114-572: Waterloo Region District School Board ( WRDSB , known as English-language Public District School Board No. 24 prior to 1999) is the public school board for the Region of Waterloo in Ontario , Canada. It operates 105 elementary schools, 16 secondary schools, and other facilities, serving more than 64,000 students in the Region of Waterloo. It has approximately 6,800 staff and a budget of $ 675 million. It
228-588: A Sängerfest ("Singer Festival") that attracted an estimated 10,000 people. The festival continued for several years. By 1863, Berlin's German population exceeded 2,000. the community started the Friedenfest to celebrate the German victory in the Franco-Prussian war. The event continued annual until the start of World War I. By 1871, nearly 55 percent of the population had German origins, including
342-472: A hamlet . Friedrich Gaukel , another prominent early local figure, purchased the Varnum tavern site in the early 1830s, along with other lands around the growing village. In a November 1833 transaction, he purchased lands located along the village's main street (later known as King Street) from Joseph Schneider. The deeds of sale for this transaction are the earliest recorded use of the name Berlin to refer to
456-603: A "bee" to help newcomers erect large buildings, a custom that persists today among traditional Mennonite communities. In 1806, Joseph Schneider, of south German stock, arrived from Lancaster County. He bought lot 17 of the German Company Tract of block 2. A farmer, he helped build what became "Schneider's Road". By 1816, he had built a sawmill. In 1807, Pennsylvanians John and Jacob Erb, among others, purchased 45,195 acres (182.9 km ) of Block 3 (Woolwich township). The War of 1812 interrupted immigration from
570-528: A 4,000 year old arrowhead. Settlement of the later Waterloo Township started in 1800 (in an area that is now Kitchener) by Joseph Schoerg (later called Sherk) and Samuel Betzner Jr. (brothers-in-law), Mennonites , from Franklin County, Pennsylvania . Joseph Schoerg and his wife settled on Lot No.11, B.F. Beasley Block, S.R., on the bank of the Grand River opposite Doon, and Betzner and his wife settled on
684-601: A bronze bust of Kaiser Wilhelm I, in Victoria Park. The monument would be destroyed by townspeople just after the start of World War I. By the early 1900s, northern Waterloo County – the Kitchener, Waterloo, 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 at that time. The latter primarily resided in
798-424: A building "bee" to help newcomers erect a log home. Immigration from Lancaster County continued heavily in the 1820s because of a severe agricultural depression there. Joseph Schneider, from that area, built a frame house in 1820 on the south side of the future Queen Street after clearing a farm and creating a rough road; a small settlement formed around "Schneider's Road", which became the nucleus of Berlin. The home
912-511: A desire by Berlin-turned-Kitchener's ethnically German business class, in the wake of the city's turmoil over its German identity during the First World War, to distance themselves from its 19th century past and the downtown area associated with it in favour of a built environment similar to wealthy Anglo-Canadians in other Canadian cities, such as Montreal and Winnipeg. The fortunes of Rieder and other rubber industrialists were linked to
1026-425: 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 400 acres in size. The German Company, represented by Daniel Erb and Samuel Bricker, had acquired the land from previous owner Richard Beasley; he had gotten into financial difficulties after buying the land in 1796 from Joseph Brant, who represented
1140-525: A large farmhouse there in 1856 at what became the corner of Maurice and Ottawa Streets. Samuel Eby settled on the northwest part of Lot 1 and soon became a close associate of the Mississaugas who lived in the area, selling whisky to them. Later named the founder of Berlin, Benjamin Eby (made Mennonite preacher in 1809, and bishop in 1812) arrived from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, in 1806, and purchased
1254-562: A large monument, with a bronze bust of Kaiser Wilhelm I, in Victoria Park. The monument was destroyed by townspeople just after the start of World War I. A statue of Queen Victoria was erected in the park in 1911. By 1871, Berlin, Ontario, was a bilingual town with German being the dominant language spoken. More than one visitor commented on the necessity of speaking German in Berlin. Immigration from continental Germany slowed by 1880. First and second-generation descendants now comprised most of
SECTION 10
#17327802615141368-440: A large tract in that area. The settlement, Ebytown, was on the south-east side of present-day Queen Street. Ordained a Mennonite pastor in 1809, and later a bishop, Eby oversaw the building of the first church in 1813 and the confession's subsequent growth. Many Mennonite meeting houses, or places of worship, were basic frame buildings, a structure still common among Old Order Mennonites in rural Waterloo Region. Settlers often held
1482-633: A large tract of land consisting of much of what would become the village of Berlin, so named in 1833). The settlement was initially called Ebytown, and was at the south-east side of what later became Queen Street. Eby was also responsible for the growth of the Mennonite church in Waterloo County. By 1811, Eby had built a log Mennonite meeting house first used as a school house, but later also housing religious services. A new meeting house, known as Eby's Versammlungshaus, near Stirling Avenue, replaced
1596-589: A massive territory previously owned by the Six Nations. The first school opened in 1802 near the village of Blair, then known as Shinglebridge; it became part of Preston, Ontario and then part of Cambridge, Ontario . The first teacher's name was Mr. Rittenhaus. After 1803, many Pennsylvania pioneers bought lots from the German Company, established by Mennonites from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. The 60,000-acre section included most of Block 2 of
1710-636: A pilot programme. Their newest school, Oak Creek Public School, opened in September 2022. The Waterloo Catholic District School Board operates the Catholic schools which educates approximately one of every three students in the Region. The School Board was criticized for its role in maintaining a confidential file on Ronald Wayne Archer (Ron Archer), a teacher convicted in 2000 of four charges of sexual assault on his student. The file documented allegations that Archer sexually assaulted children beginning in
