of about 1100. The river was an excellent source of power for two wool factories and two flour mills in 1864. There was also a foundry that manufactured agricultural implements. Several large companies made carriages, buggies and wagons. By that time there were three churches and a school with 100 students. In 1869 the population was 1,400. New Hamburg became a town in 1966. Notable people NHL hockey analyst, Howie Meeker, was raised here. He was named a Member of the Order of Canada in 2010. Notable landmarks New Hamburg hosts the largest Mopar Festival in Canada (in July or August). New Hamburg is home to the largest working wooden waterwheel in North America. Notable businesses [Argo] Makes Argos in New Hamburg [Maple Leaf Foods] Maple Leaf Foods Has a hatchery in New Hamburg [Is This Chair Taken] Small business on Peel Street [Rudy Held] Performance Shop In New Hamburg See also List of population centres in Ontario References Communities in the Regional Municipality of Waterloo Wilmot, Ontario