Data quality, concepts and methodology

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 year-round 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 2001 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 2001 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 2001 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 non-standard geographic units are few in number and are mostly concentrated in the Maritime provinces.

Territorial revisions

Territorial boundaries were established according to the 2001 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.