Grant strengthens work of Mennonite Archives of Ontario
WATERLOO, ON—The Department of Canadian Heritage has given the Mennonite Archives of Ontario a $150,000 grant to help them increase storage space and purchase specialized equipment to preserve the archival material.
"We are in the process of a major academic expansion at [Conrad Grebel University College], of which the archives expansion is a part," says Laureen Harder-Gissing, an archivist at the Mennonite Archives of Ontario. "Archives has been exceeding its capacity since the late '80s, so this is a much needed project. The new building will double our archival space and triple [our storage] space."
The grant money covers 50 per cent of the cost of a new heating, ventilation and air conditioning system specifically designed to maintain an ideal climate for archival material, a fire extinguishing system that works by expelling oxygen from the air instead of spraying water, mobile shelving to increase storage capacity, a gallery area with display cabinets, and special equipment to help read and copy fragile documents and microfilms. The college successfully raised the other half of the money needed.
"Not only is there a lot of Mennonite history, but there is a lot of local history in our collection," says Harder-Gissing. "Mennonites were among the first European settlers to come to Upper Canada, and certainly in the Waterloo region."
Len Westerberg, a spokesperson for the Department of Canadian Heritage, says the collection is important both to the Mennonite community and to local and international settlement history researchers.
"The archives contain a large volume of artifacts dating as early as the 16th century, including genealogical and personal records, as well as photographs and other art work documenting local Mennonite life," he explains. "The Government of Canada is proud to support projects aiming to provide quality history and heritage exhibits to students, residents and visitors."
Harder-Gissing says archives are meant to provide access to historical documents, not just preserve them. She believes the past is an important resources for the present and future, especially to Mennonites.
"The local community is very important [to Mennonites]. When you have [a conviction] that you participate in your congregation and contribute through institutions for the betterment of society, then you have to have a strong sense of your story, where you come from."
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