VOLUME 6, ISSUE 1 • OCTOBER 2017
GALT IS CHANGING PAGES 8-9
#BESTOFWR WINNERS
WHO WAS LORD KITCHENER?
PAGE 4
PAGE 10
HOW TO OKTOBERFEST PAGE 13
OCTOBER 2017 // @THECOMMUNITYED
IN THIS
ISSUE
VOLUME 6, ISSUE 1
OCTOBER 2017
2
FEATURE
8-9 IF STREETS COULD TALK: GALT
INSIDE
3 IN BRIEF 4 #BESTOFWR WINNERS 4 JESS AND MEL 5 HOLD THE LINE IN PHOTOS 6-7 IN STRIDE AT GRAND VALLEY INSTITUTION 10 MEET LORD KITCHENER 11 THE ABORTION PILL IS HERE 11 ON ADDICTION 13 WE’RE DOING A THING WITH THE KPL + TATTOOS 12 OUR INK, OUR STORIES 13 THE TCE GUIDE TO OKTOBERFEST 15 RECOGNIZING EPILEPSY 16 INSIDE ION
COVER PHOTO BY MATT SMITH
Volume 6, Issue 1 Next issue: November 1, 2017
Photo Editor Nick Stanley
75 University Ave. W Waterloo, ON N2L 3C5 519-884-0710 x3564
General Inquiries info@communityedition.ca
All advertising inquiries should be directed to Care Lucas at 519-884-0710 x3560 care.lucas@wlusp.com THE COMMUNITY EDITION TEAM Outgoing Editor in Chief Megan Nourse megan@communityedition.ca Incoming Editor in Chief Beth Bowles beth@communityedition.ca Publisher Lakyn Barton lakyn.barton@wlusp.com
WLUSP ADMINISTRATION President Andreas Patsiaouros Executive Director Lakyn Barton Advertising Manager Care Lucas Treasurer John Pehar
CONTRIBUTORS Josh Barkman Beth Bowles Paige Bush Emily Gleeson James Howe Kerri Huchinson Stacey Jacobs Jess Kalman Ramona Leitao Jennifer Lyon Eric Moon Andreas Patsiaouros John Roche Matt Smith Nick Stanley Cara Vandermey
Vice-Chair Lisa Irimescu
Social Media Editor Ramona Leitao
Directors Benjamin Cooke Rosalind Horne Alan Li Noa Salamon H.G. Watson
Web Manager Care Lucas
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 Community Edition, 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. 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. 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.
OCTOBER 2017 // COMMUNITYEDITION.CA
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IN BRIEF
Go on the internet to find more photos of Doors Open. We promise it won’t be a waste of your time. NICK STANLEY PHOTOS
NEWS
ARTS
URBAN
BLACKBERRY REPORTS PROFIT
RAINBOW REELS QUEER FILM FEST
OPTIMIST BALL DIAMONDS CLOSE
Waterloo based company Blackberry Ltd. reported a 13 per cent increase in revenue shares due to its strategic shift towards software. Blackberry has announced US $19 million in net income for its fiscal second quarter, a big step from its loss this time last year. The company will continue to focus on providing software and services for businesses.
The 17th Rainbow Reels Queer and Trans Film Festival takes place Oct 19-22. It will feature films like The Legend of Sing Hey, Two Soft Things, Two Hard Things, workshops, artwork, comedy, and parties. Events will take place in locations including Princess Twin, Commons Studio, and Wilfrid Laurier University. Visit rainbowreels. org for more info.
The Optimist Ball Diamonds in Upper Canada Park will be closed until spring 2019 for a $2 million renovation. Currently, the diamonds are too small and underused, despite the high demand for baseball diamonds in Kitchener. Renovations consist of upgrading the four A2 diamonds to A1 standards and improving the playing fields, benches, bleachers, and irrigation.
MAN CHARGED WITH ARSON
CELEBRATING PRIDETOBERFEST
WMRC EXPANSION UNVEILING
After a spree of suspicious fires in July and August, police finally have a breakthrough. 31-year-old Daniel Morrow has been charged with arson and is to appear in court Oct. 4. Up to 11 fires were connected to this spree that resulted in $500,000 in damages. The fires that were part of this spree targeted sheds, homes under construction, a building, and a school portable.
Celebrate the LGBTQ+ community and the second largest Oktoberfest at THEMUSEUM in downtown Kitchener. The 19+ event takes place Oct. 7, 8pm-1am, and will feature local performers like Miss Drew and Miss tri-Pride 2017-18 Jasmine Flowers. Tickets are $20 and all proceeds go to KW’s triPride 2018 festival. Visit tri-pride. ca for more information about the event.
The City of Waterloo will host a public information session Oct. 12 to unveil and explain their plans for expanding the Waterloo Memorial Recreation Complex (WMRC). City of Waterloo staff previously received input from the community and consultant firms focused on what types of programs and spaces in the centre required facility. Visit waterloo.ca for more details.
INDIGENOUS ARTIFACTS FOUND
POLICING BLACK LIVES LAUNCH
MORE LRT TRAINS ARRIVING
Indigenous artifacts dating back roughly 2000 years were found at the site of the new Highway 7 bridge along the Grand River. The items, discovered by an archaeology firm hired by the Ministry of Transportation, include pottery and arrowheads. All artifacts will be investigated thoroughly at the firm’s laboratory. No delays to highway construction are expected.
Book launch for Policing Black Lives: State Violence in Canada from Slavery to the Present at Renison University College at the University of Waterloo campus, Oct. 19 from 7pm-9pm. Featuring speakers such as Robyn Maynard, the author of the book, Montreal-based community researcher and Black liberation activist. The event is free and open to everyone.
After multiple delays, Bombardier says they will deliver the next three LRT trains to Waterloo by Thanksgiving, Oct. 9. Originally the trains were scheduled to be in Waterloo Region by the end of June, and have since been rescheduled to the end of August or early September, to Oct. 9. Bombardier also tweeted a photo ensuring that Waterloo’s LRT trains are ready to be shipped by the promised date.
ROGERS OFFERS $9.99 INTERNET
DIY FESTIVAL 2017 AT THE KPL
WATERLOO NORTH HYDRO RATES
Rogers’ Connected for Success program is partnering with Waterloo Region in subsidizing low-cost, high-speed internet. Originally launched in 2013. the program has provided service to low-income households in Ontario and other provinces. Qualifying residents do not require a credit check and pay $9.99 a month with no installation fee or cancellation penalties.
Calling all DIY lovers — the Kitchener Public Library is hosting its 3rd annual DIY Festival Oct. 21 from 1pm-4pm. The festival will feature a variety of workshops. The event is free; registration not required except for certain events like the Wikipedia-edit-a-thon or 3D printed minifigures. More details are available on kpl.org.
After receiving public input, Waterloo North Hydro is moving ahead with possibly merging with or buying another electrical utility to lower costs for residents. A public survey resulted in 342 responses; more than two-thirds of the responses agreed with prioritizing the prevention of future rate increases over the expansion of local jobs within the utility.
A LETTER FROM THE (OUTGOING) EDITOR I know, I know, I just got here and I’m already leaving. It’s been an amazing privilege to lead the Community Edition these past few months. But life is complicated and I’m moving out of KW, my home for seven years. The silver lining is that Beth Bowles is stepping in at the new editor in chief and I know she will do great things for this paper. She killed it as the editor of The Cord, Laurier’s student newspaper and in just a couple months of writing for TCE, she’s crafted some great articles. Not only will she hold down
the fort, she’ll make it even better. Waterloo Region is special. The tech sector is often given the credit and attention, but what makes this community remarkable goes far deeper than Google and BlackBerry. Things like Night\Shift, SummerLights, The Working Centre and SHORE don’t exist everywhere. We have a lot of be thankful for here. But what makes this place unique is no accident. In my time living here, I have witnessed an unbelievable amount of commitment to community building from dozens of compassionate individuals.
