Canada’s pool industry grows for third straight year

Atlantic

The winter of 2019 hit this region hard, especially in February, which was the third coldest in a quarter century. This was only the tip of the iceberg as the region also dealt with a polar vortex heading into spring, which resulted in only three permits being registered between January and March, which was seven fewer than 2018, but not as bad as 2016 where only one permit was issued during this period.

Over the next four months (April to July), pool permit registrations drastically increased to a point where the region was back on pace with trends seen in 2017. In fact, permits were up 87.5 per cent, from 112 in 2018 to 210 last year. This outcome was largely in part due to an increase of 107 permit registrations during the month of April in Nova Scotia.

After three years of decline, St. John’s reported an increase in permits, while other CMAs such as Moncton (up six permits), Saint John (up eight permits), and Halifax (up 103 permits and third overall in the country) also showed year-over-year increases. Further, after becoming the top CMA in the country with decreased permit registrations in 2018, Halifax has moved into the third position on the top CMAs with increased permit registrations.

Finally, New Brunswick failed to continue its upward trend with a 14 per cent decrease from the 2018 season; however, Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia got back on track with increases of 25 per cent and 107.9 per cent, respectively.

Rounding out the year (August to December), the number of pool permits registered last year (50) was equal to those reported in 2018. Despite all of the miserable weather this region experience year round, 91 more permits were issued in Atlantic Canada in 2019 than the year prior, representing a 52.9 per cent year-over-year increase. This region represents 2.8 per cent of the total number of building permits in Canadian CMAs, which is an increase of 1.7 per cent in comparison to 2018.

Quebec

This province was hit hard by terrible weather and frigid temperatures, too. In fact, quite similar to the 2017 season, one would think the long, cold winter, and record-breaking rains would garner the same result as in 2017 with respect to pool permit registrations. In one case, for example, more than 100 mm (3.9 in.) of rainfall triggered flooding in the downtown core of several communities as the Saint François River swelled by more than 7 m (23 ft), resulting in the evacuation from hundreds of buildings.

Indeed, only two years removed from a season when Quebec only had one CMA with increased pool permits many would think this would be a recipe for disaster. That was not the case, however! Unlike the 2018 season which started off on the wrong foot with a 13.3 per cent decrease between January and March, during this same period last year, permits were up by 16.9 per cent. Even though summer was not as defined as it was in the previous year, it did not stop the onslaught of pool permit registrations as another 6657 (+742) were reported between April and July in 2019, representing a year-over-year increase of 12.5 per cent. Despite 827 (+12.9 per cent) more permits being issued in the first seven months of 2019 in comparison to 2018, 111 fewer permits (-5.7 per cent) were issued last year between August and December.

Although the permits dipped toward the end of the year, the total number registered last year (9096) was the most in the last 11 years. In fact, every CMA in the province had year-over-year increases between 2018 and 2019. Montreal, the largest city in this region, was up for the second year in a row by 4.1 per cent; however, it was the Ottawa-Gatineau region that had the biggest year-over-year increase at 233.7 per cent—from 107 permits registered in 2018 to 584 in 2019. Of note, Sherbrooke, the only CMA to report a decrease in pool permits in 2018, reported an increase of 12 per cent last year.

After the province’s comeback year in 2018, the region is not looking back. In fact, three CMAs are represented on the list of top areas with year-over-year permit increases, including Ottawa-Gatineau, Montreal (second consecutive year), and Sherbrooke). Quebec City, which held the first position last year for increased permits, failed to make the list; however, this CMA recorded its fifth consecutive year of permit increases in 2019. Overall, 716 more pool permits were registered in the province in 2019 compared to the year prior.

Quebec represents 71 per cent of the total number of pool building permits issued in the country’s CMAs, which is an increase of 4.2 per cent in comparison to 2018.