The Community Edition: July 2017

VOLUME 5, ISSUE 10 • JULY 2017

#STEELRAILS17 PAGES 8-9

IF STREETS COULD TALK: NORTHDALE

TCE FICTION

A QUEST FOR KW’S BEST CAESAR

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PAGE 10

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IN THIS

ISSUE

VOLUME 5, ISSUE 10

JULY 2017

FEATURE

8-9 STEEL RAILS SESSION 2017

INSIDE

3 3 4 6 6 7 7 10 11 12 13 14 15

IN BRIEF LETTER FROM THE EDITOR IF STREETS COULD TALK GRT GETS A TECH UPDATE WILL YOU BE MY FRIEND? SEXPLANATIONS SEEKERS CORNER TCE FICTION WR AND HOWE SEARCHING FOR KW’S BEST CAESAR NEW TUNE REVIEW SUMMER LIGHTS IN PHOTOS LISTINGS

COVER PHOTO BY ANDREAS PATSIAOUROS

Volume 5, Issue 10 Next issue: August 2, 2017

General Inquiries info@communityedition.ca

75 University Ave. W Waterloo, ON N2L 3C5 519-884-0710 x3564

WLUSP ADMINISTRATION President Andreas Patsiaouros

All advertising inquiries should be directed to Care Lucas at 519-884-0710 x3560 care.lucas@wlusp.com

Executive Director Lakyn Barton

THE COMMUNITY EDITION TEAM Editor in Chief Megan Nourse megan@communityedition.ca Publisher Lakyn Barton lakyn.barton@wlusp.com Social Media Editor Ramona Leitao Web Manager Care Lucas Photo Editor Nick Stanley

Advertising Manager Care Lucas Treasurer John Pehar Vice-Chair Lisa Irimescu

CONTRIBUTORS Josh Barkman Bethany Bowles Christopher Emory-Moore James Gowland James Howe Stacey Jacobs Ramona Leitao Sam Nabi Andreas Patsiaouros Becca Redden Meghan Roach Eva Ruckie Kaitlyn Severin Dylan Siebert Matt Smith Nick Stanley Cara Vandermey

Directors Benjamin Cooke Rosalind Horne Noa Salamon Corporate Secretary Noa Salamon

TWITTER @THECOMMUNITYED INSTAGRAM @COMMUNITYEDITION

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 Centra Web. All content appearing in the Community Edition bears the copyright expressly of their creator(s) and may not be used without written consent.

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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.

JULY 2017 // COMMUNITYEDITION.CA

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IN BRIEF NEWS PRAYER CENTRE APPROVED

NEW TEKKSHARE SITE LAUNCHES

NEW FUNDING TO FIGHT OPIOIDS

NO PROPOSAL WINS 44 GAUKEL

After nearly five years of ongoing efforts from a Muslim community in Laurelwood, Waterloo city council has approved a zoning bylaw change to allow 510 Erbsville Road to be used as a Muslim prayer centre. The prayer centre, which consists of of a single detached residence and garage, will accommodate 25 people in the facility at a time.

Another startup has emerged at the Communitech Hub. TekkShare is the latest local sharing economy website, where customers and people who have programming or digital marketing expertise can connect and interact with others on the forum. Customers can seek input for tech support, and buy and sell tech services and products with other TekkShare members.

With the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long Term Care recently granting Waterloo Region with $250 000 in funding, the region is able to hire more full time staff to provide harm reduction strategies in the current opioid crisis. An increase in surveillance work around the region will also be feasible because of the new funding.

Though Creative Hub’s staff was unable to award the lease of 44 Gaukel Street to any proponents, the City of Kitchener still believes it is possible to develop an operating model for the hub, due to the high demand for creative industry support from the community. The City said no current KW-based organization’s mandate fits with the objectives of the Creative Hub.

ARTS

TIME TO DANCE AT KULTRUN

CAMBRIDGE GETTING JAZZY IN SCOTTISH FESTIVAL UPTOWN

ANOTHER ROUND OF OPEN STREETS

Known as KW’s “biggest outdoor dance party,” Kultrun festival features local, national, and international world music acts including Quebecois bands, Moroccan gospel, Flamenco, Afro and Latin and more. The festival, which takes place from July 8 to July 9 at Victoria Park, also includes art workshops, performance art, and a food, craft and art and beer garden cantina.

Enjoy some music and take part in Cambridge’s Scottish Festival July 14 and 15 by participating in activities which include piping and drumming competitions, Highland dance, and tug-o-war.

The festival, which also includes multiple pipe bands and dancers, will take place at Churchill Park. Tickets are $17 for those above the age of 12 and $14 for those who are 50 and older.

UpTown Waterloo will be hosting the 25th Jazz Festival this year behind Waterloo City Hall.

The festival, which runs from July 21 to July 23 will have local and international headliners, including Busy & The Bass, Matt Dusk, and Saturday Night Superstars. The event is free and for all ages. The Jazz Fest is a classic summer experience in KW, trust us.

This month’s theme for Open Streets is “Make Believe” and will take place July 16 from 12 pm to 5 pm Different activities and events will taking place along the Laurel and Spurline Trails as well as Uptown square. The event will include interactive art projects and craft making, live performances ranging from martial arts, music, spoken word, and games.

STEAM ACTIVITIES FOR KIDS IN DTK

LIGHTING THE IRON HORSE TRAIL

BIKE AND WALK THE NEW KING ST

HOUSING FUNDING FOR WR

Kids ages 5-12 can now stop by Discovery Square every week in July for a free program series that focuses on science, technology, engineering, art and math. The program takes place at Carl Zehr Square from 5pm until 8pm and features local organizations such as THEMUSEUM, Kitchener Public Library, and FIRST Robotics.

Live entertainment will also take place at 6pm.

With the help of the Public Transit Infrastructure Funding, the Iron Horse Trail is getting new lighting years ahead of schedule. The city will install pedestrian lighting between Victoria and Queen streets, as well as continue the surface and corridor improvements from Victoria Street to the CN bridge.

The goal of the installation is to improve safety and make the transit corridor more accessible.

After being closed for almost two years for LRT construction, cyclists and pedestrians can finally travel along King Street past Victoria Street in downtown. Construction occurred on King Street to build a CN Rail bridge and an underpass that diverts traffic away from the railway. Vehicles will not be able to use the underpass until mid-July, once the asphalt and paving along the light-rail is completed.

Waterloo Region has received $8.4 million in funding from provincial and federal governments that will go towards affordable housing. The funds will go to multiple housing organizations around the region, including KW Habilitation, where 22 affordable housing units will be available for people with developmental disabilities, as well as Supportive Housing of Waterloo.

camp (Lot 42), it was an excellent, apocalypse-themed homecoming back on the train. There were amazing musicians like Blunt Chunks, The Candy Apple Jazz Band, and Vag Halen to keep the party vibe going. And local artists nik harron, Carmen Peters, Jen Van Overbeeke, Ellie Anglin and Andrea Hawkins among others helped us animate our space and prove once again how talented our community is.

