Kitchener is located in Southern Ontario, 100 km west of Toronto within the Regional Municipality of Waterloo. It is in the traditional territory of the Neutral, Anishnaabeg, and Haudenosauonee peoples. Kitchener is part of the Tri-City, alongside Waterloo and Cambridge. The city has much to offer, from immersive historic displays to extensive hiking trails. Kitchener was known as Berlin from its inception in 1854 to 1915, at which point it was renamed Kitchener in the midst of World War I. There is still a strong German presence in the city. In October, make sure to plan a trip to Kitchener to experience the second-largest Oktoberfest in the world! You can explore more of the city’s history at the Waterloo Region Museum, where you can also take a step back in time at the Doon Heritage Village and experience what it was like to live there in 1914. The Centre in the Square is another popular cultural attraction. This theatre and performing arts centre is renowned for its sound-enhancing design, attracting big names from across the globe (such as Gordon Lightfoot, broadway’s Annie, The Nutcracker, and Conservationist Jane Goodall, to name a few). There is also plenty of green space and nature to escape to, including the beautiful Victoria Park, the oldest park in the city. Huron Natural Area and Chicopee ski hill offer great year-round nature escapes, with plenty of hiking trails that run along the Strasburg Creek through forests and meadows.

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