There was a decline in building permit totals last year in the Rural Municipality of Ritchot. 

In 2022, the municipality issued 229 total permits, worth about $54.8 million. That is down from 2021, when there were 270 permits, totalling $74.7 million.

The number of new housing starts dipped from 84 in 2021 to 75 one year later. There was about $31.4 million worth of residential construction in 2022. Grande Pointe was the hot spot for new housing starts last year with 43, followed by St. Adolphe with 26 and Ile des Chenes with only two. There was one new housing start for each of the communities of Howden, La Barriere, Ste. Agathe and the rural area.

When comparing some of the other types of permits from 2022 to 2021, there were permits issued for 35 decks in 2022, compared to 23 in 2021. There were 30 permits taken out for renovations in 2022, down from 37 a year earlier. Also in 2022, there were 15 permits taken out for garages, a drop from 18 in 2021. There were 13 commercial permits taken out in 2022 and 23 of those in 2021. Last year saw 14 permits taken out for shed/ accessory buildings, which is nearly identical to 15 a year earlier. There were 13 permits taken out for pools last year, down from 22 a year earlier. And there were 10 permits taken out last year for additions, which is up from nine a year earlier.