Flip to pages eight and nine to see this year’s event in photos and find a few more gems on our Facebook page. Also there is a

list of all of the volunteers who helped make this year’s party run smoothly. Please take a few minutes to read their names, and know that they were a huge part of Steel Rails.

I am so grateful to our whole team of staff, artists, and volunteers, especially Lakyn Barton and Care Lucas, who organized Steel Rails with me.

Thank you to the friends and collaborators who made the planning and partying process possible. I feel many heart and smiley face emojies for the following people:

Jon Johnson Evan Ossington Eric Moon Jeremy Mahn Ellie Anglin Matt Smith Alistair MacLellan Emily Crump Beth Bowles Meghan Roach Marc Lecompte Jesse Bauman My Mom Our Cats

URBAN

A LETTER FROM THE EDITOR By midnight, it was all over. Steel Rails 2017 was a whirlwind of new experiences, dancing, wrestling, pizza, beer, music, and friends.

We told you almost nothing, and nearly 700 of you showed up, trusting us every step of the way.

The result was a pretty killer party and successful fundraising for TCE. Thank you so much to everyone who purchased a ticket or sponsored our event, our yearly epic train party wouldn’t happen without you.

After 2016’s Steel Rails when we all went away to summer

Megan Nourse Editor-in-Chief

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IF STREETS COULD TALK: NORTHDALE

WE VENTURED INTO STUDENT TERRITORY TO TELL YOU ANOTHER NEIGHBOURHOOD STORY. YOU’RE WELCOME.

KAITLYN SEVERIN CONTRIBUTOR The Northdale neighbourhood - the area bordered by Columbia Street West, King Street North, University Avenue West and Phillip Street — is a section of Waterloo with a mostly student population. It may be one of the only neighbourhoods where 19 and 20-year-olds line the streets almost constantly.

Hazel Street, placed right in the middle of Northdale, is often considered to be the main housing ground for university students.

Whether you’re from Wilfrid Laurier University, the University of Waterloo, or Conestoga College, Northdale is covered with houses and apartments filled with newly minted “adults” who find solace and excitement in living towns, cities, or even provinces away from their home towns.

On the corner of Hazel and Beech Street, students often cut across Veterans Green Park, a space filled with memorials. The park is dedicated to retelling the history of the beginning of the North End, and while

many may walk by the park, others stop and relish in the information that lies within the middle of the giant poppy.

Many students may not realize that their houses are part of Canada’s post-World War II history. The city’s population saw a massive influx of families after the Second World War. A mix of a robust industrial base combined with the development of new family homes made Waterloo an enticing area for new families and veterans returning from the war.

In 1946, the Town of Waterloo and Housing Enterprises Canada Ltd. announced one of the province’s first housing projects for returning WWII veterans. 50 terrace units were built for rent as part of the Hillcrest Development between Dearborn Street (University Avenue) and Hill Street (Hickory Street).

Families began to purchase houses in the area and soon enough, a community was established along Hazel Street, Beech Street, Fir Street, and Hickory Street. Since the 1960’s, and in current day, children were seen attending school at Northdale, MacGregor, St. Michael, St. David and Waterloo Collegiate Institute, and block parties were a common ritual among the neighbouring families, celebrating the new dream of

suburban life in Southern Ontario.

Throughout the 1980’s and 90’s, Laurier and UW established themselves as a growing presence among Ontario post-secondary institutions, and with them, grew the new Northdale. Over the years, more and more students began to rent out houses on Hazel and Hickory, and more landlords took over the area to build condominiums and student residences.

Since the 1990’s, permanent residents of the neighbourhood have declined in numbers, and landlords and students are quickly turning the area’s historical low-rise houses into student rental units or detached homes. More homes have been torn down and condominiums rising in their place in a matter of months.

In 2014, The Record reported that 73 single family houses in Waterloo were demolished to make room for 18 new construction projects with approximately 1,028 units. 18 of the projects included seven singlefamily homes, 10 apartments and condominiums and a terrace.

With the influx of student condos has come concerns among Northdale residents and stakeholders to develop a clear idea of what the neighbourhood is as the area quickly evolves into a student hub. The

Northdale Land Use and Community Improvement Plan was introduced in 2011. The plan established a new vision for the majority student neighbourhood into a multi-use area.

The city reported that the demolitions of these homes were part of their plan to “intensify the city.”

“By 2029, Northdale [will be] revitalized and re-urbanized into a diverse, vibrant and sustainable neighbourhood, integrated with educational, residential, commercial, cultural, heritage and recreational functions and improved open space, pedestrian, cycling and transit networks,” is the goal defined in the plan’s final report, released in 2012.

In 2015, the city introduced the Northdale streetscape design and reconstruction master plan, which aims to establish new design strategies for the area’s public spaces and streets, which includes more on-street parking and pedestrian and cycling facilities.

The first stage of the master plan includes the reconstructing of Spruce Street (from Columbia Street to Hickory Street) and Hickory Street (from Spruce Street to King Street).

The anticipated construction time period is six months. For now, pedestrians walk along the discarded sidewalks, ignoring the broken

concrete tiles and jumping over the soggy mud hills that line their paths.

In the early mornings on Hemlock Street, nearby students are woken up by the loud sounds of drilling and hammering of construction down the street, beside the ever present St. Michael’s Catholic Church.

Late nights in Northdale consist of students (mostly) roaming the streets, buzzing with excitement of the night whilst conversations about late-night food choices and after-parties fill the streets with a sense of community.

With new condominiums and houses introduces new, independent businesses to the area. The ever popular Bao Sandwich Bar, which opened just over a year ago, becomes filled with residents and hungry students everyday for lunch. The newly opened Wacky Tabacky headshop, and the Watchtower nerdthemed restaurant showcase the ever evolving student community.

Northdale is easily written off as a student neighbourhood with it’s everchanging skyline of luxery student condos and rundown detached rental homes. But it’s rich history and growing community make it a staple of KW, not to be ignored.

JULY 2017 // COMMUNITYEDITION.CA

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MATT SMITH PHOTOS

JULY 2017 // @THECOMMUNITYED

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JANICE LEE CONFRONTS THE UNCOMFORTABLE

PRODUCED BY GREENLIGHT ARTS, “WILL YOU BE MY FRIEND” SOLD OUT ITS ONE WEEKEND RUN IN LATE JUNE

Janice Lee’s one-woman musical deals with the difficulty of loving white people.

