The Manitoba government is bringing four cases against property controls for four locations, including Steinbach, to the Municipal Board.
“Manitoba families are getting squeezed by rising grocery prices, so we’re taking action to get those costs down,” said Premier Wab Kinew. “One company is still using property controls as a way of blocking competition, leaving buildings sitting vacant across the province. We’re standing up for Manitoba families, bringing a case against them to bring back competition and lower grocery bills.”
The Property Controls for Grocery Stores and Supermarkets Act, passed in June 2025, prevents grocery stores from creating new restrictive covenants or exclusivity clauses. While every other control has been removed, 43 property controls that existed prior to the legislation remain in place, and the Manitoba government intends to bring a case against each one.
The first seven property controls to be challenged at the Municipal Board are at the following four locations:
- 178 Provincial Trunk Highway 12, Steinbach;
- 915 Leila Ave., Winnipeg;
- 50 Sage Creek Blvd., Winnipeg; and
- 1645 18th St., Brandon.
“We’re leading the way in Canada, cracking down on property controls that big grocery companies use to make record profits while raising prices,” said Public Service Delivery Minister Mintu Sandhu. “Today, we submitted our first cases against four locations owned by Sobeys, and we’re going to challenge every single one, so Manitobans have more options and lower prices.”
This is part of the Manitoba government’s plan to lower grocery prices, which includes freezing the price of milk, banning predatory pricing and removing the PST from all groceries in Manitoba, the premier noted.
