Waterloo, Ontario
Waterloo is a city in Ontario, Canada. It is the smallest of three cities in the Regional Municipality of Waterloo, is adjacent to the city of Kitchener. Kitchener and Waterloo are jointly referred to as "Kitchener–Waterloo", "KW", or the "Twin Cities". While there were several unsuccessful attempts to combine the cities of Kitchener and Waterloo, following the 1973 establishment of the Region of Waterloo there was less motivation to do so. At the time of the 2016 census, the population of Waterloo was 104,986. Waterloo started on land, part of a parcel of 675,000 acres assigned in 1784 to the Iroquois alliance that made up the League of Six Nations; the rare gift of land from Britain to indigenous people took place to compensate for wartime alliance during the American Revolution. Immediately—and with much controversy—the native groups began to sell some of the land. Between 1796 and 1798, 93,000 acres were sold through a Crown Grant to Richard Beasley, with the Six Nations Indians continuing to hold the mortgage on the lands.
The first wave of immigrants to the area comprised Mennonites from Pennsylvania. They bought deeds to land parcels from Beasley and began moving into the area in 1804; the following year, a group of 26 Mennonites pooled resources to purchase all of the unsold land from Beasley and to discharge the mortgage held by the Six Nations Indians. Many of the pioneers arriving from Pennsylvania after November 1803 bought land in a 60,000 acre section of Block Two from the German Company, established by a group of Mennonites from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania; the Tract included most of Block 2 of the previous Grand River Indian Lands. Many of the first farms were least four hundred acres in size; the German Company, represented by Daniel Erb and Samuel Bricker, had acquired the land from previous owner Richard Beasley. The payment to Beasly, in cash, arrived from Pennsylvania in kegs, carried in a wagon surrounded by armed guards; the Mennonites divided the land into smaller lots. Erb called the founder of Waterloo, had come to the area in 1806 from Franklin County, Pennsylvania.
He bought 900 acres of bush land in 1806 from the German Company and founded a sawmill and grist mill. The grist mill operated continuously for 111 years. Other early settlers of what would become Waterloo included Samuel and Elia Schneider who arrived in 1816; until about 1820, settlements such as this were quite small. In 1816 the new township was named after Waterloo, the site of the Battle of Waterloo, which had ended the Napoleonic Wars in Europe. After that war, the new township became a popular destination for German immigrants. By the 1840s, German settlers had overtaken the Mennonites as the dominant segment of the population. Many Germans settled in the small hamlet to the southeast of Waterloo. In their honour, the village was named Berlin in 1833. By 1831, Waterloo had a small post office in the King and Erb Street area, operated by Daniel Snyder, some 11 years before one would open in neighbouring Berlin; the Smith's Canadian Gazetteer of 1846 states that the Township of Waterloo consisted of Pennsylvanian Mennonites and immigrants directly from Germany who had brought money with them.
At the time, many did not speak English. There were eight grist and twenty saw mills in the township. In 1841, the population count was 4424. In 1846 the village of Waterloo had a population of 200, "mostly Germans". There was a sawmill and some tradesmen. By comparison, Berlin had a population of about 400 "mostly German", more tradesmen than the village of Waterloo."Berlin was chosen as the site of the seat for the County of Waterloo in 1853. By 1869, the population was 2000. Waterloo was incorporated as a village in 1857 and became the Town of Waterloo in 1876 and the City of Waterloo in 1948. In 2016, a corduroy road was unearthed in the King St. area of the business district. The road was built by Mennonites using technology acquired in Lancaster County Pennsylvania, between the late 1790s and 1816; the log road was buried in about 1840 and a new road built on top of it. Waterloo's city centre is located near the intersection of Erb streets. Since 1961, the centrepiece has been the Waterloo Town Square shopping centre, which underwent a thorough renovation in 2006.
