According to Statistics Canada, Canadian municipalities issued $7.1 billion worth of building permits in April, down 0.2 percent from March. Lower construction intentions for single-family dwellings were mainly responsible for the national decrease.
The value of residential building permits issued by Canadian municipalities fell 2.5 percent in April to $4.5 billion, marking a third consecutive monthly decrease. Lower construction intentions for single-family dwellings more than offset a moderate gain in the multi-family component.
Construction intentions for single-family dwellings fell 8.1 percent in April to $2.5 billion. Conversely, multi-family dwelling construction intentions rose 5.6 percent in April to just under $2.0 billion. The increase followed a 21.1 percent drop in March.
Canadian municipalities approved the construction of 16,701 new dwellings in April (down 0.7 percent compared with March), consisting of 6,015 single units (-1.5 percent) and 10,686 multi-family units (-0.2 percent).
Municipalities issued $2.6 billion worth of building permits for non-residential structures in April, up 4.1 percent from the previous month. The increase was mainly the result of higher construction intentions for institutional and industrial structures, with both components rising for a second consecutive month.
The institutional component rose 10.7 percent in April to $790 million, following a 18.3 percent increase in March. Higher construction intentions for government administration buildings and medical facilities, including a major hospital renewal project in Ontario, contributed most to the gain.
The value of building permits issued for industrial structures rose 14.6 percent to $512 million in April, following a 12.3 percent gain the previous month. The increase in April was mainly attributable to manufacturing plants, utility buildings, and maintenance facilities.
In contrast, the commercial component decreased 3.0 percent in April to $1.3 billion, largely due to lower construction intentions for warehouses in Ontario.