Cambridge (2006 population 120,371)
is a city located on the Grand River and Speed River in the Region of
Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. Cambridge was formed in 1973 when the city
of Galt merged with the towns of Preston and Hespeler and parts of the
townships of Waterloo and North Dumfries. When amalgamation plans were
first announced, the combined city was to be named Galt, but Preston and
Hespeler successfully petitioned the province to instead give the city
a new name, to be selected by a referendum on choices submitted by the
three members. A ruffled Galt submitted ‘Blair’, while Preston
and Hespeler combined to back ‘Cambridge’, after ‘Cambridge
Mills’, an early name for the settlement that became Preston. |