The Community Edition: June 2016

SUMMER EVENTS CALENDAR VOLUME 4, ISSUE 9 • JUNE 2016

#DTKLOVE DAYS OF #KWAWESOME

MAXIMUM SUMMER FUN TIMES GUIDE(S)

THE WONDERFUL THING ABOUT TIGERS

PAGE 12

BUS OR FOOD? SURVIVING WELFARE

PAGE 6

CAFKA PRESENTS PAGE 4

JUNE 2016 // @THECOMMUNITYED

2

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR Volume 4, Issue 9 Next issue: July 6, 2016 75 University Ave. W Waterloo, ON N2L 3C5 519-884-0710 x3564 Advertising All advertising inquiries should be directed to Care Schummer at 519-884-0710 x3560 care.schummer@wlusp.com THE COMMUNITY EDITION TEAM Editor in Chief Jesse Bauman jesse.bauman@wlusp.com Publisher Lakyn Barton lakyn.barton@wlusp.com Social Media Manager Megan Nourse

General Inquiries info@communityedition.ca Web Manager Care Schummer care.schummer@wlusp.com Steel Rails steelrails@communityedition.ca

CONTRIBUTORS Anna Beard Elizabeth DiCesare Marika Galadza Kristy Guthrie-Roth Kerri Hutchinson Ken Hoyle Stacey Jacobs Jon Johnson Daniel Kruger Allison Leonard Elizabeth McFaul

David Michaels Magdalena Milosz Zainab Ramahi Christine Rier John Roche Eva Rucki David Siebert Matt Smith Dave Thomas Cara Vandermey

WLUSP ADMINISTRATION President Executive Director Advertising Manager Treasurer Vice-Chair Director Director Director Director Director Corporate Secretary

Meghan Roach Lakyn Barton Care Schummer John Pehar Abdiasis Issa Mynt Marsellus Maddy Cutts Fred Kuntz Gary Doyle Matthew Burley Taylor Berzins

The Community Edition is an alternative monthly intended to engage and inform the community.

Started in 2012, the Community Edition is an editorially independent newspaper published by Wilfrid Laurier University Student Publications, Waterloo, a corporation without share capital. WLUSP is governed by its board of directors.

Opinions expressed within the Community Edition are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the editorial board, The Cord, WLUSP, WLU or Canweb Printing. All content appearing in the Community Edition bears the copyright expressly of their creator(s) and may not be used without written consent.

The Community Edition is created using Macintosh computers running Mac OS X Yosemite using Adobe Creative Cloud. Canon cameras are used for principal photography.

The Community Edition’s flag font is Lobster, an open source font created by HVD Fonts. We also use Brandon Grotesque and Petrona.

The Community Edition is a member of the Ontario Press Council, which is an independent ethical organization established to deal with editorial concerns. For additional information or to file a complaint, contact info@ontpress.com or call 416-340-1981.

The Community Edition circulates monthly. Normal circulation is 6,000. The Community Edition subscription rates are $20.00 per term for addresses within Canada.

Preamble to the Community Edition Constitution The Community Edition will keep faith with its readers by presenting news and expressions of opinions comprehensively, accurately and fairly. The Community Edition believes in a balanced and impartial presentation of all relevant facts in a news report, and of all substantial opinions in a matter of controversy.

The staff of the Community Edition shall uphold all commonly held ethical conventions of journalism. When an error of omission or of commission has occurred, that error shall be acknowledged promptly. When statements are made that are critical of an individual, or an organization, we shall give those affected the opportunity to reply at the earliest time possible. Ethical journalism requires impartiality, and consequently conflicts of interest and the appearance of conflicts of interest will be avoided by all staff. The only limits of any newspaper are those of the world around it, and so the Community Edition will attempt to cover its world with a special focus on the community of Waterloo Region. Ultimately, the Community Edition will be bound by neither philosophy nor geography in its mandate.

The Community Edition has an obligation to foster freedom of the press and freedom of speech. This obligation is best fulfilled when debate and dissent are encouraged, both in the internal workings of the paper, and through the Community Edition’s contact with the community. The Community Edition will always attempt to do what is right, with fear of neither repercussions, nor retaliation. The purpose of community press is to act as an agent of social awareness, and so shall conduct the affairs of our magazine.

I don’t hear the train a-comin’ / it’s not rolling around the bend / And I ain’t seen the sunshine since I don’t know when / I’m stuck in Bombardier’s prison, and time keeps draggin’ on. (The LRT trains are delayed.) MATT SMITH PHOTO

INSIDE 3 4 5 5 6 7 8 8 9 9 12 12 13 13 14 15 15 16 18 19

IN BRIEF YOUR CAFKA.16 GUIDE MARTIN BIKES PLACES YOUR BRAIN ON DRUGS SURVIVING WELFARE SUMMER FUN TIMES GUIDE MANY MEANINGS OF HOME REBUILT WR A CAFE BY ANY OTHER NAME, PT. II WHY HERITAGE MATTERS PURCHASING SOCIAL CHANGE SMILE COMMA TIGER DOG DAYS OF SUMMER RAINBOW SURVEY TCE FICTION: WENDY SHAME ON US WHAT DOES ‘SEX’ MEAN? WHEN THAT SPUR LINE BLINGS EATIN’ VEGAN IN WR BEER TOURS

The Community Edition is by the community, and for the community. So we say, anyway.

Last fall we ran a readership survey, and 65 of you answered our silly questions about who you are, how you feel about TCE and what you want from us. Thanks!

I now know (with slight statistical significance) that almost 80 per cent of you are 34 years old, or younger; that, in descending order, most of you work in arts and culture, technology and education; and that most of you place yourself left of centre politics-wise.

You want more arts and culture writing, local history and community (and community member) profiles. You aren’t that interested in sports. You might be interested in fiction and poetry.

Most of you went to a community event because of something you read in TCE – and most of you recommended us to a friend.

A lot of you ate or shopped somewhere new, or looked at art, because of us. Hear that, advertisers-to-be?

A lot of you like how positive we are about telling this community’s stories but a bunch of you also pointed out that community media shouldn’t be a community circle jerk, either.

To paraphrase those comments, because almost all of the news about our (and pretty much every) community is now owned and operated by The Man (no, not me), and because healthy democratic communities require impartial and critical media outlets, our work is important; and we should keep asking difficult and uncomfortable questions.

But what does that mean? One of you also described us as an “echo chamber for lefty hipsters,” which I thought was on point, and funny enough to make me choke on my single-malt. But yes, try as I might, the paper reflects our team’s interests.

Asked what you liked least, some of you said it is our “mostly white writers,” and asked that we write more about communities of colour and immigrant communities.

Others pointed out that because we cannot pay contributors, the people who will write for us are always going to be the people who can afford (the time) to write for free.

Finally, and this is harder for me to understand or know how to improve, is the kind of culture that TCE projects and houses.

Who can imagine themselves a part of this team? Who feels comfortable emailing me to ask about writing? Who has regular access to email? Who sees these papers, and where?

So we’ve got lots of questions, and relatively fewer answers.

I raise the questions here to acknowledge our imperfections, and to commit to trying to do better. I know this is not as good as sharing practical positive changes, but I hope it’s a start.

Stay tuned.

Jesse Bauman Editor in chief COVER IMAGES (CLOCKWISE FROM TOP): Kristie Guthrie-Roth, Matt Smith, Jesse Bauman and Matt Smith.

JUNE 2016 // COMMUNITYEDITION.CA

3

IN BRIEF

Go outside. Take this paper with you. MATT SMITH PHOTO

As part of CAFKA.16, the Toronto artist Jaime Angelopolous created SWOON, “a 5 metre high tentacle protruding out of the water in Victoria Park.” For more about the art biennial, turn this page. MATT SMITH PHOTO

NEWS

ARTS

URBAN

THE REGION VS. THE MONORAIL

KITCHENER ARTIST WELDS IN YPRES

CYCLING TWO ABREAST A-OK

Hold on to that Simpsons monorail GIF: Bombardier is not going to deliver our LRT trains on time. The company says they’ll deliver the trains by fall of 2017, pushing back LRT roll-out to spring 2018. We saved about $1 million per train by piggybacking on Metrolinx’s contract, Coun. Tom Galloway told the Waterloo Region Record.

A team of 13 master welders, along with many more volunteers, are gathering in Septemeber in Ypres, Belgium, to create a 12 tonne cenotaph. One master welder is Sandra Dunn, who runs the Two Smiths blacksmith in Kitchener. Her projects encompass a wide variety of metalworking processes, and have taken her around the world.

Cyclists in Waterloo Region can now legally ride beside their friends. In a CTV interview, the Region’s manager of transportation said cyclists “can ride side-by-side, however they are obligated to move to the right to still allow vehicles to pass.” This might also force drivers to make a full lane change when passing cyclists.

UNI APPLICANTS NOT JUST M/F

STEEL RAILS TO BE BIGGER, BETTER

STEADY HOUSING GROWTH IN WR

Starting next fall, applicants to Ontario’s universities will be able to select, in addition to “male” and “female,” “another gender identity.” This field will now be optional, and the change is a result of the University of Waterloo’s registrar’s advocacy. The registrar, Ray Darling, told the CBC that the old binary system “was discriminatory and not valuing those people” who identified differently.

Waterloo Region’s favourite art party is back! After selling out in a few minutes, Steel Rails organizers (disclosure: includes the person writing this brief) will sell a few more bunches of tickets over the next weeks until the June 24 event. Which, by the way, is going to be bigger than ever, and unlike any earlier version of the infamous party. Come with an empty stomach and open mind.

A Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation K-W market analyst recently forecasted growth in new home builds in 2016, but fewer new apartment units. The latter is due to an overheated student rental market, which peaked in 2014, though the CMHA expects ongoing condo growth. High prices in Toronto and tech-growth are to blame for our strong market, says the CMHA.

CITIES BID ON SUMMER GAMES

LATITUDES STORYTELLING FESTIVAL

WALMART FOR CAMPERS IN WR

With Cambridge and Guelph, the cities of Kitchener and Waterloo have announced plans to jointly bid for the 2021 Canada Summer Games. The 2013 Summer Games apparently created a $165 million economic impact to the good for the city of Sherbrooke, Quebec, that year’s hosts. Over 4,000 athletes competed in those games, meaning a lot of people went home with a participant ribbon.

Way back in 2006 the Latitudes Storytelling festival launched. Ten years later it is still going strong with spoken word, music, visual art, drama and dance. After years of being held at the KW Multicultural Festival, Latitudes has found a new home at the central branch of the Kitchener Public Library.

Bring your friends, your kids or just yourself and your listening ears to the event June 11.

Mountain Equipment Co-op is opening a new store in Kitchener, its seventh in Ontario, in spring of 2017. Some criticize MEC for an apparent unfair advantage, because as a co-op it doesn’t pay corporate income tax on surpluses returned to members. Many high-end bicycle distributors refuse to supply MEC with parts and bikes, which totally hurt their feelings, man.

FIRE AT ST JACOB’S MARKET

SUMMER LIGHTS IGNITES THE NITE

HOMEBUILDERS RESIST GREENBELT

Smoke and water damage were the remnents of a fire in the attic of The Peddler’s Village building at the St. Jacob’s Farmers’ Market.

The fire broke out on a Thursday evening, causing the building to be closed for the last Saturday market in May. Damage is estimated at $150,000 and over 70 venders housed in the building were impacted.

On June 18, the Summer Lights Festival spreads fun and art and good times in and around downtown Kitchener. “One night where art, tech, business, community collide and make the most amazing experience for everyone to enjoy,” says social media. No cost, and plenty of wonderful art installations.

More details online.

The incoming president of the Waterloo Region Home Builders’ Association thinks it unnecessary to extend the Greenbelt designation to Waterloo Region, after the group Smart Growth Waterloo Region released a statement encouraging the province to expand the designation to this area. The region has also petitioned for the designation.

JUNE 2016 // @THECOMMUNITYED

4

Waterloo Region is full of CAFKA.16 art. Clockwise from top left: “Monuments” by Acapulco collective, “Akousmaflore” by Scenocosme and “The Civilization of the Wild,” by Meghan Harder. MATT SMITH PHOTOS (TOP LEFT AND BOTTOM) AND COURTESY CAFKA

TWO YEARS IN THE MAKING CAFKA.16 BRINGS ART EXHIBITIONS OUT OF THE GALLERY INTO WR

ELIZABETH MCFAUL CONTRIBUTOR The Contemporary Art Forum Kitchener + Area is currently hosting its 16th biennial, a multidisciplinary month-long public art exhibition that takes the experience of contemporary art out of the gallery and into the community. This year’s exhibition, What We Do Together We Can’t Do Alone, consists of 30 site-specific projects scattered across the region, including the University of Waterloo, Cambridge Sculpture Garden and downtown Kitchener.

Originally, the thematic titles of CAFKA were focused on the history of the region, like And Then We Take Berlin and Power to the People (which looked at the history of electricity in Kitchener).

