A local homebuilder says 2017 is shaping up to be a very good year for construction. Dave Siemens of Kleefeld Construction, which specializes in custom homes, says he wasn't sure what to expect this year.

"The winter was slow, slower than winters have been in my recent memory, so we were getting a bit concerned. But it's just opened up like crazy. It's very busy right now again. It's going to be, possibly, the busiest year ever and that is actually confirmed with jobs that have already been confirmed."

Siemens says most of those orders are for medium to larger custom homes.

Meanwhile, the City of Steinbach is seeing a resurgence of construction activity after two quieter years. Building permits in March totalled $5.3 million, bringing the total for the first quarter of the year to $15.4 million, well ahead of the pace the past two years. There were seven housing starts in the city during March.