1824-504: A population of about 400, also "mostly German", and more tradesmen than the village of Waterloo. Previously part of the United County of Waterloo, Wellington and Grey, Waterloo became a separate entity in 1853, with five townships. Galt and Berlin contended to be the county seat ; one requirement was the construction of a courthouse and jail. When local merchant Joseph Gaukel donated a small portion of his land for that purpose at
1938-514: A profound impact on local citizens during the war years. During the first few months of the war, services and activities at Lutheran churches in Waterloo County continued. As anti-German sentiment increased throughout Waterloo County, many of the churches decided to stop holding services in German. The governor general of Canada, the Duke of Connaught , while visiting Berlin, Ontario, in May 1914, discussed
2052-418: A second thought. But it is important to remember that Canada was a society in transition – the country had absorbed massive numbers of immigrants between 1896 and the First World War, proportionately more than at any other time in our history. So there were these latent fears about foreigners ... It becomes very easy to stoke these racist, nativist fires and convince people there really is a threat. War propaganda
2166-533: A site at Fischer-Hallman Road was found to include artifacts from a "Late Woodland Iroquois village" that was inhabited circa 1300 to 1600. Archeologists found some 35,000 objects including stone tools and a 4,000 year old arrowhead. To date, there are more than 18 Late-Woodland Period village sites documented in the Waterloo Region. Kitchener stands on a part of the Haldimand Tract , lands in
2280-439: A small parcel of land he owned (at the current Queen and Weber Streets ), this sealed the deal for Berlin, which was still a small community compared to Galt. The courthouse at the corner of the later Queen Street North and Weber Street and the gaol were built within a few months. The first county council meeting was held in the new facility on 24 January 1853, as the county officially began operations. The Waterloo County Gaol
2394-483: A very large so-called poorhouse with an attached farm, the House of Industry and Refuge that accommodated some 3,200 people before being closed in 1951; the building was later demolished. It was on Frederick St. in Kitchener, behind the now Frederick Street Mall, and was intended to minimize the number of people begging, living on the streets, or being incarcerated at a time before social-welfare programmes. A 2009 report by
SECTION 20
#17327802615142508-446: Is a metropolitan area of Southern Ontario , Canada. It contains the cities of Cambridge , Kitchener and Waterloo ( KWC or Tri-Cities ), and the townships of North Dumfries , Wellesley , Wilmot and Woolwich . Kitchener, the largest city, is the seat of government. The region is 1,370 square kilometres (530 sq mi) in area, with a population of 587,165 as of the 2021 Canada census, though an end of 2023 estimate puts
2622-481: Is a Lutheran meeting house. Post Office, post twice a-week. Professions and Trades.—One physician and surgeon, one lawyer, three stores, one brewery, one printing office, two taverns, one pump maker, two blacksmiths." The Township of Waterloo (smaller than Waterloo County) consisted primarily 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
2736-583: Is now King Street in Waterloo; its remains were unearthed in 2016. The road was probably 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. A historian explained that the road had been built for access to the mill but was also "one of the first roads cut through (the woods) so people could start settling
2850-497: Is often associated with Beaux-Arts architecture in North America. Rieder's own interpretation of the movement's philosophy followed a variation of the influential landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted 's "Suburb Beautiful", with Rieder proclaiming Westmount the "Development Beautiful". It reflected an alienation from industrial cities and dense urban centres, driven by a variety of factors. These included concerns around
2964-632: Is the largest public sector employer in the Region and the second-largest employer overall. In 2024, the Director of Education is jeewan chanicka. The board serves Waterloo Region , which consists of the cities of Kitchener , Cambridge , and Waterloo , and the townships of Wellesley , Woolwich , Wilmot , and North Dumfries . Within the townships, WRDSB operates schools in the communities of Ayr , Baden , Breslau, Conestogo , Elmira , Floradale, Linwood, New Dundee , New Hamburg , St. Jacobs , and Wellesley . Trustees are elected every four years by
3078-628: Is the oldest government building in the Region of Waterloo. The Governor's House, home of the "gaoler", in a mid-Victorian Italian Villa style, was added in 1878. Both have been extensively restored and are on the Canadian Register of Historic Places . The extension of the Grand Trunk Railway from Sarnia to Toronto (and hence through Berlin) in July 1856 was a major boon to the community, helping to improve industrialization in
3192-744: Is the regional seat . Kitchener was known as Berlin until a 1916 referendum changed its name. The city covers an area of 136.86 km , and had a population of 256,885 at the time of the 2021 Canadian census . The Regional Municipality of Waterloo has 673,910 people as of year-end 2023, making it the 10th-largest census metropolitan area (CMA) in Canada and the fourth-largest CMA in Ontario. Kitchener and Waterloo are considered "twin cities", which are often referred to jointly as "Kitchener–Waterloo" (K–W), although they have separate municipal governments . Indigenous people have long lived in and around what
3306-604: Is today Kitchener-Waterloo. During the retreat of the last glacial maximum, the Waterloo Region was isolated by the ice to the north, east, and west and by Lake Maumee III to the south, however once the ice retreated the landscape opened up for nomadic populations to hunt, camp, and thrive; though not many sites from the Paleo-Indian Period (13,000BC to 1000BC) have been documented in the region thus far. The Archaic Period (8,000BC to 800BC) still primarily consisted of nomadic hunter-gatherer communities spread out across
