On Tuesday, Statistics Canada reported that building permits in the country fell 5.2 percent to $6.5 billion in April, following two consecutive monthly increases. After two consecutive monthly advances, the value of permits in the non-residential sector decreased 8.4 percent to $2.7 billion. In the residential sector, the value of permits fell 2.8 percent to $3.8 billion in April, a fourth consecutive monthly decrease.
The value of commercial building permits rose 1.9 percent to $1.6 billion in April, representing the third consecutive monthly increase. The advance resulted from gains in four provinces, which offset the declines recorded in the remaining provinces. Industrial construction intentions surged 34.7 percent to $554 million, following a 42.4 percent decline in March.