“Over time, the themes for CAFKA became more abstract and they now come out of the process of evaluating [artist] submissions. This year’s theme What We Do Together We Can’t Do Alone is about communalism, working together and the mutual interdependency of art,” said CAFKA’s executive director Gordon Hatt.

“CAFKA is an artist-run organiza-

tion, promoted at the base by artists in the community.”

When asked about some of the challenges of producing public installation Hatt explained: “We’re producing 14 different projects, working with artists or artist collectives from as far abroad as St. Etienne, France to places like Chicago and Quebec City. We’re communicating across time zones, working around language barriers, and adapting when building and electrical standards vary across municipalities.”

One of this year’s biggest challenges is SWOON, a five-metre-high tentacle protruding out of the water in Victoria Park. “Putting that in the water is a big engineering challenge. It’s a 700 pound structure and we want to make it sturdy and stable enough not to fall over,” said Hatt.

This year, CAFKA is partnering with other artist projects to develop a region-wide festival of contemporary art, including the Open Ears Festival, Illuminate Arts, Altekrea, and the University of Waterloo Art Gallery.

“While you can come and see the CAFKA program in the day or evening, there are all sorts of additional events and programs, especially if you’re interested in contemporary music and sound,” said Hatt.

CAFKA has art tours in English, French and Mandarin; coffee crawls; bike hours; and family days at the Kitchener Market with activities for

children. It is a great occasion to get some friends, enjoy the spring weather and see some art.

CAFKA ED GORDON HATT RECOMMENDS: “Staging,” by Ed Pien, from Toronto, in the Rotunda at Kitchener City Hall.

“Staging” is a large-scale installation designed specifically for City Hall. The work builds a set of small modular theatre stages with multiple installations of mirrors, ropes, lights, video projections and other materials designed to blur illusion and reality. “‘Staging’ in Kitchener City Hall is looking to be a showstopper. It is a big installation challenge featuring a 15 foot tower and the scale of the project makes it an outstanding feature,” said Hatt.

Hatt also recommends “Wind, Water, Wave,” by Mary Ma, on the second floor at 260 King Street West, Kitchener. “Wind, Water, Wave” takes a 50 foot length of fabric, suspends it from the ceiling, and uses fans to create ripples and waves. Video projectors then light up the fabric with water imagery from Lake Ontario. “‘Wind, Water, Wave’ in the old King’s College Cinema is going to be remarkable. It has been renovated to be a huge clean space with 25ft ceilings. It is an amazing piece in the space,” Hatt said.

WANT MORE? TCE RECOMMENDS: “Every Day I am a Train,” by Kitchener’s Critical Media Lab, at their 44 Gaukel Street lab.

In “Every Day I am a Train,” 19 amateur actors bring the region’s light rail project to life as they each act as trains, each one representing a stop on the future LRT line. They remind us all that the LRT project can be disruptive, bizarre, almost science fictional and “perhaps even a little bit mad.”

Don’t miss “Civilization of the Wild,”

by Kitchener native Meghan Harder, on Roos Island, Victoria Park, Kitchener and at the Cambridge Sculpture Garden.

“Civilization of the Wild” creates four-season human shelters (inspired by squirrel’s nests) on Roos Island of Victoria Park and in the Cambridge Sculpture Garden. The piece examines our connection to the natural world even in the urban core.

And, finally, “Akousmaflore” is the work of Scenocosme, from St. Étienne, France, and is installed in the Rotunda Gallery at Kitchener City Hall.

“Akousmaflore” brings a small garden of living musical plants that react to gentle contact. The plants sing when a viewer touches them, creating a language or concert of plants.

JUNE 2016 // COMMUNITYEDITION.CA

5

NOT A SILVER BULLET BUT STILL A LIFESAVER? TCE’S RESIDENT THERAPIST UNPACKS POPULAR MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT DRUGS & MENTAL HEALTH JOHN ROCHE COLUMNIST Religion. Politics. Donald Trump.

Some conversation topics have a knack for making people want to abandon civilized conversation and just punch each other in the face.

Antidepressant medication for anxiety and depression is one of those topics. On one side you’ve got doctors and pharmaceutical companies who are eager to tell you that your brain is just broken and that medication is the sole solution. On the other side is a jumbled alliance of those who

believe a) taking medication is a sign of weakness, or b) anything produced by a pharmaceutical company comes to us directly from the mind of Satan.

Here are four reasons to adopt a more moderate stance when it comes to antidepressants.

MEDICATION REDUCES THE SEVERITY OF SYMPTOMS It’s a fact: antidepressants can rapidly reduce the symptoms of anxiety and depression. Among other things, they can help people to sleep better, have more control over their emotions, and be less preoccupied with the past or future. Anyone who’s experienced severe depression or anxiety will appreciate how much that could help.

MEDICATION IS NO SILVER BULLET While drugs do reduce symptoms, on their own they are not nearly as effective as you might think. For the treatment of anxiety and depression, antidepressants outperform placebos by between two and four points on a 56-point scale. It’s a shockingly low number, but those four points could be the difference between life and death.

It could also give someone enough relief to begin to address the underlying issues of depression or anxiety in therapy.

is total bullshit. There’s no brain scan, blood test, or any other diagnostically valid and reliable method of determining whether you suffer from anxiety or depression. Second, if treating depression and anxiety were a simple matter of correcting a “chemical imbalance,” drugs would be much more effective than they actually are, and the prevalence of depression and anxiety would not continue to increase whilst we prescribe record-breaking numbers of psychoactive medication.

THE “BRAIN-DISEASE” MODEL IS BAD SCIENCE I’m going to say this as diplomatically as possible: the idea that depression and anxiety are caused by faulty brains

SOME CAUSES OF DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY ARE SOCIOLOGICAL Poverty, child abuse, patriarchy, homophobia, and other intersectional oppressions contribute in enormous

ways to the prevalence of depression and anxiety — and it takes a hell of a lot more than pills to deal with such issues. Reducing anxiety and depression to questions of brain chemistry is a pretty convenient way of diverting attention away from overarching systems of privilege and oppression.

In severe cases of depression and anxiety, antidepressants can literally save lives — and that’s awesome. But the idea that medication alone will solve our problems just isn’t true. If we’re serious about dealing with depression and anxiety, then, along with medication, we’d better start prescribing a lot more counselling — and some major social change.

John works as a therapist in Waterloo.

COAST TO COAST ON 2 WHEELS

CYCLING CROSS COUNTRY TO RAISE MONEY FOR MENTAL HEALTH

KERRI HUTCHINSON CONTRIBUTOR Travelling more than 7,500 kilometres, Martin Bauman is going to spend three months cycling across Canada to raise awareness for mental health.

Bauman, an anchor and reporter for 570 News, will leave Waterloo Region at the beginning of June and return in early September. Starting in Vancouver, he plans to cycle more than 100 kilometres a day, ending in St. John’s in late August. His plans take him through almost every province (sorry Prince Edward Island).

Inspired by a family friend who participated in a cycling fundraiser for refugees last October, Bauman’s idea of a cross-Canada trip started to take shape. As his plan to bike across the country became clear, Bauman identified a cause that would keep him motivated throughout the long summer – mental health. Under the name, Martin’s Ride for Mental Health, Bauman hopes to raise $10,000 for the Defeat Depression campaign led by the Mood Disorders Society of Canada, with special focus on the Waterloo Wellington Dufferin branch of the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA).

Bauman shared openly with me the impact mental illness has had on his life, and while I identified with his experience, I did not share my story with him. I wanted to share that I had went through something similar, but it

didn’t come out. Only once I sat down to write this article did it sink in that I was Bauman’s target audience. Talking about mental health and wellness wasn’t something that happened in my family growing up. It is something I’ve encouraged with my friends, but not something I’ve participated in.

When Bauman was ten his cousin completed suicide. When I was nine my uncle completed suicide. Bauman shared his story, shared his hope that people would feel inspired to share theirs, and still I did not share my story with him. For my family, in retrospect, the warning signs were obvious.

But in order to have an open dialogue about mental health, you need to have the language and a supportive environment in place to allow these types of conversations to happen. We didn’t have that in my family at that time.

“I’ve seen so many people dear to me suffer in silence — from family, to close friends, to mentors. I’ve felt the loss of suicide in my family. I’ve also seen tremendous strength in friends and family opening up and sharing their journeys,” said Bauman.

“Mental health is something I’ve struggled with myself, and sometimes with challenges of this scope, it’s hard to know how to make a tangible difference,” Bauman said. “This is something small I can do to hopefully make it easier for someone else to get the help they need.”

Ultimately, Bauman hopes by sharing his story others will be encouraged to talk about mental health. This ride is just another piece to further the conversation to reduce stigma.

As a culture we’re not comfortable talking about mental illness. Because

you can’t see mental illness, we can act like it doesn’t exist. But it does exist and we need to talk about it. We need to share our stories, how these experiences have impacted our lives.

This is what will be keeping Bauman motivated all summer as he bikes across Canada.

Another local event is hoping to encourage people to start talking about mental health. Ride Don’t Hide is the first annual cycling fundraiser organized by CMHA to promote conversation about mental illness. Events will take place across Ontario and our local event will take place in St. Jacobs on Sunday, June 26. Participants can select either an eight kilometre or 47 kilometre ride. This, like Martin’s Ride, is another piece of the conversation.

It’s no coincidence that Martin’s Ride and Ride Don’t Hide make the connection between cycling and mental health. The World Health Organization defines health as “a state of complete, physical, mental and social well-being not merely the absence of disease of infirmity.” Being active can positively influence your overall mental health. Your physical health and mental health are connected.

Maybe each time we tell stories like Bauman’s or mine, another person will feel like they can speak up and join the conversation. You can donate online to Martin’s Ride for Mental Health through the Mental Disorders Society of Canada website or register for CMHA’s Ride Don’t Hide event on June 26.

Martin Bauman is cycling cross-country, along the way raising money to fight depression. NATHAN BUTT PHOTO

STEEL RAILS IS HERE. ARE YOU READY?

JUNE 2016 // @THECOMMUNITYED

6

Ziggy Modrzejewski’s subsidized GRT pass costs six per cent of his monthly income. Single adults receiving welfare, like Modrzejewski, are $12,301 below the official provincial poverty line. JESSE BAUMAN PHOTO

A BUS PASS OR SHOES? SOCIAL ASSISTANCE RATES DON’T ADD UP TO A MEANINGFUL QUALITY OF LIFE FOR MANY IN WR. BY JESSE BAUMAN. Ziggy Modrzejewski would like new shoes.

I met Modrzejewski in early May, at an Alliance Against Poverty rally at the Charles Street bus terminal in downtown Kitchener. He was there with five others demonstrating in favour of free transit passes for people receiving social assistance.

Modrzejewski has used a subsidized transit pass for the last four years, but says that he “can barely afford” the pass and hasn’t been able to buy a new pair of shoes in years.

But if this is a story about free transit for people receiving social assistance it is also, more importantly, the story of how people survive on social assistance.

Modrzejewski immigrated from Poland in 1989 to “live in a free country.” He studied computer science in Poland and found work in Toronto as a programmer and analyst. After a few years he became a citizen, and a few years after that his employer went bankrupt, as did the two successive companies he worked for.

“My North American dream had ended,” he says.

Modrzejewski went back to Poland and spent some time in Asia, but decided to return to Canada for good in 2012. Since then he has been unable to find work, relying instead on Ontario Works — in the parlance of our times, welfare. He’s now 52, and believes that he has aged out of the job market.

“Every year I have less and less of a chance to get work and have a normal life, so basically I’m just looking forward to my old age pension, which is higher. I only have 13 years to go,” he says, laughing.

In a recent paper for the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, economist Kaylie Tiessen writes that “the poverty gap — the distance between total benefit income and the poverty line — for people who qualify for social assistance has worsened over time, especially so for single people receiving Ontario Works.”

“People receiving benefits from Ontario’s social assistance programs are living in a greater depth of pov-

erty now than a generation ago,” says Tiessen.

In 1993 a single person received $663 a month in welfare income, which is roughly equivalent to $995 a month in 2016 dollars. The effects of Mike Harris’s government’s extensive cuts to social assistance are still being felt. Today, a single person on Ontario Works can receive up to $681 per month. Rate increases under successive Liberal governments have not kept pace with inflation.

To put this point slightly differently, Tiessen says that in Ontario, single adults receiving Ontario Works are $12,301 below the official poverty line, which is half of the median income in the province. A single person receiving disability support sits $6,783 under the poverty line.

Modrzejewski laughs when he shows me his OW cheque, which is split into a “Basic Needs” allowance ($305) and a “Shelter” ($376) allowance.

“There’s basically no way to get a place for less than $400,” he says, explaining that he pays $420 a month for a small basement apartment.

Public Health researchers say that the average monthly rent for a bachelor apartment in the region is $693. According to the housing list that a local non-profit organization publishes every week, in mid-May the average price for a room in a rooming house was $461.25.

