Statistics Canada reported on December 23 that the total value of investment in the construction sector dropped by 0.5 percent in October to $15.5 billion. Activity increased in only four provinces and territories.

Investment in the non-residential sector was up 0.5 percent to $4.9 billion. The commercial component increased 1.1 percent to $2.9 billion, largely due to increases in Ontario (2.0 percent to $1.0 billion) and British Columbia (3.8 percent to $546.9 million). The industrial (0.3 percent to $902.4 million) and institutional (0.4 percent to $1.1 billion) components edged down in October.

Meanwhile, investment in the residential sector decreased 1.0 percent to $10.6 billion. Investment in both single (1.0 percent) and multi-unit (0.9 percent) dwellings decreased to $5.3 billion nationally. Despite the national decline, residential investment in British Columbia rose (5.3 percent to $1.9 billion) after reporting decreases in both single and multi-unit dwellings for the previous four months.

Construction investment in Ontario dropped by 1.7 percent to $6.2 billion in October. The value of residential-sector investment dropped $129.6 million (or 2.8 percent)—the first decline in four months—to $4.4 billion. Both single-family homes and multi-unit residential properties saw declines. On the other hand, the value of investments in the province’s non-residential sector rose by 1.1 percent to $1.8 billion. Increases in the industrial and commercial sectors more than offset a decline in the institutional sector.