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Statistics Canada
In April, the total value of building permits issued in Canada decreased by $829.6 million (6.6 percent) to $11.7 billion. British Columbia (down $1.2 billion) led this decrease in construction intentions, which was mitigated by Ontario (up $299.3 million). On a constant dollar basis (2023=100), the total value of building permits issued in April fell by 6.6 percent from the previous month and by 16.4 percent on a year-over-year basis, following a strong upward movement in April 2024.
Multi-family construction intentions weigh down residential sector
Residential construction intentions declined 11.6 percent ($967.7 million) to $7.4 billion in April 2025. The multi-family segment (down $882.5 million) was the primary contributor to this decline, while the single-family component (down $85.2 million) contributed to a lesser extent. The reduction in multi-family permit values was driven by British Columbia (down $837.4 million). The Vancouver census metropolitan area (down $1 billion) drove the province’s decrease, after bolstering the national multi-family component’s increase during the first quarter of 2025. The decrease in single-family construction intentions in April was most pronounced in Alberta (down $37.4 million) and was partially offset by Quebec (up $26.6 million). Across Canada, 21,400 multi-family dwellings and 4,200 single-family dwellings were authorized for construction in April, marking a 6.5 percent decrease in the total number of units authorized compared with the previous month.