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Canadian real estate developers are on a tear, starting construction on a record number of multiple-unit projects.

A November surge in everything from semi-detached homes to condos has brought the number of housing starts over the past 12 months to the highest on record in data going back to 1959, according to figures released Friday by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp.

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The jump surprised policy makers and analysts particularly given the softening that has taken place in the Toronto resale market, the country’s largest, in recent months.

“Canadian home building activity remains rock solid,” BMO Capital Markets economist Robert Kavcic said in a note to investors. “Builders in the biggest cities appear to be responding to supply shortages as best as possible.”

On an annualized basis, multiples construction in urban areas jumped to 175,016 units in November, CMCH said. The surge drove the total number of housing starts to an annualized 252,184 units, the highest since 2012. That’s up from 222,695 units in October and well above the 213,000 expected by economists.