Cambridge, Ontario
43°26′N 80°19′W / 43.433°N 80.317°W
City of Cambridge | |
|---|---|
 Seal | |
| Motto(s): A fine place for business, a great place to call home. | |
 | |
| Country | Canada |
| Province | Ontario |
| Region | Waterloo Region |
| Established | January 1973 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Doug Craig |
| • Governing Body | Cambridge City Council |
| Area | |
• Total | 112.82 km2 (43.56 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 329 m (1,079 ft) |
| Population | |
• Total | 120,371 |
| • Density | 1,066.5/km2 (2,762/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| Postal code span | N1(P-T); N3(C-H) |
| Area code | 519/226 |
| Website | City of Cambridge website |
Cambridge (2006 population 120,371) is a city located in Southern Ontario on the Grand River and Speed River in the Region of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.
History
History of the City of Cambridge
Cambridge began as a composite city in 1973, when the three municipalities of Galt, Preston and Hespeler and the settlement of Blair were amalgamated into a single legal entity under a new name. (A new name that was not so very new -- Preston was once known as Cambridge Mills.) Each of the communities possessed a long and proud history and there was considerable resistance among the local population to this "shotgun marriage" arranged by the Provincial government. A healthy sense of rivalry had always governed relations among our three communities. Even today, while our residents will tell the outside world that they call Cambridge home, they will often identify themselves to each other as citizens of Galt or Preston or Hespeler.
While the original communities have come together well in the years since amalgamation they began life apart and as a result Cambridge is blessed with not one but three historic core commercial areas to preserve for future generations. As Cambridge has developed and the open spaces between the original municipalities have been filled in a fourth commercial core, entirely modern in its construction has emerged, a core that cannot be claimed for any one part of the city but only for Cambridge as a whole. And, as one of the very few cities outside of Metro Toronto to have the Macdonald-Cartier Freeway (401) running through its midst and not along its edges, it is well poised to take advantage of all opportunities for growth now and in the future.[1]
Galt covers the largest portion of Cambridge, taking up the southern half of the city. Prestonis located on the western side of the city while Hespeler is the most north-easterly section of Cambridge.
The first mayor of Cambridge was Claudette Miller, who at the time was one of the few female mayors, and at 35 the youngest mayor, in Canada.
On May 17, 1974 flooding on the Grand River was so intense it filled city streets with water to a depth of about four feet. Hundreds of businesses and homes were severely damaged.
History of the City of Galt
In 1784 the British Crown granted to the Six Nations Indians, in perpetuity, all the land along the Grand River six miles (10 km) deep on each side of the river from its source to Lake Erie. The Indians, led by Joseph Brant, had the land surveyed in 1791 and divided into Indian Reserve lands as well as large tracts which they intended to sell to land developers. One such developer was the Honourable William Dickson who, in 1816, came into sole possession of 90,000 acres (360 km2) of land along the Grand River that was later to make up North and South Dumfries Townships.
It was Mr. Dickson's intention to divide the land into smaller lots that would be sold primarily to the Scottish settlers that he hoped to attract to Canada. In the company of Absalom Shade, Mr. Dickson immediately toured his new lands with the intention of developing a town site that would serve as the focal point for his attempts to populate the countryside. They chose the site where Mill Creek flows into the Grand River and in 1816 the settlement of Shade's Mills was born. The new settlement grew slowly but by 1825, though still very small, was the largest settlement in the area and was important enough to obtain a post office. Mr. Dickson decided that a new name was needed for the Post Office and consequently the settlement and he chose Galt in honour of the Scottish novelist and Commissioner of the Canada Company, John Galt. The settlers resisted the introduction of the new name preferring the more familiar Shade's Mills. However, after Mr. Galt visited Mr. Dickson in the settlement in 1827 the name Galt received more wide spread acceptance. In its early days Galt was an agricultural community serving the needs of the farmers in the surrounding countryside. By the late 1830's, however, the settlement began to develop an industrial capacity and reputation for quality products that in later years earned the town the nickname "The Manchester of Canada". Galt was the largest and most important town in the area until the beginning of the 20th century when it was finally overtaken by Kitchener. The town continued its steady if unspectacular growth and reveled in its reputation as an industrial town whose products reached all over the globe.[2]
History of the Town of Preston
The story of Preston Ontario Canada begins in the early 1800's with the arrival of a group of German speaking Mennonites from Pennsylvania. The land upon which they settled was acquired from the Six Nations Indians through a land speculator named Richard Beasley.
