Steinbach- Experiencing The Mennonite Story

It's already May and it is expected that we'll be getting more rainshowers soon! Not bad after all since it will make the grass greener and a lot of gardeners happy with their flowers about to bloom. I am pretty sure that you've started making plans of going somewhere else but if you're sticking around especially this spring and during the summer months, why not make a trip to nearby Steinbach? The Mennonite Heritage Village is one great place for families and school groups alike. There are so many things to do and see that everyone will surely love! To get a glimpse of The Mennonite Heritage Village, here is a write-up that I've written for my journalism class last winter. I had the privilege of speaking with really interesting and helpful people, and you'll soon find out who they were when you read my article below. I hope that you'll be inspired to make plans and visit this wonderful place.

(The Write-up)

Visiting the City of Steinbach is like turning back the hands of time. It’s knowing the pioneers who tilled the lands and raised generations of hard-working people.


Walking around in a 40-hectare land laden with snow may not be the kind of activity you want to do on a cold winter day. At the Mennonite Heritage Village, outside buildings are temporarily closed for the season but the doors of the Village Centre and Artifacts Building are wide open to welcome visitors far and near.

Greeting you at the front desk is the warm smile of Evelyn Friesen, a volunteer of over 20 years. She welcomes guests with local hospitality and considers meeting tourists as a “benefit” because she gets the chance to share stories with them. “They’re curious about the (Mennonite) story, we tell it and it’s my story, too so I love to tell it. Not so much personal, certainly not. But the history of the people and who they were.”

The Mennonite story started back in 1874 when eighteen Mennonite families from Russia founded a small town with only one distinguishing feature, a stony brook or Steinbach in German. A few years later, the number of settlers increased to more than 3,000. The growth of the community is attributed to the Mennonites’ faith, resourcefulness, and hard work. These values and the city’s rich historical past are still apparent at Steinbach’s Mennonite Heritage Village—a family-oriented museum where history comes to life.

Stories about the Mennonites are seen throughout the museum’s galleries. The artifacts on display will give you insights to their faith, culture, and rich heritage that have spanned through the centuries. These include a 125-year-old tablecloth; a large grinding stone used to sharpen knives and scythes; and authentic Mennonite clothes.

Dr. Roland Sawatzky, the museum’s senior curator, gives interesting details on their displays. A woman’s hair made into a wrist chain can only be made by someone who knew her. Other human hair artifacts include a brooch, a necklace, and a hair extension dating back in the early 1900s.

Another artifact is a clay oil lamp from the Roman-Byzantine era which belonged to a Mennonite woman from Russia who worked as a missionary in Egypt in 1800s. She bought the oil lamp in a market as a souvenir and brought it back with her to Russia. When she moved to Canada, she gave the lamp to somebody in Manitoba. Later on, the lamp ended up at the museum.

“Things often come here because there’s a connection to Mennonites,” says Dr. Sawatzky.

The museum has 14,000 artifacts in its collection. Each year, the museum holds an average of three to six exhibits. After the winter months, hundreds of people will again flock the grounds, buildings, and galleries.

Barry Dyck, the museum’s executive director says, “We engage overtly in tourism to get people in the gates here, to sustain this organization and so they can experience that story.”

Admission to the Mennonite Heritage Village is $10 (adults) and $5 during the winter season. For complete information on admission rates and hours of operation, visit their website at http://www.mennoniteheritagevillage.com/. It is located at 231 on Highway 12, north of Steinbach and an hour drive from Fermor Avenue in Winnipeg.

The City of Steinbach has a population of over 11,000 and is one of Manitoba’s fastest growing cities. To know more about Steinbach, visit www.steinbach.ca.