According to Statistics Canada, total spending on new housing construction increased 8.7 percent year-over-year to $4.0 billion in January 2017. Six provinces posted increases, led by Ontario and British Columbia. Nationally, investment increased for every dwelling type.
Nationally, the increase resulted mostly from greater spending on single-family homes, followed distantly by apartment and apartment-condominium buildings, row houses and semi-detached homes.
Investment in single-family homes was up 12.1 percent to $2.1 billion. Spending on apartment and apartment-condominium buildings was up 4.6 percent to $1.4 billion. Investment in row house construction rose 8.7 percent to $388 million. Spending on semi-detached dwellings increased 3.8 percent to $175 million.