New Statistics Canada figures released Monday show Manitoba municipalities issued $193.5 million worth of residential and non-residential permits in July. That was a 58 per cent increase from June's total of $122.5 million, and halted a two-month skid that saw permit totals fall by 11.6 per cent in June and 5.2 per cent in May.
Both sides of the construction industry contributed to the rebound, with the non-residential sector posting a 69.4 per cent increase and the residential sector a 51.4 per cent gain.
The private sector led the way on the non-residential side, with a 119.4 per cent increase in the value of permits issued for commercial projects -- things like offices and retail outlets -- and a 48.4 per cent increase for industrial projects such as new warehouses or factory expansions.
The public sector scaled back its permit activity in July, with the value of institutional permits falling 52 per cent from the previous month.
However, the executive vice-president of the Winnipeg Construction Association said that was a departure from the norm. Ron Hambley said governments usually account for more than 50 per cent of all new construction activity in the province, and some years that number has been as high as 80 per cent.
"But that's not true today," he added. "Today it's probably in the 60/40 per cent range (60 per cent public sector, 40 per cent private)."
While the weather hasn't always co-operated, Hambley said it has still been another banner year for construction in Manitoba, with StatsCan reporting permit totals running 5.1 per cent ahead of last year's pace after the first seven months of the year -- $948.9 million compared with $902.8 million.
"We knew 2008 would probably be as good as last year," he said. "It's been strong in all sectors."
The only other province that came close to matching Manitoba's strong July numbers was Saskatchewan, with a 47.6 per cent gain. The next closest was Prince Edward Island, at 20.2 per cent.
Nationally, Canada saw its permit total climb by 1.8 per cent to $6.4 billion in July. While that paled in comparison to Manitoba's increase, it was still an improvement over June's 5.3 per cent decline.
While there was a drop-off in institutional activity in July in Manitoba, that didn't mean the three levels of government were completely idle.
Permits were issued for a number of major government projects, including a $9.9-million permit for the start of construction on a new $30-million office/retail/parking complex on Main Street that will house the new corporate headquarters for the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority, and a $3.7-million permit to expand the ER department at the Portage District General Hospital in Portage la Prairie.
Some of the big commercial projects that permits were issued for in July included a $9.1-million renovation to an office complex at 715 McDermot Ave., a $1-million renovation to the Tony Roma's A Place for Ribs restaurant on Pembina Highway and a new $16-million office building at 99 Sage Creek Blvd. The latter, which will take about a year to complete, will serve as the new Western Canadian head office and Winnipeg branch office for the Qualico Group of Companies.
Qualico vice-president John Daniels said company officials hope the new 60,000-square-foot office building will help lure other businesses to a new 27-acre commercial development that Qualico will be building over the next few years adjacent to its Sage Creek residential development.
Phase 1 of that development is to get underway this fall, with a grocery store as an anchor tenant. Daniels wouldn't say if a grocery retailer has already been lined up.
murray.mcneill@freepress.mb.ca
Major Projects
711 Kernaghan Ave -- Construct Addition Factory -- 850,00075 Kildonan Green Dr -- Partial Permit-Foundation Apartments -- 4,000,000
100 Scurfield Blvd -- Interior Alteration Office -- 600,000
1105 Gateway Rd -- Construct New Bank -- 720,000
112 Lyndale Dr -- Construct New Sfd & Att. Gar. -- 800,000
801 Century St -- Construct New Commercial -- 3,120,000
715 Mcdermot Ave -- Interior Alteration Office Multi-Tenant -- 9,121,000
1015 St. Anne's Rd -- Construct New Apartments -- 10,200,000
90 Eastoak Dr -- Partial Permit-Foundation SFD & Att. Gar. -- 500,000
1630 Henderson Hwy -- Structural Alteration Apartments -- 1,344,050
35 Mazenod Rd -- Partial Permit-Foundation Multi-Tenant Office/Ware -- 720,000
1390 Rothesay St -- Alter Exterior Apartments -- 1,214,000
755 Portage Ave -- Partial Permit-Struct. Frame Office -- 1,350,000
87 Cole Ave -- Partial Permit-Struct. Frame Training Facility -- 1,630,300
750 Marion St -- Interior Alteration Commercial -- 550,000
836 Arlington St -- Interior Alteration School -- 836,000
715 Telfer St -- Construct Addition Community Centre -- 1,600,000
99 Sage Creek Blvd -- Construct New Office -- 16,000,000
99 Keslar Rd -- Partial Permit-Foundation Row Housing -- 600,000
99 Keslar Rd -- Partial Permit-Foundation Row Housing -- 600,000
99 Keslar Rd -- Partial Permit-Foundation Row Housing -- 600,000
791 Notre Dame Ave -- Alter Exterior Office -- 700,000
275 Gordon Ave -- Construct New Storage Bldg -- 700,000
1603 Mccreary Rd -- Partial Permit-Foundation Sfd & Att. Gar. -- 700,000
450 Youville St -- Construct New Apartments -- 7,500,000
583 Moray St -- Construct New Industrial -- 870,000
601 Moray St -- Construct Addition Industrial -- 900,000
310 Debaets St -- Partial Permit-Foundation -- Multi-Tenant Office/Ware -- 1,800,000
2230 Main St -- Repair Public Utility -- 2,389,000
423 University Cres -- Construct New Office -- 2,040,000
875 Elizabeth Rd -- Interior Alteration Apartments -- 1,076,000
1501 St. Matthews Ave -- Interior Alteration Restaurants -- 1,100,000
1005 St. Mary's Rd -- Partial Permit-Foundation Commercial Multi-Tenant -- 1,135,000
200 Dawson Rd -- Partial Permit-Foundation Commercial -- 7,600,000
1395 Ellice Ave -- Alter Exterior Commercial Multi-Tenant -- 505,204
35 Grandmont Blvd -- Construct New Row Housing -- 800,000
161 Donald St -- Interior Alteration Residential Multi-Use -- 1,682,000
1180 Springfield Rd -- Alter Exterior Misc. Structure -- 650,000
1319 Pembina Hwy -- Interior Alteration Supermarket -- 1,300,000
1731 Kenaston Blvd -- Partial Permit-Foundation Strip Mall -- 2,000,000
1445 Logan Ave -- Construct New Retail Store -- 660,000
404 Hosmer Blvd -- Partial Permit-Foundation SFD & Att. Gar. -- 575,000
833 Mission St -- Construct Addition Industrial -- 1,699,508
111 Bond St -- Construct New Apartments -- 1,920,000
99 Keslar Rd -- Construct New Row Housing -- 600,000
99 Keslar Rd -- Construct New Row Housing -- 600,000
99 Keslar Rd -- Construct New Row Housing -- 600,000
99 Keslar Rd -- Construct New Row Housing -- 600,000
1500 Pembina Hwy -- Construct Addition Restaurants -- 1,062,000
234 Donald St -- Interior Alteration Gov't Office -- 1,200,000
1919 St. Mary's Rd -- Construct New Gas Kiosk -- 1,384,800
600 Sargent Ave -- Interior Alteration Supermarket -- 600,000
370 Langside St -- Partial Permit-Foundation Apartments -- 4,640,000
650 Main St -- Partial Permit-Struct. Frame Gov't Office -- 9,900,000
