If you live outside of Canada and you’ve heard of Kitchener-Waterloo, maaaring ito ay dahil sa Research sa Motion.

Walang kasalanan sa Kitchener-Waterloo, but this Ontario region’s most famous product is much better known than the cities themselves. Headquartered sa Waterloo, Research sa Motion (aka RIM) is the maker of the now-ubiquitous Lumboy.

Ngunit ang twin lungsod ng Kalan ng kusina–Waterloo, matatagpuan sa halos 100 km (60 milya) kanluran ng Toronto, isa pang claim sa katanyagan: The region is home to a large German-Canadian community, at kanilang taunang Oktoberfest is the largest Bavarian festival in North America.

This year’s Oktoberfest opens today, Oktubre 9, at tumatakbo hanggang Sabado, Oktubre 17. Maaari mong get the whole calendar of Oktoberfest events here.

Here’s an excerpt from my book, Buhay sa ibang bansa sa Canada, about the Kitchener-Waterloo region’s German heritage:

Sa unang bahagi ng 1800s, communities of Pennsylvania “Dutch” (actually settlers from Germany) moved north to southern Ontario to escape religious persecution in the United States. One of Ontario’s original Mennonite settlements, sa bayan ng St. Jacobs outside Waterloo still has a significant Mennonite population, including bonnet-clad women and bearded men who sell vegetables, karne, at jam sa local farmers’ markets.

For a more detailed history of German immigration to Canada, magkaroon ng isang pagtingin sa The Encyclopedia of Canada’s Peoples.

In the meantime, tuck into a Snitsel and hoist a glass at Canada’s largest Oktoberfest!