FLASHBACK: Feb. 14, 1973 – Premier Ed Schreyer always a welcome visitor at MHV

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 14/08/2021 (1358 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It has often been said that when a politician is fighting against insurmountable odds, he is “tilting at windmills,” and for Manitoba’s NDP premier, the working grist mill on the grounds at the Mennonite Heritage Village must be a constant reminder of the fate his party suffers in Steinbach at election time.

But politics aside, to his credit, Premier Ed Schreyer has taken a special interest in the windmill project at the museum, and his numerous visits to Steinbach have always included a side trip to the museum grounds, and on occasion, he has brought a provincial cheque with him.

Schreyer’s latest trip to Steinbach comes a month after he officially opened the Steinbach Regional Secondary School, and while he was here, he was presented with a couple of loaves of fresh baked bread, made from flour ground by the museum windmill, as a fitting token of appreciation for all his government’s support over the past three years.

It was at a meeting with the Steinbach Chamber of Commerce in 1970 that all party differences were forgotten, as Schreyer announced a substantial government grant destined for development of the Mennonite museum in Steinbach.

The premier took no offence to a couple of jibes directed his way by local MLA L.A. Barkman and got in a few comments of his own regarding the Liberal MLA’s support of the NDP.

“As long as your MLA keeps voting on my side, you people have no problem here,” quipped Schreyer, in reply to one of Barkman’s comments.

On a serious note, Schreyer said his government was extremely enthusiastic about the museum project and felt they should participate financially. The premier indicated he could not be specific about the amount of the grant at this early stage of the project, but said it would be in excess of $25,000 and probably closer to $50,000.

The windmill project, announced in January 1971, was expected to cost between $50,000 and $100,000, depending on how much of the project could be built locally. Blueprints of an early mill built in Steinbach in 1877 were prepared in Holland by technical advisors, who had visited the museum site in September 1970.

J.J. Reimer, president of the Manitoba Mennonite Historical Society, said at the time, not only were the Dutch windmill authorities preparing blueprints for the mill, but would be in Steinbach during parts of the construction phase to supervise the actual building.

The government support promised by Premier Schreyer did not take long to materialize and he was back in Steinbach in February 1971 with a cheque for $17,000 as the provincial government’s first contribution.

“The development of your museum and restored village area at Steinbach, will be a source of pride for all Manitobans, and is a project the government is pleased to be able to support.”

But that wasn’t to be the end of the story, for at official opening ceremonies for the windmill in October 1972, Schreyer praised the Town of Steinbach, the RM of Hanover, and the Manitoba Mennonite Historical Society for their support of the project and promised further funds from the province.

“People cannot learn to live in the best way unless they can learn from the history of their forefathers. You have something here to be proud of.”

While usually welcome where windmills are concerned, strong winds the day Schreyer cut the ribbon made things most uncomfortable for the hundreds who attended the hour-long opening ceremonies at the Mennonite Heritage Village museum.

Travelling some 6,000 miles to be in Steinbach on the special day was Dutch architect and technical advisor A.J. de Koning, who presented the premier with a book on Dutch windmills.

Jim Medendorp, who supervised construction of the mill, then turned the keys over to K.R. Barkman, who will act as miller for the replica of Steinbach’s first mill.

A month after the opening, the mill construction fund got another boost from the province, with the arrival of a cheque for $33,000 representing the second installment of funds promised by Schreyer two years earlier.

Museum president J.J. Reimer said the grant would go into general revenues, although the mill had been the project for which government assistance had been requested.

“With this last $33,000, the mill, estimated to cost $100,000, will be 90 percent paid for.”

At the same time, Steinbach council, which had earlier provided a grant of $8,000, added another $9,500 to the museum fund. An additional $500 grant was also provided to the museum by the RM of Hanover.

This column was first published in the Aug. 12, 2021 edition of The Carillon. Become a subscriber today.