The City of Steinbach continues to build strong connections with leaders at all levels of government, with Mayor Earl Funk emphasizing the importance of working together to support regional growth and services.
One of those connections was reinforced during a recent conversation between Funk and Manitoba’s Minister of Municipal and Northern Relations, Glen Simard.
“I thanked him for the upgrades on Highway 12,” said Funk. “That’s not just a Steinbach road—it connects the southeast, and people across the region rely on it.”
Funk said it was refreshing to speak with Simard in a way that was non-partisan and focused on shared goals.
“When we come to the table, it’s not about party colours—it’s about doing what’s best for Manitobans,” he said.
Steinbach and Winkler are “quite close”
The City of Steinbach is also deepening its working relationship with the City of Winkler, as both fast-growing communities look to share ideas and solutions to meet their evolving needs.
“We're really quite close,” Funk says, noting that Winkler council members have already toured several projects in Steinbach and will be coming back later this month.
“They're coming for a tour of some of our housing projects because they're hoping they can get a developer to do some of the things that are happening in Steinbach. Then we're going to the Southeast Event Centre to have some lunch and a tour of the building.”
Funk says Steinbach City Council has also toured different parts of Winkler, always taking away valuable information. He says there is no need to reinvent the wheel when communities can learn from each other.
“When we can sit down and go over what worked, what didn’t, and what we learned—it saves time and resources. It’s been really valuable.”
He said the partnership is just one example of how Steinbach is building stronger intercity connections, a priority that was also front and centre at this year’s Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) conference, held recently in Ottawa.
Stronger together
Funk and Deputy Mayor Michael Zwaagstra were part of a Steinbach delegation that attended the national conference, which brought together municipal leaders from across the country.
Zwaagstra said one of the biggest benefits of FCM is the opportunity to meet other councillors and mayors and discuss shared challenges. There were lots of extended conversations with municipalities—especially others in Manitoba—about everything from infrastructure to doctor shortages to housing, he said.
The conference also featured keynote sessions from leaders of all major federal political parties, including Prime Minister Mark Carney, Deputy Conservative Leader Melissa Lantsman, and NDP MP Gord Johns.
“It was really helpful to hear them speak directly to municipal issues,” Zwaagstra noted.
Bail reform and public safety
Another highlight was a panel discussion on bail reform that included perspectives from law enforcement and elected officials. Zwaagstra said the seminar focused on concerns about repeat violent offenders being released too quickly and the impact on communities.
“Other municipal councillors expressed some similar frustrations all across the country about the need for bail reform, about how important it is to for the federal government to tighten up bail regulations,” he said.
Ongoing healthcare concerns
Zwaagstra said many conference discussions also touched on the national shortage of healthcare providers, especially in rural and regional centres like Steinbach. While healthcare falls under provincial jurisdiction, he said municipalities are often left dealing with the local fallout.
“Certainly other municipalities are also frustrated with the doctor shortage, this is something that is not unique to Steinbach,” Zwaagstra reported. “We see it everywhere. So there's certainly agreement among municipalities that this is a problem and that we really need other levels of government to step up here. Obviously, we're doing what we can on a local level to advocate for changes. But you know, the reforms ultimately have to come at the provincial and federal levels in order to have long term meaningful change in that area.”
Opening doors through relationships
Funk emphasized the importance of relationship-building—both with other municipalities and with provincial and federal leaders. He said these efforts are strengthening Steinbach’s advocacy work on issues like doctor recruitment, health training, and highway infrastructure.
The next Cities Caucus meeting, which includes mayors and representatives from Manitoba’s largest urban centres, will take place in Steinbach in August.