The RM of Hanover is ahead of last year's pace when it comes to construction activity in the municipality.

Planning Manager Jeremy Neufeld says they issued 43 total permits worth $6.4 million through the first quarter of 2018, compared to 37 permits worth $3.8 million during the same period one year ago.

On the residential side, there were 17 permits pulled for $4.6 million in the first quarter this year, compared to 14 permits for $2.7 million in 2017.

Neufeld says last year wasn't a bad year.

"Last year would have been a good to average year," recalls Neufeld. "Definitely nothing to complain about."

After crunching this year's numbers, Neufeld points out the months of January and February were slow on the residential side, but then March made up for it.

He notes an interesting trend is a shift away from residential construction in the rural areas. Of the 17 permits so far this year, only 3 of them were pulled in the rural part of the municipality. Compare that to the first three months of 2017 when 6 of the 14 permits were for the rural area. Neufeld says this is a good trend.

"In an effort to provide better planning for growth, better use of infrastructure, as well as just better protection of agricultural industries, our desire is that we see more residential growth directed into our urban centres," says Neufeld.

So far in 2018, there have been 7 residential permits pulled in Mitchell, 4 in Kleefeld, 2 in Blumenort and 1 in Grunthal.

"We've issued no building permits in the first quarter for New Bothwell although we are seeing some activity starting to creep up there as well," says Neufeld.

Meanwhile, he says so far this year there have been no significant commercial permits pulled.