Much of the mall was torn down and has been replaced by buildings that emphasize street-facing storefronts. Residents refer to the Waterloo city centre as "uptown", while "downtown" is reserved for the Kitchener city centre, as Kitchener had been the dominant centre, Waterloo was a small town on the Kitchener's north side. Waterloo surged into a significant City in the third-quarter of the 20th Century, due in large part to its role as a university city, it has benefited with the growth of Insurance companies. Waterloo has prospered with the relationship between the Tech Sector, which has blossomed, the University of Waterloo whose technology graduates have excelled. Blackberry Research In Motion, is the best example; the city centre was once along Albert Street, near the Marsland Centre and the Waterloo Public Library. The town hall, fire hall, farmers' market were located there. Amidst some controversy, all were demolished
Martin Luther University College
Martin Luther University College Waterloo Lutheran Seminary, is a seminary of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada federated with the nondenominational Wilfrid Laurier University, located in Waterloo, Ontario. In 1911, the Evangelical Lutheran Theological Seminary of Eastern Canada opened its doors to students. Waterloo was selected as the location of the seminary for two main reasons, the first being that land was offered by the citizens of Waterloo on the edge of town, the second being that most of the Lutherans in Canada resided in the Waterloo and Berlin area. In 1914 the Seminary developed non-theological courses under the name of the Waterloo College School. In 1924 the Waterloo College of Arts was established. In 1925 the Faculty of Arts, under the name of Waterloo College, affiliated with the University of Western Ontario; the Waterloo College Associate Faculties, a semi-autonomous entity within Waterloo College focused on cooperative education in applied sciences, was conceived in the 1950s by the College's president Gerald Hagey.
WCAF accepted its first cohort of students in 1957, formally split from Waterloo College in 1959 to become the University of Waterloo. In 1960, Waterloo College ended its affiliation with Western and became a university in its own right: Waterloo Lutheran University; as a church-affiliated institution, Waterloo Lutheran was ineligible for capital funding from the province, the Lutheran church was in no position to invest in the university. On November 1, 1973, Waterloo Lutheran University dropped its church affiliation and became the secular, public Wilfrid Laurier University. Theological courses continued to be offered by the Waterloo Lutheran Seminary, which federated with the public university. Today Wilfrid Laurier University emphasizes liberal arts while the University of Waterloo emphasises science and engineering. Waterloo Lutheran Seminary renamed itself to Martin Luther University College, with an announcement at the Eastern Synod Assembly in Toronto on Saturday, June 23, 2018; the school continues to be federated with Laurier.
Theological Education Martin Luther University College offers Master of Divinity program for people preparing for the ministry in a variety of churches and Master of Arts in Theology program in two fields: Public Faith and Spirituality and Spiritual Care and Psychotherapy. Spiritual Care and Psychotherapy is the largest program, prepares people to work in clinical settings such as counselling agencies. Individuals studying for the diaconal ministry of the ELCIC can pursue the Public Faith and Spirituality field. Bachelor of Arts in Christian Studies and Global Citizenship Master of Divinity Master of Arts in Theology: Public Faith and Spirituality Doctor of Philosophy in Human Relationships: Pastoral LeadershipSpiritual Care and Psychotherapy The Waterloo Lutheran Seminary offers non-denominational graduate counselling programs within their Spiritual Care and Psychotherapy program stream. Spiritual Care and Psychotherapy is a unique form of therapy which uses spiritual resources as well as psychological understanding for healing and growth.
It is provided by mental health professionals with in-depth spiritual and theological education. Graduates of the Spiritual Care & Psychotherapy programs serve throughout society in counselling centres, social agencies, schools and synagogues. Drawing on spiritual and religious resources and counsellors assist persons who are struggling with depression, grief and family conflict, substance abuse and other issues, they work with those persons who are seeking something more from their lives. Graduate programs in Spiritual Care and Psychotherapy: Master of Arts in Theology: Spiritual Care and Psychotherapy Doctor of Philosophy in Human Relationships: Spiritual Care and Psychotherapy Graduate Diploma in Spiritual Care and Psychotherapy The Seminary offers the most extensive selection of Pastoral Counselling programs in Canada and graduates have been accredited by American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy and the Canadian Association for Pastoral Practice and Education. WLS offers a lecture series open to the community and continuing education programs.
