Transportation
The Waterloo Region has excellent connectivity to Ontario, Canada, the U.S. and international destinations via a comprehensive road, rail, bus, public transit, and airport system.
Air
Breslau, ON
N0B 1M0
Phone: 519.648.2256
Toll Free: 1.866.648.2256
Fax: 519.648.3540
email: airport@region.waterloo.on.ca
The Region of Waterloo International Airport (YKF) is Canada's 13th busiest airport, offering 7 flights daily to 7 cities. The airport is centrally located between the cities of Cambridge, Kitchener and Waterloo. Situated in the heart of a dynamic and rapidly growing economic region, there is an estimated travel market of 1.4 million incoming and outgoing passengers in Waterloo Region within its immediate catchment area.
Detroit Hub
Northwest Airlines provide year round scheduled service from the Region of Waterloo International Airport, offering three flights daily to Detroit with connections to more than 900 cities in more than 160 countries. Northwest Airlines is a member of SkyTeam, a global airline alliance and the world's fifth largest airline with hubs at Detroit, Minneapolis, St. Paul, Memphis, Tokyo and Amsterdam, and approximately 1,500 daily departures. More than 90,000 passengers have taken advantage of the scheduled service provided by Northwest Airlines since 2005.
Domestic Services
WestJet offers daily non-stop service between Calgary and Waterloo Region with connections to Vancouver, Victoria, Edmonton, Abbotsford, Kelowna, Regina and Saskatoon. WestJet is Canada’s leading low-cost high-value airline offering scheduled air service throughout its 38-city North American and Caribbean network. With a modern fleet of 68 Boeing Next-Generation 737 aircraft and more than 5,000 people, WestJet strives to be the number one choice for travelers.
Bearskin Airlines offers daily service between Ottawa and Kitchener- Waterloo from the Region of Waterloo International Airport. Bearskin provides three flights on weekdays and one evening flight on Sundays. Founded in 1963, Bearskin provides daily air service to 15 destinations located throughout Ontario and Manitoba. Up to four hours can be saved on a round trip flight to Ottawa with Bearskin’s non-stop service. Save time, save money and collect Air Canada Aeroplan Rewards points with every trip.
Charter Service
Signature Vacations, Sunquest and Transat Holidays work with SkyService Airlines to provide seasonal charter service from the Region of Waterloo International Airport. Weekly non-stop service to Punta Cana and Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic and Cancun, Mexico is available from December 21 through the end of March.
Flight Schools
There are three Flight Schools in Canada’s Technology Triangle who offer a Recreational Pilot Permit, Private Pilot License, Commercial Pilot License, Night Rating Multi-Engine Rating, VFR OTT Rating, Single and Multi-Engine Instrument Rating and Class 4 Instructor Rating. These three flight school and the one Helicopter flight school all operate out of the Region of Waterloo International Airport.
They Include: Adler Aviation; National Flyers Academy; Waterloo-Wellington Flight Centre; Great Lakes Helicopter
Airport Hangers
Region of Waterloo International Airport is currently requesting business proposals for the development of a new hanger. There are two Fixed Base Operators or “FBOs” on the airfield that provide hangarage. The private companies Flite Line Services and Wellington Flight Centre operate these full corporate and executive FBOs. Flite Line is an approved service provider to many Fortune 500 companies and their hanger facilities can accommodate up to a Gulfstream Aircraft. Only one hanger is rented out by the Region of Waterloo International Airport while the rest are privately owned.
Infrastructure
The airport has two runways with modern navigational aids, including ILS, VOR/DME and NDB and GPS approaches. The primary runway is 7,000 feet long and can accommodate larger jets including the Boeing 737 aircraft. The second runway is 4,100 feet long and both runways are 150 feet wide, easily accommodating regional turboprop aircrafts.
Airlines
Lester B. Pearson International Airport
Pearson airport is Canada’s main international airport. Daily flights are offered to 37 Canadian cities, 83 US cities, and 100 other international cities in Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and Central & South America.
