The city of Kitchener, Ontario voted in May 1916 to change the name of the city from its original name, Berlin. Through the latter half of the 19th century and into the first decade of the 20th, the city of Berlin, Ontario, Canada, was a bustling industrial centre celebrating its German heritage. However, when World War I started, that heritage became the focus of considerable enmity from non-German residents within the city and throughout Waterloo County. The First World War created conflict among the citizens of Waterloo County. Not only were residents divided by ethnicity – German and British – but longstanding civic rivalries between Berlin (now Kitchener) and Galt (now Cambridge) increased the tension. The vote passed by only a slim margin.
By late June, the final shortlist of new names were: Adanac, Brock, Benton, Corona, Keowana and Kitchener. Kitchener was a late addition to the shortlist of possible names, as it was added shortly after the death of Horatio Herbert Kitchener, a prominent figure in the British Empire's war effort, who had died June 5, 1916.
While more than 15,000 people lived in the city at the time, 346 people voted for the name "Kitchener" on June 28, 1916, from approximately 5,000 eligible voters. The city was officially renamed "Kitchener" on September 1, 1916.
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