The Community Edition: January 2018

VOLUME 6, ISSUE 4 • JANUARY 2018

FROM LRV TO LRT PAGES 8-9

DO PEOPLE STILL CARE ABOUT VHS?

IF STREETS COULD TALK: WILLIAMSBURG

A NEW LOOK FOR CARL ZEHR SQUARE

PAGE 7

PAGE 12

PAGE 16

JANUARY 2018 // @THECOMMUNITYED

IN THIS

ISSUE

VOLUME 6, ISSUE 4

JANUARY 2018

2

FEATURE

8-9 BEFORE THE LRT WAS JOE AND KATE

EDITOR’S PICK 7

IF VIDEO KILLED THE RADIO STAR, WHO KILLED VIDEO?

3 4 4 5 5 6 6 7 7 10 11 11 12 14 15 16

IN BRIEF SO YOU FOUND A STRAY ANIMAL IN KW ...

DEFINING HOME WITH SING HEY PROFESSIONALLY ORGANIZED SUPERVISED INJECTION FEASIBILITY STUDY NAVIGATING KW’S BIKE LANES ANXIETY GONE BOXES BRING RELIEF THINKING DIVERSITY OUR INK, OUR STORIES KW BUSINESSES IN 2018 CELEBRATING 100 YEARS OF BASEBALL DIGESTING KARMA IF STREETS COULD TALK: WILLIAMSBURG THE SIDE HUSTLE: LACEY J. HEELS OONA MOON // EVENT LISTINGS NEW LOOK FOR CARL ZEHR SQUARE

INSIDE

COVER BY ALAN LI

Volume 6, Issue 4 Next issue: February 7, 2018

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 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 Vice-Chair Lisa Irimescu

Social Media Coordinator Brittany Kovacs

Directors Benjamin Cooke Rosalind Horne Alan Li Noa Salamon H.G. Watson

Web Manager Care Lucas

Corporate Secretary Noa Salamon

Assistant Editor Ramona Leitao

CONTRIBUTORS Paige Bush Lea Clarin Stacey Danckert Christopher Emory-Moore James Gowland Sophia Grande-Lawlor James Howe Chris Hussey Cameron Klapwyk Alan Li Jennifer Lyon Shyenne MacDonald Eric Moon Sam Nabi Andreas Patsiaouros Frank Prospero Seth Ratzlaff Kaitlyn Severin Matt Smith Lindsay Totzke Cara Vandermey Racheal Walser Karlis Wilde 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.

JANUARY 2018 // COMMUNITYEDITION.CA

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IN BRIEF

On page 7, we rewind to a much simpler time where your biggest issue was blowing the dust out of your favourite tape and Friday nights were spent searching for your Blockboster membership card.

ANDREAS PATSIAOUROS PHOTOS.

NEWS

ARTS

URBAN

DRIVER SHIELD PILOT PROGRAM

MICK JAGGER IN THE SNOW

WATER DAMAGE AT THEMUSEUM

The GRT is piloting several styles of driver shields over the next couple months. The shields will act as a barrier between drivers and passengers as they get onto the bus. Although physical assaults on GRT buses are rare, there have been assualts made against other bus drivers in other cities, like the driver who was stabbed in Winnipeg in February 2017.

Local high school teacher Matt Morris has been sculpting cultural icons out of snow on his front lawn on William St. in Waterloo for the past six years. This year, he made a six-foot tall bust of Mick Jagger, mouth open and all, completely out of snow. The bust was built on a rotator — not your average snowman.

Morris now refers to himself as a “snow artist,” which is awesome.

THEMUSEUM experienced some weather related water damage on Jan. 7, as a pipe burst resulting in B@ THEMUSEUM closing until further notice. Most of the damage was located in the restaurant and the basement. Coincidentally enough, we at TCE also had a pipe burst in our office on Jan. 8, which really put a “damper” on our production. We feel for you, THEMUSEUM.

AGER HASAN BACK EVER AFTER IS IN CANADA WAY TOO LOUD

ANOTHER ION CAR DELIVERED

Ager Hasan, the man who is accused of murdering Kitchener resident Melinda Vasilije, appeared in court on Mon., Jan. 8. Hasan allegedly killed Vasilije last April and then immediately fled the country, all the while leaving a trace of his whereabouts on social media Hasan was arrested in Texas on July 11, 2017. Vasilije, who was 22 when she died, has been described as being very kind and selfless.