Terminal 1: 1.416.247.7678
Terminal 3: 1.416.776.5100
Toll Free: 1.866.207.1690
Hamilton International Airport
The airport offers over 70 flights per week to 45 different destinations. Hamilton International is the largest inter-modal freighter airport in the country and services all major Canadian and international destinations.
General Information
Phone: 1.905.679.1999 Ext. 260
email: info@flyhi.ca
London International Airport
London Airport offers daily flights to a number of Canadian cities such as Ottawa, Winnipeg, and Calgary. Daily flights to Detroit, and select destinations in Mexico, and the Caribbean
General Information
Phone: 1.519.452.4015
email: info@londonairport.on.ca
Road
The Waterloo Region is situated on Highway 401 (MacDonald Cartier Freeway), Canada’s busiest roadway. There is easy access to key U.S. border crossings within 2-3 hours, including Detroit, Port Huron and Buffalo. The area is also supported by an extensive series of secondary highways and intercity transportation routes, including Hwy 7, Hwy 8, Hwy 85 and Hwy 24.
Ontario has the largest and busiest freeway network in Canada, primarily consisting of 400-Series Highways, supplemented by municipal expressways.
VIA Rail Canada runs more than 480 trains per week over a 14,000-kilometre network, carrying 4 million passengers annually.
The Windsor-Québec City corridor (the heaviest passenger train frequency in Canada) connects southern Québec and southern Ontario, and offers frequent downtown-to-downtown travel to and from Toronto, Ottawa, Montréal, Québec City, Niagara Falls, Windsor, London, Kingston, and Sarnia.
The Waterloo Region's connectivity to the Via system is in Kitchener. There are three departures/arrivals daily to and from Toronto.
The Region of Waterloo owns a short-line railway in its jurisdiction, which is operated by RailAmerica/Goderich-Exeter Railway.
The freight railway was created in 1992 - the first short line railway in Canada to be purchased from a Class I railway (CN), and operates over 272 km of track. The Guelph Subdivision of the line (Waterloo Region) handles over 19,000 carloads of freight per year, consisting mainly of automobile parts, chemicals and paper products. Many industries in the area rely on rail shipments. Spur lines exist to access industrial parks in Cambridge, Kitchener, and Guelph.
Grand River Transit is the Waterloo Region public transit service that is provided by Grand River Transit's fully integrated, region-wide transit network. In 2004, Grand River Transit transported more than 11.6 million people, an increase of 24 percent since 2000. The iXpress line, added in 2005, is a fast, limited-stop bus route in the Region, and was the first step towards realizing a future Waterloo Region Rapid Transit system.
Out-of-Town Bus Information
Trips between Canada & US: 1.800.231.2222
email: schedules.canada@coachcanada.com
The Region's proposed Rapid Transit Initiative will link the employment, residential and commercial areas of Cambridge, Kitchener and Waterloo, provide enhanced transit throughout the Region, and help boost the Region’s economy, competitiveness and prosperity over the next 30 years. The Region is currently evaluating and ranking rapid transit route designs, technologies, routes, and station locations, in consultation with the community, and selecting a Preferred Rapid Transit System that best meets the goals set out in the Regional Growth Management Strategy (RGMS)
Air
Region of Waterloo International Airport (YKF)
Box 160, 4881 Fountain Street NorthBreslau, ON
N0B 1M0
Phone: 519.648.2256
Toll Free: 1.866.648.2256
Fax: 519.648.3540
email: airport@region.waterloo.on.ca
The Region of Waterloo International Airport (YKF) is Canada's 13th busiest airport, offering 7 flights daily to 7 cities. The airport is centrally located between the cities of Cambridge, Kitchener and Waterloo. Situated in the heart of a dynamic and rapidly growing economic region, there is an estimated travel market of 1.4 million incoming and outgoing passengers in Waterloo Region within its immediate catchment area.
Detroit Hub
Northwest Airlines provide year round scheduled service from the Region of Waterloo International Airport, offering three flights daily to Detroit with connections to more than 900 cities in more than 160 countries. Northwest Airlines is a member of SkyTeam, a global airline alliance and the world's fifth largest airline with hubs at Detroit, Minneapolis, St. Paul, Memphis, Tokyo and Amsterdam, and approximately 1,500 daily departures. More than 90,000 passengers have taken advantage of the scheduled service provided by Northwest Airlines since 2005.
