Statistics Canada reported Monday that Canadian building permits decreased 6.5 percent to C$6.16 billion (US$6.13 billion) in October, the sixth decline in the last seven months.
Residential construction permits fell 11.2 percent, and single-family permits were down 9.4 percent, while permits for multiple-unit structures dropped 13.6 percent.
The decline in permits for residential construction was slightly offset by a 0.1 percent increase in non-residential construction in October over September. Permits for commercial projects were up 8.8 percent, while institutional permits in October over September declined 20.4 percent, after a 23.7 percent increase from August to September.