Winter 2025
25th Anniversary Issue
This Century Has 25 Years
On an unseasonably warm fall evening, the annual J.J. Thiessen Lecture series at CMU was underway.
President's Message
This year we celebrate the story of Canadian Mennonite University at its 25-year cadence. This is a worthy breathing place—a time to say thank you, tell stories, reckon with the times, and attune ourselves to gifts in much vaster spans.
CMU Announces Free Residence for All First-Year Students Starting Fall 2026
Canadian Mennonite University is thrilled to announce a bold new initiative that brings free dormitory housing to all first-year undergraduate students, beginning in Fall 2026.
Seven callings from CMU25
Rev. Vince Solomon, CMU Elder in Residence: "Though many things have changed, CMU continues to embody the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. It is not afraid to call itself a Christian university in the Anabaptist faith tradition. As an Anglican priest I love giving blessings."
Story Highlights
CMU25 Celebration
With joy we honour the 25-year story of a remarkable learning community and thousands of alumni whose lives call us forward." These words written by CMU President Dr. Cheryl Pauls welcomed people into the celebration of CMU's 25th anniversary on September 19.
CMU welcomes new faculty to start 2025/26 academic year
CMU enters a new academic year with both excitement and gratitude, welcoming five new faculty members whose expertise spans music, biology, social work, psychology, and chemistry.
CMU psychology professor awarded grant for dementia research
Heather Campbell-Enns, PhD, has received a $200,000 grant co-funded by the Alzheimer Society of Canada and Research Manitoba for her work in dementia research.
More from This Issue
Rigour, curiosity, and the arts: A CMU story of leadership
CMU was a place of transition, community, and discovery for Evan Klassen, Executive Director of the Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre (MTC).
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From peacebuilding to conservation: A CMU alum’s journey of justice, community, and care for creation
Aaron Janzen knows being an environmentalist is as much about working with people as it is with the land.
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Through the lens: How CMU helped an Indigenous storyteller find her voice
Gindalee Ouskun points to the great paradox in her life—she is shy and introverted, yet her work is public-facing and relational.
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From martyrology to herpetology: A CMU alum's global journey of curiosity, community, and conservation
A few days after graduating from CMU in 2025, Tai Linklater was in an airplane on the way to the Netherlands. The 23-year-old from Altona, MB travelled an ocean away from CMU, and yet it was present in almost every adventure of their two-week trip, a microcosm of their university experience: curiosity and community..
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Relational learning, lasting impact: Carrying the spirit of CMU into education
Heather Schellenberg was thrilled when she found out about CMU's new education degree program. As a teacher herself, she's excited about how this will allow CMU to send even more thoughtful, well-equipped grads out into the world to nurture the next generation.
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CMU taught alum how to think "inside out and upside down"
The current Dean of Graduate Studies at the University of Winnipeg came to CMU from Providence University College, by way of the University of Manitoba, where he initially planned to become a dentist.
Read More![Andrew Klassen Brown (CMU '16, '21): "[CMU] enabled me to explore my faith, deconstruct and blow up whatever preconceived ideas that I had. CMU encouraged me to think about things intellectually, theologically..."](https://www.cmu.ca/phpthumb/phpThumb.php?src=/uploaded/Andrew_KB_photo_1140.png&w=990&h=660&aoe=0&q=100&zc=1&f=.jpg "Andrew Klassen Brown (CMU '16, '21): \"[CMU] enabled me to explore my faith, deconstruct and blow up whatever preconceived ideas that I had. CMU encouraged me to think about things intellectually, theologically...\"")
From basketball star to keeper of stories: CMU alum brings Mennonite history to life
Andrew Klassen Brown makes working in archives sound as exciting as an experimental jet test pilot.
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CMU faculty awarded King Charles III’s Coronation Medal
Dr. Stephanie Stobbe, Associate Professor and Chair of Conflict Resolution Studies at Canadian Mennonite University, has been awarded the King Charles III's Coronation Medal for her work on the Hearts of Freedom: Stories of Southeast Asian Refugees exhibition..
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CMU professor selected for major financial literacy research advisory group
Jerry Buckland, PhD, CMU Professor of Economics and International Development Studies, was recently selected to be a member of the International Network on Financial Education (INFE), a leading institution in the field of financial literacy and education.
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Winter 2025 Issue
The Blazer is a publication of Canadian Mennonite University.
Editor: Kevin Kilbrei
Managing Editor: Myles Tiessen
Writers: Nicolien Klassen-Wiebe, Myles Tiessen
Design: Craig Terlson
Photography: Craig Terlson, Darryl Neustaedter Barg, Paul Little
Archival Photos: Centre for Mennonite Brethren Studies, Mennonite Heritage Archives
Contributors: Dr. Brian Froese, Dr. Cheryl Pauls, Sandy Koop-Harder, Pam Lotun
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