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Mennonites Immigrated to Ontario
In 1786, the Mennonite community left Pennsylvania, crossed the Niagara River, and settled in Southern Ontario, in places such as Markham and York Region. They started to immigrate to Canada due to the American Revolution, avoiding military service, as well as the free land Canada offers. -
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Immigration to Canada
During the time span of 1800-1900, even more Mennonites immigrated to Canada, coming from Central and Eastern Europe and the Ukraine. -
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Wideman Mennonite Church
The Wideman Mennonite Church is a church that is located in Markham, Ontario. The first church was built in 1816, which was a wooden log cabin church, but as the years progressed, another building was built, which is now known as the Mennonite Church of Markham. -
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Joseph Raymer
Joseph Raymer was an important preacher of New Mennonite churches in York Region. Joseph grew up on a farm, with parents John Raymer and Esther Raymer, who were both part of the Mennonite community and moved to Canada from Pennsylvania in the late 1700's. The Raymer family were members of the Wideman Mennonite Church in Markham. Joseph Raymer married Mary Wideman, a member of the wideman family, making the Wideman-Raymer family an important part of the Mennonite history of Markham. -
Mennonite Groups in Southern Ontario
As of 1998, there were more than 20 distinct Mennonite groups in Southern Ontario. An example of a group in Markham would be the Wideman Mennonite Church, founded by the Wideman family. -
Current Mennonite Community
Today there are almost 200,000 people who are a part of the Mennonite community in Canada, 50,000 being from Ontario, and a large population in York Region. There is a Mennonite Church in Markham, just off of Raymerville Street, which was named after by Joseph Raymer, a Mennonite preacher. The Markham and York Region area holds a lot of importance in the Mennonite Community and brings great historical significance to the country.