Municipalities issued $6.9 billion worth of building permits in September, down 7.0% from August. Quebec, British Columbia and Ontario recorded the largest declines. The overall decrease was attributable to lower construction intentions for non-residential buildings, led by commercial structures.

The value of non-residential building permits was down 22.3% to $2.2 billion in September, following two consecutive monthly advances. All three non-residential components-commercial, institutional and industrial-posted decreases, with commercial buildings registering the largest drop. Declines were recorded in every province, except Newfoundland and Labrador. The most notable decreases occurred in Ontario and Quebec.