Explore every episode of the podcast Tales from the Mennonite Heritage Archives
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Christmas in Canada, 1926 | 30 Dec 2025 | 00:20:59 | |
Today, we have a nostalgic retelling in English of the story Christmas 1926 by beloved Low German story teller Gerhard Ens. Told through the eyes of 10-year-old Hauns, Gerhard imagines a fictional account of what it might have been like for Mennonite refugees from the Soviet Union to celebrate their first Christmas in Canada. We are grateful for the extra time Golden West has granted this episode, which clocks in at 21 minutes. Thank you! Your donations help preserve and share stories like this one! Make a gift here or call 204.560.1998. | |||
| Festive Foods and Folkways from the Mennonite Tradition | 22 Dec 2025 | 00:14:59 | |
In this episode, we bring you an episode with the excessively alliterative of Festive Foods and Folkways from the Mennonite Tradition. This instalment is based on a two-volume book series by Norma Jost Voth. She interviewed about 60 elder women who brought their Christmas traditions and celebrations from Russia to North America. Tune in to hear about Norma’s work, and listen to show host Dan Dyck mangle the pronunciation of German and Dutch words like Niejoasch’owend and Oilie Bollen. Your donations help preserve and share stories like this one! Make a gift here or call 204.560.1998. | |||
| Andrew Unger Part 1 | 20 Oct 2025 | 00:14:59 | |
Today we bring you Part 1 of a two-part chat with Andrew Unger. He is the author and creator of The Unger Review, a satirical web site that gently and humorously skewers Mennonite faith and culture. Andrew tells me how his sense of humour developed, the little known influence of satire on early Anabaptists, the benefits of laughing about Mennonite Tupperware, and how his humour is an expression of love for his own Mennonite identity. Your donations help preserve and share stories like this one! Make a gift here or call 204.560.1998. | |||
| Episode 45: First Harvest in Canada 1876 | 13 Oct 2025 | 00:14:59 | |
Today we bring you a special feature for Thanksgiving weekend! Mennonite history enthusiast Gerhard Ens first recorded this fictional account of the first harvest by Mennonites in Canada (1876) on audio tape in the Low German language. The story, told through the eyes of an impatient 10-year-old Henry, has now been translated into English and adapted for radio by the Tales team. We hope you enjoy this nostalgic and entertaining re-telling. Your donations help preserve and share stories like this one! Make a gift here or call 204.560.1998. | |||
| Susana Miller | 06 Oct 2025 | 00:14:59 | |
Today, we present the life story of the inspiring and resilient Susana Miller. Despite multiple family tragedies and hard times, Susana managed to rise above it all, and find joy in her 101 years of living. Your donations help preserve and share stories like this one! Make a gift here or call 204.560.1998. | |||
| Statistics and Scripture | 29 Sep 2025 | 00:15:00 | |
Today, we bring you a 100-year-old story about a government tactic that was used as recently 2010. During World War I, the federal government ordered all Canadian citizens to register. They needed to know how many recruits they could rely on should the war drag on. Based on their principles and values, some Mennonites in southern Manitoba refused to register. Even threats of fines and jail couldn’t persuade them. It ultimately took a Bible story to convince them. One hundred years later, the government again turned to the same story to convince Mennonites to complete census forms in 2011. Your donations help preserve and share stories like this one! Make a gift here or call 204.560.1998. | |||
| Change and Mennonite Migration among Latin American Mennonites | 22 Sep 2025 | 00:14:59 | |
In this episode, we bring you an interview with Ben Nobbs-Thiessen. He studies the history of Mennonite migration at the University of Winnipeg. We talk about his visits and research among Mennonites in Bolivia, what change looks like in that context, and what we in Canada can learn from Mennonite migrations to Latin America. Your donations help preserve and share stories like this one! Make a gift here or call 204.560.1998. | |||
| Erin Koop Unger on Mennotoba | 15 Sep 2025 | 00:14:59 | |
You’ll want to tune in to this delightful conversation with Erin Koop Unger, who writes for the Mennotoba blog about local Mennonite and Manitoba history. We learn about a discovery she made while researching her own family background, and we find out how many wood ticks she gets while out exploring abandoned cemeteries. Your donations help preserve and share stories like this one! Make a gift here or call 204.560.1998. | |||
