Fort Vermilion, Alberta, a village and trading post located about 411 miles (661 km) northwest of Edmonton. In 1934 a few families of Old Colony Mennonites moved from Saskatchewan to this location in search of new colonization opportunities, and in 1937 they were followed by settlers from Mexico. In 1954 the Old Colony Mennonites in the vicinity numbered about 814 souls, one third of whom were dissatisfied colonists from Mexico. Their neighbors were few and were mostly Indians and Métis. There were three meetinghouses: Rosenfeld, Blumenort, and Rhineland. The bishop in charge was William Wiebe. Although the growing season is extremely short and equipment is very limited, farming has been the chief means of livelihood. The settlement is extremely isolated from the main stream of society, and the inhabitants hold very tenaciously to the customs of the fathers.

See also Peace River (Alberta, Canada) Old Colony Mennonite Settlement

Bibliography

Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, and Waterloo, Ontario, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 2, p. 356. All rights reserved. For information on ordering the encyclopedia visit the Herald Press website.

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