Ever After, the annual EDM fesitival held at Bingemans is under fire after all the noise complaints that came through at last summer’s festival. A report came out this week asking the festival to go down to 55 dBA for the 2018 fest. The current maximum volume is 65 dBA. Hopefully this year, those living in the area won’t be subjected to a festival they didn’t buy tickets to.

You read that right, folks! Another car from Bombardier was delivered to the Region. That makes the total of 14 cars. The first one was sent back for software updates and other improvements (did they try turning it on and off again?), but the Region does have three fully functioning units. Does that mean that the LRT is on schedule to be operating this spring? We have no idea, but we’ll try to keep you updated.

170 ANIMALS DIE IN WELLESLEY FIRE

UNDERHILL’S DEBUT ALBUM

KW FAILS SIDEWALK STUDY

On Jan. 7, a barn fire in Wellesley Township killed approximately 170 animals and cost upwards to $400,000 in damage. The owners, with help from neighbours, were able to save 70 horses from the flames. By the time firefighters arrived, the barn had collapsed and two silos also took a significant amount of heat from the fire.

The cause of the fire is unknown at the time of publication.

Former KW resident, Adrian Underhill is releasing his debut album, CU Again on Feb. 9 via Indica Records. Since his first solo EP release in 2012, Underhill has “completely revamped his songwriting process, using keyboards and drum machines for the first time and gravitating towards a slinky sound, blending pop immediacy with tender R&B experimentation.”

Tri-Cities Transport Action Group (TriTAG) says that asking homeowners to take care of their own snow removal is a failure, after conducting a report. The study asked 29 volunteers to check the condition of the sidewalks in a particular area in Kitchener and Waterloo, and then count the number of icy or uncleared walkways. The report suggests the Region try providing sidewalk plowing.

WAGE INCREASE KIDS CAN NOW BRINGS CUT BACKS GO BANANAS

CHURCH PROVIDES SHELTER

As a result of the minimum wage increase, several businesses such as Tim Hortons, are cutting paid breaks and benefits for employees.

Premier Kathleen Wynne called the children of Tim Hortons founders, who are also franchise owners “bullies.” Ontario’s minimum wage increased to $14 an hour from $11.60 an hour on Jan. 1 and will increase to $15 next year, too.

St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church in Kitchener will serve as a temporary overnight drop-in shelter as temperatures have been dangerously low as of late. The church will open it’s doors to those needing a place to sleep from Jan. 15 - April 30, with a maximum capacity of 70. Deb Schlichter, the region’s director of housing, explained that the weather is only a small part of the equation.

The founder of Grand River Rocks, the indoor rock climbing gym, have now created a kidfriendly rock climbing facility called Go Bananas. The space will allow cooped up kids to let loose in winter months. Kids up to 25 lbs can climb a beanstock, swing on a trapeze or climb skycrapers.

If you know a daredevil of a child, this might be the place for them.

JANUARY 2018 // @THECOMMUNITYED

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RAMONA LEITAO PHOTO

SO YOU FOUND A STRAY ANIMAL IN KW: NOW WHAT? ANIMALS ARE ABANDONED FAR TOO OFTEN IN THE REGION AND YOU HAVE THE POWER TO HELP

RAMONA LEITAO ASSISTANT EDITOR Picture this — it’s a busy afternoon at the King and Victoria intersection in downtown Kitchener. You’re about to cross the street when you see a cage of some sort on the sidewalk, the door to the cage is open, and near that cage is a wandering cat. There is no one else around and the cat doesn’t have a collar to identifty that it belongs to anyone. Is

it your responsibility to do something?

This, according to the KW Humane Society, is a typical case of a pet being abandoned by their owner in the Waterloo Region.

“It’s actually quite common for owners to do this when they feel that they can no longer support or provide for their pet,” said humane society operations director Kathy Innocente.

Abandoning a legally-owned animal in Canada is a crime. According to the KW Humane Society’s website, an owner can spend up to five years in jail for doing this.

When asked why some owners would take this illegal route of leaving their

pets behind, rather than work with a local society to surrender their pet, Innocente said that the consequences of the formal procedure of doing this might be a factor.

