Heat wave caused sidewalks in Waterloo Region to buckle

CTV News

4 days ago

The heat wave may be over, but Waterloo Region still has to deal with the side effects.
Sidewalks in Waterloo, Kitchener and Cambridge have buckled under the stress of the heat and humidity.
Sidewalks are made of concrete and when the temperatures rise, the material expands. However, since the slabs are so close together, the pressure causes the concrete to crack or forces it upwards.
In Waterloo, a portion of the sidewalk on Marsland Drive was cordoned off due to damage.
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Buckled sidewalk on Erb Street in Waterloo on June 26, 2025. (Colton Wiens/CTV News)
'I could definitely see anybody with maybe a wheelchair, or somebody with some type of a disability not being able to get around it,' said resident Alexander Lefebvre.
Buckling was also seen in two spots along Erb Street in Waterloo.
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Buckled sidewalk on Erb Street in Waterloo on June 26, 2025. (Colton Wiens/CTV News)
Cambridge said it has received similar reports.
'The city is aware of two locations where sidewalks have buckled due to heat stress over the past week,' they said in a statement to CTV News. 'Fortunately, in Cambridge, this has been rare. However, it's always a possibility when there are very high temperatures and long periods of sun.'
According to the City of Kitchener, sometimes the sidewalks will return to their usual position on their own.
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Buckled sidewalk on Marsland Drive in Waterloo on June 26, 2025. (Colton Wiens/CTV News)
'When we experience heat like we have in the past couple days, the material in the slab expands and can cause heaving,' they said in a statement to CTV News. 'Sometimes these areas will go back down on their own after the heat dissipates but sometimes they'll require further intervention. When we see a sidewalk heave, we will typically make the area safe through visual markings like cones or paint and will monitor the area. Depending on the situation, we will replace the affected area if necessary.'
- With reporting by Colton Wiens