The Ward, Guelph

Held between the Speed and the Eramosa, the old working quarter is finding a lively second act: studios and small shops moving into the brick, and a river within a few blocks whichever way you walk.

The 2021 census counted about 2,300 homes in The Ward. About two in five are single detached houses, and about one in eight are apartments or flats in duplexes. About one in four are in apartment buildings of five storeys or more, and about one in seven in smaller apartment buildings. More than half of the homes were built in 1960 or earlier, and about one in seven between 2016 and 2021.

Guelph Transit's 4 York, 14 Grange, 17 Woodlawn Watson and 18 Watson Woodlawn routes serve the neighbourhood. Guelph Central Station is about 1 km away. York Road, Elizabeth Street and Stevenson Street are the main streets, and trails follow both rivers.

Eramosa River Park, at 259 Victoria Road South, covers about 15 hectares along the river, with a playground, a ball diamond and a community garden. York Road Park has soccer fields and ball diamonds, and Lyon Park, at 299 York Road, has a playground, a softball diamond, an outdoor pool and a community garden. Mico Valeriote Park and San Giorgio Morgeto Park have playgrounds, and Riverwalk Park follows the water. The River Run Centre and the downtown shops are about 0.9 km away.

• John Galt Public School — JK to Grade 8. The public school for The Ward, on Laurine Avenue.
• John F. Ross Collegiate Vocational Institute — Grades 9 to 12. The public secondary school, on Meyer Drive.
• King George Public School — JK to Grade 8. The public French immersion school.
• Holy Rosary Catholic School — JK to Grade 8. The Catholic elementary school for these streets, on Stevenson Street North.
• Sacred Heart Catholic School — JK to Grade 8. The board offers Sacred Heart to these streets for the International Baccalaureate program, with Holy Rosary as the other choice.
• St. James Catholic High School — Grades 9 to 12. The Catholic secondary school, on Victoria Road North.