This is a walk through the historic core of Waterloo, Ontario. The Village of Waterloo was incorporated in 1857, and Mennonites had started settling in this area more than 50 years before that. The City if Waterloo was incorporated in 1948, and celebrated its 50th anniversary in 1998.
On our tour, we'll be looking at the entire range of Waterloo history -- from an 1812 home, to a recreation complex and an art gallery from the 1990s. You can take a look at the tour map for an overview.
In the real world, this would be a walkable distance (although not too many people other than students do much walking in this town). But on this tour, your feet won't get sore and you won't have to deal with humid air or icy sidewalks. You don't even have to be in town -- although the local businesses would certainly appreciate it if you made the trip.
For additional information on life and business in Waterloo -- and its evolution from a mill town, to a brewing and distilling centre and the insurance capital of Canada, to a university city and the heart of "Canada's Technology Triangle" -- see the other Waterloo guides on this site.
We begin just across the city boundary on King Street and work our way north into the core of UpTown Waterloo -- with an optional sprint through the universities a bit further to the north. The tour stops are arranged in order, but you can use the navigation bar on the left to jump to sites of particular interest.
Ready to begin? Just click on the "next" arrow below.
Written by Gary Will
gary@garywill.com
Text and photographs copyright © 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000 by Gary Will. All rights reserved.