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 our primary presenter, Dr. Jeff Casello, from the University of Waterloo’s School of Planning and Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. As one of Canada’s foremost experts in public transportation, Dr. Casello will share his insights into the foundational research, ridership evaluation, and design mechanics that brought the ION LRT to life.

Dr. Casello will be joined by transportation professionals directly involved in both Phase 1 and the upcoming Phase 2 LRT extension to Cambridge. Together, they will offer attendees an exclusive, track-side look at the system’s creation and share their experiences navigating the complex integration of civil engineering, urban planning, and systems architecture.

Additional details regarding our specific guest speakers and their technical topics will be provided closer to the event.

Event Details

• Date: Thursday, September 24, 2026
• Time: 9:45 AM – 2:30 PM
• Start/End Location: University of Waterloo (UW) E7 Building.
• 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 AM | Arrival:  The tour will start and end at the University of Waterloo E7 building.  The specific room/space at UW will be confirmed in advance of the event.
• 10:00 AM | Introductory Presentation: Kick off the day at the UW E7 building with Dr. Jeff Casello for an engaging overview of the ION LRT system’s engineering and urban planning.
• 10:45 AM | 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 PM | 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 PM | Networking Buffet Lunch: Enjoy lunch, networking, and closing remarks at Stockyards Brewing near the St. Jacobs Farmers’ Market.
• 2:00 PM | Event Conclusion & Return Trip: Re-board the WCR train and ION LRT for a ride back to the UW.

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

Ticket sales end on September 22, 2026.

Professional Development

All participants will receive confirmation of attendance and are anticipated to be eligible for 2.0 PDH credits.

Questions?

Please contact southwestontario@itecanada.org with any inquiries.