Alberta rebound drives building permits

OTTAWA — Municipalities issued $7.6 billion worth of building permits in October, up 8.7% from September. Higher construction intentions for commercial structures and residential dwellings in Alberta were responsible for much of the gain, as builders filed permits in advance of the changes in the provincial Building Code. The value of permits for single-family dwellings rose 7.7% to $2.8 billion in October, a third consecutive monthly increase. The advance mainly stemmed from higher construction intentions in Alberta and Ontario. In the multi-family dwelling component, $2.3 billion worth of permits were issued in October, up 7.7% from September.