The Southeast Equity Coalition (SEEC) set up a small booth during Steinbach’s “Summer in the City” street festival in the middle of June, in order to gather information in the form of a survey from those attending the festival.
Val Hiebert, spokesperson for the SEEC says they weren’t sure what kind of response they’d get. So, armed with candy, pens, and two simple questions, they were prepared for just about anything. What they didn’t expect was over 1,200 people stopping by, and nearly every single one saying “Yes” to public transit.
“We had a total of 1,257 written responses,” Hiebert said, “And over 99% of them were in favour. Only eight people said no. And many people didn’t just check the ‘yes’ box — they circled it ten times, added exclamation marks, wrote ‘YES!’ multiple times. It was amazing!”
So, why a survey?
According to Hiebert, the Coalition had already conducted a targeted survey in 2023, focused on lower-income residents and their transportation needs. That one also showed strong support. But doing another one during Summer in the City was a chance to ask a broader swath of the public.
“Last year’s survey gave us a lot of great information about people who were struggling financially,” she said. “This time, we wanted to see what the general community thought. And people showed up.”
The Booth Buzz
For three full days of Summer in the City (SITC) in Steinbach, SEEC committee members were busy. There were always at least two volunteers present, collecting responses and hearing stories.
“Sometimes we had seven or eight people at the booth at once,” she said. “People wanted to talk. They had real needs and strong opinions.”
In fact, conversations spilled beyond the SITC booth. One volunteer even overheard people telling others, “Hey, make sure you go fill out that transit survey!”
“That kind of energy was just incredible,” Hiebert said. “It’s one thing to set up a booth. It’s another thing when people in the crowd are recruiting for you.”
What Were People Saying?
The survey asked two simple questions:
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Would you like to see public transit in Steinbach?
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Why or why not?
And the answers? Powerful.
“The most common response was just pure enthusiasm,” said Hiebert. “People talked about how it would improve quality of life, help them get to medical appointments, get to work, and stay connected to community.”
Among the stories that stood out was one about a woman who is visually impaired and planning to move out of Steinbach because she can’t get around. Then Hiebert notes, there was a grandma who drove her granddaughter to work every day, and a mom who had to choose between filling a prescription and paying for a taxi. And several teens spoke up, saying they'd use Public Transit to get to their jobs so they don't always need to rely on mom and dad for rides.
“They all said the same thing,” said Hiebert. “If we just had public transit, we could participate in life.”
And the ‘No’s?
There were only eight of them, but they were encouraged to share their thoughts.
“Some were worried about cost or taxes. One or two thought it would cause traffic congestion. Others assumed everyone owns a car,” Hiebert said. “And honestly, we appreciate those responses, too. We want to understand the concerns.”
What Happens Now?
The coalition has already submitted the survey results, along with a full business plan created by Audrey Harder of Pat Porter Active Living Centre, to Steinbach City Council. They’re now waiting on three key things:
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Seed money to print sponsorship packages.
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A letter of support from City Council.
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Assistance applying for grants that require municipal involvement.
“Our next step is to start visiting businesses and looking for support,” said Hiebert. “We’re especially hoping large employers will see the benefit, we know from our previous surveys that people want jobs but often can’t get to them.”
Vans, Not Buses
The plan isn’t to roll out big city-style buses, but to run Accessible Vans that work on a combination of fixed routes, shuttles, and an on-demand model, think rideshare-style booking via app or phone.
“The idea is to make it accessible for everyone,” said Hiebert. “Not everyone uses an app, so there’ll be a call-in option too.”
Who Responded?
The majority of survey respondents were from Steinbach, but a solid chunk. Then about 7 - 8% came from nearby communities like La Broquerie, Kleefeld, and Blumenort. Many of them asked, “Can we be connected too?”
“That would be Phase Two,” Hiebert said. “But for now, we need to launch Phase One right here in Steinbach.”
Timeline?
“There was a survey done way back in 2006 saying this was needed,” said Hiebert. “Our current group has been working on it for over two years. Ideally, with support from the city and community, we’d like to see something up and running in the next year or two.”
Businesses: Want to Help?
Hiebert says if any business owners are reading this and thinking they’d like to support, they’re welcome to reach out.
“There are lots of ways to help. Sponsorship is a big one. If your business struggles to fill shifts, we want to help bring employees to your door.”
At the end of the day, the Southeast Equity Coalition team aren't just collecting surveys. They're listening to stories. They’re connecting dots. And they’re working to build a Steinbach where everyone, seniors, teens, newcomers, and low-income families, can get where they need to go.
“We really want this,” she said. “We really need this.”