Yarrow, British Columbia: Mennonite Promise

Years of meticulous organization, research and writing by numerous authors finally came together in two volumes about the first Mennonite settlement in British Columbia: Before We were the Land’s and Village of Unsettled Yearnings. The long awaited companion book set was feted at enthusiastic book launches in Clearbrook, Yarrow and Chilliwack in the second week of December. These were well attended and, in fact, the book launch in Yarrow took the form of a village reunion as many former and present residents came together to celebrate and visit.

The purpose of the book was not to list and describe all former inhabitants, but to paint a broader picture of a place, a people and a culture in a time of change. Lora Sawatsky explains: “The overall theme is the tension between the Mennonite promise to recreate a Russian village utopia set apart from the culture at large, and the reality of rapid integration and assimilation.” Combining traditional historical research with memoirs and personal essays (in fact, one half of the second book is from journals and memoirs), the book provides a mosaic, which, seen as a whole, gives the reader a truthful image of pioneer life in the Mennonite settlements of British Columbia.

The first book, Before We Were the Land’s, is chiefly about settlement. It begins with a helpful chronological table spanning the years from 1862–1976. Acknowledging the presence and contribution of aboriginal people and existing white settlers, the book profiles the early pioneers before the Mennonites began to arrive in 1928. Stories of these early Mennonite settlers are also told: how and why they came; their struggles and triumphs on land between mountain and river that was subject to flooding, but whose fertile soil yielded a vulnerable prosperity for a time, when they became the land’s. We learn of medical care and midwifery, burial rites, the establishment of churches and schools; and the relentless work of dairies, hopyards, kitchen gardens, and the berry fields.

The second volume provides a narrative of settlement and cultural development in the early years. Part One: “A Cultural Mural of Yarrow”, is a series of stories told by various authors, many of whom grew up there. They tell of cooperative ventures, caring and sharing, dedication to the group as a whole; and strong community spirit with the churches as focal points. Coming to the surface also are stories of conflict, pride and shame. “Consensus and dissent; persistence and rapid change; tensions and assimilation” (says the publisher’s description) of the settlers, is a common theme. The generation educated in Canada was eager to embrace the Canadian culture and language, and was not absorbed into the Russian ethos of villages set apart.

Part Two of volume two is entitled A Gallery of Sketches and Tributes, and it is just that, drawn from the descendants of various pioneer families. Memories of a way of life that has ended are intertwined with webs of relationships which sustained a struggling community. The stories are selective, but paint a picture big enough that surely, everyone who grew up in Yarrow can find themselves.

This book is important to all British Columbians and especially to those who grew up in one of the numerous Mennonite villages of the Fraser Valley, before integration changed them forever. For the book not only brings back myriad memories of the past, but also interprets experiences and puts them into a much broader perspective. Those who cannot go home again, save in memory, owe Neufeldt, Sawatsky and Martens a huge Dankeschoen (thanks) for all their hard work.

The books are available at local Fraser Valley venues, including the Mennonite Historical Archives in Abbotsford, as well as at Mennonite Books, Winnipeg.