Saskatchewan was one of the few provinces where the value of residential building permits went up in May.
Local governments issued permits worth just over $100 million in the month. That was 15 per cent higher than April but still a long way off from where we were even a year ago as we tracked more than 15 per cent below last year’s rate.
This comes at a time when governments in every region of the country are bemoaning the housing shortage but seem to be doing everything they can to discourage new builds. The latest example is a $2,000 fee on new lots proposed in Saskatoon.
StatsCan says most provinces were seeing permit values decline in May. While Saskatchewan posted a month-over-month gain, Manitoba and Quebec saw gains for the month and the year.
Everywhere else was retrenching, especially BC where prices are astronomical to start with and then permit values fell by 50 per cent for the month and nearly as much for the year as the housing market seems simply to be off kilter in some regions.
