Steinbach's 2026 council candidates' forum: every question, every answer

“Good evening, everyone. My name is Greg Carlos. Is it too loud? I'm a candidate for City Council. So I came to Canada in 2005. And Simon has been home since 2007 with my parents. My siblings, my own family all live here. We've been here for the past 21 years. This is where we choose to build our lives. I spent 10 years in healthcare, nursing home, seniors home care, in vision. I used to work all over. Now I work as a health safety security. at one of the biggest corporations that we have right now. And my job is to make sure people— for people to get home safely each day. Those jobs taught me the same thing. I listen first, plan ahead, and take care of people. And I'm also part of the several nonprofit organizations here. I am one of the— I'm one of the board director of Summer in the City. I oversee the whole volunteers. I manage the food, the people, and I make sure that they are safe and they are happy giving their time during the Summer in the City.”

Greg Carlos · Oct 15, 2026 · 0:08:30

“Good evening, I'm Gary Dick. And I used to be, a couple years ago, the Executive Director here at the beautiful Mennonite Heritage Village. My first taste of council and kind of electoral work was in high school where I was the grade 11 rep and then student council president. That was wonderful at the SRSS. And at that time too, I also served as a student representative on the RCMP Community Advisory Committee. That was a great experience too. I have a variety of experiences. I've been a business owner, entrepreneur. Besides being the director here at the Mennonite Heritage Village, I've also been a pastor here in Steinbach, and I'm also working currently at the Bethesda Regional Health Center as the spiritual care provider there, and that's very meaningful work for me. And also, I'm a columnist at the Carrolland newspaper. I also have a wife and 3 fabulous kids, and I love fundraising. At the museum here, we raised— I helped raise the annual $200,000 grants budget to $500,000 almost every year, and I love fundraising and getting projects supported.”

Gary Dyck · Oct 15, 2026 · 0:07:16

“Good evening, my name is Ron Falk, and I'm very proud to say that I'm— I have not met Jake Hebert in a professional manner, if you know what I mean. For those of you who don't know me, I graduated from the SRSS in '76, that's 1976, married to my wife H. for 46 years. I've spent the last 34 years on the Hanover School Division Board. Many of those years I was a chair of the board as well. So I feel I can offer some type of leadership, and I— and being aware of how to deal with individuals, listen to people, work together as a team. And I'm excited to be involved in this race. My— certainly my interest in running was piqued from a couple individuals who suggested I should consider this. And so I'm doing that, and I hope to be involved in the city in this position. For those of you who are wondering what kind of person am I really, outside of, you know, this room or whatever, what are my interests? I have 4 married children, I have 10 grandchildren that keep us extremely busy, and personally, I like to do a lot of backpacking in the Canadian Rockies, and canoe trips, extended canoe trips, and I love all kinds of sports and being outdoors and yard work and that kind of thing. Thank you.”

Ron Falk · Oct 15, 2026 · 0:04:35

“I want to tell you why I'm running for council. Over the last couple of months, I've talked to a mom still waiting for a family doctor. A family who, with rising rents, might be moved— forced to move out of the city or be homeless, and many other people like this. Underneath it all, though, I hear the same thing. People want someone willing to listen, even when it's not something that they want to hear. Someone who shows up for citizens, even with a tight schedule. Someone who represents all people of Steinbach, even if they don't share the same beliefs. Someone who wants to learn from council, but also challenge them and not be complacent. At last week's forum, 100 residents gave up their evening to say all of this out loud. Only 4 of the 10 candidates were there. Showing up is the job. I'm 30, I don't have years of experience in council, I have a notebook of what I heard at their doors, and I'm running because somebody has to be that someone. Thank you.”

Nicholas Goertzen · Oct 15, 2026 · 0:09:50

“Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. I'm running for a 3rd term for City Council. My name is Bill Hebert, married to D. for 44 years. We have 3 married children, 7 grandchildren, and that is the pride of my life. I was born and raised in Steinbach, a 5th-generation resident of Steinbach going back to 1874. I was raised with a strong work ethic, working with my father in the home construction business in the Steinbach area. Earning my grade 12 at the age of 18, I immediately went to college at Steinbach Bible College for a 2-year term. After Bible college, I spent just under half a year with a group of college students, mostly from Toronto, doing mission support work in the Philippines. Coming back to Steinbach within 2 years, I joined a local GM dealership as a sales consultant and worked continually for 42 and a half years. Over the, over the years, I had many roles in the finance, ordering vehicles, traveling to different cities to purchase cars. Outside of work, I was always involved in the community, volunteering with COPP, Steinbach Pistons, Steinbach Pickup and Walk, and throughout the years, I've been very involved in my local church, serving in many leadership roles in the city. Now retired, my full-time job, I look forward to committing more time serving the city. Thank you.”

Bill Hiebert · Oct 15, 2026 · 0:13:22

“Thank you very much. Well, it's exciting to be running for my 3rd term here at, uh, in the City of Steinbach as city councillor. I have a different background than most of the candidates here today. My background is policing for 39 years. I was on the Parole Board of Canada for 6 years. I was a judge at Stony Mountain for the prisoners, and I've sat on several provincial boards. as well as serving presently on the Criminal Code Review Board. I bring diversity and different perspectives on a number of issues, having lived in Vancouver and Halifax and in between several times. I have a lovely wife, great-grandchildren, and children. These past years have gone by very quickly, and I look forward to an exciting 4 more years as your city councillor to all the citizens here in Steinbach. Thank you.”

Jake Hiebert · Oct 15, 2026 · 0:03:41

“Good evening, everyone. My name is Mitesh Kumar. I have a bachelor's degree in business and finance. I've lived in Steinbach for the last 10 years and 20 years in Canada. I worked as a sales support staff and also a casual consultant. In past, I've been part of the Summer in the City as a treasurer and also part of the Southeast Equity Coalition. My wife runs a commercial kitchen and our son just graduated from SRSS. Since July, last 3 months I've been going to the doors of almost 5,600 doors in Steinbach. I learned that residents want to vote based on the issues. Some of the issues they were talking, and that's also my priority, was on-demand public transit, seniors housing, affordable ones, more safety, racing, flooding-related issues. more jobs within the community. Steinbach is growing, and we're gonna have a lot of work ahead. I'm bringing full-time hours to council to support some of those work. I'm not asking full-time pay. It's just my personal commitment. I believe in God, and community service is my passion. I will always care for Steinbach's heritage.”

Mitesh Kumar · Oct 15, 2026 · 0:06:03

“Thank you very much, Shannon, and thanks to the Steinbach Chamber for putting on this forum, to all the other candidates for your participation, but specifically to each and every one of you here tonight. I'm Damien Penner, and I'm running for reelection to a 3rd term on Steinbach City Council. My why for my reason to run again is simple. It's the same reason each and every one of you are here today. It is my love for the community and the city of Steinbach. If you took one of my information cards, you will see that I personally wanted to give each and every one of you a message of thanks for caring about the city as much as I do. Which is why I want to represent you again for a 3rd term, so we can all do our part with the unique roles we play to see our city continue to thrive. My track record is clear. I believe in fiscal management with a focus on infrastructure and community safety. These 2 pillars are what outside investment looks at to bring in new jobs, new amenities, and sustained growth. This election, vote for proven experience in me.”

Damian Penner · Oct 15, 2026 · 0:02:31

“Thank you. Good evening, everyone. I'm Susan Penner, and I've had the privilege of serving on Steinbach City Council for the past 16 years. During that time, I've seen Steinbach grow and change tremendously. We've made some significant investments in our community, and I'm proud to have been a part of those decisions. But I'm not running simply to defend the past. I'm running because I believe I still have something meaningful to contribute to Steinbach's future. I know that the decisions we make today shape Steinbach for decades. I believe I bring a combination of experience, sound financial judgment, and a practical vision for our city's future. I believe my strengths are listening, asking tough questions, working with others, and making meaningful, thoughtful decisions even when they're difficult. I think this next term will be defined by careful planning and disciplined decision-making. As Steinbach continues to grow, we need to make sure we are growing responsibly. That means prioritizing infrastructure, being mindful of taxpayer dollars, and protecting the quality of life that makes this community such a great place to live. My vision for Steinbach is to continue being a prosperous, safe, and welcoming community that offers a high quality of life without losing the characteristics that make it special.”

Susan Penner · Oct 15, 2026 · 0:10:46

“It's, uh, it's an honor to be here this evening, and I never really expected to be sitting here just even a few months ago, so it's, uh, been a ride, and, and I'm, I'm honored to be sitting here with our current council, a number of them, and these new candidates as well. It's, it's a privilege. So my name is Brad Unger. I've lived in Steinbach for 27 years since my wife and I got married and moved here. She's from Steinbach, I was from Grunthal. We compromised and moved in Steinbach, and it's been a, it's been a good— I love the city, and so I'm thankful to be able to raise our children here I've also had the privilege of working at Birchwood Funeral Chapel for the last 18 years and have gotten to know a lot of the community and opportunity to serve and love these people. And yeah, it's a privilege. So the idea of joining council and having an opportunity to serve in a different capacity, knowing that at least 5 of these other good people will be there with, alongside, is an awesome thing to think about. I really want to encourage youth in our city, and, and so a big part of my campaign is encouraging our youth here in Steinbach.”

Brad Unger · Oct 15, 2026 · 0:12:10

“For the past few years, Steinbach has been expanding. We're growing, right? Growth is actually a compliment. This is not a problem. It's a compliment for us that people come to our city. We have the jobs. We have the opportunities here. We just have to make that people choose Steinbach because it's safe, right? It makes— it's one of the reasons why my family and my— I brought my wife here. because we know Steinbach is safe. We are attracting people about, about the city. We are— we have the opportunity, we are safe. And of course, uh, the growth without a plan is how a city loses the things people came for. The purpose people come here, it's gone. Because we need to make sure that we're actually— we have the full capacity to make sure that we are attracting more, we have the capacity to make sure our seniors, we have the capacity for our senior homes, our different kinds of projects. Wastewater treatment, I understand that it's going right now. It is a big project, right? It is a big project. That's why we are very thankful for the council and the mayor right now because they are looking at the growth of of the, of the city. Without the long-term vision right now, I think it's going to be hard for everyone to think about where are we going, what do we need to do in Steinbach to attract more, and how can we manage it. It is one of my, uh, it is one of my priorities to make sure that responsible growth is taking, uh, it is one of the priorities. Growth is not only houses. It's whether there is a doctor, a daycare spot, a school desk, a seniors' home. Some of that, especially medical, I used to work in the medical field, some of that are provincial, right? And council's job is to make sure at that table early and loudly. If we plan 10 years, I think our kids should be living here, enjoying Steinbach, and we need to make sure that they are— Very comfortable.”

