Carberry waiting 5 years for speed reductions

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This article was published 06/06/2025 (351 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Carberry Mayor Ray Muirhead wants the province to act faster on changing speed limits, so people in town can be safe.

The Town of Carberry applied to the provincial government more than five years ago to change the speed limits to 50 km/h on two stretches of road near parks — and is still waiting to hear back.

“There’s a lot of traffic there,” said Muirhead about the two roads. “We just need the speed reduced.”

Muirhead said the two stretches of road, which are on Provincial Road 351, known in town as First Avenue, and Wellwood Road, are controlled by the province, so changes like upgrades and speed changes have to go through Manitoba Transportation and Infrastructure.

He said the town has been growing, and the 70 km/h limit on First Avenue and 90 km/h limit on Wellwood Road are too high, and pedestrians can be at risk.

“They walk their dogs, they ride their bikes, there’s a lot of people on the street,” he said.

“I think a change would make a difference.”

He said children play at Art Sear Park, off of First Avenue, and people are often walking or cycling in the residential neighbourhood.

A request to lower the First Avenue speed limit was in the minutes from Carberry council’s May 13 meeting. At that meeting, CAO Grady Stephenson said the topic has been on the agenda consistently for the last five years.

“This is ridiculous,” said Muirhead at the time.

The Wellwood Road decrease wasn’t brought up at the meeting, but Muirhead in an interview on Thursday said that stretch of road was submitted for change to the province at least six years ago.

The road, which feeds into Highway 5, goes from 90 km/h to 50 km/h two blocks into town at Calvert Avenue. Muirhead said the town wants to move the 50 km/h sign near where the bypass starts, because houses and the Day Lily Garden and Dog Park are directly beside the 90 km/h stretch.

The 90 km/h section is also near the town’s arena, and where a future campground will be.

Muirhead said when an official from the province came to survey traffic volumes about five years ago, they seemed more likely to increase the speed than lower it.

Muirhead said since the NDP government came to power in 2023, the town has been talking about the issue with them consistently, but that things aren’t going fast enough.

“We’re always in talks with them about everything,” he said. “They seem to be receptive, but there’s a process you have to go through. Wheels of progress turn very slowly in the government circles.”

When asked if he thinks changes will happen soon, Muirhead said: “God, I hope so.”

A spokesperson for Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Lisa Naylor sent the Sun a statement about the Carberry speed limits.

“The department received the request from the town in 2023, and it is currently under review,” read the statement. “Department staff will be contacting the town in the coming weeks to discuss the request.”

Muirhead said he also wants the provincial government to give more freedom to municipal governments when it comes to setting speed limits on provincially controlled roads. He said local governments can already control speed limits around schools, and doesn’t understand why they can’t control them in all residential neighbourhoods.

“If the provincial trunk highway (or provincial road) goes through the residential portions and recreational portions of a town, we should be able to have the common sense to be able to switch the speeds ourselves,” said Muirhead.

A lot of other municipalities have similar issues with waiting for the province to change the speed limits, he said, adding that it has been brought up to the Association of Manitoba Municipalities multiple times.

AMM president Kathy Valentino, who is also a councillor for the City of Thompson, wasn’t available for an interview because of the wildfires in northern Manitoba, but she did send a statement.

“Many municipalities have provincial roads running through their boundaries,” read part of the statement. “Local governments understand the traffic patterns and safety needs in their communities and should have greater ability and input to help set speed limits where appropriate.”

She wrote that the provincial government needs to act quickly when dealing with speed limit applications, especially when it comes to safety.

alambert@brandonsun.com