BECCA REDDEN PHOTO

SAM NABI CONTRIBUTOR Janice Jo Lee’s new play, Will You Be My Friend, attracted multiple sold-out shows at the Conrad Centre in downtown Kitchener during its inaugural run from June 22 to 25.

Billed as a musical comedy, this one-woman show follows Lee’s quest for friendship and validation as a Korean woman in our dominant white culture. She becomes a test subject for Dr. West, an expert from Pluto who is perfecting the formula for “Earthian friendiology.” The secret to success?

Erasure and integration.

Originally titled Janice Lee and The White Supremacy Smackdown, this play caps off a two-week showcase hosted by Green Light Arts. Their In The Centre series has featured works by artists of colour throughout the month of June, spanning hip-hop, spoken word poetry, and theatre.

Matt White, the Artistic Producer of Green Light Arts, directed Will You Be My Friend. He recalls meeting Janice Jo Lee in 2014, when she first pitched the idea to him.

“She said to me, ‘As a white man, you’re kind of the antagonist in this play, so I don’t know how you feel about that,’ and I thought that this sounds like the perfect kind of challenge.”

Green Light Arts started in Toronto, then moved to Kitchener in 2013. It has quickly become a fixture of the local arts scene, mounting exhibitions

at Night\Shift and TCE’s own Steel Rails.

“A place the size of KitchenerWaterloo offers us more artistic control,” said White. This freedom lets the theatre company take more risks than in Toronto, where high expectations for ticket sales and sponsorship can dilute controversial art.

“I would describe her work as a critical look at contemporary life.

I’m sure some corporate sponsors won’t want to touch it with a 10-foot pole. But with Janice, it’s always been coming from a place of love,” says White.

The play begins with a land acknowledgment, then an invitation for the audience to react, applaud, and snap their fingers. Janice Jo Lee’s longtime involvement with spoken word has clearly influenced the play’s format.

A few minutes in, Lee breaks the fourth wall for the first of many instances of audience participation.

The crowd echoes Dr. West’s manic rallying cry, “White thirst! White thirst!”

By the intermission, some audience members appear visibly ruffled. The first act pulls no punches, calling out systemic racism in the leadership of “The Jobbing Centre.” Through the character of “Mike,” Lee explores the paradox of woke white Mennonites living in a non-hierarchical intentional community, in a house that their parents own.

One audience member I spoke with felt uncomfortably targeted by these references, but was willing to give the benefit of the doubt, “She’s critical, but still accepting of people where

they’re at.”

Sunil Kuruvilla, a local playwright, appreciated the concrete local references to Kitchener-Waterloo. “I enjoy their enthusiasm for theatre and also for this area,” he said.

The play’s narrative continues through the second act, alternating between lighthearted humour and deep social reflection.

As the story crescendos into a big, brassy song-and-dance finale, Janice suddenly stops. She squints into the spotlight and shouts, “Cut the music, Mark.”

There’s a stony silence. “Lock the doors.”

Janice Jo Lee turns her laser-focused gaze to the crowd. She shrugs off her Dr. West costume. This is the “smackdown” portion of the evening.

“We changed the title so you all would come,” she explains.

“We all have a racist in our heads that we grew up with — that’s the Dr. West in your head.”

“You show up for our vigils, but not our celebrations. You disappear into your nights of self-care.”

Lee uses the trappings of traditional theatre culture to subvert it, deconstructing her own play in realtime, and challenging the audience directly.

Will You Be My Friend reclaims the theatre as a place to be challenged and moved by art, rather than just entertained. For Janice Jo Lee, it’s important to be explicit.

“I don’t want to waste time anymore.

I want to get to the truth.”

GRT STREAMLINES NEW FARE SYSTEM GRT GETS A TECH UPDATE WITH NEW FARE CARDS AND BOXES FOR BUSES AND ION

RAMONA LEITAO CONTRIBUTOR Grand River Transit has introduced the EasyGO fare card, a reusable, plastic smart card for all of its services.

“It allows for seamless transferring between all Regional transit modes,” GRT Project Manager Gethyn Beniston said in an email to TCE. “The card can be read by fare equipment on ION platforms as well as on GRT buses and MobilityPLUS vehicles. [90 minute] transfers issued on buses are valid on ION, and vice versa.”

Similar to PRESTO cards in the GTHA and Ottawa, the EasyGO fare card can be reloaded (with a $10 to $100 limit) online or at GRT terminals around the region. The fare card is used by tapping fareboxes that will be available in GRT conventional buses, and by platform validators at ION light rail stops. A few busses are already equipped with the new boxes.

According to Beniston the fare cards will be available as soon as the pilot test of the system is complete, which they are hoping is early August of this year.

“The pilot is underway, and we’re

monitoring feedback from our test users,” Beniston said. “To date, no significant issues have been reported.”

Beniston also mentioned the process of completing the fare card’s system pilot test.

“We need to finish installing our new fareboxes and set up our new sales equipment at Charles and Ainslie Street Terminals… [In addition,] adding the new sales equipment will require some remodeling of the service counter at Charles Street Terminal.”

When asked about the potential of having a rise in transit fares from the cost associated with this new system, Beniston said this would not likely occur and that “the cost of fare cards will not have a tangible effect on GRTs operating performance.”

“Regional Council makes decisions around transit fares each year during the budget process,” Beniston said.

“These decisions are typically made in consideration of GRT’s operating performance compared with targets set in the GRT Business Plan, as well as any proposed service/expansions/ improvements.”

To view more details and information of how the EasyGO fare card will work, visit GRT.ca.

New fair boxes are being installed on busses and will be in the new ION cars. NICK STANLEY PHOTO

JULY 2017 // COMMUNITYEDITION.CA

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WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE AROMANTIC AND ASEXUAL?

SEXPLANATIONS

HINDU PRAYER ON KITCHENER’S EDGE

SEEKERS CORNER

CHRISTOPHER EMORY-MOORE COLUMNIST At the far edge of Bridgeport East on the cusp of the farmland stretching northeast of the Grand, sits Ram Dham Hindu Temple and Brahmavidya Yogashrama. The Canadian seat of the International Brahmrishi Mission offers an impressive lineup of classes in Yoga, Hindi, Sanskrit, philosophy, music, as well as camps for children and teens, regular temple services, and festival celebrations.

Having frequently driven by its bustling parking lot, I stopped in one Tuesday evening in June for a weekly service (satsang) centered around devotion (bhakti) to the divine monkey Hanuman, who is revered in part for his own exemplary devotion to the Hindu deity Rama.

After placing my shoes on one of many racks, my first encounter was with the mission’s founding spiritual guide (guru), H.H. BrahmRishi Swami Vishvatma BawraJi Maharaj. From a large framed photo just beyond the front entrance, he stood in a dark orange robe smiling out from a thick white mustache and beard, as if in greeting. Inside the main prayer hall, three women seated near the front of the room wore the same orange robes and led the assembly in call-and-response hymnal praise of Hanuman in Hindi, India’s most widely spoken language.

