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Located on the campus of the University of Waterloo, Conrad Grebel University College fosters community, academic engagement, and personal growth. Grebel is a residence rooted in the Mennonite tradition and offers courses to UWaterloo students in Arts, Music, History, Mennonite Studies, Peace and Conflict Studies (PACS), Religious Studies, and Sociology.  

The air was full of excitement and anticipation as another Orientation Week dawned upon Conrad Grebel University College this year. Excited students were met with Grebel’s distinctive sense of community as they settled into residence, took part in orientation activities, and explored Grebel and the wider University of Waterloo campus. 

On Friday, September 6, as part of graduate orientation week, students in Conrad Grebel University College's Master of Theological Studies (MTS) and Master of Peace and Conflict Studies (MPACS) programs took a field trip to Brubacher House museum and the Office of Indigenous Relations (OIR) at the University of Waterloo. The goal of the outing was “for graduate students to situate themselves historically and geographically, and to reflect on how the histories of colonization have shaped our current location and studies,” explained Reina Neufeldt, Chair of Peace and Conflict Studies.

Grebel was first imagined in the late 1950s, when local Christian denominations were invited to found colleges on the campus of the new University of Waterloo. For Ontario Mennonite leaders, the invitation arrived at a moment when Mennonite youth were enrolling en masse in universities and colleges for the first time. With a 400-year history of separation from society at large, Mennonite leaders were concerned that their youth would lose their faith at university. A residential college was an opportunity to create an environment where this new generation of Ontario Mennonite youth could maintain connection to their faith tradition during what one founder called “the seeking, doubting, formative years of their lives.” 

For Grebel’s 50th Anniversary year, Marlene Epp wrote Bridging Mind & Spirit, Conrad Grebel University College, 1963-2013 to tell the story of the College’s founding, accomplishments, people, and traditions. Although ten years have now passed and the College has had another anniversary, for this issue of Grebel Now, we have chosen to reflect on Grebel’s 60 year legacy by inviting a small group of former board members, faculty, and administrative leaders to share their memories, even if some details have faded.

The Grebel experience has been foundational for the Harder-Heide family, as three generations have lived in the College residence.

Two generations of Winters have now made Grebel their home, where they discovered the importance of community, the joy of tradition, and the enduring impact of lifelong connections. 

My oldest brother, John, was a Grebelite before I was even born; my other brothers followed suit thereafter. In 1991, I brought us full circle becoming the fourth and final of my siblings to live at Grebel.

Deepak Wanner (BASC 1986) is a serial entrepreneur who started five technology companies throughout his dynamic career. Deepak lived at Grebel while earning his BASC at the University of Waterloo, and the values he picked up around the dinner table stuck with him as he became a prominent leader in his technological endeavours. He takes pride in his family and the strong values of community, sharing, and social responsibility that he has passed down.

The second week of September is Mennonite Heritage Week. At Conrad Grebel University College in Waterloo, Ontario, this week is an occasion to share about Mennonite history and culture. Offering several ways to engage with Mennonite history, the College is hosting a book launch this week has two Mennonite-themed exhibits on display.