About Cambridge Ontario, Canada

The city of Cambridge was created in January 1973. It was formed by the amalgamation of the city of Galt, the towns of Hespeler and Preston, and parts of the townships of Waterloo and North Dumfries. The history of the area is a diverse and interesting one.

In 1816, a large block of land originally owned by the Six Nations Indians was purchased by William Dickson, a Scotsman who dreamed of founding a settlement to attract his fellow lowland countrymen. Scots from the "old country" immigrated to the village called Shade's Mill. In 1827, the Canada Company Commissioner, John Galt, visited the area and, in his honour, the village was re-named Galt.

John Erb, a Pennsylvanian, built a sawmill on land bordering the Speed River in 1806. He called his settlement Cambridge Mills. During the 1830s, the village grew rapidly and when William Scollick surveyed the community in 1834, he renamed it in honour of his English home town, Preston.

Originally a hamlet called Bergeytown, and then named New Hope by its Pennsylvanian settlers, a thriving town grew on the banks of the Speed River. One prominent citizen was Jacob Hespeler who built a dike and diverted the river to provide power to his gristmill. He also opened a sawmill, a distillery, a woolen mill and a coopershop. In 1859, the town adopted the name Hespeler.

Today, the City of Cambridge is a thriving, cosmopolitan city with a population of approximately 130,000 and an average age of 36.4 years old. Located within the Regional Municipality of Waterloo and the gateway to Canada's Technology Triangle, Cambridge is a short drive away from major metropolitan cities and in close proximity to three international airports, as well as three U.S. border crossings.

Cambridge a Sustainable Community

The creation of a sustainable community is very important to Cambridge. It’s the goal of the City to create an environment whereby the work done today doesn’t cause problems for the growth of the community in the future.

Cambridge, Ontario, is home to a sustainable business climate, a thriving arts and culture community, has a history of strong public-private partnerships, and is a hub for educating the leaders of tomorrow.

Cambridge is a modern, thriving community that has small town charm. The City has everything people want in terms of industry, business and offering a quality of life that is uncompromisable.