Investment

In 2010, the total building permit value for the Peace Country region stood at $317.4 million, making up 2.8% of the provincial total.  In 2010, the total building permit value for the Peace Country region decreased by 34% from 2009, and was 22% lower than the 2005 level.  The decrease between 2009 and 2010 can be attributed to a large decrease in commercial permits of 64% to $75.8 million and a 63% drop in industrial permits to $14.2 million.  Over the same period, residential permits fell by 3% to $189 million, while institutional permits decreased by 10%.  Between 2005 and 2010, residential permits decreased by 4%.

The total number of dwelling units for which building permits were taken out in the Peace Country region in 2010 was 732, the lowest number in six years.  This was a 5% decrease from the previous year and a 57% decline from the 2005 level.  Over that five-year period, the number of multiple family dwelling units fell by 74% to 127 units in 2010.  Over the same period, the number of single dwellings decreased by 50% to 605 units.

In 2010, the number of urban housing starts1 totaled 506 in the Grande Prairie Census Agglomeration (CA), a decrease of 14% from 2009’s 586 starts.  This decrease was the result of declines of 7% and 68%, respectively, in the numbers of single-family and multi-family units between 2009 and 2010. 

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-2446