Those people are what makes this place special, I wish I had the space to name them all, but that would take an entire page at least. If I had to pick one GIF to represent my feelings about KW, it’s the one of Liz Lemon (of 30 Rock, duh) high fiving a million (non-denominational) angels. Google it if you can, and know that I am feeling all the feelings right now about this community. Thanks KW, for everything. Megan Nourse Editor in Chief
OCTOBER 2017 // @THECOMMUNITYED
4
ARTIN’ AROUND KW WITH JESS AND MEL
MEGAN NOURSE EDITOR IN CHIEF Jessica Kalman and Melissa Falconer met in an entrepreneur class at Laurier two years ago. They connected immediately over their similar artistic visions and it wasn’t long before Jess and Mel was born. The pair have come a long way from their early creative bonding. Now, thanks in part to what they learned and professors they met while studying at Laurier, the two are embarking on a year of focusing full-time on Jess and Mel. Jess is a photographer, starting out with the typical point and shoot photos of flowers and her pets, she eventually discovered her love of photographing people and landmarks. Melissa, who also operates solo as M. Falconer, has always
been crafty, but got serious about painting after a portrait she made for her mother earned her a tonne of positive feedback. They met. They talked. Then they became business partners. Jess takes photos, prints them on canvas and Mel paints on them. You may have seen their stuff for sale in Gifted or at the most recent Etsy Waterloo Region Made in Canada show. “We just clicked. We have the same vision,” said Falconer on meeting Kalman in class. The first project they worked on was in homage to Movember. Kalman photographed nine male students around Laurier, and Falconer painted the iconic Movember moustache on them. Since then, they’ve shifted to local landmarks like the Jane Bond and the Tannery. Their first true Jess and Mel piece that garnered them some attention was of the corduroy road in uptown Waterloo. As soon as they saw the images on the
news, the knew they had to create their own, now it’s one of their best sellers at local shows. “This is our dream. If we can do this for the rest of our lives, I’ll be so happy,” said Kalman. One of the pairs most impressive projects is a striking image of the Toronto skyline with a fiery, summer evening sky painted by Falconer. It now hangs in their home workspace. The image was created as part of Laurier’s Nuit Blanche installation last year. Kalman trekked to Toronto Island to get the perfect photo, and Falconer painted the skyline live for passersby to witness. They’ve come a long way since first meeting in class. Falconer just finished her undergrad and Kalman is taking a year off of her studies to focus on the business. Expect to see big things from these two. Find more of their work at jessandmel.com.
Jess Kalman (left) photographs, Melissa Falconer (right) paints. JESS KALMAN PHOTOS
[ Best of Waterloo Region ] Four All
Arabesque
Princess Cafe
Vincenzo’s
Debrodnick Debrodniks’s
Ethel’s Lounge
The Yeti
Chainsaw
Words Worth Books
Boathouse
West of Seoul
Arabella Park
Jane Bond
The Berlin
TWB
NIGHT\SHIFT
Jane Bond
Harmony Lunch
Berlin
THEMUSEUM
Working Centre Kitchener Market
The Berlin
Cowboys & Angels
Jane Bond
Janice Jo Lee
Encore Records
Zac Jolliffe
{Princess Cafe
Starlight
Berlin Bicycle Cafe
Janice Jo Lee
THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO NOMINATED & VOTED.
Boathouse
Becca Redden
Dan Sullivan
Ellie Anglin
Open Sesame
Crystal Switzer Michelle Purchase
CONGRATS TO THE WINNERS!
OCTOBER 2017 // COMMUNITYEDITION.CA
5
HOLD THE LINE
(LOVE ISN’T ALWAYS ON TIME)
OKAY, TOTO WAS NOT PRESENT. BUT HOLD THE LINE FESTIVAL WAS HELD ON SEPTEMBER 16 AND CELEBRATED WATERLOO REGION’S COUNTRYSIDE BOUNDARY LINE THAT HELPS CONSERVE RURAL AREAS.
PAIGE BUSH PHOTOS
WANT TO BE PART OF COMMUNITY MEDIA? GET IN TOUCH: INFO@COMMUNITYEDITION.CA
OCTOBER 2017 // @THECOMMUNITYED
6
IN STRIDE: HELPING WOMEN REHABILITATE AFTER INCARCERATION EMILY GLEESON CONTRIBUTOR
Editor’s Note: The following story includes mentions of domestic violence, drug use, and incarceration. Please read accordingly. Also note that certain identifying details have been omitted for privacy reasons, including locations and timelines. References to police are not necessarily referring to Waterloo Regional Police Services. The Grand Valley Institution for Women is the only federal women’s prison in Ontario. People from all walks of life end up there for varying reasons. The common thread between them is that readjusting to life outside of prison is a challenge, and resources need to be in place to help women, regardless of where they go, after they leave GVI. This is the story of one woman — we’ll call her M for privacy — and her experience with the rehabilitation program Stride. The Grand Valley Institution for Women is tucked away in the bustling, traffic heavy neighbourhood of Homer Watson, around the corner from Pioneer Park. It houses up to 215 women serving federal sentences. Women come and go all year long, some choosing to resettle in KW after their release. The Stride program helps current and former inmates rehabilitate and readjust to life after incarceration. Every Tuesday evening, a team of volunteers and coordinators set up in GVI’s main compound for what are called “Stride Nights,” where women are able to participate in things like arts and crafts, karaoke, talent shows, and other activities. They also help the women form what are called “Stride Circles” where they can choose two or three volunteers to have as supports while they are in prison, as well as when they get out. “Every circle is different depending on the person being supported,” said
Kim Moore, who was Stride’s event coordinator and is now the policy and reporting coordinator. Stride is under the umbrella of CJI (Community Justice Initiatives) – a local non-profit organization that is also responsible for programming including Restorative Justice and other conflict mediation services. Stride is its own branch and secured five-year funding in 2014 in order to advance their model of helping women in prison reintegrate successfully into a community, as well as help the community prepare to receive them safely. Stride currently has five full time staff, but relies heavily on a group of volunteers. Moore says the program the same positive results without them. “We couldn’t do this work the same way, impact as many women if we didn’t have the volunteers doing the front-line work.” Volunteers go through a training period in order to assist the women at GVI but there is nothing specific that they do – no dogmatic directive or political agenda – they simply go and spend quality time with the women, opening themselves up to talk about whatever they may have on their mind, as well as provide assistance in helping them find resources. They are also there to assist them through the reintegration period: things like securing housing, re-connecting with their families, finding employment, and the multitude of other hurdles they face before release. M’s story starts out fairly typical. She was married in her 20’s, had two children, and went through an amicable divorce. As a single mother, she balanced the responsibilities of motherhood and a stressful career. By 29 she became executive vice-president of a marketing company, travelling all over the world for work while raising her kids, one of whom had a terminal illness. She said she had no time for men. She’d go on dates when she was away on business, but wasn’t looking for anything serious. Then, at 31 she met someone who would change her life,;she fell instantly in love. A year later, the abuse started.
“The biggest mistake I ever made is the first time he shoved me and yelled at me, I let him back in because he begged me and told me he’d never do it again. I set the stage for him to continue to do that my whole life.” For her, it was abuse that also led to drug use. “Addiction was something he had used to keep me in his circle,” M said. Not long after they met, M’s sister was killed in an accident. She said his way of helping her manage the grief was to give her cocaine, which quickly became her own coping mechanism. “I numbed my sister. I numbed my abuse.” It only got worse. During one particularly brutal episode when she was pregnant with their child, he punched her in the face and threw her down the stairs. She suffered a concussion, had teeth knocked out and had to have her nose reset immediately to enable her to breath and help the baby survive. Only a few months later the violence escalated enough that her then 10-year-old daughter called the police. He was arrested and charged with multiple counts of assault and threats. Eventually, police told M they couldn’t protect her and that she had to pack up everything and move. For five months, her family lived in fear and isolation. Her son was on oxygen, and then tragically, he passed away later that year from his existing illness. “It was the worst day of my life.” M had been in and out of sobriety, but the mounting trauma caused her to fall back into substance use. “I couldn’t stand the thought of my son being gone. I lost everything that was important to me - my house, my life, my self-esteem, and my dignity. I felt very empty inside.” While M’s partner awaited trial, she was visited by police informing her that numerous bad cheques had been cashed through her business, allegedly by her former partner. She was legally advised to accept the charges and 32 counts of fraud went on her record. Her partner pleaded guilty to multiple charges (which did not involve any of the alleged abuse towards M) and was sentenced to
one year of community service. He was a firefighter and got his job back. M’s head bowed a little during our conversation when she told me that after a while she couldn’t stand being alone anymore and eventually went back to him. “I wanted someone to hold me – to tell me everything was going to be okay.” Many people don’t understand how a victim of abuse can return to their violent partner, but multiple studies have shown the reason victims continue to go back is complex. “An abusive relationship is often a confusing mix of love, fear, dependency, intimidation, guilt and hope. There is a shared life involving family, finances and a home. Victims of violence and abuse usually return to the relationship many times before leaving it,” the RCMP Resources website explains. They moved far away from friends and family. “I was his all over again,” she said. Despite that, she was able to get clean and felt herself getting stronger, but the abuse never fully stopped. The cycle of her relocating and him finding her continued. She would try to break free and he would break down her resolve. “The greatest addiction I have in my life is not a drug – it’s him.” M accepted a two-year deal instead of fighting for a smaller 18-month sentence on her legal aid-funded lawyer’s advice, who M said told her federal prison was like a holiday compared to provincial jail where she would have served the shorter term. M recalled that the police didn’t want to hear about the violence, and alleges that one officer had written on a court document that, “her cries of abuse are just smoke and mirrors to cover up her deficiencies,” while also implying that she must have liked the abuse if she kept going back. M up until this point had many positive experiences with the officers she dealt with, but when it came to this particular squad she felt as though they did more to aid her abuser.
