We are not expecting the record-setting levels seen last year, but our forecast is for relatively strong housing starts in Alberta in 2026. It’s early days, but the numbers from January support this.

At 46,143 (seasonally adjusted annual rate), housing starts this January were the third highest on record for the first month of the year.

As the chart below shows, starts in Alberta have come down from their peak set last year with the six-month moving average trending lower, but this is in keeping with the construction sector pulling back in the face of slower population growth and rising inventory.

Notwithstanding month-to-month volatility, we expect housing starts in the province to average around 45,000 this year compared to 55,000 in 2025. Although lower than the previous two years, this will still be 33% higher than the ten-year average.  

About 97% of the starts in January were in centres of 10,000 or more residents. Of these, the majority were multi-family projects at 73% of the total.

The Calgary Census Metropolitan Area (CMA) had more starts than Edmonton at 56% of the January total versus 31% in the Edmonton CMA. In both, about 80% of the new construction was multi-family.

Answer to the previous trivia question: Canada won 26 medals at the 2022 Winter Olympics.

Today’s trivia question: When and where were the first Winter Olympics held?