Ontario Construction News staff writer
Amid a surge of renovations, swimming pools were a popular home improvement in 2020, according to analysis of Ontario building permits. The Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC), which tracks property data across the province, counted 6,796 swimming pool permits issued in 2020, an increase of 53.2 per cent over the previous year.
“Swimming pools are obviously a significant investment, and many property owners evidently decided to take the plunge during the pandemic,” says Carmelo Lipsi, MPAC vice president and chief operating officer.
“This is another indication that people were very focused on their homes in 2020 – perhaps because public health restrictions necessitated spending more time at home.”
The spike in swimming pool permits in 2020 was in stark contrast to the previous two years, which saw sinking numbers: decreases of 14 per cent in 2018 (4,584 permits) and 3.2% in 2019 (4,437 permits).
Ottawa took Ontario’s swimming pool crown in 2020, issuing 936 permits – an increase of 57 per cent from the previous year and more than double any other municipality.
Hamilton was next with 428 permits, followed by London (266) and Burlington (202). As for the rate of increase, Milton far eclipsed all other municipalities, with a 1,550 per cent increase (165 permits, compared to just 10 in 2019).
“Time will tell if this was a one-time blip, or swimming pools will continue to be a popular upgrade to residential properties” Lipsi said. “These trends tell us about property owners’ priorities and how the marketplace is evolving.”
