The national increase was driven by higher construction intentions in Quebec.

The value of building permits in the non-residential sector was up 0.6% to $3.1 billion in September, due to higher construction intentions for institutional buildings.

In the institutional component, the value of building permits rose 16.4% from August to $806 million. The increase in the value of permits mainly stemmed from post-secondary institutions and nursing homes. Six provinces reported gains, led by Quebec.

In the commercial component, $1.7 billion worth of permits were issued in September, down 3.3% from the previous month. Permits for office buildings accounted for the majority of the decline. Five provinces reported decreases, with the largest drop in British Columbia.

The value of building permits in the industrial component fell 5.7% to $636 million. Five provinces reported declines, with the most significant decreases in Quebec and British Columbia.