The upswing in economic activity in Portage in the last couple of years is having a significant impact on building permits issued by the Portage Planning District.

City Councillor Preston Meier's the Economic Development Committee Chair, and calls it unheralded.

"I think what you see between 2017, year to date, and 2018, year to date, is significant," he says. "We know the number of permits are down a little bit, but the good part of that story is that the actual dollar value is up almost $30,000,000. And most of that's in the institutional side of things, and reflects the larger businesses and so on that are certainly around Portage and district."

Meier notes it makes it easier to attract other organizations here.

"So when you start to see that there are a number of new businesses that are coming to town, or a number of new industries, you're going to start other people realize that, and want to be a part of that," he says. "And we call that the multiplier effect. And you're starting to see some of the smaller businesses put back dollars into their business, to maybe increase the size of it, to add more inventory, maybe, or even expand."

Meier says the mood in the business community is extreme optimism, and talks about how that happened.

"I think over the last number of years Council, the PRED office, the Portage Planning District, and a number of other organizations, including the Chamber, have really been pro-active in creating not only the environment, but that we're open for business. And I think it's every organization that's working together to really help Portage doing what it's doing."