Village News

When I consider where my Mennonite ancestors have lived, I wonder if they have always been at ‘the right place, at the right time’? Did some leave Russia too soon?

To really know someone is one of the most precious gifts in this world. It takes time. It takes setting aside our own self and entering into someone else’s story.

On May 25th we hosted our Russländer Tribute Fundraising Banquet with a full house and a full program.

One rainy day last week, I was working on some finishing details of the new exhibit, “The Russländer,” in our Gerhard Ens Gallery.

Trains are salient in the plight of the Russländer, the 24,000 Mennonites who had to flee their homes in 1920’s Russia for the security of Canada.

Last Saturday my family joined 2245 volunteers in our community’s annual ‘pick up and walk’ event. What would take three full-time City Employees a year of garbage collection around the city we did in three hours.

Earth-shattering, mind-altering, life-changing events don’t happen every day. However, for myself, they do happen on a smaller scale every time I spend a concentrated amount of time at the Mennonite Heritage Village with an artefact and its story.

The opening of Mennonite Heritage Village grounds begins May 1st! We are pleased to report that Jared Nickel has again accepted the role of Facilities Manager for the upcoming season.

At our AGM this month I introduced our new sound board by saying, “If you don’t like what you hear we can now turn it off wirelessly,” which I proceeded to do with my iPhone.

Last week we (the Mennonite Heritage Village) hosted our Annual General Meeting. AGM isn’t an exciting title for an event is it? All three of those words are ordinary – put them all together and you have sublime mundanity.