April 22nd, 2025

Warman Mennonite Church Building Upgrades

Warman Mennonite Church’s 40-year partnership with a playschool operating in its building prompted a lighting upgrade in its basement.

The new LED lamps address the comfort needs of children who are sensitive to the flicker of fluorescent lights. They also installed new basement windows two years ago to provide a more comfortable space for the children.

The Saskatchewan congregation, with about 25 attendees on a typical Sunday, offers its building to the playschool as “a service to the community,” said Ron Harms, congregational chair. Over the years, the playschool has expanded its operation from four to five days a week, and runs a day camp for special needs children in summer.

Growing maintenance needs of the congregation’s 46-year-old building presented opportunities to make upgrades that come with additional benefits. Old, south facing window frames were rotting and no longer keeping out cold winter drafts. With $3,000 worth of help from Mennonite Church Canada’s Emissions Reductions Grant (ERG), they replaced those windows with new, more efficient triple-pane units.

With door and north-facing window upgrades, they anticipate up to 50% less natural gas consumption, with a corresponding reduction in carbon emissions.

Ron and his wife Rosella grew up in families that prized growing and preserving garden produce for enjoyment during the long and dark winter months. Both of their mothers canned chickens.

The couple, already eligible for retirement some years ago, continue to work because they enjoy their jobs.

Ron operates a body shop, and helps repair older cars for customers who prefer to keep them on the road rather than buying new replacements. For him, keeping cars roadworthy and out of landfills and car shredders is an ecological mission.

Rosella’s parents were instrumental in starting the congregation in 1964. The dedicated church volunteers passed on their values to Rosella. “Wherever my parents could help, they did. And we’ve carried that on,” she said.

Rosella, an insurance broker, said environmental concerns are frequent conversation topics among the women of Warman Mennonite Church. They now use cold water and eco-friendly soap for their laundry, and explore other ways to conserve energy at home.

The ERG money, plus some additional fund-raising dinners, helped the 60-year-old congregation pay for the window upgrades without borrowing money.

“We appreciate the grant money we did get. It definitely eased it up for us. We were pretty happy to get that,” said Ron.

Image: Warman built its church in 1979, mostly from volunteer labour.