OCTOBER 2017 // COMMUNITYEDITION.CA
She teared up when talking about the violence. Memories of how she laid in bed knowing where she was heading and how she can still see the image of her children chasing the car as she left for sentencing are permanently ingrained. When M arrived at Grand Valley Institution for Women in Kitchener, one silver lining was that she felt immediate relief that she wouldn’t have to see her ex or deal with his threats while she was there. M focused on transitioning into life at GVI. One of the things M was grateful for with the Stride program was that she didn’t need to worry about anything being written down or recorded by anyone at Stride. She claimed that when talking to GVI counsellors, everything was documented and could potentially be used in parole applications, where there was little to no privacy. Information released in her parole applications could lead to her former partner identifying and finding M and her children. She also felt a general lack of privacy from GVI when it came to counselling, which made opening up more challenging. She also appreciated that it wasn’t government mandated or affiliated with a certain religion. Most programs offered in prison are through Christian organizations, and while she identifies as a woman of faith and was thankful for them, she knew not everybody at GVI was comfortable with that set up. M said there needs to be an open space that allows anyone to feel comfortable, despite their beliefs. M’s favourite memory of Stride programming is something called philosophical café. On these nights, the Stride team brings in a professor of philosophy who poses a question for the circle to discuss within rules of healthy debate. One night they were asked: “would you rather have happy ignorance or unhappy knowledge?” M said it fed well into the dynamic of living in prison. Unhappy knowledge, she said, is knowing that the person to her left was a woman who took part in rape – and to her right, a woman who killed her own child. The happy ignorance allowed her to get to know them without judgement; to ignore their crime and try to make positive connections despite their past. “Because if I don’t, then I become hateful,” she said. I asked if she has maintained that way of thinking outside of prison.
7
“I don’t think I judge anybody about anything. If you would have asked me this question 20 years ago I would have been judgemental to a tee. Everything was black and white, there was no grey. If you needed to go to the food bank, get a job, if you’re an addict, just stop using. Don’t wanna go to prison? Then don’t commit a crime. If anybody would have sat me down with a crystal ball and said you are going to meet a man who will abuse you and you will start using drugs and eventually you will go to prison…I would have laughed in their face and said ‘absolutely not, not me!’ Life has a silly way of putting humility in our path,” M said. “All of these women are somebody’s daughter, somebody’s mother, something to someone – women in prison are kind and generous and creative and they have so much to give. If we don’t support them reintegrating then we lose out on their gifts,” Moore added. GVI is a multi-level prison, meaning women needing maximum security as well as medium and minimum are being held there. Those in maximum security are not able to attend Stride nights because they are located in a separate area and are not allowed to be in the main compound, but women who downgrade from maximum to medium for instance, are allowed to participate. “To have someone to talk to, to really express feelings to without judgement or punishment or recording seems to be a major step in the rehabilitation process,” Moore said, adding, “if we deny the ‘baby-killers’ the opportunity to have support, we are making the call that they don’t get to rehabilitate.” Denying any woman a proper chance at a healthy future would inevitably make it harder for their families or those close to them to thrive. For example, Moore said that kids are five times more likely to be incarcerated as an adult if their mothers were. “So if we don’t support them then we are also not supporting their children.” Fear and worry are understandable when a high-profile case re-enters a community, but Moore believes that there is a greater possibility for a safe society if we take ourselves out of the realm of judgement and into one of empathy and understanding. M’s story is still happening. At the time of our interview her ex-partner
was still awaiting sentencing and he had just served her with custody papers. “There is the potential that he could get nothing. There is potential that he could get a conditional sentence,” she said, referring to his current trial for fraud charges. He is not facing charges for the domestic abuse M has alleged. Either way, if he’s going to be in her life and her kids’, it’s another hurdle she faces. M told me he also recently hacked into her email account. “What do I do? Pack up and move for the sixth time? I don’t know.” What she does know is that she is more equipped to deal with the massive amount of work that lies ahead of her. Just a few months out of a halfway house and still on parole, she knows employment is a huge roadblock. Her main priority, however, is reconnecting with her kids and while there have been some struggles she feels like she has already made progress in establishing positive relationships with them. “I have emerged bigger, better, and stronger,” M said with a smile. “Support of solid women has changed my life.” One of the women that M is referring to is Kate Crozier, Stride’s Program Coordinator, who has been in M’s circle since her early days at GVI. It’s not easy for her to admit some of her feelings, especially those regarding her former abusive partner, but she says having the ear of an experienced woman that understands the complexities of abuse was extremely important. “Kate was able to counsel me in areas that I did not even understand myself, feelings I had around guilt and shame for having stayed with him so long, were verified by Kate…she helped me to understand that I was not alone in those thoughts.” M maintains the emotional trauma is the hardest to get over, even though the physical abuse is an extensive list of injuries. Despite the brutal bodily harm, she says that having someone “tell you that you are a worthless piece of shit,” remains the most difficult to repair. “That man will never get back into my life without a shadow of a doubt, but does he scare me still?” She nods her head at me in affirmation, holding back tears while shifting her shoulders. Moore is responsible for finding
ways to secure more money so that Stride continues past their current funding end date of 2019. In her role, she is working on building the case for more funding and writing community engagement pieces. There is interest from other provinces to try their model but without specific funding ear-marked, it’s difficult to find money to create more programs. “Nobody has extra money sitting around.” For M, she will continue to deal with the stigma that follows after one leaves prison. She has to meander through parent-teacher meetings, gain the trust back from her youngest daughter and can only imagine right now what it might be like to have friends again. I asked M if she would consider ever speaking at one of CJI’s events or volunteering with Stride. “One day I will be the woman who stands in front of a room and says, ‘ya I went to prison,’” but she admits that it will take some time. She believes it will happen, however, because she is not facing these challenges all alone. She credits her parents with assisting her survival through the worst of her abusive relationship. She says they were always there to help her pick up the pieces and help her with her children – whether it was emotionally, mentally or financially. That along with the continual support from her Stride circle ensures a certain amount of stability, notwithstanding M’s own dedication to her own healing. As Moore said, “If we’re going to look at a pie chart of who’s done the most work? It’s 99 per cent her.” The Stride circle has taught M that her story means something, and that her experience in prison doesn’t have to define her, but in the end, M has been the one to put that into place. “I refuse to be judged based on my worst day.” Any former GVI inmates are encouraged to reach out to CJI and Stride if they are struggling with reintegration, regardless of where they moved after being released. If you know someone currently at GVI, encourage them to seek out the program during their time there. Find out more at cjiwr.com.
