According to Statistics Canada, the Non-residential Building Construction Price Index (NRBCPI) was up 0.6 percent in the fourth quarter compared with the previous quarter. This was the fifth consecutive quarterly increase and the largest gain since the second quarter of 2014.
Contractors reported quarterly increases in six of the seven census metropolitan areas (CMAs) surveyed. Vancouver (+1.1 percent) and Montréal (+0.9 percent) posted the largest advances, which mainly reflected higher material prices for contractors in the architectural and structural trades. The composite index for Edmonton was unchanged in the fourth quarter.
Year over year, the NRBCPI rose 1.6 percent, with Vancouver (+5.8 percent) and Toronto (+3.7 percent) reporting the largest increases. Edmonton (-2.6 percent) and Calgary (-1.9 percent) reported the only year-over-year declines.