| Writer, Inventor, Farmer: The Story of Peter J. Klassen | 08 Sep 2025 | 00:14:59 | |
Peter J. Klassen (1889-1953) was one of many educated Mennonites who migrated to Canada and took up farming out of necessity. After fleeing from the Soviet Union in 1925, him and his wife Elisabet (Liese), built a life on the prairies of Saskatchewan near the community of Herschel. They eventually retired to Yarrow, British Columbia. Throughout his life, he read and wrote extensively - publishing in Der Bote and other German papers, and a number of books. His writing has been described as imbued with a "poignantly realistic sadness" - stories that came from his core. Your donations help preserve and share stories like this one! Make a gift here or call 204.560.1998. | |||
| SUMMER REWIND: Tales of Land and Water: Indigenous-Mennonite Relations on the West Reserve | 01 Sep 2025 | 00:15:17 | |
Host Dan Dyck sits down to discuss the research of PhD student Jonathan Hildebrand. Jonathan is exploring Indigenous-Mennonite relations through his research of land and waterways on the historical West Reserve in southern Manitoba. He is based at the University of Manitoba and is originally from Altona, Manitoba. Previously he worked for nearly a decade as an urban planner in the areas of land use, urban design, and Indigenous planning, before returning to school to learn more about the place he’s from. Using sources from the Mennonite Heritage Archives, as well as other archives, interviews, and the Red River Valley Echo, Jonathan explores unexpected interactions that tell a deeper story and further our understanding of the region. Your donations help preserve and share stories like this one! Make a gift here or call 204.560.1998. | |||
| SUMMER REWIND: The Steinbach Pietenpol Airplane | 25 Aug 2025 | 00:15:17 | |
In our second part on Steinbach engineer Klaas W. Brandt, we learn about how he helped two budding entrepreneurs and pilots build Steinbach’s first airplane in the early 1930s. Your donations help preserve and share stories like this one! Make a gift here or call 204.560.1998. | |||
| SUMMER REWIND: Flower Annie | 18 Aug 2025 | 00:15:16 | |
Many small communities have a person that everyone knows, who doesn't quite fit the standard mold, but has become a part of the fabric of the place. In this episode, host Dan Dyck explores the story of 'Flower Annie' of Winkler, Manitoba. 'Flower Annie' was born Anna Neufeld in 1909 and earned her nickname and living by selling paper flowers around town. Despite being a well-known part of the community up to her death in 1980, most people did not know much about who she was. This is the story of 'Flower Annie'. Your donations help preserve and share stories like this one! Make a gift here or call 204.560.1998. Your donations help preserve and share stories like this one! Make a gift here or call 204.560.1998. | |||
| Patrick Friesen, Menno Colony, Paraguay | 16 Dec 2025 | 00:14:59 | |
In this episode, we’re delighted to bring you an interview with Patrick Friesen, a third generation Mennonite from Paraguay. His great-grandfather, C.F. Friesen, was one of the early leaders and teachers in Paraguay. Patrick shares about the historical migration from Manitoba, paints a picture of the Menno Colony today — and issues an invitation in English and Low German to visit his community for its 100th anniversary in 2027. Your donations help preserve and share stories like this one! Make a gift here or call 204.560.1998. | |||
| SUMMER REWIND - Prosperity Ever – Depression Never: Steinbach in the 1930s | 11 Aug 2025 | 00:15:16 | |
Summer Rewind - Author Ralph Friesen sits down with Dan Dyck to discuss his recently published book Prosperity Ever – Depression Never: Steinbach in the 1930s. Published by the Manitoba Mennonite Historical Society, this book looks at the history of this community, primarily Mennonite, and how it weathered the Great Depression better than other communities in Manitoba at the time. Your donations help preserve and share stories like this one! Make a gift here or call 204.560.1998. Your donations help preserve and share stories like this one! Make a gift here or call 204.560.1998. | |||
| SUMMER REWIND - An Introduction to the Mennonite Heritage Archives | 04 Aug 2025 | 00:15:17 | |
Summer Rewind - In today's episode, host Dan Dyck sits down with archivist of the Mennonite Heritage Archives Conrad Stoesz to discuss their mutual love of Mennonite history, where the Mennonite Heritage Archives originated, and what archives can offer us today. Your donations help preserve and share stories like this one! Make a gift here or call 204.560.1998. | |||
