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Hospital projects push building permits to new heights : StatsCan

The total value of building permits rose 21.0% to a record $12.4 billion in February, with British Columbia (+130.2%) leading the way. Construction intentions in the residential sector were up 9.8%, while the non-residential sector jumped 43.2%, driven mainly by large hospital permits in British Columbia and Quebec.

On a constant dollar basis (2012=100), the total value of building permits increased 22.1% in February.

Large hospital permits push non-residential sector to new heights

The total value of non-residential building permits surged 43.2% to $4.9 billion in February, largely reflecting large hospital permits in British Columbia and Quebec worth a combined $1.9 billion.

Construction intentions in the institutional component jumped 216.4% for the month, largely reflecting the $1.5 billion St. Paul’s Hospital project in Vancouver. Additionally, the $439 million permit for the second phase of le nouveau complexe hospitalier du CHU de Québec also contributed notably to this component.

The value of commercial permits gained 5.6% in February at the national level, with six provinces reporting increases. A $112 million Wawanesa Insurance office headquarters project caused the value of commercial permits in Manitoba to jump 337.4%.

The total value of industrial building intentions fell 27.9% mostly due to declines in Quebec (-44.8%) and Ontario (-28.8%).