Building permits, May 2025 (Source: Statistics Canada, Table 34-10-0292-01, Building permits, by type of building and type of work.)
Building permits were on the rise in May, reports Statistics Canada in its latest building permit report. The total value of permits issued in Canada rose by $1.4 billion, or 12 per cent, reaching $13.1 billion for the month. Much of the increase in construction intentions was attributed to Ontario’s institutional component, which jumped $1.3 billion from the April report.
Overall, the value of non-residential building permits increased sharply, rising $1.2 billion to $5.6 billion, Construction intentions for a new hospital in the Niagara region of Ontario helped drive the numbers significantly higher for the month. The hospital construction permit drove the national institutional component upwards to a record $2.5 billion.
Permit values for commercial construction projects posted a more modest rise, increasing by $87.8 million to $2.3 billion in May, with Quebec leading the gains. Ontario had the largest decline, dipping $71.9 million after contributing significantly to growth in the non-residential sector in April.
Construction intentions in the industrial component declined by $117.2 million for the month.
British Columbia’s multi-family permits led the residential sector to positive territory as well, outpacing a drop in single-family permit values. Nationally, residential construction intentions rose by $169.8 million to $7.5 billion in May.
British Columbia’s multi-family component growth in May was driven by a gain of almost $700 million in the Vancouver CMA, which rebounded after dipping in April.
Overall, across the country, multi-family permit values increased by $194.8 million to $4.9 billion in May. Ontario’s multi-family component declined by $382.8 million, counteracting part of the growth in British Columbia’s multi-family component.
The value of single-family permits edged down $25 million to $2.6 billion in May, with the decline primarily attributed to Ontario and mitigated by increases in seven provinces and two territories.
Across Canada, a total of 21,000 new multi-unit dwellings and 4,400 new single-family dwellings were authorized for construction in May, reflecting a slight decline in the total number of units authorized from the previous month.