3420-460: Is top-down driven, but it is effective because it re-enforces tendencies that already exist. A document in the Archives of Canada makes the following comment: "Although ludicrous to modern eyes, the whole issue of a name for Berlin highlights the effects that fear, hatred and nationalism can have upon a society in the face of war." The Waterloo Pioneer Memorial Tower built in 1926 commemorates
3534-700: The Toronto Star explains, "pauperism was considered a moral failing that could be erased through order and hard work". A research project by the Laurier School of Social Work has amassed all available data about the house and its residents, digitized it, and made the archive available online. According to Sandy Hoy, a director of research projects, the "inmates" included not only the poor, but also those with disabilities, women, and children. Some were single women who had been servants and became pregnant. Since there were no social services, they were sent to
Waterloo Region District School Board - Misplaced Pages Continue
3648-560: The War Measures Act , which was passed in August 1914. Internees had their property confiscated and many of them were subjected to forced labour . Tens of thousands of others were subjected to government surveillance. In Berlin, anti-German sentiment slowly escalated throughout the war, beginning with the vandalizing of the statue of Kaiser Wilhelm I in Victoria Park in 1914. Despite pronouncements of loyalty and commitment to
3762-656: The First World War pitted the British Empire (and by extension, Canada) against the German , Austro-Hungarian , and Ottoman empires, and led to a wave of suspicion, exclusion, and discriminatory measures against people whose ethnic origins were associated with these states. Thousands of Ukrainians , Germans, Turks , and Bulgarians were forcibly placed into internment camps by the Dominion government under
3876-463: The Grand River area in what later became Waterloo County. The region is still home to the largest population of Old Order Mennonites in Canada, particularly in the areas around St Jacobs and Elmira. Over time, after WW II, the anti-German sentiment faded. The Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest event, with beer halls and German entertainment, and a large parade, was established in 1969 to honour
3990-634: The Hydro-Electric Power Commission of Ontario. By 1835, many immigrants were coming to Waterloo County from Germany and the British Isles. The Germans settled in areas like New Germany in the Lower Block of Block Two. In 1835, some 70% of the population was Mennonite; by 1851, that number had declined to 26% of a much larger population. The county's first newspaper, Canada Museum und Allgemeine Zeitung, came off
4104-766: The Middle Ages , and who were early followers of Anabaptism . Jacob Eby, an ancestor of the Ebys who migrated to Upper Canada, was a Mennonite bishop in the Swiss canton of Zürich in 1683. The family first migrated to the Palatinate , then to Pennsylvania , settling in Lancaster County . In Lancaster County, members of the family, such as Peter Eby (1765–1843), continued to act as Mennonite religious leaders. The Ebys became involved in early land settlement of
4218-528: The Sängerfest , or "Singer Festival" concert event in Berlin that attracted an estimated 10,000 people and continued for several years. Eleven years later, the more than 2000 Germans in Berlin, Ontario, started a new event, Friedensfest , commemorating Prussian victory in the Franco-Prussian war . This annual celebration continued until the start of World War I. In 1897, they raised funds to erect
4332-599: The University of Waterloo . The interwar and postwar periods saw a wave of suburban development around the city. One prominent example of this was the Westmount neighbourhood. Modelled after the affluent Montreal suburb of the same name , it was developed on the forested hills to the north of the Schneider farmstead on lands that were subdivided from it. Kitchener's Westmount took a number of its street names from
4446-554: The 1500s can now be identified near Schneider and Strasburg Creeks" in Kitchener. The finds include the remains of a First Nations village, estimated to be 500 years old, discovered in 2010 in the Strasburg Creek area with "artifacts going back as far as 9,000 years". In 2020, a site at Fischer-Hallman Road was found to include artifacts from a "Late Woodland Iroquois village" that was inhabited circa 1300 to 1600. Archeologists found some 35,000 objects including stone tools and
4560-502: The 1830s to 1850s, bringing with them their language, religion, and cultural traditions. The German community became industrial and political leaders, and created a German-Canadian society unlike any other found in Canada at the time. They established German public schools and German-language churches. Both the immigrants from Germany and the Mennonites from Pennsylvania spoke German, though with different dialects such as Low German or
4674-552: The 1970s. In 2006, the Ontario College of Teachers revoked Archer's certificates of qualification and registration. Members of the public believed that had the file been disclosed, subsequent abuse would have been prevented. In 2001, the Board created new policies to prevent abuse in future. A Safe and Secure Schools policy was developed including a Code of Conduct that outlines expected behaviour standards of all members of
Waterloo Region District School Board - Misplaced Pages Continue
4788-754: The Bechtels, the Ebys, the Erbs, the Webers, the Cressmans, and the Brubachers. In 1816, the government of Upper Canada designated the settlement the Township of Waterloo. Much of the land, made up of moraines and swampland interspersed with rivers and streams, was converted to farmland and roads. Wild pigeons , which once swarmed by the tens of thousands, were driven from the area. Apple trees were introduced to
4902-648: The Bifurcate Base tradition were present in the area around 8300 years ago. They occupied the Kassel site ( AiHd-71 ), a base camp, and the Blue Dart site (AiHd-89), which was likely a kill site ; this followed typical hunter-gatherer occupation patterns. Up to the 17th century, the Attawandaron (Neutral) nation inhabited the Grand River area. European explorers admired their farming practices. In