After paying rent, and $42 for his subsidized bus pass, Modrzejewski has about $200 left for the month – for food, non-prescription medications, clothes and everything else – or $6.66 per day.

“If not for the food banks and local churches, what could I do on $6 a day?

That’s not enough even to get drunk or smoke cigarettes. Every single thing I’m wearing is free, from local churches,” he says, sweeping his arms from head to toe.

Modrzejewski eats lunch every weekday at St. John’s Kitchen, a soup kitchen run by The Working Centre, and supper every evening at Ray of Hope. He skips breakfast.

In her paper, and then on the phone to me, Tiessen makes two recommendations which return to a basic point: people living on low income would be better off if they had more money.

Recommendation one is therefore to raise social assistance rates. Anticipating a common objection, Tiessen points out that welfare for a single person is now 36 per cent of what a person makes working full time at minimum wage. Social assistance rates could be raised quite considerably without dis-incentivizing work.

Recommendation two is to increase poor peoples’ incomes “through the tax and transfer system, which could include better child benefits, more sizeable sales tax credits and other government benefits and credits.”

Modrzejewski suggests basic income – where all citizens get a monthly cheque and we do away with the complicated architecture of social assistance – as a possible solution.

“With NAFTA, the politicians decided to ship jobs to China, so maybe they could replace them with basic income,” he says.

Tiessen is less keen about basic income, pointing out that the pilot project recently announced by the provincial government will likely take at least five or six years to implement, plus analysis and evaluation and planning for further implementation, all while “we have a serious problem right now.”

“The same sort of inadequacy by a different name is not good enough,” she says.

In 2008 Ontario’s government released a provincial poverty reduction strategy. After failing to meet the plan’s basic goals, in 2014 Kathleen Wynne’s government reaffirmed its commitment to end child poverty, reduce poverty and increase income security, though without any timeline.

Tiessen says raising social assistance rates are a simple and immediate way to honour those commitments. In the meantime, an extra $42 a month would help Modrzejewski buy some new shoes.

MAY 24 - JUNE 5 // TRI-PRIDE UNFESTIVAL // THROUGHOUT THE REGION

“No festival, no problem”— this year’s pride events in Waterloo Region celebrate our rainbow communities through chilled-out games nights, yoga, a picnic in the park and nightlife. Don’t miss the Unfestival pride march on Sunday, June 5 at 2 p.m. in Victoria Park!

JUNE 2 - AUGUST 4 // TRUCK EATS COOL TREATS // AMBROSIA PASTRY CO.

Take the revamped Spur Line trail to Roger Street each Thursday evening throughout the summer for a different combination of food trucks and ice cream sandwich flavours.

JUNE 4 // LOCAL HONEY TASTING PICNIC // NITH VALLEY APIARIES

JUNE 24 // STEEL RAILS // MAGICAL MYSTERY LOCATION

The seventh annual Steel Rails in an interactive, mystery-filled art party hosted by The Community Edition (that’s us!). We won’t tell you much, but you’re certainly invited along for the ride.

FRIDAY NIGHT ART LIVE // LOCATIONS IN CAMBRIDGE

Saunter between venues to experience two art exhibitions: “Ephemeral Frontiers” (molo, Hyang Cho, Andrew MacDonald) and “When the institute fell over” (Alexandra Mackenzie, Patrick Cruz) in a party atmosphere.

JUNE 24 - AUGUST 26 // FINAL FRIDAYS // UPTOWN WATERLOO

Stop by to sample local varieties of liquid honey from this 98-year-old apiary in Wilmot Township, whose beeyards can be found throughout Perth and Waterloo counties.

This adventure makes the perfect roadtrip.

Arts, culture, cuisine — explore something new the last Friday of each month in uptown Waterloo! From patio parties to retailer promos, cinema, live music and games in the square, the monthly line-up of events is a surprise revealed just days before the final Friday.

MAY 28 - JUNE 26 // CAFKA.16 // THROUGHOUT THE REGION

JUNE 25 // YEAR OF CODE DROP-IN // KITCHENER PUBLIC LIBRARY

The CAFKA biennial shakes up public spaces with installations, interventions and performances by artists across the region. This year’s theme is “what we do together that we can’t do alone.” Find installations in Victoria Park, on front porches and Kitchener City Hall, among other locations.

JUNE 9 - JUNE 11 // ACT ONE PLAY FESTIVAL // REGISTRY THEATRE

Three one-act plays by local writers Scarlet Fountain, Keith Hazzard and Emma Tseronis — bringing you everything from scary stories to pass the time while stuck in a cave to a tale of a break up and a pawn shop.

Year of Code is a regional initiative to increase digital literacy and coding skills for non-tech people, including women, people of colour and others with barriers to access.

JULY 9 - 10 // BABY FARM ANIMALS WEEKEND // WATERLOO REGION MUSEUM

Billeted as an event for kids, surely many of us adults would also enjoy the extreme cuteness of the baby animals that live at the Doon Heritage Village. Featuring lambs, baby goats, chickens and turkeys. Squee!

SUMMERTIME IN THE CITY

JULY 16 // 11TH ANNUAL BUTTERFLY COUNT // RARE CHARITABLE RESEARCH RESERVE, CAMBRIDGE

Join a scientist for this official butterfly census to identify and count butterfly species throughout the reserve. Nets and identification guides will be provided.

JULY 23 // SCHNEIDER CREEK PORCH PARTY // WHITNEY PLACE KITCHENER

This little neighbourhood just east of downtown Kitchener will be hosting a free music and community festival with partners such as Recycle Cycles (providing mobile bike repair), Joseph Schneider Haus and REEP Green Solutions.

JULY 22 - 24 // HILLSIDE FESTIVAL // GUELPH LAKE ISLAND

Inaugurated in 1984, Hillside Festival is an annual three-day event with five stages of live music, an international food bazaar, artisan market, aboriginal circle, and camping.

Acts include Buffy Sainte-Marie (with The Sadies!), Old Man Luedecke, Kid Koala, Lemon Bucket Orkestra and dozens of others.

JULY 29 - 31 // MILL RACE FESTIVAL OF FOLK MUSIC // GALT, CAMBRIDGE

Folk music and dance takes over downtown Galt’s heritage spaces the last weekend of July, creating a wonderful atmosphere tuned to the sounds of fiddles, harps, and diverse musical cultures.

JULY 30 - 31 // SERBIAN FOOD FESTIVAL // 700 FISCHER HALLMAN RD.

Eat up! This festival features Serbian cuisine from fresh breads and grilled foods to slow-roasted pig or lamb, sweet and savoury pastries and more. There will also be live music, dancing and lots to keep the kiddos occupied.

AUGUST 13 - 14 // CAMBRIDGE STREET ART FESTIVAL

The inaugural edition of this festival brings a truly international group of over 20 street painters, graffiti and cellograff artists to the streets and riverbank walls of Galt.

AUGUST 25 - 28 //

HANG THIS GUIDE TO SUMMER FESTIVITIES OFF THE BEATEN PATH ON WATERLOO BUSKER YOUR FRIDGE. PICK SOMETHING SWELL AND ENJOY WITH FRIENDS. CARNIVAL // WATERLOO CHECK THEM OFF AS YOU GO. BY MAGDALENA MILOSZ. CITY HALL JUNE 12 // CAMBRIDGE TOUR DE GRAND // STARTING AT CHURCHILL PARK

Running for its 19th year, this annual bike ride along the Grand River features something for everyone, from the 10km trail ride up to a heavy-duty 160km rural road route.

JUNE 12 // GRAND PORCH PARTY // UPTOWN WEST

The second of four parties during the summer of porches, GPP offers free music from porches in the Uptown West community.

JUNE 18 // SOLSTICE SAMPLING FOOD & DRINK FESTIVAL // WATERLOO PUBLIC SQUARE

The streets are dug up and the LRT’s late, but the party goes on for a fourth year.

JULY 15 - 17 // UPTOWN WATERLOO JAZZ FESTIVAL // WATERLOO CITY HALL

This long-running, volunteer-driven festival is all about getting the community out to enjoy some jazz (and it’s free). Check out some eclectic, New Orleans-inflected pop sounds from headliners The Heavyweights Brass Band, exceptional vocals by young talent Ariel Pocock and Canadian hard funkers Snaggle.

JULY 15 - 16 // CAMBRIDGE SCOTTISH FESTIVAL // CHURCHILL PARK

Known as the Cambridge Highland Games since 1975, the newly rebranded Cambridge Scottish Festival hosts a ceilidh, the Guelph Celtic Orchestra competitions in piping and drumming, highland dance, tug-o-war, sheepdogs and more!

Now in its 28th year, the Waterloo Busker Carnival draws buskers from across Europe, Australia and North America to animate the streets with acrobatics, juggling, comedy and who knows what else. The carnival draws over 80,000 visitors over four days.

AUGUST 27 // PRESTON PORCH PARTY // BEAVER ST. PRESTON, CAMBRIDGE

The final porch party of the summer, the Preston Porch Party is now in its second year and features four musical performances on four porches by Factory City, Dan Walsh, Jesse Parent and Yazgerz Farm.

TBD // FISH QUILL CANOE TOUR // GRAND RIVER

A gaggle of poets and musicians paddling down the Grand River in canoes? It’s your wildest dream come true, and they’ll be docking here and there for evenings of performances with special guests.

JUNE 2016 // @THECOMMUNITYED

8

REBUILT WR: WHERE KING AND PRINCESS MEET THE ONLY THING CONSTANT IS CHANGE. AND THE BUILDING AT THE CORNER OF KING AND PRINCESS APPARENTLY.

The space at the corner of King and Princess has held a number of identities – and like most things in this city, those identities usually surrounded beer. From a Crown brewery to one owned by David Kuntz to the host of Lion Brewery beers, the massive brick building, clad with iconic snaking steel steps, eventually became the Ewald Hotel in 1924, and with an ownership switch, the Hotel Kent in 1934. Its current persona, The Huether Hotel (which is now a tri-bar labyrinth rather than an actual hotel), came to be in the late 1980s. Despite the Waterloo fixture’s nearly unchanged appearance, it holds a different meaning to the many generations who’ve walked through the doors. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE GRACE SCHMIDT ROOM, KPL (LEFT), AND MATT SMITH (RIGHT)

EXPLORING THE SLIPPERY MEANING OF HOME

THERE IS NO SINGLE REFUGEE EXPERIENCE, BUT MANY HAVE EXPERIENCED MULTIPLE DISPLACEMENTS

ZAINAB RAMAHI COLUMNIST There is no single refugee experience, and conceptions of home may be ever-changing. Kalthum Alshehabi was first a refugee from Palestine in 1948. In 2014, she was forced to leave Syria, and came to Canada. Last month, Alshehabi lost her sister living in Syria, and two weeks ago she lost another sister living in Sweden. Her grandson booked her a same-day flight to Sweden so that she could attend the funeral with the rest of the family,

knowing that the European Agreement on the Abolition of Visas for Refugees allows her to enter Sweden without a visa, and knowing also that she would be traveling with her recently acquired Canadian Refugee Travel Document.

Despite all of this, she was refused boarding by Icelandair, in Toronto, because she is a stateless Palestinian.

This interview was conducted in Arabic, with the help of Hsain Al-Shihabi, her grandson. It has been edited for brevity and clarity.

ZAINAB RAMAHI: Who are you?

What do you think it is important about you for others to know?

KALTHUM ALSEHABI: I am Kalthum Alshehabi. Palestinian. I have

lived in Syria and migrated to Canada.

[Hsain: A Palestinian refugee in Syria and a Syrian refugee in Canada.] Yes, I am originally Palestinian and I lived for 65 years in Syria. I got married and had eight children in Syria. They got degrees, and also migrated, just like me. One is in Pakistan, one in Bulgaria, one in Germany… each went to a different place.

I came here to Canada and I could not get permanent residency. I miss my kids a lot! Two of them are in Qatar, and it has been five years since I have seen either of them. My desire is to get permanent residency so that I may see my kids. I don’t have much family here in Canada, but I am happy here with my grandson.

ZR: Is KW “home” for you? What does home mean to you?

KA: Yes, definitely. This is my home.

I am trying to learn English and now that many Syrians have come I have some company. Since Canada brought the Syrians I now see people with whom I have things in common. Before, I was very uncomfortable because I did not know the language. I try and I try, but I learn slowly!

This is not my country, but I feel safety here. There is nothing like one’s country. I grew up in Syria, but there is safety here.

ZR: What do you love about KW? Have you felt supported?

KA: I love the safety, there is safety here. The people are respectful and the society respects people. People have value and dignity here. Even small Canadian children say hello to you!

The weather in the winter is difficult a bit, but the spring and the fall are lovely. But I wish my kids would visit me. I wish so very much that one day, one of my kids knocks on my door.

May God bring my family closer to me. I do not mix much with Canadian people. Just “hello, hello, how are you?”

But the Arabs here definitely support me because they know I am alone.

“If there were no people in Paradise itself, who would want to go to it?”

