08/21/2026
This August the Waterloo Pioneer Memorial Tower turns 100 years old! In honour of the centennial, we're sharing these photos from the Grace Schmidt Room of Local History.
You can find the Waterloo Pioneer Memorial Tower at 300 Lookout Lane in Kitchener's Doon neighbourhood, right beside the Grand River.
In August 1926, over 2,000 people gathered for the unveiling of the tower. The tower was built to commemorate the early Mennonite settlers of Waterloo Region.
Fun facts about the tower:
✅ The Waterloo Historical Society proposed the monument in 1923
✅ It cost $4,500 to build
✅ The walls are reinforced concrete, faced with field stone
✅ The walls are 2.5 feet thick at the base
✅ The ornate door is made of Indiana limestone
✅ The top of the spire features a 3 foot copper weather vane of a Conestoga wagon
Discover more about the Waterloo Pioneer Memorial Tower in the Grace Schmidt Room of Local History: https://www.kpl.org/services/local-history-and-genealogy
