It could be a while before Sunday Shopping becomes a reality in Steinbach.

Last night, city council was presented with a follow-up letter from Steinbach resident David Banman, who re-opened the Sunday Shopping conversation back in June. Banman has now requested that council hold a non-binding referendum in conjunction with the October 24th municipal election. Councillors Cari Penner and Jac Siemens supported the request stating that this issue has been sitting for too long and it time for the topic to be brought to the table and for the residents of Steinbach to be heard.

"Instead as just taking it for information, it was important for city council to have that discussion around the council table, whether there should be a non-binding referendum on the question," notes Siemens. "Simply, because when you take it as information, the general public doesn't know how council thinks on the issue and we actually need to have that discussion at council chambers instead of SPC meetings and different places." Now, Siemens says that question is out there of if Sunday shopping should be available to the general public.

The motion was defeated 5-2 with only Councillors Penner and Siemens voting in favour.

David Banman says he is quite surprised that council wouldn't seek the opinion of Steinbach voters noting that because it would be non-binding, it is only information that council could use to make a future decision. "I think it was a good idea for the motion to come forward," says Banman adding that the succeeding council would have that information in front of them and they could then make the final call. "But now, they'll have 5,000 or 7,000 citizens of Steinbach giving their opinion and I find it odd that, that opinion is not being sought at all now."

Banman notes this now becomes a campaign issue and something that council and mayor hopefuls will likely discuss with residents prior to election day.

Meanwhile, Mayor Chris Goertzen suggests the matter should be left in the capable hands of council. "I think clearly the question that council had in front of them today was whether they wanted to govern by referendum or make a decision on their own in regards to Sunday shopping," adds Goertzen who says that the decision to make Sunday shopping available in Steinbach is determined by council and doesn't necessarily need a referendum. "We saw clearly that the majority of council feels comfortable with leaving it in council's hands and not going down the referendum angle."