Steinbach Tractor Trek 2014

Mennonite Heritage Village was the host location for the 2014 Steinbach Tractor Trek on Saturday June 14th.  The number of participants increased to 53 participating tractors, up from 40 last year.  The drive began with a generous dump of rain which led many to think this might be a repeat of two years previous.  A few miles into the ride the rain let up and the enjoyment of the drive increased dramatically.

The route took the drivers north of Steinbach to Blumenort then west to Landmark for lunch served by the Kinsmen.  From there the drivers headed south to Randolph; which incidentally was originally named Chortitz but due to postal service confusion with the village near Winkler by the same name, was renamed.  Back in 1937 a couple of Neufeld brothers began to service vehicle in Randolph and then eventually became Oliver dealers and Cockshutt dealers and then eventually adding the Nash automobile line to their offerings.  Since closing in 2008 a number of the Oliver tractors were re-acquired and have now become part of the display at Neufeld’s Garage where the old shop is now doing duty as a place to hold special events.

After the visit there, the parade headed back to Mennonite Heritage Village for supper, some entertainment and prizes.

The purpose of the Tractor Trek is a shared effort as a fund-raising event for both Mennonite Heritage Village and Eden Foundation and over $32,000 was raised as a result of contributions made to Trekkers for this event.  The Village will benefit from the event by being able to pay for the continuing up-keep of the facility and the artifacts that are a reflection of the Mennonite heritage in southern Manitoba.  Eden will benefit from the effort by being able to offer mental health services in those areas where the hopes and dreams of the mental health service community is greater than the annual budget can accommodate.  This year the most visible evidence in Steinbach of community participation will be the refurbishment to the exterior of Wilson Courts.

Eden Foundation and Mennonite Heritage Village are both thankful for the generous participation of those who committed themselves financially.

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Eden Health Care Services CEO Riding To Portage To Meet Up With Clara Hughes Big Ride

Written by Chris Sumner on Wednesday, Friday, 13 June 2014 for PembinaValleyOnline.

Left to right: Peter Loewen, and Eden Health Care Services' James Friesen just prior to leaving Morden Friday morning

Eden Health Care Services CEO James Friesen is riding from Morden to Portage la Prairie today to meet up with the Clara Hughes Big Ride. The Olympian has been bicycling coast to coast to raise awareness about the importance of mental health and well being, something she's publicly admitted to dealing with. Clara's Big Ride began March 14th, and will visit communities in every province and territory before concluding in Ottawa Canada Day.

Friesen's hope is to connect with Hughes, and bring Eden's rural mental health message to her event.

"A lot of mental issues, the stuff you see in the media, kind of has an urban spin on it," notes Friesen. "I think part of our message, as a rural based mental health provider, is we have these same issues rurally, they look a little different perhaps, but the issues are the same, and it's important people across Canada realize that."

Friesen says someone as high profile as Clara Hughes admitting to dealing with mental health issues is a very important part of breaking down the stigma some people still have regarding mental health.

"She could continue to hide the issue because she's got this visible presence in this country, so why bring this sort of negative piece forward," explains Friesen. "I think what it does is it tells a more full story about who are as human beings. In spite of huge accomplishments, some of us, like Clara for example, have had to climb pretty high mountains to get over the challenges of getting to the top of the podium."

He adds having Clara come out of the shadows is an important message to all Canadians, especially young people. "As kids or adults, to have a hero that is courageous about who she is as a full human being is a fantastic story, so kudos to her and others that are coming out of the shadows and talking about mental illness this way."

Friesen expects the more than 100 kilometer ride, which he is doing with fellow bicycler and friend Peter Loewen, will take around four hours to complete.

This article originally appeared on PembinaValleyOnline.com with audio from James Friesen.