Steinbach, Manitoba: Difference between revisions

|motto = "It's Worth the Trip"

|leader_title2 = [[House of Commons of Canada|MP]] ([[Provencher (electoral district)|Provencher]])

|area_code = [[Area codes 204, 431, and 584| 204, 431, 584]]

'''Steinbach''' ({{IPAc-en|audio=En-Steinbach.oga|ˈ|s|t|aɪ|n|b|æ|k}}) is a city located about {{convert|58|km|abbr=on}} south-east of [[Winnipeg]], [[Manitoba]], Canada. Steinbach is the [[List of cities in Manitoba|third-largest city]] in the province of [[Manitoba]], Canada, and with a population of 17,806, and the largest community in the [[Eastman Region, Manitoba|Eastman region]].<ref>{{cite web|publisher=Statistics Canada|title=Data table, Census Profile, 2021 Census of Population – Steinbach, City|url=https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2021/dp-pd/prof/details/page.cfm?Lang=E&SearchText=Steinbach&DGUIDlist=2021A00054602044&GENDERlist=1&STATISTIClist=1&HEADERlist=0|accessdateaccess-date=February 9, 2021}}</ref> The city, located about {{convert|58|km|abbr=on}} southeast of the provincial capital of [[Winnipeg]], is bordered by the [[Rural Municipality of Hanover]] to the north, west, and south, and the [[Rural Municipality of La Broquerie]] to the east. Steinbach was first settled by [[Plautdietsch language|Plautdietsch]]-speaking [[Mennonites]] from the [[Russian EmpireUkraine]] in 1874, whose descendants continue to have a significant presence in the city today.<ref name="CEO">{{cite web|url=https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2016/dp-pd/prof/details/page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo1=POPC&Code1=0887&Geo2=PR&Code2=46&Data=Count&SearchText=Steinbach&SearchType=Begins&SearchPR=01&B1=All&GeoLevel=PR&GeoCode=0887&TABID=1|title=Steinbach Demographics|work=Census Profile, 2016 Census|date=8 February 2017 |publisher=Statistics Canada|access-date=16 November 2018}}</ref> Steinbach is found on the eastern edge of the [[Canadian Prairies]], while [[Sandilands Provincial Forest]] is a short distance east of the city.

Steinbach's economy has traditionally been focused around [[agriculture]]; however, as the regional [[economic]] hub of southeastern Manitoba, Steinbach now has a trading area [[population]] of about 50,000 people and significant employment in the [[financial services]] industry, automobile sales, [[tourism]], retail, and manufacturing.<ref>[http://www.steinbach.ca/business_and_industry/ Trading Area, Business & Industry]</ref> The city had a population growth of 11.1% between 2016 and 2021<ref>{{cite web|publisher=Statistics Canada|title=Data table, Census Profile, 2021 Census of Population – Steinbach, City|url=https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2021/dp-pd/prof/details/page.cfm?Lang=E&SearchText=Steinbach&DGUIDlist=2021A00054602044&GENDERlist=1&STATISTIClist=1&HEADERlist=0|accessdateaccess-date=February 9, 2021}}</ref> and has gained national recognition as an immigration destination of Canada and a model for immigrant integration in the country.<ref name="pop growth"/>

Steinbach's stony brook was drained sometime after settlement. Low German-Mennonites named the town Steinbach in 1874, after a village also called Steinbach in Borosenko colony, Ukraine.<ref name="Friesen, Ralph">{{cite book |author = Friesen, Ralph |title = Between Earth and Sky: Steinbach, The First 50 Years |publisher = Derksen Printers |date =September 2009}}</ref>

