Touristic Activities

The university of Waterloo is in the city of Waterloo which other with Kitchener, Cambridge and a few smaller towns makes up the Waterloo region, with a total population of about 700,000. The Waterloo region is home to both a number of information technology companies and also old-order Mennonite farmers who can be seen driving their horse-drawn buggies. The region is surrounded by some of the best farmland in Canada. The cities grew up around the Grand River, an important transportation route for the Indigenous peoples including the Haudenosaunee, Anishnaabe and Neutral People who settled these lands and continue to live here. (The Haldimand Tract, land 6 miles on either side of the Grand River was promised to these people in 1784.) The river was important to early European settlers and although it is no longer important for trade, it remains one of the most scenic rivers in Ontario. The region can be explored by canoe, kayak or even tube along the Grand. There are also cycling and hiking trails along the Grand river and throughout the region. Further north is the beautiful Bruce Peninsula. Niagara Falls is an easy 90 minute drive south. For an urban experience, Canada’s largest city, Toronto is about 90 minutes by train to the east. Excursions will be organized to places in and near Waterloo on Wednesday afternoon; details will be posted.