Among the first settlers to arrive in what was later to become Preston was John Erb who acquired 7,500 acres (30 km2) including land at the confluence of the Grand and Speed Rivers. Mr. Erb and his wife settled on his Speed River lands in 1805 and built a sawmill on the banks of the river in 1806. A gristmill followed in 1807. The sawmill has long since disappeared but the gristmill was the beginning of a flour milling business that has operated continuously on that spot to the present day. The site is recognized as the oldest continuously operating industrial site in the region.
It was around Mr. Erb's mills, known locally as Cambridge Mills, that the settlement that grew into Preston began. It was not Mr. Erb's intent, however, to create a town. Mr. Erb consistently refused to sell land for commercial development and it was not until after his death in 1832 that his lands to the south of the Speed River were surveyed and divided into lots.
The task of surveying the land fell to William Scollick, a surveyor, conveyancer and Justice of the Peace from Preston, Lancashire, England, who completed the survey of Mr. Erb's lands in 1834. The linear shape of the survey with virtually all the buildings in the settlement stretched out along the Great Road from Dundas is said to have reminded Mr. Scollick of his native town in England and he gave the name of Preston to the settlement.
The sale of the newly surveyed lands immediately attracted a significant number of tradesmen, artisans and craftsmen primarily young German immigrants who had recently arrived in North America. These men saw a place where the German language was spoken, where much of the land had been cleared and where there was an acute shortage of skilled artisans and craftsmen. The population grew rapidly from about 250 inhabitants in 1836 to about 1600 in 1855. Of these approximately 70% were German in origin. Preston's location on the Great Road into the interior of the province made it a natural stop for travelers and with its eight hotels and taverns attracted more Europeans than any other village in the area.
By the middle of the nineteenth century these European travelers were being joined in increasing numbers by people who were attracted to the town's mineral springs which were thought to possess remarkable curative powers in the treatment of a variety of ailments. The springs were discovered accidentally in 1837 by a member of the Erb family who was drilling for salt and found instead "stinky water". The water, with its high sulphur content, was well named and was initially thought to be worthless. It was not long, however, before some enterprising businessmen and medical practitioners let it be known that the mineral springs, while not heated like that of some European health spas, could offer relief if not an outright cure for a number of ailments including arthritis and rheumatism. Soon three major hotels, first the North American and later the Del Monte and finally the Sulphur Springs, sprang up to serve the well-heeled clientele which began to arrive in Preston from all over North America to "take the waters".
While the town became an important destination for those seeking to re-new their sometimes fragile health, the well-being of the town itself was in question. Between 1861 and 1871 Preston's population declined from 1539 to 1409 and showed only a marginal increase to 1419 by 1881. It was not until 1891 that the population once again began to increase and it was not until 1900 that the population broke through the 2,000 barrier. Part of the reason for this turnaround can be traced to the coming of the electric railway systems that began to serve the community in 1894. The idea of an electric railway to connect Preston with Galt, its larger neighbour to the southeast, was first proposed in 1890. At first, Preston's town council was not eager to get the town involved in a potentially hazardous railway scheme and it was not until 1893 that Preston council decided to enter negotiations. In many ways, the building of the electric railway marked Preston's emergence from its well earned identity as a "sleepy German town" where very little happened to a much more energetic presence in the region.
A steady growth followed and the decades of the 1950's and the 1960's saw the continuing growth of Preston's industrial base and the gradual expansion of the town toward the borders of its nearest neighbours Galt and Hespeler.[3]
History of the Town of Hespeler
The area that eventually came to be occupied by the town of Hespeler was originally part of the land granted to the Six Nations Indians by the British Crown in 1784. The Indians led by Joseph Brant decided to sell a part of their grant and had the land surveyed. In 1798 a block of land, known as Block 2 and measuring over 90,000 acres (360 km2) was sold to Richard Beasley and his partners who looked to resell the land in small parcels. This land came to the attention of a group of Mennonites in Pennsylvania who were looking for land on which to settle.
The first of the Pennsylvanian Mennonites to own land in the Hespeler area was Abraham Clemens who arrived in 1809 having purchased 515 acres (2.1 km2) from Mr. Beasley. The following year Cornelius Pannabecker, said to be Hespeler's first blacksmith, arrived and sometime thereafter built a forge on his farm in the Beaverdale area.
