Building permits fell 1.2% to $11.6B in August, coming up weaker than expectations for a 0.1% decline…

… on the back of residential construction intentions, which fell more than 2% driven mainly by Ontario (down $433M) and Alberta (down $311M) - which tracks to the recent housing start data in those provinces.

Non-residential permitting was the bright spot, inching nearly 1% higher despite drawdowns in both commercial and industrial activity - thanks to a $235M institutional gain linked to hospital construction in the GTA.