“Once you legally surrender your pet, you cannot reclaim it. You also have to pay a certain fine, depending on the state of your pet,” Innocente said.

So what do you do when you come across an animal that you think has been abandoned in the Region?

“Always call us if you think you see something suspicious,” Innocente said.

“If you don’t feel comfortable bringing the animal to us, we can send an animal services officer to pick it up.”

Innocente also said that once the animal is in healthy condition and they can confirm that is has been abandoned, they begin the process of putting it up for adoption.

Every year, the KW Humane Society receives more than 2,000 phone calls from regional residents that pertain to animal control. According to a 2016 report, the society received 1,444 incident calls and 770 investigation calls.

The KW Humane Society has been an active rescue service since 1927. It relies on its volunteers, donations and city funding to continue expanding and being a reliable service for the animals.

The funds that the society had been re-

ceiving were not enough for its services, so much so that in Sept. 2017, the City of Waterloo committed to a four-year contract that will take place in 2018 to pay almost double to the KW Humane Society. In the past, the society has received $330,718 from the City, whereas starting this year, they are committed to receiving $630,000, an 89.4 per cent increase.

Innocente suggests donating, providing items on their online wish list, or volunteering for those who are interested in supporting this local service.

DEFINING HOME WITH THE LEGEND OF SING HEY

LOCAL DOCU-MUSICAL FOLLOWS JANICE JO LEE AS SHE SEARCHES FOR A SENSE OF BELONGING

SHYENNE MACDONALD CONTRIBUTOR Look around you. Look at the buildings, the shops and the schools.

Look at all the things that make up the Kitchener Waterloo area, all the things that make up your community. Do you think this is where you belong? Are you happy here?

If your answer is no, would you believe me if I said you weren’t alone? A disillusionment with your home isn’t unique.

We’re always striving for something better, or trying to push the envelope to see if we can find more peace, or more happiness, or a better sense of belonging.

“It’s a pretty classical idea,” said Janice Jo Lee, creator of the documentary-musical The Legend of Sing Hey. “Leaving home to gain perspective on home.”

Lee’s home is the same as mine: Kitchener. Since I moved here, I’ve dreamed of leaving. I tally the years to keep myself from giving up entirely — ‘only two more years until I can move away’ is the current score. Of course, there are people and things that I love which have enough influence to incline me to stay.

But Lee did what I’ve never been brave enough to do: she left.

“Living here is a struggle. Living here as a queer woman of colour is a struggle.

Because KW is a conservative place, as much as we think we’re so innovative with our technology and our universi-

ties,” Lee said.

“We’re not as progressive as we might fantasize. For artists, we don’t have infrastructure.”

Herself, her sister and co-creator of The Legend of Sing Hey Rebeccah Redden, got into a car and drove across Canada, trying to find something better.

Trying to find a place where they belong.

While on their travels, they met other poets and activists searching for the same thing they were. A place where they can exist without question, as an artist, a member of the LGBTQ+ community and as a person of colour.

“What is interesting about the narrative part of the film is that we discover,” Lee said.

“While interviewing other artists or activists across the cities, what we learned is that we have the same set of struggles.

Racism in Kitchener is very similar to racism in Ottawa or Halifax.”

The Legend of Sing Hey follows Lee as she explores community and this idea of ancestral purpose — how we learn from our past and how they can help us today.

The titular character, Sing Hey, acts as a bridge between Lee and her ancestors.

Slowly, the two are interwoven while one, Lee, interviews artists in various cities and Sing Hey provides song.

“The Legend of Sing Hey is a mythology I created through the songs I was writing. Because I felt that through the quiet and the time and space I was allowing myself secret melodies that have been stored up in my blood memory were emerging,” Lee explained.

“Because I was giving them space and giving them silence. The closing song in the film talks about that: the quiet bird

only sings when she can hear herself”.

In the film, Lee sits with six different artists: Alysha Brilla, El Jones, Jamal Jackson, Andre Fenton, Kai Chen Thom and Katherine Lee. Each one fights for something different in their own town, yet at the same time, each artist wants the same thing.

“What I learned is if everyone just holds it down in their own communities, if everyone just does the work, I can trust that other artists and other activists are doing the work where they live,” Lee said.

“That gave me hope, that if I just keep doing what I’m doing while I’m here, we can build these movements together.

