Canada posts fall of 3.2% in non-residential construction

In the first quarter of 2016, Canada has recorded a decline of 3.2 % in non-residential buildings construction, compared with the same period in 2015.

The total non-residential construction spend of C$ 12.5 billion (US$ 9.7 billion) was also 1.6 % down on the fourth quarter of 2015.

Construction of commercial buildings fell by 1.8 %, while industrial building construction saw a decline of 2.5 %. Another element in the overall construction picture – that of institutional investment – fell by 0.9%.

The first quarter results saw a fall in the overall construction spend of 22 out of 34 census metropolitan areas (CMAs).

The sharpest declines came from two of the country’s largest CMA’s, Toronto and Montréal, with Toronto’s fall following seven consecutive quarterly increases. The result has been attributed to lower spending on institutional and commercial building construction.

One of few recorded rises came in Vancouver, where construction spend on both commercial and industrial buildings increased, and institutional investment moved in a positive direction.