COLUMN: Village News – Community building through partnerships

Museums are important in the life of a community. Sixty-one years ago, a group of community and business leaders in the Steinbach area, along with some Mennonite history enthusiasts, recognized the importance of preserving our history for future generations. It was felt that the stories of the early settler experience of the 1870’s in southern Manitoba were becoming more faint with each passing generation.

Our 40-acre campus with more than 30 buildings and historical features, over 16,000 artifacts, two indoor galleries and a beautifully developed natural environment with a pond, mature trees, green spaces, and well-manicured gardens, is a benefit to our community and to Manitoba. Thank you to the thousands of volunteers who have contributed hundreds of thousands of hours, thank you for the thoughtful planning by staff and community leaders, and thank you for the financial support of individuals and businesses.

Mennonite Heritage Village continues to enrich our community. We create thoughtful exhibits, we plan welcoming public events, we prepare educational programming for school groups and kids’ day camps, we maintain a relaxing outdoor environment with ample green space, and we invite volunteers to share their expertise and experiences with over 45,000 visitors every year.

Partnerships are integral to our success. We work with Manitoba school groups to create programs which support their curriculum goals. We collaborate with Eastman Immigrant Services to offer accessible programs for newcomers and encourage the sharing of stories and music among cultural groups at our various events. We provide skills development opportunities for clients of enVision, Trailblazers and other local organizations throughout the year. We promote local artisans and authors at our markets and at our author reading events. There are several other collaborative initiatives currently, and whenever we work with others, we gain a better understanding of ourselves, of our neighbours and of our community. MHV sets the context for community conversations about how we started in the 1870’s, about what has led us to our current state of growth along with social complexities, and about our vision for the future.

All this activity and infrastructure requires two other kinds of partnerships. Firstly, we require a dedicated staff and many volunteers to continue to carry out our mandate to preserve the stories of our community and to encourage listening to and sharing of stories from the past and present. Staff and volunteers are partners. Together, we accomplish much.

The second partnership is between MHV and its financial supporters. Our organization has been blessed by many hundreds of individuals and dozens of businesses over the years, who have seen the value of the museum site and the programs that it creates. About 45,000 visitors per year make a significant contribution to the local economy, bringing people to our local businesses. But more than that, the museum is a meeting place for family and friends to learn about our own history, the history of our neighbours and to pass on stories from one generation to the next. Children, parents and grandparents find artifacts and buildings at MHV which connect them to their past and to each other. Donors who support MHV recognize the importance of making these connections.

Our goal at Mennonite Heritage Village is to continue to cultivate collaborations to enrich the community and to partner with supporters who see MHV as an important place where our community meets to listen, to learn and to understand each other.

Upcoming events

Nov. 8 – 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. – Christmas Market Extravaganza. Local vendors, horse drawn wagon rides, kids’ crafts, and waffles with white sauce.

Nov. 9 – 7 p.m. – Community Vespers Service at MHV. A meditative evening of choral music and scripture readings.

Nov. 10 – 7 p.m. – Steinbach and Area Garden Club monthly meeting at MHV.

Nov. 14 – 7 p.m. – MHV Auxiliary presents a Low German evening, featuring special music by Heischraitje & Willa Honich.