Source: The Canadian Press

The value of building permits rose 5.4% to $6.7 billion in April.

That follows a 12.3% advance in March.

Statistics Canada reports the value of building permits increased 48.2% from a year earlier.

The agency says April’s gain was due to the non-residential sector, which more than offset a decline in the residential sector.

In the non-residential sector, the value of permits rose for a third straight month, up 32.2% to $2.8 billion.

The value of residential permits fell 8% from March to $3.9 billion, mostly because of declines in single- and multi-family permits in British Columbia, Ontario and Quebec.

The total value of permits was up in five provinces, led by Ontario, Nova Scotia and Alberta, while British Columbia recorded the steepest decline.