Thousands of Mennonites Are Leaving Their Canadian Communities — Here’s Why

0:00 The farm auction north of Elmira 1:49 The outdated picture of Mennonites 2:54 Mennonite migration and rising farmland prices 7:37 The move to Northern Ontario 10:01 Farms returning in the Ottawa Valley 12:12 When Mennonites left Canada before 13:38 A planned strategy for moving together 15:24 Waterloo County becomes the starting point I follow one farm auction north of Elmira to uncover why old-order Mennonite families are leaving land their communities have held for generations. I explain how rising farmland prices, suburban expansion, large families, and the need to live near a church community are reshaping Mennonite life in Waterloo County and southern Ontario. I also trace the move north to places around Lake Huron, Northern Ontario, and the Ottawa Valley. I look at the history behind Mennonite migration, the communities being rebuilt on cheaper farmland, and the deliberate strategy families now use to move together. The result is a story about land, faith, farming, and why Waterloo County is becoming a starting point instead of a destination.