OTTAWA, Ontario, January 9, 2001 — The annual rate of housing starts in Canada fell 4.9 per cent in December 2000 to 148,000 units* compared to 155,600 in November, according to Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC).
Urban singles starts were down 4.8 per cent to 73,900 units, compared to 77,600 in November while urban multiples starts decreased 6.9 per cent to 52,900 in December from 56,800 units in November.
"Construction activity remains at a healthy pace overall, except for a pause in the multiple segment in Montreal and Toronto. Multiples in those two cities were running at a strong pace in previous months," said Philippe Le Goff, Senior Economist at CMHC's Market Analysis Centre.
British Columbia's urban starts were essentially unchanged last month at 11,000 units. Vancouver starts increased 6.2 per cent to 6,800.
Ontario urban starts were down 1.9 per cent to 65,900 units in December. Toronto starts at 34,900 units were down 14.7 per cent.
Prairie urban starts decreased 6.4 per cent in December to 24,900 units while singles were slightly down. Multiples declined 13.4 per cent.
In Quebec, urban starts were down 20.7 per cent to 18,800 units. Montreal starts at 9,900 units decreased 41.1 per cent, after the strong performance recorded in November.
In the Atlantic Region, urban starts were up 8.8 per cent at 6,200 units last month. Activity increased in all provinces except for New Brunswick.
* 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 |
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| HOUSING STARTS ACTUAL AND SEASONALLY ADJUSTED ANNUAL DATA | ||||
| NOVEMBER 2000 FINAL |
DECEMBER 2000 PRELIMINARY |
|||
| PROVINCE | ACTUAL | SAAR | ACTUAL | SAAR |
| NEWFOUNDLAND | 78 | 900 | 55 | 1,100 |
| PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND | 23 | 400 | 17 | 600 |
| NOVA SCOTIA | 159 | 1,900 | 164 | 3,300 |
| NEW BRUNSWICK | 214 | 2,500 | 65 | 1,200 |
| QUEBEC | 2,065 | 23,700 | 1,338 | 18,800 |
| ONTARIO | 6,075 | 67,200 | 5,323 | 65,900 |
| MANITOBA | 97 | 1,300 | 93 | 1,500 |
| SASKATCHEWAN | 128 | 1,800 | 45 | 800 |
| ALBERTA | 2,004 | 23,500 | 1,735 | 22,600 |
| BRITISH COLUMBIA | 877 | 11,200 | 839 | 11,000 |
| TOTAL (+10,000 pop.) | 11,720 | 134,400 | 9,674 | 126,800 |
| OTHER AREA ESTIMATES (Less than 10,000 pop.) |
2,020 | 21,200 | 1,734 | 21,200 |
| CANADA | 13,740 | 155,600 | 11,408 | 148,000 |
