Municipalities in Canada issued C$8.1 billion (US$6.2 billion) worth of building permits, down 2.3 percent from the previous month. The decline was the result of lower construction intentions for residential buildings, following a strong May, according to new data from Statistics Canada.

In the residential sector, municipalities issued C$5.2 billion (US$4 billion) worth of building permits in June, down 5.7 percent from May. New Brunswick was the only province to post an increase.

The value of building permits in the non-residential sector rose 4.6 percent in June to C$2.9 billion (US$2.2 billion). Increases in Alberta and Ontario more than offset the declines in six provinces.