In 1830 Joseph Oberholtzer purchased a large tract of land from Abram Clemens. This tract included much of the future site of the settlement of Hespeler. At about the same time Mr. Oberholtzer deeded some of this land to his sister Susanna who had recently arrived with her husband Michael Bergey. The Bergeys settled on the land and are considered to be Hespeler's first residents. The settlement's first name, Bergeytown, commemorates their arrival. This name did not last long, however, and by the mid-1830's the settlement was known as New Hope.
It was to the settlement of New Hope that Jacob Hespeler, for whom the town was later renamed, brought many of his hopes and ambitions in 1845. That year Mr. Hespeler purchased a total of 145 acres (0.59 km2) fronting on the Speed River. He then proceeded to build an industrial complex that would provide the footings for the settlement's later industrial strength. The incorporation of the settlement of New Hope as the village of Hespeler in 1859 was due, in no small part, to the efforts of Mr. Hespeler and was, in part, made possible by the arrival of the Great Western Railway to New Hope on its route from Galt to Guelph. The presence of the railway construction crews in the vicinity of New Hope encouraged Mr. Hespeler to call for a census of the settlement in 1857 hoping to find enough "residents" to qualify for incorporation under the terms of the Ontario Municipal Act of 1849. Incorporation was essential to Mr. Hespeler's plans for the settlement that could then separate from the county and elect its own Council. This Council would then have jurisdiction over all aspects of roads and bridges and a variety of other issues the most important of which were the location of industries and the ability to make provisions for fire protection and public health. The census was duly taken and on July 31, 1858 the government of her majesty Queen Victoria proclaimed that the settlement of New Hope would become an incorporated Village of Hespeler effective January 1, 1859. Over the following years the community continued its slow but steady growth and in January 1901, Hespeler attained a new status when it was incorporated as a town.
The town's industrial strength continued throughout the 20th century even though the population remained small reaching the 6,000 level only in the late 1960's. Despite its small size, the town was the home of Dominion Woollens and Worsteds Ltd., one of the largest textile producers in the country. The general decline of the Canadian textile trade in the years following World War II had a major effect on the town, as its largest employer could no longer compete on the world stage. The town was successful in attracting new businesses but remained in the shadow of its larger neighbours.[4]
History of the Village of Blair
The settlement of the area around what was to become Blair began in 1800 with the arrival of Samuel D. Betzner, one of a group of German-speaking Mennonites who originated in Pennsylvania. The land they settled on had recently been acquired from the Six Nations Indians through a land speculator named Richard Beasley. Upon their arrival, the Mennonites immediately set about clearing the land and it was only by chance that their leaders learned sometime later that Mr. Beasley had overextended his finances. This was of significance to the Mennonites because Mr. Beasley's creditors had placed a lien against the land the Mennonites had recently purchased, thereby calling into question the Mennonite ownership of the lands. Now in a precarious legal position regarding the land yet unwilling to walk away from their new homes, the Mennonites created a land development company known as the German Company and, in 1803, purchased an additional 60,000 acres (240 km2) of unsurveyed land from Mr. Beasley. The money they paid for this land would be used to pay off Mr. Beasley's creditors, thus ensuring that the Mennonites obtained clear title to their lands.
Although he was the first settler in Blair and Cambridge, Samuel D. Betzner had little influence on the development of the community. He purchased the block of land that would later hold the bulk of the village and cleared and farmed a portion of this parcel, but he sold the property to Joseph Bowman in 1817 and moved to West Flamboro. Rather than the Betzners, it was the Bowman and Bechtel families who are credited with initiating the development of the village of Blair.
Joseph Bowman built the first dam in the village, located on Bowman Creek, and erected the area's first sawmill, a business that represented the first industrial enterprise in the village. In 1846, Samuel B. Bowman, one of Joseph Bowman's sons, built a four-storey flour mill on the site now occupied by the Blair Flour Mill.
In about 1876 the Sheaves Tower, sometimes known as the Power Tower, was built by Allan Bowman to provide extra power for the flour-mill. The tower was erected on Bowman Creek and was located two hundred and forty feet from the mill. It was thirty-one feet high and had a twelve-foot square base. Inside was a water-powered turbine that turned a vertical shaft that ran from the turbine to a horizontal shaft mounted at the top of the tower. The horizontal shaft extended through the east wall where it was attached to an eight-foot diameter cast-iron wheel. The wheel was designed to permit installation of hardwood blocks around the rim. The blocks had deep grooves or sheaves cut into them through which ran a wire cable. This cable was connected to a similar wheel attached to the west side of the mill. To keep the tower from collapsing from the strain imposed by the cable, a brace cable was installed on the backside of the tower. The Sheaves Tower is particularly significant because it represents a unique method of the mechanical transfer of power and may be the only early example of this technology still extant.