IF STREETS
COULD TALK:
GALT
BETH BOWLES INCOMING EDITOR IN CHIEF When I was 12, I had about two hours of freedom between the time school was out and the time my mother arrived home from work. From 3pm to 5pm, my childhood friends and I would usually wander around downtown Galt. We’d get ice cream at L.A Franks, we’d throw rocks in the Grand River and we’d walk around the perimeter of the abandoned factories at Southworks Outlet Mall. I remember one specific afternoon, my friends found a window in one of the old factories that was slightly ajar. One by one, we threw our backpacks in and climbed through the window, ignoring the NO TRESPASSING sign that all kids ignore when they’re up to no good. The whole time my heart was racing; I knew how disappointed my mother would be if she found out, but this was a building I had passed so many times as a child. I needed to know what was inside. No, we didn’t find a dead body or have a run in with a three-headed dog, but we did spend about an hour exploring every corner of this factory that everyone had forgotten about. My 12-year-old brain tried
to picture when employees were walking about, when there wasn’t smashed glass all over the floor and holes in the ceiling. This amazing building was left there to rot, to only ever be explored by trespassing kids or the occasional squatter. And it wasn’t like it was tucked away on the outskirts of town. Southworks is literally in the heart of Galt, but these old historical buildings had become so forgotten about, that most people drove past without a second glance. I was born and raised in Cambridge, specifically Galt. My whole life I lived in Old West Galt, near Highland Public School, which is beside Victoria Park on Salisbury Avenue. My parents still live in my childhood home, a house I never really loved until now, five years after leaving. To anyone familiar with Cambridge’s neighbourhoods, Old West Galt is the stereotypical bougie area with the globe streetlights that remind everyone of Sesame Street. The homes in the centre of Old West Galt, on Landsdowne, Brant and Aberdeen, are mostly million dollar century homes, owned by the bankers, doctors, teachers, and lawyers of Cambridge. As you start to travel further up Cedar Street or
Churchill Drive, where I grew up, the houses become more modest, yet are still old and full of character. This neighbourhood is beautiful. It’s a suburb without cookie cutter modern developments. The backyards are more spacious with mature trees and the neighbours all know each other. The kids all have paper routes and everyone hands out good candy on Halloween. The bizarre juxtaposition, however, was that just outside of our safe, wealthy and privileged neighbourhood, when Salisbury Avenue collided with George Street, you were no longer in West Galt’s safe tight hug; you were downtown. I remember being 15 and hanging out with my friend one night. We were bored and our parents wouldn’t drive us anywhere, so we decided to go for a walk. “Be careful,” my mom said, as we left. “Are you going downtown?” “Obviously not,” I responded. But we did anyway. Going downtown Galt at night when you were young was sort of like drinking underage. We knew it was wrong. We knew there was a risk. We knew our parents would be mad if they knew. But we did it anyway. Nothing bad happened to us. We
were perfectly safe. We were just stupid teenagers who wanted to throw rocks in the river after dark and gossip about boys. The fear didn’t come from excessive news reports, either. I don’t remember ever hearing about crimes happening downtown. I do remember the Royal Hotel before it closed. In an article in the Cambridge Times, the Royal Hotel, which used to be on the corner of Main and Wellington, was described as “such an eyesore, [a] haven for drugs and other illegal activities, that the city, police, fire, social services and other agencies raided the place and shut it down.” I don’t remember when the hotel closed, but I do remember always walking on the other side of the street if we ever passed it. That building is now a Coffee Culture. It’s nice — I had a sandwich there just the other day. The fear of being downtown was solely because of the amount of drugs that were being abused by the people who either lived downtown, or who were frequently there. Drugs were, and still are, associated with criminal activity, which ultimately makes society think everyone who does drugs will probably try to murder or rob you. While now I could
MATT SMITH PHOTOS
look at this assumption and detect the problems, I also understand why parents didn’t want their kids down there alone at night. Was it the fear of them being hurt, or was it the fear that they would start hanging around the “wrong” kind of people? “We’re aware of issues in the downtown. It’s no different than any other downtown in Ontario with a mid-size city,” said Cambridge Mayor Doug Craig. “We are in constant contact with Chief Larkin of the police and the district superintendent of particular problems. I don’t think there’s anything to be concerned about. You’re always on guard no matter where you go, but I don’t see that as an issue.” Nonetheless, throughout my childhood years, up until the point where I left Galt at age 19, I always thought downtown was suffering. Businesses struggled to stay open, community events were never as packed as they are in Kitchener and Waterloo, and young people didn’t have fun spaces to hang out. After the Nutty Parrot and Fiddler’s Green closed, the only bars that are worth wasting your time in are the Kiwi or the Black Badger, and quite frankly, two bars just isn’t enough to keep me entertained.
But now downtown Galt is facing some major changes. The old post office, which was then transformed into Fiddler’s Green only to close in 2007, is currently being renovated to become a new digital library, set to open in June. This 130-year-old building has been sitting vacant for 10 years. A pedestrian bridge is being built over the river, which hopefully will increase downtown’s walkability. The Cambridge Mill, a wedding hotspot, will soon be unveiling its condo-hotel project. Projectors have also been purchased to display messages downtown, mimicking Montreal’s use of projectors. But the part that everyone’s talking about is Galt’s new Gaslight District — a collection of condos, office spaces, artistic spaces and restaurants that will be replacing Southworks Outlet Mall, and the abandoned factories I broke into as a kid. All of the shops in Southworks have either closed or relocated to other parts of the city, and a Gaslight District launch party took place on Sept. 16. Serena Ryder and Steven Page performed, which drew in a crowd that was almost too big for the space set aside. The 192 condos that were up for sale completely sold
out in 24 hours, Craig said. When I asked Craig about downtown Galt’s shoddy reputation, he said that the new Gaslight District would help do away with it. “The more people you have in the downtown, the less problems you’re going to feel in terms of walking around because there will be a lot more people in the street. So that’s part of solving the problem. I’m sure numbers will help solve that problem,” he said. “In the last couple of years, I think we’ve really turned a corner in making it self-sufficient and it’s really starting to blossom once again...I think these developments help considerably.” Now that I live in Kitchener, I’ve noticed that Cambridge’s attitude towards supporting local is not the norm. Kitchener pushes supporting local, and while downtown Kitchener can also be somewhat sketchy late at night, from my perspective, the independently owned businesses in downtown Kitchener do well. The shop owners appear to help each other out, and Kitchener residents are genuinely excited to support local. I never felt that way in Cambridge. I look at these amazing inde-
pendently owned businesses in downtown Galt, like Forch’s Record Store or Elixir Bistro (yes, those two are my favourite) and I hope that the people of Cambridge give them their business. I worry about them. But maybe if more people are excited to actually live downtown, the local economy will thrive. “The best possible outcome, I think is to have a vibrancy in the downtown that makes it attractive and safe and economically very positive for all the shop owners,” Craig said. So while some Cambridge residents have expressed some concern about how the Gaslight District may tarnish the history and heritage of downtown Galt, and while I still think using the word “gaslight” to describe a neighborhood is weird, I really hope that the new projects do help to clean up downtown Galt’s reputation. It’s hard for me to picture young people actually wanting to hang out down there, but I hope they do. The second I was old enough, I couldn’t wait to get out and move somewhere a little livelier, but maybe when the Gaslight District is completed in 2020, I’ll go back to my hometown and check it out.
OCTOBER 2017 // COMMUNITYEDITION.CA
10
HIS NAME WAS KITCHENER IS THE NAME KITCHENER ANY BETTER THAN BERLIN? TCE INVESTIGATES
KERRI HUCHINSON CONTRIBUTOR By now you are probably familiar with the story about how the city of Berlin voted to change its name in 1916. When the special committee to city council came up with the long list of names, Kitchener wasn’t even on the list. A few weeks before the vote, British Secretary of State for War, Lord Horatio Herbert Kitchener, died. Kitchener drowned off the coast of Scotland near the Orkney Islands when his ship struck a German mine. A push came to add Kitchener to the list of new names for Berlin. But who was Lord Kitchener? Horatio Kitchener was born in 1850 in County Kerry, Ireland. He studied in Switzerland and established his military career in Egypt, Sudan, and South Africa. Kitchener was celebrated as a national hero in Great Britain for his efforts in bringing Sudan back under British colonial rule. In South Africa, Kitchener replaced Lord Roberts as commander in chief of the Second Boer War. As commander, Kitchener instated new, ruthless measures against the Boer resistance. Under Kitchener, the British used
a policy of scorched earth and concentration camps to weaken the Boer resistance and secure a British victory. Originally created for prisoners of war, the camps were expanded under Kitchener’s leadership. The scorched earth policy displaced thousands of families, who were then moved into the British camp system as “refugees.” A separate camp was created for Black people who supported the Boer resistance and they became forced labourers for the British. These camps were not to the same scale and lacked the ideological backing of those orchestrated by the Nazis in the second world war, but the disregard for human life is consistent. Hunger and diseases like measles, dysentery, and typhoid were rampant in Kitchener’s concentration camps. The Treaty of Vereeniging, signed on May 31, 1902, ended hostilities. The camps were disbanded and detainees were gradually released back to their families but the damage had been done. In a period of little more than a year, from May 1901 to June 1902, it’s estimated that more than 48,000 people, about 22,000 of them children, died due to the poor conditions in the camps. The legacy of the camp system, especially the separation of black and white people, laid the foundation for Apartheid in South Africa. Fast forward to the First World War, Lord Kitchener was the British
Secretary of State for War. The face of Britain’s famous recruitment propaganda, Kitchener had become a household name. Then he died unexpectedly. While sailing to Russia on a diplomatic mission, his ship hit a mine and he drowned. Across the Atlantic, our young city in southwestern Ontario was having a crisis of identity. The war had heightened anti-German sentiment across Canada. We were a country at war. The vote was cast in haste. Voting just a few weeks after Kitchener’s death and with a slim majority (and only 346 votes in favour) it was decided that Kitchener would be the new name of Berlin. Named for a man who had never been to Canada and probably had never heard of our Berlin. Becoming the city of Kitchener was an opportunity for our city to show our loyalty to the British and squash the idea that our city was supporting Germany during the war. So what does it mean for our city to be named after someone responsible for creating a concentration system that led to the deaths of almost 50,000 people over the course of one year? Should we consider renaming our city? I don’t have the answer. If we look closely, we’ll be disappointed by much of our history, but I think the way forward involves looking closely, no matter how uncomfortable it may be.
