Statistics Canada says value of building permits in December climbs to $6.9B

OTTAWA – Statistics Canada says the total value of building permits issued by Canadian municipalities rose 11.3 per cent to $6.9 billion in December.

The agency says permits for multi-family homes in Quebec, Ontario, British Columbia and Alberta were the main reason for the increase from November.

The value of permits issued for the residential sector grew by 16.3 per cent to $4.7 billion in December, with gains in every province except Saskatchewan.

The value of building permits for multi-family homes rose 39.1 per cent to $2.3 billion in December, while permits for single-family homes edged down 0.1 per cent to about $2.3 billion.

Non-residential building permits increased 2.5 per cent to $2.3 billion as an increase in the value of commercial permits more than offset decreases in the institutional and industrial sectors.

Permits for commercial buildings rose 14.6 per cent to $1.3 billion in December, while the industrial sector dropped 3.2 per cent to $405 million and institutional construction permits fell 13.6 per cent to $594 million.

The total value of building permits in 2015 totalled $85.0 billion, unchanged from 2014, as an increase in residential construction plans rose 4.4 per cent, offset by a 6.3 per cent drop on the non-residential side.