After the [[Assiniboine]] and [[Cree]] First Nations left the region in the 1820s, the [[Anishinabe]] hunted in and moved seasonally through the area on their way to the burial grounds in the [[Whiteshell Provincial Park|Whiteshell]].<ref name=autogenerated1>{{cite book|title=Dad, God, and Me|author=Ralph Friesen|publisher=FriesenPress|date=2019}}</ref><ref name="Ernest Braun and Glen Klassen 2015">{{cite book|title=Historical Atlas of the East Reserve|author=Ernest Braun and Glen Klassen|publisher=Manitoba Mennonite Historical Society|date=2015}}</ref> A bison trail ran alongside the Steinbach Creek on the far eastern edge of the Canadian prairies, a trail that was used by First Nations people for a number of years after settlement.<ref name=autogenerated1>{{cite book|title=Dad, God, and Me|author=Ralph Friesen|publisher=FriesenPress|date=2019}}</ref> In 1871, the Imperial Crown of Great Britain and Ireland and Anishinabe people signed [[Treaty 1]], after which time the Canadian government began recruiting European farmers to the region, establishing the English and Scottish settlement of Clear Springs in 1872, just north of the present day location of Steinbach, and partially contained within the modern city limits.<ref name="Ernest Braun and Glen Klassen 2015"/> At the time of English and Scottish settlement, the nearest settled area was 17 &nbsp;km north in [[Ste. Anne, Manitoba]], a [[Métis]] village founded 17 years earlier in 1856.

In 1873, the Canadian government sent [[William Hespeler]] to recruit Russian Mennonites to move to the area. By the 1870s, some [[Plautdietsch]]-speaking Mennonites in Russian-occupied Ukraine became dissatisfied with increasing [[Russification]] and the removal of their military exemption and were persuaded by Hespeler to investigate Manitoba as a possibility for relocation. These Mennonite communities were not ethnically Russian, but had [[Dutch people|Dutch]] ancestry dating back to 16th century [[Friesland]] and [[Flanders]], after which time they lived in [[Prussia]] for two centuries and then the Russian Empire where they became known as [[Russian Mennonites]], a [[misnomer]] given that they were ethnically Dutch.<ref name="Steinbach History">{{cite web |url= http://city-of-steinbach.com/heritage.shtml |title= Steinbach History 1874 - 1990 |date= 1 May 1990 |access-date= 14 May 2010 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080509093834/http://www.city-of-steinbach.com/heritage.shtml |archive-date= 9 May 2008 |url-status= dead |df= dmy-all }}</ref>

Steinbach's original 18 Mennonite settler families were almost entirely of the new Kleine Gemeinde sect of Mennonites, a small conservative minority known for being gifted farmers. They left the Borosenko colony (a newly-formed offshoot of the larger [[Molotschna]] (or Milk River) colony) in south Russia (nowRussian-occupied [[Ukraine]])<ref name="Friesen, Ralph">{{cite book |author = Friesen, Ralph |title = Between Earth and Sky: Steinbach, The First 50 Years |publisher = Derksen Printers |date =September 2009}}</ref> and arrived in Canada late in the summer of 1874.<ref name="Steinbach History"/>

Aided by their [[Métis]] neighbours, the families disembarked on the far west side of the reserve at the forks of the Rat and Red Rivers, near present -day [[Niverville, Manitoba|Niverville]]. As they moved east across the reserve, they found that much of the better land in the reserve had already been settled a few months earlier by the Bergthaler and earlier Kleine Gemeinde families. The earlier settlers had come to realize the area suffered from excessive moisture and settled upon much of the higher lands and gravel ridges.<ref name="Steinbach History"/> Steinbach's settlers chose the best land that was available to them, which was in the very northeast corner of the East Reserve. The 20 homesteads were laid out on the northeast side of present-day Main Street along the creek, where they founded the village of Steinbach, taking the name "Steinbach" from the village where they lived in Borosenko.<ref name="Steinbach History"/>

Contrary to the preferences of the Canadian government, the early settlers of Steinbach, like other Mennonite villages, organized the village into a Strassendorf, or street village, with each family occupying a long narrow strip known as a ''Wirtschaft''.<ref name="Friesen, Ralph"/> In the first year they built temporary shelters known as [[sod house|semlin]], before building more permanent [[housebarn]]s. Most of the settlers were farmers, but in a somewhat urban setting, and lived, to some degree, communally, and shared a common pasture at the end of the village. They started a school in the first year, and in the following year of 1875 built a school and teacherage.<ref name="Steinbach History"/> Steinbach's Main Street was hacked out of thick [[Populus × canadensis|poplar]] bush along the creek, where a [[bison]] trail ran, a trail that was still used by Indigenous people during Steinbach's early years.<ref name=autogenerated1>{{cite book|title=Dad, God, and Me|author=Ralph Friesen|publisher=FriesenPress|date=2019}}</ref>

