Gary Garrison has written a book about the history of the Edmonton Mennonite Centre for Newcomers. Entitled Strangers No More, the book celebrates the agency’s Mennonite origins and its over 40 years of operation before it was renamed the Edmonton Newcomer Centre in 2023. The name change occurred because the board and employees now include people of various ethnic origins in addition to members of the three Mennonite churches involved at the outset.

The book could have been a compilation of statistics and dates, of interest primarily to those involved. But Garrison, an accomplished writer, has given the book colour and drama, through stories such as the one about the Centre’s $22,220 1981 budget. (The 2025 budget was over $22 million.) The board didn’t actually have the total amount but balanced it by including a line for “Other Income $6,618.50” - money they hoped to raise later.

In the Author’s Note, Garrison says, “Rather than attempt to include every person involved, every program, and every event - there are oh, so many - the book dramatizes the spirit of the EMCN's work at defining moments in its history.” This engaging story describes how Edmonton (and Alberta) became the functioning multicultural place it is today, beginning with a large influx of approximately 60,000 immigrants from Southeast Asia following the Vietnam War. 

In the foreword, Senator Paula Simons writes, “We need the lessons the Centre has been busy teaching Edmonton for decades: lessons about how to build an inclusive, loving, diverse community where everyone is accepted and respected, both for who they have been and for who they can become.”

Garrison’s style is evident in the first few sentences of the introduction: Mennonites punch way above their weight in Canada and around the world. But a boxing metaphor would be anathema to them. Nonviolence and pacifism are central principles of their faith. They would more likely use a Biblical comparison, like a tiny mustard seed that grows into a huge tree or a pinch of yeast that leavens a loaf of bread . . . a small number of Mennonites develop broad community connections and collaborate with people of all backgrounds to serve people in need.

Strangers No More is currently available on Amazon.

About Gary Garrison
Garrison, who was an active member of the McCauley community for a couple of decades, worked for the Mennonite Central Committee, coordinating a visiting program at a maximum security prison. This experience resulted in his book entitled Human on the Inside. Garrison co-authored McCauley Then and Now, a booklet about the history of McCauley, with Sara Coumantarakis, and he wrote the copy for smaller booklets about Church Street and Chinatown. Garrison is also a former board member of Boyle McCauley News, including as chair.

Anita Jenkins is a retired writer and editor who lives in Boyle Street.