OTTAWA, Ontario, February 8, 2001 — The annual rate of housing starts in Canada increased 20.1 per cent in January 2001 to 174,100 units* compared to 145,000 in December, according to Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC).
Urban multiples starts were up 48.3 per cent to 76,800 units, compared to 51,800 in December while urban singles starts went up 5.8 per cent to 78,200 in January from 73,900 units in December.
"In January, construction activity rebounded in the multiple segment in large metropolitan areas after a pause in December. Singles inched up as overall economic conditions are favourable to housing. This is the highest total starts level since June 1994," said Philippe Le Goff, Senior Economist at CMHC's Market Analysis Centre.
All provinces recorded increases with the exception of Newfoundland and P.E.I. Most of the gains occurred in Ontario, B.C. and Quebec, with Toronto, Vancouver and Montréal leading the way.
* All starts figures in this release are seasonally adjusted annual rates (SAAR), that is, raw monthly figures adjusted to remove normal seasonal variation and multiplied by 12 to reflect an annual pace. Other CMHC local and provincial releases may present analysis using raw figures.
For further information please contact:Philippe Le Goff
CMHC
(613) 748-2933
plegoff@cmhc-schl.gc.ca
HOUSING STARTS
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| DECEMBER 2000 FINAL |
JANUARY 2001 PRELIMINARY |
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| PROVINCE | ACTUAL | SAAR | ACTUAL | SAAR |
| NEWFOUNDLAND | 55 | 1,100 | 35 | 800 |
| PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND | 17 | 600 | 16 | 500 |
| NOVA SCOTIA | 164 | 3,300 | 217 | 4,000 |
| NEW BRUNSWICK | 65 | 1,200 | 147 | 3,000 |
| QUEBEC | 1,254 | 17,800 | 959 | 20,700 |
| ONTARIO | 5,323 | 65,900 | 4,767 | 79,600 |
| MANITOBA | 93 | 1,500 | 76 | 1,600 |
| SASKATCHEWAN | 46 | 800 | 87 | 1,700 |
| ALBERTA | 1,735 | 22,600 | 1,580 | 24,200 |
| BRITISH COLUMBIA | 839 | 10,900 | 1,189 | 18,900 |
| TOTAL (+10,000 pop.) | 9,591 | 125,700 | 9,073 | 155,000 |
| OTHER AREA ESTIMATES (Less than 10,000 pop.) |
1,579 | 19,300 | 629 | 19,100 |
| CANADA | 11,170 | 145,000 | 9,702 | 174,100 |
