Building Permits for May 2010: Stats Canada

Municipalities issued building permits worth $6.0 billion in May, down 10.8% from April. This decline follows two consecutive monthly increases. The value of permits in May was 13.9% higher than the level in May 2009. 

Decreases occurred in both the residential and non-residential sectors. The value of residential permits fell 5.3% to $3.7 billion due to a decline in the single-family component. After three months of increases, the value of non-residential permits fell 18.3% to $2.3 billion. The value of commercial and institutional permits decreased, while the value of industrial permits rose to its highest level since September 2008. 

The value of permits increased in three provinces: British Columbia, Saskatchewan and Prince Edward Island.

Source: Stats Canada