According to Statistics Canada, new housing construction investment totaled $4.0 billion in February, an increase of 6.4 percent compared with the same month in 2016. Spending on single-family dwellings led the advance at the national level.
Nationally, construction spending was up year over year for all dwelling types for a fifth consecutive month. The increase of investment in single-family dwellings ($187.8 million) was the largest contributor, representing 76.8 percent of the national increase in February.
Increases in apartment building investment continued to be led by spending in British Columbia. Year over year, investment in row housing construction continued to rise in most of the provinces in February, with only two provinces posting declines: Alberta (-$28.0 million) and Nova Scotia (-$0.2 million).
As for double houses construction investments, three provinces registered a decline, especially Manitoba where it fell $2.5 million from February 2016 levels.