| North End Girls: Anna Thiessen and the Mary Martha Home | 28 Jul 2025 | 00:14:59 | |
Host Dan Dyck presents the life story of Anna Thiessen (1892-1977). While Anna had dreamt of working in India, her life would lead her to Winnipeg. Here she provided support to young women entering the workforce as matron of Mary Martha Home. This was a place for Mennonite girls to live and build community while they supported their far-flung families through work as domestic help. Your donations help preserve and share stories like this one! Make a gift here or call 204.560.1998. | |||
| The Art of Marta Goertzen-Armin | 21 Jul 2025 | 00:14:59 | |
Host Dan Dyck presents the life of artist Marta Armin (born Goertzen, 1923-2009). Marta was born into a large family in the village of Chortitz, Manitoba. Her creativity was noted throughout her life, but following a series of major shifts starting at 60, her artistic life bloomed. Part of this growth included a series of works reminiscing on her childhood in southern Manitoba - 60 of which are at the Mennonite Heritage Archives in the Marta Goertzen-Armin Collection. Humorous and often touching, these drawings present a unique and often surprising image of life in a small Manitoba Mennonite village. Your donations help preserve and share stories like this one! Make a gift here or call 204.560.1998. | |||
| Identity, GLAM, and Post-Its* | 14 Jul 2025 | 00:14:59 | |
Host Dan Dyck chats with Mennonite Heritage Archive (MHA) administrator Graeme Unrau about his work in the world of GLAM*, Mennonite identity and the stories we tell about ourselves. Graeme also highlights some of his favourite collections at the MHA and the inspiration he has found in the people he meets and works with at the archives. *GLAM is an acronym for galleries, libraries, archives, and museums that is widely used in the cultural heritage sector. Your donations help preserve and share stories like this one! Make a gift here or call 204.560.1998. | |||
| A Conversation with Author David Elias | 07 Jul 2025 | 00:14:59 | |
Host Dan Dyck sits down with author David Elias. David discusses ancestor and noted Mennonite diarist Peter A. Elias, growing up in southern Manitoba, and his upcoming book Into the d/Ark. Peter wrote extensively and honestly about pioneering in Manitoba, and his personal struggles with the church after arriving in Canada in the early 1870s. This interview was recorded while David was on the Canadian Mennonite University campus for Mennonite Writer/s Ten, a conference on Mennonite writing that took place in June, 2025. Your donations help preserve and share stories like this one! Make a gift here or call 204.560.1998. | |||
| Homecoming: 150 Years of Chortitz | 30 Jun 2025 | 00:14:59 | |
Chortitz is a village in Southern Manitoba that traces its beginnings back 150 years to the arrival of Mennonites on the 'East Reserve' in 1874. Host Dan Dyck sits down with local Abe Penner, whose family has roots there going back to 1903, and Jason Janzen, anniversary organizer, to discuss the Mennonite presence in the area and how they plan to celebrate their 150th anniversary. Your donations help preserve and share stories like this one! Make a gift here or call 204.560.1998. | |||
| Homecoming: 150 Years of Reinland-Rosengart | 23 Jun 2025 | 00:14:59 | |
Join host Dan Dyck as he sits down with Lyle Thiessen to learn more about the history of the Reinland - Rosengart area of southern Manitoba and their upcoming 150th anniversary celebration. Your donations help preserve and share stories like this one! Make a gift here or call 204.560.1998. | |||
| Maria Kroeker Neufeld: Letters Across a Divide | 16 Jun 2025 | 00:14:59 | |
In 1926, Maria Kroeker Neufeld (1870-1950) and her husband Johann Neufeld (1869-1950), along with three of her seven children, were part of a group of Mennonites that moved from Saskatchewan and Manitoba to Paraguay. Prompted by a desire for greater autonomy from provincial education legislation and fears of integration, their story is one of a family divided by continents and conviction. In this episode, host Dan Dyck reviews the correspondence between Maria and her family members that is housed at the Mennonite Heritage Archives. The letters illustrate the challenges of creating a new life in Paraguay and the sense of loss that was experienced by Maria, while pointing to the deeper convictions that prompted the move. Your donations help preserve and share stories like this one! Make a gift here or call 204.560.1998. | |||
| Tales of Land and Water: Indigenous-Mennonite Relations on the West Reserve | 09 Jun 2025 | 00:14:59 | |
