COLUMN: Village News – Peace Trek is for all ages

Mennonite Heritage Village and Eden Foundation have been collaborating for 17 years, bringing their supporters together as they fundraise for both organizations. It started with the annual Tractor Trek and a few years ago both organizations joined forces to create the Peace Trek. This year, the Peace Trek is starting and ending at the Peace Exhibit on the museum grounds.

Mennonite Heritage Village is committed to preserving the past by preserving the legacy of a settling immigrant community that have had a significant influence in the province. Eden Health Care Services is helping to create a future for people who are on a mental health journey. Both organizations serve the same part of the province that has been influenced by the people whose heritage is highlighted at our museum.

Mennonite Heritage Village and Eden Foundation invite you to take part in the 2026 Peace Trek Community Fundraising Walk, happening on Aug. 15. Peace Trek is an opportunity to connect with the community while supporting the important work that Eden does in our communities. And at five kilometres, it’s accessible for everyone!

The story behind Peace Trek began generations ago, with Mennonite settlers crossing continents in search of a peaceful life rooted in faith, community, and caring for each other. Those same values shaped Eden Health Care Services, who continue to walk alongside individuals living with mental illness as they search for their own peace.

We invite everyone to register as a team or as an individual on our website: mhv.ca/event/peace-trek-5k-community-walk/. Registration is completely free, with snacks and refreshments provided. All registrants also enjoy free admission to Mennonite Heritage Village for the rest of the day!

Event information:

– Date: Aug. 15

– Time: 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.

– Location: Mennonite Heritage Village, Steinbach

Bring your families and friends and join us as we remember that peace is never something we should take for granted, and something we should continue to strive for every day.

Upcoming events

May to September – The museum, the Livery Barn Restaurant, the general store, and Village Books and Gifts are open seven days per week.

Open daily until 5 p.m. – Gerhard Ens Gallery new exhibit is open: Mennonite Medicine: Cures and Curiosities – 1800 to 1950.

Aug. 15 – Peace Trek 5km Community Walk – The Mennonite Heritage Village and the Eden Foundation are excited to announce the new Peace Trek 5K Community Fundraising Walk. Join the community and walk to support hope, healing, and heritage.

Registration is free, and all funds that you raise go directly to the mission of MHV and Eden Foundation. Be a part of this brand-new event, reimagined for our community. Register or donate here: https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/mennonite-heritage-village-canada-inc/p2p/peacetrek-26/

Sept.3 – 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. – Books, Borscht and Blues – Enjoy a soup buffet from the Livery Barn Restaurant and enjoy the sound of Manitoba-grown artists; the award-winning Ollee Owens, and the dynamic duo of Big Dave McLean and Dan Thiessen.

Sept. 7 – Fall on the Farm: Cultural Showcase – Join the Mennonite Heritage Village for Fall on the Farm 2026! Spend your Labour Day with MHV, celebrating the harvest season. Enjoy pioneer demonstrations, hog butchering, cultural food and performances, and celebrate the last weekend of summer. Children’s entertainment, wagon rides, barrel train, candy booth and much more.