1946 – 2026 Watching Steinbach Grow: June 17, 1949 – 75th anniversary theme of school picnic parade

The combined efforts of the teachers and students of Steinbach’s three schools created a parade as colourful and interesting as anything yet seen along Main Street. The school parade is held annually in conjunction with the school picnic, but never has it ever been as spectacular as this year. The reason, of course, is that this is Steinbach’s 75th anniversary year, and the schools incorporated a 75th anniversary theme in the annual parade to the fairgrounds.

Steinbach citizens were well justified in feeling proud of the work and original ideas brought forth by their youngsters and teachers in the parade.

In it were featured an old-time stagecoach by John Wittenberg’s class; a double float depicting an 1874 and a 1949 home by Ernie Friesen’s class; numerous hayracks of children dressed as their forebears had dressed in 1874, as well as a number of ideas that only collegiate students would think of.

One of the more creative floats was a cardboard replica of a schoolhouse with windows cut out on the sides. The class riding inside pretended to ignore their books and their teacher as they looked out the windows as they passed by the crowd lining Main Street.

The floats in the mile-long parade also provided welcome transportation to the picnic for many students and staff, and followed the 600 school children who led the parade, marching all the way to the fairgrounds.

The parade also had a neighborly feel to it, as M. Fournier in his new half ton loaded with a baseball team from La Broquerie, joined the dozen Steinbach floats on the way to the fairgrounds. As usual, Steinbach stores were closed for the afternoon, so staff and parents could spend time with their children at the picnic.

Even the local beet hoers got the day off, as the truck used to transport the hoeing crews to fields in the area was pressed into service for the parade.