Host Dan Dyck sits down to discuss the research of PhD student Jonathan Hildebrand. Jonathan is exploring Indigenous-Mennonite relations through his research of land and waterways on the historical West Reserve in southern Manitoba. He is based at the University of Manitoba and is originally from Altona, Manitoba. Previously he worked for nearly a decade as an urban planner in the areas of land use, urban design, and Indigenous planning, before returning to school to learn more about the place he's from. Using sources from the Mennonite Heritage Archives, as well as other archives, interviews, and the Red River Valley Echo, Jonathan explores unexpected interactions that tell a deeper story and further our understanding of the region. Your donations help preserve and share stories like this one! Make a gift here or call 204.560.1998. | |||
| The Cast-off Child | 08 Dec 2025 | 00:14:59 | |
Today, we bring you a story that’s about as close to a Whodunnit Mystery as Mennonite history gets. It’s a story about a baby, a pig pen, and ongoing attempts to get rid of the child — even as he grows up. To learn more, tune in to Episode 53 of Tales from the Mennonite Heritage Archives. Your donations help preserve and share stories like this one! Make a gift here or call 204.560.1998. | |||
| Isaiah Letkeman: The Mennonite Game - Celebrity Edition | 02 Jun 2025 | 00:14:59 | |
In this episode, host Dan Dyck continues his exploration of the folks that work at the Mennonite Heritage Archives (MHA). He previously spoke with Conrad and Sara about their work the the MHA, and today you’re going to hear from Isaiah, archival assistant at the MHA. Isaiah is in the business program at Canadian Mennonite University. Studying accounting while working at a historical archive might seem like an unlikely pairing, but Isaiah is fascinated by the relationships and inter-connectedness of the Mennonite community, and has come across some interesting names in his work, including Pamela Anderson and Connor Beddard. The Mennonite Game, celebrity edition, eh? Your donations help preserve and share stories like this one! Make a gift here or call 204.560.1998. | |||
| Murder in Old Altona: Part 2 | 26 May 2025 | 00:14:59 | |
In our previous episode, host Dan Dyck tried to understand why Heinrich J. Toews would have committed the violent acts that ended in the death of a student and, ultimately, his own death months later. In this episode, Dan sits down with Ken Loewen, the grandson of shooting survivor Susanna Loewen (Rempel), and keeper of a grim memento that has been passed down in the family. Through the lives of the survivors, Dan tries to understand more about the tragic events of October 9, 1902, and its reverberations in the lives of the victims and wider community. Your donations help preserve and share stories like this one! Make a gift here or call 204.560.1998. | |||
| Murder in Old Altona: Part 1 | 19 May 2025 | 00:14:59 | |
How does a teacher that professes to care for his students and profession become the perpetrator of a school shooting? In this episode, Dan Dyck presents the first of two episodes on the Altona school shooting of 1902 that ultimately claimed the life of one student and the perpetrator Heinrich J. Toews. In it, we learn about the shooting itself, as well as the life and state of mind of Heinrich J. Toews. Both in the lead up to the events of October 9, 1902, and in the aftermath of the tragic event. Your donations help preserve and share stories like this one! Make a gift here or call 204.560.1998. | |||
| Helena F. Reimer: Nurse, Administrator, Adventurer | 12 May 2025 | 00:14:59 | |
In this episode, host Dan Dyck gives us a glimpse at the incredible life and service of Helen Friesen Reimer (1905-1993). Helen started her professional life as a rural school teacher, where seeing the need, she was inspired to become a nurse. This was the start of an adventurous life that would see her take roles in nursing and medical administration around the world, working for the World Health Organization and the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration, among other organizations. She received the Order of Canada, the Queen's Jubilee Medal, and an honorary doctorate from the University of Winnipeg. She is listed as a Memorable Manitoban and was posthumously chosen as a Manitoba Woman Trailblazer in 2021 by the Nellie McClung Foundation to commemorate the 150th anniversary of Manitoba. You can also read more about Helen on the Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online (GAMEO). Your donations help preserve and share stories like this one! Make a gift here or call 204.560.1998. | |||