It was about seeing the existence of this web or network of people doing the work across the board and that was really encouraging, really inspiring.”

I asked Lee what the most important thing she learned was, while making the film.

“I really remember what Jamal Jackson said to me in Ottawa, and it really encouraged me. He said: I believe in Ottawa, I believe we have the right ingredients here [to make a change], and I’m so I’m tired of being angry I just want to do shit.”

But I think the most important thing I learned from Lee is: home isn’t something you stumble upon, but something you create through blood, sweat and tears. It’s your community, your family, your friends. Just as difficult as it is to create, it’s a difficult thing to destroy.

The Legend of Sing Hey is set to premier February 10, at the Princess Twin Cinema in Waterloo.

CONTRIBUTED IMAGE

JANUARY 2018 // COMMUNITYEDITION.CA

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PROFESSIONALLY

ORGANIZED

GETTING YOUR SHIT TOGETHER IS HARD. GOOD THING THERE’S PROFESSIONALS TO HELP YOU DE-CLUTTER AND TIDY UP.

SOPHIA GRANDE-LAWLOR CONTRIBUTOR With the New Year often comes the resolutions to change your life for the better. One of the big goals people often set their sights on, but get too overwhelmed with, is organization.

Samantha Kristoferson and Emilio Jose Garcia of KW Professional Organizers know this feeling all too well.

“We took everything that somebody has ever written us and we tried to look for the common themes involved in [what people found the most challenging about getting organized], and the top three common themes for people are: the complete feeling of overwhelm, not having time and not knowing where to start,” Kristoferson said.

The urge to get organized is appearing in our culture increasingly with pieces such as Marie Kondo’s The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. Concepts such as minimalism are also growing in popularity, not only for aesthetic purposes, but for mental health and environmental reasons, too.

“I think what’s happening is that we

are bombarded by stuff: physical stuff, a lot of digital stuff, a lot of information.

We are demanding a lot from each other, companies are demanding a lot from us, life in general is demanding a lot from us, and our expectations are so high that people are craving simplicity, people are craving less things, less distractions, and more joy, more fulfillment,” Garcia said.

These problems and goals are all too familiar to those of us attempting to get organized in the New Year, but throughout the year, organization is growing in popularity across the country.

“In Canada, [professional organizing has] existed for over 17 years.

Professional Organizers in Canada is our national association and it currently represents 683 registered professional organizers across the country from Vancouver all the way to Newfoundland,” Kristoferson said.

When it comes to getting started, both organizers stated the importance of knowing your intentions behind getting organized.

“What we need to do is understand what is it that you want to achieve, and why? If [you] can understand that, going through [the organization] process is going to be easier,” Garcia explained.

The importance of reflecting on why you are aiming to organize your space is

CREATIVE COMMONS PHOTO important to the process, but for lasting results, it is critical to understand where these motivations have come from.

“The reality is, if you don’t feel like it’s something that’s motivated from inside of you, if it’s someone telling you you should do those things, don’t do it until you feel you’re ready to take on that step ... Then you’ll probably see longer lasting change because it’s internal,” Kristoferson said.

Choosing what to keep and what to throw away can be an intimidating part of the de-cluttering process.

“Once we get started, one of the challenges everyone faces is making decisions, especially when it comes to items that were expensive or are emotional because they came from a

family member,” Garcia said.

Kristoferson continued by explaining that just dealing with the clutter can oftentimes be the biggest hurdle.

“Everything that you keep, whether it be digital or physical, requires time, energy, and your attention. So just know that if you’re keeping something, eventually you’re going to have to deal with it,” Kristoferson pointed out.

Organization can be a complex process, but the results are increasingly important to recognize what we have.

Kristoferson refers to the “economy of abundance” we live in, where we have access to so many products that it allows for easy accumulation of clutter.

The Waterloo Region is equipped with several removal services, donation

centres and thrift stores that are ready to accept things you no longer have use for. This recycling of goods allows for better environmental solutions through the sharing of things, and as Garcia pointed out, it often makes letting go of things easier, knowing that someone else will be using them. As well as benefiting the community, organization allows for empowerment at home.

“I think that by having a clear space,” Kristoferson reflected, “by feeling like we have some control over things and knowing what you have, where it is, and getting access to it, gives you this ability to say: nothing can stand in my way.”

