Residential permits slip in March

The value of building permits advanced 11.3 percent in March to $11.8 billion, StatCan reports, led by a 32 percent surge in the non-residential sector. Residential permits declined by 0.9 percent to $6.6 billion, with permits for 21,400 new dwellings issued during March. Strong gains in British Columbia and the Atlantic provinces were offset by decreases in Ontario and Saskatchewan.