Statistics Canada reported Monday that building permits totaled $7.3 billion in May, up 4.5 percent from April, the fifth consecutive monthly increase. The increase in May came mainly from the residential sector in Ontario and the non-residential sector in Quebec.
Residential sector permit values increased 4.2 percent to $4.6 billion in May. This advance followed a 21.6 percent gain in April and was the third consecutive monthly increase. The gain in May was attributable to both single- and multi-family dwellings. The value of residential building permits was up in seven provinces led largely by Ontario, followed by Alberta and Nova Scotia. British Columbia posted the largest decline.
In the non-residential sector, the value of building permits rose 5 percent to $2.8 billion in May. Quebec, Ontario and Manitoba were behind most of the growth at the national level. Declines were recorded in Alberta, New Brunswick and British Columbia.