[Hsain: an Arabic proverb.] I don’t want to be alone, but everyone is busy!

FINDING MISTAKES? GREAT, WE’RE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR COPY EDITORS.

JUNE 2016 // COMMUNITYEDITION.CA

9

OUR HOMES (AND BUSINESSES) ON NATIVE LAND WHAT’S THE ROLE FOR SMALL BUSINESS IN DECOLONIZATION AND RECONCILIATION IN THE REGION?

DAVID SIEBERT CONTRIBUTOR The process of reconciliation and decolonization will not be quick. As the chair of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Justice Murray Sinclair says, “if it took seven generations to mess things up this bad, it’ll take at least seven to mend it.” Hopefully we can speed that process up, but regardless, it has to start somewhere.

One place to begin, according to the Truth and Reconciliation report, and local indigenous people I spoke with, is understanding and acknowledging the histories of the places we currently live, work and play. This approach also reminds us of the simple fact that we all are treaty people.

In an earlier piece, A Bar By Any Other Name Might Be Better, I wrote about this issue, but criticism can only be the beginning, a trailhead into the larger discussion.

A land acknowledgement is a formal statement that highlights the history of indigenous peoples in a certain area. The intention is to show gratitude and respect to the people who occupied the land prior to European contact, and bring to the forefront the ongoing and complicated relationship created between indigenous peoples

and settler Canadians.

Many business owners and event organizers are beginning to recognize the importance of land acknowledgements. Shawn Johnson, from the Waterloo Aboriginal Education Centre, shared that he is inundated with requests for him to perform land acknowledgements at events. Many of these he has to turn down, partially due to time constraints, but also because ultimately the land acknowledgment is not for indigenous peoples.

“That’s not for me to acknowledge the territory, [settlers] need to acknowledge the territory. I know where I am already. I’m from here,” Johnson said.

The responsibility, agreed Hannah Batten of Laurier Students’ Public Interest Research Group (LSPIRG), rests with the non-indigenous population.

“Anyone who’s on this territory has an obligation to actually think about these things, and to actually do something about it… It has been your responsibility since you came to this land and you signed a treaty,” Batten said. This includes everyone from municipalities down to the smallest convenience stores.

Leena Miller Cressman, owner and director of Queen Street Yoga, spent many years thinking deeply about her (and her business’s) role in colonialism, and decided she could do something. What resulted is the land acknowledgment now on Queen Street Yoga’s website. “It’s an action that

emerges from your own understanding and care for your community.”

Doing research on the local area was hard when Cressman started the process.

“I had wanted to write a land acknowledgement [for a while] but didn’t get that far with it until I networked,” she said. “It’s good to talk to people in the local indigenous community and community organizations. I didn’t want to just write it in a vacuum.”

I also spoke with Nick Hollier, who manages Settlement Co., an uptown coffee shop that has courted some controversy regarding their choice of name and their website’s description of this area’s history. (Batten and Hannah Enns, both interviewed for this article, met with Settlement Co. to discuss these issues. The wording of the website has since changed, but both shared dissatisfaction with the new language as well.)

Hollier grew up in New Zealand, where he said that Maori and settler-New Zealander relations are different than in Canada.

“The Maori people are very involved in society and politics,” said Hollier.

“The [Maori] culture is integrated into New Zealand’s culture. [Whereas] you definitely don’t hear about [Indigenous history] here... which has always felt kind of strange to me. I don’t really know on a personal level what actually I can do about that,” he said. “That’s why this kind of conversation is so important.”

Hollier’s response points towards a larger, more difficult problem: people can’t know what they don’t know, or haven’t had opportunities to learn about. Hollier said that “education is the problem...in the first place.”

The problem of education is a structural one, and deeply embedded in our society. For example, a recent report released by Journalists for Human Rights found that between 2010 and 2013 in Ontario media coverage of First Nations stories increased from 0.15 per cent to 0.46 per cent of all media coverage — 2.4 per cent of Ontario’s population is indigenous.

The JHR report also found that the majority of coverage happened around ‘spikes’ in media attention, such as the Idle No More movement, and Chief Theresa Spence’s hunger strike.

If the majority of attention to indigenous communities revolves around controversial issues or organized social movements, the report says, then both media organizations and the general public perceive these stories as appearing out of nowhere and with no context. The coverage then is surface level, and rarely digs into the deeper issues at the heart of the movements.

Writing land acknowledgments is only productive if you know the history you’re acknowledging. If you don’t, then where do you turn? LSPIRG created a campaign entitled “Know the Land” including the proper pronunciation of the names of the people who

lived in the Grand River watershed prior to settlement. In Waterloo Region that’s the Neutral, the Haudenosaunee (Ho-deh-no-show-nee) and Anishnawbe (Ah-nish-nah-bay). This alone is a respectful step; simply to understand the history of the land where you live.

There are plenty of these sorts of websites, and more everyday.

Native-land.ca aims to help North Americans learn their regional history using interactive maps. The TRC Reading Challenge was started by author Jennifer Manuel to try and get as many Canadians as possible to read the Truth and Reconciliation Report.

Amy Smoke, from UW’s Aboriginal Student Association, believes the TRC can make a difference.

“I actually carry a copy with me with me because it comes up in a lot of places that I seem to be in. They are things you can do. You can help.”

In my conversation with Batten, Smoke, Johnson, and Hannah Enns, from Waterloo Public Interest Research Group, everyone reiterated the importance of making meaningful relationships with indigenous groups.

Johnson and Smoke also said that people shouldn’t be afraid of making mistakes, so long as their intentions are good.

“The harm’s been done,” said Smoke, at which point Johnson weighed in, laughing: “and you can’t get worse than the residential schools!”

Some of downtown Kitchener’s older buildings are getting more love than others. MATT SMITH PHOTO

WHY HERITAGE CONSERVATION MATTERS

CHRISTINE RIER & KEN HOYLE CONTRIBUTORS Why does heritage matter? While society is becoming more interested in the impact of climate change, our collective and related conversation about built and natural heritage – the uptown corduroy road, for example – remains relatively undeveloped.

Heritage advocates and enthusiasts are often characterized as obstructionist, anti-progress eccentrics living in the past. Real estate agents, developers, builders and homeowners have been known to complain that heritage conservation costs unnecessary time delays and money, as well as increased insurance costs. Sound familiar?

These are strong protests against heritage because they target the bottom line. However, they are shortterm arguments rooted in outdated information. Here are five important reasons why heritage conservation matters.

RESPECT FOR OUR STORIES AND OURSELVES By conserving our built and natural heritage, we acknowledge the cultural contributions and impact on this country and our society of indigenous people and immigrants. Community

leaders, visionaries and labourers shaped the physical Canada we know today. Our buildings, homes and landscapes are reminders of how we got to where we are today and help mark the way for future generations.

They are legacies that we are entrusted to pay forward to our children and grandchildren.

PLACE-MAKING AND CULTURE Together with the land we walk on, our unique buildings, homes and artistic creations give us a sense of place.

Who doesn’t revisit the building where they went to school or church or their favorite childhood hangout? Built and natural heritage are touchstones for our individual memories and collective identity. They help create places that are unique to the geography of that place and no other, and help provide a sense of belonging.

Landmarks of past experiences also provide context for the present. Places with history are in sharp contrast to new places that do not have a past. Think of your experience in a building that has been re-purposed compared to that in a brand new build.

By conserving our valued buildings and landscapes we create places that are meaningful to individuals and

when that meaning is shared by many, we create community. This is why public spaces like parks, libraries and hospitals, and private spaces, such as factories, hold so much value for us; they represent a common experience and a shared sense of belonging with which we can move forward.

PRESERVATION OF ART AND TECHNOLOGY Many historical building materials and techniques are no longer used in today’s construction processes.

Similarly, the unique skills and tools of craftspeople of yesteryear, used to create beautiful often simple structures, may be ancient history to today’s builders. Their craft can only be found in fine physical structures recognized for their beauty, exquisite detailing and proportion. Their original structures once inspired new styles of architecture and building techniques. For example, Waterloo Region farmland is synonymous with the bank barn, now quickly and sadly disappearing from our landscape.

Without conservation efforts, we risk losing the continuity and knowledge we need to appreciate and advance our art, culture and architecture.

ENERGY CONSERVATION Did you know that 35 per cent of the landfill (in 2008) was comprised of demolished buildings? It makes economic and environmental sense to conserve the energy spent to produce building materials, transport them around the world and then construct buildings, rather than to expend further energy demolishing, transporting and storing building waste in landfill.

Contrary to belief, many older buildings are remarkably energy efficient.

Constructed of solid materials, they are airtight when windows and doors are closed and well-ventilated when open. Many take advantage of sun in winter and shade in summer. By the adaptive reuse of these buildings we can learn a great deal about energy conservation from past building techniques.

INVESTMENT IN VALUABLE REAL ESTATE In its study of 64 Heritage Conservation Districts across Ontario between 2008-2013, the Heritage Resource Centre at the University of Waterloo found that, “real estate values in HCDs generally rise more consistently than surrounding areas,” and that, “satisfaction with living and owning property

in HCDs is overwhelming.” Through careful restoration, replication and renovation techniques, and sympathetic design guidelines, heritage properties are a smart investment.

Carefully planned and managed communities such as HCDs also attract highly skilled and creative people who want to live and work in unique, meaningful, healthy places.

Of course, we need to make decisions about what we are going to save and incorporate into our ever-changing infrastructure. And yes, the issues can be complex. How do we decide what buildings and cultural landscapes we value today and what kind of built heritage legacy we want to leave for future generations? These questions require healthy debate and a democratic process, where a diverse cross-section of our communities can talk about what matters. Heritage is a vital part of, and contributes to our public discourse.

The corduroy road was as important to this public discourse as it was for reminding us of our collective past, and where that past potentially leads us in the future.

AWESOME HAPPENS HERE

ADVERTISEMENT

JUNE

WED 1st 11AM-2PM MID-WEEK URBAN MARKET Carl Zehr Square • Join us every Wednesday this month to pick up your mid week groceries from 5 local farmers & food producers! Live Music by Tea for Two at Noon.

Breadheads Pizza & Velofix mobile bike repair on-site!

WED 1st NOON-12:50PM YOGA IN THE PARK Victoria Park Clocktower • Brought to you by @QueenStreetYoga, all levels welcome, Free!

THURS 2nd NOON-1PM DOWNTOWN LIVE Lunchtime music on King in front of Gilt Restaurant (305 King St. W.) by Lynn Jackson and Bobby O’brien’s (125 King St. W.) by Drew Leith.

FRI 3rd NOON-1PM DOWNTOWN LIVE Lunchtime music at Carl Zehr Square, performance by J Collective.

SAT 4th 9:00pm-Midnight SUMMER LIGHTS MOVIE UNDER THE STARS A free screening of Jumanji in Victoria Park hosted by Summer Lights Festival, Apollo Cinema, Community Edition & Downtown Kitchener! @SummerLightsKW & www.summerlightsfestival.com TUES 7th NOON-1PM DOWNTOWN LIVE Lunchtime music at Carl Zehr Square , performance by Cynthia Steele, cello.

WED 8th 11AM-2PM MID-WEEK URBAN MARKET Carl Zehr Square • Join us every Wednesday this month to pick up your mid week groceries from 5 local farmers & food producers! Live Music by Organized Kaos.

Breadheads Pizza & Velofix mobile bike repair on-site!

WED 8th NOON-12:50PM YOGA IN THE PARK Victoria Park Clocktower • Brought to you by @QueenStreetYoga, all levels welcome, Free!

THURS 9th NOON-1PM DOWNTOWN LIVE Lunchtime music on King in front of Gilt Restaurant (305 King St. W.) by Jesse Parent and Bobby O’brien’s (125 King St. W.) by The Aquamaniacs.

FRI 10th NOON-1PM DOWNTOWN LIVE Lunchtime music at Carl Zehr Square, performance by Janice Lee. FRI 10th 7pm-11pm KING STREET NIGHT ART MARKET & LUNA HOLISTIC MARKET King Street between Gaukel & Water St. & Carl Zehr Square Performances by String Theory, Hervana and more! www.downtownkitchener.ca/nightmarket SAT 11th NOON-7PM KING STREATERY FOOD TRUCK RALLY King Street between Gaukel & Water St. & Carl Zehr Square. Performances by Awkward Bling Party, The Hep Cat Swing Band, The Silly People and more! www.downtownkitchener.ca/kingstreatery @DTKITCHENER

TUES 14th NOON-1PM DOWNTOWN LIVE Lunchtime music at Carl Zehr Square , performance by Rick Guzik, accordian.

WED 15th 11AM-2PM MID-WEEK URBAN MARKET Carl Zehr Square • Join us every Wednesday this month to pick up your mid week groceries from 5 local farmers & food producers! Live Music by Tea for Two. Breadheads Pizza & The Lobster Limo on-site!

WED 15th NOON-12:50PM YOGA IN THE PARK Victoria Park Clocktower • Brought to you by @QueenStreetYoga, all levels welcome, Free!

