HSD trustee puts name forward for city council

A three-term Hanover School Division trustee will be seeking a seat on Steinbach City Council in the fall municipal election.

Brad Unger is one of three new candidates seeking a role on council which will have room for at least two first-time councillors.

For Unger, his more than 27 years spent in the city, combined with the fact that he no longer has children in Hanover School Division, prompted him to run.

“I have had the blessing of meeting and caring for so many Steinbach families over my 18 years as a funeral director at Birchwood Funeral Chapel and my love for this city continues to grow,” he said. “During my 12 years as a school trustee in Hanover School Division I had the honour to care for our school community. Now I would like the opportunity to care for our whole community as a city councillor.”

Unger said he’s impressed by what successive city councils have done.

“I’m not here to reinvent the wheel because I really feel the direction that the city council has pointed in is already excellent,” he said. “I would just like to be a part of the direction we’re going right now.”

Unger said leaving the Hanover School Division board also opens up another spot for others to join.

Unger released four priorities along with his Thursday announcement.

He said making youth and young adults feel they are part of this community is important.

“I feel like youth in our community don’t always feel like Steinbach, for lack of a better term, is for them,” he said. “I want the youth of Steinbach to know that this is a place for them.”

Unger said council should be open to creating more entertainment places for youth, saying there has been an investment in sports, but other areas such as the arts should be explored.

Unger said consultation with youth or a youth subcommittee could be ways to find out what the specific needs are.

“I want to make sure that every young person in Steinbach isn’t looking elsewhere to a bigger city for other opportunities but they’re seeing those opportunities are right here at home,” he said.

Ensuring the city is safe and secure is also important, and Unger said that it is possible by providing the necessary resources to local law enforcement.

That could mean investing in more police officers, but Unger said they could consider many ideas to ensure people feel safe.

Establishing affordable housing for new homeowners and seniors is also listed as a priority.

“I look at how many people in Steinbach who are having to rent because they just can’t afford to purchase that first home,” he said.

Amending zoning to allow for that type of growth is one idea that Unger said should be considered.

Reducing wait times at Bethesda by attracting more medical staff is also a priority for Unger.

He recognized that this is an issue that is a priority for council already and said a few recent experiences in the emergency room have driven home the need for change.

“What I saw was staff who are working amazingly hard and harder than they should be asked to work because there’s a shortage of medical personnel,” he said.

With growth comes change and Unger said change is not a bad thing.

But he said as change happens, the city should continue to remember the solid foundations of faith, family and hard work.

“I think that Steinbach has prospered because of keeping that in mind,” he said.

The next municipal election will take place on Oct. 28.

So far, the slate for city council candidates includes incumbents Damian Penner, Jake Hiebert and Susan Penner and newcomers Greg Carlos, Mitesh Kumar and Brad Unger.

Retiring councillors include Michael Zwaagstra who is the PC candidate for Steinbach, and Jac Siemens.

Coun. Bill Hiebert has not announced his intentions and currently Mayor Earl Funk is unopposed.