While the size of the market determines the amount of service activity within a city, it may have more service activity than indicated by the size of the market, and this surplus of facilities is called "centrality". A high index value of centrality implies that the city is serving an extensive region outside the city, as well as the urban market itself. Conversely, a deficiency of service facilities suggests that the city's external role is quite limited, or that it may even import goods and service from nearby centres. In general the agricultural centres of western Canada have the highest values of centrality, while the lower values are found in industrial cities of central Canada (Ontario and Quebec) or isolated resource towns. Centrality implies an extensive and well-populated service area.

Wholesaling is that part of the service sector that distributes goods from importers or manufacturers to retailers. This map shows the difference between the actual employment in wholesaling and the expected level, based on the city's population and income. Some of the most intensely specialized wholesale locations are smaller places that are close to Toronto or Montréal. The map also contrasts the cities of the Prairie provinces, which have extensive service areas and therefore significant wholesale roles, with the industrial cities of Ontario and Quebec, which have smaller service areas and therefore less wholesaling.

Public-service activities are funded, located and administered by governments. The map shows the difference between the actual employment in all public-service activities and the expected level, based on the city's population. Unlike the various commercial sectors, the consumption of public-sector services is not closely related to income levels, so the expected levels of employment depend mainly on population size. Cities with more public-sector jobs than expected are specialized; those with negative values are deficient. In general, smaller cities are more likely to have high or low levels of public-sector specialization, since large cities tend to provide the full range of service activities and therefore have less specialization in services.

This map shows the difference between the actual employment in financial services and the expected level, based on the city's population and income. The financial services have become an important part of present-day consumption, providing a variety of banking, insurance and investment services. Some activities act like convenience retail (banks and credit unions) and others are more like retail shopping activity (stockbrokers and insurance companies). Still others are oriented to businesses, or deal with each other in concentrated financial districts in large cities. In general, smaller cities are more likely to have either high or low levels of specialization, since large cities tend to provide the full range of financial activities.

Significant progress has been made globally in reducing GHG emissions from the operation of buildings, however, huge challenges still remain in mitigating the embodied emissions from the manufacturing, transportation, and disposing of building materials. This is particularly relevant in BC, where electricity is largely generated from renewable sources, indicating limited potential for further reducing GHG emissions from building operations. Therefore, investigating the options to reduce embodied GHG emissions in building materials presents another crucial opportunity to further mitigate the overall GHG emissions from buildings. For example, the City of Vancouver’s newly released Climate Emergency Action Plan has set an ambitious goal of reducing 40% embodied GHG emissions in new buildings compared to the 2018 benchmark. To support decision-making that could ultimately fulfill such an ambitious goal, it is imperative that a standard approach is used to derive benchmark buildings and the corresponding bill-of-materials (BoM). Accordingly, we compiled a BoM dataset of 35 typical buildings in Canada. The data was classified into “whole-building level” and “assembly-level”, and building materials were sorted by an aggregation system (see below) in both classifications. Whole-building-level BoM contains data for 33 buildings, including institutional buildings and residential houses at the University of British Columbia, container-based single-family housing, single-family residential building, precast concrete commercial buildings, etc. On the other hand, assembly-level BoM contains material data for different structural components of one multi-unit apartment and one typical newly-built single-family home in Vancouver. The aggregation system organizes the material data by three tiers - M1, M2, and M3, which offers 3 hierarchical levels of specificity. The first hierarchical level (M1) provides the least specified information while the final level (M3) provides the most detailed information. For example, Aluminum cold-rolled sheet (M3) is categorized within Aluminum (M2) under Metal (M1). This aggregation system offers the flexibility for LCA practitioners to obtain BoM information at the resolution that fits their scope of work.

