XPost: can.general, can.jobs, can.politics   
   From: abc@123.cl   
      
   Building permits rise in June   
      
      
   August 6, 2009   
      
      
   Construction on the Le Germain boutique-hotel in downtown Calgary.   
   Building permits rose in June.   
      
   Construction on the Le Germain boutique-hotel in downtown Calgary.   
   Building permits rose in June.   
   Photograph by: Todd Korol/Reuters, Reuters   
      
   OTTAWA -- Building permits were up unexpectedly in June, rising 1% to   
   $5.2-billion, Statistics Canada said Thursday.   
      
   “The increase was attributable to gains in both residential and non-   
   residential construction intentions,” the federal agency said.   
      
   Economists had expected permits to decline by about 3% in June. The May   
   increase in permit values was revised to 17.5% from the agency’s   
   previous estimate of 14.8%.   
      
   Statistics Canada said gains were recorded in seven provinces, with   
   some of the biggest increases coming in British Columbia (up 30.3%) and   
   Quebec (up 11%), where permits were issued across all sectors.   
      
   The biggest declines were in Saskatchewan (down 29.3%) and Alberta   
   (down 24%), mainly due to weaker non-residential intentions.   
      
   Among major centres, the biggest gains came in Montreal (up 36.9%) and   
   Hamilton (up 289.3%). The value of permits declined in Calgary by 33%.   
      
   “Since the beginning of 2009, the value of permits has fallen by 26.2%   
   compared with the same period a year earlier,” the agency said. “The   
   institutional component of the non-residential sector was the only   
   component that posted a gain compared with the first six months of   
   2008.”   
      
   The value of residential permits rose 0.5% to $2.7-billion in June --   
   the fourth straight monthly increase in the sector -- led by Quebec.   
      
   Non-residential sector permits increased 1.5% to $2.5-billion during   
   the month.   
      
   Charmaine Buskas, senior economics strategist at TD Securities, said   
   the “the continued strength of the building permit data bodes well for   
   the Canadian construction market.”   
      
   “It is clear that domestic considerations will remain a key driver for   
   the economy, as the external sector remains under pressure,” she said.   
      
   Canwest News Service   
      
   TABLE 1 -- Value of building permits by province (% change June from   
   May):   
      
   Newfoundland and Labrador +13.6   
      
   Residential +12.1   
      
   Non-residential +21.3   
      
   Prince Edward Island -17.9   
      
   Residential -17.4   
      
   Non-residential -18.8   
      
   Nova Scotia +3.1   
      
   Residential -1.9   
      
   Non-residential +7.9   
      
   New Brunswick +26.6   
      
   Residential +6.5   
      
   Non-residential +65.1   
      
   Quebec +11.0   
      
   Residential +12.3   
      
   Non-residential +8.8   
      
   Ontario +4.3   
      
   Residential -12.0   
      
   Non-residential +29.1   
      
   Manitoba +18.6   
      
   Residential -11.7   
      
   Non-residential + 73.3   
      
   Saskatchewan -29.3   
      
   Residential -13.3   
      
   Non-residential -37.7   
      
   Alberta -24.0   
      
   Residential +10.9   
      
   Non-residential -38.6   
      
   British Columbia +30.3   
      
   Residential +13.7   
      
   Non-residential +49.7   
      
   TABLE 2 -- Value of building permits by city (% change June from May):   
      
   St. John’’s, N.L. +11.0   
      
   Halifax -18.5   
      
   Saint John, N.B. +31.5   
      
   Quebec City -8.0   
      
   Montreal +36.9   
      
   Gatineau -22.4   
      
   Ottawa -7.6   
      
   Toronto +1.2   
      
   Hamilton +289.3   
      
   Windsor -62.2   
      
   Winnipeg +11.1   
      
   Regina -13.9   
      
   Saskatoon -10.9   
      
   Calgary -33.0   
      
   Edmonton -2.4   
      
   Vancouver -1.1   
      
   Victoria -9.9   
      
   Source:Statistics Canada   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)