At the end of a year, it is worthwhile reminding ourselves of the blessings of the year that has been. At Mennonite Heritage Village we also need these reminders. Here are a few of the good things that we experienced together with our friends, supporters, and community:

  • The exhibit, ‘Mennonite Reflections: Arriving in Manitoba 150 Years Ago’ was held over from 2024 and continued to attract many visitors whose ancestors arrived in Manitoba in the 1870’s.
  • In June, we commemorated the 500th anniversary of the beginnings of Anabaptism with a lecture featuring poetry and readings by Gareth Brandt along with his exhibit, ‘Radical Roots’. During Pioneer Days in August, Gareth engaged with guests at our Dirk Willems Peace Garden with the topic, ‘From Munster to Menno’, examining the development of Anabaptist theology in the early years.
  • In August, we hosted a travelling exhibit, made available to the museum by a group of 7 German-speaking Mennonite Brethren Churches in southern Manitoba. The exhibit called, ‘On Fire For Christ: 500 Years of Discipleship, From the Anabaptists to Us’, portrayed the early beginnings of Anabaptism in Europe and followed by a challenge to reflect, engage and be inspired by a legacy of faith that continues across generations.
  • The museum installed the second phase of our Outdoor Signage Project and finalized the third phase of signs to be installed around the village in April 2026. These signs are interpretive panels that include updated information and are accessible on the outside of the heritage buildings and near our monuments.
  • Our programs and events were well-attended, thanks to excellent weather throughout the spring and summer. We had nearly 50,000 visitors joining us as participants in school programs, as guests at weddings and receptions, and as visitors to our festivals and events.
  • We continued to develop our winter programming and activities by providing outdoor recreational opportunities like snowshoeing, kick sledding, ice skating, and getting a ride on a horse-drawn sleigh. Also workshops for Pioneer skills were being offered, such as sourdough bread baking, sewing, and springtime seed preparation.

This list is only the ‘tip of the iceberg’ of positive activities and experiences that have occurred at MHV in 2025. We are very grateful for the many ways that all of you have supported us this past year. Whether you donated funds, or your business sponsored an event, or you volunteered for our school program, we thank you for continued participation in the work of preserving our heritage and enriching our community.