The Mayor of Ritchot admits she did not expect such growth in the municipality in 2016.

Jackie Hunt says because of a slowdown of construction in Winnipeg, it was thought the same thing would happen in her municipality. But at the end of the year, when the numbers were

(Ritchot Mayor Jackie Hunt)crunched, there were 138 housing starts worth about $26 million. Hunt says that is up from the previous year.

And Hunt says there is growth happening throughout the municipality. In Ste.Agathe, for example, they are almost at housing capacity. She says right now the municipality is looking for areas to subdivide within that community. Hunt says the ring dike has been pushed out as far as it can go and she doubts the province will consider expanding it.

"Looking at the government and the state of the provincial government that we're looking at, we don't anticipate any more growth within the diked communities," says Hunt. "Actually what the province is doing right now is they are raising existing dikes to the one in two hundred year level."

Hunt says right now it's about raising dikes, rather than expanding them.

Hunt notes Ile des Chenes also continues to see growth. But she says that community has seen about as much on the residential side, as it can handle, and the growth there is happening more in the form of commercial.

Meanwhile, Hunt says another highlight of 2016 was the announcement of a third fire hall for the municipality. Construction is expected to soon begin on a fire hall for Ste.Agathe. Hunt says with the growth of that community and the busy industrial park, they need to make sure they can provide proper fire service there.

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Fire Hall To Be Built In Ste.Agathe