Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- 1974-1991 (Creation)
Level of description
Fonds
Extent and medium
0.5 meters of textual records
4 photographs
Context area
Name of creator
Administrative history
The Mennonite Urban Renewal Program (MURP) traces its origins back to 1981 when it was organized according to the vision set forth by a fellowship group at the River East Mennonite Brethren Church. The program was designed to provide low-income people in Winnipeg's core area with affordable and dependable housing., Cal Wiebe and Willy Guenther were hired to implement this program, providing pastoral and counselling services as well as other forms of assistance to the tenants of buildings operated by MURP.
MURP's first building was acquired at 277 Atlantic Avenue in May, 1981, financed by member donations and low interest loans. Further properties were purchased in December 1983 at 641/645 Westminster Avenue and at 768 and 774 Toronto Street. The organization was formalized in 1983 with the support of the Mennonite Brethren Board of Missions and Church Extensions, Native Ministries of the Conference of Mennonites in Canada, and the Winnipeg Core Area Initiative. Jake M. Unrau served as president of the provisional Board of Directors in 1981, and was elected chair of the board in 1982. Other chairs were Peter J. Kroeker (1985-1986) and David Dyck (1987-1988). Gerald Brown acted as full-time manager of the apartment blocks from 1983 until July, 1987.
The program encountered serious financial difficulties, which led to the selling of the Atlantic property in 1987 followed by the Westminster block in February, 1988. The decision to dissolve the corporation was made at a special annual meeting in November, 1988, where the board recommended that MURP's remaining properties be sold and the assets transferred to the Mennonite Foundation of Canada for investment. Interest earned by these monies was to be used by the Mennonite Central Committee (Manitoba) to finance new proposals with similar aims in Winnipeg's inner city.
Repository
Archival history
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
Edd Funk
Content and structure area
Scope and content
This fonds consists of seven series:
-1) Minutes, 1980-1989
-2) Financial ledgers, 1981-1987
-3) Financial files, 1981-1991
-4) Correspondence, 1981-1990
-5) MURP properties and their administration, 1974-1988
-6) MURP-tenant relations, 1983-1987
-7) MURP objectives and operation, 1977-1989.
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
Accruals
System of arrangement
Conditions of access and use area
Conditions governing access
Conditions governing reproduction
Language of material
Script of material
Language and script notes
Physical characteristics and technical requirements
Finding aids
Series description and inventory file list available (Volumes 4544, 4545)
Allied materials area
Existence and location of originals
Existence and location of copies
Related units of description
Notes area
Alternative identifier(s)
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Description control area
Description identifier
Institution identifier
Rules and/or conventions used
Status
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Dates of creation revision deletion
Arranged and described by Stephanie Heidenreich, June 1997. Reviewed and updated by Alf Redekopp, Oct. 2006.