Across the region building permit stats are on track to exceed last year's numbers. However, the value of work is down approximately $40 million.

However, Winkler Mayor Martin Harder says those numbers may yet level off before the end of the year.

"We had a lot more housing starts the year before," Harder says, adding last year included the permit for the Gospel Mission Church construction. However, he says there are a number of industrial building projects that have yet to take out permits for this year.

Between January 1 and October 31 MSTW reports 472 permits have been taken out compared to 466 during the same period last year.

In Winkler permits were down slightly at 197 from 207.

In the R.M of Stanley permits were up slightly at 144 from 141 last year.

In Morden numbers were up at 116 from 110. Thompson was up at 15 from 8.

"I've always said we're not a boom and bust community, we're a steady climb and we've had a couple of very good years," he says. "A little bit of a levelling out and a gradual climb is probably pretty healthy."

The value of all work from Jan 1 to Oct 31 last year was $103,082,875, with fees totalling $503,751.

During the same period this year the value of work was $62,985,625, with fees totalling $353,494.

Last year in Morden the value of work totalled over $48 million, Stanley accounted for over $18 million, Thompson nearly $1.5 million and in Winkler over $33 million.

This year Morden totals over $18 million, $17 million in Stanley, close to $2 million in Thompson and over $25 million in Winkler.