DuringIn the 1930s1931, local man Abraham Loewen founded the Loewen Funeral Chapel, the first funeral home in southeastern Manitoba, which decades later was taken over by his ownson [[Ray Loewen]], who built the company into the Loewen Funeral Group, before it'sits eventual downfall as depicted in the 2023 film [[The Burial (film)|''The Burial'']].<ref>{{Cite web |last=della Cava |first=Marco |date=2023-10-13 |title=Fact checking 'The Burial': How accurate is Jamie Foxx, Tommy Lee Jones' courtroom drama? |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/movies/2023/10/13/the-burial-movie-fact-check-true-story/71157420007/ |access-date=2023-10-15 |website=USA TODAY |language=en-US}}</ref>

Steinbach continued to grow during Magnusson's tenure and, after the election of Chris Goertzen as mayor in 2006, became one of the fastest-growing cities in Canada.<ref name=autogenerated3>[http://www.citypopulation.de/Canada-Manitoba.html Manitoba – City Population – Cities, Towns & Provinces – Statistics & Map<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> In 2011, Steinbach was officially announced as Manitoba's third-largest city, with the release of the population data from the [[Canada 2011 Census|2011 Canadian Census]]. The growth was attributed to immigration from such countries as Germany, Russia, and the [[Philippines]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Steinbach booms to No. 3 city in province |author=Geoff Kirbyson |url=http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/steinbach-booms-to-no-3-city-138997509.html |newspaper=Winnipeg Free Press |date=9 February 2012}}</ref> Steinbach gained national recognition from such newspapers as ''[[The Globe and Mail]]'', which described the city as an immigration "hotbed" of Canada and a model for immigrant integration.<ref name="pop growth">{{cite web|title=How immigrants affect the economy: Weighing the benefits and costs |author=Joe Friesen |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/time-to-lead/how-immigrants-affect-the-economy-weighing-the-benefits-and-costs/article2428222/page1/ |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160304080010/https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/time-to-lead/how-immigrants-affect-the-economy-weighing-the-benefits-and-costs/article2428222/page1/ |archive-date=4 March 2016 |work=The Globe and Mail |date= 10 May 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Steinbach Seen As A Model For Canada |author=Daryl Braun |url=http://www.steinbachonline.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=28860&Itemid=100413 |website=SteinbachOnline |date=11 May 2012}}</ref>

Since the 1970s, Steinbach has had 7seven separate referendums on whether liquor sales should be allowed within the confines of the city, all of which failed until a 2003 [[referendum]] when Steinbach residents narrowly voted to allow limited liquor sales in the city, despite opposition from then mayor Les Magnusson.<ref name="How dry is Steinbach to be"/> The 2003 referendum, however, passed only a dining room licence, permitting alcohol to be sold and served only with sales of food. In 2007, the issue of serving alcohol in restaurant lounges was defeated by only 9nine votes., Inwhile the samesale referendum,of voters approved, by a slightly wider margin,alcohol allowingat sports facilities such as the Steinbach Fly-In Golf Course towas serve alcoholapproved.<ref>{{cite news |title = It's a Steinbach compromise |newspaper = [[Winnipeg Free Press|Winnipeg Free Press (Historic Article)]] |date =25 October 2007 |url = http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/historic/32506884.html |access-date=10 November 2010}}</ref> In February 2008, Steinbach Council voted in favour of opening a liquor store onin Mainthe Street, as prohibition had been liftedcity.<ref>[http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/story/2008/02/20/steinbach.html?ref=rss Steinbach council approves liquor store]. ''CBC News online'', 20 February 2008. Retrieved 27 October 2011.</ref> Eventually, the first Liquor Mart in Steinbach opened in March 2009, on [[Manitoba Highway 12|PTH 12]] North, operated by the [[Manitoba Liquor Control Commission]].<ref>[http://www.mlcc.mb.ca/documents/NEWS09_SteinbachOpening.pdf "New liquor mart opens tomorrow"], Manitoba Liquor Control Commission, News Release, 19 March 2009. Retrieved 27 October 2011.</ref>

