Statistics Canada reported Monday that the total value of building permits fell 13.2 percent to $6.5 billion in September, following a 9.5 percent advance in August, largely due to a sharp drop in the non-residential sector.
Construction intentions in the non-residential sector declined 30.8 percent to $2.2 billion after a 27.7 percent increase in August. In the institutional component, the value of permits fell 44.5 percent to $586 million, after more than doubling in August. The industrial building component experienced a 52.1 percent drop from the previous month and the permits fell 11.8 percent in the commercial component.
In the residential sector, the value of permits edged up 0.4 percent to $4.2 billion, following two consecutive monthly decreases, not nearly enough to offset the decline in non-residential construction.