CREATIVE COMMONS PHOTO
CONTRIBUTE TO TCE. EMAIL INFO@COMMUNITYEDITION.CA TO FIND OUT HOW.
IF STREETS COULD TALK IS A SERIES OF NEIGHBOURHOOD STORIES. SOON IT WILL BE A BOOK. WE’LL LET YOU KNOW HOW TO GET ONE ONCE WE’VE FIGURED THAT OUT.
OCTOBER 2017 // COMMUNITYEDITION.CA
THE ABORTION PILL IN WR
THERE IS NO “BUT” IN BEING PRO-CHOICE; MIFEGYMISO WILL OFFER EASIER ACCESS AND IS COVERED BY OHIP someone’s abortion.” There should Although the abortion pill is SEXPLANATIONS be no “but” in pro-choice. legal, approved and available,
STACEY JACOBS COLUMNIST It has been a long road, but the abortion pill is now available in Waterloo Region. The abortion pill can be prescribed by a family doctor or a nurse practitioner, making it more accessible for people living in remote, rural or Northern areas of Canada who may have difficulties accessing a clinic or hospital. Unlike most communities, we are privileged to have in clinic abortion services available up to 14 weeks of pregnancy at Grand River Hospital and clinics within an hour’s drive that provide abortions up to 24 weeks of pregnancy. The abortion pill is covered by OHIP and is available in the region up to 9 weeks of pregnancy. The abortion pill, which is actually 5 pills called Mifegymiso, works by blocking progesterone, which sustains a pregnancy, and causing uterine contractions. This process is similar to an early miscarriage.
very few health care providers are prescribing it. Although abortions have been legal for decades, many people still do not agree with the human and reproductive rights of a person to do with their body what is best for them. Considerable stigma exists around abortion, including stigma around providing abortions, which are safe medical procedures. Each person has their own, very personal reason for choosing to have an abortion. It doesn’t matter what the reason is, and no reason should be considered better than another. No one should be forced to be pregnant if they do not want to be. No one should be forced to go through labour if they do not want to and no one should be forced into being a parent or placing a child for adoption. If we do not have autonomy over our own bodies, what do we have? I often hear people saying they are pro-choice and then adding a “but.” For example “I’m pro-choice but abortion should not be used as birth control.” “I’m pro-choice but there should be a limit to the number of abortions a person has.” “I’m pro-choice but I do not think taxpayers should have to pay for
You must trust that people are making the best decisions they can with the circumstances they find themselves in. Whether or not the abortion pill will change the way people view abortions in Canada is yet to be seen, however, it will make the process easier and more accessible for many people. I spoke with Kayla Orr, Client Support Coordinator at Sexual Health Options, Resources & Education (SHORE) Centre, who works tirelessly to ensure our community has access to, and information about, abortion services. She is currently working with Onyx Urgent Care and a local family physician to create a network of support for other health care professionals interested in becoming providers of Mifegymiso. If you are looking for more information about becoming a provider or are pregnant and want to discuss your options you can contact Kayla by calling 519743-9360 or emailing options@ shorecentre.ca.
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WHAT ADDICTION REALLY MEANS
ADDICTION IS A COMPLICATED BEAST; UNDERSTANDING WHAT IT MEANS AND HOW IT MANIFESTS IS THE FIRST STEP TO TREATING IT
MENTAL MATTERS
JOHN ROCHE COLUMNIST Eckhart Tolle says “addiction begins and ends with pain.” More specifically, addiction is a compulsive attempt to escape from pain through a behaviour that brings short-term relief, but over the long term actually adds to the original pain and thus creates more need for the addictive behaviour. This pattern is called the addictive cycle, and it is tremendously destructive. What do we mean by pain? It’s usually a mix of some very difficult emotion (like feeling stressed about work) that also triggers the activation of unprocessed painful memories and emotions (like feelings of shame from when your dad called you stupid for not understanding your math homework). It’s not that hard to recognize every day distressing emotions, but most of us are completely ignorant as to how much old stuff we’re hauling around with us — and how fundamentally it shapes our worldview and our responses to the present. Since society does an absolute
shit job of educating us on how to deal with such pain, we usually just avoid it and let it stack up until it’s silently running our lives. Consider for a moment how much of human behaviour is governed not by values like authenticity or compassion, but by the avoidance of pain. Addictive behaviours, then, are the strategies we use to anesthetize ourselves to the pain we were never taught how to handle effectively. When most of us think of addiction, we think of substances like heroin, cocaine, marijuana, or alcohol. Some of us also think of behavioural addictions like gambling, pornography, or overeating. But really anything can be an addiction: compulsive sex, codependent relationships, achievement, status, buying stuff, working. What makes something an addiction isn’t the behaviour itself, but the purpose of the behaviour. If you’re doing it to escape pain, and it feels like you have no choice, and it only works temporarily before you have to do it again, that’s an addiction. Which means, interestingly, that the meth addict actually has a lot in common with the investment banker who feels compelled to make another million this year. If we understand addiction from this perspective, then the conventional wisdom of “just stop doing it” doesn’t
make sense. If someone simply stops doing what’s functioned to keep their pain at bay, they will suddenly be overwhelmed by everything they’ve spent a lifetime avoiding. In that case, they’ll either relapse or find another addictive behaviour to replace the original one. Rather than just stopping a behaviour, addiction has to be treated at the level of the underlying pain. On a day-to-day level, we need to learn grounding skills to deal with overwhelming emotion, mindfulness, and self-compassion skills to learn to lean into pain, and self-care skills to recognize and respond to our needs. On a deeper level, we need to heal our unresolved issues, which is best done with the help of a professional who has been trained to treat trauma. Addiction can’t be beaten by gritting our teeth and shaming ourselves. Instead, we must gradually learn to walk compassionately and courageously into that which frightens us most. When we do, we’ll discover that Rilke was right when he said, “perhaps everything that frightens us is, in its deepest essence, something helpless that needs our love.”
11
ON BUILDING A BETTER WR
COMMUNIT Y
WITH ADVOCACY
WR AND HOWE
JAMES HOWE COLUMNIST Can a tweet make your city better? Yes. Absolutely. Definitely. At the first Kitchener City Council meeting that I ever attended, a senior staff member told those of us assembled in the gallery that city building was not accomplished in the time it took to type a tweet or even a blog post but rather takes decades. I have since dedicated considerable time and effort, and continue to do so, to prove that individual wrong. A single tweet can make a difference. It feels good when you let GRT know that the crew that dug out snow banks along Queen Street left chunks of ice on the sidewalk that made it difficult for people to walk and knowing it will be fixed. Or to sit down with the Chief of Police about your proposal for the Region of Waterloo to dedicate more funding to addressing the root causes of crime rather than to see continual large increases to the police services budget. A single tweet can also lead to a vigorous discussion that ultimately improves your understanding of an issue even when the process to get there is uncomfortable at times. That happened when I expressed frustration with cyclists buzzing by me on the sidewalk. I still don’t believe adult cyclists should be riding on the sidewalk, but I now understand that as long as they don’t feel safe on the road that they will continue to do so. So I am a strong advocate for physically separating bike lanes, so that even those who wouldn’t even think to get on a bike feel safe to do so and do so alongside their eight-year-old child. More often than not change takes more than a single tweet. It requires a series of tweets, backed up by blog posts and grassroots action to create real change.
