* Canadian dollar strengthens 0.2% against the greenback * Canadian building permits values rise by 12.9% in November * Price of U.S. oil falls 0.2% * Canadian bond yields trade mixed across a flatter curve TORONTO, Dec 24 (Reuters) - The Canadian dollar edged higher against its U.S. counterpart on Thursday as Britain clinched a narrow Brexit trade deal with the European Union and domestic data showed a jump in the value of building permits. The loonie was up 0.2% at 1.2827 to the greenback, or 77.96 U.S. cents, in thin holiday trading. It traded in a range of 1.2819 to 1.2853, having recovered from a near three-week low on Monday of 1.2955. The safe-haven U.S. dollar dipped against a basket of major currencies after the Brexit deal boosted risk appetite and sterling , raising hopes the United Kingdom can avoid a turbulent economic departure from the European Union at the end of the year. The price of oil , one of Canada"s major exports, was down 0.2% at $48.03 a barrel, giving back some of Wednesday"s rally. After a volatile year for oil, the loonie has advanced less than the other G10 currencies. It was up 1.2% since the start of 2020. The value of Canadian building permits rose by 12.9% in November from October, easily beating analyst estimates of a 3.0% gain, Statistics Canada data showed. On Wednesday, a flash estimate from Statistics Canada showed the economy grew by 0.4% in November, despite the COVID-19 resurgence and fresh restrictions, though economists warned a drop back was coming. Canadian government bond yields were mixed across a flatter curve on Thursday, with the 10-year easing by about half a basis point to 0.725%. (Reporting by Fergal Smith; editing by Barbara Lewis)