STEINBACH, MB
More than three thousand people packed the picnic shelter at AD Penner Park in Steinbach this weekend for the annual gathering of double first cousins.
“My mom and her two sisters each married one of the Reimer boys,” said event organizer Sarah Reimer. “That makes me and all my cousins double cousins. The Wiebes just can’t resist the Reimers I guess.”
Also participating in the event are anyone who is both a first and second cousin to one of their cousins.
“We’re expecting half of Steinbach to be there,” said Reimer. “We’re asking each double cousin to bring a few slices of deli meat and a bucket of Chicken Chef.”
The event will commence with an open mic where two cousins can go up there at once and share stories about sharing a grandparent on both sides of the family.
“Then it’s the three-legged race,” said Reimer. “The first pair of double cousins to make it to the finish line gets to stay in Steinbach. The loser have to move to Jantsied.”
Reimer says she suspects a few double cousins lost the race on purpose, just so they can move to Winkler and hopefully bring some new blood into the family.
(photo credit: by hsingy/CC)