The seasonally adjusted value of building permits issued by Alberta municipalities* rose by 23.7 per cent in January 2021 compared to December. Encouragingly, the value was up by 10.1 per cent compared to the previous January before the pandemic began.

This is a welcome change from December when the seasonally adjusted value fell by 12.4 per cent compared to November.

Annual permit value in Alberta was off by 8.4 per cent in 2020.

Nationally, permit value was up by 8.2 per cent compared to December and by 6.4 per cent compared to January 2020. The annual permit value in Canada was 3.1 per cent lower in 2020 than in 2019.

Residential permit value in Alberta increased by 28.2 per cent compared to a 12.7 per cent rise in non-residential permits.

Year-over-year residential permit value was 35.4 per cent above the level set in January 2020, but 27.6 per cent below where it was 12 months earlier in the non-residential sector. Industrial, commercial, and government/institutional permits were all still below pre-pandemic levels.

*Statistics Canada’s Building Permits Survey covers all Canadian municipalities that issue permits.

Answer to the previous trivia question: The Edmonton Oilers entered the NHL for the 1979-80 season as one of four World Hockey Association teams that joined the League.

Today’s trivia question: In what season did the Atlanta Flames move to Calgary?