The Mayor of Steinbach says city council is very pleased that the Manitoba Municipal Board has approved the city's revised annexation plan. The board has okayed a plan that would see the city add about 2,800 acres, mostly to the northwest of the city. Mayor Chris Goertzen says they hope to get final government approval in the near future so the annexation can take effect January 1st, 2018. He adds the land will stay agricultural for the time being and will be developed as needed.

"This is really about what Steinbach is going to look like in a few decades from now. This is going to make it easier for us to plan for a very efficient city, a city that has density but also uses 

Mayor Chris Goertzen land in the appropriate way. So we're going to be going through a planning process on how the future lands will, first of all, be protected for the time being and then developed over time. We're really pleased that the Municipal Board saw the logic in how we've really planned and looked at this carefully."

Goertzen notes preliminary work is already underway for things like road maintenance and garbage pick-up.

"Well, there is some planning that does need to take place. That has already started. We have additional graders and some operation equipment that is available for us to take over that area. That's already been anticipated and we look forward to serving that area as well as we serve the present city of Steinbach residents."

Goertzen is happy that this long journey is finally coming to fruition.

"We're very pleased, as a council, that the hard work that both Hanover and Steinbach have put into this file over the last number of years has paid off. We're very pleased because it's going to bode well for the growth of our city."

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Steinbach Revised Annexation Plan Approved By Municipal Board