Supported by tablas and tambourines, their devotional recitations filled the large prayer hall, gathering force as the congregation seemed to

both deepen in attention and broaden in number from about 40 when I arrived at 7pm to nearly 100 45 minutes later. Seated in clusters on the carpeted fuchsia floor or in chairs lining windowed walls, Hanuman’s devotees clapped rhythmically, swayed gently, or simply sat. The hymn leaders, including the temple’s head preacher, Swami Chaitanya Jyoti Ji Maharaj, and assistant preacher, Swami Haripriya Parivrajika, were the only women seated in the half of the room reserved for men. The rest of the assembled women filled the half of the room nearest the entrance.

United in song, the group was visually anchored in the standing image of Hanuman himself, life-size and illuminated under a pink dome on the right end of a glistening line of solitary and coupled deities along the front shrine wall: Rama and Sita, Krishna and Radha, Durga, Shiva and Parvati, and Ganesh. Not very long into the service, a shrine attendant drew embroidered curtains around each deity’s personal chamber and adorned them with clothing before unveiling the pantheon again for continued worship — garments quietly offered to the gods.

A handful of children at the service played finger cymbals and hopped giddily between parents, to the dismay of no one. My toddler sat still in my lap for close to half an hour, content to soak up the banquet of sense and spirit with a sprawling stare and the occasional cautious clap. When she finally gathered the courage to wander beyond my reach, a woman kindly guided her to the other children in the room, with whom my daughter proceeded to amuse herself to blissful exhaustion in the accepting presence of Waterloo Region’s devotees of Hanuman.

The entrace to the Ram Dahm Hindu Temple. NICK STANELY PHOTOS

STACEY JACOBS COLUMNIST There are many ways that people experience attraction. Think about people you know, what do you want to do with them? Do you want to hold their hand and skip down the street, or kiss them hard on the mouth?

Do you want to have a long, honest conversation with them, or bang the shit out of them?

This was the topic of conversation as I had coffee with a colleague of mine, Erin McLaren, a Youth Sexual Health Worker at The AIDS Committee of Cambridge, Kitchener, Waterloo and Area (ACCKWA). We were discussing the differences between sexual and romantic attraction as Erin helped me better understand the Ace/Aro community, which is part of the LGBTQ+ community.

Ace is short for asexual, while aro is short for aromantic. Someone who is asexual experiences little, or no, sexual attraction or little, or no, desire to “bump uglies” as Erin describes it. They may experience closeness and connection with others and enjoy kissing, hugging, and cuddling.

Someone who is aromantic does not experience romantic attraction or the desire for a romantic relationship, but may desire sexual activity with other people.

Feelings of sexual and romantic attraction each exist on a spectrum.

The limited definition I have given above will not include everyone’s experience, however, it may be useful as a starting point for those new to the language or concept.

As we continued our conversation Erin explained that identifying as asexual or aromantic tells you nothing about a person’s gender, sexual orientation, or behaviour, which are all separate from the ways in which people experience attraction. All of these identities can be fluid and change as a person changes and grows, or they may never change – everyone is unique.

Because people make choices for various reasons, people may choose to engage sexually with a person and identify as asexual, just as someone may choose to be in a romantic relationship and identify as aromantic. Sexual activity for someone who identifies as asexual can feel pleasurable, and lead to orgasm.

People who identify as both asexual or aromantic may masturbate, it is completely up to them.

Our discussion left me thinking about the way our society and media

has socially constructed attraction, sex, and romantic relationships.

Many assumptions are made which can be extremely harmful to the relationships we have and want to have. Sex is portrayed as the ultimate way to connect with someone, when, in reality, there are many ways to be intimate and connect with a person, sex being simply one of hundreds.

It is also assumed that everyone wants to be in a relationship with romance and sex, when many people are happy and fulfilled with relationships of all kinds, whether sex and romance are involved or not. Communication, honesty and understanding are ways to strengthen any relationship and ensure that you are being true to yourself.

Being aware and open about the various ways in which people experience attraction, as well as giving yourself the freedom and space to think through how you, yourself, experience attraction, is a step towards embracing and celebrating the paths we use when navigating sex and relationships. We all have boundaries and expectations regarding sex and romance. Open communication about this will be beneficial to any type of relationship.

ALL ABOARD WE WERE BACK ON THE RAILS AND ALSO IN A THUNDERDOME. WHO HASN’T WANTED TO PARTY WHERE YOU MIGHT HAVE HAD YOUR 8TH BIRTHDAY? IT WAS THE END OF THE WORLD. KINDA. BUT IT WAS A PARTY AT THE END OF THE WORLD. THERE WERE SPACESHIPS, PAPER CROWNS, BOOZE POPSICLES, A HOMECOMING DANCE, SPELLS, DRUMS, THUNDERDOME WRESTLING, OH AND VAG HALEN. THANKS FOR TAKING THIS ADVENTURE WITH US AGAIN. SEE YOU NEXT YEAR.

STEEL R

RAILS 17 THANK YOU

THANK YOU TO OUR VOLUNTEERS WHO MADE SURE THE SHOW WENT ON

WE TRULY COULD NOT DO THIS WITHOUT YOU

TAYLOR BERZINS NATHALIE BOUCHARD BETHANY BOWLES PAIGE BUSH EMILY CRUMP JAMES GOWLAND WILL HUANG CHANTAL KLASSEN RAMONA LEITAO JEREMY MAHN ALISTAIR MACLELLAN MADELINE MCINNIS ERIC MOON TJ MROZ ANNA MULLIN MICHAEL OLIVIERI EVAN OSSINGTON VICTORIA PANACCI ANDREAS PATSIAOUROS KURTIS RIDEOUT MEGHAN ROACH KAITLYN SEVERIN MATT SMITH CHRIS WACHON EMI ZIBAEI

TO OUR SPONSORS

LOT42 DARRYL WATTY - WATTY WAY DIFFERENT STROKES MAX’S SPORTS WORLD INSIGHT EYECARE WORDS WORTH BOOKS WILLIAM NELSON SWEET PEACH COSTUMES LSPIRG TRACES SCREEN PRINTING ETHEL’S LOUNGE COMMUNITY CARSHARE WATERLOO BREWING TWB BREWING WELLINGTON BREWERY BLOCK THREE BREWING

THANK YOU TO EVERY ARTIST AND ANIMATOR THAT MADE THE NIGHT COME ALIVE MATT SMITH AND ANDREAS PATSIAOUROS PHOTOS

& OUR MOMS, SISTERS, AND CATS.