5016-406: The Board announced that it was considering the building of up to 12 new schools and the expansion of 11 existing facilities over the subsequent years, due to an increasing population. An additional 7,100 new students were expected by 2027. At the same time, the Board was considering a study of the feasibility and benefits that might be provided by year-round schooling, but did not agree to proceed with
5130-492: The British Empire". In 1897, a large bronze bust of Kaiser Wilhelm I , made by Reinhold Begas and shipped from Germany, was installed at Victoria Park, Kitchener to honour the region's prominent German-Canadian population. It was removed and thrown into the lake by vandals in August 1914 at the beginning of the First World War . The bust was recovered from the lake and moved to the nearby Concordia club, but it
5244-419: The German Company Tract, with a number arriving between 1804 and 1807 and taking up farming plots. Two brothers, George and Samuel ("Indian Sam") Eby, arrived in 1804 and settled on Lot 1 of the German Company Tract, near the area of what would become downtown Kitchener. George Eby's farmstead was located one mile southeast from the future Berlin town core. It was later owned by Jacob Yost Shantz , who built
5358-725: The Grand River valley purchased in 1784 by the British from the Mississaugas in order to grant it to the Six Nations for their allegiance during the American Revolution . Between 1796 and 1798, the Six Nations sold 38,000 hectares of this land to loyalist Colonel Richard Beasley . The portion of land that Beasley purchased was remote, but of great interest to German Mennonite farming families from Pennsylvania . They wanted to live in an area that would allow them to practice their beliefs without persecution. Eventually,
5472-506: The Grand River valley to the Confederacy. The latter settled in the lower Grand River Valley, the present Brant County , and sold land in the upper Grand, now part of Waterloo Township, to Loyalist Colonel Richard Beasley. In 1816, William Dickson, a Scottish-born land speculator, acquired 90,000 acres (360 km ) along the Grand River, in present North and South Dumfries Townships, and the city of Cambridge. Dickson planned to divide
5586-420: The House of Friendship social service agency. Previously part of the United County of Waterloo, Wellington, and Grey, Waterloo became a separate entity in 1853 with Berlin as county seat . Some contentious debate had existed between Galt and Berlin as to where the seat would be located; one of the requirements for founding was the construction of a courthouse and jail. When local merchant Joseph Gaukel donated
5700-409: The House. "We saw a lot of young, single mothers in the records," said Laura Coakley, a research co-ordinator. The archives also indicate that in addition to food and shelter for "inmates", in return for labour in the house and on the attached farm, the house also donated food, clothing, and money for train tickets to enable the poor to reach family that might be able to support them. Two cemeteries for
5814-507: The Mennonite religion were pacifists so they could not enlist, and the few who had immigrated from Germany (not born in Canada) could not morally fight against a country that was a significant part of their heritage. The anti-German sentiment was the primary reason for the Berlin to Kitchener name change in 1916. News reports indicate that "A Lutheran minister was pulled out of his house ... he
SECTION 50
#17327802615145928-470: The Mennonites purchased all of Beasley's unsold land, creating 160 farm tracts. Many of the pioneers arriving from Pennsylvania, known as the Pennsylvania Dutch or Pennsilfaanisch-Deitsche (Deutsch; German-speaking mainly from Switzerland and the Palatinate, not modern Dutch), after November 1803 bought land in a 60,000-acre section of Block Two from the German Company, which was established by
6042-768: The Pennsylvania Mennonites and European Germans. This group greatly outnumbered the Scots (18 per cent), the English (12.6 per cent) and the Irish (8 per cent). Berlin, Ontario was a bilingual town, with German being the dominant language spoken. More than one visitor commented on the necessity of speaking German in Berlin. In 1897, the Canadians with origins in Germany raised funds to erect a large monument, with
6156-555: The Region's German heritage. The events typically attract an average of 700,000 people to the county. During the 2016 Oktoberfest parade, an estimated 150,000 people lined the streets along the route. Kitchener, Ontario Kitchener is a city in the Canadian province of Ontario , about 100 km (62 mi) west of Toronto . It is one of three cities that make up the Regional Municipality of Waterloo and
6270-483: The Six Nations. The payment to Beasley, in cash, arrived from Pennsylvania in kegs, carried in a wagon surrounded by armed guards. The first settlers in the area of what would become the village of Doon (now a suburb of Kitchener) arrived in 1800. They were two Mennonites from Franklin County, Pennsylvania who were also brothers in law, Joseph Schoerg (later called Sherk) and Samuel Betzner Jr. Joseph Schoerg and his wife settled on Lot 11, B.F. Beasley Black, S.R., on
6384-485: The United States. The pacifist Mennonite settlers were employed in camps, hospitals and transportation. Samuel and Elia Schneider arrived in 1816. A network of small settlements emerged. Abram Weber settled on the corner of later King and Wilmot Streets, and David Weber by the later Grand Trunk Railway station. Benjamin Eby encouraged manufacturers to move to Ebytown. Jacob Hoffman arrived around 1830 to start
6498-445: The agencies, boards, and commissions (or ABCs), these special-purpose bodies became a characteristic element of Canadian governance. The ABCs movement in Kitchener began in the 1890s with the passage of the 1894 Public Parks Act transferring management of the town's parkland from a committee of the town council to a parks board, an initiative which ultimately led to the creation of Victoria Park . A prominent supporter of this movement
6612-414: The architect for the latter was Bruce Kuwabara . During the interim years, the city had occupied leased premises on Frederick Street. Kitchener was in many cases within Ontario the earliest adopter, or one of the earliest adopters, of many municipal institutions which later became commonplace. These institutions included library boards, planning boards, and conservation authorities. Known collectively as