THURS 16th NOON-1PM DOWNTOWN LIVE Lunchtime music on King in front of Gilt Restaurant (305 King St. W.) by Lynn Jackson, Bobby O’brien’s (125 King St. W.) by Jesse Webber & Friends and The Yeti Café (14 Eby St. N) by Candy Young.

FRI 17th NOON-1PM DOWNTOWN LIVE Lunchtime music at Carl Zehr Square, performance by Paul Stouffer Jazz.

SAT 18th 8PM-1AM SUMMER LIGHTS FESTIVAL 3rd Annual night of urban exploration & discovery of Downtown Kitchener. @SummerLights KW & www.summerlightsfestvial.com

SAT 18th NOON-1AM ALTEKREA ALTERNATIVE CREATION A festival of comic, sci-fi, fantasy, animation and other geek art.

SAT 18th 7PM-11PM OUR WORLD FESTIVAL Free admission, all ages, family friendly event celebrating World Music.

TUES 21st NOON-1PM DOWNTOWN LIVE Lunchtime music at Carl Zehr Square , performance by Dave Knarr, dueling tubas.

WED 22nd 11AM-2PM MID-WEEK URBAN MARKET Carl Zehr Square • Join us every Wednesday this month to pick up your mid week groceries from 5 local farmers & food producers! Live Music by Organized Kaos.

Breadheads Pizza & Velofix mobile bike repair on-site!

WED 22nd NOON-12:50PM YOGA IN THE PARK Victoria Park Clocktower • Brought to you by @QueenStreetYoga, all levels welcome, Free!

THURS 23rd NOON-1PM DOWNTOWN LIVE Lunchtime music on King in front of Gilt Restaurant (305 King St. W.) by Jesse Parent and Bobby O’brien’s (125 King St. W.) by Drew Leith.

FRI 24th NOON-1PM DOWNTOWN LIVE Lunchtime music at Carl Zehr Square, performance by Sandy & Loretta.

SAT 25th NOON-8PM K-W MULTICULTURAL FESTIVAL DAY 1 International cuisine, folk song & dance, artifacts & crafts fill Victoria Park for a decades-old toast to diversity. kwmc.on.ca SAT 25th NOON-11PM KOI FEST AT THE PARKING LOT Showcasing 14 bands, including headliner Sam Roberts Band, Tokyo Police Club and Hannah Georgas. Centreinthesquare.com SAT 25th & 26th 1PM PORCH VIEW DANCES Check out this contemporary dance event that turns your Central Frederick neighbours porches into stages! @kaejaddance for more info.

SUN 26th NOON-8PM K-W MULTICULTURAL FESTIVAL DAY 2 International cuisine, folk song & dance, artifacts & crafts fill Victoria Park for a decades-old toast to diversity. kwmc.on.ca TUES 28th NOON-1PM DOWNTOWN LIVE Lunchtime music at Carl Zehr Square , performance by Allene Chomyn.

WED 29th 11AM-2PM MID-WEEK URBAN MARKET Carl Zehr Square • Join us every Wednesday this month to pick up your mid week groceries from 5 local farmers & food producers! Live Music by Two for Tea. Breadheads Pizza & Velofix mobile bike repair on-site!

WED 29th NOON-12:50PM YOGA IN THE PARK Victoria Park Clocktower • Brought to you by @QueenStreetYoga, all levels welcome, Free!

THURS 30th NOON-1PM DOWNTOWN LIVE Lunchtime music on King in front of Gilt Restaurant (305 King St. W.) by Elsa Jayne and Bobby O’brien’s (125 King St. W.) by Gary Cain Band.

JULY FRI 1st 4PM-11PM CANADA DAY IN DTK Free street party & concert. Beer garden and awesome fireworks. Downtownkitchener.ca

TUES 5th NOON-1PM DOWNTOWN LIVE Lunchtime music at Carl Zehr Square , performance by Wendell Ferguson, guitar & comedy.

TUES 5th NOON-1PM LONG TABLE TUESDAYS Tea for Two performs at the Kitchener Market TUES 5th 5PM-8PM DISCOVERY SQUARE Activities & entertainment celebrating STEAM (Science, Tech, Engineering, Art & Math) for Kids! Kitchenerevents.ca WED 6th NOON-1PM YOGA IN THE PARK Victoria Park Clocktower • Brought to you by @QueenStreetYoga, all levels welcome, Free!

THURS 7th NOON-1PM DOWNTOWN LIVE Lunchtime music on King in front of B@THEMUSEUM (10 King St. W.) by JoJo Worthington and McCabe’s Irish Pub (352 King St. W.) by Ty Baynton.

THURS 7th 4PM-PM TAME THE LANE PARKING LOT PARTY Beers, BBQ & Live Music take over LOT 9 at Halls Lane & Ontario st! www.downtownkitchener.ca/tamethelane FRI 8th NOON-1PM DOWNTOWN LIVE Lunchtime music at Carl Zehr Square, performance by String Theory.

FRI 8th & 9th 2PM-10PM CRUISING ON KING STREET Celebrating 25 years of four-wheeled fabulousness by drawing hundreds of classic cars into the core. Kitchenerevents.ca

SAT 9th & 10th ALL DAY KULTRÚN The biggest and friendliest outdoor dance party in KW! Victoria Park. Free. Nerudaarts.ca TUES 12th NOON-1PM DOWNTOWN LIVE Lunchtime music at Carl Zehr Square , performance by Sue Windover.

TUES 12th NOON-1PM LONG TABLE TUESDAYS JuneyT performs at the Kitchener Market TUES 12th 5PM-8PM DISCOVERY SQUARE Activities & entertainment celebrating STEAM (Science, Tech, Engineering, Art & Math) for Kids! Kitchenerevents.ca TUES 12th 7:30PM-9:30PM SHAKESPEARE IN THE PARK Driftwood Theatre presents The Taming of the Shrew like you’ve never seen it, out in the open air! Civic Centre Park, behind KPL. PWYC, snacks for sale. Driftwoodtheatre.com WED 13th NOON-12:50PM YOGA IN THE PARK Victoria Park Clocktower • Brought to you by @QueenStreetYoga, all levels welcome, Free!

THURS 14th NOON-1PM DOWNTOWN LIVE Lunchtime music on King in front of B@THEMUSEUM (10 King St. W.) by Sammie Duke, McCabe’s Irish Pub (352 King St. W.) by Jessie Treneer, and The Yeti Café (14 Eby St. N)

by Janice Lee. FRI 15th NOON-1PM DOWNTOWN LIVE Lunchtime music at Carl Zehr Square, performance by Run Coyote.

FRI 15th & SAT 16th & SUN 17th NOON-10PM RIBFEST & CRAFT BEER SHOW Victoria Park’s annual BBQ bash fueled by chicken & ribs, 20 craft brewers, live performance and more. Kitchenerribandbeerfest.com

TUES 19th NOON-1PM DOWNTOWN LIVE Lunchtime music at Carl Zehr Square , performance by Cynthia Steele, cello.

TUES 19th NOON-1PM LONG TABLE TUESDAYS Jessie Treneer performs at the Kitchener Market TUES 19th 5PM-8PM DISCOVERY SQUARE Activities & entertainment celebrating STEAM (Science, Tech, Engineering, Art & Math) for Kids! Kitchenerevents.ca WED 20th NOON-12:50PM YOGA IN THE PARK Victoria Park Clocktower • Brought to you by @QueenStreetYoga, all levels welcome, Free!

THURS 21st NOON-1PM DOWNTOWN LIVE Lunchtime music on King in front of B@THEMUSEUM (10 King St. W.) by Vienna D’Amato Hall and McCabe’s Irish Pub (352 King St. W.) by Ty Baynton.

FRI 22nd NOON-1PM DOWNTOWN LIVE Lunchtime music at Carl Zehr Square, performance by Paul Stouffer Jazz.

FRI 22nd 6PM-10PM THE RING ON KING BOXING NIGHT Carl Zehr Square, King Street • Live music by Quiet Riot, with headliner Helix • Free SAT 23rd NOON-5PM ROCK AND RUMBLE & WATERLOO REGION FOOD TRUCK FAIRE Carl Zehr Square, King Street • Live Music all day, featuring headliner “Destroyer” – KISS tribute band • Free • Kitchenerevents.ca

TUES 26th NOON-1PM DOWNTOWN LIVE Lunchtime music at Carl Zehr Square , performance by Rick Guzik, accordian.

TUES 26th NOON-1PM LONG TABLE TUESDAYS David G performs at the Kitchener Market TUES 26th 5PM-8PM DISCOVERY SQUARE Activities & entertainment celebrating STEAM (Science, Tech, Engineering, Art & Math) for Kids! Kitchenerevents.ca WED 27th NOON-12:50PM YOGA IN THE PARK Victoria Park Clocktower • Brought to you by @QueenStreetYoga, all levels welcome, Free!

THURS 28th NOON-1PM DOWNTOWN LIVE Lunchtime music on King in front of B@THEMUSEUM (10 King St. W.) by Sammie Duke and McCabe’s Irish Pub (352 King St. W.) by Jessie Treneer.

FRI 29th NOON-1PM DOWNTOWN LIVE Lunchtime music at Carl Zehr Square, performance by an awesome local band.

AUGUST

TUES 2nd NOON-1PM DOWNTOWN LIVE Lunchtime music at Carl Zehr Square , performance by Dave Knarr, dueling tubas.

TUES 2nd NOON-1PM LONG TABLE TUESDAYS Jesse Webber performs at the Kitchener Market.

WED 3rd NOON-12:50PM YOGA IN THE PARK Victoria Park Clocktower • Brought to you by @QueenStreetYoga, all levels welcome, Free!

THURS 4th NOON-1PM DOWNTOWN LIVE Lunchtime music on King in front of Gilt Restaurant (305 King St. W.) by Jesse Parent and Bobby O’brien’s (125 King St. W.) by Jesse Webber & Friends.

FRI 5th - SUN 7th KITCHENER BLUES FESTIVAL 6 stages throughout DTK to check out incredible live music, street vendors and more!

TUES 9th NOON-1PM DOWNTOWN LIVE Lunchtime music at Carl Zehr Square , performance by Allene Chomyn, violin.

TUES 9th NOON-1PM LONG TABLE TUESDAYS Tea for Two performs at the Kitchener Market WED 10th NOON-12:50PM YOGA IN THE PARK Victoria Park Clocktower • Brought to you by @QueenStreetYoga, all levels welcome, Free!

THURS 11th NOON-1PM DOWNTOWN LIVE Lunchtime music on King in front of Gilt Restaurant (305 King St. W.) by Vienna D’Amato Hall, Bobby O’brien’s (125 King St. W.) by Gary Cain Band and The Yeti Café (14 Eby St. N)

by Onion Honey.

FRI 12th NOON-1PM DOWNTOWN LIVE Lunchtime music at Carl Zehr Square, performance by Safe as Houses.

TUES 16th NOON-1PM DOWNTOWN LIVE Lunchtime music at Carl Zehr Square , performance by Sue Windover.

TUES 16th NOON-1PM LONG TABLE TUESDAYS Jesse Webber performs at the Kitchener Market WED 17th NOON-12:50PM YOGA IN THE PARK Victoria Park Clocktower • Brought to you by @QueenStreetYoga, all levels welcome, Free!

THURS 18th NOON-1PM DOWNTOWN LIVE Lunchtime music on King in front of B@THEMUSEUM (10 King St. W.) by Elsa Jayne and McCabe’s Irish Pub (352 King St. W.) by Jessie Treneer.

FRI 19th NOON-1PM DOWNTOWN LIVE Lunchtime music at Carl Zehr Square, performance by Run Coyote.

SUN 21st 11AM-5PM KIDSPARK Victoria Park • Interactive Play Day for Kids! • Free • Kitchenerevents.ca

TUES 23rd NOON-1PM DOWNTOWN LIVE Lunchtime music at Carl Zehr Square , performance by Paul Mitchell, trumpet duo.

TUES 23rd NOON-1PM LONG TABLE TUESDAYS David G performs at the Kitchener Market WED 24th NOON-12:50PM YOGA IN THE PARK Victoria Park Clocktower • Brought to you by @QueenStreetYoga, all levels welcome, Free!

THURS 25th NOON-1PM DOWNTOWN LIVE Lunchtime music on King in front of B@THEMUSEUM (10 King St. W.) by Mandippal Jandu and McCabe’s Irish Pub (352 King St. W.) by Ty Baynton.

FRI 26th NOON-1PM DOWNTOWN LIVE Lunchtime music at Carl Zehr Square, performance by Loretta Fullerton & Jesse Webber.

SAT 27th & SUN 28th LINK PICNIC This annual Victoria Park festival celebrates African and Caribbean culture with music, dance, food and more!

TUES AUG 30th NOON-1PM DOWNTOWN LIVE Lunchtime music at Carl Zehr Square , performance by Daniel Corrigan, acoustic bass.