Steinbach is located on the eastern edge of the [[Canadian Prairies]], and is also located directly east of the [[Red River Valley]]. The flat land in Steinbach was originally a thick patch of poplar trees. The land was flat and very swampy, with the last of the swamps finally drained in 1900, which made the soil more fertilearable and suitable for agriculture. Steinbach's main geographic feature is the Steinbach Creek, which is now mostly dry, still runs along Elmdale Street.<ref>{{cite news |title=Interesting Nearby Destinations Cont'd – The Afternoon |author=Karen Loewen |url=http://www.steinbachonline.com/community-blogs/steinbach-and-area-garden-club |date=24 September 2014 |access-date=11 July 2016}}</ref> Due to higher levels of precipitation received than in the areas of [[Westman Region|western Manitoba]], the natural prairie near Steinbach is defined as [[tallgrass prairie]]. Some of this original prairie can still be viewed at the [[Manitoba Tall Grass Prairie Preserve]] south of the city near [[Vita, Manitoba|Vita]]. The areas to the west and north of Steinbach are defined as flat tallgrass prairie, and part of the Lake Manitoba Plain. The areas south and west of the city progress steadily into treed [[aspen parkland]], eventually growing into [[Sandilands Provincial Forest]] and the large [[boreal forest]] region extending east and north of the city.

Under the [[Köppen climate classification]] Steinbach has a [[Humid continental climate#Warm summer subtype|warm summer continental climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification#Dfb/Dwb/Dsb: Warm summer continental or hemiboreal climates|Dfb]]{{Broken anchor|date=2024-05-29|bot=User:Cewbot/log/20201008/configuration|target_link=Köppen climate classification#Dfb/Dwb/Dsb: Warm summer continental or hemiboreal climates|reason= The anchor (Dfb/Dwb/Dsb: Warm summer continental or hemiboreal climates) [[Special:Diff/1151881583|has been deleted]].}}).<ref>{{cite web|title=Steinbach, Manitoba Koppen Climate Classification|publisher=Weatherbase|url=https://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather-summary.php3?s=718521&cityname=Steinbach,+Manitoba,+Canada|access-date=March 25, 2021}}</ref> The highest ever recorded temperature in Steinbach was {{convert|37.5|C}} on August 10,{{when|date=May 2022}}1988, while the lowest ever recorded temperature was {{convert|−43.5|C}} on February 2, 1996.{{when|date=May<ref 2022}}name="CCN"/> The warmest month on average is July, while the coldest month on average is January. The average annual precipitation in Steinbach is {{convert|580.5|mm|abbr=on}}, with June being the month with highest average precipitation.<ref name="CCN"/>

In the [[2021 Canadian census|2021 Census of Population]] conducted by [[Statistics Canada]], Steinbach had a population of 17,806 living in 6,836 of its 7,092 total private dwellings, a change of {{percentage|{{#expr:17806-16022}}|16022|1}} from its 2016 population of 16,022. With a land area of {{cvt|37.56|km2}}, it had a population density of {{Pop density|17806|37.56|km2|sqmi|prec=1}} in 2021.<ref name=2021census>{{cite web | url=https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=9810000202&geocode=A000246 | title=Population and dwelling counts: Canada, provinces and territories, and census subdivisions (municipalities), Manitoba | publisher=[[Statistics Canada]] | date=February 9, 2022 | accessdateaccess-date=February 20, 2022}}</ref> This places Steinbach as the 3rdthird largest city in Manitoba. The average age of people in Steinbach is 37.8, below the provincial average of 39.2, while 52% of the population are female and 48% are male.<ref name="demographics">{{cite web

A total of 30% of Steinbach residents claim German as their mother tongue, which includes both [[High German]] and [[Plautdietsch language|Plautdietsch]], while nearly 80% of those with a second language claim knowledge of a Germanic language.<ref name="Steinbach, CY">{{cite web|url=https://www.gov.mb.ca/asset_library/en/statistics/demographics/communities/steinbach_cy.pdf|title=2006 Census Profile - Steinbach, CY|access-date=24 August 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160108220650/http://www.gov.mb.ca/asset_library/en/statistics/demographics/communities/steinbach_cy.pdf|archive-date=8 January 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> As a whole, 39% of residents claim some mother tongue other than the official languages of French and English.<ref name="demographics"/> Steinbach has an immigrant population of 21.39% or about 2,890 people, which is slightly above the provincial average of 18.33%.<ref name="Steinbach, CY"/>

