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Kitchener – Twenty-five years ago, Kitchener City Hall opened its doors with a vision of being the open and welcoming heart of the city. A place where community is built. A place where people connect with each other, and with those who represent them.

“The opening of a new city hall in 1993, after 20 years in a leased building, was an exciting time for both employees and the community,” says Mayor Berry Vrbanovic. “As someone who was an employee back then, I remember the excitement of the construction period and especially move-in week!  More importantly though, I remember the immense pride our community felt for this new facility – not just the seat of local government but a community gathering place which would come to welcome tens of thousands of residents and visitors to everything from festival openings to skating and weddings to memorials."

To mark this important milestone, the City of Kitchener is inviting the public to a celebration on Monday, Sept. 17 (25 years to the day after city hall first opened its doors) from noon to 7:30 p.m. All are welcome for a day of free entertainment and information with live musical performances and guest speakers. There will also be tours of special locations, as well as some beautiful art, inside of city hall. See some of the design concepts, construction photos and hear about the vision for the building directly from the award-winning architect, Bruce Kuwabara.

Over the past 25 years, there have been dramatic changes developing around city hall and we are excited to see what the future holds over the next 25 years and beyond. Be a part of this exciting future by taking part in a community photo and help decide what goes into the next City of Kitchener time capsule.

Schedule for the day

  • Welcoming ceremony at 12:30 p.m. with words from Mayor Berry Vrbanovic, former Mayor Carl Zehr and Kitchener City Hall architect, Bruce Kuwabara
  • Explore council chambers (1pm-7pm)
  • Community photo on Carl Zehr Square 1:15 to 1:30 p.m. (community members are encouraged to gather in Carl Zehr Square for a large community photo, similar to the photo taken during the ground breaking ceremony)
  • Live music from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 5 to 6 p.m.
  • Architecture/design tours at 1:30 p.m., 3:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.
  • Public art tours at noon, 2 p.m., 4 p.m., and 6 p.m.

For more information visit www.kitchener.ca/cityhall25

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