A SLICE OF PERFECTION

Even an extreme cold warning on a blustery January afternoon could not keep pizza lovers from grabbing a slice at Willibald Pizza in downtown Galt. The restaurant has been earning positive reviews for its food and atmosphere from residents across Waterloo Region and beyond since opening in November 2025. For head chef Brian McCourt, the warm welcome is based on more than great pizza.  

The new restaurant at 135 George St. N. in Cambridge is the second location for the Willibald team. 

“There’s a lot of creativity around Galt, but there wasn’t a community spot where you could come and get a few slices. We just wanted to have that neighborhood spot…it just gives that great community vibe of different generations all eating the same thing and enjoying it,” McCourt said. 

Owners Cam Formica, Jordan van der Heyden and Nolan Jordan van der Heyden opened the original Willibald Farm Distillery in Ayr in 2017 and added a restaurant in 2018. 

McCourt joined the restaurant as head chef after working across the Waterloo Region culinary scene. A self-described “lifelong pizza head” from his earliest memories of a pizza being delivered by motorcycle in his native Dublin, Ireland, McCourt developed his pizza skills working at Wildcraft, Bauer Kitchen, The Rich Uncle and Graffiti Market. 

After working more management roles, McCourt wanted to get back into the kitchen. 

“I wanted to get back in there, and when the Willibald opportunity came up, I put my name in the hat and that was that,” McCourt said. 

As word of mouth spread for the pizza at the Willibald Farm, McCourt said they found themselves turning more and more guests away.  

“The farm was bursting at the seams. Then I heard that the previous tenant of this space wasn’t renewing their lease. As a joke, I said, ‘We should open a pizza shop.’ Then two weeks later, they came back and asked if I was serious. I was, and that’s how Willibald Pizza was formed,” McCourt said.  

Opening a second location also presented a branding dilemma for the Willibald team. Formica worked with Toronto-based graphic designer Joel Malkin to create the brand and called upon Malkin to help adapt it for Willibald Pizza. 

“It’s challenging to balance how modern and clean the current Willibald branding is with something a bit more nostalgic feeling. We wanted it to feel like somewhere you’ve been before,” Formica said.  

Malkin incorporated influences from classic pizza shops—handwritten cursive lettering, checkerboard patterns and a Willibald-twist on one of Formica’s favourites.  

“Even the light shades—I used to go to Pizza Hut as a kid, and I just love the old Tiffany’s stained-glass lights,” Formica added.   

With the look and feel locked down, McCourt set to work on the kitchen. Willibald Pizza dough ferments for up to six days before it sees the oven. The restaurant serves up to 250 pizzas on Fridays and Saturdays. McCourt said word of mouth demand has helped the restaurant sell out pizzas on a few nights already this year.  

“We’re looking at expanding over the next few weeks to make our walk-in a little bigger so we can keep up with the demand,” McCourt added.  

But even with gourmet ingredients and a labour-intensive process, McCourt said they want to make food that is affordable as well as comforting.   

“We’re using premium ingredients. We’re giving a great product with everything sourced from Ontario, and it’s still in that price range where it’s quality. You can come here, have a quality meal in a comfortable setting and still feel satisfied,” McCourt said. 

CAMBRIDGE DEBATES LRT EXPANSION

On Nov. 19, 2025, the Waterloo Regional Council officially approved the 17-kilometre extension of the Light Rail Transit (LRT) route to Cambridge, directly connecting the tri-cities.   

The extension will involve new LRT stations in Sportsworld, Preston, Pinebush, Cambridge Centre Mall, Can-Amera Parkway, Delta Centre and Galt. Once  complete, trains are expected to run every seven minutes, with a roughly  29-minute trip from Fairway Station to downtown Galt.   

On Nov. 4, members of the Sustainability, Infrastructure and Development committee voted 15 to 1 in favour of full Stage 2 LRT extension, with Cambridge Mayor Jan Liggett the only member voting against.  

“The council’s decision represents a major step in delivering the original vision for rapid transit, which was a continuous connection from Waterloo to Kitchener to Cambridge,” Karen Redman, Chair of the Region of Waterloo regional council, said.  

“This will shape the future of Waterloo Region as a great place to live, work and play, and extend the benefits of Light Rail Transit to residents of Cambridge,” she said.  

Some Cambridge councillors, however, raised concerns about the project. Helen Schwery, the ward one Cambridge city councillor, argued the project should have been put to a referendum.   

“I am opposed to any large project that moves forward without proper and broad input from residents. […] The feedback I have heard, along with what other councillors and the mayor have heard, shows that many residents do not support this project,” Schwery said.  

While a major survey of Waterloo Region residents found that 78 per cent of the 2,500 respondents were in favour of extending the LRT to downtown Cambridge, Schwery also questioned the survey’s veracity.  

“The recent survey of 2,500 people carries limited weight, especially when only about half of the respondents were from Cambridge. A sample that small cannot reflect the views of a city our size,” Schwery said.  

She argued the project funds would be better spent improving transit connections to nearby cities, such as Guelph, Mississauga and Toronto.   

Other Cambridge councillors have a more favourable opinion of the expansion.  

“The LRT is an unparalleled social and economic development creation machine. It’s an unparalleled tool to revitalize a city and take it into the future,” Scott Hamilton, ward seven Cambridge city councillor, said.  

The impact of the LRT in Waterloo and Kitchener has been broadly positive. According to the Waterloo Region Council, Stage 1 LRT led to $5.25 billion in development along the Central Transit Corridor, with more than 22,000 new homes built near the corridor between 2011 and 2024.   

Former councilor Rob Deutschmann previously noted that the LRT expansion could draw between $5 to 10 billion in private investment along the area, according to the  Cambridge Chamber of Commerce estimates.  

Plans for LRT extension to Cambridge goes back several years. LRT Stage 2 was officially announced in June 2019 but has since been subject to significant delays.   

In 2024, Manager of Rapid Transit Coordination Matthew O’Neil said in an interview with Mike Farwell that he expects construction to begin in 2032 at the earliest. Regional staff must first secure full project funding from both the provincial and federal governments.  

More details on the project can be found at the Engage Waterloo Region website.  

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