Data shows decrease in residential building permits in two provinces to be the cause
The total value of building permits decreased by 0.5% month-over-month in April 2021 to $11.1 billion, according to recent figures from Statistics Canada.
Data from StatCan pointed to declines in residential building permits issued in British Columbia and Quebec as the main cause of the decrease. British Columbia saw the largest decrease in residential permit value in April (-23.7%) with Quebec coming in second (-14.9%).
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The total value of building permits in the residential sector fell 6.7% to $7.7 billion in April – and, despite the decrease, StatCan said that the figure was still the second highest value on record.
Meanwhile, the value of non-residential building permits increased 17.4% to $3.4 billion in April, from a value of $2.8 billion in March.
Commercial and institutional permits both climbed 28.7% to $1.9 billion and 23.1% to $910 million, respectively. The value of industrial permits, however, fell 13.2% to $592 million, with Ontario accounting for most of the decline (-36.5%).
StatCan attributed the surge in commercial and institutional permits to large projects in Ontario and Quebec, with the largest permit issued being Toronto’s Sick Kids patient support centre ($97 million).
Quebec also issued several large institutional permits in April, including a new hospital in Saint-Jean-Sur-Richelieu ($56 million) and a new seniors’ care centre in Beloeil ($43 million).