| Sara Dyck: Problems from the Past | 05 May 2025 | 00:14:59 | |
In this episode, host Dan Dyck continues a conversation with Sara Dyck that was started a few episodes back with the episode on Dr. Helen Martens, the first known Mennonite woman with a PhD. Sara discusses what pulled her to working at the archives, what she finds rewarding, and what the archives did when they became the unexpected recipients of 300 Amish romance novels. Your donations help preserve and share stories like this one! Make a gift here or call 204.560.1998. | |||
| Mennonite Circle Games | 28 Apr 2025 | 00:14:59 | |
Mennonites don't dance, or do they? Can a dance by any other name still be as fun? In this episode, host Dan Dyck explores Mennonite "circle games" with the help of Werner Ens, someone who has devoted a lot of time to recording and researching these traditions, as well as ethnomusicologists Doreen Klassen and Judith Klassen. Circle games were once a popular social activity for young Mennonites in southern Manitoba, but today you would be hard-pressed to find a chance to play "The Old Dusty Millar" or "Bingo". Your donations help preserve and share stories like this one! Make a gift here or call 204.560.1998. | |||
| Behind the Scenes at the Mennonite Heritage Archives | 21 Apr 2025 | 00:14:59 | |
In this episode, host Dan Dyck is taken on a tour through the Mennonite Heritage Archives with archivist Conrad Stoesz to learn more about the day to day operations at the archives. Conrad also share some stories about the materials at the archives, how they came to be there, and some of the interesting ways that they have been accessed over time. Your donations help preserve and share stories like this one! Make a gift here or call 204.560.1998. | |||
| The Jacob Klaassen Diaries | 14 Apr 2025 | 00:14:59 | |
Today, host Dan Dyck shines the Tales spotlight on Jacob Klaassen and his journals about life on the Canadian prairies from 1919 to 1947. Jake took a circuitous route to Saskatchewan, travelling via Central Asia and the United States, before arriving in Canada in 1918 from Oklahoma. Dan talked with two of Klaassen's great granddaughters, sisters Carole and Marjorie Jantzen, for this episode. They have been key to publishing Klassen's journals and preserving the family record. Your donations help preserve and share stories like this one! Make a gift here or call 204.560.1998. | |||
| Dr. Helen Martens: A Woman of Music | 07 Apr 2025 | 00:14:59 | |
In this episode, Dan sits down with Sara, a history student and archives employee, to discuss Dr. Helen Martens, the first known Mennonite woman to achieve a PhD in Music. Sara spent considerable time organizing the Helen Martens collection and is well acquainted with Dr. Martens through her materials at the archives. Helen Martens was born in 1928, in Russia and travelled with her family from the Soviet Union to Canada in 1929. Helen dedicated her life to music, teaching and studying around the world, particularly on Hutterite music and composer Felix Mendelssohn. Your donations help preserve and share stories like this one! Make a gift here or call 204.560.1998. | |||
| The Lasting Impact of the Trek to Central Asia | 31 Mar 2025 | 00:14:59 | |
In our previous episode, host Dan Dyck shared the story of the Mennonite trek to Central Asia that took place in the early 1880s. Researching and writing that for story raised many questions. In today's episode, Dan sits down with a Mennonite historian John Sharp. John has spent a lot of time in Central Asia exploring the Mennonite presence there, and he helps dig deeper into the story of the trek and the lingering influence of it on people in the region. Learn more about John's upcoming tour: 2025 Silk Road Odyssey: The Trek to Central Asia https://www.tourmagination.com/tours/2025-silk-road-odyssey-the-trek-to-central-asia Your donations help preserve and share stories like this one! Make a gift here or call 204.560.1998. | |||
| A Short History of House Barns with Roland Sawatsky | 01 Dec 2025 | 00:14:59 | |
After a few consecutive episodes that leaned into some darker stories in Mennonite history, we’re pleased to bring you something on the lighter side. To air on Sunday, Nov. 30 we bring you… (drumroll )… A Short History of House Barns! Join me and Roland Sawatsky, curator at the Manitoba Museum and past curator at the Mennonite Village Museum in Steinbach, as we reveal that a house barn is (!SPOILER ALERT!) “a barn connected to a house,” how far back we can trace the history of these structures, what a GANK is — and oh, so much more. While we might take these buildings for granted, I was surprised at what we can learn about how people have interacted with and constructed these homes for people and animals. Your donations help preserve and share stories like this one! Make a gift here or call 204.560.1998. | |||