Domestic Services
WestJet offers daily non-stop service between Calgary and Waterloo Region with connections to Vancouver, Victoria, Edmonton, Abbotsford, Kelowna, Regina and Saskatoon. WestJet is Canada’s leading low-cost high-value airline offering scheduled air service throughout its 38-city North American and Caribbean network. With a modern fleet of 68 Boeing Next-Generation 737 aircraft and more than 5,000 people, WestJet strives to be the number one choice for travelers.
Bearskin Airlines offers daily service between Ottawa and Kitchener- Waterloo from the Region of Waterloo International Airport. Bearskin provides three flights on weekdays and one evening flight on Sundays. Founded in 1963, Bearskin provides daily air service to 15 destinations located throughout Ontario and Manitoba. Up to four hours can be saved on a round trip flight to Ottawa with Bearskin’s non-stop service. Save time, save money and collect Air Canada Aeroplan Rewards points with every trip.
Charter Service
Signature Vacations, Sunquest and Transat Holidays work with SkyService Airlines to provide seasonal charter service from the Region of Waterloo International Airport. Weekly non-stop service to Punta Cana and Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic and Cancun, Mexico is available from December 21 through the end of March.
Flight Schools
There are three Flight Schools in Canada’s Technology Triangle who offer a Recreational Pilot Permit, Private Pilot License, Commercial Pilot License, Night Rating Multi-Engine Rating, VFR OTT Rating, Single and Multi-Engine Instrument Rating and Class 4 Instructor Rating. These three flight school and the one Helicopter flight school all operate out of the Region of Waterloo International Airport.
They Include: Adler Aviation; National Flyers Academy; Waterloo-Wellington Flight Centre; Great Lakes Helicopter
Airport Hangers
Region of Waterloo International Airport is currently requesting business proposals for the development of a new hanger. There are two Fixed Base Operators or “FBOs” on the airfield that provide hangarage. The private companies Flite Line Services and Wellington Flight Centre operate these full corporate and executive FBOs. Flite Line is an approved service provider to many Fortune 500 companies and their hanger facilities can accommodate up to a Gulfstream Aircraft. Only one hanger is rented out by the Region of Waterloo International Airport while the rest are privately owned.
Infrastructure
The airport has two runways with modern navigational aids, including ILS, VOR/DME and NDB and GPS approaches. The primary runway is 7,000 feet long and can accommodate larger jets including the Boeing 737 aircraft. The second runway is 4,100 feet long and both runways are 150 feet wide, easily accommodating regional turboprop aircrafts.
Airlines
| Northwest Airlines Inc. Phone: 1.612.726.2331 |
Signature Vacations Phone: 1.866.324.2883 |
| WestJet Phone: 1.800.538.5696 |
SunQuest Phone: 1.877.485.6060 |
| Bearskin Airlines Phone: 1.800.465.2327 |
Transat Holidays Phone: 1.866.322.6649 |
Other Airports Within Two Hours
Lester B. Pearson International Airport
Pearson airport is Canada’s main international airport. Daily flights are offered to 37 Canadian cities, 83 US cities, and 100 other international cities in Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and Central & South America.
Terminal 1: 1.416.247.7678
Terminal 3: 1.416.776.5100
Toll Free: 1.866.207.1690
Hamilton International Airport
The airport offers over 70 flights per week to 45 different destinations. Hamilton International is the largest inter-modal freighter airport in the country and services all major Canadian and international destinations.
General Information
Phone: 1.905.679.1999 Ext. 260
email: info@flyhi.ca
London International Airport
London Airport offers daily flights to a number of Canadian cities such as Ottawa, Winnipeg, and Calgary. Daily flights to Detroit, and select destinations in Mexico, and the Caribbean
General Information
Phone: 1.519.452.4015
email: info@londonairport.on.ca
Road
The Waterloo Region is situated on Highway 401 (MacDonald Cartier Freeway), Canada’s busiest roadway. There is easy access to key U.S. border crossings within 2-3 hours, including Detroit, Port Huron and Buffalo. The area is also supported by an extensive series of secondary highways and intercity transportation routes, including Hwy 7, Hwy 8, Hwy 85 and Hwy 24.Ontario has the largest and busiest freeway network in Canada, primarily consisting of 400-Series Highways, supplemented by municipal expressways.
