As the chill of winter begins to settle in, the Mennonite Heritage Village Museum in Steinbach is offering a unique exhibit to help visitors understand what it was like for the first Mennonites who arrived in Manitoba 150 years ago.
Inside the Gerhard Enns Gallery, assistant curator Garth Doerksen shared some fascinating insights into what the early settlers brought with them, and the hardships they faced during their first harsh winter in Canada.
"We're here in the Gerhard Enns Gallery, and what we're looking at today is part of the 150th anniversary exhibit. This display includes a travel chest, and some of the items that would have gone inside it, things that the Mennonites would have brought with them when they arrived in Manitoba in 1874."
Doerksen explained that the Mennonites, who arrived in August of 1874, left their homes in Imperial Russia, present-day Ukraine, during the summer.
"They would have packed carefully, knowing they couldn't bring everything they owned. This chest wasn't big, so they had to make tough decisions about what to bring for their new life in Canada."
With Manitoba’s notoriously cold winters ahead, the settlers had to think about warmth.
"This is a heavy coat and blanket lined with thick sheep’s wool. These items were essential for surviving the cold, and they would have weighed a lot—really heavy to pack, but they knew they’d need something like this."
The coat on display would have likely extended past the knees, offering protection against the biting winds.
“They had experienced cold weather back in Russia, so they understood what they were up against. But, Manitoba was actually colder on average, so they needed to prepare even more for the winter."
When the settlers arrived, they didn’t just settle in on their own. Indigenous peoples and the Métis played a crucial role in helping them get established.
"When they disembarked from the steamship on the Rat River, the First Nations and Métis helped the Mennonites with transportation. They used Red River carts and helped with surveying the land, guiding the newcomers to their future villages."
Doerksen notes that the first winter the settlers faced in Manitoba turned out to be one of the coldest on record.
"They didn’t know it at the time, but they were in for a brutal winter. The settlers weren’t able to build proper homes right away, so they had to make do with very basic shelters for that first winter."
A surprising discovery during the preparation for this exhibit was a bag of raw wool that had been brought from Imperial Russia.
"This wool was not spun yet, but they knew it would come in handy. It’s a neat piece of history, and we’re lucky to be able to showcase it here."
Visitors can check out this special 150th-anniversary exhibit, which will be open throughout the winter. While the museum is closed on Sundays, Doerksen encourages people to visit anytime during the week.
"It’s a great opportunity to explore these artifacts and learn more about the brave Mennonites who arrived here 150 years ago."
For anyone interested in stepping into the past and learning about the early days of Mennonite settlement in Manitoba, the exhibit, Mennonite Reflections: Arriving in Manitoba 150 Years Ago, at the Mennonite Heritage Village Museum is a must-see.