The Toronto region’s skylines are looking less dynamic again this year as there are fewer cranes on fewer projects for the second year in a row. According to UrbanToronto’s UTPro construction project tracking, as of January 1, 2026, there were 235 cranes on buildings across the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA). This represents a decrease of 44 cranes compared to our report for the same period last year.
Historical map of cranes in the GTA in dark blue, Hamilton in light blue, October 2022 to January 2026. Data from UTPro.
Not all regions of the GTHA experienced similar crane loss. While Toronto, Hamilton and Halton saw significant declines, York and Peel regions saw slight increases in cranes.
Map of the regions of the GTHA and the number of cranes in each region. As of January 1, 2026. Data from UTPro.The changes in cranes in each region compared to the same time last year. Data from UTPro.
Across the GTHA, there are 215 projects using 293 cranes to construct 402 buildings. At 351 meters (1,154 feet), Pinnacle One Yonge’s SkyTower is the tallest project with a crane. At the other end of the spectrum, the shortest project involving a crane is the Ontario Line: Moss Park Station, whose entrance pavilion will rise just 8 meters (26 feet) above the ground. The typical height for a project with a crane is 42.5 meters, or about 11 floors.
Summary table of GTHA crane projects as of the end of Q4 2025. Data from UTPro.
The City of Toronto currently has 101 projects with at least one crane, 19 fewer than the same period last year. The number of projects in the Halton region fell from 22 projects last year to just 12 projects involving a crane this year – a drop of 83%. However, Peel Region saw an increase in the number of crane projects from 20 to 23. However, despite the sharp decline in the number of projects overall, the gross floor area (GFA) under construction only fell by 0.06%, indicating that larger projects are currently under construction. This is also reflected in the number of projects with more than 4 cranes: 1 this year, compared to only 2 last year.
Pie chart for total crane development projects by GTHA region as of the end of Q4 2025. Data from UTPro.
Despite the slight decline in GFA under construction, it is still worrying that fewer projects are under construction this year. Market conditions have yet to change. As the pipeline of new projects continues to shrink, the number of cranes in the sky is expected to continue to decline.
However, construction is still taking place on a large scale. This is further supported by the fact that some regions such as Peel and York are actually seeing an increase in crane activity. There are bright spots out there; may become more apparent as pressure increases in other regions.
A crane looms over One Bloor West in late daylight, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor yyzfa
We’ll be back in April with our next quarterly crane count update. In the meantime, you can always follow the situation via our new Crane Report thread, where you can track cranes on all projects in the GTHA.
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UrbanToronto’s research and data service, UrbanToronto Pro, provides comprehensive data on construction projects in the Greater Toronto-Hamilton area – from proposal to completion. We also offer instant reports, downloadable snapshots based on location, and a daily subscription newsletter, New Development Insider, that tracks projects from the first application.​