Settlers of the East Reserve established over 50 villages, a few of which remain today, including the current-day City of Steinbach, as well as Grunthal, Kleefeld, and Blumenort.

After signing Treaty 1 with the Anishinabe and Swampy Cree First Nations in 1871, the Government of Canada sent William Hespeler to Russia to recruit Mennonite farmers to the region of Manitoba, which had just joined Confederation.

[2] Despite inferior farming land compared to Kansas, four delegates, representing the Bergthaler and Kleine Gemeinde churches, decided to recommend their people move to Manitoba because of the guarantees offered by the Canadian government.

David Klassen, Jacob Peters, Heinrich Wiebe, and Cornelius Toews signed what they called a Privilegium, or agreement, with the Canadian government outlining religious freedom, military exemption, and land.

[3] The Mennonite settlers established dozens of villages, a few of which remain today, including Steinbach, now an independent municipality, as well as Grunthal, Kleefeld, and Blumenort.

Beginning in 1909, the villages began to be disbanded in favour of open-field farming and by the 1920s no traditional Strassendorfs were left in the region, with some dissolving completely and others, such as Steinbach, evolving into modern communities.