Greg Carlos · Oct 15, 2026 · 0:22:09

“Yeah, I think there has been too much of a focus on growth. Without a focus on how do we keep our community, and we're seeing it in our hospital. I'm seeing it in our hospital, the ER. There's so many things that are being tight— tightened, staff not being supported enough. It's, it's getting too hard. And then our schools too, the same thing. The housing, I would agree, it's, it seems to be getting out of control. And traffic, I'm concerned. I hear the concern from the residents about that too in the future. How is this going? And we've, we've been too focused on growth at any cost, and with the numbers and the population and the apartments, but let's not forget community. That's what I'm really wanting to see happen. How can we come alongside and build these areas up, support our hospital, support our schools, housing better? Transportation, I think public transportation is a good option. We need to start really working towards that. I think we need a good ecosystem for our developers that is driven by the market, by the needs of the people, the community, and sustainable at the same time. I'd love to see kind of more of a network where we work together and talk about it and figure things out together, not just each developer doing their own thing, but doing it in community. So that's kind of my big emphasis there when it comes to growth in Steinbach.”

Gary Dyck · Oct 15, 2026 · 0:20:41

“All right, I'll get probably more into the infrastructure a little bit later. I'm guessing it'll be another question coming up. But as our city continues to grow, the need for all types of housing is apparent. However, to a large extent, demand for various types of housing will be driven by demand. Seniors in our community require housing either in side-by-sides or condos or assisted housing situations. The demand for apartments doesn't seem to show any signs of diminishing. I know the council members on stage here, current council members, know those numbers, but just driving around, one can see that there are a lot of apartments apartments being built, and interestingly, as soon as one is finished, it fills up. There are a lot of people looking for apartments, either on a temporary basis or for short term, for sure. The need for all this housing needs to be balanced with available parking and the suitability of the area for a particular type of housing. Adequate parking needs to be accounted for on site, not on the streets. Building of substantive, uh, buildings of substantive height should be placed in areas where those already exist. Growth also involves business. We need businesses to be the driving force of our growth. Growth only in housing means we'll become more of a bedroom community. We want more of a diversified program here. We need growth, we need business, but they go hand in hand. Thank you.”

Ron Falk · Oct 15, 2026 · 0:17:06

“I think growth starts with 3 things: housing, healthcare, community would be my big 3. Housing, obviously housing for everyone. We need builds of all sorts, especially affordable housing. I've heard that a lot at the door, as well as housing that only, like, we can, our infrastructure will sustainable, be sustainable with it. I hear lots about flooding, and many people have Many concerns about that in Steinbach. So we just need to make sure that we are growing towards something that is sustainable. And beyond housing would be community. So spaces, we need more spaces. I've talked to organizations like the Steinbach Arts Council, Pat Porter Center, you name it. They're short on space. They need more space. And I think spaces like that are important for younger families, for people living in Steinbach who want to do more and and not just go to Winnipeg or move away if they have to. We need to have the spaces that are built for people here, and it not only is for whatever, just go play pickleball, but you can build relationships, like connect with your community. You can just do more together. Healthcare, I've heard a lot at the door as well. We need— people are talking about regionalization and everything. That's a great idea. It's not really what council has a say on, but I think if we work as a community, not only but with Steinbach, but with La Broquerie and Hanover and others, then we can push towards the province to get projects like these done. And on the business side of things, I think that we can afford these projects at a grander scale rather than— let's say right now our thing is 5 years of debt. If we expand that to maybe 10 years of debt, 15 years of debt, will that help us get these projects for growth out there better? I think it's time to look at that. And thank you.”

Nicholas Goertzen · Oct 15, 2026 · 0:24:31

“I'm going to take a little different angle on growth here. Over the last 8 years since coming to city council, we've had unprecedented growth. Approximately 6,000 residents added. I'd say Steinbach has done well with affordable housing. Lexington area, we have other areas where we have affordable housing, and I think we need to continue doing that. We need to also continue working towards having more senior housing, because I noticed going door-to-door that there's a lot of seniors that have moved from different areas to retire in Steinbach, and the reason they come here is they, they find the crime rate is low, The city is clean, well-kept, there's a good healthcare system. I know the waitlists are, are far too long, and hopefully we're working on recruiting more doctors and improving the healthcare system. But Steinbach has a lot of amenities, and the people that I'm talking to are very happy with Steinbach. So I don't hear a whole lot of negative, but we do need to continue with creating new opportunities for young families to own houses. So with all of that said, I've met so many people from different countries, different ethnicities that have moved here and love Steinbach. Thank you.”

Bill Hiebert · Oct 15, 2026 · 0:30:13

“Thank you again. Growth is vitally important to any community or municipality. If growth is at a standstill, it's— the municipality or community are probably regressing. When a community is in decline, there is negative impact on your tradespeople and all the other people in your community who subsequently move to an area where they can work. Steinbach has been very proactive ensuring that our infrastructure exceeds our present demand thus attracting developer and buyer confidence. In Steinbach, growth and housing are synonymous with each other. We have seen building permits that exceed $100 million consecutively for the last 3 years. In Steinbach— Excuse me. I believe the city should be prioritizing medium and density housing and keeping them affordable, especially for first home buyers. It appears that the past couple of years developers have prioritized high-density construction choices, of course, are market-driven. Society as a whole is focused on 15-minute communities where everything— shopping, work, recreation— is close to one's abode. That means building taller buildings, high density. Steinbach has a lot of land nearby, and I think more priority should be given to expanding our city versus high density. This would then address concerns about traffic, parking, addressing existing neighbourhoods, including active transportation. The Steinbach Development Corporation has been purchasing land on behalf of the city in attempts to address the growing demand for industrial usage. Our mayor and his committee have been advocating with businesses and other governmental agencies on several topics, including more doctors and monies for a mechanical wastewater plant— treatment plant. Those priorities are very important, especially going into these next 4 years. Again, it is exciting to see our city grow in a structured and orderly fashion as we look ahead to the future.”

Jake Hiebert · Oct 15, 2026 · 0:14:58

“So one of the challenges which I've learned while, you know, going within the community is the affordable housing. And that's a challenge not just for the day-to-day youth or someone who wants to start their life or career, also in the seniors, you know, segment. So we should be focused towards the smart growth which supports local jobs, future needs, and affordable housing, and it should be also well-planned infrastructure. Neighborhoods, they're seeing high-density, you know, apartments and as such coming in, and many residents and seniors basically have paid for and built, you know, cared about Steinbach all this life, and sometimes the feedback I've got is that they're losing value for their their investments in their house, especially seniors. Later on when they want to retire, the value of their houses are— if they don't have value, they may not be able to retire based on the average money which they get for the pension and other stuff. So growth should be seen in a larger context. We don't just want apartments coming everywhere. Our population is growing like almost 20-25% every 5, 6, 7 years. So we have to plan for smart growth, taking care of the— our residents' concerns. Also about seniors, job should be always part of any growth sort of decisions we should be taking. Our— many of our children, kids have to go to farther away or, you know, move out and find jobs other places. So just population growth and apartments everywhere is not a real growth. We should be focusing on having affordable housing, also respecting the, you know, residents who have built this place for many years, and they're trying to save and make some value, you know. So that's my take on any sort of growth for our Steinbach.”

Mitesh Kumar · Oct 15, 2026 · 0:18:38

“Thank you very much, Shannon. I kind of want to— I don't have prepared notes here, so I can go directly to the question of what are some of the biggest challenges of growth. One of them is, it's a reality and it's reality we're seeing, it's an increase in crime. Steinbach is still a safe community, I truly do believe that, but there is an increase in the petty crime, in the crimes of opportunity. So I'm not just going to say that that's what's happening, I'm actually going to come up with solutions. I want to see more community safety officers patrolling our streets to counter that challenge of growth. These are crimes of opportunity, and if you have law enforcement officers patrolling around, those opportunities are decreased. Also, one of the challenges is stressed— is the cost of growth, is the stressed infrastructure. What we cannot do is be short-sighted and look at long-term debt funding for infrastructure unless it's a long-term growth project. We, when we go across the nation, we tell people that we work on a 5-year debenture, and other municipalities are shocked. But what this does is it doesn't burden our children It doesn't burden our grandchildren to stunt our growth. It allows us to have a quick turnaround on projects. But that's the bad. Let's get to the good. The biggest— what are opportunities for growth? We keep hearing, okay, what are the opportunities for our youth? Well, with growth comes more amenities. When I go knocking on the doors, I get known as, oh, the pizza guy, right? We don't need more pizza places. We have enough of those. So new amenities, though, that are going to be coming. It's entertainment for our youth with growth. Council should not get into the business of putting up entertainment or putting up private businesses, putting up entertainment or businesses that compete with the private industry. So this is going to draw businesses in. With growth also comes more career jobs, not those just retail jobs that you see, but career jobs that you're going to see that people wanting to lay roots down into our community for a long time and build up their children and their grandchildren into our communities.”

Damian Penner · Oct 15, 2026 · 0:31:29

“Thank you. I believe one of the challenges when it comes to growth is the cost growth, the cost of growth. So when I first got elected to council 16 years ago, I assumed that the more Steinbach grew, the more money we'd have, that the supplementary taxes would cover our growth and actually allow us to do more projects, invest in more things, and I've actually found that to be the opposite. Obviously that is impacted by things like inflation, which has also increased the cost of things so much. But I've realized the more we grow, the more disciplined we need to be in our spending because growth actually costs a lot of money. And typically the supplementary taxes we get from new businesses or new residences don't actually add as much to our tax base as I had assumed years ago. So I think that would be one of the challenges of growth. One of the opportunities, I mean, for me, I view the opportunity for growth is how do we keep our quality of life? And I think there's many things we can do. In growing communities, sometimes the quality of life can start to lower just because, again, it costs so much. But I think that's one of the things that sets Steinbach apart. If you even just look at things, a service like snow clearing, we take it for granted, but if all of a sudden that wasn't done as well or as often, we'd quickly realize quickly realize that. Or we've learned in the past couple of years with drainage, as soon as the drainage isn't working properly, then we realize how important it is. So I think, I think that's an opportunity for us, is how are we going to keep going into the future and maintaining what we have been doing so people actually are still living the same quality of life that they have been here for decades.”