TUES 30th NOON-1PM LONG TABLE TUESDAYS Jessie Treneer performs at the Kitchener Market WED AUG 31st NOON-12:50PM YOGA IN THE PARK Victoria Park Clocktower • Brought to you by @QueenStreetYoga, all levels welcome, Free!

DOWNTOWNKITCHENER.CA • @ DTKITCHENER • #DTKLOVE

ADVERTISEMENT

JUNE 2016 // COMMUNITYEDITION.CA

12

A GOOD PAIR OF JEANS IS HARD TO FIND NEW NON-PROFIT TACKLES THE ETHICS OF FASHION, AND SHOPPING FOR POSITIVE SOCIAL CHANGE

MARIKA GALADZA CONTRIBUTOR There’s a new not-for-profit in town, and their mission is to save the world, one fair trade t-shirt at a time. Trusted Clothes, started by married couple Tom and Shannon Schroeker, is a Kitchener-based operation that aims to “change the consumer behaviour of 100 million shoppers.” No small feat, but the Schroekers, who until six months ago worked in marketing for Fortune 100 companies, believe they know enough about the dirty tricks of the disposable fashion industry to be able to subvert them.

“We believed ourselves to be very ethical, never having worked for oil or tobacco companies” recalls Schroecker. “But we did work for companies like HBC, Zellers and Walmart – we never thought that clothing could be as bad for the environment as the gas

you put in your car,” she says.

Their light bulb moment came after watching the documentary The True Cost, a 2015 expose on the garment industry. After watching the film – which juxtaposes opulent runways, with the relative poverty of the workers who produce the clothing, and countless clips of police brutality towards workers demanding better conditions – the Schroeckers realized they were complicit, like the rest of us, in an industry that enslaves close to a billion people.

“The fashion industry is only a marketing exercise” says Shannon, “and so an industry that is built on marketing is also susceptible to a marketing attack – and we know how to do that.”

Through advocacy and ethical brand promotion on their blog, they hope to communicate the message that what we wear makes just as much of an impact on our environment as what we eat, how often we drive and other more obvious contributors to our carbon footprint.

According to Alternatives Journal,

Canadians throw away 32 kilograms of clothing and textiles per person, per year. It takes 2,700 litres of water to produce every single cotton t-shirt in that discard pile – enough potable water for one person to survive on for over two years. Add to this the rising popularity of synthetic fabrics in the last 15 years, like polyester made from petroleum.

On their blog, Trusted Clothes also talks about the interaction between our largest organ – skin – and the chemicals emitted from the clothes that cover our bodies every day.

But the health and environmental impacts of disposable fashion aren’t the half of it. Over a thousand garment workers were killed, and 2,000 injured when the Rana Plaza garment factory collapsed in Bangladesh in April 2013.

The factory produced clothing for Canadian brands like Joe Fresh, and the disaster was entirely avoidable.

Workers in that factory lived – and died – for a mere $38 a month.

So what can those concerned with their fashion footprint do to opt out of

this cruel industry?

The Schroeckers suggest “switching to [ethical] basics first. Socks, undies – the parts of your wardrobe that you wear on a daily basis. If you do your research and find an eco-friendly source for the basics, then you can work your way up to the statement pieces.” Trusted Clothes’ website highlights ethical brands, including big names like Zady.com and smaller retailers in Waterloo Region like More Than Half.

Shannon also encourages consumers to demand more from retailers, ask questions and pay attention to their labels. If retailers hear enough consumers asking where, how and with what kinds of materials their clothing is being made, they will adapt to meet those demands.

But what about greenwashing, the practice where companies divert consumer’s attention to a small portion of environmentally conscious production practices to mask larger, rampant abuses? Trusted Clothes believes this is a necessary step in the process

towards a kinder garment industry.

“Eventually, people will learn to ask tougher and tougher questions” says Shannon, and be able to spot red herrings like H&M’s claims to being the largest producer of organic cotton, which is true, although it still only accounts for 13.7 per cent of their total production.

And for those who might balk at the high cost of sustainable clothing, Shannon reminds me that “ethically made garments cost more upfront, but the cost-per-wear is typically much lower (including the cost on your conscience) because they are better quality.”

Trusted Clothes reminds us that the clothing we wear is a form of communication to the outside world. When you sport that Nike swoosh or trendy tee, what are you communicating to the people you encounter?

If you’d like to volunteer your skills and time to Trusted Clothes, check out their website – trustedclothes.com – for opportunities.

COFFEE IS GRRREAT

ROASTERY-CAFE SMILE TIGER NOW OPEN

MEGAN NOURSE CONTRIBUTOR You’re the tiger.

Keep your head up, take on the day with a cup of coffee in your hands.

That’s the meaning behind the name of downtown Kitchener’s newest coffee shop, and what co-owner Joel Gingrich had in mind when naming his latest KW eatery. Along with partners Steve Sittler and Tony Rubino, Gingrich opened Smile Tiger in May to a warm welcome from the community.

A little off the beaten path, Smile Tiger is next to the Victoria Street train station in a 1920s building that was easy to miss before Gingrich gave it a modern cafe makeover. It’s his second cafe — he opened DVLB in uptown with his wife nearly five years ago. This one is a little different. Smile Tiger began in 2015 as a wholesale coffee roaster. Realizing the brand could be more than that, Gingrich and his team opened the cafe.

Located at 100 Ahrens Street West, Smile Tiger isn’t exactly in central downtown, but that’s how Gingrich wanted it.

“I didn’t want to be on a main street again, I wanted it to be a destination,” he said adding that there is psychology behind getting customers to come to you

rather than have your business simply be convenient to them.

“It’s definitely riskier, by not being on main street. So you have to be doing something pretty special in order to find success and not be right in people’s face,” he said.

For early risers and commuters taking the train, the cafe opens at 6:30 p.m. on weekdays, staying open to 10 p.m. on weeknights and midnight on weekends. The business is licenced with five rotating craft beer taps.

“It’s not just the coffee. You’re coming into a coffee shop or a bar or a restaurant for an experience first. I think the product has to be great, but it’s not the only reason people are sitting here.” Gingrich said. He’s not worried about other coffee shops because he says Smile Tiger is offering something a little different.

A KW native, Gingrich had a suit job in Toronto for over a decade. On visits back to the Region he saw potential.

“It has a healthy vibrancy. There’s still a lot of work to do, especially in Kitchener, Waterloo is a little more polished.

Kitchener is a little rough around the edges, but that’s not a deterrent, that’s an opportunity.”

Patrons can sit and sip their coffee with a view into the glass room behind the bar that hosts the coffee roasting business. They supply coffee for a few local and non-local businesses, and you can buy their beans – with roast names like Nightmare Hippy Girl and Black Tambourine – at the shop.

Maya Bernier (top) makes coffee at Smile Tiger, a new Kitchener cafe/roastery. But be sure to bring your computer fully charged, as there’s nowhere to plug in. JESSE BAUMAN PHOTOS

JUNE 2016 // @THECOMMUNITYED

13

DOGGY DAYS OF SUMMER TCE HELPS YOU AND YOUR POOCH MAKE THE MOST OF WR ANNA BEARD CONTRIBUTOR With summer comes vacation and – if you’ve got one – more time to spend with your pup pal(s). Like people, most dogs love being active and embarking on new adventures. Here are a few dog friendly ideas to give your pup the best summer ever.

TAKE A TRIP TO GUELPH’S CRANE PARK If your dog loves the water, Crane Park is a great, clean and safe spot to let your dog have a swim. Located along the Speed River in Guelph, there is also a geocache location within the park and a nice trail you can walk on that features various tree and bush species.

Pro tip: Crane Park is an off leash area so let Fido roam if you’re comfortable. Bring bug spray if you’re planning on going through the trails, and watch for sunning snakes.

TAKE YOUR PUP CAMPING Grab your gear and your pup and go back to basics. Some local Grand River Conservation Areas welcome dogs but they must be on a leash and are not welcome on public beaches. Provincial and national parks usually have dog designated beach areas. In either case, it’s a good idea to do some research before choosing a park.

Consider picking up a dog friendly insect repellant to use alongside flea and tick prevention methods. If you’re going backcountry camping, it may be worth investing in a dog pack so that your pup can carry some of the load.

Be sure to do daily tick checks (on you and your dog), focusing on the areas around the ears, nose, mouth and armpits.

Pro tip: To get your dog used to sleeping with you in a tent, do a trial run in your living room or backyard.

Nothing is more frustrating than a dog that won’t settle at night. Well, maybe a buzzing mosquito.

BRING YOUR PUP TO AN OUTDOOR EVENT City of Kitchener and Waterloo events are dog friendly, so long as your pet is leashed and you clean up

after them. Events can be a great place to socialize your dog and get them used to being in crowds of people.

When you’re on the go, be sure to take your pup’s health into consideration.

Pro tip: If you’re feeling the heat, your dog is feeling it many times over.

If you decide to bring your dog, stay out of the sun during peak hours, bring lots of water for them, and consider purchasing summer booties to avoid burnt paw pads. Here’s a quick way to tell if the pavement is too hot for your pup: place the back of your hand, or a bare foot on a spot of asphalt in the sun for 10 seconds. If it’s too hot or uncomfortable for you it’s too hot for them.

HIT UP THE DRIVE-IN It’s not often that you can take your dog to the movies but going to the drive-in solves that problem. Guelph’s Mustang Drive-In is a quick drive from Kitchener-Waterloo and plays movies Friday to Sunday and on Tuesdays.

Admission for dogs is free!

Pro tip: Keep an eye out for Mustang’s next all-nighter and watch movies with your pup from dusk till dawn.

There are plenty of dog friendly adventures in and around Waterloo Region.

ANNA BEARD PHOTO

NEW SURVEY REACHES ACROSS THE RAINBOW COMMUNITY BASED RESEARCH PROJECT FIRST TO COMPREHENSIVELY SURVEY RAINBOW COMMUNITY IN THE REGION

JESSE BAUMAN EDITOR IN CHIEF While 13 per cent of police-reported hate crimes in 2012 were motivated by hatred of sexual orientation, those incidents were the most violent, according to Statistics Canada. This much – and more, including higher rates of depression, anxiety and suicidality – is known about the so-called rainbow community. But how do we know what we don’t know?

This May, the Rainbow Community Council, a working group comprised

of representatives from Region of Waterloo Public Health & Emergency Services, ACCKWA, the Waterloo Region Rainbow Coalition, Wilfrid Laurier University and various other organizations and members of the community, launched a comprehensive needs assessment of the LGBTQ2S communities in Waterloo Region.

The Outlook Study asks questions about harassment, discrimination, intimate partner violence, community supports and senses of belonging.

The study also investigates the sexual health behaviours and needs of gay, bisexual, trans and other men who have sex with men.

“Sexual orientation and gender

identity are very complex,” says Jeremy Steffler, co-chair of the RCC. He hopes the Outlook Study will include all members of the rainbow community, not only those who are “out and proud.”

Steffler describes the project as the product of a lot of “behind the scenes relationship building to bring allies into the fold.” As a result, Steffler hopes the community based project will be far more comprehensive, and connect with a greater swath of the rainbow community.

“The most marginalized are the least likely to reach out and ask for help… this is why a needs assessment is so important, to get information about the whole community,” Steffler

says.

“At minimum, the Outlook Study shows what can happen when organizations pool resources… and at very least, establishes a baseline of data so that we can examine services as they currently exist.”

Though the RCC is still in its early days, created in 2015, members have initiated two other working groups.

The Breaking the Silence working group formed after a community event, which generated an eponymous report that describes how “members of the LGBTQ community are at a heightened degree of vulnerability and live in an environment where being oneself and ‘out’ means they are a target and subject to marginaliza-

tion, oppression, discrimination and violence.”

RCC members have also created the Solidarity Alliance working group, which aims to develop local supports and allies for LGBTQ+ newcomers – whether or not they were pushed from their home countries for reasons relating to their sexual orientation or gender identity.

Steffler says his and the RCC’s work “aims to help ensure all members of the rainbow community have equitable access to competent and appropriate programming and services throughout the region.”

Understanding those folks’ needs is the first step, and interested parties can participate at outlookstudy.ca.

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER. WE’RE REALLY GOOD AT IT. @THECOMMUNITYED

JUNE 2016 // COMMUNITYEDITION.CA

14

FICTION

WENDY

DANIEL KRUGER CONTRIBUTOR Wendy was used to feeling anxious when she woke up. Is she late? What time is it? Where does she need to go?

She rolled over in small increments to see that her alarm clock read 8:24 a.m.

OK, she thought, I have more than half an hour to get to school. Shower, dress, and eat breakfast. Ten minutes each. She had been teaching long enough that she didn’t need to plan lessons.

She coaxed herself out of bed, stood up, and looked out her window. The childcare center parking lot was filled with rushed parents dropping off their dawdling, half-asleep toddlers.

She looked left and saw a school bus speeding north toward Laurentian Public on Westmount. Her anxiety returned when she wondered if her students would arrive at school before her. Wendy quickly and efficiently began the motions of her morning routine, as she had done for years.

