British Columbia
Construction & Landscaping Network

Search BCdex | Advertise | List Your Company | B.C. Weather | Terms & Conditions | Games

Construction & Landscaping News Archives

 

September 2008

Current News

Housing Starts Down 4.3 Per Cent - September 9, 2008

The seasonally adjusted annual rate of housing starts was 211,000 units in August, up from 186,500 units in July, according to Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC).

“After a brief pause in July, the volatile multiple segment bounced back to a level of activity that is more consistent with our forecast for this year,” said Bob Dugan, Chief Economist at CMHC's Market Analysis Centre. “Most of the volatility in housing starts over the last three months reflected swings in multiple starts in Ontario.”

The seasonally adjusted annual rate of urban starts rose 15.2 per cent in August compared to July. Both urban multiples and singles moved higher, with an increase of 25.2 per cent for multiples to 114,700 units, and a 2.0 per cent increase for singles to 71,200 units.

The seasonally adjusted annual rate of urban starts was down in every region except Ontario where housing starts jumped 81.0 per cent to 86,500. Urban starts sagged 22.5 per cent to 23,700 units in the Prairies and dropped 11.5 in Atlantic Canada. Smaller declines of 8.7 per cent and 8.2 per cent were recorded in Quebec (37,600 units) and British Columbia (30,400 units) respectively.

Rural starts were estimated at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 25,100 units in August.

For the first eight months of 2008, actual starts in rural and urban areas combined were down an estimated 4.3 per cent compared to the same period last year. Year-to-date actual starts in urban areas have increased by an estimated 1.0 per cent over the same period in 2007. Actual urban single starts for the January to August period of this year were 16.8 per cent lower than they were a year earlier, while urban multiple starts were up by 17.6 per cent over the same period.

Building Intentions Decline in the West - September 8, 2008

After declining 5.3% in June, the value of building permits increased 1.8% to $6.4 billion in July, mainly as a result of multi-family dwelling permits in Central Canada and industrial construction intentions in Saskatchewan.

In the residential sector, the value of building permits rose 2.7% to $3.7 billion, mainly as a result of an increase in the value of multi-family dwelling permits in Ontario, Quebec and Manitoba.

In the non-residential sector, the value of building permits edged up 0.6% to $2.7 billion. An increase in industrial construction intentions more than offset declines in both commercial and institutional permits.

Residential: Increase in multi-family dwelling permits

After two consecutive monthly declines, municipalities issued $1.5 billion worth of permits for multi-family housing in July, up 9.6% from June.

At the same time, single-family permits declined 1.4% to $2.2 billion. Ontario accounted for more than half of the decline, while Quebec posted a second consecutive monthly increase in single-family housing.

Municipalities approved 19,518 new residential dwellings in July, up 12.0%. This was due to a 24.4% increase in multi-family units. The number of single-family units approved declined 1.4% to 8,257.

Non-residential: Increase in industrial construction intentions

Following a volatile pattern, the value of industrial permits increased 26.3% to $503 million, following a 29.4% decline in June. The increase in July was mostly explained by the higher value of permits for mining buildings in Saskatchewan.

Construction intentions for commercial buildings declined 3.7% to $1.5 billion, a second consecutive decline after reaching $1.7 billion in May. The decrease was due mainly to lower construction intentions for trade and services buildings and warehouses. British Colombia and Ontario posted declines in several commercial categories.

After three consecutive monthly increases, the value of institutional permits decreased 4.0% to $759 million, mainly as a result of declines in permits for health buildings in Ontario, Alberta and Quebec.

Permits up in six provinces

The value of building permits increased in six provinces in July. The most significant increases occurred in Quebec (+13.2% to $1.3 billion), as a result of gains in both the residential and non-residential sectors. While the increase in Saskatchewan was due to the non-residential sector, both the residential and non-residential sectors contributed to the gain in Manitoba.

In contrast, British Columbia and Alberta posted declines in both the residential and non-residential sectors.

Metropolitan areas: Large gains in Kitchener and Montréal

Of the 34 census metropolitan areas, 18 recorded increases in the value of building permits in July. The largest increases occurred in Kitchener, with gains mainly in non-residential sectors, followed closely by Montréal and Saskatoon.

In contrast, the value of permits fell in Vancouver and Edmonton in July, as a result of declines in the residential and non-residential sectors.

Construction Leads the Way in Employment - September 5, 2008

Employment in construction was up by 19,000 in August, continuing the strength seen over the past few years according to a report released this morning by Statistics Canada. August's gains bring employment in this industry up 86,000 (+7.4%) over the first eight months of 2008, making it the fastest growing industry. Most of the increases have been in Ontario, British Columbia and Alberta. According to the most recent Building Permits Survey, the value of building permits has increased in 2008, with all of the growth in non-residential construction.

 

Stay healthy with herbal remedies Try FrequenSea for Improved Health
Find out how to improve your gas mileage