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

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OTTAWA – Statistics Canada says the total value of building permits issued by Canadian municipalities rose 11.3 percent 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 percent 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 percent 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 percent 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 totaled $85.0 billion, unchanged from 2014, as an increase in residential construction plans rose 4.4 per cent, offset by a 6.3 percent drop on the non-residential side.