Like many mills of its day, the Bowman mill had a second identity and was also known as the Carlisle Mill. This name was extended, for a time, to the whole village, which was known locally as Carlisle until 1858 when a post office was opened there. Since a Carlisle post office already existed in Ontario, a new name was needed for the new post office. The name chosen was Blair, selected in honour of Adam Johnston Fergusson-Blair, the first judge of Wellington District and a colonel in the local militia. He won election to the Upper Canada legislature in 1850 and won re-election by acclamation in both 1854 and 1857.
The village of Blair had a number of other names in its early history. One was Durham or Durhamville, derived from the Durham Flour Mill built by Henry Bechtel in the early 1830s. Another name was Lamb's Bridge, which was used for a short time in the early 1850s in recognition of John Lamb's Tavern and store, located at the village end of the bridge that spanned the Grand River. The first recorded name for the settlement was Shinglebridge, from the shingle-roofed covered bridge that crossed the Grand River at the settlement as early as 1835. The covered bridge was severely damaged by ice in January 1857 and was replaced by an iron bridge that remained in use until 1957. This iron bridge was demolished in 1958, leaving only the support piers still to be seen in the river today.[5]
Government
Cambridge City Council consists of six councillors, each representing a ward, and a mayor. The current mayor of Cambridge is Doug Craig.
City Councillors by Ward:
» Ward 1 Rick Cowsill
» Ward 2 Karl Kiefer
» Ward 3 Linda Whetham
» Ward 4 Ben Tucci
» Ward 5 Pam Wolf
» Ward 6 Gary Price
The City of Cambridge also has seats on Region of Waterloo council. Cambridge is represented by 3 members.
» Cambridge Mayor Doug Craig
» Regional Councillor Jane Brewer
» Regional Councillor Claudette Millar
Municipal Services
The City is responsible for Community Services, Economic Development, Transportation & Public Works, Corporate Services, Fire Department and Planning Services. Many municipal services are provided through the Regional Municipality of Waterloo (often referred to as Waterloo Region or the Region of Waterloo), which consists of the cities of Cambridge, Kitchener, and Waterloo, and the townships of Woolwich, Wilmot, Wellesley, and North Dumfries. Region of Waterloo responsibilities include Social Services, Community Health Services, Grand River Transit and Community Policing through Waterloo Regional Police Service.
Geography
Cambridge's Climate
The climate in Cambridge is typical of south central Ontario, with mostly moderate winters and the occasional deep freeze. In summer, the temperatures tend to be in the high twenties, and like most of southern Ontario, there are several days of high humidity.
Economy
In 1988, Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada opened a plant in Cambridge, which employed 4,518 people as of December 2005 and is by far the city's largest employer. Although highly beneficial to the town, traffic issues caused by slow-moving and long trains passing through main traffic routes to deliver material to the plant have caused some frustration in residents. Several other industrial companies also call Cambridge home, including Gerdau Ameristeel, ATS Automation Tooling Systems,Loblaw Companies Limited, Cambridge Memorial Hospital, Challenger Motor Freight Inc., Sutherland-Schultz Inc., Canadian General-Tower Ltd., iQor, Frito-Lay Canada (formerly Hostess), Babcock and Wilcox, Northstar Aerospace, Rockwell Automation and Com Dev.
Education
In 2004 Canadian Architect Magazine selected the Hespeler Library design as one of the top ten projects across Canada. It is often described by architects as a proverbial “ship-in-a-bottle” for the way it subsumes the historical structure.
A satellite campus of Conestoga College is located within the city, and the University of Waterloo School of Architecture has moved to downtown Cambridge. The University of Waterloo School of Architecture moved into the Riverside Silk Mill, also known as the “Tiger Brand” building. It was originally built in 1919, and had stood empty until 2000 when UW took it over with the support of community partners and multiple levels of government. Renovations were designed by Levitt Goodman Architects, Toronto. The three-level, 85,000-square-foot (7,900 m2) facility now accommodates about 400 architecture students, faculty and staff members. Inside the building there is a theatre, fitness room and the gallery “Design at Riverside,” which is one of only two publicly funded galleries dedicated to architecture in Canada. The gallery is funded by the Cambridge Public Library system with art exhibition spaces at Queen's Square in Galt and in Preston.