JULY 2017 // COMMUNITYEDITION.CA

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THE END OF ONE THING, THE BEGINNING OF ANOTHER

TCE FICTION

DYLAN SIEBERT CONTRIBUTOR Marta swayed in her seat as the ION jolted along its track. A half-century of wear could be heard in every squeal and judder the old train gave forth, but to Marta they were the sounds of a trusty friend. As the train pulled up to Queen Street, she rose and disembarked with a half-dozen others into the cool summer night.

She set out at a brisk walk, awareness and confidence in her every step.

Under the massive old chestnut trees that lined the sidewalk, the soft glow of familiar porch lights illuminated her path. Over the Parkade Gardens, a full moon was rising. This was her town, and she was nearly home.

She floated up the six steps to the front door of her house, third in the row after Eby Street. As she set her hand upon the latch she froze, for it was unlocked. Which meant that either Faizal was still awake, or…

Inside, it was dark, but her hand easily found the haft of a longhandled spade leaning upright in the entranceway. In two silent steps she was up a half-level into the sitting room, and as she pivoted she heard a chair scrape against the kitchen floor another half-flight above her.

“Marta,” came a gruff voice out of the shadows. “Marta, it’s me.”

A second passed, and then she managed to utter, “Robert?”

“Yes!” Marta let loose a long breath, along with a choice expression she saved for moments like this. She set the spade down and climbed the steps to the kitchen.

“What are you doing here? Is Ali asleep?”

“Yes. He’s so big now! It’s been—” He stopped short.

“Too long.” Marta stepped forward, and they embraced. Then, holding him at arm’s length, she continued in an urgent whisper. “Did Faizal let you in? I could have killed you! I could still kill you!”

“Yes, I’m sorry. Faizal was quite the gracious host.” Robert motioned at the kitchen table, where a small heap of na’an and hummus and dinosaurshaped cookies could be dimly seen.

“I said I’d wait up for you, and I didn’t want to waste one of your candles…I must have fallen asleep here at the table.” He ran his fingers through his hair. “Again, sorry. I could have gone to Mom and Dad’s, but…I’ll tell you about it. Are you hungry?”

“Starved,” said Marta as they sat.

“The lecture was top-notch, and a few of us went for pints afterward. Pass me a triceratops, will you?” She lit the candle standing unused on the table,

and watched her older brother’s face waver into view: unshaved, tired from his journey, and — to her shock — slightly graying at the temples.

“We lost our funding,” Robert said without preamble. “Department of Defense said it couldn’t be justified any more. ‘The age of cyber-warfare is over,’ they said, and down came the axe.” His hand made a slow-motion arc toward the tabletop in illustration.

“Can’t say that strikes me as bad news exactly,” said Marta through a mouthful of crumbs.

“True enough,” said Robert with a wry smile, “but that’s the only field in computer science that’s seen any actual innovation for the last 10 or 15 years, and only in the States, China, India, places that still have systems worth protecting. Hence my long sojourn south of the border.”

“And now?” Marta asked, reaching for the hummus and na’an.

“Now it’s peacetime. And everyone knows the next war will be fought using radios, couriers, even carrierpigeons — anything that can’t be hacked or disabled by a targeted power surge, like we learned the hard way last time around.” Marta swallowed and said nothing.

“As for the commercial applications,” Robert continued, “that’s been a dead dream for even longer. Investors won’t buy into anything digital when the manufacture of each component takes—” “—Ten times its weight in fossil fuels,” Marta cut in, finishing his thought. “Not to mention what it takes to power the thing throughout its working life.”

“Right. No one has that kind of money. And solar and wind are no replacement for the amount of juice we used to get from a barrel of oil. I know some of the guys who’ve been trying. For decades, some of them.”

They both sat silently for a few moments.

“So this is it?” Marta asked at last.

“It looks like this is it,” Robert replied.

Marta chewed on that for a few moments. “Mom and Dad used to tell stories from when they were growing up, about the downtown tech boom — you remember?” He nodded.

“They made computers do this, that and anything you could think of.

For a while it looked like tech was the economic miracle Kitchener had been waiting for. All heavily fertilized with subsidies and venture capital, of course.”

Robert shifted in his seat, but said nothing.

“Then most of the regular jobs disappeared,” Marta continued. “You know, work you didn’t need a fancy degree for — and then fuel prices started going haywire. Crazy ups and downs every few years. But they just kept shoveling subsidies at the tech sector, churning out stuff that no one could afford any more. By the time

we were born it was mostly over. The bubble hadn’t popped, exactly…it had been slowly deflating for years. But it was hard for people here to give up the dream.”

“It was more than a dream,” Robert interjected. “I know, I know, we’ve had this argument since we were kids.

You always wanted to be a farmer and I always wanted to be a programmer.

But it was more than just gadgets, Marta. It was an architecture of the mind. We were building quantum cathedrals!” He heaved a sigh and folded his hands on the table. “And now I’m 37, without a job, and everything I know is useless.”

Marta felt herself stiffen, wanting to comfort him, but feeling the old argument stirring in her despite herself. “So you came back here instead of landing at Mom and Dad’s,” she said carefully, but the words still came out sounding wrong.

“Right. They told me from the start that coding was a pipe dream.” He shrugged. “They were right.”

Marta didn’t know what to say. Her big brother, the know-it-all, sitting at her kitchen table and confessing weakness to her. Not asking for her help, but needing it nonetheless.

“Well,” she said at last, “I’m glad you’re home. How about a toast?

We’ve got some dandelion wine here somewhere…”

“Sounds perfect,” said Robert. They poured the glasses and raised them in the candle’s soft glow. “To the end of the computer age,” Robert said.

“To the end,” she echoed, “and to the start of something new.” They clinked and drank.

“And what about your work?”

Robert asked after a pause. “Growing lots these days?”

“It’s as busy as ever,” Marta said, nodding. “I’m at the Parkade Gardens now, almost across the street from here. I have 12 interns under me every season — 12 kids learning to grow food from scratch. Those skills are a step for them toward employment, self-employment, or just feeding themselves and their families.”

“Just!” Robert exclaimed. “I can’t think of anything more useful.”

Marta grinned. “You could say.

Can you believe they used to park cars there? And now that land feeds people. Apparently this neighbourhood, most of Charles Street, actually, used to be kind of rough. That was before the subsidies started getting redirected toward projects like the Young Farmers’ Guild. There’s lots of work now, and lots of reasons downtown is thriving, instead of just one.”

“Sounds like a lot is changing for the better around here.”

“Oh Robert,” she said leaning, forward. “There’s so much to look forward to.”

They talked about that, late into the night.

JULY 2017 // COMMUNITYEDITION.CA

WR AND HOWE

JAMES HOWE COLUMNIST All the politicians elected to serve the people of Kitchener at city and regional council had a website for the 2014 election—except for John Gazzola who was acclaimed. I know because I had links to all of them on my blog.

