“He loved Winkler and wanted to make it better, and he worked very hard to do so.”
This is what the city’s mayor, Henry Siemens, says in the wake of losing a community pillar, Walter Siemens (no relation), who will be remembered as much for his decades of contributions as for how he carried them out with determination and kindness.
A champion of housing for all
Siemens was involved in many activities over the years. Through his involvement in Winkler’s business and volunteering community, he built a legacy of community participation and advocacy.
In his volunteering career, Siemens sat on many boards, many times as its chair.
He worked with organizations such as Garden Valley School Division, Grace Mennonite Church, the Canadian Fossil Discovery Centre, and Buhler Active Living Centre.
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The last on the list, Buhler Active Living Centre, a senior community and care facility, is emblematic of Siemens' great passion: housing for the communities that need it most.
“If we look ... at the Buhler Active Living Centre, he was a part of the group that brought that project to fruition,” says Mayor Siemens.
“He was also instrumental in the successful launch of Winkler affordable housing and those first 24 units that Winkler built some 18 years ago.”
Triple E
Among Siemens’ many community roles, he also worked at Triple E RV for three decades, a stretch that Terry Elias, CEO of Triple E Canada Ltd., remembers well.
“He provided many years of his creative talents in being part of our leadership team at the Triple E Group, and his creative talents were certainly ... a big part of growing our company for the many years he was active,” he says.
“Being part of our leadership team, his ability to communicate not only with employees but also with many of our customers [was memorable]. I think he was well recognized by both folks, our customers and his employee group, and I think that speaks for itself.”
Beyond his work with Triple E, Elias says that Siemens always “had a great team” surrounding him through the projects he poured himself into.
“I think the people who worked alongside him really enjoyed working with him,” he says. “He was always a positive individual and always up to the challenge of taking on a new project.”
‘Retirement was never part of his plan’
Elias says that his enthusiasm for the community projects remained even after Siemens retired.
“Retirement was never a part of his plan. It seemed that even after his work career, he continued working on many community projects, whether for seniors’ housing or other community development projects,” he says.
“He always had a greater vision for the community, and we benefitted greatly because of many years of hard work that he put into continuing to improve the quality of life in the Winkler area.”
A friend to the Winkler Chamber
As much as Siemens impacted the community, he also left his mark on individuals.
Tanya Chateauneuf, the executive director of the Winkler & District Chamber of Commerce and a “proud Winkler citizen,” says Siemens became “near and dear” to her heart when the Chamber office was at City Hall.
“He was working with [his wife] Lynda on raising funds for the Buhler Active Living Center, so every single day we would have coffee in the morning and coffee in the afternoon,” she says.
“It was just our opportunity to unwind midday and talk about everything in our work lives, our personal lives, what we would cook for dinner that evening, and just really get to know each other and build a really strong friendship.”
Chateauneuf says that as time passed, Siemens became like a mentor to her, too — he helped her grow in her role.
“At the beginning of my career with the Chamber, I first really got to know Walter, and he was just so wise and had lots of experience with the business community,” she says. “He had also been a part of the Chamber in previous years, so he was just someone I could go to for advice on different situations.”
A wise voice
As for what type of friend the community contributor was, Chateauneuf says he was one who “mostly spoke when he had something really wise to say.”
“He was such a good sport when it came to always being stuck having coffee with three women and never having the opportunity to get a word in edgewise, but when he did speak, it always mattered,” she says. “He has been there for me through many ups and downs in my career and also my personal life, and I will always be grateful to him for that.”
For Chateauneuf, knowing Siemens also afforded her some life lessons. She says she learned that it’s reasonable to rely on others and that it’s not necessary to do everything on one’s own.
“I was just naturally inspired by him, because even earlier on, before I worked with the Chamber, I had some interactions with him, and he was just this man of poise,” she says.
“When I would interact with him, he had a goal in mind, and he was always able to say exactly what he needed to say to accomplish what needed to be accomplished, and I felt like I was speaking to a famous person. He was a true leader.”
An example to the community
In the end, Siemens will be remembered for what he contributed to the community and can stand as an example to anyone wondering what it means to be genuinely community-minded.
“What I admire probably the most about Walter is that he did his work quietly,” says Chateauneuf. “He was so willing to give his time to whatever organization, event, or concert he put on .... He did that quietly and didn't even expect a thank you at the end."
For Chateauneuf, it’s difficult to fit into words the spirit with which Siemens served Winkler.
“If people actually knew the capacity that Walter gave of himself to this community, they would definitely be in awe. He was just so generous and kind,” she says.
With files from Chris Sumner and Connie Bailey