For the second consecutive Easter, the typical family gatherings, special church services, and festive dinners cannot happen as they normally would. Nevertheless, some local residents have found unique ways of celebrating this weekend that are well within the COVID-19 public health orders.

“We only had one gathering planned and it is with my mother-in-law,” shares Steinbach resident Patti Lytwyn who would normally have met with her entire family on Saturday. “In my opinion, the smaller the gatherings the better.”

Aware of restrictions that limit indoor gatherings to a designated household and outdoor gatherings to ten people, Lytwyn had no choice but to keep it small. Intimate though it was, she says it was really special. Lytwyn’s mother-in-law received her first vaccination this past week, which is what enabled the mini gathering to happen.

“We haven’t really seen her in several months as we’ve been staying to ourselves,” shares Lytwyn. “She really has no one so we decided to get together with her because sometimes you just need your family... I know she definitely does.”

Bianca Redekop says she, her husband, and her children are also using the holiday to catch a rare glimpse of their folks.

“We’re just hoping to get together with the grandparents,” she states. “We are allowed to meet with one designated family and we have done grandparents for now so we’re going to stick with that.”

To Andrea Lepp, the Easter weekend has looked much like many others, except without the usual crowds. She says her family attended a limited capacity church service on Good Friday and will be attending another service today. They will also carry on with their typical Easter egg hunt and the classic ham and scalloped potato dinner… though none of those traditions will be shared with relatives this year.

Easter Sunday scavenger hunts are also important to Belinda Kerda of Stuartburn, though she decided to forego the chocolate eggs. Instead, she planned what she calls a “bush rally” for her grandkids.

“We’ve got 80 acres here and my husband has got trails cut all over the place with a push mower so I am going to make a bush rally and if the kids can walk through the bush and find things,” she explains. “I’m going to leave some random things in the bush like a mirror, a ladder, and a set of stairs and the kids have to find them.”

As Kerda’s children have jobs where they could be exposed to the virus, she says their entire gathering will need to take place outside. Ultimately, she says she would be willing to spend time in almost any temperature if it means being able to see her kids and grandchildren again.

The public is advised that current government restrictions allow one to visit only their designated household indoors and gather outdoors with a maximum of ten people in a private setting or 25 people in a public setting.