London CMA rebounded strongly in March 2026, with total building permits rising to $154.4M (+25.2% MoM) — the highest monthly total since the December 2025 spike. The year-over-year comparison remains negative (−31.1%) against an unusually elevated March 2025 ($224.1M), but the underlying trend is positive heading into the Q2 construction season. Ontario's industrial component surged in March, led by Ontario (+$510.8M) — directly relevant to the London CMA and SW Ontario logistics corridor. The institutional pipeline nationally recovered sharply (+83.3% MoM) after February's steep correction, reinforcing that the February decline was a timing anomaly rather than a structural retreat. London CMA continues to lead all 15 monitored CMAs in non-residential construction cost increases — Q3 2025 (+2.0%) and Q4 2025 (+2.3%) — with a YoY non-residential cost increase of +9.9%. Stratford, Woodstock, St. Thomas, Strathroy, Goderich, Exeter, and Tillsonburg continue capturing spill-over ICI activity as site costs and labour in the London CMA tighten.

Rising construction costs, a tightening labour market, tariff pressures, and a strong institutional pipeline across SW Ontario make market intelligence, procurement connections, and training access more valuable — not less. London CMA has now led Canada in non-residential cost increases for two consecutive quarters. Members with access to project data via Link2Build and LDCA's regional network are better positioned to price, bid, and win work as the Q2 2026 construction season opens.

Total building permits surged $1.3B (+10.3%) to $13.5B, driven entirely by non-residential. The ICI sector posted its strongest monthly gain in over a year — up 38.4% to $5.5B. Institutional led (+$817M to $1.8B), concentrated in B.C. where newly approved medical institution permits (+$666M) drove the jump. Industrial surged 44.4% to $1.5B, led by Ontario (+$511M) and Quebec (+$114M) — the biggest industrial monthly gain since mid-2024 and a direct signal of strengthening manufacturing and logistics investment across SW Ontario. Commercial partially recovered (+12.3%) after four consecutive monthly declines. MURB fell 4.9% to $5.3B, led by Ontario (−$393M) and Quebec (−$164M).