Sunrise Corner is an Incredible Place to Live:
Less than 100 km south of Winnipeg to its northwest edge and bordering the United States to the south, the RMs of Piney and Stuartburn are home to generations of people who are proud to call the southeast corner of Manitoba home. It’s a place where fields and forests stretch for miles, where communities welcome you with open arms, a place where multi-generational families thrive.
Sunrise Corner is a diverse pocket of Manitoba. The first settlers in the RM of Stuartburn came from Ukraine, and their history remains alive in each and every community to this day. The RM of Piney has strong Métis and French history, as well as Eastern European and German influences. Residents, old and young, share common history through memories, museums, cultural festivals and family reunions that take place in Sunrise Corner.
In recent times, we’ve enjoyed the arrival of Amish, Hutterite and Filipino residents. Families continue to grow and flourish, keeping their culture and languages alive.
Sunrise Corner is a place you won’t want to leave, and rarely will you have to. Whether it’s shopping for locally-made products at farmer’s markets in South Junction and Vita, ordering online with the Local Food Initiative, or skipping the dishes for one of the cozy local restaurants in the area.
The towns of Vita and Sprague are centers for business and growth. There are family-run grocery stores, health clinics, banks and schools for students K-12. And let’s not forget about the seniors clubs and community halls that organize many recreation opportunities throughout the year.
RM of Piney local and dedicated ATV trail volunteer Gary Hora has lived in Woodridge for 30 years. “I am blessed because I get to work in the RM, I live in the RM, I shop in the RM, I buy all my food and stuff here,” he explains. “I don’t have to leave the RMs between Piney and Stuartburn very much at all.”
The communities in Sunrise Corner are age-friendly, and host an abundance of recreation options for the whole family. Seniors clubs in nearly every community organize events, meals and recreation. Local organizations also host community family-friendly events such as Canada Day events, Summer Fun on the Ridge in Woodridge, the Vita Winter Festival, Carrick Days and many more.
Retired resident and active volunteer, Shirlee Preteau, moved to Vassar only four years ago after living in Winnipeg for 52 years. “You’re busy all the time,” she says. “South Junction has a Canada Day celebration and a family ball tournament, so that’s two weekends taken up. And then from there you go to Sprague – they have a museum, they have a skating rink, and they have another function with a band … So you’re busy all the time.”
All of these organizations and festivals provide volunteer opportunities that enrich the community. We’ve seen visitors become volunteers in the area because they love the family feeling, not to mention all the new and long-time residents who volunteer countless hours to give back to their communities.
In Sunrise Corner, there are families who’ve lived here for generations; there are young people moving back to their hometowns after they get their education in larger centres; there are new groups emerging in our tight-knit communities.
Tyra Bodz is completing her Bachelor of Education at the University of Winnipeg, but she also lives and works in Stuartburn. “This is the core of my family,” she reflects. “My great grandparents came here from Ukraine and fate took its course. When I talk to my friends and other people in the community, we all have very similar stories about our families and our cultures. I keep coming back here because this is my home. This is home.”
Watch the video: Living in Sunrise Corner