Cambridge staff begin preliminary discussions on Hespeler Road fountain revitalization

A Cambridge fountain could be returned to its former glory - without using any of the city's water. CTV's Spencer Turcotte explains.

The push to restore a Cambridge landmark is gaining ground.

The three concrete fountains on the former Knob Hill Farms property are a prominent feature at the Hespeler and Pinebush Road intersection. The taps were turned off when the grocery store shut down in 2000 and remained that way even after the building reopened as a Home Depot.

The water was briefly turned back on in 2005, then shut off for good.

Some residents are now trying to change that.

“All the box stores are there,” said Cambridge historian Paul Lang, who was a delegate at Tuesday night’s council meeting. “There’s nothing, there’s no identity. When you get off [Highway] 401, we need to restore some identity. And that’s what the fountains did.”

He supports the motion, put forward by Ward 7 Councillor Scott Hamilton, to revitalize the area which brings together Hespeler, Galt and Preston.

“The magic has been lost since the water turned off,” Hamilton said.

In the original motion, he suggested city staff pursue a mutually beneficial partnership with Home Depot instead of seeking additional funds from taxpayers.

“We have to engage Home Depot as partners. They own the land, but they have expressed a willingness to engage us on this,” he said. “The goal would be to seek out sponsorships for this.”

Hamilton also wanted the city to look at ways to revive the fountains without actually using water, given the current capacity crisis in Waterloo Region.

One idea that caught the councillor’s attention was Ross Rasevic’s rendering of a digital waterfall.

“With the LED solution, it’s a fraction of the cost,” said Rasevic.

The light, he explained, would mimic the movement and shimmer of falling water.

“They can change with the holiday season [like with] Christmas time, the lighting can change as well.”

Much of the discussion after the motion was presented had to do with next steps, especially considering the already heavy workload faced by city staff and councillors.

A compromise was reached and the motion passed, with a couple of added amendments. City staff have been tasked with approaching Home Depot to see if a partnership is possible and determining other potential sponsors, such as post-secondary institutions and students, who could participate in the revitalization project.

Staff will report back to council before they begin discussions on the city’s 2027 budget.