You can expect that a year from now when the 2018 election starts that all serious candidates including incumbents seeking re-election will have a website — except, again, John Gazzola who has never had a website to support his campaign.

But a funny thing happens to those websites in between elections. They disappear.

It’s as if democracy is only about voting. Apparently, knowing where our politicians stand on the issues they are voting on or why they voted the way they did is not important to share with constituents once they are elected. Until, of course, it’s time to vote again.

Only Frank Etherington, who represents Ward 9 in Kitchener, has an active website with regular updates related to issues he deals with on city council.

You can reach websites for Ward 6 Councillor Paul Singh and Regional Chair Ken Seiling but both are still trying to convince you to re-elect them in 2014.

The rest have gone dark. But why?

Instead they rely on a bio page on their municipality’s website that does provide contact information but no other substantive content.

I’m most familiar with Kitchener’s municipal politicians but I’m sure that it’s pretty much the same across

11

Waterloo Region.

We should expect for all of our elected politicians to maintain an active website in between elections.

Having a website is a critical tool for being accountable to citizens. How else can we know if they followed through on what they promised?

Or on the progress that they are making? Maybe there are good reasons why they haven’t fulfilled commitments or changed their mind, if so their reasoning and whatever new information changed their position should be shared with constituents.

All of these elected politicians say they care about engaging citizens.

They are regularly calling for consultations and surveys. But what are they personally doing to inform citizens about the issues they face and the decisions they need to make?

Granted some, like Mayor Vrbanovic and Councillor Tom Galloway, make good use of social media to share information. But that only really helps citizens who are also active on those platforms — and even then, tweets can be missed and Facebook’s algorithm does not guarantee you’ll see all of the posts of the pages you follow. Social media does not replace the need for a website.

Being an active, engaged citizen is important every day. Not just on voting day. That requires being informed and being able to easily interact with our councilors on relevant issues. Those same councilors need to be proactive in making that not only possible, but easy for people who don’t geek out on municipal politics. And we as citizens need to expect that of them.

When citizens are not engaged, when they don’t think anyone is listening to them, they don’t vote. And then the day after the election, we wonder why voter turnout was again abysmal for the municipal election.

We deserve better. We need to expect better.

What will we complain about when ION construction is over? MATT SMITH PHOTOS

STEEL RAILS 2017 WAS A BLAST THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS LOT42 DARRYL WATTY - WATTY WAY DIFFERENT STROKES INSIGHT EYECARE WORDSWORTH BOOKS WATERLOO BREWING WILLIAM NELSON SWEET PEACH COSTUMES LSPIRG TRACES SCREEN PRINTING COMMUNITY CARSHARE TWB BREWING WELLINGTON BREWERY BLOCK THREE BREWING ETHEL’S LOUNGE MAX’S SPORTS WORLD

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JULY 2017 // COMMUNITYEDITION.CA

ALL HAIL THE CAESAR: A KW QUEST

TWO TCE CONTRIBUTORS CAME, THEY SAW, AND THEY DRANK, ALL IN THE NAME OF JOURNALISM OF COURSE BETHANY BOWLES CONTRIBUTOR MEGHAN ROACH CONTRIBUTOR Logically, the caesar is the most bizarre alcoholic beverage.

It abandons the fruity or sweet popularity that most cocktails have.

The alcohol isn’t aggressively present, instead hidden under layers of acidic clam-tomato juice and spicy tabasco.

The fact that people go bananas over drinking a mixture of tomato, alcohol, and spice is weird, but let’s face it — when alcohol is present, logic tends not to be.

My good friend and fellow TCE writer, Meghan Roach and I often bond over our love of the caesar. We agree that, as one of the few drinks that can be made so differently each time, and often comes with a substantial snack (or “garnish” to use the technical term), the caesar must be, and will be, praised and celebrated.

We let ourselves loose in the streets of uptown Waterloo and downtown Kitchener with nothing more than a notebook, a camera, and the goal to drink as many caesars as we could at popular establishments to bring you the best of KW caesars.

Please note that Meghan and I are by no means drink connoisseurs, and the later half of our research was done under the influence of several caesars each. We ensure that this did not impact our ability to drink from a straw and have meaningful discussions about each stop.

BOATHOUSE The caesars at Boathouse are exactly what you would expect when ordering a caesar. There were no surprises and no disappointments. I would definitely describe Boathouse’s version as the “average” caesar. We recommend they up their caesar game by adding more than just olives as their garnish. For our first stop of the night, we definitely wanted a bigger snack.

Beth’s Final Score: 8/10 Meghan’s Final Score: 7/10 B @ THEMUSEUM (PICTURED BELOW) The caesar at B was by far the most disappointing. It tasted watered down with only a lemon as a garnish. It wasn’t spicy or flavourful. Instead, as Meghan observed, it tasted like watered-down SpaghettiOs. The only positive marks this drink gets is the trendy mason jar they present it in. Other than that, the caesar at B sets you up for nothing more than a broken heart.

Beth’s Final Score: 4/10 Meghan’s Final Score: 4/10

BEERTOWN Beertown’s caesars were some of the more unique ones we encountered on our tour. I (Beth) ordered the Cartel Caesar while Meghan ordered the Beertown Caesar. Both were mixed with beer. The combination of Walter’s caesar mix and beer conjured a strange sensation that was definitely unusual for a caesar. Mine was mixed with Millstreet Organic and tequila, which was bizarre but I’d have to say it was a great drink to set the stage for a night of drunken debauchery. I felt very warm post beverage. Meghan’s was with vodka and Steamwhistle, which wasn’t anything special, mind you hers was garnished with a meat stick which was wildly exciting. As we got more intoxicated, yelling “meat stick” became the joke of the night.

Beth’s Final Score: 6/10 Meghan’s Final Score: 5/10

ETHEL’S LOUNGE (PICTURED ABOVE) The caesar at Ethel’s is comparable to the one at Boathouse. It was an average caesar with no surprises or disappointments. Ethel’s puts a pickled asparagus in, which is a great alternative to traditional olives. They serve it in a pint glass, so you get a big drink for an average price. Ethel’s servers always ask what level of spice you’d like in your Caesar to suit your spice tolerance. Thumbs up.

Beth’s Final Score: 8/10 Meghan’s Final Score: 7.5/10 PROOF Proof was an unexpected win in our books. Their caesar had cool ranch Dorito’s as a garnish! The only downside to this was the last few Dorito’s became soggy from sitting in the drink. The rimmer was unique and delicious; we suspect that there are actual crushed up Doritos in there. The size was average for the price, which was surprising considering Proof’s “high end” vibe.

Beth’s Final Score: 8.5/10 Meghan’s Final Score: 8/10

HEUTHER HOTEL (BARLEY WORKS) Barley Works was another location that offered various types of caesars.

