Building permit slide constinues

For the fourth straight month, the number of building permits in the Oshawa area was on the decline.

According to Statistics Canada, there were 86 residential building permits valued at just over $29.9 million issued in August in the Oshawa census metropolitan area – which also includes Whitby and Clarington – down from 148 permits valued at $35.28 million from July.

The number and value of building permits in the Oshawa area has been sliding downwards since April, which saw the highest numbers of 2016, when 391 residential building permits valued at just under $127 million were issued.

August’s numbers also mark a decline from the same time last year, when 129 residential permits valued at just over $33 million were issued.

Across the country, the number of residential building permits was up 9.6 per cent in August, rising to $4.5 billion. This marks the first increase following four consecutive monthly declines. Statistics Canada credits the increase to gains in multi-family and single-family dwellings, with Ontario and British Columbia seeing the highest overall increases.