The first class of practical nursing students training in Steinbach has wrapped up its first year, marking a milestone for a program designed to ease healthcare worker shortages in southeastern Manitoba. The 35 students, who began classes on September 2, 2025, are learning at the Rest Haven Care Home on Woodhaven Avenue, a partnership between Assiniboine College, the province, and local groups.
When it launched, the Steinbach site was the third and largest rural rotating site in southern Manitoba, following locations in Morden and Otterburne. It operates with nearly $1 million in provincial funding and is run out of Rest Haven, operated by HavenGroup. CEO Tannis Nickel first approached the college in 2022 about hosting nursing classes at the 143-room care home, hoping to grow a local workforce.
“If we grow our own within the regional communities, they usually stay,” said Dana Human, interim CEO of Southern Health-Santé Sud, the regional health authority. The program gives preference to applicants from the area, and many students have said they plan to work in Steinbach after graduating. Student Amanda Harder said, “I live in Steinbach. I want to work in Steinbach as well.”
Christine Beaumont, president of Steinbach Economic Development, said, “Something like this has a potential of injecting $3,000,000 into our local economy per training cycle.” The city is one of Manitoba’s fastest-growing, and an expansion of Bethesda Regional Health Centre has added more beds and a new renal dialysis unit. Minister of Advanced Education and Training Renée Cable said the province is committed to increasing training spots for healthcare workers closer to home.
As the first group continues toward their two-year diploma, Assiniboine College plans to continue rotation at Neepawa and open additional rural nursing sites such as Beausejour, extending the model that is already taking root in Steinbach.
