by Dolores Harder
On Saturday, 20 June 1998 42 people participated in a tour through Southern Manitoba, organized by our Society. Our tour leaders were Lawrence Klippenstein and Henry G. Ens. The emphasis of the tour was the arrival of the Mennonites in the 1870s and some of the areas they settled after immigrating to Canada.
The tour started in Winnipeg and took us first to the landing site of the first Mennonites who arrived in Manitoba in 1874. This site is situated near St. Agathe at the junction of the Rat and Red Rivers. There is a monument at this site.
Mennonites came to Manitoba after landing in Quebéc and travelling by ship and rail to Fargo/Moorehead. From there they travelled down the Red River to Manitoba by boat. The East Reserve (the east side of the river) was designated for settlement and the earliest immigrants settled here.
From here we travelled on to the one-time Fort Dufferin near Emerson. This became the landing site of the Mennonites who settled in the West Reserve (west of the Red River) in 1875 and later. West Lynn, nearby, became the first post office for the new Mennonite settlement.
From here we travelled through some of the villages settled by the early Mennonites. One of these villages, Neubergthal, has now been designated a National Historic Site. Many of the trees lining the street are over a hundred years old.
Our next designated stop was the village of Reinland. Here we had a wonderful lunch prepared by the ladies of the community. Our lunch was in the village community centre. This building was originally a church and we were informed that this was the oldest and largest Mennonite church in Western Canada for quite some time. It was here that church leaders from other areas came to deliberate important decisions. We were also able to visit one of the original houses of the area. This house with attached barn is in very fine condition.
From here we travelled on to Schanzenfeld, just south of Winkler, to see the monument erected in honour of Jacob Y. Schantz. He played a very important role in getting the Mennonites settled in southern Manitoba.
Mennonites settled in small villages when they first came to Canada. Many of these villages no longer exist while others have grown into major centres. One of the major centres right now is Winkler. It is one of the fastest growing communities in Manitoba and is attracting some major industries. One of the big industries in Winkler is in recycling. The Valley Rehab Centre Inc. provides employment for mentally handicapped. It is well worth a visit to see recycling being done on such a large scale.
The church plays a very important role in the community and Winkler has several large churches (two of which were visited briefly). Winkler is also becoming a favourite retirement community. There are several large senior centres and community centres. We had afternoon coffee and fresh baked goodies at one of these centres.
Our route back to Winnipeg took us through Burwalde and Carman. Ed Hoeppner and Bert Friesen gave us background information on the Mennonites who settled in this area.
Our group included several young people, (some accompanying their grandparents). It was wonderful to see the interest they took in the tour. Four people from Germany (who recently immigrated there from Siberia) were also part of the tour. They are spending some time in Canada hoping to learn more of their Mennonite roots. Those on the trip who have grown up in Manitoba or lived here for some time also benefitted as some of us had never been to many of these areas. The general consensus was that it was a day well spent.
Dolores Harder is a member of the MMHS Historical Sites and Monuments Committee.
The village of Reinland is planning to put up a cairn memorial noting the 125th anniversary of Mennonites coming to the West Reserve in 1875. Its community hall is the building which was the first worship house of the Reinländer Mennoniten Gemeinde built that same year.
The village of Neubergthal is continuing to develop its program as a newly-designated National Historic Site. See the recent article "Preserving Resources at Neubergthal National Historic Site," by Frieda Klippenstein in Research Links, Vol.5, (Winter, 1997), published by Parks Canada, Western Canada. The MMHS Historic Sites and Momuments Committee has also received Frieda's longer research report on the project called A Cultural Landscape Hitory: Neubergthal National Historic Site: A Mennonite Street Village on the Canadian Prairie.
A further issue of a family newsletter Klippings put out by the Klippenstein clan will be published in July. Ted Friesen and Lawrence Klippenstein edit this occasional publication.
A Harder family reunion will be held at CMBC on 23-26 July. For further information call Wilma Peottcker at 1-204-896-1354.
The commemorative cairn noting the beginning of the Mennonite Brethren Church in Manitoba is now located on the grounds of the Mennonite Brethren church house in Winkler, MB. The Bergthaler Mennonite Church of Winkler has placed an outdoor plaque noting its hundred years of presence in that community.
A Schroeder family reunion is being planned at the Mennonite Heritage Village at Steinbach for 15 August. It will include the unveiling of a stone grave memorial once placed in a Mennonite village in Ukraine in honour of Maria Schroeder, and recently brought to Winnipeg. The unveiling will take place at Mennonite Heritage Centre. For further details contact Ken Reddig, 1-204-888-6781.
The first event of the recently reorganized Mennonite Literary Society is Love & Work: A Labour Day Celebration. Words and Music featuring Di Brandt, Cate Friesen, and Patrick Friesen on Friday, 8:00 p.m. 4 September, 1998 at the West End Cultural Centre, 586 Ellice Avenue, Winnipeg.
The Menonite Heritage Village has mounted an exhibition by Drs. Anna and Alexander Schilstra, long-time medical doctors in Gretna and Steinbach. It will be open until February, 1999.
A Buhler family reunion is being planned for July 24-26 at MCI in Gretna. For further iniformation contact Henry Loewen at 1-204-888-6781.
The MMHS Genealogy Committee has awarded the annual Plett awards. They were awarded as follows: joint-first to Westgate students James Dyck and Judy Kehler; joint-second to Steinbach Christian High School students Gregory Fast and Margaret Sawatzky.
The Manitoba Mennonite Historical Society Newsletter welcomes letters and reports pertaining to the historical interests of society members. Correspondence can be mailed to Lawrence Klippenstein, 600 Shaftesbury Blvd., Winnipeg, Manitoba R3P 0M4 or Bert Friesen, 169 Riverton Avenue, Winnipeg, Manitoba R2L 2E5, or e-mailed to the editor at editor@mmhs.org.
ISSN 1492-2614