Toronto Condo and Real Estate Blog

CTV.ca News Staff

Health Canada is proposing to sharply tighten standards for radon in homes and public buildings to reduce the risk of lung cancer.

“A lifetime exposure to radon is an increased risk of your getting lung cancer,” Pat Wall of the Radon Advisory Group told CTV News.

The new rules would require remedial measures when average radon concentrations in a living space exceed 200 becquerels per cubic meter. Canada’s current standard permits 800 becquerels per cubic metre of air.

A becquerel measures the radioactivity of a radioactive source - a measure of the disintegration of one radioactive atom per second, according to the Health Canada website.

The new guidelines will state that the higher the radon concentrations, the sooner remedial measures would have to be undertaken.

The proposed guidelines would bring Canada into line with many other countries which have already brought in lower limits.

“Health Canada has recommended a four-fold reduction in the guidelines based on new scientific evidence,” said the agency’s Dr. Jack Cornett.

Radon is an odourless and colourless gas produced by the decay of naturally occurring uranium in the soil.

While it’s not hazardous outdoors where it’s diluted by air, it becomes dangerous when it enters homes through basement cracks, hollow support posts, openings for utility connections and the water supply. Radon levels are generally highest in basements and crawl spaces because these areas are nearest to the source and are usually poorly ventilated.

“People should test their homes for Radon no matter where they are living,” said Wall.

Radon is considered the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers. Health Canada says 1,600 Canadians died of lung cancer caused by radon in 2000, and that figure could be reduced by a third with tighter limits.

Radon levels in indoor air can be lowered in various ways, such as sealing cracks in floors and walls or increasing the ventilation rate of the building. It is the responsibility of the homeowner to determine radon levels in their home.

Health Canada is inviting public comment for 60 days before it proceeds to final drafting of the radon guideline. Comments on the proposed target can be sent to radon@hc-sc.gc.ca or by mail to:

Radon, Radiation Protection Bureau,
Health Canada
775 Brookfield Road
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 1C1

The period for submission of comments will close on August 9, 2007.

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On average, households across ten major centres spent more than $11,000 on renovations in 2006

Canada News Wire

Approximately 1.5 million households in 10 major Canadian centres surveyed indicated they completed renovations last year, costing an average of more than $11,000, according to the new Renovation and Home Purchase Survey released today by Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC).

“More than $17.3 billion was spent on renovations last year across the 10 major centres surveyed,” said Bob Dugan, Chief Economist at CMHC. “As well, 46% of homeowners in these 10 centres surveyed indicated that they intend to spend $1,000 or more on renovations this year.”

The new Renovation and Home Purchase Survey is part of CMHC’s suite of enhanced surveys and analytical reports. The Renovation and Home Purchase Survey reports on actual renovation expenditures made in the previous year, as well as intentions to buy or renovate in 2007 in 10 major centres across Canada. The new survey enables all market participants to benefit from timely information on renovation market trends.

Close to half (47%) of households reported that the cost of renovations was in line with what they had budgeted. More than a third of households went over their planned budget for the renovation. Twenty-four per cent of households that undertook a renovation project were do-it-yourselfers who hired a contractor for a portion of the work. Slightly more households contracted out the renovation work (40% of respondents) as opposed to doing the work themselves (34%).

The main reason given by households for renovating in 2006 was to update, add value or to prepare to sell the residence (61%). Thirty per cent of respondents stated that the main reason for renovating was that their home needed repairs. The top three renovations completed last year were: remodelling of rooms (34%), painting or wallpapering (32%), and hard surface flooring and wall-to-wall carpeting (32%).

The share of households who spent $1,000 or more on renovations in 2006 was the largest in St. John’s at 37%, followed by Halifax at 36%, while a smaller proportion of households in Vancouver (30%) undertook renovations last year.

As for renovation intentions across the 10 major centres in 2007, they are strongest in Edmonton and Winnipeg where 51% and 50% of consumers, respectively, indicated they planned to undertake renovations costing $1,000 or more this year. The share of potential renovators is lowest in Toronto and Vancouver with 43% of households in each centre intending to renovate.

On the real estate purchasing front, eight per cent of households across the 10 major centres surveyed intend to purchase a home in 2007 that will be used as a primary residence. About half of the households that stated they intend to purchase a home in 2007 are first-time buyers, compared to 40% in 2006. The majority of first-time buyers are between the ages of 25 and 34, with a household income between $80,000 to about $100,000.

Home buying intentions are strongest in Calgary where 14% of households reported that they are considering buying a home this year. Purchase intentions are also strong in Edmonton where 11% of
households plan to buy, while the share is lowest in Montréal and Québec (6%).

As Canada’s national housing agency, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) draws on over 60 years of experience to help Canadians access a variety of quality, environmentally sustainable, and affordable homes - homes that will continue to create vibrant and healthy communities and cities across the country.

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Canada News Wire

The seasonally adjusted annual rate of housing starts was 229,700 units in May, up from 211,900 units in April, according to Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC).

“Although housing starts moved higher in May, much of the increase came from the volatile multiple segment which registered a significant increase in Ontario,” said Bob Dugan, Chief Economist at CMHC’s Market Analysis Centre. “Even with the strong performance in May, the single detached component, which is usually a strong trend indicator, increased only slightly compared to its April level. Rising mortgage carrying costs are expected to result in lower housing starts in 2007 compared to last year.”

The seasonally adjusted annual rate of urban starts increased 9.9% to 196,800 in May compared to April. Urban multiples were up 16.3% to 110,100 units in May, while single starts rose 2.8% to 86,700 units.

In May, seasonally adjusted urban starts went up in all regions except in the Prairies, where they edged down by 0.2%. Urban starts registered an increase of 21.9% in Ontario, 12.7% in the Atlantic, 10.5% in British Columbia, and 4.5% in Quebec. Urban single starts were either up or unchanged in all regions. Urban multiple starts edged down in the Prairies, but were up in other regions. The largest increase in urban multiple starts was in Ontario.

Rural starts were estimated at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 32,900 units in May.

Actual starts, in rural and urban areas combined, were down an estimated 3.8% in the first five months of 2007 compared to the same period in 2006. Actual starts in urban areas alone were down an estimated 5.8%. Actual single starts in urban areas were 11.7% lower than they were a year earlier, while actual urban multiple starts edged down 0.3%.

As Canada’s national housing agency, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) draws on over 60 years of experience to help Canadians access a variety of quality, environmentally sustainable, and affordable homes - homes that will continue to create vibrant and healthy communities and cities across the country. For more information, visit www.cmhc.ca or call 1-800-668-2642.

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