Susan Penner · Oct 15, 2026 · 0:26:18

“All right, yes, thank you so much for the question. I think it's very appropriate that we're here in this place actually this evening, a place that celebrates the past, and I think it's very important as we think about growth for Steinbach that we do remember the past because Steinbach has been growing for a very long time. This isn't new for us. We started off as a very small, tiny little village and and has grown to, to a city of almost 20,000, which is incredibly remarkable when we think about that. And so I think it's important as we think about growth, we think about the foundations that we have that, that set this place for success in the beginning of faith, family, and hard work. And those are things that Steinbackers have, have really made a part of their lives for a very long time. So I think that's so important. And I do want to echo also what others have said here about the comprehensive growth plan. I think if, if we could all travel in a hot air balloon to look down on Steinbach, maybe not quite that high, that'd be scary, but if we could all travel up and look down at Steinbach and see, you know, and sort of see how things could be planned out, where could this new idea go, where would this development— we want to build affordable housing, where is that going to go, how is that going to work, what about for new businesses that we want to have in Steinbach, where does it all fit in? And so part of that comprehensive plan is actually being able to visualize where these different places are going to be. And I think we need to do planning involving real estate agents and construction companies. We need to have lots and lots of community input. And these sort of events, even like last week where we had it at the event center where we were able to listen to the community, have more input from the community, I think that's going to help with growth. is a better idea for council to know what does our community, what are they looking at, what do they want to see for the future. We're not mini Winnipeg, and I don't think many people want us to be mini Winnipeg, but to still have a lot of those still same amenities that maybe we'd have in Winnipeg with keeping Steinbach for what it is. So thank you.”

Brad Unger · Oct 15, 2026 · 0:28:10

“This is one of the critical factors that we have as a core value or core factors in Steinbach, right? We've been having a lot of flooding. We know it is stressful. It is hard for everyone, especially for the people who had those situations, and one of them are my parents. It's very hard. So flooding infrastructure, the, the, the flooding is very important for everyone. And every day, every day that I do door knocking, a lot of people that we need to upgrade, we need to upgrade our pipelines, which is we are doing right now. We appreciate that. We are upgrading our wastewater treatment plant, and this This is good. It's going there. It's happening. And one of the things that we are looking forward is how can we make it better, right? We're going to ask ourselves, how can we make it better? The highest priority now is to prevent the upcoming flooding, right? So the pipelines, we're going to upgrade them. Whatever— all the pipelines that we have right now, we have to maintain them. as well, like the, the new ones. So we, we must have a prevention management system. As a safety professional, we have to make sure that all the equipments that we have are maintained, right? We, we do have to check, we have to maintain everything that we have as an asset, because once they get broken, it's more expensive for everyone, especially for the city. So we have to make sure that our financial, our prevention management system are intact. And also one of the topics that I've talked to our seniors when I visited and I talked to our seniors, they don't have the path when they use their scooters, right? We have to make sure our seniors are safe and make sure that we're going to give them what they have Because they actually build the city. So thank you.”

Greg Carlos · Oct 15, 2026 · 0:39:36

“Yeah, I'm a firm believer in resilient infrastructure. Just a little story, when I was director at the Mennonite Heritage Village here, we had issues with a couple of buildings. The foundation, the printery, the house barn were falling apart. It actually cracked the hearth in the middle of the house barn and just ruined a lot of things, and it was very expensive to fix. But every time we worked at it, we had to redo it. I always made sure we did it better, that this would never happen again, made it better. And I see with, with the flooding, the issues we have coming with our climate, we need to make things better. We need to— that's what it is to be resilient, so that it can handle these once-in-a-century rain like we had a couple years ago. That's happened a couple times now. So resilient is about building things better so they can handle whatever is to come in the future. I think too that, yeah, our flood mitigation needs to be done better. There's some good steps being taken, but I think we can do more in that area. We need to improve our standards of water management and development. And yeah, I would like to look more, if I can, at the lagoon that Hanover, our neighbour, is setting up, and can we join them or not? I know in a few years we're gonna have to do it. Can we work together on that? Another thing for infrastructure is multi-paths. I think we— multi-use paths, we need more of that. We see with e-scooters, that's a lot of a very dangerous thing. I love the idea someone shared with me of having, you know, one side of the path for scooters or e-bikes and one for walking, and having a little more of that. So it's just so much easier for people to get around the city, reducing the need for traffic and cars and and helping this to be a more livable city. So there's a couple of thoughts there on infrastructure for me.”

Gary Dyck · Oct 15, 2026 · 0:37:43

“I'll directly answer the question right at the end of my time here. Infrastructure is, I think, one of the key areas where the expectation is that our taxes will go towards. If we don't have a proper infrastructure, the rest is just kind of icing on the cake. We need infrastructure that is workable, that's planned for the future. I think we need to be careful with a sprawling community, because infrastructure does cost. But what does it all encompass? It means also not just outlying communities, but in the mature areas of our city, it involves replacing water and sewer lines in a planned and systematic manner. It involves resurfacing streets, replacing or adding sidewalks and curbing in timely manners. I will insert here that this past summer, a portion of Stonebridge Crossing close to where I reside was resurfaced. The contractor did a fantastic job matching the elevations from the Yes. How do we ensure that the transition from the existing roadway to the new construction area, there isn't a bump, it's completely smooth? As larger infill projects take place, it may involve the removal of existing single-family residences. What happens in cases where infrastructure also means making sure our existing sewer lines and lift stations are able to handle maybe 10 or 20 times the number of people now using existing lines? So the end of this part is, the long-term plan that Council has, I think, for the lagoon expansion, I think is absolutely critical. Not only for our current community, but also for in the years to come. And that's a costly venture, but I think it's critical.”

Ron Falk · Oct 15, 2026 · 0:33:42

“So to the question, what's our top issues for infrastructure in Steinbach? Number one for me is the water treatment facility. It was first quoted at around $100 million, I think, and now it sits about $200 million. So I think we have to figure out if— what the right way to go with that is. Is it doing our own, or is it working with regionalization with other communities? Otherwise, we might have to find funding, and that will be difficult with the province, and who knows, might cause a tax increase, but no one likes talking about that. So I think we just really have to figure out what's best for Steinbach in the long term, and if we can work with communities rather than be by ourselves. And then beyond that, top issue for me would kind of just be holding developers accountable. when they're building new developments, are they up to the right standards? I know I've talked to lots of people, it's like they see so much flooding, they're experiencing so much of that in their neighbourhoods, and they're told that, well, you can't do anything else because that's how it was developed, and drain onto the street or drain into your backyard. So those would be my 2 top issues.”

Nicholas Goertzen · Oct 15, 2026 · 0:41:48

“Infrastructure is always a hot topic. As a council, together with administration, we spend much time going over the details of infrastructure renewal. Every year we choose older parts of the city to replace underground infrastructure, replacing the existing steel and concrete pipes with the new technology of PVC, which will last a much, much longer period of time. We also target some of the concrete pipes by sending cameras along, and we, in some cases, we've been able to add a resin which clings to the pipes and extends life by a long, long period. Period of time, also saving the city a lot of money. All the new developments are subject to a water management system with a drainage plan, and especially with the 2 floods that we had over the last couple of years, we've really taken a look at that, and retention ponds are very common in new developments. And we're also taking steps like we mentioned here that we've taken steps to improve the system as is. But the biggest plan is like Susan said, our wastewater management project, which will be the biggest project we've ever done. Thank you.”

Bill Hiebert · Oct 15, 2026 · 0:46:03

“Thank you very much. Before I speak about our biggest priority in the infrastructure, I'd like to speak about what council and what our city deals with every day in infrastructure. I think this is the most important aspect of any community, is infrastructure. When speaking about infrastructure, people need roads, pathways for walking and cycling that connect different parts of our community. In Steinbach, we have 130 kilometres of roadway. We have 150 kilometres of sidewalks and pathways. Infrastructure includes water supply pipes, wastewater treatment, drainage, and our landfill where we do a lot of compost and making the resulting compost available to our community. We have 210 kilometres of water and wastewater lines, plus 6 lift stations. We have 5 wells that supply clean water to our city. The city has been working hard updating our sewer lines and lift stations in order to mitigate natural disasters and flooding issues in the future. Other infrastructure within the city includes our churches, schools, libraries, senior housing, community centres, green spaces, parks, healthcare and medical facilities, subdivisions, and housing. Steinbach's— the highest priority for Steinbach in the next 4 years until 2032, of course, is our waste— mechanical wastewater treatment plant, which is going to cost us over $200 million. There's lots of work that has to be done, and there's a lot of work that has to be done behind the scenes before we ever start building. And so, yes, collaboration is a big, important issue. To operate a city and the building, an upkeep costs a lot of money, which is afforded through taxes collected as well as provincial and federal government funding, including the green environmental funding and the gasoline tax grant. The city, under the leadership of council and our CAO, maintain and expand our infrastructure. We have excellent employees who implement the upkeep of all our infrastructure.”

Jake Hiebert · Oct 15, 2026 · 0:48:11

“So when it comes to infrastructure, maintaining what we have should be always the topmost priority. Some of the feedbacks and data suggest that we saw some decline between '10 to '23 in the maintenance ratio of our assets or long-term assets, but it has improved since then. I think we did huge Highway 12 project that improved situation. Well, some people have some different sort of feedback on that as well, but it did improve. Active transportation. So I'm talking about the same project, Highway 12, and that I was doing a video about how it's connected, like especially the walkways, it just ends in the one point. Corner does not connect to the other streets. So as we grow and as we plan things, we need to also think about these, you know, challenges which, you know, which is related to active transportation and keep solving them as we build new infrastructure. We can't go back. Sometimes it's very expensive to fix and connect. So whatever we build next, we need to have ways to connect them, so it helps many people. Business-related, you know, infrastructure. So we should have business-related infrastructure also as a priority in a sense when new businesses or investment we, you know, we chase for, it should be friendly to come here based on our infrastructure. The priority which you asked would be the flooding. So I have been to, again, I don't want to repeat again and again, but like so many different doors, and I thought it's a local issue, but it's a huge issue. This is something we need to come in with a white paper to take people in confidence. Many people skip their vacation and as such, and it's a problem everywhere in the city.”

