Olde Berlin Town

Neighbourhood Association Kitchener Ontario Canada

History & Heritage in the Civic Centre

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The Civic Centre Heritage Conservation District has nearly the same boundaries as our Olde Berlin Town neighbourhood. It houses a significant number of the designated heritage homes and historical character in the City of Kitchener, a city that was first established in the province in the 1800s.

This section of the website was created for residents and other individuals interested in the history of Berlin (Kitchener) from settlement to present day. This will be updated as we add resources and links that are are available from the City of Kitchener, library collections, and the wider community. Property owners in the Civic Centre Heritage Conservation District can contact the Heritage Planner at the City of Kitchener with questions. The plan for this district is available on the City of Kitchener website as a PDF; it’s a wonderful resource for residents and local history geeks alike.

If you have photos and stories from the history of Olde Berlin Town, we’d love to share them!

Submissions to the 30-40 Margaret Heritage Impact Assessment Review

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The following individuals/groups delivered submissions at the 30-40 Margaret Ave Heritage Impact Assessment review at the Heritage Kitchener meeting on June 4th, 2019. Links to shared submissions are included. Thanks to all who participated.

Sandra Parks (ACO)

Hal Jaeger

23 Ellen Street Residents

Derek Papastergion

Victoria Van Capellen

Chris Mulligan and Jane Parmley

Donna Kuehl

30-40 Margaret Ave Heritage Impact Assessment available

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The draft Heritage Impact Assessment (HIA) Report for 30-40 Margaret Ave is now available at: https://lf.kitchener.ca/WebLinkExt/0/doc/1756988/Page1.aspx

The HIA will be reviewed at Heritage Kitchener’s meeting on Tuesday, June 4, 2019, between 4-6pm, in the Conestoga Room at City Hall.

The agenda for the Heritage Kitchener meeting can be seen here: https://lf.kitchener.ca/WebLinkExt/0/doc/1756901/Page1.aspx

The report is produced by an independent contracted agent and then reviewed by Heritage Planning Staff. Heritage Planning Staff’s review can influence the Heritage Permit Application which is then subject to recommendation from Heritage Kitchener. Heritage Kitchener’s recommendations are subject to Council’s approval.

A heritage impact assessment “is a study to determine if any cultural heritage resources … are impacted by a specific proposed development or site alteration. It can also demonstrate how the cultural heritage resource will be conserved in the context of redevelopment or site alteration. Mitigative or avoidance measures or alternative development or site alteration approaches may be recommended.” (http://www.mtc.gov.on.ca/en/publications/Heritage_Tool_Kit_Heritage_PPS_infoSheet.pdf)

For more information see our previous posts:
30 Margaret Neighbourhood Information Meeting Summary
FAQ regarding 30-40 Margaret Neighbourhood Meeting

Local History & Heritage Resources

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Thank you to our speaker Sandra Parks for her talk
From Arches to Turrets: architectural styles in Olde Berlin Town

She has graciously shared some resources with us for those looking to do more research. They are:

Heritage Kitchener’s “Civic Centre Historical Walking Tour” with details on 23 properties of note

For those looking for some photos of historical Olde Berlin, the website history pin has a number of photos of the Civic Centre.You can use the map feature to find them.

Books available in the Grace Schmidt Room at KPL

• Evolving urban landscapes: a photographic memoir by Philippe Elsworthy – (779.092 Elswo)
• Images of progress 1946-1996: modern architecture in Waterloo Region, Steven Mannell, editor – (720.971344 Manne)
• Ontario architecture: a guide to styles and building terms, 1784 to the present by John Blumenson – (720.9713 Blume)
• Ontario house styles: the distinctive architecture of the province’s 18th and 19th century homes by Robert Mikel – (728.37 Mikel)
• Well-preserved: the Ontario Heritage Foundation’s manual of principles and practice for architectural conservation by Mark Fram – (363.6909713 Fram) – also available online, search for title at www.heritagetrust.on.ca

Events

• Architectural Conservancy of Ontario, North Waterloo Region branch – your Neighbourhood Association is a member – annual lecture series, November to May; June AGM; December Seasonal Celebration; online blog
• Architectural Films – Apollo Theatre or Princess Cinemas
• Architectural Walking Tours – Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery, $10
• Doors Open Waterloo Region – Saturday, September 21, 2019 various
• Grand River Conservation Authority – Heritage Day Workshop in February
• Jane’s Walks – first weekend in May, usually annual
• Schneider Haus & Waterloo Region Museum – learn about their buildings
• Waterloo Historical Society – History Under the Trees in July
• Waterloo Region Museum – regular public speaker series – annual volume regularly has articles about local heritage buildings
• Waterloo Region Heritage Foundation – Discovering Heritage event in May

Miscellaneous

• Grand magazine – available at KPL, check out the last page for an article about local architecture by Doors Open organizer Karl Kessler
• Civic Centre Historical Walking Tour – available at www.kitchener.ca – search for ‘walking tours’

Websites

• Architectural Conservancy of Ontario, North Waterloo Region branch • Architectural Style Definitions
• The Buildings of Canada: A guide to pre-20th-century styles in houses, churches and other structures.
• Canada’s Historic Places — The Canadian Register of Historic Places (CRHP)
• Doors Open Waterloo Region
• Grace Schmidt Room of Local History
• National Trust for Canada
• Ontario Architecture
• Region of Waterloo Archives
• Waterloo Historical Society

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Geographic boundaries of Neighbourhood:
Weber Street, Lancaster Street, Victoria Street, Frederick Street