Galt, Ontario
Galt is a community in Cambridge, Ontario, Canada, in the Regional Municipality of Waterloo, Ontario on the Grand River. Prior to 1973, it was an independent city, incorporated in 1915, but amalgamation with the village of Hespeler, the town of Preston and the village of Blair formed the new municipality of Cambridge. Being the largest constituent community in the city, it is commonly seen as the downtown core of Cambridge. The first mayor of Cambridge was Claudette Millar.
Galt | |
|---|---|
Urban district/ Dissolved City | |
Galt Galt | |
| Coordinates: 43°21′29″N 80°18′55″W | |
| Country | Canada |
| Province | Ontario |
| Regional municipality | Waterloo |
| City | Cambridge |
| Settled | 1816 |
| Incorporated (town) | 1857 |
| Incorporated (city) | 1915 |
| Amalgamated (city) | 1973 |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| Forward sortation area | N1R, N1S, N1T, N3C, N3H |
| Area code(s) | 519 and 226 |
| NTS Map | 40P8 Cambridge |
| GNBC Code | FCIKJ |
There was considerable resistance among the local population to this "shotgun marriage" arranged by the provincial government and a healthy sense of rivalry had always governed relations among the three communities. Even today, many residents identify Galt, Preston, and Hespeler as still being cities or towns in their own right. Each unique centre has its own history that is well documented in the Cambridge City Archives.
No current population data is available for the former Galt since the Census reports cover only the full area of Cambridge.
The former Galt covers the largest portion of the amalgamated municipality, making up the southern half of the city. It is located on the Grand River and has a very long history as an industrialized area. The former Preston and Blair are located on the western side of the city, while the former Hespeler is in the most northeasterly section of Cambridge.