The University of Waterloo School of Architecture in Cambridge recently completed the Grand House Cooperative, $1.1 million (Canadian) project demonstrating affordable and environmentally friendly architecture. Perched on the side of a hill, atop giant steel I-beams resembling stilts, the three-story building comprises 12 bedrooms, two kitchens, four bathrooms, and a common living area. This project was built by the University of Waterloo School of Architecture students and staff, and members of the community. The City of Cambridge helped the project by donating the land, worth $55,000, as well as other significant contributions.
Public English-language schooling is provided by the Waterloo Region District School Board, which operates 26 elementary and five secondary schools in Cambridge. High schools in the city include the 150-year-old Galt Collegiate Institute and Vocational School , Ontario's oldest continuously operating public high school. Commonly called the Castle on the Grand because of the architecture and imposing view on the east bank of the River.
Publicly-funded Catholic education is available through schools operated by the Waterloo Catholic District School Board. The WCDSB runs 15 elementary and two secondary schools in the city. Cambridge is also home to the only French Catholic High School in the region; École secondaire Père-René-de-Galinée.
Conestoga College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning have exercised its option to purchase lands strategically located in Cambridge. The 131 acres (0.53 km2) of land located on Fountain Street is adjacent to the main Conestoga campus in Cambridge. The ground breaking will make way for a new School of Engineering Technology specializing in advanced technology programs related to: Robotics, Process Automation, Electronics, Communications, Engineering, and Information Technology. With over 200,000 square feet (19,000 m2) of applied learning and research space, this new addition to Conestoga College will bring to the community a number of new programs aimed at supporting the domestic and international competitiveness of local business and industry partners. Click Here to see the City of Cambridge press release on this purchase.
Attractions
Cambridge is home to many cultural events and activities, including the Mill Race Festival[6] and Rock the Mill[7] music festivals in downtown Galt. There's also the Wings of Paradise[8] butterfly conservatory, the annual dragon boat festival, the Cambridge fall fair which has been entertaining locals and visitors alike for over 100 years, and the Southworks Outlets[9] district.
Cambridge also has the Cambridge Highland Games in Churchill Park in July. The Cambridge Highland Games is a celebration of Scottish and Celtic culture. It starts with a Ceilidh followed by many events such as Putting the Stone, Sheaf Toss, Hammer Throw, Caber Toss, Tug O War, Pipe Bands, an 8 km race as well as a traditional Scottish dance competition.
The Cambridge Riverfest is an annual gathering to promote community spirit within the area. Organized by the City of Cambridge; the Riverfest features Dragon Boat Races as well as other family activities such as live bands. The festival brought in over 2,000 people in 2008, which makes it a popular event for vendors to advertise.
The Mill Race is a free Festival of Traditional Folk Music, now in its sixteenth year. The day’s events are held on numerous outdoor stages in the town core. Local and internationally renowned performers are selected each year to reflect a most diverse and entertaining mixture of musical cultures. The streets are filled wit the sounds of fiddles while toes defying restraint, must tape merrily to lively jigs, reels and hornpipes. Colourfully costumed dancers will also be on the streets. The children have a specially reserved area with music, dance, clowns and crafts. Local arts, crafts, and food vendors are at the festival site.
A lot of things have come and gone over the years, but one thing remains the same, the Cambridge Santa Claus Parade [1]. This parade is one of the first if not the first city parade in Ontario to go to the night-time format. It was also the first so-called small-market parade to be televised nationally by the Children's television network YTV, based out of Toronto. This was done in 1992, in conjunction with the 125th Anniversary celebrations of Canada's birthday. It has also been documented as having the longest parade by unit in Ontario. The parade is viewed in person by over 30,000 people each year in November, and is televised by Rogers Community Television.
There is also the festive 'Christmas in Cambridge' winter festival at Christmas featuring events like Unsilent Night. Started in New York City, Unsilent Night is a walking event with music. It enables an infinite number of portable music players from participants to come together to create the avant-garde holiday event that is now a tradition in over 35 cities around the world. The City of Cambridge event is unique because it features state of the art Christie digital projection technology. The light installations and projection technology is an enhancement to the program that isn’t available at any other events around the world. University of Waterloo School of Architecture Cambridge students in Dr. Jeff Lederer’s Urban Revitalization and Design class designed the spectacular light installations.
The Cambridge Farmers’ Market has been in operation in the original building on the original site circa 1830; making it the third oldest market in the country. The Cambridge Farmers’ Market is now ranked as one of the top 10 markets in the country by Best Health Magazine. All the vendors come from within a 100 km radius to sell fresh fruits, cheese, vegetables, baked goods and more.
