The VII AMMCS International Conference

Waterloo, Ontario, Canada | August 17-21, 2026

Travel & Local Info

Welcome to Waterloo, Ontario, Canada!

We are excited to have you here for our international conference. To help you make the most of your visit, we have put together a list of tourist attractions, books, and websites for you to explore.

Getting to Wilfrid Laurier University

The conference will be held at the Waterloo campus of Wilfrid Laurier University. The city of Waterloo is easily reachable by air and ground transportation. The campus is approximately a 25-minute drive away from Waterloo International Airport, 70 minutes from Toronto Pearson International Airport, and 80 minutes from John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport.

If you choose a transportation option that leaves from Union Station in Downtown Toronto, you can take the UP Express to get to Union Station. Once you are at Union Station, you can connect to GO Transit and VIA Rail travel options for Waterloo. There are many ways to get to Wilfrid Laurier University: Flixbus, Go Bus , Go Train and VIA Rail. The detailed information is provided below.

GO Transit

GO Bus

The Go Bus stops at Toronto Pearson Airport Terminal 1 on the ground level between columns Q2 to Q4. This bus runs hourly on weekdays and weekends, and every 30 minutes during weekday rush hours. You can buy GO Transit tickets at the vending machine in Terminal 1 on the ground level. Choose Wilfrid Laurier University as your destination. You can calculate your fare and plan your trip online. The rate is approximately $18 one way, with taxes included, but is subject to change. Take the GO Bus Route 40 - Hamilton GO, exiting the bus at Square One GO Terminal, where you must disembark and transfer to GO Bus Route 25 - U of Waterloo, exiting the bus at Wilfrid Laurier University. This stop is adjacent to the Waterloo campus entrance at the corner of University Avenue and Hazel Street. The trip from the airport to the Waterloo campus is about two-and-a-half hours.

GO Train

There may be Go Train options available from Union Station to the Kitchener GO Terminal. The trip on the GO Train will take approximately two hours.

VIA Rail

You can take a train from Union Station to the Kitchener Via Rail station for about $36 (price subject to change). Once you are at the Kitchener station, you can use Grand River Transit, a taxi or a rideshare service of your choice to get to your accommodations in Waterloo. From Waterloo International Airport, the campus is most easily reached (if not renting a car) using one of the local taxi services: United Taxi, City Cabs, or Waterloo Taxi; for which the approximate cost of taxi trip will be $135.00.

Parking and local info

For getting around on campus, you may see campus maps for a reference.

AMMCS Congress participants staying in residence will receive a complimentary parking permit at check-in. Participants not staying in residence must purchase a parking permit at the Hotel Laurier office located in the King Street Residence (200 King Street North). The Hotel Laurier office opens at 8:00am (Monday-Friday). Temporary parking is available in front of the King Street Residence while you purchase a permit.

In addition to the aforementioned local taxi services, one may travel in Region of Waterloo using Grand River Transit. Wilfrid Laurier University is serviced by routes 7, 8, and 12 on University Ave. W. and King St. N, or 7, 8, 12, 29, 200, 201, and 202 at University Ave. and Hazel St. Google Maps can be used to find routes that are accessible with GRT transit. At any individual bus stop, you may text the number 57555 with the 4-digit stop number (found on the bottom of a stop's sign) to receive a list of upcoming buses. Alternatively, a system map and route schedules are available on Grand River Transit's Web site. Intercity transit service is provided by GO Transit, VIA Rail Canada, Greyhound Canada and Coach Canada.

Local recommendations on various activities is provided below. More comprehensive recommendations may be found on the Web sites of Region of Waterloo, Explore Waterloo Region, City of Waterloo, City of Kitchener, and City of Cambridge. Furthermore, Great Canadian Holidays offers a number of tours that may be organized before or after the conference.

Restaurants and Markets:

Museums and Galleries:

Theatres and Cinemas:

Shopping:

Recreation:

Campus Recommendation:

In order to find out if you will require a visa to enter Canada, refer to Government of Canada's Find out if you need a visa to enter Canada as a visitor page. Nearby Canadian embassies and consulates may be found on the Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada's Canadian Offices Abroad page.

If you need a visa to enter Canada and you have an accepted paper to present at AMMCS, then we will issue an official invitation letter to you. In order to receive the said letter you are required to submit the following documentation:

  1. a scanned copy of your passport,
  2. your institutional postal address,
  3. your institutional email address, and
  4. the title of your accepted paper to be presented at the conference.

This documentation is to be sent to ammcs@wlu.ca with the subject line "Request for AMMCS visa invitation letter". The conference will be unable to process your request for a visa invitation letter if any of the documentation items are missing. If you require an official document, for funding purposes, stating that you will be travelling to Canada to attend AMMCS Congress, please send the request to ammcs@wlu.ca. Please ensure that the aforementioned matters are dealt with as early as possible in order to allow sufficient time for unexpected difficulties or delays.