Truth and Reconciliation Working Group
Within the broader biblical calling to “love our neighbours,” the Truth and Reconciliation Working Group of Erb Street Mennonite Church has a two-fold purpose:
- To initiate actions—within the congregation and in the wider community—that advocate for and support the implementation of the Calls to Action from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Final Report (June 2015).
- To share information with the congregation about the historical injustices and the ongoing calls for justice made by Indigenous Peoples in Canada — and locally the Haudenosaunee, Chonnonton and Anishinaabeg Peoples, who were promised the land extending ten kilometers (six miles) on each side of the Grand River, land on which the church is located and many congregants reside.
Strawberry Thanksgiving & Communion
Erb Street Mennonite has been represented at the Strawberry Thanksgiving and Communion held on the Six Nations of the Grand River reserve at Six Nations Polytechnic in Ohsweken. In June 2026, 28 people from ESMC were present for the presentation of a donation on behalf of the congregation from the Solar Panel Fund to the Polytechnic in support of the Indigenous education program at the Polytechnic. This gift, received by the President. represents the congregation's intention of entering into a Spiritual Covenant with our Indigenous Neighbours, a step toward mutual respect, reconciliation and financial repair which a number of other faith communities have already taken.
Fall Retreat
In September 2025, 38 congregants gathered at Huron Natural Area in Kitchener for a day that provided a meaningful blend of recreation, education and fellowship, enriching our understanding of both the natural environment and the cultural history of the region.
The morning was spent exploring trails and building community, followed by lunch, games and fellowship. In the afternoon, educator Rebecca Seiling of Nature Connect introduced the area's rich history, archeological evidence of Indigenous settlement dating back hundreds of years. The historical walk ended at Muskrat Bay, where Metis facilitator Angie Coture led a peaceful time of reflection, storytelling and cultural learning.
Territorial Acknowledgement
We acknowledge that Erb Street Mennonite Church meets on the traditional territory of the Neutral, Anishnaabeg, and Haudenosaunee peoples who continue to have an unresolved interest in the lands within six miles of the Grand River. This area is known as the Haldimand Tract, land promised to the Six Nations that includes our church building at 131 Erb Street West, our cemetery at 407 Erb Street West, and land we lease to Shalom Counselling at 9 Avondale Avenue South. We continue to work and pray for justice and reconciliation.
The Haldimand Tract
Originally promised to the Indigenous peoples of the Six Nations, the northern half of the Haldimand Tract was eventually divided into numbered blocks, with Block Two named Waterloo Township in 1816. Waterloo Township became part of Waterloo County when the county was established in 1853. Today, the original Block Two is within the Regional Municipality of Waterloo (since 1973). The former footprint of Block Two is now occupied by Kitchener, Waterloo, part of Cambridge, and part of Woolwich Township.
1784 Haldimand Tract
Waterloo Region
