August 19, 2026
Investment in Canadian building construction declined slightly in June, even as building permit values increased sharply, according to Statistics Canada. Total investment fell $109.7 million, or 0.5%, from May to $23.2 billion, while remaining 5.7% higher year over year.
Building permit values increased 18.5% during the month, highlighting the lag between permit approvals and construction investment reaching active projects.
Residential building construction investment decreased $104.9 million to $16.1 billion in June, largely due to weaker multi-unit construction.
Multi-unit investment declined 1.9%, or $171.2 million, to $8.6 billion. British Columbia recorded the largest decrease at $119.9 million, followed by Manitoba at $51.3 million.
Single-family construction moved in the opposite direction, increasing $66.2 million to $7.5 billion. British Columbia led the increase, while Ontario recorded the largest provincial decline.
Non-residential building construction investment decreased 0.1% to $7.1 billion.
Commercial construction fell 0.7% to $3.5 billion, with Alberta and Ontario contributing most to the decline. Institutional investment increased 0.6% to $2.2 billion, while industrial construction rose 0.4% to $1.5 billion.
British Columbia led industrial investment growth, while Ontario was the primary contributor to increased institutional construction.
Despite June’s monthly decline, total building construction investment increased 2.1% to $70.0 billion in the second quarter.
On a constant-dollar basis, residential investment reached $44.0 billion, supported by growth in both single-family and multi-unit construction. Non-residential investment edged lower to $19.3 billion, as declines in commercial and institutional construction were largely offset by a 4.9% increase in industrial investment.
The latest Statistics Canada figures show a mixed Canadian construction market, with residential investment supporting quarterly growth despite softer multi-unit and commercial activity in June.
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