Workers build houses in the Portland Estates area in Dartmouth, N.S. in this file photo.Andrew Vaughan/The Canadian Press
Canada's construction industry ramped up its building intentions in February after a slow start to the year, with the value of building permits jumping 7.5 per cent entirely on plans for non-residential projects, Statistics Canada said on Thursday.
The increase followed a 11.4 per cent drop in January and was more than double the consensus forecast of a 3 per cent increase.
Permits taken out for residential buildings fell 5.3 per cent on a drop in plans for single-family and multi-family units.
Permits in the non-residential sector soared 36.2 per cent. Plans for industrial buildings jumped 151 per cent to a one-year high while those for institutional and commercial buildings rose 65 per cent and 3 per cent, respectively.
The overall value of permits in Toronto, one of the hottest real estate markets in the country, slid 12 per cent in the month. In Vancouver, another hot spot, the value of permits rose 10 per cent.