Rick Bisson, acting mayor. Residents, businesses, and large companies would not spend that kind of money building in the city unless they had confidence with where this city is going in the future. This is a very positive sign. The increase has been in the additions and renovations sections, which include Pinecrest and Earle Miller public schools. Last year we also had a lot of renovations in the schools.
More students also means more teachers.
There are a lot of economic benefits and spin-offs that will be seen throughout the city. Last year, there were no permits issued for the cottage classification. Fewer permits were issued this year in the commercial sector, however, with the building of a new commercial facility, namely the TeleTech call centre, the dollar value has increased significantly. Also with Falconbridge's new mine announcement I'm sure we will see residential growth as well. This year fewer new residences have been built in the city, however Coun.