Keeping community while handling growth

Gary Dyck, a council candidate for the City of Steinbach, said it’s important to keep Steinbach’s caring nature while handling growth.

“I think a key for this council is to figure out how do we build our capacity as a city while still keeping the village vibe, the caring community aspect,” he said.

Dyck, a chaplain at Bethesda Regional Health Centre and former executive director of the Mennonite Heritage Village (MHV) said he grew up in Steinbach, left to do development work in Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and northwest China, but came back after the genocide began in 2016 in China.

“I left for 18 years but I’ve always had Steinbach in my heart,” he said. “I just love supporting community and working with others on important projects.”

Dyck said ensuring Steinbach is safe is a priority for him and a theme he has heard from residents.

“Things are getting less safe,” he said.

Dyck said that subject also includes figuring out how to help the homeless, which he believes can be accomplished by empowering community organizations.

He said he appreciates the current structure where the city has grassroots organizations working on the ground, community support officers and the RCMP.

“I think as council we need to do a little better of a job of listening to the community organizations and even empowering the community organizations, not just giving them our blessing,” he said. “They know what’s happening and what the people need.”

Dyck said as a councillor he would prioritize green spaces and recreation.

“Just because we’re expanding doesn’t mean that we can forget about bikes, making pathways, community gardens, outdoor play areas, low-cost activities,” he said. “The more people that are active, the less health needs there are.”

Improving relationships with neighbouring municipalities is also important.

Dyck pointed to former mayor Chris Goertzen who had established committees that met regularly with the RM of La Broquerie and the RM of Hanover to discuss plans and concerns.

He said the disconnect is visible when the RM of La Broquerie paved Loewen Boulevard East.

“The last mile, which is Steinbach, going to Deerfield, has the worst washboard that’s unpaved now and it just looks silly,” he said. “Why are we not learning from each other and be on the same page sometimes when we need to be?”

As a chaplain and during his time as executive director at MHV, Dyck said he became adept at listening and planning, knowing how to implement the correct steps to reach a goal.

Dyck has never run for elected office, at least as an adult. He noted that as a student at Steinbach Regional Secondary School he did spend two years on student council.

But he said he has skills to offer.

“I’m a long-term thinker and a vision thinker and I can see what’s coming down the road, and how we can work towards that now in the present,” he said.

Dyck said councillors also need to be aware that they represent everyone.

“We need to have compassion for the people that are having it the hardest in our community,” he said. “I think part of a councillor’s job is to keep mindful of those that are struggling the most.”

Dyck is one of 10 council candidates competing for six seats.

The ballot will include incumbents Bill Hiebert, Jake Hiebert, Damian Penner and Susan Penner.

Other candidates include Greg Carlos, Ron Falk, Nicholas Goertzen, Mitesh Kumar, and Brad Unger.

The municipal election takes place Oct. 28. Advanced voting will take place Oct. 17, and mobile voting will occur at Bethesda Regional Health Centre, Bethesda Place, Linden Place, Cedarwood Supportive Housing, Parkview Apartments, Fernwood Place, Woodhaven Manor, Rest Haven Care Home and Bridgepark Manor.