Link to:
Principals | Vice-Principals | Teachers | Photos & Coordinates | Sources
Known as the Gretna Normal School when it opened in Gretna in 1889, its curriculum was designed to train teachers for primary and secondary schools in the Mennonite areas of southern Manitoba. In addition, many people attended the school for upgrading or high school studies. Later, it became the Mennonite Collegiate Institute, as it is known today. A new MCI facility was opened officially on 27 February 1947.
Period
Principal
1889-1891
Wilhelm Rempel (1846-1931)
1891-1934
Heinrich H. “Henry” Ewert (1855-1934)
1934-1948
Gerhard H. Peters
1948-1967
Paul Jacob Schaefer (c1899-1969)
1967-1976
Gerhard Ens (1922-2011)
1976-1985
Ken Loewen
1985-?
Allan Dueck
Among the other teachers of the Mennonite Collegiate Institute were J. H. Giesbrecht (1936-1937), I. I. Friesen (1936-1937), Peter Brown (?-?), Paul Jakob Schaefer (1948-1967), and Jacob Derk Siemens.
Mennonite Collegiate Institute (no date)
Source: Black & Gold, Gretna School, 1937. [Legislative Library of Manitoba, F5649.G74 Gre]
Mennonite Collegiate Institute (November 2019)
Source: Rose KuzinaSite Coordinates (lat/long): N49.00963, W97.56537
denoted by symbol on the map above
See also:
Historic Sites of Manitoba: Gretna School No. 336 / Gretna Peace Bell (Gretna, Municipality of Rhineland)
Black & Gold, Gretna School, 1937. [Legislative Library of Manitoba, F5649.G74 Gre]
“New Mennonite Collegiate opened,” Winnipeg Tribune, 27 February 1947, page 9.
“Die Schule Muss Sein,” A History of the Mennonite Collegiate Institute by Gerhard J. Ens, Gretna: Mennonite Collegiate Institute, 1990.
We thank Sandra Janzen, Nathan Kramer, and Rose Kuzina for providing additional information used here.
This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 23 March 2024
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