Mitesh Kumar · Oct 15, 2026 · 0:35:34

“Thank you very much again, Shannon. Infrastructure, at the nuts and bolts of it, is what municipal government does. That is what we are. We are the infrastructure, because when your roads aren't able to be driven on, when they're not cleared, when either water isn't moving, When your toilet doesn't flush and when you don't have water coming out of your faucet, you recognize it. Infrastructure is our number one focus. So to answer the question directly, what's the highest priority? It's the next project. Whatever the next project is, is the highest priority, because that's the next thing that needs to get done. Infrastructure is incredibly expensive. It needs long-term vision, long-term planning. We have, we have a 5, 10, and 15-year capital plan. Some projects even are on a 20-year capital plan that you look at and say, okay, this is coming down the road, we're going to need to be focusing on this. So the highest priority infrastructure project is the one that needs to get done next.”

Damian Penner · Oct 15, 2026 · 0:47:14

“Thank you. I agree with Nicholas in that the wastewater treatment facility is the most pressing infrastructure issue we have in our community right now. Estimates are we need that facility to be up and running by about 2032 if we're going to be able to keep growing and expanding. So any major project can take years just to design, let alone build and implement. So that is a really pressing issue. That project is going to be upwards of $200 million. So we are— it's really contingent on if we get the province and federal government to contribute to that as well, but that will certainly be the biggest project that this community has ever done. And but it is necessary because in the early— yeah, by about 2032, we're going to stop our growth at that point if we don't get that project done. So that is certainly a pressing issue for our community.”

Susan Penner · Oct 15, 2026 · 0:43:00

“There's an old saying that every man's home is his castle. I feel that way about my home, and I think a lot of you probably feel that way about your homes as well. And so I think that my biggest concern for infrastructure would be— there would be 2 pieces to that. One would be the policing that we have here in Steinbach. I'm very— I just appreciate so much the hard work that our officers are doing. I do believe though that we need more frontline officers to protect our homes, our property. I think they'll keep our force fresh and focused. I had a good chat with our staff sergeant and just was able to encourage him and talk to other RCMP officers in the community. They, they want to be posted here. Steinbach is a place where they want to be posted, and we want them to be able to protect our homes. And so that, that's a part of it. So if a person feels good about the safety of their home, I think they'll they'll be a good citizen, they'll be appreciating living here. And the other part to keeping your home safe is what has already been mentioned, that is doing something about the flooding. That's very sad what's happening. I do appreciate what council has done already, greenlit some projects. They've done some work on that already, and I appreciate that. I would like to see those sensors in the sewers. I'd like to see that greenlit, greenlit, as in Winnipeg that seems to be having some success there. It gives up-to-date information to, to those who are watching so that you can spot problems in the sewers within an hour and knowing exactly where they are. I'd also like to see, you know, where we have construction zones and have those sewers inspected regularly so in case they've become clogged from, from all the construction. So again, I'd like to see— I think it's important that our homes, we We feel safe in our homes, we feel good that, you know, that things are being looked after, we're not worried about a flooding basement and that sort of thing. I think that helps us to be able to think about other things that are important and happening in our city. It has to start within our homes.”

Brad Unger · Oct 15, 2026 · 0:44:00

“How to keep services without raising tax? That was the question, right?”

Moderator: “The question was, how would you balance maintaining quality city services while keeping taxes affordable?”

“Okay, thank you. So yeah, so basically we have a lot of places here, right? We have the SEC, we have the Southeast Event Center, we have a lot of funding that we can get from provincial, federal, and private sectors. I've seen it. I know a lot of— we have a lot of business owners here that will support the initiative for the city. And I cannot believe how much, how much our cities so close to each other Because we have one goal, is to have the SEC, right? We had the Southeast Event Center. That was the goal. That was the goal. And I think we can do it again. We can do it again as, as we work together, as we ask for federal and provincial funding. And I, I think that is the great approach without increasing the taxes. Thank you.”

Greg Carlos · Oct 15, 2026 · 0:53:55

“Yeah, I think we sometimes need to say no to things that maybe look enticing because of the cost down the road. How is this going to actually help us, or is this going to cost the next generation too much. Once again, at the museum here, there was a beautiful building that we wanted to get, but it was going to need a lot of restoration, and then once it was here, it was going to need a lot of upkeep. And we put that into the budget, we crunched the numbers, and it was not worth it. I was like, I don't want to leave this for the next person after me. So we sometimes need to say no to things, and that's okay. But we can also say yes to things, and I think we need to do a better job of finding government grants, federal grants, provincial grants, but especially federal grants. There's been a lot of good ones over the years, and I've sometimes come to church— sorry, City Council here, and I have an idea, and I have this grant, and it's ready to go if you just want to help a little bit. And I got the no from them, and we missed out on hundreds of thousands of dollars over the years. So grants is one way to keep our taxes down locally, while finding some new income to help our community improve. And then finally, there's things we can do, I think, to look at our budgets better. The Strong Towns Group, they have a wonderful finance decoder which helps you look through all your expenses as a city and where are you losing money and how can you stop that flow, that bleed, and improve where you can get income. So that's a wonderful tool. I'd like to draw on those kinds of tools, those innovations that others, other cities are implementing and seeing good results with.”

Gary Dyck · Oct 15, 2026 · 0:52:08

“Thank you. Affordability and taxes, this is a real rub here, isn't it? There are many great ideas and opportunities and ways for council to spend each of our tax dollars. This is an absolutely critical part of the entire discussion. While determining which ideas to pursue or support, council needs to determine which items are critical to consider, those which are nice to have, and those which are simply out of the question. There are further questions that we could consider, such as, is this a one-time cost or is it an ongoing expense? Which items would garner the support of the wider constituency? Which items are a great return on our investment of tax dollars? Which items make our community safer? Which items would enhance community activities through recreation and pathways, etc.? If the larger community can see the importance of any of these items, they will support a nominal tax increase. But of course, there's always the other side of the equation to consider, which is this: there are currently people who own houses who may already have a difficult time paying their taxes. How will these decisions affect them?”

Ron Falk · Oct 15, 2026 · 1:03:32

“So, I think we just have to try and understand what our citizens actually want in Steinbach and whether it's worth a raise in taxes. A city should make its citizens happier, not angrier, and I think that if we spend time to listen to them and see what we want, then we can actually kind of talk about these things and how we can afford these things. One example I'll use is transit. I've talked to the SEAC and I think it's something like $40 a year per person for transit, which is very affordable. I know some people in the community were quoting it at like over $900,000 in raised taxes, but that's not the case. So I think just kind of telling people, showing them the numbers and how this would affect them would help us really decide and balance between the two. Yeah, just a better understanding and more listening. Thank you.”

Nicholas Goertzen · Oct 15, 2026 · 0:55:07

“Affordability and taxes. I look at Steinbach as a whole, and our mill rate is the lowest mill rate of any city in Manitoba. And I've talked to quite a few citizens that say taxes are very reasonable here. They come from other places which are much higher. So we need to encourage business growth, invite new businesses into our community, which would cause the full circle of increasing tax base and also increasing opportunities. So as a whole, I think our city is in a pretty Pretty good position that way. Thank you.”

Bill Hiebert · Oct 15, 2026 · 0:59:24

“Thank you. Affordability depends on 2 core factors: the cost of a good or service, such as housing, healthcare, education, and the available income of that person paying for the item. Having said this, when people look at City Council for affordability, the question then asked is, what does the city have control over in order that the living cost in Steinbach is affordable, more affordable than the next community? Council has limited control over housing as it is market-driven, As to the type of house and the cost of a residence, council has controlled what is referred to as red tape, keeping permits and in some cases land costs lower, when in turn will impact the price of a residence. What council focuses on is ensuring that our streets are clean, that we have healthy drinking water, our roads are kept in good shape, that our toilets flush, and that the city is safe. These are affordable items Controlled by council, reflecting in persons being able to buy or rent accommodation, buy food for the table, walk in— walking and biking paths, active transportation, and attracting new business. One has to remember that council also has to pay the bills. The mill rate in Steinbach in 2018 was 14.09. It dipped a couple of years, and for the last 3 years it's been sitting at 14.4%. Most often taxes increase due to our property assessments rising. City Council depends on our administration and our hardworking employees to bring Council issues that Council can control. Then it is up to Council to analyze the information, make the right decisions, which should be able to be in the best interest of our citizens. Again, how do you balance affordability? You balance it between high priority and available money. Thank you.”

Jake Hiebert · Oct 15, 2026 · 1:01:30

“So, in order to look into the affordability issues, these days it's very hard to start for young youth. You know, they need to have a job. Just one job does not pay for, you know, things which they need in life. So, I'm voicing actually for a public transit which is gonna help many people in many situations. Financial sustainable public transit, an urgent priority. So whenever that comes, I'll be always in support for that. Affordability is also, you know, about how you get to the work, how you earn income, how you participate in the community. Owning a car is not a solution all the time. Sometimes, as I said, like, you probably need another job to support, you know, affordability issues. Also, the priorities, you know, from the— like, we should be looking into some aspect of our work within the city to see how we could finance in a longer term, you you know, the projects which are really important, and it helps with the affordability and other issues. So that's my take on this.”

Mitesh Kumar · Oct 15, 2026 · 0:50:45

“Thank you very much. Balancing services with affordable taxes. We hear from our residents time and time again that Steinbach is incredibly well serviced. We have very thorough snow removing— removal clearing. Obviously, when you get dumped on, it's never fast enough, but it, it is very quick compared to other, other areas, and thorough. That's one of the services that's provided. Our green spaces are immaculate, another service that's provided. But to balance with taxes, you have to talk about tax strategy. Tax strategy, one that I'm going to circle back to again, is short-term lending. The 5-year debentures, it lowers the amount of interest that's paid on every project that we take a debenture on, and it also sees us get much more aggressive lending rates at banks. When mortgage rates rates were going up to 6.5, 7% this last 2 years, the city was still able to borrow at under 4% because of those short-term loans, saving hundreds of thousands if not millions of dollars on the infrastructure projects that we put in. That's the tax strategy of affordable taxes, and being that I am an incumbent, I have to look at the track record of what has happened with the taxes. It hasn't just gone up, there's been 2 million Mill rate increases when it was necessary to fund projects, but there was also 2 mill rate decreases in that same span as well. So, it's been held steady, it's increased, and it's decreased depending on what the needs of that next year's budget was. And that's how you can balance the services with affordable taxes.”

