The construction sector posted a modest gain in June as a surge in housing projects offset weakness in commercial and industrial development.
Total investment in building construction rose 2.0 per cent to $22.7 billion, an increase of $454 million from May. The year-over-year increase was stronger, up 8.0 percent.
After adjusting for inflation, investment increased 1.6 percent in June compared to the previous month and was 4.2 percent higher than a year earlier.
Residential construction rose 3.1 per cent to $15.9 billion. Spending on condominium and apartment projects drove the increase, climbing 4.2 percent to $9.1 billion. Quebec accounted for the largest gain, followed by British Columbia.
Single-family construction also advanced, rising 1.8 percent to $6.9 billion. Quebec and Ontario led those increases, with seven provinces and two territories contributing to the overall rise.
Non-residential construction edged down 0.5 per cent to $6.7 billion. Industrial projects fell 1.9 per cent, marking the fifth consecutive monthly decline, with Quebec and Ontario posting the steepest pullbacks.
Institutional spending dipped 0.1 per cent to $2.0 billion, largely due to lower activity in Quebec, though Alberta and British Columbia recorded gains. Commercial construction slipped slightly to $3.3 billion, with Ontario and B.C. declining but Quebec showing growth.
Over the second quarter, investment in building construction totalled $67.4 billion, essentially unchanged from the first quarter but up 8.5 per cent compared with the same period last year.
Residential spending edged up 0.2 per cent to $47.1 billion in the quarter, as stronger multi-unit activity offset a decline in single-family construction. Non-residential investment slipped 0.6 per cent to $20.3 billion, with decreases in industrial and commercial projects partly balanced by gains in institutional construction.