Being a community advocate can be frustrating; after experiencing successes and enjoying support you start to expect you can make a difference just by sharing your ideas. From my experience, feeling a lack of traction on furthering your ideas sometimes cause you to use a harsh tone that is interpreted negatively. People can start to tune you out or at least not jump every time — no matter how sound your ideas are. Ultimately, change takes more than the efforts of an individual. It requires being strategic about picking your fights and knowing when you can not only get the support of like-minded individuals, but also how to move the thinking of those in a position to make a real difference. You also need to accept that you cannot always come out on top. You can hit a brick wall where people think differently, do not understand what you are trying to achieve, or are comfortable with the status quo. I hit such a wall when I pushed back against the norm that it was okay to keep expanding the number of people who could attend Rangers games even if it meant turning more residential streets and parks into parking lots. There were many who would not give any ground beyond some modest concessions. What is most important is to keep going and keep pushing for change. Change can take longer than desired but I am convinced it happens faster when people are willing to point the spotlight on where change is needed that others would prefer remain in the shadows, or are willing to ruffle feathers even if it makes you unpopular in some corners. If enough people have the strength of conviction, if they speak out and walk the talk, change does not need to take decades. And ultimately, I believe that a polite, persistent, respectful, and optimistic approach can create the support and conditions where you no longer need to be satisfied with incremental improvements but rather enjoy tremendous success that creates a happy, healthy community for all.
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OCTOBER 2017 // COMMUNITYEDITION.CA
OUR INK, OUR STORIES: A NEW PROJECT FROM THE KPL
THE TATTOOS WE CARRY ON OUR BODIES TELL MANY STORIES; HERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE THOSE STORIES.
MEGAN NOURSE EDITOR IN CHIEF A GRANDMOTHER’S HEART Ren Navarro hates getting tattooed. She absolutely, without a doubt hates it. Yet, she’s covered in them. For her, it’s all about the art. “I love the art...it’s a collaboration between you and a person that you have to trust,” she said over coffee at the Yeti Cafe. On her right arm, just below her shoulder is an anatomical heart with rays coming out, like a bright beam of sunlight. Across the middle is a banner that originally was blank, and now hosts her grandmother’s name, Laura, in an art-deco font, a nod to her birth year of 1920.
Navarro’s grandmother played a big part in her upbringing, well into adulthood — she lived to be 95. When she passed, adding her name into the empty banner was a no-brainer. “It’s a nice remembrance and it’s always there. They got me, they’re on my shoulder,” she said of the artwork, done by Jay Decator of Passage Tattoo in Toronto. The heart, in black and grey with a few deep red veins, is made of clean, strong lines with the traditional style banner scrolling across the middle. ST GERTRUDE “If I get a tattoo for you, you can’t be mad about it.” That was her logic when she chose to adorn her bicep with Gertrude of Nivelles, the patron saint of books and learning, in honour of her mother, who is no fan of tattoos. Navarro already
had a full sleeve at that point, and one for mom, who’s middle name is Gertrude, was overdue. Gertrude was never canonized, but rather adopted as a saint. In recent popular culture she has been attributed as the patron saint of cats, of which Ren has a couple. The image on her arm show’s Saint Gertrude surrounded by books, candles and skulls (‘cause why not have skulls, says Navarro) holding a staff. “[It’s] not super obvious,” Navarro says of why she chose Saint Gertrude as her homage to her mother. There’s the typical mom tattoo we can all picture, but that just doesn’t fit her vibe. “It’s a really random thing to do, but it all makes sense and it all ties back into something that’s really important to me,” she said.
Read more stories and submit your own at www.ourinkourstories.com.
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OCTOBER 2017 // COMMUNITYEDITION.CA
KW OKTOBERFEST Any Oktoberfest aficionado knows that our community’s biggest fall festival starts way before October 1st. A true Oktoberfester has been following the Miss Oktoberfest pageant throughout September, sampling OktoberLicious
PLAYER STARTS HERE
menus around town, getting their festive garb from Erika’s Bavarian Fashion, and sprucing up their classic Alpine hat. But for the rest of us, Oktoberfest mostly starts around Thanksgiving weekend. It’s a cultural celebration, but it’s also a party. So here’s how to “celebrate the
harvest” and make the most out of the party opportunities Oktoberfest brings us every fall. The below flowchart will help you decide what events are worth your time, and what you should skip in favour of a night in with sausages and soft pretzels in front of your TV.
HOW DO YOU LIKE TO CELEBRATE?
OKAY WITH BUSTLING CROWDS?
NO
PLANNING YOUR PERFECT OKTOBERFEST! YES DO YOU PREFER THAT CRAFT BEER DRINKING HIPSTER LIFE?
NO
ARE YOU LOOKING SPECIFICALLY FOR A QUEER INCLUSIVE SPACE?
YES
PARTY HARDY
YES
NO
PRIDETOBERFEST
A TRUE OKTOBERFESTER DOES BOTH
NO
FESTHALLEN
PICK UP UP PRETSELS AND SAUSAGE ALONG THE WAY FOR LEVEL-UPS
FAMILY FRIENDLY COMMNUITY EVENTS OPENING CEREMONIES
Justin Trudeau won’t be tapping the symbolic keg at this year’s Oktoberfest Opening Ceremonies outside Kitchener City Hall, but that’s no reason to skip out. Unless you hate crowds, in which case we suggest you bypass this one. It’s a lot of waiting outside surrounded by people and pretzel carts, but it’s also a great symbol of our Region uniting. Tonnes of people wait excitedly for keg tapping, and if you get there early enough, the Instagram opportunity alone makes it worth it. This is less party, more family-friendly cultural experience.
THANKSGIVING PARADE
If you grew up in KW, you’re likely a veteran of the annual Thanksgiving Day parade. It’s got all the parade must haves: crowds, marching bands, crying children, a sweet convertible with some fancy Oktoberfest
YES
BONUS POINTS NOTE THAT WE ARE ONLY SUGGESTING EVENTS WITH FOOD
CRAFTOBERFEST
DO YOU WANT TO ACTIVELY PARTICIPATE
CHILL OUT
THEN STAY HOME AND MAKE YOUR OWN SAUSAGE ~ GAME OVER ~
officials waving, and more than a few people drinking whisky out of coffee cups. But seriously, parades are great for nostalgic Instagramming, so if you don’t mind the crowds downtown, this one is well worth it.
UPTOWN BARREL RACE
We’re not entirely sure what a “keg race” is, but it sounds like physical activity mixed with beer, which sounds like it could be super fun for some people. If you need competition to keep you entertained during Oktoberfest, grab a team of four and support the local businesses uptown. Kid-friendly wheelbarrow races will be going on, too.
PARADE
OPENING CEREMONY
BARREL RACE
YOU WIN! (BECAUSE THERE IS NO LOSING AT OKTOBERFEST)
STRAIGHT UP PARTIES CRAFTOBERFEST A few years ago, some craft beer lovers introduced KW for hipster Oktoberfest, also known as Craftoberfest. Last year, Together We’re Bitter Brewery gave us a reason to prost by bringing back this casual, but still festive alternative to the official KW Oktoberfest, which is sponsored by Molson. TCE will be there both nights sampling the best beer Southern Ontario has to offer, taking in the sweet tunes, and tweeting about all of it. Wear comfy shoes and dress down your Alpine hat with a denim jacket covered in pins and patches from your favourite local makers, You’ll fit right in.
FESTHALLEN
A Festhalle is likely what comes to mind when you think of Oktoberfest. Arenas around town get a German makeover with polka music and bier flowing late into the evening. Molson is a major KW Oktoberfest sponsor, so keep your prost expectations low, ‘cause all you’ll find is mass produced beer and disappointment. There are usually schnapps bars though, and soft pretzels and sausages as far as the eye can see. PRIDETOBERFEST Tri-Pride has teamed up with KW Oktoberfest to bring back the much needed Pridetoberfest. Get your safe and inclusive festing in with tri-Pride and THEMUSEUM at this dance party that the kids would describe as “lit.” If you’ve got a rainbow dirndl or lederhosen, this is the perfect opportunity to break it out.