Once dressed and clean, she stepped out of her room and into a hallway full of doors with numbers and small whiteboards.

Where is he? Had she lost him? It seemed she had! Wendy couldn’t do her job without him.

“Wendy! Good morning my love!

How are you this morning?” said a

smiley young woman wearing a light blue nurse’s uniform. Wendy felt a pit in her stomach as she realized she must have forgotten an appointment with this woman.

“Oh . . . yes, I’m fine.” Wendy’s voice rushed through several stages of waking up as she tried to appear alert and determined. “I’m awfully sorry, I must have forgotten you were coming.

I wasn’t expecting you . . . I . . . now, where is it we should go?”

“Oh!” The nurse’s voice was wide awake. “No problem at all my dear.

Don’t worry about a thing. Why don’t you come with me and we can get you some breakfast?” The nurse left her cart of small bottles, trays, and towels behind. She linked arms with Wendy and led her briskly down the hallway.

Wendy tried to walk quickly without showing her struggle. We are in a rush, she thought. We are late for something. It’s good the nurse is here: she seems to know what to do.

Wendy felt anxious as she realized she was missing someone. Where is he? She needed to find him or something would go wrong.

“Now, I am looking for my friend. I’m not sure where he is, but I do think he is supposed to be here. I’m worried I’ve lost him.”

“Oh! Darling!” the nurse smiled and looked at Wendy as if she were a stray at the Humane Society. “Ernie is already waiting for you in the common room! I’m sure he’s keeping your spot warm.”

Wendy didn’t recognize the name, but felt consoled. “Oh good, thank you.

Well, I am glad I’ve got your help. You really seem to know how things work around here.” Wendy began wondering who this “Ernie” was and what she might be meeting him for. She hoped he wasn’t the parent of a student.

She could never remember parents’ names. Sometimes she didn’t even know who their child was.

She reviewed her stock phrases.

Your child has so much potential.

If she continues to work on applying herself, there is no telling how far she could go.

He is such a positive presence in the classroom when he is focused and behaved.

Wendy felt her face flush and her fingers tingle as she became nervous she would make a fool of herself in front of this parent.

The nurse turned a corner and led Wendy into a large open area with a dining room, lounge, and kitchen. The ceiling, walls, and floor were sorted top to bottom by increasingly dark hues of brown. The lounge was on the right, littered with couches and chairs pointed towards a large flatscreen TV. Several people sat quietly, watching the TV, where two men played dramatic piano and cello music in the middle of some sort of winter wonderland.

“Here she is, Ernie! I told you we’d find her!”

Wendy followed the nurse as she sat her on a love seat beside a thin man wearing a faded Toronto Blue Jays cap.

Ernie was smiling. “Oh, hello!” He nodded, making brief eye contact with Wendy in the middle of the nod.

CARA VANDERMEY ILLUSTRATION

Wendy returned his smile and said nothing. She felt herself sink into the love seat as the man reached over and held her hand loosely. Wendy wondered what the two of them were waiting for. She felt at home, and her body relaxed as she maintained a closed mouth smile. Several minutes later the nurse returned.

“Oh! Look at the two of you!” said the nurse from the back of her throat.

“Aren’t you adorable? I am sorry, but I’m going to have to separate you for just a little while. Wendy, Ernie needs to do his morning exercises, but he’ll be back after your breakfast.”

“That’s fine dear, thank you.” Wendy was hungry, and silently wondered when she would have her breakfast.

The nurse helped Ernie stand and prop himself up behind his walker. She leaned in beside Wendy and whispered in her ear. “You might want to hold off on the hand-holding for today my dear. Don’t forget that your husband is coming to visit this afternoon!” She gave Wendy a wet kiss on the cheek.

Wendy felt her face flush and fingers tingle as she filled with anxiety. She completely forgot that she had a visitor this afternoon. How foolish!

She would have to prepare something to eat. She frantically began searching her memory for her visitor’s preferred food and drink, but nothing came to mind. As she tried to formulate a plan to prepare for her afternoon visit, Wendy filled with the unmistakable feeling that she was missing someone important. Where is he?

JUNE 2016 // @THECOMMUNITYED

15

BEYOND A PENIS IN A VAGINA WHAT ARE WE REALLY TALKING ABOUT, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT SEX?

SEXPLANATIONS

STACEY JACOBS COLUMNIST The word sex can mean many things to many people, but often when people hear the word they visualize penis in vagina heterosexual sex. Possibly in the missionary, penis on top, position. This is the sex we are taught about. This is the sex we see on TV. This is the sex that makes babies.

There is nothing wrong with penis in vagina sex, but there are many more ways to feel pleasure and enjoy yourself.

And what if your relationship does not have both a penis and a vagina? I have been asked many times, how do two people with vaginas have sex? How do they know if they have had sex when there is no penis to insert? I do not hear

the similar question about relationships with two penises — I am assuming because people consider it sex once a penis has been inserted into a body part.

I have spoken to people who consider themselves virgins although they have received or given oral sex and/or anal sex, simply because a penis did not go into a vagina. If this is your definition of virginity, so be it. Personally the idea of virginity has always baffled me. Why does it matter so much, to so many people, whether or not someone (usually that someone has a vagina) is a virgin?

Pleasure, connection and orgasm can happen in so many ways. All it takes is a little imagination. And the truth is that many people cannot orgasm by penetration alone. A little clitoral stimulation is often necessary.

I know people in a two-vagina-relationship, and I know that people often ask them how they have sex. First of all, it is rude to ask people about their private sex life. And, if there was a penis involved no one would ask at all. Sexual activity can involve any body parts

touching any other body parts. What is important is that people are consenting to the activity and enjoying the activity.

If you want to involve toys, involve toys!

If you want to role play, role play! Involve as many people as you want, watch porn, watch each other masturbate, wear fancy costumes or kinky boots, tie someone to the bed, spank them with a hair brush or tickle them with a feather.

Have sex on the kitchen table or in the shower. The possibilities are endless.

If you are unsure what your partner(s) like(s) then ask.

Good sex begins with good communication. Good sex is not dependent on your sexual orientation, your gender or what body parts you do or do not have.

Good sex is about feeling good about yourself both inside and out, trusting your partners enough to share your fantasies, likes and dislikes. It is about feeling confident enough to let someone else see you naked and vulnerable. Good sex is hard work. If you want good sex, make it a priority in your life.

Policing women and trans people’s bodies is violent. MATH SMITH PHOTO

SHAME ON US ALL

ON STOPPING THE POLICING AND SHAMING OF WOMEN AND TRANS PEOPLE RIGHT NOW

WR OPINION

DAVE THOMAS CONTRIBUTOR Let’s stop shaming and harassing people.

It may sound easy, but it seems it’s a pretty big ask.

As a privileged white man, I don’t really have any lived experience on the receiving end of such treatment. But there are lots of occurrences that hit the media, especially against women and LGBTQ people. It makes me angry that people experience such injustices when they are just trying to live their lives.

Politicians, governments, institutions and other members of the public create barriers, get in people’s faces and put them down — or worse.

Here are just a few recent examples: In May, an Ottawa woman went to work out at a gym, but staff asked her to change her clothes, after complaints from other customers. Apparently her breasts were too large for the tank-top she was wearing; this had upset other users. The gym defended its actions, saying its staff were just enforcing the dress code.

A British woman was sent home without pay by a temporary work agency because she had flat-heeled shoes on and she refused to wear high heels — as required by the corporate dress code.

That provision did not apply to male employees.

In Pennsylvania, a lesbian teenager was barred from entry at her high school prom because she was wearing a tuxedo. The school defended its dress code, saying that women are expected to wear formal dresses.

A meteorologist in Los Angeles, who was wearing a dress while delivering a weather forecast, was handed a sweater and told to put it on — while she was

on the air — because the station had received complaints about her clothing.

Most of these examples are from outside Canada. But lest we think that we are more enlightened, consider that it was just a year ago that three sisters in Kitchener-Waterloo were stopped by the police when they were cycling top-free on a hot summer night. They were breaking no law, merely exercising a right that was clearly established in law 20 years ago.

There has been a lot of publicity over the last few years about the challenges that women’s groups have had with Facebook and other social media platforms over breastfeeding photos. While Facebook has changed its policy on breastfeeding photos, advocacy groups promoting breast cancer awareness still face censorship. One Argentinian organization had to resort to using a man’s breasts in a public service video to promote breast self-examination by women.

Slurs against women and trans people — whether on social media or face-to-face — are so common that the situation seems to be endemic.

What can we do, individually, to create a safer, more inclusive environment around us? Perhaps we can start with small steps. We need to examine our own biases — whether invisible or explicit. We need to ditch the stereotypes that we’ve been socialized with. If you’re in one of those privileged spaces where you’re not on the receiving end of this behaviour, take active steps to learn more. Check out resources about “slut shaming” on websites like everydayfeminism.com. Read the Breaking the Silence on Hidden Violence Report at the Waterloo Region Crime Prevention Council’s site, preventingcrime.ca.

All of us need to work to be part of the solution rather than the problem.

Tell yourself: “I’m not going to shame anyone today.” Let’s all try. Please.

JUNE 2016 // COMMUNITYEDITION.CA

16

IF BIKE LANES COULD TALK:

THE SPUR LINE A ONCE SECRET PATH REVIVED AS NEEDED TRAIL

ELIZABETH DICESARE CONTRIBUTOR A few years ago I found myself walking down a small, beat-up footpath.

The trail ran beside some train tracks, between Regina and Roger Streets, near uptown Waterloo. It was starting to get dark, and I needed to make it uptown to meet friends for some serious birthday celebrations. Taking this path seemed like a good idea, right?

Don’t worry, this is not the beginning of a horror story, but my experience with the newly re-opened Spur Line trail.

I still don’t know if this old footpath was an officially sanctioned trail at the time of my initial journey, but a lot of my friends and I used it anyway. It was a much faster way of getting between uptown Waterloo and downtown Kitchener, and my apartment at the time was conveniently right in the middle. Plus, we often joked about how we were living out Stand By Me, creating our own mini-adventures while we journeyed down a seemingly forgotten path.

If you were to walk down the trail today, though, you’d likely feel like you were in a pretty safe place. The newly renovated Spur Line trail, which officially re-opened in April, is composed of a fully paved, two-way path that runs parallel to the train tracks, and sits a safe few meters away from where trains roll through at night.

It’s also lined with street lamps, and has signage at every intersection that crosses a city road.

The renovations were started a couple years ago when the City of Kitchener invested $600,000 towards upgrading pre-existing storm water infrastructure. Then, Metrolinx, the City of Waterloo, and Region of Waterloo put together just under $5 million— $1.2 million, $1.5 million and $2.3 million, respectively — to give it a facelift. Now, you can easily and quickly travel along the trail without worrying about tripping over a tree root, or walking down a long dark path.

The Spur Line trail runs through many residential areas, as it stretches from Ahrens Street in Kitchener to Regina Street in Waterloo, and covers 2.4 kilometres of high-traffic space. It is a natural go-to route for the many families that live along the path; many backyards also back onto the trail, making it a convenient place for families and neighbours to gather. It also serves as a convenient commuter route for those living in the city cores, and is much faster to navigate than the winding streets and ongoing LRT construction.

“I ride my bike to work … or I can also walk,” says Aura Hertzog, co-owner of Ambrosia Pastry Co., who lives in the Central Frederick neighbourhood.

“It’s really quick, if I bike it’s maybe eight [or] 10 minutes, and then if I walk it’s maybe 30 minutes. Personally and for business, we use it instead of having to jump into the car.”

Ambrosia is right beside the trail, where it intersects with Roger Street, and has experienced an increase in foot-traffic since the trail has been re-done.

“There’s way more traffic. We’re seeing it utilized a lot, there’s always people on it, where before people who knew it used it, but now it’s like people

that never used it now are using it,” Hertzog says. “They’ll see people they know on the trail, so it’s a little bit of community happening as well.”

The trail is an encouraging outdoor space, which provides an almost picturesque walk for the wandering traveler. Either side of the trail is still covered with varying types of greenery, and, during some stretches of the walk, makes you forget that you’re actually travelling between city centres.

You could be lost in the woods, for all you know, until you reach one of the intersecting city streets. Don’t worry though, if your mind does wander while taking in the scenery, the goose poop along the path will remind you that you are indeed in Kitchener-Waterloo.

The amount of graffiti tags in certain stretches of the trail will also bring you back into the urban setting.

“It’s just so ugly,” Hertzog says of the graffiti – one of the few small drawbacks of the trail in her eyes.

However, the positive aspects that the Spur Line trail provides greatly outweigh the negatives. Its function — providing a safe green space that provides more walkability between high-traffic areas — has become increasingly important in the growing region. Its fast, friendly environment allows people to move freely and enjoy some time outside while navigating the sometimes stressful lifestyle of the city.

Walking down the Spur Line Trail has been an evolving adventure over the past few years, and only proves to be more exciting as summer approaches.