The maps of growth rates for the period 1986 to 1996 tell us how many jobs each city has added relative to its size, so that cities can be compared. Those cities that have special advantages for service activity will be the places that grow in the future. The difference in the employment totals (1996 value minus 1986 value) is called the absolute growth; and the absolute growth divided by the 1986 value is called the growth rate (absolute growth / 1986 value). Almost all places with a growth rate of more than 40% in total service employment over the decade are located in Alberta, British Columbia or within 200 kilometres of Toronto or Montréal. Saskatchewan and Manitoba do very poorly, and the Atlantic provinces and other parts of Ontario and Quebec display a variety of growth rates, some being high but most low.

Retailing is the most familiar service of all: goods are brought together, displayed and sold directly to consumers. This map shows the difference between the actual employment in retail and the expected level, based on the city's population and income. Retail activity is usually divided into two categories: the provision of convenience goods, such as food, drugs and gasoline, that are purchased on a daily or weekly basis — usually from the nearest outlet — and the provision of shopping goods, such as clothes, furniture or new cars. Customers prefer to compare several stores before buying shopping goods. The specialization in retailing is evident throughout western Canada, including British Columbia, wherever cities serve extensive trade (market) areas. There is a corresponding deficiency of retail facilities in the cities of Ontario and Quebec, especially in and around the largest cities where trade areas are smaller.

Wholesaling is that part of the service sector that distributes goods from importers or manufacturers to retailers. This map shows the difference between the actual employment in wholesaling and the expected level, based on the city's population and income. Some of the most intensely specialized wholesale locations are smaller places that are close to Toronto or Montréal. The map also contrasts the cities of the Prairie provinces, which have extensive service areas and therefore significant wholesale roles, with the industrial cities of Ontario and Quebec, which have smaller service areas and therefore less wholesaling.

Public-service activities are funded, located and administered by governments. The map shows the difference between the actual employment in all public-service activities and the expected level, based on the city's population. Unlike the various commercial sectors, the consumption of public-sector services is not closely related to income levels, so the expected levels of employment depend mainly on population size. Cities with more public-sector jobs than expected are specialized; those with negative values are deficient. In general, smaller cities are more likely to have high or low levels of public-sector specialization, since large cities tend to provide the full range of service activities and therefore have less specialization in services.

Public administration includes employment at the three levels of government: federal, provincial and municipal. The map shows the difference between the actual employment in public administration and the expected level, based on the city's population. Cities with more public administration jobs than expected are specialized; those with negative values are deficient. In general, smaller cities are more likely to have high or low levels of specialization, whereas large cities tend to provide the full range of service activities and therefore have less overall specialization in services.

Public administration includes employment at the three levels of government: federal, provincial and municipal. The map shows the difference between the actual employment in public administration and the expected level, based on the city's population. Cities with more public administration jobs than expected are specialized; those with negative values are deficient. In general, smaller cities are more likely to have high or low levels of specialization, whereas large cities tend to provide the full range of service activities and therefore have less overall specialization in services.

While the size of the market determines the amount of service activity within a city, it may have more service activity than indicated by the size of the market, and this surplus of facilities is called "centrality". A high index value of centrality implies that the city is serving an extensive region outside the city, as well as the urban market itself. Conversely, a deficiency of service facilities suggests that the city's external role is quite limited, or that it may even import goods and service from nearby centres. In general the agricultural centres of western Canada have the highest values of centrality, while the lower values are found in industrial cities of central Canada (Ontario and Quebec) or isolated resource towns. Centrality implies an extensive and well-populated service area.

The house price for Ontario is forecast to decrease by eight percent in 2023, followed by a minor increase of one percent in 2024. From roughly 932,000 Canadian dollars, the average house price in Canada's second most expensive province for housing is expected to fall to 861,000 Canadian dollars in 2024. After British Columbia, Ontario is Canada's most expensive province for housing. Ontario Ontario is the most populated province in Canada, located on the eastern-central side of the country. It is an English speaking province. To the south, it borders American states Minnesota, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York. Its provincial capital and largest city is Toronto. It is also home to Canada’s national capital, Ottawa. Furthermore, a large part of Ontario’s economy comes from manufacturing, as it is the leading manufacturing province in Canada. The population of Ontario has been steadily increasing since 2000. The population in 2018 was an estimated 14.3 million people. The median total family income in 2016 came to 83,160 Canadian dollars. Ontario housing market The number of housing units sold in Ontario is projected to rise until 2024. Additionally, the average home prices in Ontario have significantly increased since 2007.

