Canada Amish

Not a lot of information to this article, but I think it’s worth passing along anyway. According to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, two Amish families from Ontario recently spent time searching for a new home on Canada’s Prince Edward Island: Anthony Wallbank is a friend of several members of Ontario’s Amish community, and drove some […]

Continue Reading Amish Scout Land on Prince Edward Island

On a recent “Name that Amish community” post, the question came up of Amish living in British Columbia, Canada. In fact, no Amish live in British Columbia, though other Anabaptist peoples, including Old Colony Mennonites and Vietnamese Mennonites, live in the province (see Concise Encyclopedia of Amish, Brethren, Hutterites, and Mennonites).  Today, Amish in Canada […]

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Ira Wagler grew up Amish in Canada and Iowa.  He has written a memoir called Growing Up Amish.  It’s not out until July, but I enjoyed reading the first two chapters, which Ira has shared on his website.  In the excerpt below, he describes Amish visitors to his childhood community of Aylmer in Ontario: They […]

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Plain publications help Amish maintain ties and promote Old Order Christian values Amish produce a number of newspapers, books, and other publications.  Following is ordering information for three Amish resources: Family Life-a general-interest magazine from Pathway Publishers in Ontario The Budget-Sugarcreek, Ohio newspaper which covers both local news, and produces a “national edition” with letters […]

Continue Reading Family Life, The Budget, and Raber’s Bookstore- addresses and ordering info

A reader in Canada has shared some photos and background on the small settlement located near the village of Springford in Ontario. The community consists of 4 church districts and was founded in 1954.  It is apparently quite conservative, using outhouses and open-front buggies and oil lamps for lighting, and blankets used to keep warm […]

Continue Reading Springford, Ontario Amish settlement

Hello everyone, hope you are enjoying the post-Xmas, pre-New Year period as I am. A few items of interest: An 80-strong Amish furniture wholesaler’s association is opening a showroom in Shipshewana, Indiana, further evidence suggesting increased small-business activity in the 3rd-largest Amish settlement. “We’re trying to take it to the next level,” says an Amishman […]

Continue Reading Post-Xmas Amish links

I like to check in at Ira Wagler’s blog from time to time.  Always nice writing.  Ira grew up Amish in Canada and Iowa, and thus can offer a viewpoint that non-Amish people, like yours truly, cannot. In a recent post, Ira shares his personal take on Rumspringa.  He comes out against some popular perceptions […]

Continue Reading Ira Wagler, running around

Ira Wagler, who grew up Amish in Aylmer, Ontario, explains in a humorous and informative post the ins and outs of Sunday singing in Amish church. An excerpt about tthe second song sung at all Amish church services: Years ago, before my time, in Aylmer, a stranger attended church one Sunday. At Nicky Stoltzfus, the […]

Continue Reading A humorous look at Amish church singing

Amish folks, like the rest of us, enjoy hearing the odd bit of trivia or unusual fact.  Hence, three tidbits of Amish trivia, taken from Brad Igou’s compilation The Amish in their Own Words: 1.   Quilts. The Amish are well known for their proficiency in the quilting realm.  Some of their pieces fetch upwards of […]

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The Amish settlement at Piketon, Ohio was an odd one to begin with. A few things made the Amish who settled here in 1949 different from most. One was their evangelistic emphasis.  Amish traditionally do not try to convert others.  Piketon, Ohio was begun by a minister sympathetic to the idea of spreading Amish beliefs. […]

Continue Reading Settlements that failed: The Amish (don’t) go nuclear