About Us

The Mennonite Archives of Ontario had its origin in the research undertaken by Lewis J. Burkholder in the early 1930s for his book A Brief History of the Mennonites in Ontario. During his research he gathered a significant quantity of 19th century letters and published documents. He placed these in a "Mennonite box" at the Archives of Ontario in Toronto. 

In 1941 an archival collection began to be maintained at the Golden Rule Bookstore (later Provident Bookstore) in Kitchener, Ontario. The manager of the bookstore, J.C. Fretz, was also the historian for the Mennonite Conference of Ontario. At that time the "Mennonite box" was returned to Mennonite hands. 

In 1958 an addition to the classroom building at Rockway Mennonite School provided space for archival materials. Additional materials from the Swiss Mennonite community in Ontario began to be gathered under the supervision of Dorothy Schwartzentruber who worked at the bookstore. At some point during those years, the Archives was listed as the “Mennonite Archives of Ontario” (MAO) with the Public Archives of Canada. The Archives has never been incorporated. 

The organizational scheme employed by the archives were derived by that developed at the Archives of the Mennonite Church (Goshen, Indiana) by Melvin Gingerich, longtime archivist at that facility. He assisted in the early formation of the Mennonite Archives of Ontario. 

In 1963, Conrad Grebel College initiated plans to establish an Ontario Mennonite archives. A committee appointed by the College’s Board of Governors, and including Dorothy Swartzentruber and College President J. Winfield Fretz, recommended that a specific invitation be sent to Grebel’s constituent conferences to deposit their archival materials at the College. Following this, the Board intended to extend the invitation to other Mennonite groups in Ontario to do the same. The Mennonite Historical Society of Ontario was founded in part to assist the Archives with its collection mandate and provide opportunities for archival education.  

In 1965, after the construction of the College, the collection was moved from Rockway. The College took charge of the Archives and developed its regional and inter-Mennonite mandate in co-operation with other Mennonite archives in Canada.  Lorna Bergey served as volunteer archivist until 1974 at which time Sam Steiner was hired as the first paid staff person. Laureen Harder-Gissing became archivist after Sam's retirement in January 2009. 

The Archives has had three locations at Conrad Grebel. The first was on the lower floor of the College's residence. The second was a dedicated space within the library of the Academic building, built in 1976. The third, completed in 2014, tripled archival storage capacity in a state-of-the-art vault, and created new processing and reading rooms within an enlarged library. 

The financial resources for the archives are provided by Conrad Grebel University College. Charitable donations to support this program can be made through the Grebel Fund. Donations of planned gifts to the Bowman Endowment for Archives are welcome. 

What did you do today? Work? Volunteer? Go to school? Travel? What records did you create? 

Throughout our lives, we create evidence of our experiences in various forms. While we may need that photograph, diary or set of minutes now, what happens when they've outgrown their original purpose? The archives works with institutions, congregations, families and individuals to collect these records and give them new life and new purpose in the archives. 

Can you still play that 8-track collection? How about those computer files on floppy disk? Is that rare book from your grandmother vulnerable to water or pest damage? 

How archives preserve records for the future depends on their unique formats and requirements. Our facilities include a climate-controlled, fire resistant vault for our most unique items. Making digital copies of original records is one way to preserve the information they contain; the digitized copies can be played on current equipment and used for research and reproduction. This minimizes the handling of the original. 

Because of the volatility of electronic formats and equipment, printing important records to paper is still the better way to preserve them. This is why our print collections continue to expand. 

Archivists will talk at great length (if you let them) about the value of the original. Original records contain more information than copies and have greater intrinsic value. 

Did a German bureaucrat in 1911 create his records just for you? 

Of course not. Governments, organizations, families and individuals create records for their own reasons. Researchers use records for different purposes than record creators. To help bridge this gap, we produce finding aids and offer reference services to help researchers locate the historical records they are seeking. 

Note: Unfortunately, new volunteer opportunities will not be available until after August 2025. Thank you for your interest, and please check back with us in August.

If you have an interest in Ontario Mennonite history, enjoy accomplishing detailed tasks and like playing detective, we may be able to use your help!

Why volunteer?

The archives is located within the library of Conrad Grebel University College, a liberal arts college on the campus of the University of Waterloo. As a centre for Mennonite history and culture the archives offers exhibit space, a pleasant reading room, and a spacious workroom for staff and volunteers, all within a renovated and expanded facility.We strive to create a welcoming and appreciative atmosphere for our volunteers, and we value your contributions.

The archives seeks volunteers for clearly defined tasks that help our visitors and researchers learn about the Ontario Mennonite story. We hope that volunteers will also find their understanding of Mennonite history enriched, in addition to getting a peek at behind-the-scenes life in an archives.

Volunteer tasks may include scanning photographs, sorting documents, or creating lists or finding aids. Tasks change from time to time, depending on archival priorities.

What are the expectations?

• Volunteers under the age of 18 require parental consent
• Volunteers will be expected to arrive with basic skills appropriate to their tasks. Volunteers will be given any specific training and support they require to complete tasks.
• The archivist will approve volunteers and arrange a mutually-beneficial work plan and schedule. The archivist or designate will supervise volunteers.
• The archivist will familiarize volunteers with the facility, emergency procedures, and health and safety expectations
• Volunteers will sign in and out
• Volunteers or the archives may end their agreed commitment at any time. Whenever possible, an end date should be agreed upon by the archivist and volunteer.
• Volunteers will not generally be given access to secure computer networks, or be asked to work with restricted records
• Volunteers coming in once a week or more will be given parking passes for the time they are engaged in volunteer work
• Volunteers are insured under the liability insurance of Conrad Grebel University College

How do I apply?

A volunteer form will be available again once applications reopen in August 2025.

The J. William and Sarah Dyck Award for Russian Mennonite Studies, valued at $1,000, is provided annually to an undergraduate or graduate student. The successful candidate will demonstrate an interest in Russian Mennonite Studies. One of the options for the award is an archives internship. 

The Allan G. Felstead Research Award funds research initiatives in Mennonite Studies. The annual award of approximately $1,000 is given to an undergraduate or graduate student. One of the award’s options allows for a grant to a student involved in research in the Mennonite Archives of Ontario.