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Outrageous to Courageous: Mount Hope Cemetery

OUTRAGEOUS TO COURAGEOUS : Buried History in Mount Hope Cemetery, Kitchener

leaning statue against a green tree backdrop in Mount Hope Cemetery, Kitchener

This Mount Hope Cemetery walking tour includes stories from the Outrageous to Courageous and everything in between! 

Through the community of people in this cemetery, we explore the most outrageous mayor of Berlin/Kitchener, how a workplace accident got J.M. Schneider into the meat business and how some early Black freedom seekers settled in Queen’s Bush before moving to Berlin. We also hear the stories of a KCI teacher that started the first football (soccer) association in North America, about a monument carved to look like the person it remembers, and how Miss Ontario 1910, Hilda Rumpel, helped Berlin/Kitchener celebrate the arrival of publicly generated hydro electricity.  And more …!

The stones and memorials are the gateway to the stories of Kitchener’s history, dating back just over 150 years, as revealed by the names and stories found in the cemetery.

Led by: Wayne Miedema

Accessibility: Route follows paved, even cemetery paths. Uneven ground when walking off path between memorial stones. Quite accessible for scooters & wheelchairs.

Mount Hope Cemetery Walking Tour Details

Of course, we have the obligatory Liability Waiver and Release form that must be signed by each person in advance of joining the walk.  Why a waiver for a walking tour, you ask? Couldn’t get insurance without it. Stroll pays insurance… you sign the waiver. 

A sense of curiosity, a few questions and a willingness to learn something you didn’t know before.

Of course, dress for the weather; bring a hat, water bottle, umbrella, solid walking shoes (no flip flops!) and anything else you need to be comfortable on the walk. 

We walk rain or shine or snow! 

However, we do heed storm watches and warnings and would never put you in danger. Stroll may cancel and reschedule a walk due to an issued weather advisory. 

We don’t make scheduled bathroom breaks along the walking route. Please attend to personal needs before or after the walking tour. 

Twice a year Stroll hosts a series of public walking tours in the spring and fall. Make sure you are on the Stroll newsletter list so you know when they are available! 

Absolutely! The walking tour guides have chosen routes with the best possible accessibility in order to accommodate as many people as possible. However, construction happens and we do our best to re-route safely.

If you have any questions about the accessibility of a specific walk, please contact us in advance of booking. 

We’ll say it again… Always arrive 10-15 minutes ahead of time! If you arrive exactly at departure time, you’re already late! If you arrive really late, your walking tour will likely be shorter than you planned for. 

Public Tours: We start on time so you might miss the introduction. If you’re really late, you might miss the tour if we’ve already moved on. 

We know you’re a curious bunch so we’ve been preparing blog posts with additional resources from many of the walking tours. Happy reading!

I've lived in Waterloo Region for 30 years, so hearing the history of many of the people who started the industries that shaped Berlin/Kitchener and seeing the threads that tied them together was fascinating. That's, Wayne, for an evening that still has me thinking.
Sharon S.

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