An Area of Concern (AOC) is a location where environmental quality is degraded compared to other areas in the Great Lake Basin resulting in the impairment of beneficial uses. A total of 43 AOCs were identified as a result of Annex 2 of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (GLWQA).The Canada-United States GLWQA identifies 14 beneficial uses that must be restored in order to remove the designation as an Area of Concern. A beneficial use is defined as the ability of living organisms (including humans) to use the Great Lakes Basin Ecosystem without adverse consequences. A Beneficial Use Impairment (BUI) is a condition that interferes with the enjoyment of a water use. Each BUI has a set of locally-defined delisting criteria that are specific, measurable, achievable, and scientifically-defensible. The Remedial Action Plan (RAP) is administered locally in accordance with the Canada-U.S. Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (GLWQA) and the Canada-Ontario Agreement (COA). The RAP is an ongoing collaborative effort implemented by federal, provincial, and local governments as well as industry and public partners. There are 3 key stages of the RAP: Stage 1 is a detailed description of the environmental problem; Stage 2 identifies remedial actions and options; Stage 3 is the final document providing evidence that the beneficial uses have been restored and the AOC can be “delisted”. The Toronto and Region Area of Concern extends along the northern shoreline of Lake Ontario from the Rouge River in the east to Etobicoke Creek in the west. The 2000 km2 (200 000 ha) area includes the Toronto waterfront and 6 watersheds: Etobicoke Creek, Mimico Creek, Humber River, Don River, Highland Creek and Rouge River. The drainage basin of these watersheds makes the Area of Concern a study in contrasts: more than 40% of the area is still rural and contains one of the world’s largest natural parks in an urban/agricultural setting; at the same time, more than three million people live in the Area of Concern and the City of Toronto is in the centre of the most densely urbanized area in Canada. The Toronto region was designated as an AOC in 1986 because a review of available data indicated that water quality and environmental health were severely degraded. Several centuries of agriculture and urban development have dramatically reshaped the natural environment of the Toronto and Region AOC. Contaminants from stormwater runoff and melting snow from the area’s six watersheds create serious impacts in Lake Ontario. Overflows of stormwater mixed with raw sewage are a serious problem following heavy rains in the lower portions of the Don and Humber Rivers and along the waterfront. Spills, road runoff and chemical input to sewers from industries and residences also contribute to poor water quality. In the Toronto and Region AOC’s Remedial Action Plan (RAP) report, Clean Waters, Clear Choices: Recommendations for Action (1994) eight beneficial uses were identified as impaired and three were identified as requiring further assessment. For more information visit https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/great-lakes-protection/areas-concern/toronto-region.html

Retailing is the most familiar service of all: goods are brought together, displayed and sold directly to consumers. This map shows the difference between the actual employment in retail and the expected level, based on the city's population and income. Retail activity is usually divided into two categories: the provision of convenience goods, such as food, drugs and gasoline, that are purchased on a daily or weekly basis — usually from the nearest outlet — and the provision of shopping goods, such as clothes, furniture or new cars. Customers prefer to compare several stores before buying shopping goods. The specialization in retailing is evident throughout western Canada, including British Columbia, wherever cities serve extensive trade (market) areas. There is a corresponding deficiency of retail facilities in the cities of Ontario and Quebec, especially in and around the largest cities where trade areas are smaller.

This map shows the difference between the actual employment in financial services and the expected level, based on the city's population and income. The financial services have become an important part of present-day consumption, providing a variety of banking, insurance and investment services. Some activities act like convenience retail (banks and credit unions) and others are more like retail shopping activity (stockbrokers and insurance companies). Still others are oriented to businesses, or deal with each other in concentrated financial districts in large cities. In general, smaller cities are more likely to have either high or low levels of specialization, since large cities tend to provide the full range of financial activities.