BREAKING DOWN THE SUPERVISED INJECTION FEASIBILITY STUDY THE STUDY FOCUSES ON FOUR COLLECTIVE PARTS TO PROVIDE INSIGHT TO THE CURRENT OPIOID CRISIS

JAMES GOWLAND CONTRIBUTOR Paramedics in the Waterloo Region responded to 734 overdose related calls in 2017. In 2016, there were 398 and in 2015, there were 189. That’s a 388.36 per cent increase in only two years.

Opioid related overdoses have no doubt become an epidemic in the Region and throughout Canada.

While cities like Ottawa have opened doors to supervised injection sites for those who use drugs, the Waterloo Region is still in the first phase of research and data collection.

Phase one of the Supervised Injection Services Feasibility Study, coordinated within the harm reduction pillar of the Waterloo Region Integrated Drugs Strategy, will present its findings to Waterloo Regional Council in early 2018.

According to Grace Birmingham, manager of information planning and harm reduction for Waterloo Region Public Health, the feasibility study is a four-part collective: First, interview current intravenous drug users. Over 100 questions were asked to 150 people. Would they use the site? If so, under what conditions?

Second, speak with other harm reduction service providers, allowing pertinent information to be shared within the Region on any steps moving forward. Do they welcome supervised injection sites in the Region? If so, what are the conditions needed to encourage these groups to support the project?

Third, an online public survey is available through the WRIDS website where concerns, hopes and benefits for

the possible supervised injection site as well as supervised injection services can be discussed.

Fourth is the needs and concerns of community interest or activist groups.

What are the issues concerning their own communities? What are the unique substance issues affecting these neighbourhoods?

“We have quite a lot of data to wade through,” Birmingham said, adding that the harm reduction perspective is only one of four pillars required for the Region’s drug strategy to stay integral.

“Without the four-pillared approach, we wouldn’t be nearly as effective as we have been so far,” she said.

Prevention, treatment and rehabilitation, as well as law enforcement, comprise the remaining pillars, rounding out the larger strategy.

Members from local communities as well as representatives from municipal, regional, provincial and federal government departments and institutions comprise a total of 50 agencies collaborating within the WRIDS – in all areas of problematic substance abuse, not just within the current opioid crisis.

When asked about harm reduction in particular, Birmingham explained how it could be hard for some people to understand on a philosophical level. “[That’s] because it is about supporting people in the places that they are at,” she said.

She added that it is about keeping people as healthy as possible and having safe places for them to go, where they can avoid stigma.

“This keeps our disease rates low and it keeps people alive,” Birmingham said.

IN 2017, THERE WERE 734 SUSPECTED OPIOID OVERDOSE RELATED CALLS WITHIN THE REGION 6 CALLS WILMOT

12 CALLS WOOLWICH

6 CALLS NEW DUNDEE

83 CALLS WATERLOO

227 CALLS CAMBRIDGE

400 CALLS KITCHENER

STATISTICS AND INFORMATION FROM REGION OF WATERLOO PUBLIC HEALTH, EPIDEMIOLOGY AND HEALTH ANALYTICS TEAM DATA REQUEST RESULTS WATERLOO REGION OPIOID OVERDOSE RELATED CALLS BY MUNICIPALITY AND YEAR, WATERLOO REGION, 2015-2017

JANUARY 2018 // @THECOMMUNITYED

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NAVIGATING KW’S BIKE LANES THE REGION HAS A “CYCLING MASTER PLAN” AND WE ALL MAY START TO SEE POSITIVE CHANGES MADE TO CYCLING SAFETY

EASY BEING GREEN

STACEY DANCKERT COLUMNIST The Waterloo Region Council approved a protected bike lane pilot project, and as a result, there has been passionate discussion about the value and benefits of improved biking infrastructure in the Region. So what’s the big deal?

In the past, the Region had a disconnected set of trails and bike lanes. To travel along the most efficient routes by bike, often meant taking your life in your hands (e.g., University Ave, Westmount Ave, Victoria, Ottawa, etc.). Road rules dictate that bikes should follow the same rules as their automotive counterparts, however this leads to frustration. Neither cyclists nor drivers want bikes to slow down the heart of our cities. And way too many cyclists have died needlessly in the Region. If cycling is an afterthought on most local roads, then how can drivers be expected to think about them either?

