Kitchener, Ontario

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Kitchener
Arial photo of downtown Kitchener Ontario.JPG
Motto : Ex industria prosperitas
Location in Ontario
Kitchener, Ontario
Kitchener
Kitchener
State : CanadaCanada Canada
Province : Ontario
Regional Municipality : Waterloo
Coordinates : 43 ° 27 ′  N , 80 ° 29 ′  W Coordinates: 43 ° 27 ′  N , 80 ° 29 ′  W
Area : 136.79 km²
Inhabitants :
-  Metropolitan Area : 		219,153 (as of 2011)
477,160 (as of 2011)
Population density : 1,602.1 inh / km²
Time zone : Eastern Time ( UTC − 5 )
Postal code : N2A to N2R
Area code : +1 519 and 226
Foundation : 1833
Mayor : Berry Vrbanovic
Website : www.kitchener.ca
Location in the Waterloo region
Location in the Waterloo region
Kitchener City Hall
Benton and Frederick Streets, a major thoroughfare in downtown Kitchener

Kitchener [ kɪtʃənəɹ ] (until 1916 Berlin ) is a city in Ontario ( Canada ), about 100 km southwest of Toronto . The city is often with the neighboring university town of Waterloo as Twin Cities ( Twin Cities summarized). The metropolitan area also includes the cities of Cambridge , North Dumfries and Woolwich and has a total of 477,160 inhabitants. Kitchener itself has 219,153 inhabitants (as of 2011). The city is the seat of the Waterloo Regional Municipality (administrative district).

The city was originally a Mennonite settlement and was named Ebytown after its leader . In 1833 it was named Berlin and became the secret capital of the Germans in Canada. Under the influence of anti-German currents during the First World War , the city of Berlin was renamed in 1916 after a popular vote boycotted by many residents after the well-known British Field Marshal and Minister of War Herbert Kitchener, 1st Earl Kitchener . In the 1990s there was an initiative to rename the city back to Berlin, but it did not find enough support.

Nevertheless, the German influence can still be felt in the city today, for example through the annual Oktoberfest , to which many guests come from all over North America. There is also a Christmas market .

Location and climate

Kitchener is centrally located in the province of Ontario on the Grand River . The city is located approximately 100 km from Toronto, 80 km from London and Mississauga. In the immediate vicinity are the cities of Guelph , approx. 30 km away, and Waterloo , which borders the city directly.

The climate is comparable to that in Europe with warm to hot summers and cool to very cold winters. The average temperatures from January to March are between −7 and −1 degrees Celsius. In April and June these rise to 5.8 degrees and 17.3 degrees Celsius, in July and September 19.8 and 14.3 degrees Celsius. In the summer months, however, temperatures can rise to over 30 degrees Celsius for several days, which can also occur occasionally in October. At the end of September and October, temperatures gradually drop, reaching average daily temperatures between 14 degrees and -3 degrees Celsius.

politics

Berry Vrbanovic has been Mayor of Kitchener since February 2014. He took over the office from Carl Zehr , who with 17 years in office was the longest serving mayor of the city.

The city's supreme body is the Kitchener City Council, which consists of the Mayor and ten councilors according to the number of boroughs. Its composition reflects the development of Kitchener from a German-influenced city to a multi-ethnic location. Current councilors are Scott Davey, Dave Schnider, John Gazzola, Yvonne Fernandes, Kelly Galloway, Paul Singh, Bil Ioannidis, Zyg Janecki, Frank Etherington and Sarah Marsh.

Economy and Infrastructure

overview

Kitchener benefits from the direct vicinity of the city of Waterloo , in which many research institutions and companies in the high-tech sector have settled. Kitchener's economy is more manufacturing-driven. The largest companies in Kitchener include Maple Leaf Foods , Kuntz Electroplating Inc., Dare Foods, and MTD Products Ltd. Kitchener is Christie's corporate headquarters . The BFGoodrich tire plant with 1,100 employees was closed in 2006, the Kitchener Frame plant ( Budd Company ) with 1,200 employees in 2008 and the Lear Corporation plant with former 1,300 employees in 2015.

In addition, many service companies have a location in the city. These include Manulife Financial , Arvato Services Inc., Rogers Communications , HSBC , Scotiabank and the National Bank of Canada .

education

The city has several elementary and secondary schools in the city area up to grade 12 (high school). The city also has a campus for the University of Waterloo and other colleges.

Sports

Kitchener is home to the Kitchener Rangers , a successful junior ice hockey team for the Ontario Hockey League .

The square in front of Kitchener Town Hall

traffic

Transportation

Urban public transportation is operated by Grand River Transit . Several bus routes connect key areas within Waterloo and Kitchener. Greyhound Canada also operates some bus routes and long-distance bus routes. Since 2019 combines a light rail (Light Rail) Kitchener Waterloo.

Highways

Conestoga Parkway and Highway 8 connect Waterloo and Kitchener, Cambridge, and Highway's 7/8 and Highway 401 .

Rail transport

The city has a train station. VIA Rail Canada offers connections between Sarnia and Toronto . These trains stop at the station, southeast of the Waterloo border at the corner of Victoria Street and Weber Street. The train station can be reached by public transport via Downtown Kitchener.

Flight connections

The nearest airport in the Waterloo region is Waterloo Airport (IATA code YKF). The airport is located approximately five miles east of Kitchener. The airport has been expanded and renovated in recent years so that larger aircraft can fly to it. The airport has two runways.

So far, the airport has only been served by smaller planes, but more recently, regular connections have been offered due to the increasing number of passengers. Westjet Airlines has set up a non-stop connection from Waterloo / Kitchener to Calgary with a Boeing 737-700 several times a day . Westjet Airlines has also been offering a connection to Vancouver since June 2010. Bearskin Airlines has been offering scheduled flights between Waterloo / Kitchener and Ottawa since autumn 2007 . During the winter months, Sunwing Airlines offers connections to the Dominican Republic . American Airlines has been offering flights to Chicago since June 2012 .

Events

Every year on the second weekend in August, the Kitchener Blues Festival takes place in the city center. With the exception of the opening evening on Thursday and the final concert, all musicians' performances are free of charge without admission. Concerts take place on a total of six stages, including one especially for children, from Friday lunchtime to Sunday evening, attracting a total of around 150,000 visitors. About 400 volunteers and fundraising make the implementation possible. Together with the Grand River Blues Society , the series of young talents Blues in the Schools and the Youth Legacy Showcase event are held in April throughout the year .

Personalities

Web links

Commons : Kitchener, Ontario  - Collection of images, videos, and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Census Profile Kitchener. Statistics Canada, accessed August 12, 2012 .
  2. ↑ Hans-Jürgen Hübner: Germans in Canada, November 3, 2011
  3. ↑ Kitchener's councilors, accessed June 7, 2012 ( September 17, 2012 memento in the Internet Archive )
  4. ↑ Fast Facts about Kitchener. (pdf; 172 kB) (No longer available online.) kitchener.ca, archived from the original on November 8, 2012 ; Retrieved September 12, 2012 .
  5. ^ BFGoodrich to shut down Kitchener tire plant , February 2, 2006
  6. ↑ Lear CEASES production in Kitchener , November 27, 2015
  7. ↑ Comprehensive Review of Employment Lands Study ( Memento February 3, 2017 in the Internet Archive ), 2010
  8. ↑ Frequently asked questions about the Kitchener Blues Festival