The RM of La Broquerie is experiencing a season of unprecedented prosperity.

The most recent reports indicate that 55 permits were pulled in the month of May at a value of nearly $6.39 million. Municipal Development Officer Ryan Curwin says those numbers nearly double last year’s total during that same time period and have not been equaled or surpassed since 2012.

“It is quite a significant jump that we are seeing here,” comments Curwin who was startled by the statistics. “At the start of this pandemic we anticipated a drop in permits due to people not working or being temporarily laid off, but we’ve actually noticed quite the opposite.”

Perhaps less surprising, however, is the nature of the permits being distributed. As Curwin notes, many are arising from the decks and pools being built now that COVID-19 has given homeowners more time on their hands than usual.

According to Curwin, the number of new homes being built in the region also seems slightly above average. With similar movements happening to the south in the RMs of Piney and Stuartburn, Curwin believes this shift could also be pandemic-related, at least to some degree.

“From communicating with ratepayers, I get the sense that people want bigger lots in the country that are a little bit more spaced out from their neighbors.”

Reeve Lewis Weiss says he is pleased to see his RM in such a state. He feels the government’s gradual lifting of COVID-19 restrictions and the warming weather has been a winning combination.

“I think everybody was kind of itching for the good weather and when it hit they let loose and the permits definitely prove that.”

While June’s permits have not been made official yet, Weiss expects they too will be impressive. With Council finally passing their newest development just plan last month, the reeve expects the door will be opened that much wider to people hoping to expand, renovate, or build anew. Throughout La Broquerie, he says, there is a sense that an economic boom is only just beginning.