David Klassen and the Mennonites

Susan Anderson was a librarian with the Calgary Public Library.

David Klassen, a respected elder in his Mennonite community in Russia, led a group of 400 to Manitoba in 1874. Within three years, through sheer tenacity and endurance, the settlers had established 65 villages inhabited by over 900 families. The conditions of their tenure were that they could buy more land as needed; they were allowed the freedom to worship and to educate their own children; and they were to be exempted from military service. For several years the Mennonites adhered to their traditional ways — at home, in the churches, and in the schools.

The Mennonite way of life was challenged when the railways were built, when local governments’ roles became better defined, when the Mennonite reserves were reclaimed, and especially when the primitive education system needed drastic upgrading. Both wars, but especially World War II, proved to be very divisive, as conscientious objector status was controversial. Since then the Mennonite influence in Manitoba has continued to be significant.

Part of the We Built Canada series, this brief (75 pages) glossy paperback includes a list of relevant further reading, as well as a list of records and films. There are numerous photos, diagrams, and maps. The format is esthetically pleasing, featuring shaded areas devoted to topics such as a traditional Mennonite wedding, hog-butchering techniques, and a description of housebuilding. These digressions from the text are intriguing; the projects, questions, and suggestions, however, seem rather ambitious for the ten- or twelve-year-old reader of this title. The text itself is straightforward and lucid — the information about Mennonite schooling is particularly interesting. This is a worthwhile addition to the material about a group that has profoundly influenced the history of Western Canada.