The school is a member of the Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada. Official website Delton Glebe Counselling Centre ATS profile for Waterloo Lutheran Seminary
Ion rapid transit
Ion, stylized as ION, is an integrated mass transit network in the testing phase in the Regional Municipality of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada. It will be operated by Keolis and will be part of the Grand River Transit system and replacing GRT's existing Route 200 iXpress bus service; the first phase will run between the north end of Waterloo and the south end of Kitchener, with an estimated start date of spring 2019. A future extension to the downtown Galt area of Cambridge is planned but construction may not begin on that line until 2025. In 2009, an Environmental Assessment began to create a proposal of electrically-powered light rail transit through Kitchener and Waterloo, adapted bus rapid transit from Kitchener to Cambridge. On June 24, 2009, Regional Council voted to approve the project, subject to funding from higher levels of government, in turn approved by council on June 15, 2011; this was followed by a community building strategy to guide development, identify key destinations, strengthen regional connections.
The strategy, led by Urban Strategies Inc. of Toronto, consulted hundreds of individuals and stakeholders from Cambridge and Waterloo. Construction began in August 2014 and service was expected to begin in late 2017; the total cost of the system was estimated at $818 million, but in December 2017, the overruns were estimated to total $50 million. The Province was expected to provide $25 million of that amount. In 2004, the Regional Municipality began an Individual Environmental Assessment to study the feasibility of constructing a rapid transit line to provide higher-order public transit service to the Region and to encourage more compact urban growth along the corridor; the EA took a broader approach to studying possible routes and stations for the rapid transit line, examining several options such as utilizing existing tracks/roads and constructing new facilities. In keeping with legislation, the Environmental Assessment examined ten possible transport technologies, including monorails and subways.
The EA as planned consisted of three phases: Phase 1: Determine a preferred transportation strategy from options such as road expansion, improved conventional transit, rapid transit. Phase 1 was completed in July 2006. Phase 2: Step 1: Determine a preferred route design and technology; the EA examined ten different technologies including light rail, bus rapid transit and subway. Step 1, completed in February 2007, determined that light rail transit and bus rapid transit were best suited to meet the needs of the Regional Growth Management Strategy. Step 2: Determined a short list of preferred routes and technologies for seven segments of a rapid transit system. Step 3: Proposed an overall preferred rapid transit system Phase 3: Design an implementation plan for the rapid transit system. In June 2008, the Province of Ontario announced a new expedited Transit Project Assessment Process. In August 2008, the Region notified the Ministry of the Environment to advise that the it would transition from the Individual EA to the expedited process.
For that reason, Phase 3 of the Individual EA will not be completed. The Region expects to transition to the new Assessment Process in the Fall of 2009. On June 24, 2009, Regional Council approved the initiative and the Region is in discussions with Provincial and Federal governments to obtain funding for the $790-million project. Light Rail Transit has been short-listed as the technology for the new rapid transit system; the Region has decided upon a staged approach for building light rail from Conestoga Mall to Fairview Park Mall, passing through Uptown Waterloo and Downtown Kitchener on the way. Adapted Bus Rapid Transit is to be built from Fairview Park Mall to Ainslie Street terminal in Cambridge utilizing shoulder bypass lanes along Highways 8 and 401 during heavy traffic where speeds are 40 km/h or less. In summer of 2010, funding from higher levels of government was announced: $300 million from the province of Ontario, $265 million from the federal government; the provincial figure was disappointing to supporters, as they had promised 2/3 of the cost.