6726-534: The area". In 1806, Abraham Erb, from Franklin County, bought 900 acres (360 ha) from the German Company in what would be later part of the City of Waterloo. The putative founder of the city, Erb built a sawmill in 1808 and a gristmill in 1816; the latter operated for 111 years and still stands in Waterloo Park. Benjamin Eby arrived from Lancaster County in 1806. The putative founder of Kitchener, he purchased
6840-494: The area. Immigrants from Germany, mostly Lutheran and Catholic, dominated the city after 1850, and developed their own newer German celebrations and influences, such as the Turner societies , gymnastics, and band music. In 1869, Berlin had a population of 3000. In the late 1880s, the idea of a street railway connection to Waterloo was promoted, resulting in the construction of the Berlin and Waterloo Street Railway in 1888. It
6954-633: The bank of the Grand River opposite Doon, and Betzner and his wife settled on the west bank of the Grand, on a farm near the village of Blair. The homes built by the next generation of these families still stand as of March 2021, on what is now Pioneer Tower Road in Kitchener and have been listed as historically important; the John Betzner homestead (restored) and the David Schoerg farmstead (not yet restored) were erected circa 1830. By 1800,
SECTION 60
#17327802615147068-443: The community. The 1826–1837 cholera pandemic affected Bridgeport in 1832 and Berlin in 1834. Hamilton , then a significant port of entry for immigrants to Canada, was linked to the 1832 outbreak, which also affected other nearby settlements such as Guelph and Brantford. At Bridgeport, two English families who had recently arrived from Suffolk contracted the disease after passing through Hamilton, and several died after arriving at
7182-464: The community. They also spread it to an already-settled family, the Hemblings, a number of whom also died, including adults. Orphaned children from these families were later adopted by local Mennonites. The Smith's Canadian Gazetteer of 1846 describes Berlin as: "... contains about 400 inhabitants, who are principally Germans. A newspaper is printed here, called the " German Canadian " and there
7296-425: The corner of present current Queen and Weber streets , Berlin was selected. A courthouse and gaol were built within a few months. The first county council meeting was held in the new facility on 24 January 1853. Both buildings figure in the Canadian Register of Historic Places . The council included 12 members from the five townships and two villages; Dr. John Scott was appointed as the first warden (reeve). In
7410-420: The country of their birth. Anti-German sentiment during World War I was the primary reason for renaming Berlin Kitchener in 1916 to honour British Field Marshal Lord Kitchener , who had died that year when his cruiser was sunk by a German submarine. The Waterloo Pioneer Memorial Tower built in 1926 commemorates the settlement by the Pennsylvania Dutch ( Pennsilfaanisch Deitsch or Pennsylvania German) of
7524-506: The county. During the 2016 Oktoberfest parade, an estimated 150,000 people lined the streets along the route. Granted, some do not consider Oktoberfest to be indicative of German culture in general. "The fact is, Oktoberfest in Germany is a very localized festival. It really is a Munich festival. ... [Oktoberfest in Kitchener] celebrates only a 'tiny aspect' of German culture [Bavarian]", according to German studies professor James Skidmore of
7638-471: The creation of the Berlin Light Commission. Facing a mounting sewage problem, especially as a result of effluent from the town's industrial tanneries , local leaders in Berlin campaigned at a provincial level to be allowed to create a sewage commission, for which there was no provision in provincial legislation. Ultimately, a private bill was passed, allowing Berlin to create the first sewage commission in Canada in 1904. The Berlin and Waterloo Street Railway
7752-452: The expansion of the Neutral people to the Kitchener-Waterloo area sometime in the 1300s in what is referred to as the Woodland Period (900BC to 1650AD). A history states that at least two "aboriginal settlements from the 1500s can now be identified near Schneider and Strasburg Creeks" with some artifacts having been found under the city from a thousand years ago. The Iroquoian people grew crops such as corn, beans and squash. The finds include
7866-438: The first buildings in Berlin had been built, and over the next decade, several families made the difficult trip north to what was then known as the Sandhills. One of these Mennonite families, arriving in 1807, was the Schneiders, whose restored 1816 home (the oldest building in the city) is now a National Historic Site and museum in the heart of Kitchener. Other families whose names can still be found in local place names were
7980-558: The following years, the region's physical and social infrastructure developed to include roads, bridges, agricultural societies, markets, and schools. The Grand Trunk railway reached Berlin in 1856, accelerating industrial growth. Over the next decade, comfortable homes replaced the early settlers' log cabins. In 1869, the county built a large " Poorhouse " with an attached farm, the House of Industry and Refuge. It accommodated some 3,200 people before being closed down in 1951 and later demolished. Located on Frederick St. in Kitchener, behind
8094-431: The former Grand River Indian Lands acquired by Beasley and previously owned by the Six Nations Indians . Many farms were 400 or more acres in size. Most settlers before 1830 were Pennsylvania Mennonites, often called Pennsylvania Dutch (an anglicization of Deutsch ) because of the German dialect they spoke from their origins in Germany and Switzerland. By the early 1800s, a corduroy road had been built along what
8208-437: The health impact of air pollution and desire for "country air"; the ability for people to commute longer distances being enabled by motor vehicles; the availability of large, cheap plots of development land; an increasing emphasis on the "restricted residential subdivision" and restrictive covenants barring industrial and commercial development in exclusive residential neighbourhoods (an antecedent to modern zoning ); and
