Across Canada, spending on non-residential construction through the last quarter of 2009 dropped 2.5 per cent from the third quarter to hit $10.2 billion.
This total was a 7.2 per cent drop from the same period in 2008. Along with Alberta, Ontario saw the largest decline, primarily as a result of lower commercial construction spending. Ontario's commercial building values dropped 3.8 per cent to $2.1 billion.
Canada-wide, commercial projects saw $5.7 billion worth of investment in the last quarter of 2009, a number that was down five per cent from the previous quarter and a 15.8 per cent drop from the same period in 2008.
Lower spending in the construction of manufacturing plants as well as utilities and maintenance buildings led to a 6.8 per cent drop from the previous quarter to $1 billion. This was down 23.2 per cent from the same quarter in 2008.
Conversely, institutional spending marked its eight consecutive quarter of growth at 3.3 per cent, due in part to increased investment in educational and health care facilities. It hit $3.5 billion in spending through the fourth quarter, a 20.2 per cent increase over the same period in 2008.
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