The Cambridge Centre of the Arts is a municipally operated community Arts Centre that enriches and engages area residents, artists and organizations through the provision of quality artistic experiences and opportunities that stimulate, promote and support the arts in Cambridge. Located in what once was the hydro building as part of the civic square, the Arts Centre officially opened May of 2001. Cambridge Galleries are a part of the Cambridge Public Library system with art exhibition spaces at Queen's Square, Preston and the new Design at Riverside location. Together, the three galleries host approximately 23 exhibitions per year reflecting a range of local, regional, provincial, national and international developments in contemporary and historical visual art.
Cambridge City Hall building incorporates features of sustainable design and is the wave of the future in the field of architecture. The new city hall in Cambridge is the first in Canada to receive the gold LEED® award. The atrium’s focal point is a 110 m2 “living wall” of tropical plants. The plants cleanse the air of pollutants such as formaldehyde, volatile organic compounds, dust, and spores. This four-storey high “living wall” enhances the natural beauty of the atrium while providing air purification, cleaning and recirculating air throughout the building. A soothing sound of running water and providing humidity during the winter months are also benefits of the “living wall”. A portion of the roof is made up of native plants, grass and shrubs, rather than asphalt or other granular substances. This “green roof” will retain heat in the winter and cool things off in summer, cutting down on the need for heating and air conditioning. There are more than 3,000 plants utilized for New City Hall. On time and on budget, the $30 million project was financed through the settlement of a loan with the city’s hydro utility. A conservative estimate comparing a standard 85,000-square-foot (7,900 m2) building to the new City Hall LEED® standard building results in a $160,000 savings on energy per year or some $1.6 Million over 10 years.
The Historic City Hall in Cambridge was built in 1858 for $3,650 replacing the original structure built in 1838. It was built of granite and white limestone. Blue granite was used as a decorative feature. These local materials, typical of Galt, are what lead to the city being known as "The Granite City". The bell was placed in the tower in 1863 and rang at 6:00 am, 12:00 pm, and 6:00 pm. Galt was said to have the finest Council Chambers this side of Toronto. By 1965 the Historic City Hall was renovated, installing an elevator in the building. In 1990 the Historic City Hall was further renovated to become the permanent home of the Cambridge archives. Today, the Historic City Hall and the New City Hall are connected by a hallway constructed shortly after the New City Hall was built.
Due to the high number of families in Cambridge, and the absence of a University, the city lacks a youthful nighlife. There is no "club" sector of the city, meaning there is next to no places for young adults to dance or drink. There are relatively few pubs as well, and most of these are populated by the older crowd. Young adults who wish to go to bars in Cambridge will most likely forsake their own city for the neighbouring cities of Waterloo or Guelph.
Demographics
Cambridge has been characterised by rapid growth in recent years. According to the 2006 Census, the city has a population of 120,371. This represents an increase of 9.1 percent, or 10,000 people, in five years. The municipality is 112.86 square kilometres in size (43.58 square miles). According to recent Economic Development estimates, the population of Cambridge for 2009 is 126,000, and the projected population for 2031 is 180,000.
According to the most recent figures, Cambridge is overwhelmingly populated by people of a European ethnic background - 90.2%[10], mostly those of English (31,400), Scottish (20,625), Irish (19,040), German (14,110), Portuguese (10,685) and French (10,040) origins[11]. Many Newfoundlanders (mostly from the Conception Bay and Bell Island area) have migrated to Cambridge, mostly due to the closure of the iron ore mines on Bell Island.[12] There is also a significant Franco-Ontarian population in Cambridge.
The city is largely Christian at 80.2%, followed by non-religious people who number 15%. Muslims and Hindus and other faiths make a little over 5% of the population. Over the last few years the numbers of Indians, Pakistanis and Afghanis moving in from other urban areas or immigrating from their respective countries, has doubled and tripled. Cambridge is also much younger than the national average. 21.6% of the population are under 14 years of age. Only 11% of the population is over 65, resulting in an average age of 35.2, significantly lower than the national average.
Transport
Roads
Cambridge straddles Highway 401, with interchanges at Exit 286 for Townline Road, Exit 284 at Franklin Boulevard which only allows entrance to the freeway from northbound Franklin Boulevard and exiting the freeway to head south on Franklin Boulevard, Exit 282 at Hespeler Road, Exit 278 at Shantz Hill Road/King Street Kitchener, Exit 275 Fountain Street and Homer Watson Blvd., Kitchener, and Exit 268 for Cedar Creek Road. The driving time to downtown Toronto varies between one and one half hours drive for a total distance of about 98 km (60 mi). Lester B. Pearson International Airport is 79 km (49 mi) and will take forty five minutes to drive.
