Blackbridge, Cambridge

Blackbridge is Hespeler's newest corner, at the north end of the city along Black Bridge Road. The Hespeler Mill Pond lies at its edge, calm and wide, with the reflections of trees on the water at dusk. The Forbes Estate Natural Area, about 30 hectares of woods, rings the streets with green. The Mill Pond Trail circles toward the water for an easy evening walk. Michigan Avenue Park and Apple Drive Park have playgrounds a short walk from home.

The 2021 census counts most of Blackbridge together with part of Silverheights, and together they had about 1,150 homes. Four in five are single detached houses, and row houses make up about one in twelve. More than half the homes were built between 2006 and 2010, and about three in ten after 2011.

Grand River Transit's 51 Hespeler route serves the neighbourhood. The Pinebush stop on the 302 ION Bus, which runs to Fairway ION station in Kitchener, is about 4.8 km away. Stage 2 ION, which the Region has approved and is now designing, plans a Pinebush station about 5.0 km away. Black Bridge Road is the main road, and Highway 401 is reached by Townline Road (exit 286) or Hespeler Road (exit 282).

The Forbes Estate Natural Area covers about 30 hectares, and the Hespeler Mill Pond about 16 hectares. Michigan Avenue Park and the Apple Drive neighbourhood park have playgrounds, and the Mill Pond Trail runs nearby. St. Gabriel Catholic School, on Baldwin Drive, is in the neighbourhood. The Hespeler branch of the Cambridge Public Library is about 1.9 km away, and the Chilligo Conservation Area about 2 km.

• Silverheights Public School — JK to Grade 8. The public school for most of Blackbridge, on Scott Road.
• Centennial Public School — JK to Grade 6. The public school for part of Black Bridge Road.
• Hespeler Public School — Grades 7 and 8. The middle school for the Centennial Public School streets, with French immersion.
• Jacob Hespeler Secondary School — Grades 9 to 12. The public secondary school.
• St. Gabriel Catholic School — JK to Grade 8. The Catholic elementary school on Baldwin Drive, in the neighbourhood.
• St. Benedict Catholic Secondary School — Grades 9 to 12. The nearest Catholic secondary school, about 6.1 km away.