Long time councillor announces candidacy

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This article was published 07/07/2022 (1093 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

One of Steinbach’s most experienced councillors announced his candidacy for the upcoming fall municipal elections.

Michael Zwaagstra is tied with Coun. Jac Siemens for longevity on city council. Both were first elected in 2006 and are now finishing their fourth terms, 16 years on council.

Zwaagstra has also been deputy mayor for the last four years, and spent three years as deputy mayor under former Mayor Chris Goertzen.

“I enjoy being on council,” Zwaagstra said Monday as he announced his candidacy. “I enjoy being part of the decisions that are happening in our city.”

He said he’d also like to see projects they’ve worked on come to fruition. Those include the Southeast Event Centre, and the intersection reconstruction at Loewen Boulevard and Highway 12.

Attracting more industry is also a goal. “That’s one area I really do think we’ve got to work on,” he said.

And while the construction of the Southeast Event Centre has yet to begin, Zwaagstra has his eye on adding another recreation facility to the city, an indoor soccer park.

Because of our climate, Zwaagstra said the outdoor facilities can only be used a few months of the year. And while as a single councillor he can’t promise to deliver the facility, he is pledging to bring it to his fellow councillors in the “not too distant future”.

“That is something that I plan to bring to the table when we’re doing our planning for a future recreation project,” he said. “That is definitely an area that we need to focus on.”

When Zwaagstra was first elected in 2006, it was a year of change. A mayoral race ended up putting Chris Goertzen in office for the first time, and he recalls joining council at 30-years-old.

“I wanted to be part of the decision making that was happening in Steinbach,” he said. “It seemed like a good opportunity to frankly get to know my community better and you really do get to know the city well when you serve on council.”

The city has changed since then with populations rising from about 11,000 to the 18,000 range. Zwaagstra said he has been part of council when Steinbach Credit Union built their new facility downtown, was part of event centre planning since he was a rookie councillor, and has seen increased immigration lead to increased diversity.

He said in that time he’s seen a mix of people on council including men and women, retired people, business owners and those who work full-time jobs.

“I can safely say the people I currently serve with on council and that I’ve served with in the past have all brought an important and unique perspective and our city is stronger as a result of having that diversity,” he said.

For Zwaagstra, representing Steinbach residents to the best of his ability is his goal.

“I’m not out to change Steinbach from what it is,” he said. “I think it’s important to respect the fact that it’s okay to be different, we don’t have to be the same as every other city.”

Zwaagstra said he brings a common-sense approach to the position, tries to eliminate red tape and ensure there are no barriers to businesses looking to expand or establish in Steinbach.

He also considers himself fiscally responsible.

“I do try to keep taxes as low as possible because it’s difficult for a lot of people to handle tax increases and so we have to be as careful as possible with taxpayers’ dollars,” he said.

He’s also hoping to see a full slate come election time.

“Democracy is stronger when people participate in it and so when we have multiple people running that is healthy for any democracy.”