There are two main arterial roads that form an 'X' through the city. The intersecting point is colloquially referred to as the Delta. Unfortunately, the Delta is adjacent to a Canadian Pacific Rail spur and at peak rush hour times, traffic will back up for miles radiating outwards from the Delta. A number of strategies are being investigated to alleviate delays of train building including a possible new bridge. Highway 8 (Ontario) travels through the city as Shantz Hill Road, King Street in Preston, Coronation Boulevard, and Dundas Street, linking Cambridge to Kitchener and Waterloo in the west, and Hamilton in the east. Highway 24 runs through Cambridge as Hespeler Road, Water Street, and Ainslie Street, connecting to Guelph in the northeast and Brantford in the south.
Bridges
Cambridge has some of the most historic bridges in Waterloo Region. The Black Bridge Road Bridge (1916) is Cambridge’s only Truss Bridge and has been designated a heritage site since 1997. It is still driven upon, though it is prone to major flooding and subsequent closure in the spring. The Main Street Bridge (1931) is a bowstring arch bridge made of concrete and is set over the Grand River. Also in Cambridge is the Park Hill Road Bridge (2002), formally known as the Queen Street Bridge (1933). This bridge was one of the three bridges credited with contributing to the development of early Galt. The bridge was reconstructed and widened to four lanes in 2002 retaining much of the original appearance. The Mill Creek Bridge (1837) in Cambridge is the oldest remaining bridge structure and the only stone masonry arch bridge in the Region of Waterloo. In 2007, the Region of Waterloo completed the first pedestrian/cycling bridge to cross the 401. This bridge connects Morningside Drive (Cambridge) with Doon Valley Drive (Kitchener) and is an integral part of the Grand River Trails.
Public transportation
Since 2000, public transport throughout the Region of Waterloo has been provided by Grand River Transit, which was created by a merger of the former Cambridge Transit and Kitchener Transit.
GRT operates a number of routes in Cambridge, four of which travel outside of the city: presently the 52, 61 and 72 buses run to southern Kitchener, while the iXpress limited-stop express route runs from Cambridge through Kitchener to the north end of Waterloo. More than 80 percent of GRT's fleet consists of low-floor vehicles such as the Nova LFS. Low-floor buses run on highly-travelled routes including iXpress, while high-floor vehicles remain operating on routes with low ridership, such as routes 66, 71, and 53. GRT has recently purchased 6 hybrid buses in order to shrink their carbon footprint. Of the 6 hybrid buses, only one operates in Cambridge while the rest operate in Kitchener-Waterloo.
Intercity service is served by Greyhound Lines, from a terminal near Highway 401 and Hespeler Road. Commuter service to and from Toronto is the key routing, and no local trips are permitted to or from Kitchener. Coach Canada, who eventually took over Hamilton Street Railway's Canada Coach Lines from Trentway-Wagar, still run almost every two hours during the daytime between Hamilton and Kitchener, and connect to Niagara Falls. As noted below, other services have been cancelled over the last decade within the region, and between other centres, such as Guelph, Brantford, Elmira, and Tillsonburg.
Railways
Although freight trains serving the Toyota factory are a common sight in Cambridge, the city at present has no passenger rail service. The nearest VIA Rail stations in the Quebec City-Windsor Corridor are Kitchener station, Guelph station, and Brantford's. Public transport connections from Cambridge to the Kitchener station have improved since Grand River Transit's creation and expansion. However, bus service to Guelph and Brantford is very limited after the demise of the Overland Coaches Van service between Guelph and Simcoe in early 2004.
The most easily-accessible GO Transit railway station is Milton station. City councillors, Regional councillors and public petitions have called for the extension of GO trains from Milton to Cambridge, but at present GO's plans to extend train service to Cambridge are beyond the 10-year capital forecast. However, GO bus service between Mississauga, Cambridge, and Kitchener is being introduced in 2009 as a forerunner to GO train service to Kitchener. Greyhound Lines has been reported to be a major player in the proposed bus links between Cambridge and the GTA.