| The Trek to Central Asia | 24 Mar 2025 | 00:14:59 | |
In the early 1880s, hundreds of Mennonites trekked from Russia to Central Asia. It was a grueling, 3000-kilometre journey. Until recently, the spotlight of this story focused on Claas Epp Jr. as the leader of the quest. In this episode, host Dan Dyck explores history of Claas Epp Jr., the colourful and complicated motivations for the migration, and what happened in the aftermath of this dramatic adventure. Your donations help preserve and share stories like this one! Make a gift here or call 204.560.1998. | |||
| Abraham B. Hiebert, Medicine by Correspondence | 16 Mar 2025 | 00:14:59 | |
In Episode 17 we learned about the actions against Katharina Thiessen by the Manitoba College of Physicians and Surgeons. Today's subject was another recipient of those fines. Abraham B. Hiebert was a man who practiced medicine by correspondence. Through letters and packages, Abraham diagnosed, and offered treatments to his patients. In today's episode, host Dan Dyck explores the life and work of a man that practiced medicine by correspondence. Your donations help preserve and share stories like this one! Make a gift here or call 204.560.1998. | |||
| Johannes Klaassen: The Cost of Conscience | 10 Mar 2025 | 00:14:59 | |
Johannes Klaassen, or John as we’ll call him in today’s story, firmly stood with his conscience and he paid for that decision with his life. In this episode, host Dan Dyck tells the story of John, a conscientious objector from Oklahoma that died in prison after refusing to don a military uniform. Here is his story, as told through the diary of his father, Michael Klaassen. Your donations help preserve and share stories like this one! Make a gift here or call 204.560.1998. | |||
| The Adventures of Big Bill | 02 Mar 2025 | 00:14:59 | |
'Big Bill' was born Wilhelm Enns in 1894 in the village of Einlage in Imperial Russia. He was a jack of all trades whose work life included jobs as a teacher, farm laborer, dragline operator, salesman, and shoe repairman, among others. He was also an avid writer. With host Dan Dyck, today we will be exploring the colourful life and storytelling of 'Big Bill' Enns, largely through letters written by Bill and compiled and translated by Edward Enns, a relative. Your donations help preserve and share stories like this one! Make a gift here or call 204.560.1998. | |||
| Katharina Thiessen, Mennonite Midwife | 24 Feb 2025 | 00:14:59 | |
Katharina Thiessen was a Mennonite midwife whose practice started in Ukraine, and continued in the United States and eventually southern Manitoba, where she settled with her family in 1885. As a midwife and lay doctor, she held a role in the Mennonite community that was not always understood by the official medical establishment. In this episode, host Dan Dyck explores the medical career of Katharina Thiessen and the role that women like her had in the Mennonite community, as well as the challenges to legitimacy as medical professionals that they faced from the wider society. Your donations help preserve and share stories like this one! Make a gift here or call 204.560.1998. | |||
| Romancing Faspa | 17 Feb 2025 | 00:14:59 | |
Traditionally, faspa was a portable meal taken out to farmers on the field in the late afternoon. Faspa provided much needed sustenance for the hard workers who would typically labour until dark and then come home for supper. In this episode, host Dan Dyck sits down with Josh Penner, a Winnipeg business owner who is taking this traditional meal and giving it a contemporary twist. To start, he wanted to learn more about the tradition and explore the philosophy behind it. Where better to start that research than with a visit to the archives? Your donations help preserve and share stories like this one! Make a gift here or call 204.560.1998. | |||
| Flower Annie | 10 Feb 2025 | 00:14:59 | |
Many small communities have a person that everyone knows, who doesn't quite fit the standard mold, but has become a part of the fabric of the place. In this episode, host Dan Dyck explores the story of 'Flower Annie' of Winkler, Manitoba. 'Flower Annie' was born Anna Neufeld in 1909 and earned her nickname and living by selling paper flowers around town. Despite being a well-known part of the community up to her death in 1980, most people did not know much about who she was. This is the story of 'Flower Annie'. Your donations help preserve and share stories like this one! Make a gift here or call 204.560.1998. | |||
