[1] Waterloo Region is home to the largest population of Old Order Mennonites in Canada, particularly around St Jacobs and Elmira.

The buyers were Augustus Jones and brothers John and Jacob Erb, trustees for the German Company, who were among the first settlers from Pennsylvania.

This may have been a factor in the decision of Woolwich Township council on February 22, 1853, to rename the community Elmira.

Families living in Elmira in that era included Oswald, Esch, Steffler, Dreisinger, Braun and Schedewitz.

Major events that attracted people from outside the village included the Woolwich Agricultural Fair (since 1854) and the Elmira Maple Syrup Festival (since 1965) which is still held every year.

[19] By 1864, the village had a large tannery, a lumber mill, and three churches, two German Lutheran and one Wesleyan Methodist and an elementary school.

Located in Gore Park, it is a reminder of the centre of entertainment in a small town in the early 20th century.

[17] During the 1960s under contract with the U.S. government, Elmira's Uniroyal chemical plant (which changed its name to Crompton Company in 2001 and then to Chemtura in 2006) was one of seven manufacturers supplying the U.S. military with the toxic herbicide Agent Orange.

[24] Due to the poor disposal practices of the toxic waste associated with the manufacture of Agent Orange and other chemicals, contamination has seeped down to the aquifer in and around Elmira.

The secondary school draws students from the town and surrounding areas of St. Jacobs, Conestogo, Drayton, Winterbourne, Linwood, Heidelberg, West Montrose, Wallenstein, Yatton, Dorking and St. Clements.

Major employers include Trylon TSF,[27] Sanyo Machine Works, Elmira Pet Products, Lanxess, Toyota Boshoku formerly Trim Masters, Engineered Lifting Systems, and Southfield Windows & Doors.

Woolwich Township, where Elmira is located, was selected as a Top 5 finalist for the 2009 Kraft Hockeyville contest.

The eventual winner was Terrace, British Columbia, which received an NHL preseason game, $100,000 for arena upgrades, and broadcast of CBC's Hockey Night in Canada.

Grand River Transit bus service was introduced to the town in April 2009 when the existing Route 21 to St. Jacobs, originating from Conestoga Mall in North Waterloo, was extended to Elmira.

The Kissing Bridge Trailway is maintained by local community groups including the Elmira Lions Club, and is part of the larger G2G Rail Trail which stretches along the route of the former Guelph and Goderich Railway.

It passes through a number of other small communities including Ariss, West Montrose, Wallenstein, and Linwood.

[33] The trail has a stone chip surface and is advertised as suitable for walking, cycling, running, cross-country skiing, and snowshoeing.

A family event, the festival features: sugar bush tours; a half-mile long outdoor mall with vendors of local speciality food and crafts; a craft show; the Mayor's Maple Syrup contest; and of course the star of the day, pancakes and golden maple syrup.

Started as a way to promote the sticky spring delicacy, the syrup festival has always brought together volunteers from all parts of the community.