Kitchener City Overview
(Go to the Kitchener Sport Hotels Section)

Just off Hwy 401 about 100km west of downtown Toronto lies the town of Kitchener. The town was founded as Sand Hills in 1799 by groups of Mennonites, a tightly knit Protestant sect who came here from the States, where their pacifist beliefs had incurred the wrath of their neighbours during the Revolution. Soon after, German farmers began to arrive in the area, establishing a generally good-humoured trading relationship with the Mennonites. The new settlers had Sand Hills renamed Berlin in 1826, but during World War I it was thought prudent to change the name yet again and to prove their patriotism they chose "Kitchener" after the British field marshal. Today around sixty percent of Kitchener's inhabitants are descendants of German immigrants, a heritage celebrated every year during Oktoberfest.

Kitchener's centre is marked by the Farmers' Market ­ be sure to sample the delicious German sausages. The Mennonite traders are unmistakeable, with the men wearing traditional black suits and broad-brimmed hats, or deep-blue shirts and braces, the women ankle-length dresses and matching bonnets. The Ontario Mennonites are, however, far from being an homogeneous sect ­ over twenty different groups are affiliated to the Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) and although they all share certain religious beliefs reflecting their Anabaptist origins ­ the sole validity of adult baptism being crucial ­ precise practices and dress codes vary from group to group. Members of the traditional wing of the Mennonite movement, sometimes called Amish or Ammanites after the seventeenth-century elder Jakob Ammann, own property communally and shun all modern machinery, travelling to the market and around the back lanes on spindly horse-drawn buggies.

Back in Kitchener is Woodside, boyhood home of prime minister William Lyon Mackenzie King, about 1km northeast of the centre at 528 Wellington St N. Set in a pretty little park, the house has been restored to its late-Victorian appearance and has an interesting display in the basement on King's life and times.

Kitchener is a vibrant, confident and cosmopolitan community, located in the Region of Waterloo, in the heart of southwestern Ontario. Our city is part of one of the most diverse and dynamic economies in North America, built on the foundations of entrepreneurship, innovation and education.

Every year, Kitchener plays host to many sport tourism travelers who come to sample our cityıs unique blend of history, hospitality and progress. We offer our citizens, visitors and corporate residents a rich urban life, balanced with a never-ending list of cultural and recreational activities. Our city is literally alive with festivals, events and tournaments all year.

The City of Kitchener has invested in a wide range of top-quality recreation facilities and programs to create a city-wide network of sport tourism opportunities for our community. These recreation activities are supported by the efforts of thousands of dedicated volunteers, who help run programs and organize sport tournaments and special events.

As a result, Kitchenerıs recreation and sports facilities are admired province-wide, and Kitchenerıs citizens enjoy a level of service normally only seen in larger communities.

Kitchener Ontario has great opportunities for sport tournaments of all kinds. Sport tourism is a part of Kitchener Ontario and it features a wide variety of sport tournament opportunities.