Single-family building permits up in July

OTTAWA — The value of building permits issued by Canadian municipalities fell three percent to $7.8 billion in July, according to StatCan, entirely as a result of declines in British Columbia (-34.2 percent to $1.2 billion), Quebec (-15.1 percent to $1.5 billion) and Newfoundland and Labrador (-19 percent to $54 million). The value of permits rose in every other province and territory—led by a $474 million commercial permit issued in the city of Ottawa for the construction of the 2.7 million-square-foot Project Python, part of which will house the city’s second Amazon distribution centre. The value of permits issued for single-family homes increased by 3.9 percent to $2.2 billion in July, driven by gains in Alberta (+12.6 percent) and Quebec (+6.3 percent).