Waterloo Historical Society

The work of the Waterloo Historical Society (WHS), begun in Berlin (Kitchener) in 1912, laid the groundwork for the Waterloo Region Museum. In the basement of the Berlin Public Library, WHS collected significant artifacts such as a Conestoga wagon, later donated to the museum. That was and still is part of its mandate – to preserve the unique heritage of the townships and cities in Waterloo Region.

The annual reports published by WHS since its inception are recognized as the most comprehensive source of historical information about Waterloo Region. In 1993 the publication, now called the annual volume, received the Scadding Award of Excellence from the Ontario Historical Society.

The WHS has also been a key partner in helping to establish and preserve local historical landmarks such as the Waterloo Pioneers Memorial Tower, Doon Heritage Village and Joseph Schneider Haus. Similarly, WHS has co-operated with government departments to identify and mark heritage sites throughout the Region.

Kitchener Public Library houses the WHS paper archives and in 1984 the two organizations partnered to open the Grace Schmidt Room of Local History.

WHS has published two books and both won the Ontario Historical Society’s Fred Landon Award for Regional History – Waterloo Township through Two Centuries by Elizabeth Bloomfield in 1995, and Waterloo County: An Illustrated History by Geoffrey Hayes in 1997.

Waterloo Historical Society provides an exceptional model of how to run a volunteer organization over a prolonged period. Without its remarkable work, consistent documentation, collection, publication and advocacy, much of Waterloo Region’s rich historical record would have been lost.

Waterloo Historical Society Board of Directors 2012

From left, standing: John Arndt, John Glass, Marion Roes, Jeff Shank, Sherwood Hagey

From left, seated: Karen Ball-Pyatt, Susan Hoffman, Helga Hartman, Lesley Webb. Absent: Rosanne Atwater-Hallatt, Debbie Kroetsch.

Photo by Reflections by Ken Jantzi