The Rural Municipality of Ritchot was one of the fastest growing municipalities in Manitoba from 2011 to 2016.

New Census figures show Ritchot grew by 21.9% and now has a population of 6,679 residents.

(Ritchot Mayor Jackie Hunt)"The numbers kind of fell right in where we thought we were sitting," says Ritchot Mayor Jackie Hunt.

According to Hunt, most of the growth is happening in their three urban centres and then Grande Pointe. She says there has been tremendous growth in Ile des Chenes between the old and new Highway 59, in St.Adolphe to the north of Provincial Road 210 and then in the southern part of Ste.Agathe.

She notes much of the growth has happened in the last seven years after Ritchot had its development plan approved by the province.

"Once that document became available, we started to see that there were new areas that we had been given to start developing," says Hunt. "And as soon as that document was approved by the provincial government, the developers started coming."

Hunt says a lot of people tend to migrate towards city centres. But she says over the last five or six years, it seems more people are moving into bedroom communities where life is more affordable and yet they are still close to Winnipeg for work and play. She adds most of the growth seems to be in the form of people moving into Ritchot, and not so much that families are getting larger.

"I used to know a lot of people and now I see lots of faces I don't know," admits Hunt.

Meanwhile, Hunt says she is not sure whether or not this growth spurt can continue. She says available lots are drying up in Ile des Chenes and Ste.Agathe. According to Hunt, most of the growth will now have to happen in St.Adolphe and Grande Pointe.