Steinbach's annual spring beautification program is underway. Landscape Technician Joyce Purchase says they spent a lot of time last week along Main Street.

"We are raking and shovelling all the sand off of the Main Street boulevards. When that is done, we will be topping up with bark chips in various areas to make everything clean and tidy."

Purchase says hanging flower baskets will be installed on light posts in the city around the first of June.

City plants are busy growing at Sunshine Greenhouse"We have close to 400 baskets going up on boulevards and in various locations within the city. They are growing at the greenhouse and they are looking wonderful. This year, because of Canada's 150th birthday, I have incorporated some red and white baskets as well so I'm looking forward to that. That is not one that I have done before."

Meanwhile, Purchase asks motorists to be extra cautious around city workers to make sure they stay safe.

"We already take a lot of care in barricading ourselves in when we're working but there are still people out there who find it an annoyance that we are taking a lane of traffic. But we are merely doing our job and we all want to go home to our families at the end of the day. So we would really appreciate that people would slow down and just be mindful that, when we're out there, it might be an annoyance but the end result is that it helps to make our city beautiful."