The value of building permits was up in B.C. in October despite an overall decline across the country, according to Statistics Canada.
In B.C., the value of building permits increased 7.7% to approximately $1.1 billion in October compared with September.
Year-over-year, the value of B.C.’s building permits has jumped 73%.
Only one other province, Newfoundland and Labrador, experienced a higher value increase from October 2009 to October 2010 at approximately 181%.
This while the total value of building permits issued across Canada in October reached $6.2 billion, representing a 6.5% slide from the month before.
Statistics Canada said a decline in both residential and non-residential sectors in Ontario and Quebec led the October decrease.
In B.C., the increase in permits was mainly due to multi-family and non-residential permits.
In the census metropolitan area of Vancouver, building permit values were up 22.3% to $855.3 million in October compared with September.
Statistics Canada said the increase was mainly due to institutional and multi-family permits.
Further afield, Victoria saw building permit values jump 38% in October while both Kelowna and Abbotsford-Mission saw 42% and 45% declines respectively.