Country Canada Area code(s) (519) and (226) Population 477,160 (2011) | Time zone EST (UTC-5) Area 827.4 km² Province Ontario | |
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The Tri-Cities (also known as Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo) is a metropolitan area located in Southern Ontario, Canada. It is centred on the cities of Kitchener, Cambridge, and Waterloo, as well as surrounding municipalities, collectively called the Regional Municipality of Waterloo. The census metropolitan area (CMA) had a population of 477,160 in 2011, making it the fourth largest metropolitan area in Ontario, after Toronto, Ottawa and Hamilton, and the tenth largest metropolitan area in the country. The tri-cities area is known for its high concentration of tech companies, such as BlackBerry (formerly Research in Motion), OpenText, Kik, and Maplesoft. As such, it has often been referred to as "Canada's Silicon Valley". The Tri-Cities are also home to the widely known University of Waterloo, as well as Wilfrid Laurier University and Conestoga College.
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The area is also known for its high concentration of Mennonites. There are many Mennonite churches in the area, serving the New Mennonites, Conservative Mennonites, Old Order Mennonite and the Mennonite Brethren.
Government
The region's governing body is the 16 member Waterloo Regional Council. The Council consists of the Regional Chair, the Mayors of the seven cities and townships, and eight additional Councilors - four from Kitchener and two each from Cambridge and Waterloo.
Prior to 1997, the Regional Chair was appointed by the Councilors, who were elected by the citizens of Waterloo Region. Beginning in the 1997 election, the citizens of Waterloo Region have directly elected the Chair. Of the nine regional municipalities in Ontario, Waterloo Region and the Regional Municipality of Halton are the only ones that allow for direct election of the Chair.
Ken Seiling has held the position of Regional Chair since 1985. The current membership of the Council is as follows: