Waterloo Public Square improvements

The construction of the water fountain in the Waterloo Public Square is complete, and the water is on! The fountain follows the shape of the previous garden in front of Beertown, featuring a water wall with a series of cascading pools. At night, the fountain lights up, adding to the ambience of the square. The water feature was made possible in part through a donation from TerraCorp Management and The Barrel Yards for the enjoyment of the City of Waterloo community.

With the fountain in place, all the approved upgrades to Waterloo Public Square are now complete. Stay tuned for an opening celebration in Spring 2024 to celebrate these new additions.

Note: The water fountain will not be operational during the winter months.

Check out this video we posted on social media highlighting the upgrades in the square:

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We're happy to share that the new shade structures at Waterloo Public Square are now installed. The square is still under construction as we continue to work on the new fountain.

About the design of the new shade structures:

The design for these structures draws on the industrial origins of the town square. Once home to factories including the company that made the famous Waterloo Thresher, the idea is that the materials of these structures could have been found among the remains of the steel and timber buildings of the time. Sprouting from the ground, they will provide dappled shade through reclaimed timber slats, which are shaped to provide a softer, more organic feel to the square.

Arching up overhead, they shade the steps of the square, while providing a sense of enclosure and scale that draws attention upwards and defines the square as its own space.

The materials used are selected with sustainability in mind, using a very simple palette of wood and steel. The wood is reclaimed from an old arena in Barrie, Ontario, and the structural steel can be recycled or repurposed easily. The materials were selected and designed to be easily replaceable or repurposed if needed.

A moveable shade element, featuring oversized fabric umbrellas will also be coming to the square, towards the end of summer 2023.

New shade structures at Waterloo Public Square, made with timber slats in the shape of five sprouting leaf-like structures.

The water feature was part of the public square's original design approved in 2007. It was delayed due to budget constraints and the unknown impacts of the coming ION construction at the square. Crystal Fountains Inc. was retained in 2020 to complete the detailed architectural design of the water feature, and WalterFedy Inc. was retained in 2021 to complete the detailed structural, mechanical, electrical, and civil engineering design, and Ghent Landscape received the tender for construction.

The water feature will follow a similar shape to the existing garden in front of Beertown. Instead of a garden, it will be a water wall with a series of cascading pools. Some of the required plumbing and electrical work were put into place when the square was constructed, and some additional work is needed to be done to ready it for the new water feature. While construction is happening, the area immediately in front of Beertown will be fenced off, and pedestrians will need to access the main steps in front of the Shops entrance or use the ramp along the south end of the square. For a small portion of time, work will need to extend out towards King Street, and pedestrians will have to detour along the Laurel Trail out to King Street to get around this corner.

To bring shade to the square, permanent structures will be installed on the south end of the square, on the existing ledges in front of Shoppers Drug Mart. These will be incorporated into existing infrastructure and other features already in place, and will cast a dappled shade over the tiered seating and south end of the square. One movable shade element should be brought to the square in the summer as well. For more details on the shade structures and the process is available on the engagement page for this project.

The shade structures are being partially constructed off-site. To get the space ready for the structures, the ramp along the south edge of the square will be closed for a brief period of time. The ramp will be temporarily closed again while the structures are installed. The sidewalk along Willis Way will remain available for access up to the main entrance of the Shops at Waterloo Town Square.