Author: janeswalkwr

Date: Saturday May 3rd, 2025, 1:30 pm – 1:55 pm

Meeting Point: Stairs at Barnacle Bill’s Parking Lot, 47 Grand Ave S, Cambridge

Walk Leader: Judy Welsh

The development of a community park and sculpture garden by volunteers in our community. The Cambridge Sculpture Garden (CSG) enhances and preserves a unique oasis of green space along the Grand River providing free and open access for visitors to experience contemporary sculptures and art, picnicking, walking, biking, or quiet contemplation.

Check out The Galt Horticulture Society Walk from 1:00 – 1:25 pm right before, and the McDougall Cottage Walk from 2:00 – 2:30 pm right after.

Date: Friday, May 2nd 7 pm – 8 pm

Meeting Place: Dalton Court, 2 Queen’s Square, at west end of Main Street Bridge

Walk Leader: Kevin Swayze

Join journalist Kevin Swayze for a walk around Queen’s Square, where Galt residents have gathered for entertainment, sports, community, and religious ceremonies since the 1850s. The Square has been home to fall fairs, the Queen’s Hotel, Scott’s Opera House, the first Galt Arena and the Galt Curling Club. Did you spend your childhood at the Galt YMCA, splashed in the Centennial fountain on a hot summer day, or were married at Central or Knox churches? Have you gathered around the cenotaph on a cold November 11th to remember local soldiers who died for Canada? Join the walk and share your memories about Queen’s Square, where film crews shoot climactic scenes for The Handmaid’s Tale television series. There’s lots of history packed into the square!

Time: Saturday May 3rd, 2025, 10:30 am & 11:30 am

Meeting Place: Old Post Office, 12 Water Street South.

Walk Leader: Fire Hall volunteer

Since the first European settlers arrived at the confluence of Mill Creek and the Grand River, fire has been a constant threat to a growing community. 

To mark Emergency Preparedness Week, the Fire Hall Museum & Education Centre highlights the major fires in the 1800s, 1900s and early 2000s in Galt that impacted the Cambridge downtown that we have today.

Visit the Cambridge Public Library Old Post Office to see a photo exhibit showing some of these fires. Take a Jane’s Walk guided tour along Main Street to Civic Square to see the sites of these fires and how the streetscapes have changed. The Cambridge Fire Department will be at Civic Square at Cambridge City Hall with equipment and displays to show how the city is prepared to deal with emergencies today.

Time: Sunday May 4th, 2025, 2:00pm – 4:00pm

Meeting Place: Kitchener Market – Just Outside Front Door

Walk Leader: Tess

This will be the 4th time KW Hungry Minds has hosted a walk through Kitchener downtown area. We talk about the changes that we see – new buildings and businesses as well as the ones that we see are now missing. We talk about how we feel about the change, how it has impacted our interaction with the city, and what we see on the horizon for the future. Everyone welcome to come and share their point of view and experience.

If you can’t make it on Saturday, we are repeating the walk on Sunday. The conversation is sure to be different on each day, so feel free to come to both.

When: Sunday May 4, 2025  2:00 pm – 3/3:30 pm

Where: Meet on the Laurel Trail on the west side of Canadian Clay and Glass Gallery, 25 Caroline St N., Waterloo

Walk Leader: Anne Crowe

Explore Uptown Waterloo with its vibrant mix of historical and modern architecture. From a water driven grist mill, past a log schoolhouse with a connection to Black history, to a hiding place for alcohol during prohibition and a cutting edge institute for theoretical physics: learn about the history hidden within the walls of these buildings.