The villages of Reinland and Rosengart hosted a weekend full of activities and entertainment; even a Low German drama was in the mix, to celebrate 150 years of the community.
A joint effort between the villages, Lyle Thiessen of Rosengart was on the planning committee. Coordinating the event as a committee, planning began as far back as last August. “We knew the dates would be important to get nailed down early,” shared Thiessen. “It worked out quite smoothly, and so far it’s gone smooth here too.”
Thiessen is no stranger to community involvement, as he has served on the board of the Community Centre at Reinland, and was also involved in the 140th celebrations for the community. Thiessen shared that he "felt that it was important to have this kind of event put together again.”
As for his highlights of the weekend? “The parade was a pretty interesting experience,” shared Thiessen. “You’re not exactly sure what all is coming, so it’s a bit of chaos there for a few minutes”.
“Each piece has a unique flavour to it,” Thiessen added. “The entertainment, the parade...even just the visiting. There’s so many things that become highlights, maybe later on as you look back.”
Community member Al Ens not only grew up in the village of Reinland, but has a special connection to the village today: his grandparents’ traditional house-barn homestead in the village has been kept as a Municipal Heritage Site. Ens’ grandparents lived in the homestead after arriving in the area in 1923, with Ens’ father living in the house with his wife and children.
The celebrations put on by the community offered a homecoming for Ens, who currently lives in Winkler. “It’s in my blood.” Ens added “Reinland is a very special village.” In the past, the village boasted opportunities for everything from haircuts and bicycle repair to ice cream and groceries.
“Faces have changed a lot in the last fifty years or so,” shared Leonard Braun. Braun grew up in Rosengart and worked in Reinland, and saw the weekend’s festivities as a sort of homecoming. “I’ve worked for a number of farmers in Reinland... and I attended church here for a number of years. So, this is a bit of a second home.” Braun said. “I always love to come back to the community. They’re friendly, it’s beautiful.”
