Author: janeswalkwr

Galt Horticulture Society/ Ferguson Cottage

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When: Saturday May 3rd, 2025 1:00 – 1:25 pm

Where: Entrance of Ferguson Cottage, 37 Grand Ave, Cambridge 

Walk Leader: Liz Stacey

Galt Horticultural Society (GHS) which operates out of the historic Ferguson Cottage came into being in the 1850’s. The current version was established in 1891 with 186 members. The property was purchased in 1836 by William Ferguson, a blacksmith and farmer at the time. The property remained under the Ferguson name for the next 80 years. The cottage is all that is left of the once Ferguson Farm and is credited as one of the earliest surviving Scottish stone cottages in the City of Cambridge.

Check out the Cambridge Sculpture Garden Tour from 1:30-1:55, followed by McDougall Cottage from 2-2:30 pm

Mill Creek History & Ecology

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When: Sunday May 5th, 11 am – 12:30 pm

Where: Soper Park, back parking lot, 43.367346, -80.303292

Walk Leader: Cambridge City Green

We will walk the path of Mill Creek from Soper Park to where it joins the Grand River. We will discuss the history and ecology as well as the human impacts on the creek. Did you know it was buried under downtown when they were doing some construction in the 1980’s? This walk is about 2km (one way).

Is Neighbourhood Transition Ever Easy? Could it be?

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When: Friday May 3,  4 – 5:30 pm

Where: Meet at the pathway into Sugarbush Park, beside 96 Blythwood Road, Waterloo

Walk Leaders: Alisa McClurg and Kae Elgie

This walk will reflect on the many transitions Sugarbush Park has already experienced —  e.g. the arrival of Pennsylvania German Mennonites into First Nations territory in the 1830s, the flood of young families into apartment buildings and single family homes built on Snider’s Highway Maples farm in the 1960s  — and look at proposed future developments, e.g. 3 or possibly 4 Additional Dwelling Units on individual lots throughout the neighbourhood, 13 towers housing 3183 people on the former Clemmer Industries property.

How does intensification affect people’s lives? Who benefits? Who suffers? Are there ways to maximize the benefits, minimize the downsides?   Is transition inevitable?

This walk will be mostly on sidewalks; paths in Sugarbush Park may be muddy, depending on the weather.

A Tale of Two Parks: Countryside, McLennan and the Evolution of Public Green Spaces

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When: Friday May 3,  7-8 pm

Where: Central tree cluster in the middle of Countryside Park, which is located between Erinbrook Drive, Rittenhouse Road, Tuerr Drive and Countryside Crescent

Walk Leader: Scott Clark

Take a stroll with Scott Clark of John MacDonald Architect on an approximately 2.5 km, point-to-point walk from Countryside Park to McLennan Park, finishing at the landmark lookout.

Along the way, we’ll discuss what features make for a good park, as well as how our values and ideas of public spaces have evolved over the years.

Hiking shoes or boots are recommended, as the route will include a brief meander through the woods. We’ll meet at the centre trail junction / tree cluster in Countryside Park, accessed off Rittenhouse Road.

Celebrate The Library Oak

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When: Saturday May 4,  2-3 pm

Where: Waterloo Public Library, 35 Albert Street, Waterloo

Walk Leaders: Sharon Woodley and Teresa Dwyer

Celebrate the REEP Tree of the Year winner, the Bur Oak beside Waterloo Public Library’s Main Branch. The tree was once part of Waterloo’s original civic centre. Its immediate neighbours included the city hall (now the site of the Marsland Centre building), firehall (Marsland parkinglot ), and farmer’s market (the current library), in addition to the still-standing Carnegie library building directly across Albert Street from it.

The oak outlasted the home of Peter and Mary [Zimmerman] Roos at 43 Albert St., which came down when the current library went up in the 1960s. Comparing old maps with modern aerial imagery, it appears that the tree was located on the Roos property. Town directories list Mary and Peter living there on Albert as early as 1900, suggesting a plausible minimum age for the library oak, considering its impressive size today.

Say“thank you” to this huge, beautiful tree which gives us many gifts: shade, clean fresh air, beauty, peace, calm, carbon storage, homes for insects, birds etc. with music, activities, wrapping the tree with a huge ribbon and refreshments.

oak tree celebration