Statistics Canada reports that the total value of building permits rose 1.7% to $8.1 billion in August, driven by an increase in the residential sector in Ontario and Quebec.

Single homes drive increase in residential sector

Permits issued for single family homes rose 9.9% to $2.5 billion in August, continuing the upward trend observed since May. Eight provinces reported increases in this component, with Ontario accounting for more than half of the national gain, mostly due to permits issued in the census metropolitan areas of Toronto (+12.7%), Oshawa (+94.2%) and Brantford (+257.4%).

Seven provinces showed a decline in the value of permits issued for multi-family dwellings in August, with British Columbia (-28.7%) falling for a second month to $440 million. Excluding March 2020, this was the lowest value reported for multi-family dwellings in British Columbia since March 2017. Despite the majority of provinces reporting declines, the total value of permits issued for multi-family dwellings rose 5.0% nationally, mainly as a result of permits issued in Ontario and Quebec.

Overall, the total value of residential permits increased by 7.1% to $5.6 billion.

Commercial and institutional permits fall in August

The total value of non-residential permits fell 8.6% to $2.5 billion in August, largely due to permits issued in Ontario (-15.7%). Only Quebec (+9.9%), Prince Edward Island (+82.2%) and Nova Scotia (+16.7%) posted increases in this sector.

Commercial permits fell by 14.7% to $1.4 billion in August, following a notable gain in July reflecting the half-billion dollar permit for Project Python in Ottawa. Overall, the total value of permits for commercial buildings was lower for January to August of 2020 when compared with the same period in 2019. In particular, the unadjusted value of permits issued for office building renovations fell 14.1%. This reflects changing priorities during the pandemic as many offices have closed or reduced on-site staff while more employees work from home.

Institutional permits declined for a second month, falling 5.8% to $603 million. Ontario (-27.9%) recorded the most significant drop in the value of permits issued of all the provinces, more than offsetting gains in Quebec (+30.3%).

Following two months of decline, the total value of industrial permits increased in August, up 7.5% to $528 million. Permits issued in Ontario (+41.4%) and British Columbia (+61.5%) accounted for most of the gains.

To explore the impact of COVID-19 on the socioeconomic landscape, please visit the Canadian Economic Dashboard and COVID-19.