The statistical data presented in this product refers to the number of dwelling units authorized and the value of building permits. The value of the permits reported includes the following expenditures: materials, labour, profit and overhead. The cost of land is never included in the estimated value of the permit while acquisition costs (legal fees, surveying fees and accrued interest) may be included at times.

The classification used in this publication deals strictly with structures for which a building permit was issued. Permits are generally issued for the following: construction of new buildings, alterations, additions, renovations, etc. Minor repair jobs such as painting, tiling, roofing, etc., for which no permit is required, and engineering work (such as dams, roads, pipelines, etc.), which, by definition, is not a building, are not included in the building permit series. Estimates of such work may be obtained from the publications Capital expenditures by type of asset (cat. no. 61-223) and Private and Public Investment in Canada Intentions (cat. no. 61-205).

The description given by the municipalities as to the type of building (box #6 of Section A on the form) and the type of work involved (box #7 of Section A on the form) forms the basis for classification. The classification of buildings into major groups and subgroups is based on the following: intended use in the case of new buildings; present or intended use of buildings to which improvements are to be made; present use of the existing structure where the proposed construction is intended to provide additional facilities; principal use of the structure where the proposed construction has more than one intended use; however, where the building contains dwellings, the value of the construction is divided between residential and nonresidential use.

Building categories

This publication, uses the following classification for the value of permits issued for construction of new buildings or for improvements: residential, industrial, commercial, institutional and government.

Residential. Includes all buildings intended for private occupancy whether on a permanent basis or not. Dwellings are divided into the following types: single-family, mobile, cottage, semi-detached, row house and apartment building.

Industrial. Includes all buildings used for manufacturing and processing; transportation, communication and other utilities, and agriculture, forestry and mining.

Commercial. Includes all buildings used to house activities related to the tertiary sector, such as stores, warehouses, garages, office buildings, theatres, hotels, funeral parlours and beauty salons.

Institutional and Government. Includes expenditures made by the community, public and government for buildings and structures like schools, universities, hospitals, clinics, churches, homes for the aged.

The number of dwelling units indicates the number of self contained dwelling units created. This should not be confused with the number of structures. For example, an apartment building containing six dwellings will be shown as six dwelling units. When an existing structure is converted into additional housing units, the number of units added is included. This publication uses the following classification for dwelling units:

Single-family. Refers to dwellings commonly called “single house”. It includes single dwellings that are completely isolated on all sides, including single dwellings linked to other dwellings below ground. Included are bungalows, split levels, two-storey single-family homes built by conventional methods or prefabricated.

Mobile homes. Refers to houses designed and constructed to be transported on their own chassis and for easy moving.

Cottage. Refers to dwellings that cannot be occupied yearround or on a permanent basis because the facilities required for comfort are inadequate.

Double or Semi-detached. Refers to dwellings in which each of the two dwellings are side by side and joined by a common wall or garage, but not attached to any other building and surrounded by open space.

Row Dwellings. Refers to a row of three or more dwellings attached to each other without dwellings above or below.

Apartment Building. Includes dwellings in a variety of buildings such as duplexes, semi-detached duplexes, triplexes, row duplexes, apartments as such and dwellings adjacent to non-residential structures.

Conversion. Refers to the number of dwellings added by conversion of existing structures.

Geographic classification

Geographic entities are classified according to Standard Geographical Classification (SGC) used by Statistics Canada. Each reporting entity is assigned a twelve-digit SGC code for identification according to the following geographic levels:

Province and Territory (PR) : There are ten provinces and three territories.

Economic Region (ER) : Refers to intraprovincial regions established by the Standards Division of Statistics Canada. There are seventy-six ERs.

Census Division (CD) : Refers to a group of census subdivisions established by provincial law. There are two hundred and ninety-one CDs (data on this geographic group is available on request).

Census Metropolitan Area (CMA) : Its delineation corresponds to the 1996 Census definition. The term CMA refers to the main labour market area of an urban area (the urbanized core) of at least 100,000 population, based on the Census population figures. The twenty-seven CMAs are shown in this publication. Although the 1996 Census defines the Ottawa-Hull area as a single CMA, the area is shown in this publication as two separate entities since it is located in two different provinces.

Census Agglomeration (CA) : Refers to the smaller labour market area of an urbanized core of at least 10,000 population, as defined by the 1996 Census. There are one hundred and eighteen CAs in Canada. When a CA overlaps the boundaries of two provinces, it is shown partly in each province. The Lloydminster agglomeration is an exception to this rule. It is treated as if it was totally located in Alberta.

Other Municipalities of at Least 10,000 Population : Refers to municipalities not included in census agglomerations but with populations of at least 10,000 inhabitants. The distinction is made between these municipalities and CAs in order to permit comparison between the Building Permits Survey and the Housing Starts and Completions Survey which refers to this geographical concept.

Rural Area : Refers to all geographic entities not included in a CMA or CA and not identified as an urban centre by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation.

Census Subdivision (CSD) : Refers to the general term applying to municipalities, Indian reserves, Indian settlements and unorganized territories. However, since Indian reserves and settlements do not issue building permits, they are not included in this publication.

Non-standard Geographic Unit : The geographic units shown in this publication do not all satisfy the above definition of census subdivision. Some provincial or municipal administrations producing monthly reports do not correspond to the official geographic entities; they are nevertheless shown in this publication under the geographic entity used by these administrations. These so-called nonstandard geographic units are few in number and are mostly concentrated in the Maritime provinces.

Territorial revisions

Territorial boundaries were established according to the 1996 Census definitions. Changes in boundaries, status or name of census subdivisions between censuses are introduced in this publication on a yearly basis. Changes affecting the other geographic units (CMAs, CAs, CDs and ERs) are introduced every five years, eighteen months following the census.