Municipalities issued building permits worth $6.8 billion in May, 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.

The value of non-residential permits fell 3.3% to $2.5 billion in May, following a 1.9% increase in April. The decrease resulted mainly from lower construction intentions for commercial structures.

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.