The median after-tax household income in 2020 for Steinbach was $64,000, which is below the Manitoba provincial average of $69,000.<ref>{{cite web|title=Steinbach household income lags behind provincial average|publisher=Steinbach Online|url=https://steinbachonline.com/articles/steinbach-household-income-lags-behind-provincial-average|accessdateaccess-date=August 11, 2022}}</ref>

Approximately twenty-four per cent of Steinbach residents claim German ancestry, though this may include those from Germany itself or of Mennonite background, which would more accurately be described as [[Dutch people|Dutch]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Mennonites|publisher=Library and Archives Canada|url=https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/immigration/history-ethnic-cultural/Pages/mennonites.aspx|accessdateaccess-date=April 16, 2022}}</ref> In [[2021 Canadian census]], nearly 20 per cent of the community reported Mennonite ethnicity.

| [[Southeast Asia|Southeast Asian]]n{{efn|Statistic includes total responses of "Filipino" and "Southeast Asian" under visible minority section on census.|name=SoutheastAsian}}

Census data from 2011 shows that Steinbach88.73% hasof aSteinbach higherresidents thanreport average rate ofa religious affiliation of 88.73%, which is above the provincial average of 73.51%.<ref name="Religion">{{cite web

Steinbach is represented by 6six councilorscouncillors and a mayor.<ref>{{cite news |title = City of Steinbach – Mayor & Council |publisher = City of Steinbach |url = http://steinbach.ca/city_hall/mayor_and_council/ |access-date=1 August 2010}}</ref> The city is a single-tier municipality, governed by a [[mayor-council system]], the mayor and council are elected every four years. The current mayor is Earl Funk.

Prior to incorporation as a town in 1946, Steinbach was part of the [[East Reserve]] and later [[Rural Municipality of Hanover]]. The entire area was led by an Oberschulz, while the village of Steinbach was governed by a Schulz (mayor) and Schultebott (council).<ref name="Friesen, Ralph">{{cite book |author = Friesen, Ralph |title = Between Earth and Sky: Steinbach, The First 50 Years |publisher = Derksen Printers |date =September 2009}}</ref> Steinbach's first schulz was Johann Reimer, while Steinbach's longest-serving schulz was Johan G. Barkman (son of Rev. Jakob Barkman), who served as schulz for 25 years.<ref name="Friesen, Ralph">{{cite book |author = Friesen, Ralph |title = Between Earth and Sky: Steinbach, The First 50 Years |publisher = Derksen Printers |date =September 2009}}</ref>

Currently, the city is represented federally by the [[Conservative Party of Canada]] and provincially by the [[Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba]]. The city and surrounding area comprise the [[Steinbach (electoral district)|provincial riding of Steinbach]], which has been represented in the [[Manitoba Legislative Assembly]] by MLA [[Kelvin Goertzen]] since 2003. In federal politics, the city is part of the [[Provencher (electoral district)|Provencher]] riding, which has been represented by [[House of Commons of Canada|MP]] [[Ted Falk]] since 2013.

Steinbach is uniqueunusual in that there are no railways or rivers passing through town, so transportation to and from Steinbach has always been viaby road. The city is located approximately 50 kilometers southeast of [[Winnipeg]], in a direct line. There are two principal highways serving the city, [[Manitoba Highway 12|Provincial Trunk Highways (PTH) 12]] and [[Manitoba Highway 52|52]], which intersect at downtown Steinbach. Travelers coming from Winnipeg can take the [[Trans-Canada Highway]] ([[Manitoba Highway 1|PTH 1]]) east for 40 kilometers, turning south at PTH 12 and continuing for 20 kilometers. This entire route consists of four-lane limited-access highways. Alternatively, travelers can also take [[Manitoba Highway 59|PTH 59]] south from Winnipeg and then take PTH 52 east to Steinbach. PTH 12 south from Steinbach is single-lane and ends at the [[Canada–United States border|American border]] at [[Sprague, Manitoba|Sprague]]. Steinbach is situated on an alternate route between Winnipeg and [[Thunder Bay]], [[Ontario]] which is named [[MOM's Way]].

