It was a busy year for construction in Saskatchewan as building permits hit an all-time annual high in 2013. There were $3.15 billion in building permits issued in the province last year, up 1.1 per cent over 2012, the third highest percentage increase among the provinces and ahead of the 0.2 per cent decline posted nationally.
"Saskatchewan bucked the trend again with only four provinces showing an increase in building permits on a year-over-year basis," Economy Minister Bill Boyd said. "The fact that it was another record-setting figure just shows how good a year we had in 2013."
Non-residential construction totalled $1.35 billion in 2013, up by 4.5 per cent over last year. Industrial construction rose by 49.3 per cent in 2013 to $250.9 million. Commercial permits were up 0.9 per cent to $735.9 million on a year-over-year comparison.
Between 2005 and 2013, building permit growth in Saskatchewan on a cumulative basis was up by 247 per cent. That is more than double Manitoba's rate of 129 per cent, triple Alberta's 70 per cent increase and more than seven times the 33 per cent recorded on a national basis for the same time period.
"Saskatchewan's economic growth continues to outpace nearly every other province in the nation," Minister Boyd said. "The continued strength of major sectors like construction is building infrastructure, creating jobs and, above all, helping our economy move forward."
