1946 – 2026 Watching Steinbach Grow – Kinsmen projects helped meet Steinbach’s greatest needs

The wading pool has been replaced by a splash pad, the city’s swimming pool has been moved to A.D. Penner Park, and the popular downtown park next to the Jake Epp Library has been renamed in honour of a former mayor. A plaque on a stone near the entrance of E.A. Friesen Park recognized the role of the Steinbach Kinsmen in early development of this wonderful downtown green space, only part of the club’s legacy of 40 years of community service, which began in 1951.

Compiling a list of every good thing the Steinbach Kinsmen and Kinettes did in the more than four decades from their organizational meeting, Feb. 28, 1951, until the club disbanded in 1992, would be a daunting task indeed. Looking around the community, evidence of the club’s active response to community needs and participation in fundraising for community projects is everywhere.

While the Kinsmen found there was no lack of worthy causes, the task was to find those that met the Kinsmen motto “serving the community’s greatest need.”

Considerable Kinsmen support went to the Association of Community Living (later rebranded as EnVision) in Steinbach. With the Kinsmen’s help, Kindale Manor and Kindale Occupational Centre were built and the Kinsmen provided a van, which provided transportation for residents and clients of ACL.

Prior to the United Appeal, both Kinsmen and Kinettes were involved with canvassing for Easter Seals, March of Dimes and the Canadian National Institute for the Blind. They also helped numerous individuals from the community obtain special medical care not available in rural Manitoba.

The Kinsmen and Kinettes furnished three pediatric wards in Bethesda Hospital. Later, a heart monitor, wheelchairs, an enzyme spectrophometer and other much-needed equipment for the hospital were provided, in part, through Kinsmen fundraisers.

Both Kinettes and Kinsmen supplied non-medical manpower during the regular blood donor clinics, taking care of the desk and handing out coffee and orange juice, to help take some of the load off the medical people.

The Kinettes regularly provided financial assistance to the ACL projects, as well as sponsoring an annual Elmdale School patrol field trip to a Winnipeg Jets hockey game. The drug awareness seminar sponsored by Kinettes became an annual event, as did the sending of a diabetic child to special summer camp.

A sign language teacher improved the quality of life for a resident at Rest Haven and a specially adapted bicycle made life better for a youngster with spina bifida, who since birth had had no use of her legs.

The Steinbach Kinsmen ordered a custom-made, hand-propelled tricycle at a cost of more than $700. The trike arrived more than a year later and was delivered to Tanya Klassen as soon as it was assembled.

The Kinsmen loaned the trike to Tanya for her use until she outgrew it and then was passed on to another child with similar disabilities.

Thanks to the Kinsmen, the Steinbach Boy Scout troupe had sports equipment and a number of Steinbach minor hockey teams got new jerseys, and little league ball players had their own diamond complete with dugouts.

And the list goes on.