Waterloo Historical Society
About
Upcoming Events
Public Meeting – Tuesday, June 23, 2026, Victoria Park Pavilion, Kitchener, 7:15PM
Doors open at 6:30PM for a look at a long-neglected member of one of Berlin’s most famous families. The title of the talk is “Sick Man: The Forgotten Brother of Mackenzie King” and the speaker is Eric Story, Historian-in-Residence at Western’s Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry and Adjunct Professor in the Department of History at Wilfrid Laurier University. Mackenzie King is the most studied Canadian in history: researchers have pored over his diaries, plumbed his correspondence and debated endlessly about his domestic and foreign policies.
However, almost forgotten in his personal story is his younger brother. Most people cannot even name
him — Dougall Macdougall King (born 1878). Better known as Max, he became a well-respected physician and author in his own right. This presentation pulls Max out from the shadows of his older brother. It’s the story of a healer and a patient born and raised here in the days of Olde Berlin.
Public Meeting – Tuesday, September 29, 2026, Detweiler Meetinghouse, Ayr, 7:15PM
Doors open at 6:30PM and the meeting will begin with Marion Roes, a past-president of WHS, who will
first outline some of the story of this restored 1855 stone Mennonite meetinghouse. Then, in cooperation with members of the North Dumfries Historical Preservation Society, we’ll tour the township via old photos and stories.
Mission/Goals
The Waterloo Historical Society fosters the recognition of our region’s unique heritage and diligently encourages heritage preservation.
The Waterloo Historical Society documents the history of Waterloo Region, including the cities of Kitchener, Waterloo and Cambridge, along with the Townships of North Dumfries, Wellesley, Wilmot and Woolwich.
History
Active steps toward the establishment of a historical society in Waterloo County (now the Regional Municipality of Waterloo) were taken in 1912. With the encouragement of the Ontario Historical Society, a public meeting was held in November 1912, which resulted in a recommendation that the WHS be organized. The first meeting of the board was held on November 26, 1912.
100 years later
It has been 100 years since that modest beginning. The Society has grown to over 230 members (2009) and has a set of by-laws which govern activities carried out by the board of directors. Current activities include five public meetings each year with invited guest speakers and held in various locations within the region; since 1913, continuous publication of a volume of local history articles; quarterly newsletters; acquisition of documents and photos for WHS archives; and erecting historical plaques.
Affiliations
The WHS is an affiliate member of the Ontario Historical Society and a founding member of the Waterloo Regional Heritage Foundation. The WHS collaborates regularly with heritage and historical groups in the region.
Charitable status
WHS is a registered charity, under Canada Revenue Agency.
Heraldic Badge
Thanks to the generosity of James Roos Breithaupt, president of the WHS in 1997-1998, the society was granted a revised badge (based on the 1922 design by E. M. Chadwick of Toronto) by the Canadian Heraldic Authority.
About
Upcoming Events
Public Meeting – Tuesday, June 23, 2026, Victoria Park Pavilion, Kitchener, 7:15PM
Doors open at 6:30PM for a look at a long-neglected member of one of Berlin’s most famous families. The title of the talk is “Sick Man: The Forgotten Brother of Mackenzie King” and the speaker is Eric Story, Historian-in-Residence at Western’s Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry and Adjunct Professor in the Department of History at Wilfrid Laurier University. Mackenzie King is the most studied Canadian in history: researchers have pored over his diaries, plumbed his correspondence and debated endlessly about his domestic and foreign policies.
However, almost forgotten in his personal story is his younger brother. Most people cannot even name
him — Dougall Macdougall King (born 1878). Better known as Max, he became a well-respected physician and author in his own right. This presentation pulls Max out from the shadows of his older brother. It’s the story of a healer and a patient born and raised here in the days of Olde Berlin.
Public Meeting – Tuesday, September 29, 2026, Detweiler Meetinghouse, Ayr, 7:15PM
Doors open at 6:30PM and the meeting will begin with Marion Roes, a past-president of WHS, who will
first outline some of the story of this restored 1855 stone Mennonite meetinghouse. Then, in cooperation with members of the North Dumfries Historical Preservation Society, we’ll tour the township via old photos and stories.
Mission/Goals
The Waterloo Historical Society fosters the recognition of our region’s unique heritage and diligently encourages heritage preservation.
