The Mayor of Ritchot admits it has been a slower start than expected for the Tourond Creek housing development.

Tourond Creek is located on the south side of St.Adolphe. This is land within the expanded dike that is expected to accommodate up to 1500 housing units.

Chris Ewen says the services are in for the first phase. This includes roads and lights and Ewen says crews have begun the very elaborate landscaping at the entrance. But he says the construction of homes here has been slow.

"I think they had a bigger plan, a quicker plan to get people in there," he says. "But it is going a lot slower."

Ewen offers a couple of reasons why that development has not been quicker out of the gate. First of all, he says council being dissolved earlier this year stalled development throughout the municipality. But he also says the housing market right now in the province is all around just slower.

Having said that, he says with Tourond Creek being involved in Parade of Homes, prospective buyers were able to see the potential. He thinks that development is starting to turn the corner.

"I do see more progress coming, in the last couple of weeks even," says Ewen. "It's been good."

And not only at St.Adolphe, Ewen says there is reason for optimism in the housing industry in Ste.Agathe, Grande Pointe and Ile des Chenes.