Ottawa, ON — Investments in building construction increased slightly by 0.2 per cent to $12 billion in August, according to Statistics Canada. This comes after a decrease of 1.6 percent in July.
Despite the slight increase overall, investments in residential building construction fell by 0.1 per cent in August. Monthly decreases were recorded in four provinces, led by Quebec (down $126.4 million).
Investments in multi-unit construction also saw declines, down 0.3 per cent. Declines were seen in five provinces, with Quebec again leading the losses (down $121.9 million).
However, single-family home investments saw a slight rise of 0.1 per cent in August. Monthly declines in five provinces were offset by gains observed in the remaining provinces and the three territories.
On the non-residential side, investments rose 1.0 per cent to $6.4 billion in August, marking a record high level for the sector.
Increases were seen across all categories in this sector: institutional construction rose 1.3 per cent, the industrial component rose 1.9 per cent, and commercial construction rose 0.4 per cent.