Investment

In 2010, the total building permit value for the Northeast region stood at a six-year low of $262.2 million, making up 2.3% of the provincial total.  In 2010, the total building permit value for the Northeast region decreased by 9% from 2009, and was 7% lower than the 2005 level.  The decrease between 2009 and 2010 can be attributed to a large decrease in institutional permits of 82% to $8.2 million and a 16% drop in commercial permits to $64.4 million.  Over the same period, residential permits increased by 14% to $169.2 million, while industrial permits increased by 29%.  Between 2005 and 2010, residential permits increased by 8%.

The total number of dwelling units for which building permits were taken out in the Northeast region in 2010 was 658.  This was a 4% increase from the previous year, but a 38% decline from 2005 levels.  Over that five-year period, the number of multiple family dwelling units fell by 69% to 85 units in 2010.  Over the same period, the number of single dwellings decreased by 27% to 573 units.

In 2010, the number of urban housing starts1 totaled 161 in the Lloydminster, Alberta Census Agglomeration (CA), an increase of 124% from 2009’s 72 starts.  This increase was the result of a large 42% jump in the number of multiple-family units between 2009 and 2010.  The Cold Lake CA saw a moderate jump in housing starts of 3% between 2009 and 2010 to 100, and the Bonnyville Municipal District had a 28% rise to 129 starts. 

1 Housing start information is gathered by Canada Mortgage and Housing Commission field offices; building permit estimates are gathered by Statistics Canada from municipalities. A building permit generally precedes the actual start.

Date Updated:
RDP-2444