 2010p | September to October 2010 | October 2009 to October 2010 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seasonally adjusted | ||||||
| $ millions | % change | |||||
| Total: Census metropolitan areas | 4,585.1 | 4,144.6 | 4,775.5 | 4,619.7 | -3.3 | 0.8 |
| St. John's | 37.2 | 57.6 | 54.5 | 149.6 | 174.6 | 301.5 |
| Halifax | 47.3 | 48.8 | 51.8 | 114.9 | 121.8 | 142.8 |
| Moncton | 32.2 | 16.8 | 33.0 | 17.2 | -47.9 | -46.7 |
| Saint John | 16.0 | 45.9 | 14.1 | 9.2 | -34.6 | -42.3 |
| Saguenay | 25.8 | 31.9 | 31.0 | 7.1 | -77.1 | -72.5 |
| Québec | 130.4 | 130.3 | 122.6 | 143.0 | 16.6 | 9.6 |
| Sherbrooke | 31.4 | 30.3 | 38.1 | 33.2 | -12.8 | 6.0 |
| Trois-Rivières | 35.7 | 12.6 | 34.1 | 11.4 | -66.7 | -68.1 |
| Montréal | 574.2 | 563.3 | 504.8 | 506.7 | 0.4 | -11.8 |
| Ottawa–Gatineau, Ontario/Quebec | 196.1 | 215.1 | 406.6 | 198.4 | -51.2 | 1.2 |
| Gatineau part | 32.9 | 64.1 | 196.7 | 50.4 | -74.4 | 53.4 |
| Ottawa part | 163.2 | 151.0 | 209.9 | 148.0 | -29.5 | -9.3 |
| Kingston | 12.8 | 30.4 | 15.4 | 42.1 | 173.3 | 228.4 |
| Peterborough | 29.0 | 8.3 | 9.5 | 11.5 | 20.0 | -60.6 |
| Oshawa | 92.5 | 52.6 | 46.9 | 58.3 | 24.2 | -37.0 |
| Toronto | 1,005.9 | 1,021.8 | 1,221.5 | 1,039.4 | -14.9 | 3.3 |
| Hamilton | 63.2 | 158.9 | 195.2 | 83.9 | -57.0 | 32.8 |
| St. Catharines–Niagara | 30.5 | 27.1 | 42.8 | 123.1 | 187.8 | 303.9 |
| Kitchener–Cambridge–Waterloo | 83.3 | 58.8 | 89.6 | 97.8 | 9.1 | 17.4 |
| Brantford | 5.8 | 15.1 | 8.7 | 51.2 | 490.6 | 789.9 |
| Guelph | 32.7 | 23.9 | 139.1 | 15.7 | -88.7 | -52.1 |
| London | 59.9 | 65.6 | 60.2 | 53.1 | -11.8 | -11.5 |
| Windsor | 37.6 | 36.0 | 23.6 | 21.9 | -7.3 | -41.8 |
| Barrie | 39.7 | 31.4 | 52.7 | 32.9 | -37.6 | -17.1 |
| Greater Sudbury | 33.4 | 14.5 | 23.7 | 36.1 | 52.1 | 8.2 |
| Thunder Bay | 13.8 | 16.1 | 23.7 | 17.7 | -25.6 | 27.9 |
| Winnipeg | 80.4 | 105.2 | 78.6 | 107.8 | 37.2 | 33.9 |
| Regina | 85.1 | 50.8 | 24.6 | 55.7 | 126.6 | -34.6 |
| Saskatoon | 127.7 | 44.4 | 73.3 | 90.4 | 23.4 | -29.2 |
| Calgary | 594.6 | 260.1 | 266.9 | 237.4 | -11.0 | -60.1 |
| Edmonton | 596.4 | 328.6 | 266.8 | 287.4 | 7.7 | -51.8 |
| Kelowna | 26.0 | 50.3 | 52.9 | 30.8 | -41.7 | 18.8 |
| Abbotsford–Mission | 14.2 | 7.8 | 19.7 | 10.8 | -45.1 | -23.8 |
| Vancouver | 347.6 | 547.4 | 699.4 | 855.3 | 22.3 | 146.0 |
| Victoria | 46.7 | 36.9 | 49.9 | 69.0 | 38.3 | 47.6 |