8322-505: The historian Adam Crerar as being influenced by voter intimidation , with soldiers of the 118th Battalion keeping potential name change opponents away from the polls; the referendum passed by a narrow margin. A second referendum in June, to choose the new name, saw the name "Kitchener" chosen with only 346 votes. In September, the city of 19,000 people was renamed. Of the cities that are now part of Waterloo Region, Berlin, now Kitchener, has
8436-436: The importance of Canadians of German ethnicity (regardless of their origin) in a speech: "It is of great interest to me that many of the citizens of Berlin are of German descent. I well know the admirable qualities – the thoroughness, the tenacity, and the loyalty of the great Teutonic Race, to which I am so closely related. I am sure that these inherited qualities will go far in the making of good Canadians and loyal citizens of
8550-479: The incidents with the bust suggest, there was certainly some anti-German sentiment in Canada. Some immigrants from Germany who considered themselves Canadians but were not yet citizens, were detained in internment camps. There were some cultural sanctions on German communities in Canada, and that included Berlin. However, by 1919 most of the population of what would become Kitchener, Waterloo and Elmira were "Canadian"; over 95 percent had been born in Ontario. Those of
8664-501: The incorrectly called Pennsylvania Dutch , actually Pennsilfaanisch Deitsch (German, not modern Dutch). (This dialect is different from Standard German with a simplified grammatical structure, some differences in vocabulary and pronunciation and a greater influence of English.) The combination of various types of German-speaking groups was a notable factor in the history of Waterloo County. The two groups spoke similar dialects and were able to understand each other quite easily and there
8778-608: The landscape. Advancements in technologies including less portable stone tools such as axes and adzes, more intricate tools made of animal bone such as fish hooks, gorges, and harpoons, and the entrance of Indigenous copper tools into the archaeological record is characteristic of this time period. More than two dozen archaeological sites from the Archaic Period have been documented in the Waterloo Region alone including campsites, tool manufacturing sites, and cemeteries. Archaeologist Gary Warrick of Wilfrid Laurier University dates
8892-681: The line reached Hespeler, Berlin (Kitchener) and Waterloo; by 1916 it had been extended to Brantford/Port Dover. The electric rail system ended passenger services in April, 1955. Some sources estimate that roughly 50,000 European Germans arrived in the Waterloo area from 1830 to 1860. Unlike the largely German-speaking Mennonites from Pennsylvania, the later arrivals – from Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and present day and Poland, France and Russia, were of other denominations. The first groups were predominantly Roman Catholic; those who arrive later were primarily Lutheran. In 1862, German-speaking groups held
9006-461: The local German population, and while they were proud of their German roots, most considered themselves loyal British subjects. The 1911 Census indicates that of the 15,196 residents in Berlin, Ontario, about 70% were identified as ethnic German but only 8.3% had been born in Germany. By the beginning of the First World War in 1914, Berlin and Waterloo County were still considered to be predominantly German by people across Canada. This would prove to have
9120-436: The local street railway operator. Berlin's character had been predominantly German since Waterloo Township's settlement by Pennsylvania Dutch pioneers in the early 19th century, and its urban growth and industrialization was bolstered in large part by Germans and other peoples from Central and Eastern Europe , who brought with them skills, tools, and machinery, as well as diverse religious and social customs. The outbreak of
9234-425: The log house in 1834, while a schoolhouse was built on Frederick Street about the same time. Benjamin Eby encouraged manufacturers and craftsmen to relocate to Ebytown. Jacob Hoffman came in 1829 or 1830, and started the first furniture factory. John Eby, druggist and chemist, arrived from Pennsylvania in about 1820, and opened a shop to the west of what would later be Eby Street. At the time, settlers commonly formed
9348-592: The model subdivision in Montreal, such as Belmont Avenue. It was the brainchild of a local rubber magnate, Talmon Henry Rieder, who was heavily connected to Montreal business interests and who oversaw the 1912 construction of the Dominion Tire Plant on nearby Strange Street. Rieder was inspired by the turn-of-the-century City Beautiful movement , which was focused in large part on construction of monumental civic architecture and urban beautification; it
9462-597: The name change. Initially serving local farmers, Galt's industrial development in the late 1830s eventually earned it the nickname "The Manchester of Canada". It remained the area's main town until Berlin overtook it at the beginning of the 20th century. According to the City of Waterloo, indigenous people lived in the area, including the Haudenosaunee , Anishinaabe and the Neutral Nation . One report states that at least two "aboriginal settlements from
9576-566: The now Frederick Street Mall, it sought to help indigents and convicts before social welfare programmes became available. A 2009 report by the Toronto Star stated that "pauperism was considered a moral failing that could be erased through order and hard work". A new streetcar system, the Galt, Preston and Hespeler electric railway (later called the Grand River Railway ) began operation in 1894, connecting Preston and Galt. In 1911,
9690-490: The poor also were nearby, including "inmates" of the house who had died. On 9 June 1912, Berlin was designated a city. At this time, the City Hall was in the two-story building at King and Frederick Streets that had also been used as the Berlin town hall, completed in 1869 by builder Jacob Y. Shantz . During its tenure, the structure was also used as a library, theatre, post/telegraph office, market, and jail. That building