I ordered the Pickled Caesar, while Meghan ordered the Top Shelf Caesar, made with gin. The Pickled Caesar is a great choice for anyone looking for a new twist on an old classic. There was an actual full sized dill pickle floating around in the glass, which brought way too much joy upon discovery. The Top Shelf Caesar wasn’t memorable, but Meghan did discover that she has a new found love of gin, which opens a whole new door of caesar exploration.

Beth’s Final Score: 7/10 Meghan’s Final Score: 6/10

GRAND TRUNK SALOON (PICTURED BELOW)

This caesar was a show stopper.

I (Beth) ordered the vodka while Meghan ordered one with gin and the difference was astounding. The two drinks had little comparison (other than the tomato/clam mixture, obviously). We both decided that the gin caesar has a fuller bodied flavour.

Dan, the mustached bartender at Grand Trunk, makes every drink with so much care, and the effort put into this caesar didn’t go unnoticed. They use Walter’s Caesar Mix, which is much thicker and smokier than the standard Clamato. The garnish offered good variety, with pickles, jalapenos, and olives. While we wouldn’t order a second one in the same sitting, merely because this drink was so heavy, we would definitely recommend making a trip to Grand Trunk for this one if you’re a caesar fan.

Beth’s Final Score: 9/10 Meghan’s Final Score: 9/10

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JULY 2017 // COMMUNITYEDITION.CA

NEW TUNE REVIEW

THE BAND WHO LIVED IN THIS NEW COLUMN, NEW TUNE REVIEW, WRITER SAM NABI EXPLORES MUSIC ON BANDCAMP AND SOUNDCLOUD LABELLED WITH LOCAL HASHTAGS

Artist: The Lovegoods Album: The Lovegoods Released: June 16, 2017 Link: thelovegoods.com “Harry, you can share my toilet if you die down there.” That classic Moaning Myrtle line kicks off The Lovegoods’ self-titled EP, and the peppy surf-punk vibes only get better from there.

These songs have a rebellious streak that’s full of fun. For a certain generation of listeners, it will bring back the wonder of J. K. Rowling’s work in a totally new way, transporting the world of Hogwarts to a kind of summer beach scene.

Elsa Ruck (who also performs a solo

act as Elsa Jayne) proves her versatility on lead vocals with high-powered crescendos in “Hufflepuff Anthem.”

Bassist Graeme Ruck (Ravenclaw) and drummer Graham Watson (Gryffindor) round out the Kitchener-based trio.

For The Lovegoods, playfulness is the name of the game — fun drum fills, big reverberating choruses all wrapped up in a high-energy lo-fi package. It almost feels like the album was recorded live.

In fact, they’ll be playing at the Waterloo Public Library’s Harry Potter Party on August 30th if you want to catch the magic in person.

-Sam Nabi

The KW Multicultural Festival celebrated 50 years at the end of June. MATT SMITH PHOTOS

FREE EVENT SATURDAY JULY 29th NOON — 11PM

Mike Todd Band Rob Szabo Band The Shannon Lyon Pop Explosion

SHERWOOD SH RWOOD SH SHINDIG S I DG

Big Baby | The Sherwood Shindiggers

Music Marketplace Festival &

MUSIC MARKETPLACE FOOD TRUCKS

FAMILY FUN

BEER GARDEN

CHARITY Fund Raisers for Parkinson’s Disease SherwoodKW Sherwood_KW Sherwood_kw 519-745-6154 #SherwoodShindig sherwoodsystems.com - For more event details

124 Ottawa St. S., Kitchener

JULY 2017 // COMMUNITYEDITION.CA

14

SUMMER LIGHTS HAPPENED AND WE WENT TO IT

Summer Lights is downtown Kitchener’s unofficial summer kick off party. It’s a pretty cool time. NICK STANLEY PHOTOS

HOUSE OF FRIENDSHIP SELLING 174 KING STREET

THE 130-YEAR-OLD FARMHOUSE CURRENTLY HOUSES A MEN’S RESIDENTIAL ADDICTION TREATMENT CENTRE

JAMES GOWLAND CONTRIBUTOR One block from the Wilfred Laurier campus on King Street sits a 130 yearold farmhouse. For over 40 years it has served the community as a men’s long-term addiction treatment center through the House of Friendship.

Known as 174 King St. North, it will be up for sale in early 2018.

According to House of Friendship Development Director Margaret Lucas, the property along with its sister property two blocks away on Central Street, are expected to sell for $1 million collectively.

“We’ve kind of outlived its purpose,” said Rick Pengelly, an addictions counselor who has worked for 24 years at 174. “The location has grown up around us as party central.”

Pengelly refers to the annual St. Patrick’s day celebrations directly across from the treatment center on Ezra where there can be up to 10,000 students drinking throughout the day

and night.

There is also the issue of frequent maintenance to the old building, its lack of accessable entrances, as well as minimal space for quiet reflection where up to 15 residents are encouraged to privately work on personal issues.

Serving an average of 85 males per year, the program can last up to six months depending on the individual.

Residents are required to take part in group classes Monday to Friday with weekends off for personal time. For the first two weeks of the program, residents are required to stay on the

property unless escorted by another house member with more sobriety time. After that, residents may earn a key and are free to come and go within curfew and after classes.

The Central Street house serves as the second tier of the program where residents integrate back into society.

They live on their own, maintain the household and have the option to gain employment.

“A large number of graduates have many, many years of clean time,” said Pengelly. “There is a magic, a spirit at 174.”

Profits from the sale of the

properties go toward the purchase and renovation of the new treatment center in Cambridge, where there are more beds, large classrooms, and recreational space for the families of residents to visit.

Pengelly was somber when asked personally about the sale.

“We’re losing some of the relationships we have here in Waterloo,” said Pengelly. “In any change, we will have to adjust and adapt.”

JULY 2017 // @THECOMMUNITYED

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ARTS & CULTURE EVENT LISTINGS FRIDAY, JULY 7

FRIDAY, JULY 14

THE CONVERSATION OPEN SESAME

HILLSIDE FESTIVAL GUELPH LAKE

This is a symposium about the Canada we want to leave for the next generation. The discussion, which is part of the Kultrun Festival, will have six panelists and be moderated by Dr. Laura Mae, the director of diversity and equity at Laurier.

Hillside’s theme this year is music of protest and resistance. There are still tickets available for this long-running environment, music, and art festival. TCE will be there tweeting away! *Runs until July 16.

