The City of Steinbach offers two cost-share programs that many residents may not know about.

The first is a boulevard tree planting program. Head of Parks and Recreation Russ Dyck says a neighbourhood can get together and apply to have trees planted along their street.

"It is a 50/50 cost share in terms of the cost of the tree. The city will help with the planning and placing of the trees. There are a number of criterium that need to follow in terms of staying away from light standards and corners and that type of thing. The city has allocated $5K per year for this program. The city will plant it though the resident is usually responsible for digging the hole and then the city will also water it for the first couple years."

Each tree typically costs around $55 dollars and each residence will only have one or two trees planted on its frontage so Dyck says it doesn't end up being very expensive for homeowners. The trees themselves are planted on the right of way along the street.

Meanwhile, Dyck says neighbourhoods can also raise money to build a play structure and the city will pitch in for that as well.

"The city will contribute an initial $3,500 plus match another $7,500 that is fundraised by the community and, by all means, the neighbourhood can fundraise more than that and usually do, toward the installation of a playground in an otherwise maybe undeveloped green space in the neighbourhood."

Dyck says a good example of this is the new playground being built in the Hampton Village area this summer. He notes most neighbourhoods already have playgrounds at this point, and the city has a program to repair and replace that equipment for those. He notes this cost-share program is more designed for newer neighbourhoods.