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CANADIAN INDUSTRY ONLINE - AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2012
T
HERE ARE MANY
reasons to
have pride in the city you live
in. If you live and work in Kitchener,
Ontario, you know that there are many
reasons to be proud, and also have a
certain level of respect for a city that
has created a strong identity for itself
through continuous reinvention.
A century ago, a royal proclama-
tion made Berlin a city. There was a
week-long festival to celebrate Berlin
becoming Ontario’s 9th city. It was an
exciting time for the residents of the
new city, but unfortunately, hard times
were ahead. According to city records,
during the time of the First World War,
the city’s German heritage became
“
the focus of considerable animosity
from non-German residents within the
city.” It was determined in 1916 that a
name change would be wise, and resi-
dents selected “Kitchener” over five
other name possibilities.
Perhaps it was the inherent abil-
ity of Kitchener’s first residents to
adapt to the outside influences of war,
embracing a new name and showing
considerable strength during that era,
but Kitchener became a tight-knit com-
munity with a strong backbone. Over
the course of the hundred years
Kitchener has existed, the city
has constantly innovated and
grown, and is now one of the
most exciting places in Canada.
CIO had the opportunity to
speak with Mayor Carl Zehr about the
city’s success, 100th Anniversary Cel-
ebrations, and his own pride in the city
of Kitchener. With 24 years of service
as an elected official in Kitchener, Zehr
proves to be an excellent spokesperson
for the city.
CIO:
How has this been an excit-
ing time to be mayor of Kitchener?
Carl Zehr:
It’s pretty incredible
that I have the chance to be mayor for
a 100th anniversary. There are
100
years of history here and
through my studying of the
many great accomplishments
of Kitchener, there are some
great stories that have shaped
Mayor Carl Zehr
CITY OF KITCHENER
100
YEARS
“
It’s pretty incredible
that I have the chance
to be mayor for a
100
th anniversary.”
