According to Statistics Canada, all sectors observed gains in the total value of building permits issued in September, which rose 17.0 percent to $9.4 billion. Over three-quarters of this growth came from permits issued in Ontario. With COVID-19 cases rising in many regions in September, some municipalities reported that builders have begun to submit applications earlier as a precaution against potential shutdowns.
The total value of residential permits issued in September, including single family and multi-family dwellings, increased 6.9 percent to $6.0 billion.
The value of permits issued for single family homes rose 8.9 percent to $2.8 billion in September, led by Ontario (+18.0 percent). This was the fifth consecutive monthly gain reported in the province, outweighing the declines posted in six other provinces.
Five provinces reported an increase in the value of permits issued for multi-family dwellings, lifting the national total by 5.2 percent to $3.3 billion. British Columbia (+49.1 percent), after two months of decline, led the nation in growth in this component.
The total value of non-residential permits was up 40.6 percent to $3.4 billion in September, mostly attributable to large projects in Ontario (+$805 million).
The value of permits issued for industrial buildings rose in eight provinces, breaking the downward trend observed over the previous three months. Permits issued in Quebec, Ontario and Prince Edward Island drove the increase of 49.1 percent to $713 million nationally.
Following two months of declines, the value of institutional permits expanded by 30.2 percent to $799 million. A $130 million permit issued for major renovations to the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Sherbrooke in Quebec and several permits issued for the new construction of nursing homes and senior citizen homes in Ontario contributed to the increase in this total.