The New Housing Price Index rose 0.4%, as Regina recorded the largest percentage increase in the country.
Statistics Canada reports the larger metropolitan areas of Toronto-Oshawa and Montreal were the top contributors to the overall rise in new house prices.
Between April and May, prices increased 1.7% in Regina, 1.0% in Kitchener—Cambridge—Waterloo, Ont., and 0.9% in Toronto and Oshawa.
StatsCan reports the rise in Regina's prices was mostly a result of increased material, labour and land-development costs, while builders in Kitchener—Cambridge—Waterloo and in Toronto and Oshawa attributed their increases to competitive market conditions.
Prices remained unchanged in seven of the 21 metropolitan regions surveyed.
The most significant monthly price decline was recorded in Ottawa—Gatineau, down 0.7% as some builders offered promotional pricing or free upgrade packages to generate sales.
Year over year, the index was up 1.9% in May following an identical increase in April.