The Region must now look into funding the remaining $200–300 million if the project is to go ahead as planned. On June 24, 2009, Regional Council approved LRT as the technology for rapid transit in Waterloo Region. Regional Council approved a recommendation to implement the system in stages because ridership, development potential and capital and operating costs vary along the route; the light rail system was approved by Regional Council with a vote of 15–1. Cambridge mayor Doug Craig cast the dissenting vote. Other Cambridge-area representatives joined Craig in voting against subsequent motions on the service's staging, feeling that running only buses to that city does them a disservice; the Province of Ontario has promised it will fund up to two thirds of the cost of the construction of a light rail or bus rapid transit system in Waterloo Region. During public consultation for the project, concerns related to the light rail proposal focused on its relative service infrequency when compared with rapid transit systems in other cities.
In addition, a light rail line would be limited by the narrow main streets of key d
Elmira, Ontario
Elmira is the largest community within the Township of Woolwich, which used to be in Waterloo County, Ontario but is now in the Regional Municipality of Waterloo. It is 15 kilometres to the north of the city of Waterloo; the community was listed in the Canada 2016 Census with a population of 10,161 at that time. Waterloo Region is still home to the largest population of Old Order Mennonites in Canada in the areas around St Jacobs and Elmira, they are seen on the local roads using their traditional horse and buggy transportation. The land comprising Woolwich Township belonged to the Huron Nation to the Mohawk Nation; the first European settlers arrived in Woolwich Township in the late 18th century. In 1798, William Wallace was one of the first settlers after he was deeded 86,078 acres of land on the Grand River for a cost of $16,364. A block three of First Nations Lands, this area now comprises a large part of Woolwich Township; the parcel of land called "Woolwich' was named after a town in England.
The early settlers were from England or Ireland until about 1830. In 1806, Wallace sold the major portion of his tract to Mennonites from Pennsylvania, the so-called Pennsylvania Dutch; the buyers were Augustus Jones and brothers John and Jacob Erb, trustees for the German Company, who were among the first settlers from Pennsylvania. Wallace sold 45,185 acres of land to the German Company at $1.00 an acre. The village was settled in 1832 by Edward Bristow. In 1834, Edward Bristow from Sussex, England became one of Elmira's first European settlers when he purchased 53 acres of land at this location for 50 cents per acre, he started the first store and potashery. A community by the name of Bristow's Corners was in existence in 1839 when a post office was assigned there. Local merchant Samuel Weber had been visiting New York State in the early 1850s and was impressed with Elmira, New York; this may have been a factor in the decision of Woolwich Township council on February 22, 1853, to rename the community Elmira.
The post office opened in 1850. A historic property, Bristow's Inn was just land when it was sold by Edward Bristow to Jacob W. Bowman who first built a farmhouse there in 1860. In 1989 the structure became the Country Inn. Afterwards, the building was recognized under the Ontario Heritage Act; as in the nearby townships, Mennonites formed a significant proportion of the population. In addition to Mennonites from Pennsylvania, the majority of settlers were from Germany by the 1850s. Families living in Elmira in that era included Oswald, Steffler, Dreisinger and Schedewitz. Many were Lutherans. By 1852 the St. James Lutheran Church was in operation; the stores and tradesmen served farmers. The population in 1869 was about 450, increasing to about 1,069 by 1891. Major events that attracted people from outside the village included the Woolwich Agricultural Fair and the Elmira Maple Syrup Festival, still held every year. In 1861, the Elmira House was erected as numerous artisans and merchants came to Elmira to earn a living.
As a result, Elmira became known as an'enterprising' community. In December 1886, Elmira entered a new chapter of its history with the incorporation of the settlement as a village by charter. At this date, the population of the newly incorporated village was 760 people. Throughout the 1870s and 1880s, Elmira acquired a brass band and a library with an initial membership of 20 people. By late 1893 a large Carnegie Library had opened. By 1864, the village had a large tannery, a lumber mill, three churches, two German Lutheran and one Wesleyan Methodist and an elementary school; the population was 400. The railway arrived in the Grand Trunk and the Canadian Pacific. After this method of transportation became available, furniture manufacturing and other industries began to open. In the early 1900s, North Waterloo County - the Kitchener, Waterloo, St. Jacobs, Elmira area - exhibited a strong German culture and those of German origin made up a third of the population in 1911. Lutherans were the primary religious group.
