Canada’s 2007 year-end housing start numbers have been finalized by Canada Mortgage & Housing Corporation (CMHC) and there are some interesting observations to be made. Toronto, as always, led Canadian cities by quite a large margin (i.e., 33,300 units versus second-place Montréal’s 23,200 units). Next came Vancouver (20,700 units), followed by Edmonton (14,900), Calgary (13,500) and Ottawa-Gatineau, so named because of its location in both Ontario and Québec (9,300).

There are some interesting “rules of thumb” or quick-ratios that can be calculated with respect to the numbers. The foregoing are the only six cities in Canada with metro-wide populations in excess of one million each. In 2007, combined housing starts in those six cities was almost exactly one-half (50.3%) of total housing starts in the country.

It is also interesting to consider the role played by each dominant city in its own province. The percentage in almost all cases was nearly 50% or higher. For example, Montréal housing starts were 48% of the Québec provincial total. Toronto accounted for 49% of Ontario’s figure. Vancouver starts made up 53% of the British Columbia total. In Manitoba, Winnipeg starts comprised 59% of the all-province number.

Finally, Edmonton and Calgary combined to make up 59% of total housing starts in Alberta. It is also interesting to note that four small-population centres in Alberta had start levels above 1,000 units in the latest year – Grande Prairie, Red Deer, Lethbridge and Medicine Hat. This is an indication that prosperity in Alberta, on account of the mega-project energy boom, is not just confined to the two largest urban centres.

Alex Carrick

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