Students from Deerboine Colony stopped at the Minnedosa Bowling Lanes for some glow bowling on their way home from a farm safety day at Cool Spring Colony.
Deerboine Colony - 2017
Decade at Deerboine Hutterite Colony
2009 - Present
Deerboine Colony
Group 2, Schmiedeleut
Est. 1959
Population 68 (approx)
Mother Colony - Riverdale Colony
Deerboine Colony sits nestled between the Assiniboine River and the northern hills of the river valley, in the western prairies of Manitoba, Canada. A chance encounter with women in the colony garden while out exploring one day in early May 2009 began a long-term project photographing Deerboine Colony and eventually Schmiedeleut Hutterites more broadly. Over the past decade Deerboine has gone through the ups, downs and changes that face outside villages, towns, and cities. Members have left, some have returned. There have been marriages, baptisms, birth’s, funerals, celebrations and tragedies. Kids have grown up, smart phones have replaced cellphones, a carpentry shop burned to the ground, a new machine shop was built, farmland in the valley has flooded (multiple times) and life has carried on for the 68 (approximately) residents.
Elijah Wurtz with a young robin.
Deerboine Colony - 2021
Rebecca, Deborah, Dahlia and Lana, diene (low german for unmarried young women) from Deerboine Colony stand in a field of canola at sunset.
Deerboine Colony - 2010
Evening football scrimmage under a rising moon.
Deerboine Colony - 2021
Streaks of sunlight pour through a window as Tiffany Hofer checks on buns baking for Deerboine Colony's annual harvest sale.
Deerboine Colony - 2009
Laura Waldner in the Essenschul (kids dining room) mopping up after lunch.
Joel Wurtz races past his sister Nicole as she lies on a serving cart in the kitchen while their mother Katherina prepares the essenshul (eating school) for the colony children before lunch.
Deerboine Colony - 2010
Josh Wurtz, late to lunch after chores in the dairy barn, catches up with Chantel Hofer as she wipes down tables in the colony dining room. Hutterites have strict gender roles, with women tending to the cooking, cleaning and the garden, and men taking care of the farming and the businesses.
Deerboine Colony - 2010
Heidi Hofer marches through the snow towards the church as the sun sets in late February. In most colonies, tradition calls for the church to be at the centre of the community with the colony homes surrounding it.
Deerboine Colony - 2013
Irrigation equipment lies frozen in the garden flooded by spring water in late winter.
Deerboine Colony - 2018
Andre Wurtz uses frogs as bait while fishing from the banks of the Assiniboine River on a warm June evening.
Deerboine Colony - 2013
Young men from Deerboine Colony talk around the fire while fishing at a creek near their colony at dusk in spring.
Deerboine Colony - 2016
Tyler Wurtz poses for a photo with the biggest fish caught of the night, a channel catfish, while fishing with friends and family along the Assiniboine River.
Deerboine Colony - 2021
Aaron Wurtz in a moment of reflection while clay shooting over the Assiniboine River.
Angela Hofer plays guitar and sings along with Dahlia Wurtz during a sing-along at a home on Deerboine Colony. In addition to traditional hymns sung in their low-german dialect, a few country songs and other tunes were also sung.
Deerboine Colony - 2010
Junia Wurtz watches the movie The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants on a television at the colony school. An english teacher from off the colony brought in the movie for her to watch because she really enjoyed the book.
Deerboine Colony - 2010
Simeon Wurtz tries to corner a duck while helping with the slaughter. Children are taught to pull their weight on the colony at an early age.
Deerboine Colony - 2010
Ducks hung to be butchered.
Deerboine Colony - 2010
Jack Hofer sprints back to his truck to grab his knife after shooting a male bison to be butchered on the colony's bison range on a mild November day.
Deerboine Colony - 2018
Frost clings to coveralls drying on a clothesline.
Deerboine Colony - 2010
Portrait of Michelle Wurtz, oldest child of Tim and Katherina Wurtz, and fourteen at the time.
Deerboine Colony - 2013
Chantel Hofer wears bright pink DC brand sneakers with her homemade dress outside her family's home at Deerboine Colony. Although conformity is the ideal on Hutterite colonies, individuals, especially young women, look for subtle ways to express their individuality.
Deerboine Colony - 2013
Gideon Hofer amongst the beehives in the colony apiary.
Deerboine Colony - 2018
Colony Manager Mel Hofer after a day’s work butchering hogs, a cow and a bison is done. The animals are raised on the colony and the meat is used in a variety of meals.
