Staff with the Thompson-Nicola Regional District say 2018’s construction falls just short of a record.

Last year the TNRD issued 442 building permits worth more than $82 million dollars.

Director of development services Regina Sadilkova says that value is about 50 per cent more than 2017.

“It’s not quite a record,” she said. “I believe we topped that a bit coming up to the 2008 building boom, well then the collapse in 2008.”

However, that $82-million value was driven by all sectors.

“There was a lot more residential construction, you just needed to drive by Tobiano to see that,” she added. “But there were also some large commercial and industrial projects which we don’t always get in the rural areas.”

“The Savona Plywood Mill had a large expansion, there was some municipal infrastructure in Ashcroft, and also we did have some rebuilding after the Elephant Hill wildfire and all the structural losses on Loon Lake and Pressy Lake.”

The TNRD’s construction value includes its 10 electoral areas and seven smaller municipalities within the regional district.