Damian Penner · Oct 15, 2026 · 0:59:59

“Thank you. I for sure have noticed that our residents are feeling the pressure of rising costs, so I think it's imperative that we do remain disciplined as a council. I think we really need to evaluate, obviously, the cost-benefit of whatever opportunities we have. At the same time, I don't believe in promising to freeze taxes. Freeze taxes indefinitely is realistic either, because the city also feels the pressure of inflation. What matters is that our increases are justified and we're prioritizing essential services, and that we're not unnecessarily taking on burdens that will increase, will be here for the long term and increase and impact the next generation. I think one of the priorities for us is increasing our. commercial industrial tax base. So if you have a strong business community, that helps distribute the cost of municipal services. So that's one reason as a council we are so, I guess, enthusiastic about being a business-friendly community, because that actually is what helps subsidize a lot of these projects and a lot of the infrastructure that we want to implement in our community.”

Susan Penner · Oct 15, 2026 · 0:55:59

“I want to just focus a little bit on a different type of service. There's been a lot of chat about the services they're providing from a quality of life direction. I want to talk a little bit about people that are offering services currently already. We have a huge volunteer base in Steinbach, and that was something that actually came out in the forum last week was when we began to talk about needs in Steinbach, like for instance the long waits at the ER, there is only so and so much that can be done, but some, a couple of people talk about what if someone could come there and serve coffee or do something kind for the people waiting in the ER. And so it's that sort of attitude that we heard over and over again last week was how can I contribute to this community? I love Steinbach, how can I contribute? And so one, maybe this is a bit of a unique way of looking at helping with our services here, but it's actually we can. There is a lot that we can do if everybody's willing to give a little bit more sweat equity and hard work. Part of balancing what we want to do, quality services and keeping the taxes low, is actually volunteering. I work at Birchwood Funeral Chapel and our lunch staff is made up of volunteers who come willingly service after service to offer just to help. They just love to serve, and I think that sort of spirit is here in Steinbach. So that's part of it. Obviously, that's not the whole part of it. We need to take a very hard look and see, like was what was said here as others, that our current tax rate I think is about 2.77%, which is the lowest among Manitoba cities. There's not that many cities in Manitoba, but that's still a pretty good rate. We have a stable real estate market, which I'm very thankful for. We do need more affordable homes. We, for first-time buyers and for seniors, there are things that we are going to need to do. Sweat equity only gets us so far. So I am, I'm definitely in favor of a small tax increase if it makes sense. But again, I go back to, we are Steinbach. We do this well.”

Brad Unger · Oct 15, 2026 · 0:57:17

“Business is why Steinbach works. People come here for jobs. We have a lot of opportunities. We see a lot of buildings getting built, right? But by the north of Steinbach, we have a lot of land there, and a lot of people are building right now. Right now, the commercial property is roughly a quarter of our total assessment. Council doesn't create jobs. Business do. You guys do, right? What council controls is dealing with the city is easy or hard. So 3, uh, 3 commitments. First, speed and predictability. If you apply for a permit or rezoning, you should know the steps, the cost, and the timeline on day 1. Time is money when it comes to building construction. Time is money, right? And uncertainty is worse than No. So we have to be transparent to everyone, our business owners, our construction developers. And second is infrastructure that is ready— service land, sewage capacity, good roads for trucks and customers. I work, I, I work alongside transportation and agriculture every day. I understand if you miss one day, you will lose millions of dollars. I understand that. And third, Workforce. Every employer I talk to say the same thing. They can't find people. People will come here to work if they can find a home. So a daycare, a community that welcomes them, housing, recreation, and welcoming newcomers, which is— we have a lot of newcomers from different countries, and we— they are the workforce that we have right now, uh, are not separate from the business file. They are the business file. And I would like working closely to the chambers. I used to be part of the Filipino Business Chambers in Winnipeg before, and I know what the value of it. Working with the business people is the— it's one of the things that are very important. And I think my— the relationship, we have to keep building the relationship so we can achieve one goal here in Steinbach. Thank you.”

Greg Carlos · Oct 15, 2026 · 1:06:53

“Yeah, I think City Council is doing a good job in that area. We see a lot of businesses coming. Some don't always last, and I think there's maybe some more support needed for that. So I would love to see more of a support network for businesses that are starting up, especially for entrepreneurs that have a hard heart and heart to raise some money even. We can— maybe we can encourage that. That's always a big thing, finding those investors and that funding. And I'd love to see, yeah, not just supporting the current businesses and having them get together, but even those that are just starting out, just thinking about starting something, and seeing how we can help them become successful and ensure their future. I had someone do that to Chartered accountant that took the time, and it helped. It helped so much. So that is one big thing I would love to see just on a on a more relational side. Just on the on the wider side, I think yeah, we we need to always look at at the red tape for businesses. What do they need to do? What what hinders them? And is there some way that we can empower our businesses to to do better and to keep going well. I love the Steinbach Chamber of Commerce. It's a very vibrant and active commerce, and so I want to keep partnering with that, with them, and I love that we get together as business leaders once in a while, and those kinds of things I think are encouraging for the new businesses to join in.”

Gary Dyck · Oct 15, 2026 · 1:05:13

“Of course, an option, not a very good one, would be to be a bedroom community where few jobs are available, but we have a nice, safe, clean community in which to live. Business is a key to success of any community. We can encourage business in our city. Are we easy to deal with, or do we put roadblocks in the way of business? Do we encourage, but not simply encourage, but do we pursue businesses of scale? Businesses who will make our home their home, and who can provide full-time jobs at a living wage? Do we need more fast food restaurants? Maybe we're missing a few, I don't know, but likely that is not our model for long-term success as a community. We have a young, eager workforce who require and need and want opportunities to work and live in our community. Let's encourage our business community.”

Ron Falk · Oct 15, 2026 · 1:18:07

“So I think we could just make it easier to work with us between the city of Steinbach and businesses. Just make it easy to build spaces. We can zone for more creation of cheap spaces. I think that's the main thing. Spaces kind of build the culture of a town and city. They allow for young entrepreneurs and anyone who wants to start a business just to go rent a place and try it out and see what happens. That's, that's how culture is built. It's how we get great businesses like on Main Street. Shout out to the Public. It's a great place. It builds a lot of culture and a lot of great people. I think that's just the main thing we can do as City Council is just make it easier to work with us and to start something up. Thank you.”

Nicholas Goertzen · Oct 15, 2026 · 1:09:05

“I think business is an essential component to a healthy community, and I believe that we need to be open to businesses that are looking at Steinbach and make sure that we go after them and provide them with what they need to come here. And we do have land put aside in the— with the Economic Development Corporation in Steinbach that has land. We have water in Steinbach, we have a workforce in Steinbach, so we have so many different things that will actually attract businesses, and We're always willing to entertain new ideas for businesses. Some of the notable examples of what's come to Steinbach over the last number of years, we've brought some real big businesses, like with Highlife's head office coming to Steinbach, and Penco Construction. Those are 2 big entities that have come to Steinbach, plus we've added many other businesses over the last number of years. So Steinbach's business community is actually in We're in a pretty good position, and we are open to new business, because a new business brings jobs and makes a better community. Thank you.”

Bill Hiebert · Oct 15, 2026 · 1:13:45

“Thank you. Steinbach needs more businesses. Why? It is my opinion that the majority of people living in Steinbach should be able to retain jobs within Steinbach. Steinbach should be more than just a commuter city. Every year, SRSS graduates more than 500 students. Now there are inadequate amount of quality job openings to attract our students to stay in our community, opposed to leaving to Winnipeg or places even further. I believe this is crucial to our city going forward. When first elected, council had an informal meeting with Lowen Window executives. I suggested at that time a partnership with SRSS would assist their company by hiring local workers, having them enroll in a journeyman carpentry course, knowing that the majority of our workforce has a good work ethic. Majority of people would want to remain in Steinbach, and after 8 years, these students would have their carpentry license. It is my understanding that this has been implemented to some point between the window company and the school. This is but one idea. When speaking about attracting businesses, the Steinbach Community Development Corporation purchases land on behalf of the city when land becomes available. These purchases are predominantly for the purpose of light and heavy industrial use. The land is then sold at a very reasonable price to the buyer. What is important that council works with the community and the business community. Business people know what they want and what they need. It is up to council to attempt to attract, to start, or relocate businesses in or to Steinbach. The role of council is to address the needs of Steinbach and then advocate to bring businesses to our city that reflect the views and the needs of our citizens. Thank you.”

Jake Hiebert · Oct 15, 2026 · 1:15:58

“So, ah, businesses bring tax and jobs. Businesses take heavy load of our taxes for the city. So this would be always a priority. When I say we should have business-friendly processes, Clear steps, streamlined contacts, fast-track timelines. We should have a red carpet approach to the businesses, not red tape. We have discussed this issue four years back in the same kind of forum. I'm also a business consultant casual, and I get queries sometimes. Sometimes things which gets forwarded from the city to the chamber to the to me. I think we should have, as I said, a red carpet approach. carpet approach for the businesses. They are the one who's going to create jobs, pay more taxes, which is going to help us stop our youth or keep them here with us within the community. They don't have to go far away. Also, so business development was a huge topic in '18 when I ran and also '22. There was a pilot done to support a business development sort of office, which was stopped just a couple of years back. I don't I think objectives— what I heard, the objectives were not met. So I don't know where that funding is, but these things are really important. You can't just bring businesses, you know, at the city, just staff doing everything, or chamber is doing great, but they can't do everything. We have to have resources towards that objective of having a business development professional set up. We are competing with jobs with nearby cities, Naperville, Winklevoss, as such. And if I see the opportunities for our youth, this would be like a priority for us to do something better. I saw when the funding was cut, there was an airport POE application which was done just last year to support sort of growth or tourism. I support in long term, but I think a public transit probably probably will be a better option to start with, which is going to help seniors, youth, workers, residents without vehicles, and events.”

Mitesh Kumar · Oct 15, 2026 · 1:19:01

“Thank you very much. So, what role does City Council have in creating a good business environment? That comes down to governance, that comes down to us needing to know where we need to be involved and where we do not need to be involved. That's just good governance. Council doesn't need to be involved in every single aspect of every single person or business's life. There's different things in the community that do that, and so it really comes down to good governance. Quick bullet points: what is good governance and what should the city do? We need to have— businesses want to see consistent investment in infrastructure to come to Steinbach. They need to see a safe community. They need to see consistent, regular property taxes that they can rely on. They need— and then also with my portfolio on Steinbach Community Development Corporation, it's getting land prepared and ready that shovels can go in the ground for new businesses that come to Steinbach. But being a business owner myself, being an entrepreneur that has opened businesses, expanded businesses as well, one of the best things that the city can do is to essentially just be out of the way because to a business The best government is one that they don't notice.”

