Steinbach city council is not in the good books of some La Broquerie municipal councillors.

This comes after the city denied La Broquerie’s request for an access onto Hirschfeld Road from a newly approved subdivision beside Eastgate Drive, south of Highway 52.

La Broquerie council members have expressed frustration with Steinbach’s decision.

The development was given approval by La Broquerie council on November 17th. It’s expected to include around 60 lots.

At a council meeting on December 15th, 2021, councillor Alvin Derksen expressed his frustration by saying, “I would just like to say, publicly, that I’m very disappointed that the city fathers in Steinbach have been so obstinate and have not allowed access to Hirschfeld Road. There’s absolutely no reason, in my opinion, that they should not allow access.”

He goes on to say, “I’m just voicing this publicly; Steinbach is not in my good books. They are not doing the right thing here.”

Councillor Darrell Unger echoed Derksen’s frustration, saying, “I don’t know why Steinbach is fighting against this road access onto Hirschfeld there. It would make a lot of sense for everybody.”

And residents of Eastgate Drive have presented La Broquerie council with a list of concerns that stem from having extra traffic on their road.

Those concerns were brought to council this week at La Broquerie’s first meeting of the year.

The top left (northwest) corner of the map depicts the location of the Frantz Inn as well as the former Vet Clinic. (Schinkel Properties)

In their petition, it is stated that Eastgate Drive, Hunter Drive and Deerfoot Trail are narrow and turn into mud trails after each rainfall.

“If all that Hershfeld Park traffic coming over Deerfoot Trail and Hunter Drive onto Eastgate Drive as suggested, that’s going to be 94 lots using Eastgate Drive for access onto Hwy 52,” the petition reads.

It goes on to state concerns about adequate access for fire trucks to maneuver those narrow roads.

“It will probably start with construction traffic: Dumpers, Concrete and Pumper trucks, Semi trucks with heavy equipment up to 80,000 lbs and Asphalt and Lumber truck as well. They can hardly pass each other on Eastgate Drive. And on Deerfoot Trail and Hunter Drive they can pass not at all. The ditch is right beside it,” the petition continues, suggesting that an exit through Hirshfeld Road on the south side as the best solution, along with an access directly onto Highway 52.

The petition ends by stating that every resident of Eastgate Estates “is opposed to the traffic solution that is on the table right now.”

Reeve Lewis Weiss closed the conversation by saying, “It is something we are still working with and it is not a closed case, in my mind, anyway.”