The water supply for Steinbach comes from three wells drilled into a limestone aquifer in K.R. Barkman Park and two wells were also recently established by Park Road West and Keating Road.<ref>{{cite news |title= City’sCity's waterworks manager shares surprising stats on Steinbach’sSteinbach's water |author= Lexi Olifirowich |url= https://steinbachonline.com/articles/citys-waterworks-manager-shares-surprising-stats-on-steinbachs-water- |website= Steinbach Online |date= 2 May 2023}}</ref> It is then sent to a water treatment plant that was upgraded in 2006.<ref name=waterutility>{{cite web |title=Bylaw No. 1983 |url=https://www.steinbach.ca/site/assets/files/1684/by-law_no__1983-1.pdf |website=City of Steinbach |publisher=Public Utilities Board Manitoba |date=10 September 2013 |access-date=2021-04-13}}</ref> Treated water storage is located in a {{convert|47|m|abbr=on}} tall elevated water tower that was built in 1972 and an additional underground water storage unit in 1999; combined they provide the community with {{convert|9,800,000|L|abbr=on}} of treated water.<ref name=waterutility/> A new secondary water treatment plant was constructed in 2019 at a cost of $11.3 million to meeting the growing city's demand for water.<ref name=newwater>{{cite news |title= New Steinbach Water Plant Almost Finished|url=https://steinbachonline.com/local/new-steinbach-water-plant-almost-finished |author= Daryl Brown |website=Steinbach Online |date= 13 May 2019 |access-date=2021-04-13}}</ref> As of 2019, it was the city's largest infrastructure project in its history.<ref name=newwater/>

Steinbach is known for having a significant place in the world of [[Mennonite literature]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Manitoba's literary locales|url=https://www.travelmanitoba.com/blog/post/literary-manitoba/|access-date=February 19, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Mennonite Studies|url=https://mennonitestudies.uwinnipeg.ca/events/writing/writingprogram.php|access-date=February 19, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Steinbach ... the Literary City|publisher=CBC Radio|url=https://www.cbc.ca/listen/live-radio/1-111-up-to-speed/clip/15987955-steinbach...-literary-city|accessdateaccess-date=June 3, 2023}}</ref> [[Arnold Dyck]] was the editor of the German-language ''Steinbach Post'' in the early 20th century and the first writer to use [[Plautdietsch]] as a written language. In the 1970s and 80s came the work of poet [[Patrick Friesen]], author of ''The Shunning'' and many other works, novelist and literary critic [[Al Reimer]], author of ''My Harp is Turned to Mourning'' and the Kleindarp stories, and [[Roy Vogt]], founder of the ''Mennonite Mirror'' and the Mennonite Literary Society.<ref>{{cite book|title=Mennonites Peoplehood and Politics|author=James Urry|publisher=University of Manitoba Press|date=2006}}</ref> Beginning in the 1990s, Steinbach's most well-known author [[Miriam Toews]] has written numerous award-winning and bestselling novels, some of which are set in Steinbach. Her non-fiction book ''Swing Low: A Life'' is set in Steinbach, while her bestselling novels ''[[A Complicated Kindness]]'' and ''[[All My Puny Sorrows]]'', as well as the film adaptation of the book, are set in the fictional [[East Village, Manitoba|East Village]], widely regarded to be based on her hometown.<ref name="Magdalene Redekop 2020"/> ''Fight Night'', inspired by Toews's mother Elvira, also alludes to Steinbach.<ref>{{cite news|title=Miriam Toews new novel pays tribute to her mother|newspaper=Globe and Mail|date=20 August 2021 |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/books/article-miriam-toews-new-novel-fight-night-pays-tribute-to-her-mother/|last1=Lederman |first1=Marsha }}</ref> In 2016, Steinbach writer [[Andrew Unger]] started ''The Unger Review'' (formerly [[The Daily Bonnet]]), a website that publishes satirical [[Russian Mennonite]] news stories,<ref>{{cite magazine|last1=Schwartz|first1=Alexandra|title=A Beloved Canadian Novelist Reckons with Her Mennonite Past|url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/03/25/a-beloved-canadian-novelist-reckons-with-her-mennonite-past|access-date=January 26, 2020|magazine=The New Yorker|date=March 25, 2019}}</ref> and published the novel ''[[Once Removed (novel)|Once Removed]]'' in 2020, which draws on fictional elements of Steinbach.<ref>{{cite web|title=Andrew Unger – Once Removed|publisher=The Manitoban|access-date=October 18, 2020|author=Emily Unrau-Poetker|date=22 September 2020 |url=https://www.themanitoban.com/2020/09/andrew-unger-once-removed/40288/}}</ref> Steinbach has also been home to novelist [[Byron Rempel]], memoirist [[Lynette Loeppky]], poets [[Lynnette D'anna]], Luann Hiebert, and [[Audrey Poetker]], as well as historians [[Royden Loewen]] and [[Delbert Plett]], among others.