Panel • Free • 2-5pm

KW RIB AND BEER FEST VICTORIA PARK

SATURDAY, JULY 8 KULTRUN FESTIVAL VICTORIA PARK

Kultrun is a huge world music dance party. Be there or be somewhere else having less fun and probably not dancing. Things kick off with the Good Hearted Women Singers at 1pm Saturday and then again at noon on Sunday. *Runs until July 9 Culture • Free

SUNDAY, JULY 9 SUMMER MAKER’S MARKET ABE ERB (TANNERY)

Do you have a wedding to go to with no gift registry? Or a birthday coming up? Or do you just need to buy cute, handmade shit to help you deal with all the pressure to enjoy summer? Go to this. 18 makers and small businesses will be there selling their wares.

Shopping • Free Entry • 2:30-6:30pm

MONDAY, JULY 10 ALLIES AGAINST ISLAMOPHOBIA VICTORIA PARK

Hosted by the Coalition of Muslim Women of KW, this event will help you in your journey to becoming a better ally. There will be several speakers including Melissa Finn from UW and Fauzia Mazhar, the Coalition’s chair. You can register on the internet. See you there, friends.

Community • Free • 5-8pm

GO SHUCK YOURSELF THE WALPER HOTEL

If you go to this event you can learn how to shuck oysters while eating different oysters and drinking wine.

Does it get any more bougie than that? There will be live music too.

Your ticket gets you six oysters and five wine samples.

Food • $50 • 6:30-9:30pm

Music • $149

Drinking beer outside and eating food prepared in trucks seems to be a staple of summer. The Beer and Rib fest rarely disappoints (unless you are not a consumer of meat and/or beer). *Runs until July 16.

Food • Free Entry • 12pm-10pm

SUNDAY, JULY 16 THE DEAD ZONE PRINCESS CINEMA The David Cronenberg (and Stephen King) classic The Dead Zone is playing and you should probably see it. It’s what Christopher Walken would want.

Movie • $9-$13 • 9pm

MONDAY, JULY 17 LGBTQ+ ART SWAP TREEHAUSE COLLABORATIVE WORKSPACE Plan B Co-operative will be hosting a new monthly program called (re)create, a collaborative LGBTQ+ art space. Bring your unused/unwanted craft supplies for a swap with Plan B and others in attendance. Also bring your artistic drive and imagination.

Community • PWYC • 2-4pm

WEDNESDAY, JULY 19 BEER WARS ABE ERB A few local breweries will be on hand to show off their best American Pale Ale. Event goers get to sample the offerings and vote for their favourite one, and you get a commemorative glass, which is the best part of all beer tasting events, right? You can grab tickets at these participating breweries: Abe Erb (duh), Block Three, Innocente, Descendants, and Elora Brewing Company.

Nature • $75 • 9:30am-5pm

UPTOWN CAMPFIRE UPTOWN WATERLOO SQUARE

WEDNESDAY, JULY 12 MOVIE IN THE PARK CIVIC CENTRE PARK Apollo Cinema is playing Back to the Future outside! Bring your own blanket and grab some popcorn while you’re there for the perfect summer evening.

Movie • Free • 9pm

THURSDAY, JULY 13 DEAR KITCHENER KITCHENER PUBLIC LIBRARY Taylor Jones, creator of Dear Photograph, is launching a new project called Dear Kitchener. Jones will be at the downtown branch of the KPL for a discussion on urban landscape and stories. Register for this on the internet.

Community • Free • 6:30-8:30pm

Once a month there will be a campire uptown with a different musical performer. In July it’s Rich Burnett.

Fun • Free • 8-10pm

THURSDAY, JULY 20 BUFFY AND ANGEL TRIVIA THE WATCHTOWER Everyone with TV and/or Internet access should have recently completed a Buffy the Vampire Slayer re-watch in honour of #BuffySlays20, so this trivia should be a breeze. It includes Angel trivia too.

Trivia • Free entry • 7-10pm

FRIDAY, JULY 21 SUPER GAY CABARET THE JAZZ ROOM Presented by Rainbow Reels, the Super Gay Cabaret is a showcase of

talent to fundraise for the annual Queer and Trans Film Festival in October. At the time of printing, ticket cost and purchasing info has not been posted, so find this event on Rainbow Reels’ Facebook page to get all the details closer to the date.

Entertainment • 7pm

ONTOUR KITCHENER CITY HALL For #Canada150, the Ontario Government is sponsoring free concerts with Ontario-born performers across the province. KW’s lineup still says “coming soon” on the government’s website, but other cities got Amanda Marshall and the Barenaked Ladies, so it might be pretty good. Obviously, we’re hoping for Alanis Morrisette and Drake.

Music • Free • 6-10pm

JAZZ FESTIVAL UPTOWN WATERLOO The Uptown Waterloo Jazz Festival is celebrating their 25th year! Killer artists like Joni Nehrita and Laila Biali will be there with their tunes. *Runs until July 23.

Music • Free

SATURDAY, JULY 22 PORCH PARTYING PETER STREET, KITCHENER Another month, another porch party! Schneider Creek is just a couple blocks from downtown Kitchener, and is well equipped with front porches to host the over 25 musicians playing this party. Much like the Grand Porch Party, this will be a great dog-spotting opportunity.

Music • Free • 3-8pm

CAMBRIDGE ARTS FESTIVAL CAMBRIDGE CITY HALL This is the 22nd year of the Cambridge Arts Festival. There will be lots of activities, performers, and a vender market to browse.

Art • Free • 10am-6pm

THURSDAY, JULY 27 TRUCK EATS COOL TREATS AMBROSIA PASTRY CO This happens every Thursday night this summer at 150 Roger, which is conveniently located on the Spurline Trail. Walk or Bike your way there and grab some food truck grub for dinner and finish off with an ice cream sandwich. That’s our kind of meal.

Food • 5-8pm

FRIDAY, JULY 28 TWILIGHT GRAND PRIX DOWNTOWN KITCHENER Cycle Waterloo hosts this nationally sanctioned bike race. The route will loop around Victoria Park. 5,000 spectators are expected so get there early to save your spot!

Sports • Free • 8am-3pm

SATURDAY, JULY 29 SHERWOOD SHINDIG SHERWOOD A full day of free live music, a music marketplace, food trucks, a beer garden, and kids entertainment will be present at Sherwood’s 2nd annual event in support of a local charity working with Parkinson’s disease. The Mike Todd band will cap off the day as a headliner.

Music • Free • 12-11pm

COMMUNITYEDITION.CA @THECOMMUNITYED

CRUISING ON KING Friday July 7th 3-10pm

FIRST THURSDAYS @ GOUDIES LANE July 6th & August 3rd 6-10pm

TWILIGHT GRAND PRIX Friday July 28th 3-9pm

RIBFEST July 14th-16th

KULTRUN WORLD MUSIC FESTIVAL July 7th-9th

Discover summer love in DTK!

KitchenerEvents.ca I #KitchenerEvents DowntownKitchener.ca I #DTKlove