The Steinbach Chamber of Commerce has received a $75,000 grant from the province to help with economic development efforts.

MLA Kelvin Goertzen made the funding announcement as part of the province’s Building Sustainable Communities Grant.

Anna Mondor was hired as Steinbach’s first-ever Director of Economic Development earlier this year. She notes they’ve already put together a preliminary five-year economic development plan that is currently under review.

Mondor says one of her first priorities is to find people for the jobs that already exist in the area and this grant will help with that.

"This money will definitely be used for a workforce assessment to help bring more newcomers and employees here to the area. We are suffering here with a shortage, currently, I think it is a few hundred. That doesn't allow the businesses to grow and investors to come because we have to secure the labour force supply."