Damian Penner · Oct 15, 2026 · 1:14:46

“Thank you. When it comes to business investment, I think one of the things we've been prioritizing in council over the years is customer service. So we want business developers to be able to come in, get the answers they need, have it be a fairly straightforward and timely process. And we want businesses to know we want them here. That may sound like something that's obvious, but actually when you court businesses and say, no, Steinbach is where you should be, it actually can tip the scales in our favor as they're looking for places to set up their businesses. Another priority we need to do is have land available. So we don't want to get into the specifics of development, we leave that to the developers, but we need to have land available. So you'll see in our industrial park that we've been adding extensions to the roadways and developing more properties and lots there, and hopefully this kind incubators, what we like to talk about, fashion, where it can get industrial and manufacturing into our community at an affordable cost. The other thing is obviously reasonable taxes. Businesses pay a lot of taxes, so we want to be able to keep that reasonable. And then we also be able— need to be able to justify why their taxes are what they are, and that's because we have incredible service in Steinbach. Steinbach is just a great, great service, so it makes the taxes worth it for them, hopefully, when they get here. So yeah, I think that is a summary of it. We just want to be able to— we want businesses to know that we want them here, and then also when they get here to prove that that was the right decision and this has been a good place”

Susan Penner · Oct 15, 2026 · 1:09:48

“I really like this question a lot, so I'm thankful for this. Also thankful for the Chamber of Commerce and the work they're doing in our community. I guess probably everybody in the room could probably relate to this, where you, you're ready to go to your favorite place, whether it's a restaurant or just a business, and you see closing out sale, you know, and you sort of wonder like what happened, why Why did it not work? Or like, what's happening there? And so what I would like to see is, and maybe Chamber of Commerce has something like this, but I would really like to see if there's a way for struggling businesses to have a cry for help, whether that's a cry to Chamber of Commerce or to City Council and go, guys, we've been in this community for X number of years, or maybe a short while, we're struggling, we need help. Some sort of— I don't know if it's a tax bailout or a financial bailout, but just an opportunity for city council or for Chamber of Commerce to put them in touch with the right people. We want to see established businesses stay in our community. I also want to just piggyback a little bit on what Nicholas said about the entrepreneurship, but my focus is not maybe in entrepreneurship in general, but youth entrepreneurship. My concern is that a lot of our young people don't see Steinbach as their future. Maybe it's their present but not their future, and they're taking their bright ideas and going to another community. I would like to keep our youth in Steinbach, and we all benefit from those bright ideas. And so I want to see youth entrepreneurship emphasized, something we can really focus on, keep them in Steinbach. The other thing I want to point out is I was actually looking at the last census back in 2021, not because I like reading census, that'd be weird, but just getting information for today. I noticed how many people in Steinbach have a business degree, and I think maybe that's an underutilized growth of talent, is so many people with a business degree that need to have that put into use here in Steinbach.”

Brad Unger · Oct 15, 2026 · 1:11:37

“Okay, for me, quality of life comes down to one question: can every person or people here in Steinbach take part of it? That's the question, the biggest question that we can, we can ask everyone here. Can everyone in this, everyone in, in the seat take part of it? I, I, I have 3 here, but I'll give you one. I spent my career on safety. Safety is very important for everyone, for the seniors, for kids, for your family and my family. They are very big. Safety is not only policing. We need— but then we need that. It's lighting, street design, and whether a senior feels comfortable walking downtown in the evening. Steinbach now has the community safety and well-being plan. That is great to see. That is great to hear because we need everyone to be safe. each day. Doesn't matter what time it is, doesn't matter when. We need everyone to be safe here because we attract people to come here to be safe. And I think that is the most priority that I have right now because that is my profession, and I think I can put a lot of value at the council, and I can help everyone to be safe here.”

Greg Carlos · Oct 15, 2026 · 1:21:32

“Yeah, when I was thinking about running for council, I had the privilege of sitting down with Michael Waikstra and Jake Siemens, and something Jake said really got me thinking, and he said, when you are on council, you should not think just of the top 20% of the people, those with the highest incomes, the developers and such, but you need to always be intentional about thinking of the bottom 20%. And I think when it comes to quality of life, that's very important. How are we doing in that area? And with homelessness, that's a big one. I was able to meet with the Steinbach Community Outreach and then the Inn, the people wanting to develop that shelter, and they've done a lot of really good work in the last months, a lot of research, and from what I can see, if there's— there's nothing better. This is really good, and if someone can show me something better, I really think we should do this. Let's go for it. Let's get the shovels in the ground. And winter is coming. It's already too late. The next thing is, I think there's a lot of isolation in our community and health issues. I see that working at the hospital. And, you know, we've had 5 cloudy, rainy days just now, but I've seen people walking out and about. I've seen them walking. I've seen them looking at the leaves on the trees. They're beautiful right now. And I just wish we had more multi-use paths that people could just, wherever they live, whatever part of Steinbach they are, that they would be connected and easily able to go to another part and not be any barriers that way. So that's another big important, I think, for quality of life. And then finally, I think it's important for us to have a center where we can come together as a community, low cost to no cost, that multi-generational, That we can come together in a shared space. The Arts Centre is bursting. They have so much good stuff going on. I think there's something with them that we need to support them better and encourage that along too for the future. There's something there. So that's the other idea I have in my heart.”

Gary Dyck · Oct 15, 2026 · 1:34:04

“Quality of life. In one word, I suppose safety, but quality of life is much more than just one word. It's an entire aspect of a community. It's multiple areas. Areas of safety, of course, but employment opportunities, a clean community, green spaces, recreation and arts opportunities, concern for one's neighbours, and I'm sure there are others, other areas as well. We expect our citizens to be able to feel safe and secure walking around our community. We expect our children and grandchildren to have employment opportunities within our city, enabling them to stay and raise their own families here. Quality of life is provided through green spaces where folks can walk or ride on nice pathways, places where families or friends can gather for picnics or games or play some catch or throw a frisbee. But what kind of quality of life do we have if we don't even know who our neighbours are? Showing neighbourliness or caring begins by our own neighbourhood. Thank you.”

Ron Falk · Oct 15, 2026 · 1:30:46

“So I think the one thing that most people are talking about right now is homelessness. That's a big quality of life issue right now. Not only the homeless people that we see or the unhoused, but just feeling unsafe in our own community, in parks, and just taking a walk. They're more visible and we need to be more cognizant of that these days. I think it's just about supporting people who are experiencing these issues. and being more of a community in helping these organizations. And it's just showing that as a city that we care about our citizens. How can we help these people and how can we— if someone— if that becomes an issue for somebody else, how do we stand up for those people? I think it's just being a community and being there for each other. This also goes back to— there's a big racism issue recently, and I think we have to be a better community and more united. Thank you.”

Nicholas Goertzen · Oct 15, 2026 · 1:22:51

“I was going to speak on the same topic that Susan Penner just shared, but I'm going to shift gears. While I was walking from door to door, one of the issues that comes up is e-scooters. I know our provincial government has not implemented any legislation regarding e-scooters, and that involves a lot of kids on rollerblades— not rollerblades, but e-scooters and different types of scooters going at high speed on sidewalks. And I'm looking forward to the day when we can actually implement something where where that'll be controlled, where they'll have to wear helmets, where they'll be reduced to speed, and also have rules when there's a pedestrian that they leave the sidewalk rather than stay on the sidewalk and ask the pedestrian to leave. So that's a very important issue. Thank you.”

Bill Hiebert · Oct 15, 2026 · 1:27:03

“Thank you. Quality of life in Steinbach, far exceeds the quality of life in most of the communities in Manitoba. Steinbach is one of the most desirable places in the province considering the rapid growth of our city, including the many people relocating, and including— this also includes our immigrants that have come to the city in these last couple of years. I have heard that we are the most diverse city in the Prairies. The city has many amenities that make our city attractive, and improve the quality of life within our city, including housing, employment, business opportunities. We also have very modern schools. We have an updated hospital with recent additions to our medical facilities, doctors, our healthcare. We have emergency services including policing and fire departments. Recreation in the city includes the new events centre, the aquatic centre, the vibrant City Arts Council, businesses for shopping, over 150 kilometres of sidewalks and pathways. We have parks, green spaces, which are all well kept. We have a golf course. We have numerous restaurants, other facilities for seniors and youth alike. We have many up-to-date senior housing complexes and other housing opportunities. Being the automobile city, we have many new and used businesses in the car dealership business. We have a very beautiful city for which we have won many prizes. People that know our city compliment our efficient snow clearing. All of this speaks to the high quality of life in our great community. To prove— to improve on this, council must continue a vision and a plan for a long-term quality of life for families, and for generations to come. Thank you.”

Jake Hiebert · Oct 15, 2026 · 1:28:51

“Health and seniors-related issues would be the, the top on the list. Of course, it's tied to the safety, homelessness, and good governance as well. So I am using this word crazy, your wait times in certain cases is kind of feedback we keep getting within the community. So we really have to do— I know it's a provincial subject, but we have to do better with the partnerships. It was great to hear a few months back there is a task force related to health health-related stuff being talked at province level, but we need to get to an extent, even if we have to do a petition at the municipal level, to try to find solutions for that. Seniors are the most impacted by some of these challenges. They have to connect many dots to find answers and solutions, so it should be taken in that context. I'm so happy that I've been talking about this from last 3 months about having a healthy aging and seniors related to housing task force, and I thank mayor and council that they have done something about it, having a task force. So safety, every second, third houses I've been, people talk about e-scooter racing and noise-related issues. So we need to have better RCMP CSO coordination and enforcement, and it should be visible is what the kind of feedback I get from the residents. Public transit, active transportation, you know, will always help as well with the overall quality of life. We discussed homelessness. We have some, you know, transitional options coming up, so probably it's going to improve the situation, but we need to do more. Good governance. You know, it leads to the confidence, public confidence and satisfaction. I voice for more women representation at the council and also a real leadership renewal at the municipal or the overall provincial level. So thank you, thank you for that.”

