The Lead Pastor at Steinbach EMC says he is not surprised by Steinbach's ranking as the most generous city in Canada.
Statistics Canada this week released data on charitable giving for 2016. That year, Steinbach ranked number one in the country amongst 152 centres with a population above 10,000. Winkler ranked second on this list. Steinbach and Winkler also ranked first and second when considering the percentage of tax filers who made donations.
"It isn't a big surprise," says Steinbach EMC Lead Pastor Garry Koop. "I've experienced a lot of generosity and seen it within my own congregation, so it isn't something that would pop as a surprise." 
Koop believes it is because of the influence of Churches in Steinbach that the city has such a high ranking within Canada. He notes from a young age, Christians are taught to consider the interests of others. Further to that, he says Mennonites and Anabaptists subscribe to living simple and adds charitable giving is a form of worship.
"To see young people understanding that, is huge," says Koop.
Though Steinbach is considered the most giving city in Canada, Blumenort is labeled the most giving community in the southeast. For 2016, Blumenort once again had the highest median charitable donation per tax filer.
Barry Plett is Senior Pastor at Blumenort EMC. He admits this comes as a bit of a surprise.
"I don't necessarily think of ourselves as being wealthier than other communities in the area," says Plett.
He too says this is directly linked to the influence of Christianity in Blumenort.
But the numbers aren't all positive. According to Stats Canada, total donations by Canadian tax filers fell to $8.9 billion in 2016, down 2.7 per cent from 2015. For Manitoba, the number of donors declaring charitable donations was down a bit. Even in Steinbach, the amount donated and the percentage of tax filers making a donation were both down from 2015.
Koop thinks this might have to do with a shift in demographic populations. He says Baby Boomers are a significant demographic and as they age and move towards a limited income, this could influence their giving.
"Locally I don't see it," he says. "In our congregation as well, I don't see a decline at all."
And with many communities in the southeast noticing a drop in charitable donations in 2016, Plett offers a theory.
"As the percentage or even the influence of Christianity dwindles some in our community that might be reflected even in the charitable giving as well," he says.
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