The Mayor for Ritchot says a recent amendment to their Zoning Bylaw could entice more businesses to open in the municipality.

Chris Ewen explains they are adding a "Multi-Use" section to the Industrial and Commercial Zones of their Zoning Bylaw. That means more than one business or building could be located on a single property. Ewen says this may trigger more strip malls to be built.

Ewen says they were approached by a developer wanting this change in the Grande Pointe area. Council considered, quickly got the ball rolling and the changes have now been approved. He calls it exciting.

"(To) get people that may not be able to afford one lot alone, to ban together as multiple businesses and grow their business that way," he explains. "I think that's a great opportunity."

Ewen says he looks forward to seeing the outcome. It didn't take long for the first approval to be given. Ewen says council approved its first unit to host four businesses in the Grande Pointe area. The identity of those businesses has not been announced. He knows of a couple of other businesses that have been waiting for council to make this change.

"If everything goes well, we're going to see six new businesses within the next six months to a year because of this Mixed-Use bylaw," he says. "I'm very excited for this."