According to OCS, total ICI building construction investment increased 17 per cent year-over-year in Q1, with the largest gain coming from the institutional sector.
According to structure type, medical and hospitals, transportation and utilities, and schools and education remained at the top. Investment in Q1 2025 was up in all sectors compared to year ago levels. Industrial investment was up 11 per cent, commercial investment was up 14 per cent, and institutional investment was up a larger 28 per cent year-over-year.
Looking at building types, medical and hospitals saw the largest year-over-year gain between Q1 2024 and Q1 2025.
The OCS noted that Windsor once again came in with a staggering increase from $1.1 million to $10.4 million, as the Windsor Acute Care Hospital moves onto the next stage of construction.
Expansions to hospitals in Thunder Bay and Barrie also drove big percentage increases in building investment.
The transportation and utilities sector came in second place yet again, with most significant tailwinds coming from Oshawa, London, and Ottawa. Work on the final phase of the Ottawa LRT, and infrastructure work for bus transit in London and Oshawa continue to amplify building investment expenditures. Lastly, schools and education continued to boast massively elevated building investment activity in Brantford, owing to continued progress on several new elementary schools.
Similarly, Oshawa also saw a significant boost to its Q1 year-over-year figures, as progress continues on a plethora of new schools announced in the region.
KW-Cambridge also sustained increased levels of investment due to work on university and college campus expansions.
