Waterloo County, Ontario

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Waterloo County, which existed as such from 1853 to 1973, was the forerunner of the Regional Municipality of Waterloo. It consisted of five townships: Woolwich, Wellesley, Wilmot, Waterloo, and North Dumfries. The major population centres were Waterloo, Kitchener (known as Berlin prior to 1916), Preston, Hespeler, Blair, and Doon in Waterloo township; Galt in North Dumfries; Elmira in Woolwich; and New Hamburg in Wilmot.

[edit] History

Its founding in 1853 caused some contentious debate between Galt and Berlin as to where the county seat would be located; one of the requirements for founding was the construction of a courthouse. When local merchant Joseph Gaukel donated a small parcel of land he owned (at the current Queen and Weber streets), this sealed the deal for Berlin. The courthouse and gaol were built in a few short months and the county began operations. Though the courthouse has since been replaced with a modern structure, the gaol and neighbouring governor's house remain to this day under historical designation; they have been repurposed for further legal capacities (courtrooms and prosecutors' offices).

[edit] Government

In 1973 the provincial government restructured this layout: this formed the current cities of Kitchener (which absorbed Doon) and Waterloo; the city of Cambridge was formed from Hespeler, Preston, Galt, and Blair; as well as the townships of Wilmot, Wellesley, North Dumfries and of Woolwich, which grew to contain the northeast corner of the former Waterloo township. All former village, town and city councils joined into the new township or city council; and an overseeing regional council handled the former county-level responsibilities, as well as now providing police service for the region as a whole.