George and Lil Gobert ran the Riverbend Dairy Farm in South St. Vital while raising four children. The cows were sold off in 1975 and they continued to farm grain on the land until 2008. Tours of the farm were given to students for many years. George passed away in 2012 and then in 2021, the land was sold to the government for future development. Some of the notable pieces from the farm have been donated to the St. Vital Museum so their history won’t be lost.
George and Lil were married in 1954, in the 21 years that they operated the dairy farm together they must have seen and experienced so much in the industry. Running the farm must have had it’s challenges, with the farm located on the south edge of Winnipeg , likely St. Mary’s Rd wasn’t paved in the early days, accessibility couldn’t have been easy. Walking around the buildings, you can see the addition of technology and electrical upgrades, that would have been needed to stay competitive. There are also signs left behind that a family lived and celebrated here.
I had been fascinated by the dairy barn for awhile, but knew nothing of it’s history until this year when an article was read to me about the land being sold. While I knew very little of the family history, having the opportunity of spending a few moments on the land among the buildings, now long passed their usefulness, there is a feeling that a story has been lost.
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