After a year and a half of discussion between the Hanover School Division and Steinbach City Council on the future of the Cottonwood sidewalk, nothing will change. 

In April, Council made the initial decision to keep the sidewalk, located between Cottonwood Drive and Mckenzie Avenue, open and they reaffirmed it in September when it was realized that the walkway,  is a necessary access point for storm sewer maintenance. Then, in their regular board meeting last week, Hanover School trustees expressed their frustration at the stagnancy of the issue. 

As Superintendent Randy Dueck has explained many times, the path has become a hot spot of drug activity, vandalism, and excessive noise, oftentimes involving Hanover students.

“It’s an area that has been a challenge for us to some time,” stresses Dueck. “It’s a challenge to the community, it’s a challenge to the neighbors, and it’s a challenge to the City of Steinbach.”

While many of the young people who frequent the corridor are from the SRSS and Stoneybrook Middle School, Dueck says many others are not. Because the division has no jurisdiction over what happens off of their own property, to Dueck shutting down the walkway made sense.

“We do feel and have felt that the solution might be closing down that sidewalk. We have made that request and the City has seen fit to keep the sidewalk open and we have to accept that decision.”

Based on the City’s recent reassertion that the pedestrian route will stay open, Dueck believes conversation on the matter is now dead.

“I think they’ve been very clear," he states, "we have requested something very specific and they said they will not be moving forward with. I’m not sure there is any value in continuing to pursue that particular avenue.”

At the moment, the division still does not have a Plan B, but Dueck says that they will continue working with the RCMP in hopes of finding a solution.

Read more: 
Cottonwood Sidewalk To Remain Open Despite Hanover Request
City Council Reaffirms Decision To Keep Cottonwood Sidewalk Open
HSD Making Ongoing Effort To Mitigate Sidewalk Riffraff