Many people in the Region enjoy cycling — from families out enjoying a sunny day, to the die-hard all winter commuter. Many of us enjoy riding a bike and prefer it (or chose it for more practical reasons such as cost) throughout the year. While there

are several trails for families to ride safely, crossing roads has still been a challenge. For bike commuters, the main arterial roads are not only scary but have proved fatal on a number of occasions. And we can hardly blame drivers as driver training and road design hasn’t emphasized cycling.

My family needs to ride along Glasgow to get to our local trail. Even with recent upgrades that include dedicated lanes, I worry about the safety of roads over sidewalks (though sidewalks are generally considered more dangerous).

Along one section, the bike lane alternates between a typical and a raised lane with several abruptly curving switches. Drivers cut the corners to increase their speed and I fear that my children will be in the curve when they do. Near Westmount, where both bike lanes and left-turning lanes won’t fit, the bike lanes disappear altogether. I assume cyclists are meant to take over the lane (which drivers don’t expect).

This is very confusing, intimidating and dangerous for new riders.

So the biking community let out a collective sigh of relief when the Region finally indicated their intent to investigate and look for potential infrastructure-related solutions. There have already been some significant changes that have become more apparent since ION construction finished, such as a “bike-way” across Erb and a more contiguous trail system including more on-road bike lanes.

The Region’s Cycling Master Plan is finally starting to play out, and the most exciting part, is the protected bike lane

pilot project on King St. in Waterloo.

While fatal accidents can be prevented, expanding the system can get costly and the lanes require additional space. However, people also report “complete” streets feeling safer and nicer to walk along and much of the cost is offset by the benefits.

With such significant local development and the impending LRT, now is a perfect time to invest in cycling infrastructure as we begin a cultural transformation surrounding how we get around. There’s also that issue of needing to drastically cut our emissions if we want to curb the worst effects of climate change.

I hope that you will join me in the spring and test out our new protected bike lanes and give the Region your feedback. If you don’t have a bike, Community Access Bikeshare (CAB) makes them available around the Region. As well, great local sources include TriTag, a local organization that offers amazing information on all things transportation and the online “Active Waterloo” report is also really informative.

Making bike lanes safer and more accessible is just a small step that we can take to make KW more sustainable for our future.

Stacey Danckert is the co-director of Waterloo Region Environment Network (WREN).

Chantal McCulligh addresses mental health with her subscription boxes.

NICK STANLEY PHOTO

ANXIETY GONE

BOXES BRING RELIEF JENNIFER LYON CONTRIBUTOR

WE SERVE BEER (and wine)

APOLLOCINEMA.CA

Mental health, specifically anxiety, has been showcased, opposed to silenced, as of late. With campaigns like #BellLetsTalk, we are witnessing more open conversations about mental health in the media, on school campuses and just in our general community.

Dealing with mental health has been a big part of Kitchener Waterloo resident Chantal McCulligh’s life.

“For me, I’ve always had anxiety, since I was seven and I always knew it was anxiety,” she explained.

McCulligh understands the stigma that surrounds anxiety and saw a need to turn her experiences into something that can help others.

“I think when you have a mental illness, society has kind of taught you to feel abnormal, feel inadequate … whatever you want to call it. There are all of these negative things associated with mental illness.”

As a result of her own lived experiences, McCulligh, who is also a freelance writer, started Anxiety Gone, a mental illness subscription box for anxiety.

“A lot of people don’t know that they can achieve their goals and their dreams and they can feel better.

Everyone and anyone can suffer from mental illness, it doesn’t discriminate,” she explained.

There are so many methods you can treat mental illness. McCulligh acknowledges and understands that its important to explore a range of methods when helping yourself and treating your mental health issues.

The subscription box contains items

that, according to McCulligh, will help you deal with your anxiety.

“Everything I put into it, in one way or another, is going to help your anxiety directly. I’m focusing on things you can do to instantly feel better.”

“I use all natural products. In my box I include tons of essential oils and teas that have been proven to reduce symptoms of anxiety. The biggest, and definitely my favourite part about the boxes, is I include at least one book in every box, which is a self help book with something that teaches you how to self love and overcome [anxiety].”

McCulligh says that she is really proud of the time and research she put into finding the best books to include in her boxes.

“I think a lot of healing has to do with learning about who you are and what you’re going through.”

