KITCHENER -- Kitchener-Waterloo has gone through many changes in the past century.

They also took part in numerous land acquisitions, some still shared between the two cities.

In 1883, Joseph Seagram, a Waterloo resident and founder of Seagram Whiskey donated the land where Grand River Hospital now sits. The land is steps away from the border between Kitchener and Waterloo.

"There's always a joke that says no one is ever born in Waterloo, because the hospital is in Kitchener," said Karen VandenBrink with the City of Waterloo Museum.

At the time, Waterloo was a village and Kitchener was called Berlin.

There were 19 land acquisitions between 1948 and 1979. Some of the transactions were between the Cities of Waterloo and Kitchener and some between the City of Waterloo and the Township of Waterloo.

"Regional government happened in 1972 and there were quite a few land transactions that happened even after that, so that 72 to 79 threshold," said VandenBrink, adding "There are several properties where the border runs between them,"

Kitchener and Waterloo have shared properties like Mount Hope Cemetery, established in the 1860s.

The building now housing SunLife has been shared since 1912 and the Westmount Golf Course since 1930.

The cities also share around 50 services.

Kitchener Mayor Berry Vrbanovic said it's a partnership that continues to develop through the decades.

"Whether it's looking at things like snow plowing, whether it's looking at shared services around some amenities or even things like fire dispatch," he said.

The partnership has helped them become better neighbours with Cambridge and surrounding townships.

"To work together and make this one of the best places to work, live and play in the country," Vrbanovic said.