Building permits down in May

OTTAWA — Municipalities issued building permits worth $6.8 billion in May, according to StatCan, down 1.9% from the previous month. Lower construction intentions for commercial buildings in Quebec and Ontario and single-family homes in Ontario contributed most to the decrease. In the residential sector, the value of building permits was down 1.1% to $4.3 billion, following a 0.9% drop the previous month. The increase in the value of multi-family dwelling permits was not sufficient to offset the decline for single-family dwellings. Decreases were posted in six provinces, led by Alberta. The value of permits for single-family dwellings decreased 7.2% to $2.3 billion in May, following three consecutive monthly increases. Declines were recorded in seven provinces, led by Ontario, followed distantly by New Brunswick and British Columbia.