The doors are open and the community is out to explore some of the hidden gems in Waterloo Region.
As a part of the Doors Open Waterloo Region program, dozens of businesses welcomed the public into their spaces to give them a peek into their everyday lives and showcase some of the amazing local companies and industries.
In Cambridge, one business received a lot of attention as around 100 people stood in line to get into Hacksmith Industries on Beaverdale Road.
“This is such a great program that really gets to show off the cool things going on here in town,” said James Hobson, founder of Hacksmith Industries and YouTube icon.
A giant Thor hammer sits on the front lawn of the Hespeler property letting the public know they are in the right place.
Having been creating videos for nearly a decade, Hobson has garnered millions of fans from around the world.
Doors Open is allowing him a chance to share a glimpse of what they do with those who have followed along with his engineering and hacking journey.
“It’s cool because we have a global fan base and now we can bring in those locally who have been watching us, or who might not have even known we were here, an opportunity to see some cool tech.”
Around 100 people waited in-line to meet Hobson and his team while getting a tour of some of their famous tech from their channel; 'John Wick' bulletproof vests, 'Mandalorian' armour and a real life working lightsaber were just some of the things on display.
Doors Open has been a staple event in the region since 2003, with in-person tours being offered for the first time since the pandemic.
On the third Saturday in September, Waterloo Region opens its doors to curious residents and visitors alike to tour noteworthy buildings, interesting places and heritage sites; many of which are not usually available to the public.
“Doors Open Waterloo Region creates meaningful qualitative experiences, delivered through storytelling, in celebration of our diverse community culture, heritage and architecture,” read the region’s website.
Hobson thinks programs and events like this allow the community to find out what is inside the inconspicuous buildings that the average person might miss.
“A lot of these companies are industry leaders and do really cool things. We make movie props come to life, but some of these other companies are preserving history and pushing their industries to the next level.”
