Woodside was built in 1853 by James Colquhoun, a British barrister who had recently arrived in Canada. Following Colquhoun's death in 1877, it was occupied by a succession of tenants, among whom was the King family.

In the early 1940s, Woodside was in danger of demolition to make way for a housing development. A group of citizens organized the Mackenzie King Woodside Trust to preserve and restore the house in honour of Mackenzie King. The King family only occupied the house for seven years but the importance of those years for the young Mackenzie King may be judged by his later reflection: "The years that left the most abiding of all impressions and most in the way of family associations were those lived at Woodside." Woodside has now been reconstructed and restored to represent the period of the Kings' residence, 1886-93.

Woodside National Historic Site 
The grounds are open 10:00 am to 5:00 pm
The historic house is closed until further notice.

During your visit to Woodside, amuse yourself with some of the same leisure activities as the Kings! In 1891, residents of Berlin (Kitchener) enjoyed having a picnic lunch and challenged each other with games of skill. You can learn to walk in stilts or play croquet! Later, discover the wildlife and flowers hidden among the 4.65 hectares of woodland surrounding the historic house.

Woodside National Historic Site
528 Wellington Street North
Kitchener, Ontario
Canada
N2H 5L5
Tel: 519-571-5684      
Tel (Toll-free in North America Only):  1-888-773-8888      
Fax: 519-571-5686
Email: [email protected]