Celebrating 20 years of the Google office in Kitchener-Waterloo, Canada

Google's Kitchener-Waterloo office opened in 2005. Back then, it wasn’t the sprawling campus it is today. It was just a few people in a small office, a tiny outpost of Google tucked away in Waterloo. The region was already a tech hub, buzzing with the energy of the university and the legacy of BlackBerry, but they were full of ideas and that distinct, colourful optimism that was so quintessentially Google.

Shortly after, they moved to the nearby Tannery building. That felt like they were truly putting down roots. The old brick and beam of a place with its own history seemed like the perfect canvas to start building the future. They were a tight-knit group then, a family of “Canooglers,” as they called ourselves. They were working on big things, even then—bits and pieces of products that people around the world would use every day, like Gmail and the Chrome browser. There was a sense of pride in knowing that right here, in Waterloo, they were having a global impact.

Then came the Breithaupt Block. That was a game-changer. Taking over a former rubber factory and transforming it into a state-of-the-art engineering hub felt symbolic. It was a testament to the region's ability to reinvent itself, and our commitment to being a part of that story. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau came to officially open the new office.

That building became a world of its own. There was a climbing wall, a gym, and a library with a secret door. It was a place where you could be working on a complex problem one moment, and then be having a coffee with a colleague in a micro-kitchen the next, the conversation sparking a new idea. The connection with the University of Waterloo has always been our lifeblood. We’ve seen so many bright-eyed students come in for co-op terms, full of talent and ambition, and many of them have stayed to build their careers with us.

I joined Google and this office back in 2022, after completing a chapter of my life focused on doctoral studies and teaching at the University of Waterloo.

Now, as we look at the new tower rising across the street and celebrate our 20th anniversary, it’s amazing to see how much we’ve grown. From four people to a community of thousands, we’ve become a cornerstone of the local tech scene. We’ve launched a start-up accelerator, delved deeper into AI and cloud computing, and our work continues to touch millions of lives. We contribute to major Google initiatives, such as Workspace and Cloud products, Stadia, and others.

But even with all the growth, that original spirit remains. We’re still a bunch of people who are passionate about technology, who believe in the power of a good idea, and who are proud to call Waterloo home. It’s been an incredible 20 years, and I can’t wait to see what the next 20 will bring.