Statistics Canada reports that in September, investment in Canadian building construction fell by 1.1% to $22.4 billion. This decline was largely driven by a 1.7% drop in residential sector investment, while non-residential investment remained nearly unchanged. Despite the monthly dip, total investment grew 6.0% year-over-year.

On a constant dollar basis (2023=100), investment totaled $20.7 billion, reflecting a 1.4% monthly decrease, but still a 2.3% increase year-over-year.

Residential investment declined by $263.1 million, totaling $15.6 billion in September. The multi-unit construction segment experienced the largest setback, dropping 2.5% to $8.4 billion. Key contributors to this decrease included Ontario (-$116.7M), Alberta (-$72.0M), and British Columbia (-$32.7M).

Meanwhile, single-family home construction saw a modest 0.6% decline to $7.3 billion, led by declines in Alberta (-$46.2M) and Ontario (-$42.0M). However, gains in Quebec (+$22.5M) and Saskatchewan (+$19.2M) helped offset broader losses.

The non-residential sector recorded a minor $3.3 million increase, reaching $6.8 billion in September. Growth in institutional (+0.7%) and commercial (+0.1%) segments balanced out the ongoing decline in the industrial component (-1.3%).

• Institutional investment rose to $2.1 billion, led by Alberta (+$14.8M) and British Columbia (+$5.9M), with Ontario (-$6.7M) slightly dampening growth.
• Commercial investment inched up to $3.3 billion, bolstered by gains in British Columbia, Manitoba, and Quebec.
• Industrial investment, however, dropped for the eighth consecutive month, down $17.0 million to $1.3 billion, with significant losses in Ontario, Alberta, and British Columbia.

In Q3 2025, total investment in building construction grew 0.6% from the previous quarter, reaching $67.7 billion—a 7.5% increase year-over-year.

• The residential sector led quarterly growth, up 0.9% to $47.5 billion, with single-family homes up 5.0%, while multi-unit investment declined by 2.3%.
• The non-residential sector edged down 0.1% to $20.3 billion, with industrial spending falling 4.9%, partially offset by gains in institutional (+2.3%) and commercial (+0.4%) segments.

While short-term trends show a slowdown, particularly in residential multi-units and industrial investments, year-over-year growth and Q3 gains indicate resilient long-term momentum in Canada’s construction sector.

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ConTech Weekly: Innovation in Construction – No. 134