Regional cuisine unique to Steinbach would include various [[Mennonite cuisine|Mennonite dishes]] such as vereniki, farmer sausage, sunflower seeds, [[yerba mate]] and roll kuchen.<ref>{{cite web|title=Steinbach museum exhibit looks at the Mennonite menu|date=29 July 2015 |publisher=Manitoba Co-operator|url=https://www.manitobacooperator.ca/country-crossroads/a-global-recipe-swap/|accessdateaccess-date=May 15, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Steinbach museum explores food traditions, and serves it up too|newspaper=Winnipeg Free Press|date=8 August 2015|url=https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/break-bread-mennonite-style-321123391.html|accessdateaccess-date=May 15, 2021|last1=Redekop|first1=Bill}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Meat that matters|date=28 January 2010 |publisher=The Western Producer|url=https://www.producer.com/farmliving/meat-that-matters/|accessdateaccess-date=May 15, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=The Mennonite Obsession with Yerba Mate|author=Andrew J. Bergman|date=6 November 2017|publisher=Mate Over Matter|url=https://mateovermatter.com/first-time-experiences/the-mennonite-obsession-with-yerba-mate/|access-date=May 15, 2021}}</ref> Mennonite homes frequently serve a light lunch on Sundays called ''faspa'' consisting of deli meats, cheese curds, pickles, buns, and dessert such as plautz.<ref>{{cite web|title=Faspa|publisher=Steinbach Bible College|url=http://dp.sbcollege.ca/news/category/faspa|accessdateaccess-date=May 15, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Livery Barn Restaurant|date=3 September 2018|publisher=Eastman Tourism|url=https://www.eastmantourism.ca/places-to-go/livery-barn-restaurant/|accessdateaccess-date=May 15, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=I'm Metis, but grew up white in an adopted family|publisher=Globe and Mail|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/first-person/article-im-metis-but-grew-up-white-in-an-adopted-family-im-still-trying-to/|author=Brittany Penner|accessdateaccess-date=May 15, 2021}}</ref> These items can be found at restaurants that specialize in Mennonite food, such as MJ's Kafe and the Livery Barn Restaurant (at the Mennonite Heritage Village), as well as in local homes, community and church events, and on the menu of many other local restaurants.<ref>{{cite magazine|last1=Schwartz|first1=Alexandra|title=A Beloved Canadian Novelist Reckons with Her Mennonite Past|url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/03/25/a-beloved-canadian-novelist-reckons-with-her-mennonite-past|access-date=May 14, 2021|magazine=The New Yorker|date=March 25, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=14 road-trip worthy restaurants you absolutely have to try this summer|publisher=Travel Manitoba|url=https://www.travelmanitoba.com/blog/14-road-trip-worthy-restaurants-you-absolutely-have-to-try-this-summer/|accessdateaccess-date=May 15, 2021}}</ref>

In 2021, the Public Brewhouse and Gallery opened on Main Street in Steinbach, the first [[microbrewery|brewery]] to open in the former dry community, and the first privately run art gallery in the southeast.<ref>{{cite web|title=City Council Approves Variance for Micro-Brewery and Art Gallery|publisher=steinbachonline.com|url=https://steinbachonline.com/local/city-council-approves-variance-for-micro-brewery-and-art-gallery-2|accessdateaccess-date=December 28, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Brewery Opens in Formerly Dry Town|date=15 December 2021 |publisher=Mennotoba|url=https://www.mennotoba.com/brewery-opens-in-formerly-dry-town/|accessdateaccess-date=December 28, 2021}}</ref>

