In 2019, the Canadian Parliament declared the second week in September to be Mennonite Heritage Week. This occasion offers Conrad Grebel University College at the University of Waterloo an opportunity to share about Mennonite history and culture.
It is not unusual to hear Mennonites described as both a religious body and an ethnic group. Mennonites themselves debate this identity issue, and there is good reason to see it both ways. First and foremost, their origin as a radical movement within the Protestant Reformation of the 16th century clearly defines them as a religious group. Learn more about Mennonites in Ontario and Canada.
Mennonites are often described as a quilt with many pieces or a tree with many branches, each group having its own unique outward practices as well as historical development, yet holding in common certain foundational religious beliefs. Visit Mennonite World Conference's site for more information about Mennonite beliefs.
Part of Mennonite Heritage Week 2020, Professor Marlene Epp moderated a panel conversation on Conservative Anabaptist Groups and COVID-19, hosted by the Institute of Anabaptist and Mennonite Studies. This panel explored the ways in which conservative Anabaptist groups in Canada, such as the Old Order, Hutterites, and Low German-speaking Mennonites, were affected by and were responding to the challenges of the pandemic.
Grebel offers a Mennonite Studies Minor at the University of Waterloo
Mennonites in Canada and around the world represent a fascinating diversity of religious expression and cultural practice. Exploring the past and present lives and thought of Mennonites, in all their variety, allows a glimpse into the place of ethnic and religious minorities in our society. Mennonite Studies is an interdisciplinary program of study which may be taken in conjunction with many existing programs in Faculty of Arts and other faculties. This program is designed to provide an overview of Anabaptist-Mennonite history, culture, thought and practice from the early 16th century to the present.
Visit the Milton Good Library and Mennonite Archives of Ontario
The Milton Good Library and Mennonite Archives of Ontario are together the primary research facility for Mennonite Studies in eastern Canada. The Library strives for a comprehensive collection of books and periodicals published by and about Mennonites and related groups. The Archives holds unique records of Mennonite people and organizations of local, national and international significance.
Current Mennonite Art Exhibits at Grebel
Mennonite Archives of Ontario Gallery
Glenn Fretz: Graphic Design for the Mennonite Community | July 2026—April 30, 2028. The exhibit is open during library hours.
This exhibit tells and shows the story of Glenn Fretz’s fifty-year career as a graphic designer and consultant, focusing on his work with Mennonite and non-profit organizations. It also gives a nod to his most ubiquitous work – his redesign of the Trillium symbol for the government of Ontario.
Conrad Grebel University College Art Collection
The College is the home to over 150 works of art by Mennonite artists and/or on Mennonite themes. Many are on display in the Milton Good Library. Artists include Woldemar Neufeld, Jo-Anne Harder, Peter Goetz, Henry Pauls, and David Hunsberger. Take a Self-Guided Mennonite Art Tour at Grebel.
Tour Brubacher House
Located on the University of Waterloo North Campus, and once home to Magdalena and John E. Brubacher and their fourteen children, Brubacher House is an important piece of Waterloo history. Today, the farmhouse operates as a museum and serves to educate and interpret the Pennsylvania German Mennonite way of life to interested visitors.
Mennonite Lecture Series
Each year, Grebel hosts the Bechtel Lectures in Anabaptist-Mennonites Studies. This lecture series provides a forum through which the core meaning and values of the Anabaptist-Mennonite faith and heritage might be communicated to a diverse audience and be kept relevant and connected to the rapidly changing world of our day. Watch past Bechtel Lectures.
The J. Winfield Fretz Fellowship in Mennonite Studies invites visiting scholars to engage in research, teaching, and relationship building with faculty and students at Conrad Grebel and the University of Waterloo, as well as the local community, around Anabaptist and Mennonite Studies themes.
Grebel has hosted several Mennonite/s Writing series, Canadian writers spoke about how their writing sensibilities, their careers, and their Mennonite heritage intersect. Watch recordings of the sessions featuring authors such as Miriam Toews, Rudy Wiebe, and Carrie Snyder.
Articles about Mennonite Heritage Week
- Recognizing Mennonite Heritage by Grebel Professor Emerita Marlene Epp in The Record
- How to Prepare for Mennonite Heritage Week by blogger The Drunken Mennonite
- Oh ya! Parliament declares Mennonite Heritage Week by the CBC
- Mennonite Heritage Week creates division by John Longhurst in the Winnipeg Free Press
- Between 'Pure' and Mennonite Heritage Week by Virginia A. Hostetler in the Canadian Mennonite
- Organizations worth recognizing during Mennonite Heritage Week by Barb Draper in the Canadian Mennonite
- How to celebrate Mennonite Heritage Week by Alissa Moffit at CHVN95.1FM
- Ethnic or faith heritage? by Tim Huber in Mennonite World Review
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Ten Authentic Mennonite Dishes to Make for Mennonite Heritage Week in The Daily Bonnet
Resources for more information about Mennonites
10 Things to Know about Mennonites in Canada from Canadian Mennonite
You may have seen traditionally dressed Mennonites at farmers’ markets or on TV, but you may not know that these are only a segment of the Mennonite population in Canada. There are several varieties of Mennonite and Amish groups in Canada, and—although they all share the same roots—each group practises its faith in unique ways. Here are some things you should know about your Mennonite, Old Order and Amish neighbours..
Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online
This online encyclopedia provides reliable information on Anabaptist-related topics, including history, theology, biography, institutions and local congregations. Secular topics from an Anabaptist perspective are also included.
Mennonite Historical Society of Ontario
The Mennonite Historical Society of Ontario encourages and supports a variety of projects which interpret Mennonite Heritage to Mennonites and non-Mennonites alike through periodicals, workshops and seminars, public meetings, historical sites and publications.
Visit The Mennonite Story
Located in the village of St Jacobs, The Mennonite Story explores the cultural and religious history of Mennonites in Canada and around the world. The centre features thoughtfully crafted exhibits of photos and artifacts to tell the story of Mennonites and generate respectful conversation and reflection about these people.