KITCHENER – The Ontario Heritage Foundation and the Regional Municipality of Waterloo today unveiled provincial plaques in English, French and German commemorating the County of Waterloo. The plaques will be installed next to the former Waterloo County Courthouse in Kitchener as part of a new landscape feature. The county, along with Waterloo Township and several villages and towns, was absorbed into the newly formed Region of Waterloo in 1973.

"The motto of Waterloo County for 120 years was 'Peace and Prosperity'. A fitting choice, since through the county council there emerged a series of enduring institutions, including a system of roads and bridges, a local judiciary and jail, and the county high school," said The Honourable Lincoln M. Alexander, Chairman of the Ontario Heritage Foundation. "The system of county government has had a lasting cultural influence on the region."

"We are very pleased that the Province of Ontario is commemorating the founding of Waterloo County," said Ken Seiling, Chair of the Regional Municipality of Waterloo. "In 2003, the region celebrated the tremendous contribution of county government to this community during our 150th anniversary celebrations. Our theme of '150 years of working together' reflected a positive history of working together, since those first county days, to address the common needs of our broader community. This cooperative spirit is very much alive and well in our region today."

The origins of Waterloo County reflect the evolution of democratic practice and responsible government after Upper and Lower Canada were united into a single legislature in 1841 and magistrates appointed by the governor were replaced with councillors elected by ratepayers from local townships and villages.

In May 1849, the Legislature of the United Canadas passed the Municipal Act (or Baldwin Act). Not only did this legislation replace the former districts with counties as the upper tier of municipal government in Canada West, it also recognized townships, villages, towns and cities as autonomous municipal bodies. The Municipal Act defined a provincial system of local government that has largely continued to the present. This legislation prompted a flurry of activity throughout the province as municipalities maneuvered to become the seat of new counties.

On Monday, January 24, 1853 the municipal council of the County of Waterloo, Canada West held its first meeting at the newly built courthouse in the settlement of Berlin (renamed Kitchener in 1916). Council meetings were held there for 120 years.

The cultural legacy of Waterloo County continues to this day. Along with development of the local infrastructure, judiciary system and educational institutions, the county government also encouraged the emergence of agricultural societies, local markets and cultural events highlighting the region's diverse population.

The end of county-based government in Waterloo County resulted, in part, from growth in the area. In 1912, Berlin had become a city, followed by Galt in 1915 and Waterloo in 1948.

On January 1, 1973, Waterloo County, Waterloo Township and the county's remaining villages and towns were absorbed into seven municipalities in the Regional Municipality of Waterloo: the townships of Woolwich, Wellesley, North Dumfries and Wilmot; as well as the cities of Kitchener, Waterloo and the new city of Cambridge.

This unveiling is part of the Ontario Heritage Foundation's ongoing Provincial Plaque Program. The distinctive blue and gold plaques commemorate more than 1,160 significant people, places and events in Ontario's history.

The Ontario Heritage Foundation is a not-for-profit agency of the Government of Ontario, dedicated to identifying, preserving, protecting and promoting Ontario's heritage for all of us to enjoy now and for others to experience in the future.

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Contact:

Lori Theoret
Media Relations and Marketing Coordinator
Ontario Heritage Foundation
Telephone: 416-325-5074
E-mail: lori.theoret@heritagefdn.on.ca