Mitesh Kumar · Oct 15, 2026 · 1:31:56

“What role does council have to improve quality of life for residents? and specifically what's one thing. To narrow down one thing, that's very challenging. But looking out into the gallery there, I have my children, I think they're the youngest ones here, so they get to have a late school night tonight. For me, to improve quality of life is having an environment in the city that is for generational families. When your family's able to be close by, when you're able to raise your kids in a in a safe community, when you'll be able to have housing for your aging parents and grandparents, and when you're able to have education for all, all different ages, when you're able to have recreation for all different ages, you're going to have an intergenerational family within your community. And providing that environment, I think, is ultimately what will bring the best quality of life to our residents.”

Damian Penner · Oct 15, 2026 · 1:27:57

“Thank you. I would say access to healthcare is one of the most significant quality of life issues impacting our community. While that is primarily our provincial responsibility, advocacy on the municipal side goes a long way. I know a few years ago, the mayor set up a task force for doctor recruitment, And since a few— this year we'll have 3 additional clinics in our community and about a dozen additional doctors. And that is something the city didn't actually have to spend money on. It was more in terms of investment of time and advocacy. So I think that is significant. The dialysis unit is another thing that came to our community and has relieved tremendous time and stress for a lot of families instead of having to go to Winnipeg 3 times a week, for example, to get dialysis done. But again, that is done based on the advocacy that the community does. And obviously the latest one we're working on is keeping our seniors in Steinbach. We have a lot of seniors who are being moved out of our community as they wait— await placement in care homes, which is just unacceptable. And while I don't necessarily believe that needs to be a big financial investment in terms of, let's say, adding more care home beds. I think there are things we can do to advocate just an adjustment in how some things are done. So I think healthcare is hugely important, and again, while we don't— it's not necessarily our jurisdiction, our advocacy goes a long way in making improvements in our community.”

Susan Penner · Oct 15, 2026 · 1:23:49

“It's a tough question. This is, this is, this is one I'm weighing right now, and there's a tie here for a couple, so I'm just going to speak to the one that rises to the top for me, and maybe this comes from my, my time on the school board as well, and that is safety, in particular for children. We are, we're lacking sidewalks in, in some pretty major areas in Steinbach. We have children having to walk along the side of some busy streets in order to get to schools, and I think that is deeply concerning. I had a number of parents who basically, when it came to their door, it wasn't even hi, it was just, I've got to tell you about what's going on. Streets that are too crowded when people are waiting to pick up their kids from schools and children having to to wind their way through cars. Like, there— we need to do something about the safety of children in our, in our city. I think that's going to— that helps put parents at ease, that helps put grandparents at ease, that helps us as a community when we, when we're able to take care of our, of our little ones. So that would be what I would prioritize. I mean, obviously there's other safety that's needed as well, but we want our kids, we want our kids to have a safe walk to school, a safe walk home, whether they're walking whatever kind of sidewalks or paths are here now. But we want to make sure that there are sidewalks in, in areas that currently don't have some. So yeah, so safety of our kids would be number one for me.”

Brad Unger · Oct 15, 2026 · 1:25:25

“In 20— in 20 years, I want my kids to be To be able to buy a house, find good, amazing work here. Not only a work or career, it's a profession. Because Steinbach, we know in 20 years we're going to have a lot of businesses here. We're going to build our young, young generations, and we're going to keep them here as, as they grow, raise their own family here. That's the whole vision. Everything else is how we get there, here. Steinbach will be a much bigger city by then. The question is whether we are bigger version of what people love or we are just bigger. So we understand that water treatment will be, will be implemented, will be built. So it, it's, it's a huge project. It's— we know it's gonna come. Uh, that can, uh, some of the things that we, we are looking for is we keep we kept our finances disciplined, so the next council inherited options instead of debts. That our downtown is alive in the evening, not only during Summer in the City, every day, every night. And the businesses on Main Street are booming. And that this is one of the things that we are looking for, or to look, uh, working with the chambers right now. And that is, uh, That's right. Our seniors, our baby boomers, our parents, our grandparents, we don't want them to go to different towns, to different cities just to visit them. We want them to be here, to be with us. Because working in a nursing home before, I know, I understand, I listen to them, how hard it is to their mental health, how hard it is for the family to travel from different places. So I want to have more senior homes here. And of course, to have support and resources for mental health, and of course, for people with disability and support for unhoused people. None of them happens by accident. It happens when council.”

Greg Carlos · Oct 15, 2026 · 1:47:30

“Yeah, I would hope that we would have a resilient infrastructure, like I talked about in the beginning, and people would say thank you, or they might not even notice, as the infrastructure hums along resilient. I would also hope that it would— with our infrastructure, we would be able to move on and support good community, a good quality of life. I hope there's no homelessness. And I also hope that this would be true, and I'm going to read a quotation from the last week when I attended the last candidates' forum at the event centre. I found this there, and it was beautiful, and I hope this becomes true in 20 years for Steinbach. We need to walk just as birds need to fly. We need to be around people. We need beauty. We need contact with nature. And most of all, we need to not be excluded. We need to feel some sort of equality, all of us.”

Gary Dyck · Oct 15, 2026 · 1:46:28

“The future of Steinbach in 20 years. No doubt growth will continue, but hopefully we don't lose our sense of community in the process. It might require a more concerted effort to hold on to the good things that brought us to this point. Hopefully the future includes planned residential communities, possibly with retention ponds to assist in flood mitigation. With green spaces and pathways connected to all parts of our city, less homelessness, some large business communities that have come into our community. Likely we will see more high-density accommodations in the city core. I reference a recent council decision to approve a 6-storey seniors building 1 or 2 blocks off of Main Street. We need to make sure we have more amenities accessible to those living in the downtown areas. The soon-to-be-open physician's office on Main Street is a step in that direction, but we need many more steps. Hopefully, we are able to attract a couple of these large businesses referenced earlier, who will employ many of our citizens. For growth to occur, however, we do need an expanded lagoon. This is a very large expenditure and will require considerable dollars and careful forward planning. Thank you.”

Ron Falk · Oct 15, 2026 · 1:42:52

“I have no time to think here. I guess just better than yesterday, better than the day before. I think we need to— in 20 years from now, we need organizations that meet our needs and that we can attend events with, like the SAC, for example. Pat Porter, like organizations that community is built around. We need businesses that are local and that we can support and that support us and just being overall community and neighbors to each other and being better as people. I think in 20 years we can really achieve something great, something that we can't even think of right now that's just just a better community overall. And I think that's, that's what I see in 20 years for younger people, older people, just everyone. So thank you.”

Nicholas Goertzen · Oct 15, 2026 · 1:36:28

“20 years, that's hard to imagine, but 20 years from now, I hope that Steinbach has a wastewater management system that's going to work and that's going to keep us growing. I hope that Steinbach remains a city that's attracting families to raise their children here. And like Brad said here, he's hoping that his children will stay here, and I'm hoping my grandchildren will stay here. I have a daughter here, and I have a— in fact, she's present— and I have a son that has moved away. But to see grandchildren stay here would be important as well. And the needs for healthcare and senior housing, my hope is that it'll be in place and will be well done.”

Bill Hiebert · Oct 15, 2026 · 1:39:20

“Thank you again. Steinbach is growing at a fast rate, and I'm excited to see where it'll be 20 years from now. In 2039, Steinbach's population is expected to be over 34,000 people. The city has shown a balanced restraint on spending and excellent stewardship of the taxpayer money. This is to be continued. Our 5-year loan repayment program introduced by then Helmut Pankras, our mayor, years ago has served us well in saving the city hundreds of thousands of dollars of interest money. If possible, this should Our city is a safe place to raise a family and conduct business. We have a great fire department. Our community safety officers are very active in their enforcement along with the RCMP. Hopefully this will continue. E-bikes, scooters, etc., must be regulated. The Manitoba government is coming out with legislation that which we need to complement with bylaws and regulations to ensure the safety of all those involved. both a cyclist and a pedestrian. Homelessness must be addressed. I make it a point to meet with the homeless people at least twice a week, and I know most of them by name. I hear their concerns, and in 20 years, it would be nice if we had no homeless people. As we have already heard, development and building permits are increasing, creating much-needed housing and commercial starts. As I look forward 20 years from now, we need to continue maintaining and upgrading our infrastructure to meet the demands posed by the rapid growth of our city. I remain optimistic that our city will continue to flourish, remain appealing to citizens and those relocating here as we safely raise our children, our grandchildren, and beyond.”

Jake Hiebert · Oct 15, 2026 · 1:40:51

“So likely we will be like about 40,000 in population in 20 years or so, the way we are growing. Faith, culture, and heritage is our identity. So my vision in 20 years, the way I see, we should always be respecting our heritage, embrace all the opportunities it brings, build a stronger community for for every generation. It should be welcoming. Future Steinbach should be connected transit. Kids are not going to give up on e-scooters, that I know, and we should have a plan for that. So we should be planning everything ahead, as some of us, we are talking that it's sometimes not easy to fix when you get into that. Also, so senior-friendly, affordable Affordable housing, new regional hospital. Some of the residents are talking like we are really reaching to a situation where we need something. Active transportation, jobs, youth staying back here within community, responsible taxes, and good governance culture. I also seen long term that we may have to move towards maybe a ward system. I went to many different areas of the Steinbach, sometimes like it's very costly. It's not. Like many smaller communities has it, and it gives better representation to the people. Sometimes when you have issue and everything comes to council, or, you know, in our sense, mayor, it's not fair. Most of the time everything should be also be sort of, you know, feel that accountability in that sense that they represent an area. So that's where I also see us going on. Governance and accountability So this is coming— some sentiments coming from the residents. I'm just going to read them. Council and staff are like public servants. We support following conflict of interest rules both in letter and spirit. Uphold local-first values. The rule of law should always prevail. Fair processes. Freedom from undue pressure. Priorities must reflect residents' needs and objectives. not some personal connection or influence, and every councillor deserves a meaningful role once they are elected. So that's where I would end, thank you.”

Mitesh Kumar · Oct 15, 2026 · 1:44:09

“What do I want it to look like in 20 years? Every problem that you heard today is solved. That would be the— that would be what I'd like to see, but the reality is, I want Steinbach to continue to be the city where you can come to work, you can come to play, and you can come to worship, that it's a city that is welcoming of everybody, that is open for business and continues to thrive the way that it is. I think we have something truly amazing in Steinbach, and I don't want to say that we don't want to grow, we don't want to expand. We do, for all the reasons that you've heard tonight. But I want to also make sure that we're looking at our heritage, we're looking at the strengths that is what makes Steinbach what it is today, and that we continue on with that.”