OCTOBER 2017 // COMMUNITYEDITION.CA
14
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT EPILEPSY
LEARNING THE SIGNS OF A SEIZURE AND CRUSHING THE ONGOING STIGMA OF EPILEPSY IN WATERLOO REGION
JENNIFER LYON CONTRIBUTOR “Call 911. I think that guy is having a seizure.” “A what?” “I don’t know, just call. This person looks like they’re possessed, they’re walking around, screaming and shaking.” I work for a social profit that helps individuals and families living with epilepsy. Coming into this role six years ago, I was astonished to learn how little most people actually know about epilepsy, what to do when they see someone having a seizure and more importantly, what its actually like to live with it. Epilepsy is a neurological condition resulting in recurrent seizures. Seizure type, the frequency with which they occur and the type of treatment varies widely from person to person. In most cases, there is no known cause for epilepsy. In some instances, causes include birth trauma, aftermath of infection, or brain injury due to accident, stroke, or brain tumour. Medically speaking, a seizure is a change in sensation, awareness, or
behavior brought about by a brief chemical/electrical disturbance in the brain. The outward appearance as a result of this disturbance can manifest itself differently depending on the part of the brain where it’s happening. Currently, there are over 40 types of seizures; most are classed within two main categories, focal and generalized which refer to the part of the brain that experiences this abnormal electrical activity. Seizures can affect cognition, motor ability, speech, memory — you name it. Some can be a brief blank stare and then the person is back on track, while others experience a prolonged period of confusion, sometimes even pain and fatigue. It’s important to understand that seizures take on many forms and require varying levels of first aid. For some, taking the right medications and having a healthy lifestyle can mean that they are seizure free for their entire lives. For others, a diagnosis of epilepsy can mean multiple seizures per day, possible brain surgery, testing out medications that often cause more problems than they solve and overall having to face hugely negative social and financial ramifications. It means facing the potential of losing your driver’s license, your job, your intimate partner, your friends and quite often your freedom.
In Canada, one in 100 people have epilepsy. It can affect anyone regardless of age, gender or ethnicity. While epilepsy occurs most commonly in children and seniors, it can happen at any stage in a person’s life. For several years now, the organization I work with has been out in the community, spreading awareness about epilepsy, first aid, and the programming and services we have to offer. Every time I deliver an info session, or attend an event where I connect with the community, people tell me they either have epilepsy or they know someone that does. It’s more common than you would think, but people are just not talking about it. Why does this happen? Epilepsy for the most part is an invisible disorder until it’s shockingly not — when you see a seizure happen and you realize that the person you thought you knew is dealing with something quite unpredictable and complex. I have facilitated many social support groups for individuals who live with epilepsy. One session I recall going through an exercise asking everyone to tell me the first word that comes to their minds when they think about epilepsy. Going around the room, it became clear that these people knew that they were outsiders.
“People just don’t understand it” said an older gentleman in our group who has lived with epilepsy most of his life. The words that flew around this session were quite negative; unpredictable, fragile, crazy, isolation, contagious, scary, threatening, confusing, possessed — the list went on. “People don’t get it. They are scared, they are scared for me and scared to have to deal with my seizures. The unpredictability is hard too. I’ve lost friends because of my seizures. They don’t want to be around me,” said the same gentleman. Another member added “my medications cause me to shake. Sometimes the shaking is so bad that I don’t like to go out to eat at restaurants because I am afraid that I will look odd and spill food everywhere.” Another person added, “then there’s the possibility of having a seizure when I’m out. I hate it. People stare, they say things, I just feel like I’m better off at home.” People are generally afraid to disclose for fear of being ‘outed,’ mostly because in the past they have faced negative treatment as a result of disclosing. They have been ostracised, pushed out, made to feel less than. Nobody wants to feel different, especially when that difference is a result of something that you don’t understand and didn’t
TCE HAS A NEW EDITOR IN CHIEF. HER NAME IS BETH. EMAIL HER: BETH@COMMUNITYEDITION.CA
GREAT OKTOBERFEST Register now! Win great prizes and free tickets for Sausage Fest!
BARREL RACE SINCE 1978
SATURDAY
OCTOBER 14, 2017
11:00 AM WATERLOO
TO 1:00 PM PUBLIC SQUARE TO REGISTER YOUR TEAM OF FOUR, VISIT
www.uptownwaterlooBIA.COM
have much control over. Leaning on the experts in my life, I reached out to our registered social worker, Jasmine Morante, who operates out of our Mississauga office. She says that many clients are afraid to disclose to their peers for fear of negative treatment. “For many, they have tried to be open and faced so much hardship and discrimination that they chose simply not to disclose.” No one is legally obligated to disclose that they have epilepsy, but safety is a concern. “We like to stress the importance of disclosing, so that people can be prepared for a seizure.” That’s where community organizations like us, Epilepsy South Central Ontario, come in. We offer a variety of programming, from education to support, that are free for individuals and families living with epilepsy. We are here to talk, listen, educate and empower. If you want to know more, see our full list of resources online.
Jennifer Lyon is the current chief operating officer of Epilepsy South Central Ontario
OCTOBER 2017 // @THECOMMUNITYED
15
ARTS & CULTURE EVENT LISTINGS FRIDAY, OCTOBER 6 OKTOBERFEST OPENING CEREMONIES KITCHENER CITY HALL Prime Minister Justin Trudeau may not be there this year to tap the keg, but you should still take your lunch break early on Friday and head out to the kickoff for Oktoberfest. Oktoberfest will be taking over KW (and our livers) until October 14. Community • Free • 11:15am
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 7 PRIDETOBERFEST THEMUSEUM Hosted by tri-Pride, THEMUSEUM will have a space available this year to celebrate both the LGBTQ+ community, as well as Oktoberfest. Show your pride, while also consuming copious amounts of beer in a dirndl. Party • $20 • 8pm-1am
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 14 AN ARMY OF LOVERS - QT DANCE PARTY JANE BOND This fundraiser for Plan-B Cooperative KW will not only have bangin’ beats for you to jive to, but it will also have an “erotic and sensual door prize raffle” as well as other adult toys in a silent auction. If that doesn’t grab your attention then what the hell will? Check out this event to support both Plan-B and the Gay Agenda. Party • $5-10 • 10pm-2am
MONDAY, OCTOBER 16 A BETTER MAN: FREE SCREENING CAMBRIDGE CENTRE FOR THE ARTS Hosted by the YWCA Cambridge and the City of Cambridge, A Better Man tells the story of a woman fleeing her abusive boyfriend. 20 years later, the couple meet up again to talk about the abuse and the trauma that he put her through. This screening is sure to be powerful, and to spark some important conversations about abuse and the bystander effect in local communities. Movie • Free • 7pm-9pm
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 19 TAPS AND APPS THE WALPER HOTEL Picture everything you ever thought was delicious under one roof. That’s Taps and Apps. Your ticket includes admission, eight food samples and eight drink samples from various partners such as Arabella Park, Unicorn Brew Bar, Unity Baking, Rhapsody Barrel Bar, and Abe Erb among many others. All the proceeds are going to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Waterloo Region. Food • $53.60 • 6pm-10pm
POLICING BLACK LIVES - BOOK LAUNCH RENISON UNIVERSITY COLLEGE Check out Robyn Maynard as she launches her book Policing Black Lives: State Violence in Canada from Slavery to the Present. This event will include speakers discussing topics surrounding policing and incarceration of Black and
Indigenous communities in KW, but also more broadly in Canada.