Air
The nearest airport to Cambridge is the Region of Waterloo International Airport in neighboring Breslau, Ontario. While it is a thriving general-aviation field, the airport only offers scheduled flights to Detroit, Ottawa and Rio de Janeiro. In 2007 the airport began adding flights to Cuba, Mexico and Dominican Republic offered by Sunquest Vacations and Signature Vacations. However most air travellers use Toronto's Lester B. Pearson International Airport, Hamilton's John C. Munro International Airport or Buffalo Niagara International Airport in Buffalo, New York.
Sports
Cambridge is the home of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League's Cambridge Winterhawks. The Winterhawks are the winners of the 2006 and 2007 Sutherland Cup.
Cambridge also was the home of the four-time Allan Cup winning Cambridge Hornets of the Original OHA Senior A League, the last OHA Senior A Hockey League, and Major League Hockey. The team folded in 2006 after a dispute with the Ontario Hockey Association involving the use of the phrase "get the puck off the ice."
The City of Cambridge officially completed the COM DEV Indoor Soccer Park October 24th, 2008. The 2.8 million dollar project was funded by the City of Cambridge, COM DEV and the Cambridge Youth Soccer Club. This indoor park will help to accommodate the large number of kids playing soccer in the Waterloo Region.
The City of Cambridge has 6 public skating arenas:
The City of Cambridge has 2 private skating arenas:
The City of Cambridge has 2 Public Indoor Pools:
The City of Cambridge has 3 Public Outdoor Pools:
The City of Cambridge also has 2 Indoor Pools at the Cambridge YMCA.
Politics
Members of Parliament
Location from Cambridge
Cambridge Neighbourhoods
Orientation note: Because Cambridge has three distinct historical business districts surviving from each of its constituent municipalities (from before amalgamation in 1973), it seems more neutral and more convenient to orient people by "the Delta". The Delta is the nickname given to the intersection of Highways 8 and 24 in the industrial zone located where the growing Preston and Galt first came together. These highways cross at a very acute angle, which presents challenges to motorists.
The three boroughs of Cambridge are Galt, Hespeler, and Preston (Blair is part of Preston but is sometimes referred to as its own borough).
The City has 3 surviving central business districts. Often referred to as "Core Areas". Galt City Centre serves as the main Downtown Cambridge. Also the other two core areas include Preston Town Centre and Hespeler Village.
There are numerous desirable neighbourhoods throughout the city such as Woodland Park, Silver Heights, Idywild Estates, and Mill Pond in Hespeler; Nantucket Village, Eagle Valley, and Riverview in Preston; Clemens Mill Village, Country Club Estates, Upper Country Club, Franklin Pond, Greengate Village, The Village on Cambridge Hill, and St Andrews Estates in Galt.
Famous People Who Reside in Cambridge
Professional Wrestlers Derek Graham-Couch (Rory McAllister) and Russell Murray (Robbie McAllister) better known as The Highlanders who wrestled in World Wrestling Entertainment reside in Cambridge. Matthew Graham, an accomplished Minimalist sculptor originally from Cambridge, now resides in Vancouver and New York. Kirk Maltby, hockey player for the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey Leauge, currently has a residence in Cambridge, which he uses during the off-season. Other athletes who have residences in Cambridge include Bryan Little of the Atlanta Thrashers and Todd Bertuzzi of the Calgary Flames, who can often be spotted at the exclusive Deer Ridge Golf Club and Galt Country Club golf courses located in Cambridge.
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References
- ^ City Archives Historical Information-Evolution of Cambridge
- ^ City Archives Historical Information-Evolution of Galt
- ^ City Archives Historical Information-Evolution of Preston
- ^ City Archives Historical Information-Evolution of Hespeler
- ^ City Archives Historical Information-Evolution of Blair
- ^ Mill Race Festival homepage
- ^ Rock the Mill music festival homepage
- ^ Wings of Paradise
- ^ Southworks Outlets
- ^ Cambridge ON statistical data from Statistics Canada
- ^ Cambridge ON ethnicity data from Statistics CanadaSee also Karen Dearlove, "Diaspora and Community Building: The Portuguese in Cambridge, Ontario," paper presented to the Narrating the Portuguese Diaspora International Conference on Storytelling, Lisbon University, October 2008.
- ^ Karen Dearlove, "(Im)migration and Community Building: Newfoundlanders in Cambridge, Ontario," paper presented to the Annual Meeting of the Canadian Historical Association, York University, May 2006.
External links
- City of Cambridge official site
- Cambridge Visitor Information Centre
- Grand River Transit (serving Waterloo, Kitchener and Cambridge)
- Waterloo Region Tourism Marketing Corporation
- Region of Waterloo
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