Statistics Canada reported Thursday that the total value of building permits in the country increased 7.5 percent to C$6.5 billion in February, following an 11.4 percent decline in January. The non-residential sector led the way in February as the value of permits increased 36.2 percent to C$2.5 billion, reversing a 20.6 percent decrease in January. On the other hand, residential permits declined 5.3 percent to C$3.9 billion.
The biggest increases in February came from the industrial component, which surged 151.1 percent to C$714 million in February, after three consecutive monthly declines. The value of commercial building permits rose 3.4 percent to C$1.3 billion following a 19.7 percent January drop.