Belonging. Movie • $10 • 6:45pm
Community • Free • 7pm-9pm
RAINBOW REELS QUEER AND TRANS FILM FESTIVAL VARIOUS LOCATIONS Back for the 17th year, the Rainbow Reels Queer and Trans Film Festival will be showcasing art, workshops, comedy, parties, and of course, films that all aim to break down systemic oppression and celebrate the LGBTQ+ community. The opening film will be shown on Oct. 19 at Princess Twin at 7 pm and the closing film will be shown on Oct. 22 at the Apollo at 4 pm Among film screenings, there will also be spoken word performances, filmmaking workshops and even brunch! Movie • More info at: rainbowreels.org
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 20 SCAACHI KOUL IN KW KITCHENER PUBLIC LIBRARY Buzzfeed Canada writer, Scaachi Koul, is known for her unapologetic and comedic approach to feminism and racism — all of which can be further explored in her new book of essays, One Day We’ll All Be Dead and None of This Will Matter. Before the talk, we recommend picking up a copy of her book at Open Sesame; you still have time to read it before Oct. 20. Make sure to register for this free event the second you put this paper down because Koul’s a genius and geniuses have a way of attracting a large audience. Fun • Free • 7pm-9pm
DANCE MIX 90’S THEMUSEUM Join Cult KW and Nerd Nite at THEMUSEUM to get down get deeper and down get down get deeper and down (Friday) night. This night is sure to be full of stretchy chokers, overalls, slinkies, bop-its, questionable haircuts and plastic sandals. If you don’t look like Rachel Green, Cory Matthews or Steve Urkel, get out or go home. There’s sure to be off the chain beats, nostalgic trivia, and prizes for the best outfit. Party • $20 • 8pm-midnight
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 21 DIY FESTIVAL 2017 KITCHENER PUBLIC LIBRARY If you are desperately searching for a new hobby, the DIY Festival may be the place for you to find your new hidden talent. Bring your glue gun, because things are about to get crafty! Okay, don’t actually bring your glue gun, but do check this event out for new, fresh DIY ideas. Fun • Free • 1pm-4pm
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 24 INCLUSION FILM SERIES PRESENTS: THE PUNK SYNDROME PRINCESS TWIN Hosted by the The Waterloo Region Inclusion Film Series, The Punk Syndrome tells the story of a group of punk rockers who fit the typical aesthetic; they make loud music, wear leather jackets, and smoke cigarettes. These four rockers also have developmental disabilities, which offers an inspiring story about musicianship and passion. All the proceeds from this event will be going to Bridges to
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 27-31 ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW AT THE PRINCESS ORIGINAL PRINCESS For 30 years, the Original Princess has been screening the cult classic, Rocky Horror Picture Show just in time for Halloween. Dress up as your favourite character, bring props, and be prepared to “time warp” all night long. Tickets are now on sale for all seven showings. Movie • $14 • Various showings
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 28 NERUDA ARTS CANADA 150 MURAL REVEAL CHARLES STREET EAST At the end of the month, Neruda Arts will be revealing a mural on Charles St. E that has been put together to celebrate Canada 150. The mural, that was put together by both local and international artists, is said to celebrate diversity, equity, and the social justice that exists within Canada. The event will include keynote speakers and performances by local artists. Art• Free • 11am-noon
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 29 ELORA HANDMADE MARKET WELLINGTON COUNTY MARKET AND ARCHIVES If you’re one of those weird early holiday shoppers, check out the Elora Handmade Market. There will be tons of local vendors and food, making this event worth the drive out of town. All the admission, raffle ticket, and bake sale proceeds will be going to Children’s Foundation - Food and Friends Program. Even if you don’t find something worth buying, We’re sure you’ll be able to snap a great pic for Instagram to capture the fall aesthetic. Shopping • $2 • 10am-3pm
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 31 HALLOWEEN EVERYWHERE, OBVIOUSLY Back for another year, prepare to have trick-or-treaters knocking on your door on Oct. 31. Did you know that the term “trick or treat” was first seen in print in 1927 in Blackie, Alberta? Who said Canadians were only good at tapping maple trees and playing hockey? Apparently we’re also good at forcing our children to knock on stranger’s doors and ask for candy. Regardless of what you do this Halloween, stay warm, stay safe, and don’t wear a predictable costume. We know you’re capable of something creative and spoopy.
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 5 NIGHT\SHIFT DOWNTOWN KITCHENER Downtown’s annual placehacking festival is back for its fifth year. Roam the streets after dark, hopping around locations like 44 Gaukel and City Hall, experiencing some really cool art. Dress warmly and maybe take an afternoon nap so you can keep the fun going past midnight. Art • Free • 7pm-2am
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OCTOBER 2017 // @THECOMMUNITYED
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NIGHT\SHIFT IS BACK FOR A FIFTH YEAR IN DTK MEGAN NOURSE EDITOR IN CHIEF Eric Rumble has been on the move for the past five years making sure NIGHT\ SHIFT, the downtown place hacking festival he created, comes back stronger every year. Since it’s inception in 2012 in partnership with Alternatives Journal, NIGHT\SHIFT has solidified itself as an essential cultural event in downtown Kitchener. Whether or not we need Daylight Savings is debatable, but it’s end in the early hours of the first Sunday in November have come to mean something else in KW. NIGHT\SHIFT starts the evening before our clocks “fall back” giving festival goers an extra hour of celebrating the downtown streets without even realizing it. But aside from celebrating that extra hour, NIGHT\SHIFT also exposes our community to music and art that we might otherwise miss. Rumble’s
own deep dive taste in experimental Canadian music is pretty obvious in the NIGHT\SHIFT lineup. In 2016 they hosted a week of intimate shows with artists including Eiyn Sof and WHOOPSzo at 44 Gaukel with the stellar infinity tunnel, created by nik harron and Bernie Rohde. This year’s festival goes even deeper into experimental sound. Rumble was most animated during our interview with going through the lineup of artists. “[Coming] all the way from Saskatoon is respectfulchild, whose Searching cassette is easily one of my 2017 top 10. ANAMAI’s What Mountain LP has been in heavy rotation at my house too — they’re fantastic,” he said. I’ve loved the music of You’ll Never Get to Heaven and Cadence Weapon for years, but have never seen either play. And I’ve hired a handful of ambient artists to add amazing layers to the festival’s takeover events at Open Sesame on Nov. 2 and KWAG on Nov. 3 — Castle If, D/DT, M Mucci, Clara Engel and North Atlantic Drift.” NIGHT\SHIFT has managed to find a groove easily, blending music with art installations across downtown. This
year, the geography of the festival is getting a little smaller, with locations mostly concentrated around King Street. Previously it has spanned from 44 Gaukel to Centre in the Square with dozens of stops in between. Rumble identifies one of the purposes of NIGHT\SHIFT is its ability to get people downtown at night, exploring their city. Downtown Kitchener often comes with a stigma of being unsafe. While the history of crime in downtown cannot be ignored, most downtown dwellers will be quick to tell you that, for the most part, it’s in the past. NIGHT\ SHIFT is one of the few events per year that fills our streets at night, allowing people from all over the region to explore comfortably, and hopefully change the way we think of our city centre. “I’m always excited about reimagining spots like Goudies Lane and the secret circle inside the Duke/Ontario garage ramp, and about being surprised by the transformation of a bunch of weird pieces of programming from paper to reality,” said Rumble. A big change with NIGHT\SHIFT this year is what Rumble describes
as a “renewed energy in the board of directors.” The board members include Sam Trieu, Mars Orlowska, Allie Brenner, Shirley Madill, Marc Lecompte and Rumble. He credits the team with helping him stay afloat trying to organize the festival while still holding a full-time day job and maintaining some semblance of that work-life balance we’re all after. “Where I’ve struggled previously to solo-juggle production pillars like volunteer recruitment, marketing and crowdfunding while also doing all the administrative crap, finding money to pay for everything and puzzling together the festival lineup, that handful of culture instigators have kept everything on the rails, including me,” said Ellie Anglin, Ian Newton, Agnes Niewiadomski, Michelle Purchase, nik harron, Susan Coolen, Gary Kirkham, Green Light Arts, VERSA, and Katherine Road Quartet are a few of the local artists contributing their talent to this year’s festival. Dylan Reibling is back this year screening the footage from his 2016 24-hour dolly, which was shot in City Hall. Sitting for that footage
last year, even for just a minute, was one of the most vulnerable, intimate, and incredible experiences I have had. Watching it is likely to be meaningful to anyone who participated. We, as consumers, really only experience NIGHT\SHIFT the day it happens (this year it’s Nov. 4). But for Rumble and the rest of the board, that one day happens as a result of a full year’s worth of work. They have to secure funding, comb through artist applications, curate a music lineup that both interests and challenges its audience, and deal with the many logistical roadblocks that come with hosting large scale events. That level of effort in bringing a cultural event to our community deserves support. Show yours by going to this year’s NIGHT\SHIFT and embracing the digital age of tweeting and Instagramming your experience. Keeping festivals like this one around require effort and commitment from our entire community.
MATT SMITH PHOTO
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