Steinbach speeding continues to increase

Speeding charges more than doubled in 2025 in Steinbach and surrounding areas, and it’s not the end of the year yet.

There are currently 325 speeding charges around Steinbach and its surrounding areas for Jan. 1 up until Aug. 5, 2025, according to Steinbach RCMP Sgt. Joanne Ryll.

Steinbach RCMP covers Steinbach, the RM of Hanover, Ste Anne, Labroquerie, the RM of Tache, and the RM of Reynolds.

“I experience this everyday and at night,” said Joy Penney, who has been living in Steinbach for four years. “Even with my windows closed. I can hear speeders. It doesn’t stop.”

She lives on First Street, which is near Main Street where speeding and revving is frequent.

“I can’t open the windows,” Penney said.

She said she would like to see more RCMP presence around Main Street.

Penney walks daily around Main Street and says she’s had many close calls.

“I’ve almost been hit more times than I can say,” Penney said. “Now I won’t even put my foot out there until I look first if I see anyone there around the corner.”

The City of Winnipeg is the only municipality authorized to use photo enforcement, like speeding and red light cameras, according to the Highway Traffic Act.

Expanding the authority would need changes to existing regulation and would have technical, operational, and administrative implications for municipalities and police services, according to a provincial spokesperson. Municipalities would also need to accommodate costs of implementing and maintaining the devices.

“If it (photo enforcement) only saves one life, one life is worth it,” she said.

Out of the 325 charges, 69 were from Steinbach from the beginning of the year until Aug. 5 according to Ryll.

In 2024, there were 158 charges in the city of Steinbach and rural areas.

Coun. Michael Zwaagstra said speeding is not a new issue and the city has “wrestled” with it for many years.

“Show no mercy. Find them and catch them,” said Zwaagstra. “As council we’ve been encouraging the RCMP to catch as many of these offenders as possible and to give them the maximum fines they’re able to give.”

Zwaagstra said a few years ago council requested the province allow red light cameras on Main Street but it “never went anywhere, and the province never approved” it.

He said photo enforcement is not something council is actively looking at, and he thinks there’s not enough deterrence compared to RCMP pulling speeders over in person.

The City of Steinbach is authorized to have 18 RCMP officers, but they usually have around 14 officers.

“We are short on total number of RCMP officers. This is not unique to us. This is a situation that communities across the country are facing… of course that makes it very difficult for the police to keep up with these challenges,” said Zwaagstra.

Private security was hired for Steinbach on July 2 which patrol between 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. The security doesn’t have any authority to charge people for speeding.

Zwaagstra said the feedback from community has been positive for “out of the box” thinking and how council isn’t sitting back and waiting for more RCMP officers.

“It can be a little bit intimidating or scary when you’re driving and a car speeds by beside you. It can make you feel unsafe,” said Kylira McDougall, who’s been living in Steinbach for nine years.

Council also recently approved the Ste Anne Police Department to patrol around Steinbach.