Southeast Residents Call for Action on Ste. Agathe Intersection After Fatal Incidents
STE. AGATHE — Progressive Conservatives joined community members in the RM of Ritchot Thursday morning to call for critical upgrades to the busy intersection of Highway 75 and Provincial Road 305 near Ste. Agathe.
“This intersection has been the scene of far too many serious crashes for the provincial government to ignore,” said Konrad Narth, Leader of the Official Opposition and MLA for the adjacent constituency of La Vérendrye. “The families, farmers, commuters, commercial truck drivers, and first responders that depend on this junction every single day deserve to feel safe.”
Thousands of Springfield-Ritchot constituents recently signed a local petition calling on NDP Minister Lisa Naylor to make safety improvements to the intersection at Hwy 75 and PR 305 following several serious collisions over the past few years.
Those collisions took the lives of several Manitobans, including teen sisters Sophie and Acacia Goertzen in 2021.
“As a father and grandfather, I know what reliable infrastructure means to families—it means our loved ones can get home safely every night,” Springfield-Ritchot MLA Ron Schuler, who previously served as the PC Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure. “Residents are raising their voice today because this vital piece of infrastructure no longer meets that standard.”
A year after the 2021 tragedy, a review of the intersection was conducted by the then-PC government and completed in 2023. With progress having stalled since then, community members created a petition last year for safety upgrades to be made. Collecting well over 1,000 signatures, Schuler and PC MLAs have presented the petition in the Manitoba Legislature.
On Thursday, Narth and Schuler joined several community members, including petition organizer Guy St. Hiliare, local resident Adam McAllister, and Sylvia Goertzen—the mother of Sophie and Acacia—to call on the Province to begin taking the necessary next steps that have been stalled since the review stage.
Next steps should include a functional design study, public consultation, and, ultimately, a detailed plan. In the interim period, the Province can implement immediate changes to keep drivers safe—some suggestions being temporary rumble strips and speed reduction signs.
The intersection connects many other communities, including cities like Winnipeg, Steinbach, and Morden-Winkler, as well as leading to the U.S. border, noted Narth. Another community is Niverville, which ranks among the fastest growing municipalities in all of Canada.
“Each tragedy is felt by our entire community and the wider region,” said McAllister. “This is a nonpartisan plea from not only residents of Ste. Agathe but all Manitobans and travellers who use this major transportation corridor every day. When infrastructure does not keep up with local growth, everyone’s safety is put at risk.”
“We need action now.”
-30-
For media inquiries, please contact PCCaucus_Media@strongermanitoba.ca