JUNE 2016 // @THECOMMUNITYED

The Spur Line trail runs 2.4 kilometres from Ahrens Street in Kitchener to Regina Street in Waterloo. MATH SMITH PHOTOS

17

JUNE 2016 // COMMUNITYEDITION.CA

18

NO ANIMAL BY-PRODUCTS?

NO PROBLEM.

THE MUST-TRY LOCAL VEGAN DISHES ACCORDING TO KRISTY GUTHRIE-ROTH (AND FRIENDS)

SMOOTHIES GREEN Rawlicious — Tropical Green Tropical Green is the quintessential summer smoothie. An expert blend of banana, mango, pineapple, spinach and kale – it’s not too sweet, not too green, and tastes like summer in a (compostable) cup.

FRUIT Fiddleheads — 007 This bright purple smoothie brings together the A-team of ingredients: almond milk, bananas, peaches, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, mango, pineapple and vanilla whey protein powder. Be sure to ask to make this vegan or they’ll sneak in some frozen yogurt, too.

SWEET Thrive Energy Lab — Mango Lassie A silky smooth, bright and refreshing mix of mango, coconut water, coconut milk and spices, this drink is the perfect companion to a neighbourhood stroll, a guilt free dessert, or a mid-afternoon pick-me-up.

LUNCH CAFE PYRUS When looking for recommendations on where to find the best vegan lunch, I received a resounding, ALL CAPS vote for Café Pyrus.

With staples like The Club (a toasty triple decker sandwich stacking tempeh bacon, tomato, romaine, avocado, roasted garlic aioli and vegan cheese between slices of organic multigrain bread), and The Angry Vegan (an organic, grilled panini oozing with caramelized onion, tomato, organic spinach, artichoke spread and vegan cheese), I know why it’s a community go-to.

The food at Café Pyrus is fresh, local and organic. The restaurant is casual and friendly, the coffee hot and the kombucha on tap.

OTHER GREAT OPTIONS I’d be remiss to leave out the Bahn Mi and Peanut Lime Salad Bowl at Thrive Energy Lab, or the Quinoa Burger at Seven Shores.

DINNER

DESSERTS

FEELING HUNGRY? Visit East African Café for the vegan platter or The Guanaquita’s vegan burritos, tacos and chimichangas. Not only are these dishes ridiculously good, the restaurant itself is not vegan-only, making this the perfect melting pot for vegans and omnivores alike.

CINNAMON ROLLS & STICKY BUNS The rolls at Café Pyrus are legendary.

Simultaneously dense and fluffy with just the right amount of icing, these buns are perfectly paired with coffee and make a welcome addition to any brunch table.

More of a sticky bun person? Check out the vegan buns at Seven Shores.

FEELING THAT PATIO LIFE? If you’re looking to soak up a bit of late day summer sun, snag a table out back at Jane Bond and order their Coconut Curry or Whoppie Burger.

Also check out Rawlicious’ front patio. What it may lack in ambiance, it makes up for in people (and dog) watching. Grab a seat at these red tables and enjoy a light dinner of Pad Thai made with zucchini and kelp noodles, or the Rawich, a perfectly satisfying veggie sandwich served on must-try onion bread.

SUPER SWEET TOOTH? If you’re looking for indulgence, the salted caramel square from Rawlicious is rich and creamy. My advice: try it very cold or even frozen — it will add new layers of texture and deliciousness.

JUNE 2016 // @THECOMMUNITYED

BREW TOURING BIZ’S CRAFTY EXPANSION BREW DONKEY WILL SHUTTLE YOU FROM BREWERY TO BREWERY IN WR BRFC ON BEER

JON JOHNSON COLUMNIST Brewery visits are great. If I’m on a road trip and can make a small detour to fit in a brewery stop, I’ll do it. If I can fit in many stops, even better. So what about a road trip that is all brewery stops? First off, you’d need a designated driver, and really, who wants to do that?

Brew Donkey opened in Ottawa a few years ago offering to do just that.

Ottawa is home to 27 “producers” making beer, wine, and spirits. Company founder Brad Campeau now hosts seven different Ottawa tours taking people on what Campeau refers to as a series of “epic first dates” to get acquainted with locally made drinks and the people who make them. Brew Donkey is expanding into Waterloo Region, and it seems like a real feather in the cap of the Waterloo Region brewery scene that Campeau saw the local growth and passion offering the potential to create a similar service here.

The company is starting out with three different tours in our region, each visiting four producers. On May 1, TCE publisher Lakyn Barton and I were invited along for a preview press tour to see what they’re all about.

Gathering at Abe Erb, we boarded a school bus and headed to St. Jacobs to visit Block 3. Campeau started the trip by going over a little brewing 101, making sure everyone was versed in the basics of the brewing process, which I thought was a nice touch. At Block 3, the pattern was established for the day — get some samples, tour the brewery,

get more samples, buy beer if you want, and get back on the bus. We continued through Innocente, Together We’re Bitter, and finally Descendants. Campeau kept things fun on the bus, with stories and trivia, and food and water to keep us going.

Over the course of the day, I lost track of all of the free samples I tried, saw lots of cool shiny brewing equipment, and met some great people. The highlight of the day for me was Together We’re Bitter’s worker/owner Culum Canally’s impassioned talk about their strange brewhouse, their co-op business model and just about anything, because that guy can talk.

Barton, who is relatively new to visiting breweries, mentioned the fact that while she knew of the breweries, it was cool to get to see where they’re located, and that she hadn’t been very comfortable with the idea of checking them out by herself. As a white male between 18 and 35-years-old, alleviating the potential discomfort that some people might feel walking into a brewery is a Brew Donkey benefit I hadn’t thought of. She also appreciated two of my favourite aspects of brewery tours, which are seeing the differences between the breweries themselves, the ways they each make beer, and the people who work there — as well as getting to try a bunch of beers that you may not have tried otherwise.

We both questioned whether you need to spend $72 to $89 to visit all of these breweries with Brew Donkey. And you don’t. You could visit any of these places on your own any time. But can you visit all of them in one day, and have a really unique and comfortable guided experience with a group of other people?

Not very easily. At least, not until Brew Donkey showed up.

19

ARTS & CULTURE EVENT LISTINGS SATURDAY, JUNE 4

ETSY LOCAL MARKET

RIM PARK

More than 60 KW Etsy venders will be at the first ever Etsy Local Market. Buy handmade buttons, soap, t-shirts, cat collages, etc.

Craft • Free• 9am-4pm

JUMANJI IN THE PARK

VICTORIA PARK

Hosted by the Summer Lights Festival, relive your childhood with Jumanji. The giant spiders were terrifying, but it’s a classic.

Movie • Free • 9pm

Lecture • $35 • 10am-4pm

ELEVATE ART SHOW

BUDD’S DEPARTMENT STORE

Ten local artists will be showcased at Elevate. The show merges art and community. Elevate’s opening reception will have food and a photo booth!

Art • Free • 7pm

LATITUDES FESTIVAL

SUNDAY, JUNE 5

THE UNFESTIVAL PRIDE

KITCHENER PUBLIC LIBRARY

tri-Pride is hosting a community picnic on Roos Island. Bring lunch, lawnchairs and whatever else people use at picnics.

Latitudes Storytelling Festival celebrates its 11th year with a day of performances (spoken word, story telling, puppet parades!) at the central branch.

VICTORIA PARK

Art • Free • 5pm

Art • Free

MONDAY, JUNE 6

AMAZING RACE

WATERLOO REGION

IF I HAD A HAMMER

KITCHENER PUBLIC LIBRARY

Do you identify as female? Want to get into the skilled trades? Come to the KPL’s central branch to learn all about Conestoga’s Women in Skilled Trades pre-apprenticeships!

Info • Free • 7pm-8pm

Here’s your chance to star in the Amazing Race! Just without the TV show. Heartwood Place’s annual Amazing Race fundraiser will take participants across the region for various challenges.

Fun • Donations Accepted

SUNDAY, JUNE 12

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 8

CAFKA COFFEE CRAWL

OWL PROWL

YETI CAFE

Nighttime! Owls! Community! rare is back with another round of Owl Prowl. Space is limited, resigster at raresites.org.

Art and coffee, do you really need anything else? Head to the Yeti and then take a tour of the exhibition.

Easy peasy lemon squeezy.

RARE

Nature • $8 • 8-9:30pm

UPTOWN WATERLOO

HAIR

KW LITTLE THEATRE

Film • Free • 7pm

CULTURE TALKS

KWAG

Join local historian rych mills and learn about the history of Kichener in the 1950s. The event is part of KWAG’s 60th anniversary celebration.

History • Free • 7pm

NIGHT MARKET

KITCHENER CITY HALL

Support indie designers, ecofriendly products, holistic living and alternative healing at the LUNA Holistic Market. The Downtown Kitchener BIA is hosting a craft market on King St. in partnership with LUNA. Crafts for all!

Craft • Free • 7pm

Fun • Free • Noon-5pm

GRAND PORCH PARTY

UPTOWN WATERLOO

Musicians turn the front porches in the Uptown West neighbourhood into stages for this annual event.

Stroll through the streets listening to tunes or set up a lawn chair in front of your favourite porch.

Music • Free • 2-5pm

BIKIN’ IN C-TOWN

Since 1998 Cambridge has had hundreds of cyclists turn out every year for the Tour de Grande. With nine different routes between 10 and 160km, cyclists of all ages and abilities are welcome. Last year more that 3,000 people participated.

Sports • $25 Pre-registration • 8am

THURSDAY, JUNE 16

TERRARIUMS!

KWAG

SATURDAY, JUNE 11

CLIMATE JUSTICE AND INDIGENOUS ALLY FORUM

How can faith communities be better allies to indigenous

Contruction has forced Open Streets onto the Uptown Waterloo square and adjacent parking lots.

But still no cars allowed! Huzzah!

CAMBRIDGE

FRIDAY, JUNE 10

WILFRID LAURIER UNIVERSITY

Art • $5 • 10am

OPEN STREETS

THURSDAY JUNE 9

Go back to the Age of Aquarius with the opening ot KW Little Theatre’s production of Hair. Celebrate hippie counterculture and the sexual revolution.

Do donkeys dream of craft beer? Not likely. LAKYN BARTON PHOTOS

communities? This forum will start to tackle the subject. Organized by Faith & the Common Good, Divest Waterloo, Sacred Water Circle and the Green Awakening Network

Terrariums are cool and you can learn how to make one. Living Fresh Flower Studio & School host this workshop at KWAG. Bring garden gloves if you’re into that, all other materials are provided.

Plants • $80 • 7pm

SATURDAY, JUNE 18

CAMBRIDGE HAS ART

CAMBRIDGE CITY HALL

The Cambridge Art Festival is back for its 21st year. The festival is a space for emerging and established artists. Featuring music, art and a maker lab.

Art • Free • 10am-6pm

SUMMER LIGHTS

DOWNTOWN KITCHENER Kitchener’s annual summer solstice party is back. Celebrate art, technology, food, makers, music and creativity with the community.

Art • Free • 8pm

SUNDAY, JUNE 19

BEER, THE CRAFT KIND

WATERLOO REGION MUSEUM

Local craft beer, food, music — what else do you need on a Sunday?

Tickets get you admission to the museum, five beer sample tokens and a souvenir. Must be 19+ to purchase beer tickets, but the event is all ages.

Beer • $20 •11am-5pm

FRIDAY, JUNE 24

SUPER SECRET TCE PARTY

UNDISCLOSED LOCATION

Come hang with TCE at a super weird and secret party we call Steel Rails. We can’t tell you much now, but we promise fun, art, community and local beer and food. Plus a bunch of surprises. Tickets sold out quick but we’ll be having flash sales on our social media pages in June.

Fun • $50 • 6pm

SATURDAY, JUNE 25

JAM IN A PARKING LOT

CENTRE IN THE SQUARE

Sam Roberts Band, The Strubellas, Hannah Georgas and a bunch more artists will hit the Centre in the Square parking lot. In collaboration with KOI Fest, the day will feature 14 bands on two stages.

Music • $69.50 • noon-3pm

TUESDAY, JUNE 28

BEER AND BOOKS

FIRKIN AT THE TANNERY The KPL combines two great passtimes for a fun night of drinking and book talk. Bring a book, article, anything you’ve been reading lately. Or follow the conversation on twitter with the hashtag #PubLit Fun • Free • 12pm-4pm

FRIDAY, JULY 1

CANADA DAY IN DTK

KITCHENER CITY HALL

Celebrate Canada’s 149th birthday with a giant party downtown. Local bands, a major Canadian act, beer, food and fireworks is all you need.

Fun • Free • 4pm-11pm

UW LOVES CANADA

UNIVERSITY OF WATERLOO For the 31st year, UW is bringing out the big guns to celebrate Canada. Follow #UWCanadaDay on twitter for music lineups and announcements.

Fun • Free

COMMUNITYEDITION.CA @THECOMMUNITYED