Canadian building permits index much lower in June

Municipalities issued building permits worth $6.4 billion in June, down 5.5% from the previous month. Lower construction intentions for multi-family dwellings and institutional buildings were mostly responsible for the decline.

In the residential sector, the value of building permits fell 5.0% to $4.1 billion. This was the third consecutive monthly decline. The decrease in the value of multi-family dwelling permits more than offset the gain posted by single-family homes. Five provinces recorded declines, led by British Columbia and Ontario.

The value of non-residential permits was down 6.2% to $2.3 billion in June, led by lower construction intentions for institutional buildings. Decreases were registered in seven provinces. Ontario and the Northwest Territories posted the most notable declines.

The value of permits for multi-family dwellings was down 15.8% to $1.7 billion in June. Declines were recorded in seven provinces, led by Ontario and British Columbia

The value of institutional building permits was down 20.6% to $664 million in June, following notable gains the two previous months. Lower construction intentions for hospitals were largely responsible for the drop. Declines were posted in six provinces. The most notable decreases were registered in Ontario and the Northwest Territories, both of which recorded large increases the previous month. Saskatchewan reported the largest advance for institutional building intentions.