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The red-hot condominium market drove an increase in new home construction in Canada last month as starts of single detached houses continued to fall, new data shows.

Housing starts rose to 229,737 in February, a 7 per cent increase compared to the previous month, according to seasonally adjusted annual rates from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. Construction of condominiums and other dwellings containing multiple units jumped by 14 per cent nationwide, compared to a 7 per cent decline in single-detached houses.

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Activity was particularly strong in Ontario, where new home starts jumped to 102,838 units, a 26 per cent increase. This was led by activity in the Toronto area, which rose 78 per cent on the back of a record number of condominiums starts, the CMHC said in a release.

New construction of the highly sought-after housing type soared by 103 per cent to 63,396 units in Toronto while starts of single-detached homes fell by 13 per cent to 7,635.