The total value of Canadian building permits rose 0.4 on a monthly basis in August to $8.1 billion on broad strength in the non-residential sector. Residential building permits declined for a third consecutive month.
 
In BC, the total value of permits reached a record high of $1.8 billion, smashing the previous record set earlier this year by nearly 13 per cent. Residential permits increased 17 per cent from July and were up 31 per cent year-over-year. Non-residential permits were up 77 per cent on a monthly basis and passed the $600 million threshold for the first time as the result of large office building projects in Vancouver.

Construction intentions August were mixed in BC's four census metropolitan areas (CMA):

• Permits in the Abbotsford-Mission CMA increased 11 per cent on a monthly basis to $31.3 million. Year-over-year, permit values were down 9 per cent.

• In the Victoria CMA, total construction intentions were down 9 per cent to $71.1 million, a 40 per cent decline over this time last year.

• In the Kelowna CMA, permits values decreased by 14.5 per cent on a monthly basis to $96.6 million, but were up 4 per cent year-over-year.

• In the Vancouver CMA, the value of permits rose 66.4 per cent on a monthly basis and accounted for three quarters of all permit values in BC.  Most of the increase came from the City of Vancouver, though the City of Burnaby issued over $250 million worth of apartment building permits in August.

Copyright British Columbia Real Estate Association. Reprinted with permission.