Iconic New Hamburg waterwheel removed, replacement coming soon

A New Hamburg landmark is getting a facelift as the old wooden waterwheel at William Scott Park is being taken apart.

A new, steel water wheel will replace the wooden waterwheel – which officials say was starting to show its age.

On Wednesday, Joe Figliomeni, chair of the Board of Trade's Waterwheel Committee, said the waterwheel was being removed.

“We have been working on this plan since 2020 when we discovered that the old waterwheel is past its prime – over 30-years-old. We have been fundraising for the last couple of years and with an additional government grant, we have built a new steel waterwheel,” Figliomeni said in an email to CTV News Kitchener.

Due to the wheel being located on a flood plain, the steel replacement assembly and installation is unknown due to weather.

First built by the New Hamburg Trade Board in 1990, the waterwheel has started showing its age recently and even stopped rotating few years ago.

In 2021, Figliomeni estimated the cost of upgrading the waterwheel cost around $550,000.

“It wasn’t sort of up to standard any further. Its life expectancy was in around 20-25 years,” Figliomeni said.

Figliomeni said the new waterwheel will be in the same spot, and roughly the same size.

“It means a lot to me because this is actually where I took my wedding pictures. So I have a lot of the wheel, the original wheel in my wedding photos.” New Hamburg resident Amie Schieckoff said.

New Hamburg residents said the wheel is an important landmark for the area.

“It means a lot to me because this is actually where I took my wedding pictures. So I have a lot of the wheel, the original wheel in my wedding photos.” New Hamburg resident Amie Schieckoff said.

Schieckoff said she did think a new waterwheel was in order, and New Hamburg is nothing without the wheel.