Springfield celebrates 150 years

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This article was published 10/09/2023 (623 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The oldest rural municipality in Manitoba celebrated 150 years on Sept.1 with live performances, speeches, cake, historical documents, and fireworks.

This is how the RM of Springfield recognized this amazing milestone and Mayor Patrick Therrien shared how the municipality grew from Oakbank, Dugald and land towards the perimeter of Winnipeg in 1873 to the 1,100 square miles it is today.

“On this day in 1873, Sept. 1, Springfield was incorporated as the first rural municipality in Manitoba… Springfield is a remarkable municipality. I’m proud to represent a community that is for everyone whether it’s the wide open spaces in Cooks Creek and Hazelridge, the warm hospitality of Anola, Dugald or Oakbank’s urban atmosphere, there’s something for all in this community with snowmobiles, horse trails, polo in Birds Hill Park.”

Therrien mentioned the sense of community in Springfield where people grow up with each other and know their neighbours and are there to help one another out. The former police officer patrolled the area for 14 years and has enjoyed living there for 30 years. He mentioned how this is the home of NHL Stanley Cup winner Brett Howden and how more than 7,500 people showed up to see him and the cup in Oakbank.

“It was very memorial day with Brett and the cup. I’m a big hockey fan so having the cup that close was quite good and quite nice and very memorable for this community.”

Former Reeve John Holland recalled his two terms in office between 1998 and 2006. He said the most memorable thing during his tenure was the expansion of the floodway into Springfield and the concerns residents had about it. He said celebrating 150 years felt good.

“My friend has a 1923 Model-T and when it was new we were already 50 years old, obviously a lot of time has gone by. My grandfather was also John Holland and he was Reeve of Springfield in 1930s. My great-grandfather was probably here in 1880 and I have a bunch of grand kids and twin grandsons that are also in Springfield.”

Springfield’s MLA Ron Schuler echoed Therrien’s remarks regarding the sense of community that people have in Springfield. He shared an encounter with Prince Philip where the prince was made known that the RM was the oldest in the province.

“I had the opportunity to speak to Prince Philip about it when he was last here in Manitoba and he asked me about Springfield and I said it’s just got so much to offer and it did 150 years ago, it did before that, and it does now.”

He said pioneers were attracted to the area because of good soil, water, and wood.

“It’s got all the elements you need as a frontier person to be able to make a living. And fast forward to today, Oakbank is growing, Dugald is growing. All the communities are growing. It’s a place people want to live.”

Wilma Geschiere who is a 32-year resident of the RM. She said she didn’t know Springfield was the oldest municipality when she moved there. She wanted to live somewhere in the country close to Winnipeg. She said the community of Springfield is very friendly and there are a lot of things to do such as visiting Birds Hill Provincial Park and volunteering at Folk Fest.

“One hundred fifty years is a long time. It’s something to be celebrated that it’s the oldest RM in Manitoba and it’s a great place to live. We’ve found it’s a wonderful place to live. Taxes are reasonable. We really enjoy having our acreage out here.”

Another person who enjoys living in Springfield is entertainer Al Simmons who has lived in Springfield for 50 years. He said the people are great and that when he had a house fire and lost most of his props and costumes, the citizens of Springfield jumped in to help him.

“It seemed like the community, especially Springfield, but people across Canada and into the United States told me they didn’t want me to give up and didn’t want me to quit. They gave me money to rebuild my show.”

Not only is Springfield the oldest rural municipality in the province, but it is also the second most populous rural municipality after the RM of Hanover with 16,142 citizens and the fifth most populous in Manitoba.

In 1870, the area became part of the newly formed province of Manitoba. In 1871, the area was covered under Treaty 1 between the British Crown and the First Nations. The treaty facilitated the settlement of southern Manitoba including agricultural settlements in the Springfield area.

The municipality received its name due to the presence of multiple natural springs found within its borders.