The Waterloo Historical Society documents the history of Waterloo Region, including the cities of Kitchener, Waterloo and Cambridge, along with the Townships of North Dumfries, Wellesley, Wilmot and Woolwich.
History
Active steps toward the establishment of a historical society in Waterloo County (now the Regional Municipality of Waterloo) were taken in 1912. With the encouragement of the Ontario Historical Society, a public meeting was held in November 1912, which resulted in a recommendation that the WHS be organized. The first meeting of the board was held on November 26, 1912.
100 years later
It has been 100 years since that modest beginning. The Society has grown to over 230 members (2009) and has a set of by-laws which govern activities carried out by the board of directors. Current activities include five public meetings each year with invited guest speakers and held in various locations within the region; since 1913, continuous publication of a volume of local history articles; quarterly newsletters; acquisition of documents and photos for WHS archives; and erecting historical plaques.
Affiliations
The WHS is an affiliate member of the Ontario Historical Society and a founding member of the Waterloo Regional Heritage Foundation. The WHS collaborates regularly with heritage and historical groups in the region.
Charitable status
WHS is a registered charity, under Canada Revenue Agency.
Heraldic Badge
Thanks to the generosity of James Roos Breithaupt, president of the WHS in 1997-1998, the society was granted a revised badge (based on the 1922 design by E. M. Chadwick of Toronto) by the Canadian Heraldic Authority.
About
Upcoming Events
Public Meeting – Tuesday, June 23, 2026, Victoria Park Pavilion, Kitchener, 7:15PM
Doors open at 6:30PM for a look at a long-neglected member of one of Berlin’s most famous families. The title of the talk is “Sick Man: The Forgotten Brother of Mackenzie King” and the speaker is Eric Story, Historian-in-Residence at Western’s Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry and Adjunct Professor in the Department of History at Wilfrid Laurier University. Mackenzie King is the most studied Canadian in history: researchers have pored over his diaries, plumbed his correspondence and debated endlessly about his domestic and foreign policies.
However, almost forgotten in his personal story is his younger brother. Most people cannot even name
him — Dougall Macdougall King (born 1878). Better known as Max, he became a well-respected physician and author in his own right. This presentation pulls Max out from the shadows of his older brother. It’s the story of a healer and a patient born and raised here in the days of Olde Berlin.
Public Meeting – Tuesday, September 29, 2026, Detweiler Meetinghouse, Ayr, 7:15PM
Doors open at 6:30PM and the meeting will begin with Marion Roes, a past-president of WHS, who will
first outline some of the story of this restored 1855 stone Mennonite meetinghouse. Then, in cooperation with members of the North Dumfries Historical Preservation Society, we’ll tour the township via old photos and stories.
Mission/Goals
The Waterloo Historical Society fosters the recognition of our region’s unique heritage and diligently encourages heritage preservation.
The Waterloo Historical Society documents the history of Waterloo Region, including the cities of Kitchener, Waterloo and Cambridge, along with the Townships of North Dumfries, Wellesley, Wilmot and Woolwich.
History
Active steps toward the establishment of a historical society in Waterloo County (now the Regional Municipality of Waterloo) were taken in 1912. With the encouragement of the Ontario Historical Society, a public meeting was held in November 1912, which resulted in a recommendation that the WHS be organized. The first meeting of the board was held on November 26, 1912.
100 years later
It has been 100 years since that modest beginning. The Society has grown to over 230 members (2009) and has a set of by-laws which govern activities carried out by the board of directors. Current activities include five public meetings each year with invited guest speakers and held in various locations within the region; since 1913, continuous publication of a volume of local history articles; quarterly newsletters; acquisition of documents and photos for WHS archives; and erecting historical plaques.
Affiliations
The WHS is an affiliate member of the Ontario Historical Society and a founding member of the Waterloo Regional Heritage Foundation. The WHS collaborates regularly with heritage and historical groups in the region.
Charitable status
WHS is a registered charity, under Canada Revenue Agency.
Heraldic Badge
Thanks to the generosity of James Roos Breithaupt, president of the WHS in 1997-1998, the society was granted a revised badge (based on the 1922 design by E. M. Chadwick of Toronto) by the Canadian Heraldic Authority.