Rail
Passenger
Via Rail Canada
Phone: 1.888.842.7245VIA Rail Canada runs more than 480 trains per week over a 14,000-kilometre network, carrying 4 million passengers annually.
The Windsor-Québec City corridor (the heaviest passenger train frequency in Canada) connects southern Québec and southern Ontario, and offers frequent downtown-to-downtown travel to and from Toronto, Ottawa, Montréal, Québec City, Niagara Falls, Windsor, London, Kingston, and Sarnia.
The Waterloo Region's connectivity to the Via system is in Kitchener. There are three departures/arrivals daily to and from Toronto.
Freight
The Canadian National Railway (1.888.888.5909) and Canadian Pacific Railway (1.877.277.7283) provide freight services for local businesses in the Waterloo Region.The Region of Waterloo owns a short-line railway in its jurisdiction, which is operated by RailAmerica/Goderich-Exeter Railway.
The freight railway was created in 1992 - the first short line railway in Canada to be purchased from a Class I railway (CN), and operates over 272 km of track. The Guelph Subdivision of the line (Waterloo Region) handles over 19,000 carloads of freight per year, consisting mainly of automobile parts, chemicals and paper products. Many industries in the area rely on rail shipments. Spur lines exist to access industrial parks in Cambridge, Kitchener, and Guelph.
Public Transit - Local
Grand River Transit
Phone: 1.519.585.7555Grand River Transit is the Waterloo Region public transit service that is provided by Grand River Transit's fully integrated, region-wide transit network. In 2004, Grand River Transit transported more than 11.6 million people, an increase of 24 percent since 2000. The iXpress line, added in 2005, is a fast, limited-stop bus route in the Region, and was the first step towards realizing a future Waterloo Region Rapid Transit system.
Public Transit - Regional/National
Out-of-Town Bus Information
- Ainslie St. Transit Terminal: 519.623.1930
- Charles St. Transit Terminal: 519.585.2370
Greyhound Bus Lines
Trips within Canada: 1.800.661.8747Trips between Canada & US: 1.800.231.2222
Trentway Wagar/Coach Canada
Customer service: 1.800.461.7661email: schedules.canada@coachcanada.com
GO Transit
GO Transit is Ontario's only interregional public transit system, linking Toronto with the surrounding regions of the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). GO serves a population of more than 5 million in an 8000 sq km area, and carries 55 million passengers a year in an extensive network of train and bus services. The GO system's nearest access points (to the Waterloo Region) are Guelph, and Milton.Rapid Transit Initiative
The Waterloo Region is committed to providing a more integrated, sustainable and convenient transportation system. In June 2003, Regional Council unanimously adopted the Regional Growth Management Strategy (RGMS), a long-term strategic framework that identifies where, when and how future residential and employment growth will be accommodated. The strategy is anchored on growing by choice rather than chance and a rapid transit service linking Cambridge, Kitchener and Waterloo through a Central Transit Corridor is a key component.The Region's proposed Rapid Transit Initiative will link the employment, residential and commercial areas of Cambridge, Kitchener and Waterloo, provide enhanced transit throughout the Region, and help boost the Region’s economy, competitiveness and prosperity over the next 30 years. The Region is currently evaluating and ranking rapid transit route designs, technologies, routes, and station locations, in consultation with the community, and selecting a Preferred Rapid Transit System that best meets the goals set out in the Regional Growth Management Strategy (RGMS)
“The Waterloo Region is at the core of an unmatched matrix of business and technology success facilitators:
John Keating, CEO
COM DEV
- a pool of top talent from Canada’s best constellation of post-secondary schools
- Canada’s most direct routes to multiple crossing to US markets
- Canada’s largest international airport
- a tremendously contagious community spirit of success
- one of the best networks of businesses and support organizations anywhere
John Keating, CEO
COM DEV
