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MCC meat cannery grand opening
On January 18, 2025, over 700 people gathered at the MCC Hub in New Hamburg to celebrate the grand opening of the new MCC Meat Cannery. This 10,000-square-foot facility is set to make a significant impact on vulnerable communities worldwide, with a goal of producing 60,000 cans of nutritious food annually for families in crisis.…
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MCC investigation finds harassment by senior personnel
An investigation commissioned by Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) in response to complaints put forward by John Clarke and Anicka Fast, who were abruptly terminated in August 2023, found that “MCC processes and some decision making by senior personnel as a whole … is reasonably understood to fall within the threshold of harassment as defined by MCC’s…
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Menno-Nazi ties in the press
During the week of December 13, the Waterloo Region Record, the Toronto Star (the highest circulation newspaper in Canada) and other TorStar publications ran Terry Pender’s in-depth article, “Bending the rules: How Canada opened its doors to Nazi war criminals,” which discusses Nazi links to Mennonites and Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) specifically. The occasion for…
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Irene Baergen honoured for work with newcomers
On December 5, Irene Baergen of Edmonton First Mennonite Church received the King Charles III Coronation Medal at Government House in Edmonton for her years of volunteer service with Edmonton’s Newcomer Centre (formerly, Edmonton Mennonite Centre for Newcomers). “My claim to fame is that the first organization meeting was held in our living room over…
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MCEC reduces salary costs by 17 percent
Due to ongoing budgetary pressure, Mennonite Church Eastern Canada is making a 17-percent reduction in salary costs for the 2025–26 budget year. The leadership have made the difficult decision to lay off four staff. A November 20 open letter to MCEC churches from Ann L. Schultz, intentional interim executive team leader, and moderator Ben Cassels,…
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RJC music teacher wins national award
Adelle Sawatzky has a new piece of hardware to put on her desk at RJC High School in Rosthern, Saskatchewan. In early November, the 27-year-old from Kindersley, Saskatchewan, won the 2024 Builders Award for Newer Teachers from the Canadian Music Educators’ Association. “A lot of times [awards recognize] lifetime achievement so it is an encouraging…
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Working groups on climate and Indigenous relations hold retreat
Twenty-five people involved in climate and Indigenous relations working groups within Mennonite Church Canada regional churches, as well as people from related organizations, gathered at Wilderness Edge Retreat and Conference Centre in Pinawa, Manitoba, from October 4-6, to discuss their work and hopes. The retreat was led by MC Canada’s climate action coordinator Sandy Plett,…
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Call for prayer amid violence in Burkina Faso
The following update and prayer request was sent by Siaka Traoré to Tany Warkentin of Mennonite Church Canada on August 30. Traoré is the Mennonite World Conference regional representative for Central and West Africa as well as a long-time church leader in Burkina Faso. Burkina Faso is going through a dark period in this second…
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Public and protests pressure decision-makers in the war against Gaza
Following community pressure, in early July, the University of Waterloo (UW) in Waterloo, Ontario, dropped all legal charges against a group of students and concerned community members who were calling on the university to divest of any company that supports Israel as the war against Gaza continues. Occupy UW is part of a significant movement…
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Flooding displaces 200,000 in Kenya
“Unprecedented and devastating” flooding in Eastern Africa has caused the displacement of 235,000 people in just five days, according to a UN report. Countries most affected include Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, Ethiopia and Tanzania. In total, the UN estimates 637,000 people are affected, including tens of thousands of refugees. Over 200 people have died. In…
