Northward, Kitchener

Northward sits beside Woodside National Historic Site, and on a fall afternoon you can walk from your own street into its wooded grounds and gardens. The house, built in 1853, was the boyhood home of Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King. Next to it, the trails of Springwood Park lead into about 8 hectares of woodland along Wellington Street North. Small parks such as Ash Park and Guelph Street Park sit among older homes on quiet side streets. Downtown, Frederick Mall and the Breithaupt Centre are all a short trip away.

The City's 2021 estimates count about 480 homes in the Northward planning community. Just over half are single detached houses. Apartment buildings under five storeys make up nearly three in ten, and taller apartment buildings and duplexes most of the rest. In the 2021 census, about three in five homes in the surrounding area were built in 1960 or earlier, and about a quarter between 1961 and 1980.

The Conestoga Parkway has interchanges at Wellington Street and at Victoria Street and Frederick Street. The nearest ION stations, Kitchener City Hall and Frederick, are about 1.9 to 2 km away. Frederick Mall, at 385 Frederick Street, is about 1.2 km away.

Woodside National Historic Site, at 528 Wellington Street North, is about 0.4 km from the centre of the community, with about 11.5 acres of wooded grounds, gardens and lawn open year-round. Springwood Park, on Wellington Street North, is a natural area of about 8 hectares. Ash Park, Arnold Park and Guelph Street Park are neighbourhood parks, and Lips Park on Lancaster Street West covers about 1.3 hectares. The Breithaupt Centre, with its indoor pool, and the Breithaupt Park splash pad are each about 1.4 km away. The George Lippert leash-free dog park is about 1.6 km away. The Central Library is about 1.7 km away, and Centre In The Square about 1.4 km.

• Prueter Public School — JK to Grade 6. The public elementary school for Northward.
• Margaret Avenue Public School — Grades 7 and 8. The middle school for Northward.
• Kitchener-Waterloo Collegiate and Vocational School — Grades 9 to 12. A public secondary school for Northward, with French immersion and extended French.
• Bluevale Collegiate Institute (Waterloo) — Grades 9 to 12. A public secondary school for part of Northward.
• St. Teresa Catholic School — JK to Grade 8. The nearest Catholic elementary school.