| Aunt Olly Part 2: The Woman Behind the Microphone | 03 Feb 2025 | 00:15:00 | |
In our last episode, we learned about the work of Olga Penner, better known to many as 'Aunt Olly', the host of the radio program Children’s Party. In today's episode, host Dan Dyck talks with her sons Steven and David about being the children of a local celebrity, and the woman behind the show. Your donations help preserve and share stories like this one! Make a gift here or call 204.560.1998. | |||
| Aunt Olly Part 1: Children's Party | 27 Jan 2025 | 00:14:59 | |
In this episode, we explore the work of Olly Penner, better known to many as Aunt Olly, the host of the radio program Children’s Party. From 1959 to 1987, thousands of children tuned in daily to listen to the program. When Olly became a radio host in 1959, it was uncommon for married women to work outside the home, but she made it work while raising a young family. Your donations help preserve and share stories like this one! Make a gift here or call 204.560.1998. | |||
| The Mobility of Peter Dyck: A story of survival, resilience, and ingenuity | 20 Jan 2025 | 00:15:00 | |
In today's episode, we learn about Peter P. Dyck. He was a familiar sight around Carman from the 1940's to his death in 1970 - a man that refused to stay still despite the loss of his mobility after a tragic accident. While he spent much of his life in the hospital in Carman, Manitoba, his resilience and ingenuity were an inspiration to many. Your donations help preserve and share stories like this one! Make a gift here or call 204.560.1998. | |||
| Who Was Nestor Makhno? (Part 3) | 24 Nov 2025 | 00:14:59 | |
Today, we bring you Part 3, the final instalment of our series on Nestor Makhno, a Ukrainian anarchist revolutionary leader during the civil uprisings of the late 1910s. In Part 3, Sean Patterson brings us insights into the role that wealth and ethnicity played in the movement named for Makhno, and draw some conclusions about what Mennonites today can and should take away from this story. Series synopsis: In Part 1 (Nov. 8), we take a deep dive into the life of Nestor Makhno’s early years, learn about his ideology, how he understood anarchy, and what his goals were. In Part 2 (Nov. 16), we focus on the terrible Eichenfeld Massacre, and find out if and how Makhno was implicated. In Part 3 (Nov. 23), we look draw some conclusions about what Mennonites today can and should take away from this story. Your donations help preserve and share stories like this one! Make a gift here or call 204.560.1998. | |||
| Ernie Hildebrand: From Pastor to Protestor | 12 Jan 2025 | 00:15:00 | |
Host Dan Dyck interviews Ernie Hildebrand, a former pastor turned protestor. In the late 1970's, Ernie was a new pastor as Osler Mennonite Church when he became involved in efforts to oppose a planned uranium refinery in the region. After five long years, the community's efforts resulted in cancellation of the project in 1981. Your donations help preserve and share stories like this one! Make a gift here or call 204.560.1998. | |||
| “Der Friedensfurst” (The Prince of Peace) | 06 Jan 2025 | 00:14:59 | |
In this episode, join host Dan as he takes us on an exploration of the song “Der Friedensfurst” (The Prince of Peace). This song was special for Mennonites who survived the violence and turmoil of the Russian Revolution. The Mennonites who emigrated to Canada in the 1920s brought the song with them, prompting some to think the song originated in Europe, but this isn't the case. Your donations help preserve and share stories like this one! Make a gift here or call 204.560.1998. | |||
| The Brommtopp | 30 Dec 2024 | 00:14:59 | |
In this episode, host Dan Dyck explores the Mennonite holiday tradition called brommtopp, named for the strange musical instrument used, which can be translated as "rumbling top". This tradition was brought to Imperial Russia from Prussia, and continued in Manitoba into the 1950's. Your donations help preserve and share stories like this one! Make a gift here or call 204.560.1998. | |||
| Gerhard Ens: The First Christmas in Canada, 1875 | 23 Dec 2024 | 00:22:00 | |
This week we’re featuring radio personality Gerhard Ens’ Christmas story, inspired by his love of Mennonite history. Gerhard was a broadcaster and storyteller that combined his love of the Low German language with his radio program. In “The First Christmas in Canada 1875,” Gerhard paints a picture of his fictional character, 13-year-old Obraum, the struggles and joys of Obraum’s family, and his childhood anticipation of Christmas celebrations. Your donations help preserve and share stories like this one! Make a gift here or call 204.560.1998. | |||