Atlantic
Once again, a long, bitter-cold winter with multiple record snowfalls took its toll on the pool industry in Atlantic Canada. As a result, during the first six months of the year, which many will agree are the most important with respect to having a successful, prosperous season, this region was down 14.3 per cent after recording significant gains in 2014. That year, record summer temperatures helped this region out; however, this was not the case in 2015, as pool permit registrations continued to fall during the latter part of the season as well. Year-over-year, this region experienced a 17.4 per cent decrease.
More specifically, the pool permit registration gains experienced in Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island in 2014 were short lived, as similar to 2013, permits fell in 2015 by 24 per cent and 16.6 per cent, respectively. On the other hand, New Brunswick continued its three-year downward spiral with a 24.3 per cent decrease. Weather certainly had a negative impact on the pool industry in New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island, as according to a Canadian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society (CMOS-SCMO) report, a nor’easter hit these regions hard in mid-February, dropping 450 mm (1.5 ft) of snow in the former and 800 mm (2.6 ft) in the latter.
One anomaly in this region occurred in St. John’s, Nfld. One year after experiencing the city’s hottest July on record, last July was considered one of the coldest (a 10-degree difference). In addition to this, the month was also the second wettest on record. All things considered, permit registration during the first six months of the year were up by 43 per cent year-over-year. And, despite the market dropping off throughout the remainder of the year (100 per cent in August alone), the province still recorded a 4.5 per cent increase in pool permit registrations.
This region represents 1.1 per cent of the total number of building permits issued in Canadian CMAs, which is the same percentage as 2014.
Top five major urban centres with increased building permit registration in 2015 |
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|---|---|---|---|
| Region | 2014 | 2015 | (+) Change |
| Montreal | 3763 | 4175 | 412 |
| Kelowna | 140 | 243 | 103 |
| Toronto | 228 | 279 | 51 |
| Brantford | 31 | 59 | 28 |
| Winnipeg | 106 | 125 | 19 |
Quebec
Winter 2015 took a firm grasp of the pool industry in Quebec, just as it did the year prior, which delayed project starts and moved the idea of a pool installation down on the list of homeowner priorities. In fact, according to CMOS-SCMO, temperatures experienced in the province in February were almost 10 degrees below average. However, the cold winter and spring, which was followed by a not-so-balmy summer, did not stop this province from making a comeback of sorts with respect to the homeowner’s desire to put a pool in their backyard.
That said, after experiencing a 15.3 per cent decrease in pool permit registrations in 2014, the province rebounded in 2015 with an 8.5 per cent increase. Although the year did not start off on the right track (down 62 per cent in January), the industry heated up between the months of February and May with 2,596 registered permits, representing a 22.4 per cent increase year-over-year during this period. Although permits decreased slightly over the next two months (June and July), the province finished the year off strong with an 11.7 per cent increase in permit registrations over 2014. Interestingly, whereas only one of six CMAs in the province (Saguenay) registered increased pool permits in 2014, four (one more than in 2013) showed positive increases last year. Further, whereas Montreal accounted for 87 per cent of the province’s year-over-year decrease in 2014, last year The City of Saints led the rally with 77.5 per cent of all permit registrations. After two years in the top spot for decreased pool permit activity in all of Canada, this resurgence has seen the urban centre not only become the largest sector for pool permit registrations in the province, but also the country.
The city of Trois-Rivières, where pool permit registrations decreased in 2014 by 20.5 per cent also experienced a large turnaround in 2015 with a 14.5 per cent increase year-over-year.
Overall, the province saw 425 more pool permits registered in 2015, with Saguenay (20.2 per cent, 17 less permits) and Sherbrooke (2.7 per cent, 11 less permits) experiencing year-over-year decreases.
Quebec represents 71.4 per cent of the total number of pool building permits issued in the country’s CMAs, which is an increase of 2.4 per cent in comparison to 2014.
