Steinbach’s trees are in for a treat.

After years of talking about adding an arborist to the city’s team, Head of Parks and Recreation Russ Dyck says Chris Freund has been hired to take care of Steinbach’s many trees.

“Chris grew up in the area, has his Manitoba Arborists' License, and was involved with a family tree farm,” notes Dyck, “those were some of the things we were looking for in the hiring process.”

Freund was officially hired for the role roughly three weeks ago and began familiarizing himself with the local trees almost immediately. Because the position is brand new to Steinbach, Dyck says some of its specifics will be determined throughout the coming months. Meanwhile, the general job description will remain the same.

“He’ll be managing our urban forest, coordinating our tree planting program, pruning, and assessing diseases that might pop up.”

Dyck is glad to have Freund join the team and feels the arborist will help fill a gap in his department.