Steinbach is the headquarters of both the [[Evangelical Mennonite Conference]], formerly known as the [[Kleine Gemeinde]], and the [[Christian Mennonite Conference]], formerly known as [[Chortitz Heritage Church|Chortitzer Mennonite Conference]].<ref>{{cite web |title = Evangelical Mennonite Conference |publisher = [[Evangelical Mennonite Conference]]|url = http://www.emconference.ca/contact/ |access-date=11 March 2019}}</ref> The city has among the most churches per capita of any city in Canada, at one for every 500 people.<ref>{{cite news|title=Religious revival:Steinbach's already large Southland Church set to double|publisher=Winnipeg Free Press|url=https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/arts-and-life/life/faith/2011/09/24/religiousem-em-revival#:~:text=There%20are%20500%20people%20for,3%2C500%20per%20church%20in%20Winnipeg|date=September 24, 2011}}</ref> Steinbach is home to at least 22 churches and while many of the smaller churches are Mennonite, the majority of Steinbach's current population no longer attend a Mennonite church, and the largest churches in the city, such as the Emmanuel Evangelical Free Church, Southland Community Church, and Crossview Church, are either non-denominational or evangelical and are not part of [[Mennonite]] denominations.<ref>{{cite web|title=The 'real Steinbach' isn't as Mennonite as it once was|publisher=CBC News|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/steinbach-growth-diversity-1.6784679|date=March 23, 2023|access-date=October 15, 2023}}</ref>

Steinbach is home to the [[Manitoba Junior Hockey League]]'s [[Steinbach Pistons]]. The Pistons have won twothree [[Turnbull Cup]]s (2012–13, 2017–18, 2022-23) and one [[ANAVET Cup]] (2017–18). The Pistons also participated in the [[2013 Western Canada Cup]] and, [[2018 Royal Bank Cup]] and [[2023 Centennial Cup]].

The [[Steinbach Huskies]] senior hockey club hashave been a fixture in the local hockey scene since the 1920s and currently plays in the [[Carillon Senior Hockey League]]. The [[Steinbach Huskies#Junior Huskies|Junior Huskies]] are eight-time champions of the [[Hanover Tache Junior Hockey League]]. The Huskies qualified for the [[1979 Allan Cup]] finals as Western Canadian champions, but lost the best-of-seven series {{nowrap|4–1}}. Steinbach's [[minor hockey]] teams are known as the Steinbach Millers.

Steinbach has hosted Thethe [[Allan Cup]], Canada's senior 'AAA' hockey championship, twice in 2009 and 2016. The [[2009 Allan Cup]] featured two Steinbach-based teams, the host [[Steinbach North Stars]] and the Manitoba champion [[South East Prairie Thunder]] competing in the tournament. The Prairie Thunder advanced as far as the championship game, which was broadcast nationally on [[The Sports Network|TSN]], but lost in double overtime. Three years later, the Prairie Thunder captured their first ever national title at the [[2012 Allan Cup]]. The [[2016 Allan Cup]] was also held in Steinbach, hosted by the Prairie Thunder.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.steinbachonline.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=45224:2016-allan-cup-confirmed-in-steinbach&catid=13:local-news&Itemid=100445|title=2016 Allan Cup Confirmed In Steinbach|date=5 September 2014}}</ref>

*[[Andrew Harris (Canadian football)|Andrew Harris]], [[Canadian football]] player<ref>{{cite web |url=http://mytoba.ca/sports/winnipegs-andrew-harris-signs-extension-with-b-c-lions/ |publisher=MyToba.ca |date=2 April 2014 |access-date=13 July 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714230825/http://mytoba.ca/sports/winnipegs-andrew-harris-signs-extension-with-b-c-lions/ |archive-date=14 July 2014 |title=Winnipeg’sWinnipeg's Andrew Harris signs extension with B.C. Lions}}</ref>

*[[Henry Braun (politician)|Henry Braun]], former mayor of [[Abbotsford, British Columbia]]

*{{official website|http://www.steinbach.ca/}}