According to Statistics Canada, municipalities issued $7.1 billion worth of building permits in September, down 6.7 percent from the previous month. This was the second consecutive monthly decline. Lower construction intentions for residential buildings and commercial structures in Ontario largely explained the decline.
The value of residential building permits declined 11.6 percent from August to $4.2 billion in September. This marked the second consecutive monthly decline following two months of gains.
Construction intentions for non-residential buildings rose 1.6 percent to $2.9 billion in September, the first increase in three months.
The value of building permits for multi-family dwellings declined 20.0 percent to $1.8 billion in September, marking the second decrease in three months.
The value of single-family dwelling permits was down 3.7 percent to $2.3 billion in September. This was the second consecutive monthly decline.
Municipalities approved the construction of 16,907 new dwellings in September, down 9.4 percent from August. The decline came from multi-family dwellings, which fell 11.6 percent to 11,235 new units, and single-family dwellings, which decreased 4.8 percent to 5,672 new units.
In the institutional component, the value of permits rose 15.6 percent to $744 million in September, the first increase in three months. The advance at the national level was attributable to higher construction intentions for medical facilities.
The value of permits issued for industrial buildings rose 16.3 percent to $550 million, following two consecutive monthly declines. The gains were primarily attributable to increases in the value of building permits for utilities buildings and manufacturing plants.
Construction intentions for commercial buildings fell 7.8 percent to $1.6 billion in September, following a 10.9 percent increase in July and a 2.4 percent advance in August. Lower construction intentions for office buildings and recreational facilities largely explained the decline in the component.