Annual housing starts in Alberta last year were 33% higher than in 2020 and 17% higher than in 2019.

At 31,935, they were also the highest they have been since 2015 when they came in at 37,282. Starts peaked in 2006 at 48,962.

Single detached houses led the charge last year at 38% above the pre-COVID level set in 2019.

Multiple dwelling unit construction was also up compared to 2019, but by a more modest 4%.

New home construction in 2021 compared to 2019 was higher in every province except Prince Edward Island with total starts in the country 20% higher than before the pandemic.

Saskatchewan led all provinces with a 72% jump in construction compared to 2019 followed by Ontario at 44%.

The burst of new home construction last year reflects the overall resilience of the housing sector during the pandemic.

Our latest forecast pegs the number of housing starts in Alberta in 2022 at roughly the same level as 2021.

Answer to the previous trivia question: Three Canadian cities have hosted the Olympics: Montreal in 1976 (summer), Calgary in 1988 (winter) and Vancouver in 2010 (winter).

Today’s trivia question: What is the space between the floor and lower kitchen cabinets called?