Building permits up 7.4 per cent in October, Statistics Canada says

OTTAWA – Statistics Canada says municipalities issued $7.2 billion worth of building permits in October, up 7.4 per cent from September.

The agency says the October increase resulted from growth in both the residential and non-residential sectors, principally in Ontario.

Construction plans in the residential sector posted a second-straight monthly increase, rising 6.4 per cent to $4.4 billion with increases registered in six provinces, led by Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia.

In the non-residential sector, the value of permits rose 9.0 per cent to $2.8 billion, the sixth monthly increase since the beginning of the year

Gains were posted in half the provinces, with Ontario and Saskatchewan responsible for most of the increases.

Construction plans for multi-family dwellings rose 8.4 per cent to $2.0 billion in October, while the value of permits for single-family dwellings increased 4.7 per cent to $2.4 billion.