Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation says the preliminary, seasonally adjusted housing starts in Canada rose from 212,095 in June to 245,604 in July. That was a rise of 16 per cent. In Saskatchewan, total starts rocketed up 240 per cent, climbing from 2,312 in June to 7,852 in July. In Saskatoon, the rise was 252 per cent, from 1,926 in June to 6,776 in July. CMHC Chief Economist Bob Dugan says, “The national trend in housing starts increased for a second month in July.” He says, “Higher multi-family starts in major urban areas and oil-producing centres in the Prairies drove the national increase.”