Statistics revealed that Canada's new housing price index rose 0.4 per cent in December, the same increase as registered in November.

The company revealed its prices to be up by 0.8 per cent in Ottawa-Gatineau, the greatest increase in the country. That was followed by 0.7 per cent gains in St. John's, Toronto, Oshawa, Ont., and Vancouver.

Statscan said: "In Ottawa-Gatineau, the increase in prices was attributable to good market conditions and competitive factors."

Of the 21 metropolitan areas surveyed, only Calgary and Victoria registered decreases in new housing prices. Both decreased by 0.2 per cent, Statistics Canada said Thursday.

The Canadian Real Estate Association auger that the record home resale prices this year starts rose to a 15-month high in January

Major largest declines came in Western Canada. New home prices in Edmonton registered a decline by 9.1 per cent in the 12 months up to the end of December. In Victoria, prices declined by 8.2 per cent over the same period.

The largest year-over-year increase was in Quebec City, at 6.9 per cent.