According to Statistics Canada, the composite price index for non-residential building construction rose 0.3 percent in the fourth quarter compared with the previous quarter. The increase was led by the industrial sector, reflecting higher material prices reported by contractors in the architectural and structural trades.
Of the seven census metropolitan areas surveyed, Montréal (+1.2 percent) recorded the largest increase, followed by Ottawa (+0.4 percent) and Toronto (+0.3 percent). Calgary (-0.2 percent) and Edmonton (-0.1 percent) reported the only declines.
Year over year, the composite price index for non-residential building construction rose 0.7 percent. The largest year-over-year gains were recorded in Toronto and Vancouver (both up 1.7 percent). Edmonton and Calgary (both down 1.4 percent) reported the only declines compared with the fourth quarter of 2014.