WMS Builder Award and recipients announced for 2025

WINNIPEG, Manitoba—Winnipeg Mennonite School (WMS) is thrilled to announce this year's WMS Builder Award recipients, to be presented at the 2025 WMS Gala.

This year, WMS will honour Doug Pankratz and Jonathan Barg as the newest WMS Builder Award recipients. The WMS Builder Award, started in 2024, is presented to individuals who have made outstanding and significant contributions to our school throughout the years.

The WMS Board voted on the recipients in March after receiving several nominations from WMS community members.

Doug Pankratz

Doug Pankratz started with WMS (then WMES) in 1994 as the Grade 4 Teacher. Throughout his career, he taught Grade 5 and Music, and was instrumental in starting the band program in 2002. In addition to the music and band programs, Mr. Pankratz taught Physical Education before exclusively taking on the role in 2011.

In addition to teaching, Mr. Pankratz became a school bus driver in 2013 and drove for Outdoor Education, field trips, and sports events. After 29 years of teaching at WMS, Mr. Pankratz retired in 2024.

Recently, Mr. Pankratz agreed to return to WMS Bedson as the Grade 5 Music / Grade 6-8 Band Teacher for the remainder of the 2024-25 school year.

Jonathan Barg

Jonathan Barg served on the WMS Board while his two children attended the Katherine Friesen Campus until 2022.  He and his wife, Corrie Thiessen, were heavily involved in the school through the Board and the Parent Association.  

Mr. Barg and his company, NDL Construction, made it possible to expand Katherine Friesen Campus to include grades 7-8 by building a beautiful new addition to the school, which features a modern full-size gymnasium, a new music room, a servery and an open area

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