There were nearly three times as many Lutherans as Mennonites by that time. The latter resided in the rural areas and small communities. In 1908, the first cinema opened in Elmira; the Theatorium ran silent movies with music provided by a pianist. The Bandstand was built in 1912 by A. M. Bowman from a design prepared by members of the Elmira Musical Society. Located in Gore Park, it is a reminder of the centre of entertainment in a small town in the early 20th century. A brick post office opened in 1914 and its tower contained the town clock; the village was incorporated within Waterloo County. At that time, the population was 2500. In 1973, the town of Elmira ceased to exist under the amalgamation that formed the Regional Municipality of Waterloo, replacing Waterloo County. Elmira became the administrative centre of Woolwich Township. During the 1960s under contract with the U. S. government, Elmira's Uniroyal chemical plant was one of seven manufacturers supplying the U. S. military with the toxic herbicide Agent Orange.
Due to the poor disposal practices of the toxic waste associated with the manufacture of Agent Orange and other chemicals, contamination has seeped down to the aquifer in and around Elmira. This contaminat
University of Waterloo station
University of Waterloo will be a stop on the Region of Waterloo's Ion rapid transit system. It will be located on the Waterloo Spur rail line in Waterloo, between Columbia Street and University Avenue, it is scheduled to open in 2019. Located on the campus of the University of Waterloo, the station will serve students and employees of the university; the primary campus is on the west side of the station, with additional engineering buildings to the southeast and administration buildings to the northeast. In addition, a major bus terminal is planned to be built along an access road to the east, which will serve Grand River Transit, GO Transit, Greyhound; the station's feature wall consists of glass tiles in a pattern of black, blue and white. Access to the platform is from both ends: from the north, directly from the bus terminal road; the southbound track is used by freight trains on the Waterloo Spur line, which serves industrial locations in Elmira. These trains will only run in the overnight hours.
To protect the station structure, a gauntlet track is in place alongside this station that offsets the freight track a small distance
Conestoga station
Conestoga station is located beside the King Street entrance on the westerly side of Conestoga Mall in Waterloo, Ontario. This facility operates as a major transit terminal for Grand River Transit buses, with all of the routes that it serves terminating here. Conestoga will be the northern terminus of the Region of Waterloo's Ion rapid transit system, scheduled to open in 2019. Access to the LRT platforms is from the north, where both a stairway and ramp lead down to the bus terminal. Sidewalk access is available from the south end of the platforms; the station's feature walls consist of ceramic tiles in a pattern of red, blue and yellow. The station will feature the artwork Continuum by Catherine Paleczny about the continuum of communities and the progression of time. IXpress to Ainslie St. Transit Terminal iXpress to Forest Glen Plaza at Block Line Road and Strasburg Road iXpress to The Boardwalk at Ira Needles Blvd. Route 6 Bridge Route 7 Mainline to Downtown/Fairview Park Mall Route 9 Lakeshore Route 12 Fairview Park Mall Route 14 Waterloo Industrial Route 21 Elmira, to the towns of St. Jacobs and Elmira Route 31 Columbia
Victoria Park station (Kitchener)
Victoria Park will be a stop on the Region of Waterloo's Ion rapid transit system. It will be located alongside Charles Street, just west of Gaukel Street, in Kitchener, its namesake, Victoria Park, has its eastern entrance about 100 m south of the station along Gaukel. It is scheduled to open in 2019; the station will serve southbound trains only. The station's feature wall consists of brown stone tiles with random striations; the platform is connected with Charles Street's sidewalks at either end, pedestrians passing through walk along the platform. The station location is presently opposite Gaukel of the Charles St. Transit Terminal, the hub of Grand River Transit bus services in Kitchener-Waterloo and the intercity bus depot. At the launch of Ion LRT, these roles will be reduced as bus service is moved to more of a grid plan; the timeline for this transition is still not known
