Saskatchewan building permits soar 66.7 per cent in January

The federal government has confirmed it will play a long-term role in affordable housing, ending several years of uncertainty over whether Ottawa would continue helping low-income families pay for their accommodation.

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Published Thursday, March 7, 2013 11:12AM CST

Construction is off to a strong start this year in Saskatchewan.

Statistics Canada says building permits rose 66.7 per cent in the province in January compared to the previous month. That's the second-highest percentage increase in the country.

Residential building permits rose 50.2 per cent in the same period, while non-residential construction was up 115.7 per cent.

Saskatoon posted an 85.6 per cent month-over-month increase – the third highest among major Canadian cities.

On an annual basis, building permits were up 6.6 per cent in Saskatchewan.

Nationally, building permits edged up 1.7 per cent compared to December 2012, but that number was down 4.3 per cent on a year-over-year basis.