A water feature at the new Waterloo Region Museum will be known as the Mennonite Savings and Credit Union Living Waters thanks to a recent $25,000 donation from the financial organization.
Brent Zorgdrager, MSCU chief executive officer, said the museum reflects the history of the region and the MSCU was proud to be a supporter.
“Mennonites have been an important contributor and have had an impact throughout this region and we thought it made sense to be a part of the museum,” said Zorgdrager. “The rich heritage in this area and the Mennonite values and work ethic continue to positively impact the growth and development of the Waterloo Region.”
The MSCU was able to look at different sponsorship opportunities and it became quite obvious as staff looked at those opportunities that the water feature had a nice tie in to the credit union, both from the environmental aspect, where the rainwater will be trapped and used, and from a religious perspective, he explained.
“Water from a religious context, a Christian context, has a lot of symbolism in the bible so there were a few reasons why that particular feature resonated with us as staff of the credit union.”
The museum incorporates recycled building materials including reclaimed wood from the Waterloo Region and other locally sourced and manufactured materials. Many design features including the rainwater reclamation are a part of the environmentally friendly design, said Tom Reitz, the museum’s manager/curator.
The pond at the front of the museum is capable of storing up to 150,000 litres of water. During the eight months of the year when the number of museum visitors is at its peak and rainwater most plentiful, the water will be used for flushing urinals and toilets in the museum.
“The water feature contributes to the sustainability of the environment,” said Zorgdrager. “The reclaimed rainwater will significantly reduce grey water consumption in the museum building. Supporting the museum’s approach to sustainability is a perfect fit with one of our core values, responsible stewardship.”
The donation by the MSCU is part of the Waterloo Region Museum Capital Campaign, which has already raised close to $600,000 in donations, in addition to a $2 million grant received in 2008 from the federal Cultural Spaces Canada Fund.
The Waterloo Region Museum is a non-profit museum owned and operated by the Region of Waterloo. The museum building is currently open and acts as the gateway to Doon Heritage Village.
Museum exhibits are currently being created and will open in the fall of 2011.