Damian Penner · Oct 15, 2026 · 1:40:05

“Thank you. I would like to see Steinbach continue to be a prosperous and safe and welcoming community and that offers a high quality of life regardless of what somebody's income level is. I think I think as we continue to grow and as the region— it's not just us who's growing, it's the surrounding region continues to grow— there's going to be more opportunities for regionalization. That just makes good economic sense, whether it's for recreation or healthcare. So that's one of the things I look forward to even exploring if I get reelected in this term, is how can we partner in doing some of these more extensive and larger regional regional project, so it's not just Steinbach that benefits, but it's something that can be done more cost efficiently for the region.”

Susan Penner · Oct 15, 2026 · 1:37:24

“Maybe it's oversimplified, but in 20 years, I would like my children to still be living in Steinbach. They're 21 and 24, and one of them wants to live here and one of them does not, and so I would like them both still be living here in Steinbach without us having had to bribe them, that they would actually want to live here. And I would like that all of your children and grandchildren and in some cases great-grandchildren to be living here as well. Maybe that means they've actually moved here because they saw Steinbach become what we're envisioning right here around this table. And I also think that The people that are going to make that happen are sitting up here, and that makes me very excited. So yeah, that's— I just want, I want 20 years from now to be Steinbach to be a city that our next generation will want to live here more than anywhere else.”

Brad Unger · Oct 15, 2026 · 1:38:13

“First of all, I would like to thank each and every one of you guys for being here. I would like to thank Chambers for organizing this. This is a great opportunity for us to listen, to know, to understand each and every one of you guys. We can talk later on about some of the topics that you want to talk, but This is also the first time for a Filipino-Canadian running for election in Steinbach, and I just wanted to thank you guys. Thank you guys for giving our community, our nationality, to be part of the election. This is big. This is a big step for Steinbach. And also, we would like to wanted to let you guys know that I've been here for 21 years. I grew up here. I've been involved in different communities. I was the president of the Filipino Association. I am involved in Steinbach PCE Association, San Bernardino City, and I am also involved with different businesses here that I don't own, but I, I help them to promote Steinbach. So we are getting a lot of people from different from different regions or city to come here because we have a lot of good businesses here, good food, and good opportunity. And also, I'm looking to work with you guys in the future and listen to you guys. I was a healthcare aide for the past 10 years. I am trained to listen. I'm trained to understand and I'm trained to take care and comfort each and every one of you guys. And of course, I, I am also, uh, health, safety, security. I have also a— I am also a licensed security guard. So I hope, I hope you, you would vote for me and give, give me a chance to, to work with you guys. And hopefully we, we will work in the future. Thank you. Thank you.”

Greg Carlos · Oct 15, 2026 · 2:00:17

“Yeah, thank you all for coming out today. This is wonderful. The last election we've had maybe a 16 or 17% voter turnout here in Steinbach for this, so please get your friends, get your family. I hope you're getting out there October October 28th, 8 to 8. And even if you want to be more strategic, more influence, you don't have to vote all 6, you know, slots. If you have 2 or 3 people here you really like, just do that and you'll have a little more influence that way. I just want to close by saying I'm passionate about community and I'm very passionate about Steinbach. I hope you can see that. But at the same time, I'm a strategic person. I love looking at the finances. How can we be resilient? I love looking at fresh ideas, collaborating, working together, so I think I'd make a good council member that way. And listening to you, of course, the voters, the people. I'm not here to lecture, I'm not here to talk about myself, but I'm here to listen, and what can we do well, what can we do together, and I do whatever I do, I do it with heart, so I hope you know that.”

Gary Dyck · Oct 15, 2026 · 1:59:07

“Thank you for this opportunity here to speak with each of you. Um, if you so choose to put me in this position, I would be so very honoured to do that. Um, I think one of my strengths that I do have is that I do listen to people. Um, we're given 2 ears and one mouth for a reason, and that we should probably be listening more than speaking. And, uh, so I, I believe I'm, I'm pretty good at doing that. Many of you have seen the card that I left in your doors already, and on there it talks about being fiscally responsible, and that's certainly very important to me. I'm the chair of our finance committee in our own church, and I have been that for very many years, and it's an important function to make sure that books not only balance but are sustainable, and the same holds true for council as well. I've had experience at the school board level for many years where taught me and showed me and encouraged me how to work with other individuals, and so I believe I can carry that forward into council. So, thank you.”

Ron Falk · Oct 15, 2026 · 1:55:54

“Yeah, just thank you to everyone for showing up for this forum and the last one. It's— it shows people care about the election, and I agree with Gary, only 16% voted last election, so go out and vote. It's the biggest thing you can do. I've heard from so many people while door knocking and listened, and it's just been such a joy hearing from all of you. I recognize very many faces here. I'm ready to learn, I'm ready to fight for people and challenge the council and just do better. So I just want to say thank you, and if anyone wants to connect with me further or ask more questions, feel free to reach out wherever you can— email, websites. I'll be at the Public every Saturday from 4 to 6 PM. So thank you.”

Nicholas Goertzen · Oct 15, 2026 · 2:02:28

“I will repeat that. It's, it's truly a privilege of being Being a citizen of Steinbach and having been a part of the last two councils for the last eight years has been a real privilege. Meeting the people, listening to their needs, some of their desires for the community. I think this this city is the place to raise your family, and I look forward to serving you for the next four years. It's been a privilege, and yeah, it's an exciting place and. Thank you very much.”

Bill Hiebert · Oct 15, 2026 · 1:52:45

“Thank you. In my opening, I spoke about the many different jobs and appointments that I've had. I've had over 50 years in public safety. I have a diverse background. I have been blessed with good health, and it is my faith in God that keeps me focused and balanced. Balancing work and home life. The past 8 years have been an opportunity to work with excellent councillors and our Mayor Funk. Having said that, I see great value and importance in continuity within council. I have learned a lot in the past 8 years. I have taken a stand on many issues that not all of the council have agreed with me at all times. I have proved that I am able to make difficult decisions and and articulate them, making the right decisions based on information presented to council. I believe I've been a good steward of the taxpayers' purse and doing the will of the people of Steinbach. My platform remains the same as I continue to promote public safety, practicing physical restraint and responsibility, creating an environment to attract new business, and seeing the city prosper grow. Thank you to the citizens of Steinbach that have supported this council for the past 8 years. I focus on treating people fairly, equally, and with respect. I don't consider myself a politician, I just work hard. As a councillor, I promise to continue to work hard for the citizens and the taxpayers of this great city. Thank you.”

Jake Hiebert · Oct 15, 2026 · 1:54:15

“Thank you. We are growing fast, and I know there will be a lot of work ahead, so basically I'm committing to— it's my personal commitment to bring full-time hours to the council, and not asking any additional pay or, you know, additional power. I just want to be that add-on person at council who can support that extra work whenever needed. I want to work with the council, support them. I will work within the rules. You know, election is going to be over if I'm elected, and if I, you know, people want to give me a chance, you know, I'll do my best to help and be a help to the council. One of the many of the challenges we have talked, I think partnership is one of the things we really need to try to see and how we could do better because many people have, you know, the challenges we are discussing, some of them are not our municipal governance challenges, some of them are provincial, could be also federal. So I think we really we need to do a better job in the partnership and maybe it's sort of different voice. Sometimes people talk about there's different ideology or, you know, as such. Maybe that different voice at council can help. Since last 3 months, I have approached provincial ministers, leaders, and as such trying to learn from them and see how we can build that relationship further. And council has been doing a great job as well. I saw last 2-3 months They have, you know, they approached many— the wastewater is a huge project, $200 million or more. We need to find partners for that. We can't tax our residents. And public transit, I have sent a really honest, you know, like an open letter to all 10 candidates. That thing is very close to my heart, and I think many residents really need some sort of on-demand public transit. which is sustainable. So I really request the next council to see in that perspective for our community. Thank you.”

Mitesh Kumar · Oct 15, 2026 · 1:57:01

“Thank you, Shannon. I just want to reiterate, and now that we have a little more time, I kind of expand on what I said in my opening. You as citizens are going to be electing 6 council members to be representatives of Steinbach, but that is just the role that we are choosing to nominate ourselves forward to and the role that we're going to be wanting to achieve and to play. But that's just such a small role of what makes up Steinbach. It's each and every one of you. There's often such low voter turnout when it comes to municipal politics, and I just want to commend each and every single one of you for obviously caring about the community, because you are here today to become informed. Whether you agreed or disagreed with anything or everything that any of these candidates said, this is just one role of the greater community. So thank you so much for coming out, for caring, and for wanting to build Steinbach to be, to be the best city that it can be.”

Damian Penner · Oct 15, 2026 · 1:53:18

“Thank you so much. I'll just maybe we'll reiterate what I said in my opening, just in terms of the decision. The decisions we make today are really important because they impact decades to come. So when we're making decisions as a council, we're not just thinking about the short term; we're actually thinking about the long term. So sometimes that means projects that would. be nice to have take a back seat to projects that we, you know, are important but won't extend us too far in the future. Again, I think my combination of experience and judgment and just a practical vision for a future is really beneficial, and I hope I'll be able to extend that going into the next term with your support. Thank you.”

Susan Penner · Oct 15, 2026 · 1:50:18

“Thank you. Yeah, I think I don't really have a lot to say at the end here other than to say that Steinbach has treated our family very well. 27 years here. Very, very thankful again for the opportunity continue to raise a family here. I think we've had good leadership in our city, and again, looking at around the table here, we're going to continue to have good leadership here over the next 4 years, however things work out. Love this city, and I'm so thankful for, for the people that make up the city. What I would say, something I was going to mention before about the future of Steinbach, and it was mentioned before as well, is the importance of neighbors. And I think that's going to be so important moving forward here as well, is see, continue to see the person that, like, we have a lot of, of people moving into our community. Seeing those that move in next door to you as your neighbors, someone that you want to get to know, that's what's going to continue to build our city strong. And you know what, I don't know the names of maybe half of the people in our neighborhood, so that's on me to find that out. I admit that. And so if there's anyone else here that you're feeling a little bit convicted, let's do that together. Let's go meet our neighbors. But I think it's so important that we get to know the people in our community. That's going to continue to grow us strong as a city. So thank you for this evening and for coming out here. It certainly is a blessing.”

Brad Unger · Oct 15, 2026 · 1:51:11