ITE & WTS Southwestern Ontario: Exclusive ION LRT Transit Tour & Networking Event

Thursday, September 24
9:45 a.m.–2:30 p.m. ET

We are excited to invite you to join ITE and WTS Southwestern Ontario for an exclusive transit tour and networking event in the Region of Waterloo! This joint event offers transportation professionals and students a unique, immersive opportunity to explore the 19-kilometre dual-track ION LRT system firsthand.

Meet Your Tour Guides

The technical tour will be led by three primary presenters:

Dr. Clarence Woudsma (University of Waterloo): Clarence brings his extensive experience in transportation policy and urban logistics, Dr. Woudsma will share his insights into the transit impact modeling, active transportation integration, and the broader community-building strategies that guided the ION LRT’s development.
Dave Pawelko (Region of Waterloo): Dave will focus on capital renewal and municipal project management perspectives on the transit corridor
Shen-Hao Chang (Region of Waterloo): Shen-Hao will focus on the development of transit and how the varying systems are integrated.

Event Details

Date: Thursday, September 24, 2026
Time: 9:45 a.m.– 2:30 p.m.
Start/End Location: University of Waterloo (UW) Engineering 2 (E2) Building, Room 2350.
Parking Logistics: To help minimize our footprint, we highly encourage carpooling or taking transit to the event! For those driving who require a parking space (complimentary parking will be provided), you must provide your vehicle’s license plate number, make, and model when registering. Please include this information during your ticket purchase checkout.

Event Schedule & Highlights (all times EDT):

9:45 a.m. | Arrival & Registration: The tour will start at the University of Waterloo in the E2 building in Room 2350. Complementary parking is available in Parking Lot C.
10:00 a.m. | Introductory Presentation: Kick off the day at the UW E2 building (Room 2350) with Dr. Clarence Woudsma for an engaging overview of the ION LRT system’s engineering and urban planning.
10:30 a.m. | ION LRT Transit Tour & Hub Presentation: Board the ION LRT at the Northfield Station and travel south to the future Kitchener Transit Hub at Central Station. Track-side technical discussions will focus on Phase 1 infrastructure and the Phase 2 expansion plans. Following the tour, we will again board the ION LRT to travel north to Northfield Station.
12:00 p.m. | WCR Heritage Train Ride: Transfer to the Waterloo Central Railway (WCR) for a scenic, networking-focused train ride north to the St. Jacobs Farmers’ Market. A huge thank you to WCR for providing us this travel as an in-kind sponsorship!
12:15 p.m. | Networking Buffet Lunch: Enjoy lunch, networking, and closing remarks at Stockyards Brewing near the St. Jacobs Farmers’ Market. Drinks (alcoholic or non-alcoholic) will be available for purchase.
1:40 p.m. | WCR and ION LRT Return Trip: Re-board the WCR train and ION LRT for a ride back to the UW.
2:00 p.m. | Event Conclusion

Your Ticket Includes:

Roundtrip ION LRT fare (Northfield to/from Central Station)
Roundtrip Waterloo Central Railway fare (Northfield to/from St. Jacobs Farmers’ Market)
Buffet Lunch at Stockyards Brewing (drinks are not included, but available for purchase)

Ticket sales end on September 22, 2026.

Professional Development

All participants will receive 2.0 PDH credits.

Questions?

Please contact southwestontario@itecanada.org with any inquiries.