Steinbach Operations

Shepherd’s Dream North
361 3rd St.
Steinbach, Manitoba, Canada

To book an appointment to see our wool bed products, call 1-866-552-0167 and leave a message.

About Shepherd's Dream North — by Janet Kroeker

At Shepherd’s Dream North, we have been supplying Canadian customers with wool bedding since July, 2002. In 2001, we moved our family from Saskatchewan, to be closer to our extended family near Winnipeg, Manitoba.

Thanks to Eliana, we had been bitten by the wool bug. With our two older children, Ellen and Thomas, ready to leave home, our spacious basement was available, creating a good opportunity to operate Shepherd’s Dream North out of our home.

Because my previous career had been in health promotion, the idea of having a business that promoted healthy sleeping felt like a good fit. We make all the mattresses, toppers, comforters and pillows to the same specifications, and with the same attention to detail and high quality, that Eliana and Bob and their crew do in Montague.

We live in the small city of Steinbach, southeast of Winnipeg. Tim’s great grandparents were among the 18 Mennonite families who started the small village of Steinbach in the 1870’s. Today, the small, progressive and industrious city has grown to over 10,000 people.

A strong Mennonite tradition, still talked about but rapidly dying out, is the making of wool quilts or "wolldakj" as they’re called in the low German language. We received our first wolldakj over 25 years ago from Tim’s grandmother (pictured here with her family.)

A newly married couple were often given a wolldakj made by their mother or grandmother’s circle of female friends and family. The process was a time consuming one that involved washing, drying, carding, and piecing the wool batts, then enveloping them in muslin cotton. I have talked to many Steinbachers who still cherish the wolldakj their mother or grandmother passed down to them.

The folks at Shepherd’s Dream North:

Janet Kroeker — Main producer, promoter and communicator for Shepherd’s Dream North. My main occupation for the last 23 years has been to raise and nurture four wonderful human beings. They have been my cheer leaders and casual support staff as Shepherd’s Dream has become a part of our life. Besides raising, and at times home schooling, my children, I have done part-time and full time work in health promotion, particularly in the area of nutrition, lifestyle choices and safety.

Janet in the beginning stages of making the 137 tufts that go into a king size mattress.

Tim Kroeker — Tim, a teacher for most of his adult life, presently spends most of his time teaching literacy and English as a Second Language to adults, most of them newly arrived from Germany and Latin America. He is our bookkeeper, promoter, communicator and delivery guy for Shepherd’s Dream. He often joins me on those marathon days when we’re tufting a big mattress or spells me off when we have a booth at a festival or fair.

Lauren and Anika

Lauren is in her last year of high school and Anika in her last year of junior high. Shepherd’s Dream has become a part of their everyday life. Answering the phone, helping with laying out wool, turning pillow encasements right-side out, ironing and helping to turn the huge pile of wool into the mattress encasement are the jobs they regularly get asked to help with.

Doesn’t Anika have a way of making the comforter look cozy?	Lauren’s zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz picture

Thomas — is our intrepid traveler, tree planter, amateur musician and friend to all. When he’s close to home, he's happy to help with Shepherd's Dream. His quick wit and positive “go with the flow” energy make working together a joy. (Shown Left, Thomas tufting)

Tommy the Cat Our quality control officer Is this mattress comfortable?

Friends and supporters of Shepherd’s Dream North

Hugo and Katherine Jantz (Winnipeg) — Faithful promoters, customers and moral and financial supporters.

Sonya Jantz and Matthew Lawrence (Winnipeg) customers, supporters and wool bed B&B testing site, also Janet’s sister.

Hugo	Katherine, Janet and Sonya

Sarah Sunshine and Logan Stocksdale (Santa Rosa, California) these creative Californians helped at our first Winnipeg Folk Festival booth (2003) with folksy style, graciousness and experience) Shown right - Sarah and Logan with Tim and Janet at folk festival

Grace Clarke (Comox, BC) a faithful friend and customer, and steady advocate for the healing properties of wool. (Grace and Deane shown here.)

Heather and Ava Campbell Enns (Steinbach MB) Our wool crib mattress models

Bob Braun (Brandon MB) Collaborator, innovator and builder of metal things. Designer and builder of our tufting frame, saving backs and knees being the primary goal. (From left: Tim, Bob, Hugo & Janet)