9804-608: The population above 673,910 people. Waterloo Region forms the tenth-largest metropolitan area in Canada , with recent population growth almost entirely fuelled by international students . In 2016, the Kitchener-Waterloo-Cambridge area was rated Canada's third-best area to find full-time employment. The region was formerly called Waterloo County , created in 1853 and dissolved in 1973. The county consisted of five townships: North Dumfries, Waterloo, Wellesley, Wilmot, and Woolwich. Early Archaic hunters of
9918-400: The population of Waterloo Township, within Waterloo County, consisted primarily of Pennsylvania Mennonites and German immigrants who had brought money with them. Many spoke no English. There were now eight grist and twenty saw mills in the township. In 1846 the village of Waterloo had a population of 200, "mostly Germans". It had a grist mill, a sawmill and some tradesmen. Berlin (Kitchener) had
10032-423: The press on August 27, 1835. Written mostly in German with some English articles, it was published for five years. By the 1840s, the growing German-speaking population had made the area a popular choice for German immigrants. They founded communities in the south of the Mennonite area. The largest was Berlin (now Kitchener). In 1841, the population count was 4,424. Smith's Canadian Gazetteer of 1846 states that
10146-407: The public school ratepayers in their area. Four trustees are elected in Kitchener, three trustees are elected in each of Waterloo/Wilmot and Cambridge/North Dumfries and one trustee represents Elmira/Woolwich. Although trustees are elected in specific areas, once they are elected they must represent the entire region. Annually, two students are elected by their peers to represent the student voice on
10260-414: The region by John Eby in the 1830s, and several gristmills and sawmills were erected throughout the area, most notably Joseph Schneider's 1816 sawmill, John and Abraham Erb 's grist- and sawmills, Jacob Shantz's sawmill, and Eby's cider mill. Schneider built Berlin's first road, from his home to the corner of King Street and Queen Street (then known as Walper Corner). The settlers raised $ 1,000 to extend
10374-486: The regions's first furniture factory. Immigration continued strongly in the 1820s, driven by a severe agricultural depression in Lancaster County. John Eby, druggist and chemist, arrived from Pennsylvania about 1820 and opened a shop west of present-day Eby Street. In the same year, after clearing a farm and creating a rough road, Joseph Schneider built a frame house on the south side of the future Queen Street;
10488-403: The remains of a First Nations village, estimated to be 500 years old, discovered in 2010 in the Strasburg Creek area of Kitchener. The inhabitants are thought to be ancestors of the Neutral Nation ; artifacts found include the remains of longhouses, tools made of bone and of stone and arrowheads. One archaeologist stated that they discovered "artifacts going back as far as 9,000 years". In 2020,
10602-492: The renovated home still stands. The settlement around "Schneider's Road" became the nucleus of Berlin. In 1830, Phineas Varnum established the centre of later Berlin (Kitchener). Leasing land from Joseph Schneider, he opened a blacksmith shop on the site of the later Walper House (now the Walper Hotel ). A tavern and store opened there at the same time. Still considered a hamlet, Ebytown became Berlin in 1833. By 1830,
10716-625: The rise of the automobile industry in Canada, and indirectly to the growth of automobile-linked suburbs. Lands formerly in the rural Waterloo Township were annexed to the city, ensuring suburban access to municipal services. Westmount's planners distinguished the suburb from Kitchener's urban core in fundamental ways, such as the adoption of wandering, curvilinear roads combined with a more traditionally urban grid pattern. Many streets were originally intended to be wide boulevards , with some, such as Union Boulevard, planned to be as wide as 80 feet (24 m). Winding streets and picturesque vistas were
10830-706: The road from Walper Corner to Huether Corner, where the Huether Brewery was built and the Huether Hotel now stands in the city of Waterloo; a petition to the government for $ 100 to assist in completing the project was denied. Members of the Eby family, most notably Benjamin Eby , began migrating to the German Company Tract lands in the first decade of the 19th century. The Ebys were an old Swiss Mennonite family with an association with religious non-conformist movements in Europe going back possibly as far as
10944-498: The rural areas and small communities. Before and during World War I, there was some anti-German sentiment in Canada and some cultural sanctions on the community, particularly in Berlin, Ontario. However, by 1919 most of the population of what would become Kitchener-Waterloo and Elmira were Canadian by birth; over 95 percent had been born in Ontario. Those of the Mennonite religion were pacifist, so they could not enlist, while others who were not born in Canada refused to fight against
11058-476: The school board. They have a voice at the table but no binding vote. Every year in December, the trustees elect a chair and vice-chair for the coming year. Board policy dictates that no one may serve in either role for more than two consecutive years. In 2016, the trustees published a new Strategic Plan consisting of three priorities to provide "first-class public education to Waterloo Region". In January 2018,
11172-486: The school community: students, parents, guardians, volunteers, staff and visitors. In 2017 It's OK to be white posters were taped to the doors of two collegiate institutes. A spokesman for the school board said "Our schools are safe spaces. We want to see them be safe for all of our children, so to see this kind of thing emerge is a worry." Regional Municipality of Waterloo, Ontario The Regional Municipality of Waterloo ( Waterloo Region or Region of Waterloo )
11286-547: The settlement by the Pennsylvania 'Dutch' (actually Pennsilfaanisch Deitsch , or German) of the Grand River area of Waterloo County. The Kitchener–Waterloo Oktoberfest is a remembrance of the region's German heritage. The event includes beer halls and German entertainment. The second largest Oktoberfest in the world, the event is based on the original German Oktoberfest and is billed as "Canada's Greatest Bavarian Festival". It attracts an average of 700,000 people to