Deerboine Colony - 2018
Deborah Hofer sews her baptism dress in the sewing room of her family's home at Deerboine Colony. The Hutterites believe in adult baptism with each candidate choosing when they are ready. It as seen as the most important step in a Hutterite's life and signifies the candidate's acceptance to carry on the Hutterite faith and traditions.
Deerboine Colony - 2011
Deerboine Colony Minister Tom Hofer lectures his two youngest children, Tommy and Deborah, in their home prior to their baptism. The Hutterites believe in adult baptism with each candidate choosing when they are ready. It as seen as the most important step in a Hutterite's life.
Deerboine Colony - 2011
Portrait of Ryan Wurtz during baptism weekend. Ryan was one of five young adults from Deerboine Colony that chose to be baptized. Baptism affirms the candidates wish to uphold Hutterite traditions and values and greater responsibility is given to baptized members of the colony. They are expected to guide the next generation and be an example.
Deerboine Colony - 2018
Minister Tom Hofer sits at his desk shortly before heading to the church to deliver a mass during baptism weekend in April.
Deerboine Colony - 2011
A song book and cough drops sit on a pew in the colony church.
Deerboine Colony - 2015
Tommy Hofer arm-wrestles a young woman from a neighbouring farm as some of Deerboine Colony's young people unwind after the yearly fall harvest sale. Events at colonies such as baptisms, weddings and helping with farm work allow young members to socialize and meet members of the opposite sex from outside their colony.
Deerboine Colony - 2010
Angela Hofer donates blood at the Canadian Blood Services clinic in the Town Centre in Brandon, Manitoba. Although Hutterites can sometimes have a bad reputation among wary farmers and city-dwellers who are suspicious of their closed society, they are typically very eager to help their neighbours in mainstream society, donating blood in droves, sandbagging properties during floods, and donating food and other items to various charity drives.
Deerboine Colony - 2010
With a flower in her hair and braces on her teeth, Dahlia Wurtz smiles while working outside the greenhouse.
Deerboine Colony - 2010
Chantel Hofer and Angela Hofer are bathed in the glow of the fire as they sit in the cab of a truck watching the colony wood shop burn to the ground. The fire started in the middle of the night and despite help from nearby rural fire departments, the wood shop could not be saved.
Deerboine Colony - 2010
Chantel Hofer takes a photo of the burning remains of the wood shop alongside her sister Kristiane.
Deerboine Colony - 2010
Young women from Deerboine Colony socialize on a hill overlooking the Assiniboine River valley where their colony is situated as the light fades on a warm July evening.
Deerboine Colony - 2013
Colony members pile into Mike and Grace's living room during the farewell party for Deborah the night before she leaves to marry into Forest River Colony.
Deerboine Hutterite Colony - 2013
Family and friends laugh as bride and groom Deborah Hofer and Derek Maendel are pressured into a kiss during the farewell party for the bride at Deerboine Colony. In Hutterite society the bride always marries to the groom's colony.
Deerboine Colony - 2013
Deborah Hofer says a tearful goodbye to colony members as her fiancé Derek Maendel carries some of her belongings to a U-Haul before making the journey from Manitoba to North Dakota to marry into Forest River Colony. Leaving the only home they've ever known to move to a new colony can prove difficult or scary at first for many Hutterite women despite the joy of the upcoming marriage.
Deerboine Colony - 2013
Chantel Hofer poses for a portrait in her wedding dress, two days before her wedding. Hofer, from Deerboine Colony, married to Fairway Colony.
Deerboine Colony - 2018
Dorothy Hofer from Holmfield Colony sings hymn's for her sister-in-law Ruth, who has dementia, in Ruth's home.
Deerboine Colony - 2016
John Waldner tucks his wife Ruth into bed for an afternoon nap in late October. On the wall behind them is a composite photo of each of them before they were married.
Deerboine Colony - 2013
Isabel Hofer and Kaitlyn Wurtz rest on a school bus while heading home after a school field trip to Winnipeg.
Deerboine Colony - 2015
Junia Wurtz watches as Terena Hofer swings high in the air on a swing set at Deerboine Colony on a July evening. Children spend a large portion of their days playing outside on the colony when they don't have school or chores.
Deerboine Colony - 2010
Heidi Hofer broke her arm leaping off a swing on the colony. Friends signed her cast.
Deerboine Colony - 2015
Alivia Wurtz broke her leg while sledding with friends when she crashed into a fence post.
Deerboine Colony - 2019
Michelle Wurtz tugs on the suspenders of her younger brother Simeon while having an after-school snack.
