WATERLOO, ON -- Nearly fifty years ago, five visionary men with five shovels broke ground to begin building Conrad Grebel [University] College. This dream of a small Christian college for Mennonite students studying at the University of Waterloo soon expanded into an academic body offering undergraduate courses in the Faculty of Arts as well as graduate programs in Theological Studies and soon Peace and Conflict Studies. Over time, the College also grew to be home to over 200 students living on campus and 4,000 students taking academic courses each year.
As Grebel embarks on its fifth building project, Paul Penner, Director of Operations at the College reflected that “there’s a sense of rejuvenation and revitalization that comes with every building project. This is truly a collaborative project! The entire College is involved in one way or another and as we work together our excitement continues to grow.”
“At the March 8th board meeting, a construction budget of $8.7 Million was approved,” reported President Huxman. “With springtime approaching, the Grebel community is looking forward to celebrating the new growth this expansion project brings—the seeds of which were planted over six years ago by many leaders and supporters of the college.”
New growth in Music – With new practice rooms, more offices, and expanded rehearsal studios, the building project strengthens an overall spatial organization and distinct identity for the music department at the University of Waterloo within Conrad Grebel.
New growth in Grebel’s mission to pursue justice and peace - A preliminary floor plan has been created for the Mennonite Savings and Credit Union Centre for Peace Advancement. This centre will be dedicated to innovation and interdisciplinary study in an incubator-style setting — where students, faculty, community leaders, and many others will collaborate on projects to advance peace.
New growth in the Mennonite Archives of Ontario and Milton Good Library - Currently overflowing its capacity, archives collect the records of daily life and are vital to researchers looking for historical clues, family stories, or artistic inspiration. The College looks forward to the increased connections these expanded archives will create with scholars, the Mennonite constituency, artists and the broader community.
New growth in creating a welcoming community – With a strong sense of community firmly entrenched at Grebel’s core, the new building will be open and welcoming, with a Henry Paetkau seminar room and a Ron and Barb Schlegel community education room that is easily accessible for community initiatives.
“We warmly invite everyone to celebrate this milestone in the life of this remarkable college,” said President Huxman. “The generous giving to the ‘Next Chapter Campaign’ has been truly extraordinary. Join the Grebel community on March 16th at 4:00pm in this next chapter of its history. Witness the ground breaking and help plant the seeds to seek wisdom, nurture faith, and pursue justice and peace in service to church and society.”