According to Statistics Canada, the total monthly value of building permits in Canada increased 10.5 percent in May to $10.5 billion.
The total monthly value of residential permits rose 8.5 percent to $6.8 billion in May, with Ontario contributing to 45.8 percent of Canada's residential permit values.
Ontario increased 16.3 percent month over month to $3.1 billion, led by multi-dwelling permits issued in urban areas. New Brunswick (+27.2 percent or +$22.2 million) had the highest provincial growth rate, while Quebec (+10.8 percent or +$102.3 million), Alberta (+4.7 percent or +$34.5 million) and British Columbia (+3.7 percent or +$50.3 million) observed more modest gains.
Across Canada, permits for 3,800 new residential units were issued for single-family homes in May, compared with permits for 17,700 new dwellings in multi-unit buildings.
The total monthly value of non-residential permits rose 14.2 percent to $3.7 billion in May.
Commercial permits surged (+45.8 percent or +$703.4 million), more than offsetting monthly losses in the institutional component (-23.3 percent or -$251.3 million).
Despite overall monthly gains, the value of non-residential construction intentions in May was down 11.2 percent year over year.