Deerboine Colony - 2010
Leftovers from afternoon lunch at Tom and Barbara Hofer's home.
Deerboine Colony - 2017
Morning coffee at Tilly Wurtz's home. Sam Wurtz and Aurthur Wurtz both read the local newspaper while Chantel Hofer shows her mother Anne Marie something on her phone. Almost religiously, the Schmiedeleut Hutterites stop whatever they're doing for coffee twice a day, once in the morning and once in the afternoon.
Deerboine Colony - 2017
Joel Wurtz wipes his eye on his mother Katherina's dress after getting something in it while joining his father and other Deerboine Colony men in the field for a field supper in late May.
Deerboine Colony - 2013
Tyler Wurtz says evening prayers with his father Michael before bed.
Deerboine Colony - 2012
Isabel and Simeon chicken-fight atop Bethany and Junia while playing in the colony swimming hole on a hot July evening. Wearing store-bought bathing suits and t-shirts they could be easily mistaken for everyday kids from mainstream society.
Deerboine Colony - 2010
Cooling off on a hot day at the swimming hole.
Deerboine Colony - 2015
Saphira Hofer and Nicole Wurtz look after some of the younger children on the colony while their mothers work in August.
Deerboine Colony - 2015
Head cook Tilly Wurtz sits on her front steps enjoying the sunshine as her laundry blows in the wind outside her home on the colony.
Deerboine Colony - 2015
Angela Hofer of Deerboine Colony and Jacob Maendel of Treesbank Colony laugh while having engagement photos taken near Brandon, Manitoba. In Hutterite society the woman always marries to the man's colony.
Deerboine Colony - 2011
Rachel Hofer of Deerboine Colony takes the oath of Canadian citizenship amongst 149 other new Canadian citizens gaining citizenship during a special ceremony at the Manitoba Summer Fair in Brandon, Manitoba. Hofer married to Deerboine Colony from a colony in South Dakota.
Deerboine Colony - 2017
Chantel Hofer.
Deerboine Colony - 2015
Tyler Wurtz in the colony garden during the pumpkin and squash harvest.
Deerboine Colony - 2017
Stopping for a watermelon break in the garden on a warm August evening.
Deerboine Colony - 2018
Laura Waldner with flowers from the greenhouse in her hair.
Deerboine Colony - 2013
Rollerblading outside the Minister's home in early fall.
Deerboine Colony - 2010
Kids play on a trampoline after dusk.
Deerboine Colony - 2021
Kira Wurtz hides in the folds of her mother Mary’s dress as Mary rakes in the yard.
Deerboine Colony - 2018
Katherina Wurtz organizes flowers at a grave during fall cleaning in the colony cemetery.
Deerboine Colony - 2017
The white board in the kitchen on Valentine's day.
Deerboine Colony - 2011
Dora takes down laundry from the line outsider her home.
Deerboine Colony - 2017
Carpenters Jonathan Hofer and Arthur Wurtz install new aluminum sheets on a colony home on a sunny July day.
Deerboine Colony - 2010
Jonathan Hofer runs the egg laying chicken operation at Deerboine Colony and serves as the german school teacher. The german school teacher is responsible for the children's spiritual education as well as the teachings of Hutterite history.
Deerboine Colony - 2015
Ryan Wurtz immediately after butchering broiler chickens, a messy job that takes the majority of the able-bodied colony members working together like an assembly line.
Deerboine Colony - 2015
Ryan Wurtz works to pull a calf from its mother during an assisted birth in the middle of calving season.
Deerboine Colony - 2018
Ben Hofer holds a calf during calving season at the colony.
Deerboine Colony - 2018
Ryan Wurtz opens a beer on a cattle gate while vaccinating cows and calves.
Head gardener Lissa Wurtz in the colony greenhouse.
Deerboine Colony - 2017
Katherina Wurtz
Deerboine Colony - 2017
Michael and Dora in their home.
Deerboine Colony - 2012
Picking clover with help from friends from Pine Creek Colony.
Deerboine Colony - 2021
Leane Wurtz picks corn in the colony garden.
Deerboine Colony - 2017
Kaitlyn, Terena and Junia move freshly picked corn from the garden to the kitchen.
Deerboine Colony - 2017
Young people load straw bales onto a flat bed in a field of recently harvested wheat.
Lukas Hofer walks on his hands atop a flatbed during a pause while loading straw bales with other young people from Deerboine Colony on a hot afternoon.
Bethany Hofer in the colony garden after planting cucumbers in the rain.
Deerboine Colony - 2019