11400-569: The strongest German heritage because of the high levels of settlement in this area by German-speaking immigrants. While those from Pennsylvania were the most numerous until about 1840, a few Germans from Europe began arriving in 1819, including Fredrick Gaukel, a hotel keeper, being one of the first. He built what later became the Walper House in Berlin. Two streets in present-day Kitchener, Frederick and Gaukel Streets, are named after him. Other German-speaking immigrants from Europe arrived during
11514-453: The township. In 1841, the township population count was 4,424. The first cemetery in the city was the one next to Pioneer Tower in Doon; the first recorded burial at that location was in 1806. The cemetery at First Mennonite church is not as old, but contains the graves of some notable citizens, including Bishop Benjamin Eby, who died in 1853, Joseph Schneider, and Rev. Joseph Cramer, founder of
11628-419: The tract into lots to sell to Scottish settlers. He and American-born miller, Absalom Shade, chose the confluence of Mill Creek and the Grand River to found Shade's Mills. In 1825, the growing settlement had a post office. Despite settlers' reluctance, Dickson renamed the settlement Galt in honour of John Galt, a Scottish novelist and Canada Company Commissioner. Galt's visit in 1827 brought wider acceptance to
11742-557: The village of Preston was a thriving business centre under the impulse of Jacob Hespeler , a native of Württemberg . He later moved to the village of New Hope, renamed Hespeler in 1857 in recognition of his enterprise and public service. Jacob Beck, from the Grand Duchy of Baden, founded the village of Baden in Wilmot Township and started a foundry and machine shop. Jacob Beck was the father of Sir Adam Beck , founder of
11856-656: The wake of a smallpox epidemic and European incursions, the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) and the Wendat (Huron) Confederacies waged war from 1642 to 1650. Invasion by the Haudenosaunee's Seneca and Mohawk nations ended Attawandaron independence. In 1784, in recognition of Haudenosaunee support during the American War of Independence and the consequent loss of its land in New York state, the British government granted
11970-490: The war effort, the city's German community was subjected to physical violence and attacks on property by soldiers of the 118th Battalion of the Canadian Expeditionary Force . In a set of referendums in 1916 , Berlin was renamed to Kitchener, after Herbert Kitchener, 1st Earl Kitchener , a British field marshal . The first referendum vote in May, to change the name from Berlin, was characterized by
12084-582: The west bank of the Grand River, on a farm near an area that is now the village of Blair. As of March 2021, the homes built by these families' next generation still stand on Pioneer Tower Road, Kitchener. Built circa 1830, they are listed as historically important: the John Betzner homestead (restored) and the David Schoerg farmstead (not yet restored). Other settlers followed, mostly from Pennsylvania, and also purchased land in Block Number 2, German Company Tract from Richard Beasley who had acquired
12198-434: Was John Richard Eden , who would later become mayor of the town in 1899. The parks board was followed in 1899 by a water commission, whose creation was heavily supported by local industrialists following a devastating fire at a local factory in 1896, as well as due to the need by many industries for a reliable water supply. The town's local gas plant and electric utility was similarly municipalized in 1903, resulting in
12312-516: Was demolished in 1924 and replaced by a new structure behind it, designed by architects William Schmalz and Bernal Jones, featuring a classical-revival style and a large civic square in front. Demolished in 1973, and replaced by an office tower and the Market Square shopping mall , the old City Hall's clock tower was later (1995) erected in Victoria Park. The building was not replaced by the current Kitchener City Hall on King Street until 1993;
12426-407: Was dragged through the streets. German clubs were ransacked through the course of the war. It was just a really nasty time period." Someone stole the bust of Kaiser Wilhelm from Victoria Park; soldiers vandalized German stores and ransacked Berlin's ethnic clubs. History professor Mark Humphries summarized the situation: Before the war, most people in Ontario probably didn't give the German community
12540-524: Was electrified in 1895, making it the first electric railway in Berlin, though not the first in the county, as the Galt and Preston Street Railway had opened with electric operation in 1894. This was followed by the construction of the Preston and Berlin Street Railway in 1904, which connected Berlin to Preston (now a part of Cambridge) to the southeast. In 1869, the county government built
12654-552: Was no apparent conflict between the Germans from Europe and those who came from Pennsylvania. Some sources estimate that roughly 50,000 Germans directly from Europe settled in and around Waterloo County, between the 1830s and 1850s. Unlike the predominantly Mennonite settlers from Pennsylvania, the majority of Germans from Europe were of other denominations: most in the first groups were Catholic and those who arrived later were primarily Lutheran. In 1862, German-speaking groups held
12768-416: Was renovated over a century later and still stands. The village centre of Ebytown was established in 1830 by Phineas Varnum, who leased land from Joseph Schneider and opened a blacksmith shop on the site where a hotel would be built many years later, the Walper House. A tavern was also established here at the same time, and a store was opened. At the time, the settlement of Ebytown was still considered to be
12882-582: Was soon also taken over and municipalized. Kitchener was the first city in Ontario to get hydroelectric power in long-distance transmission lines from Niagara Falls, on October 11, 1910. The growing roster of public utilities managed by the Light Commission led to its reorganization into the Kitchener Public Utilities Commission in 1924, which operated as the municipal gas, electric, and light utility, as well as
12996-468: Was stolen again February 15, 1916, marched through the streets by a mob, made up largely of soldiers from the 118th Battalion , and has never been seen again. The 118th Battalion is rumoured to have melted down the bust to make napkin rings given to its members. A monument with a plaque outlining the story of the original bust was erected in 1996 in the location of the original bust and its stand. As
#513486