McCulligh has big plans for the future of this venture. “I have a lot of things that I want this to turn into,” she said.

She would like to eventually create more customized boxes that would cater to specific types of anxiety.

“My next thing that I’m working on is actually going to be a box that helps victims of sexual abuse,” she said.

Anxiety is a great place to start, but McCulligh realized early on that she would need to create a wider range of boxes to properly address a broader range of mental health issues.

McCulligh offers a budget friendly version that does not skimp of quality.

She explains that this would benefit students, especially. She didn’t want to make her product unattainable to people on a tight budget.

McCulligh explained that this is a fun and happy product that takes away from the negativity that has saturated our understanding of anxiety and mental health in general.

JANUARY 2018 // COMMUNITYEDITION.CA

7

THINKING DIVERSITY WR AND HOWE

JAMES HOWE COLUMNIST

ANDREAS PATSIAOUROS PHOTO

IF VIDEO KILLED THE RADIO STAR, WHO KILLED VIDEO? ANDREAS PATSIAOUROS CONTRIBUTOR If the 1979 song “Video Killed the Radio Star” has taught us anything, it’s that when new entertainment technologies arise, they can be extremely unforgiving to their predecessors.

It’s no secret that video has now met a very similar fate as the once adored radio star. With a quickly changing technological climate and, ultimately, the rise of the internet, video stores have become rather obsolete, with fewer and fewer players in the game.

(RIP Blockbuster.)

However, Far Out Flicks remains firmly grounded in downtown Kitchener as an independent video store – owned and managed by Rolf Glemser.

His business began similarly to how you might imagine most movie store owners to start out: with a love (and minor obsession) for movies, along with

a driving passion to turn a lifestyle into a career. “[I] Collected more and more VHS tapes to the point where I only had two rooms in my house that didn’t have a tape in it,” Glemser said.

In October of 2002, he and some friends purchased the building and started the business with a collection of roughly 8,000 VHS tapes.

Since then, he’s seen many changes to the ways people consume movies, while still managing to stand strong with a place in the KW region.

Whether it’s VHS, Beta, Laserdisk, DVD, Blu-ray or many more, the masses undoubtedly have a thirst to find the best way to consume movies that delivers the best experience possible. However, the internet has somewhat blurred the lines between best experience and most convenient.

Glemser has come face-to-face with many of these changes and explains that adaptability plays a large role in this kind of business.

“You have to listen to what your customers are doing and saying. For example, for some reason, we don’t rent

or sell a lot of Blu-rays. We sell more VHS [and DVDs] than Blu-ray here … If the customers aren’t buying Blu-rays off you, don’t bother carrying them,” he said.

“The other thing we did to keep it alive was we jumped on the internet too … So, what we did with the blu-rays … was we started putting them online and they’re selling.”

Even with the dependency of the internet, Glemser tells us that in truth, it hasn’t impacted Far Out Flicks very much. He explains that if anything, it’s the LRT construction that has done the most damage.

Glemser continued to explain that when it comes to video stores, they simply provide some things that even the internet can’t give.

“It’s a misconception people have that you can get anything at anytime on the internet and it’s just not true.”

“People still want to have that hard copy in their hand. Even though Netflix Canada only has about seven or eight thousand titles at any one time, we’re at about 20,000,” Glemser said.

He said that although streaming ser-

vices like Netflix provides suggestions based off of personalized data collection, it doesn’t quite beat the in-person feedback you can get from walking into a store, especially when you’re referred to those hidden gems you can’t easily find online.

Many of us admittedly love the convenience of online streaming. Having access to thousands of movies with the press of a button is a pretty sweet deal.

But, as Glemser explained, this sometimes comes at the expense of quality and movie-selection, among other factors that people don’t tend to think too much about these days.

Glemser recognized that there’s a certain value his customers surely see in the in-store experience, especially in his regulars. And that’s something we see time and time again in the entertainment industry, with the nostalgia and passion people feel when reverting back to old ways of consuming.

“Probably in about 15-20 years, you’re going to see a resurgence of movie stores, not like it used to be, but just like you see with vinyl,” Glemser said.

OUR INK, OUR STORIES:

A QUILL AND THE HALLOWS

RAMONA LEITAO ASSISTANT EDITOR Theresa Shim is a planner and, therefore, likes to be completely sure before she does anything.

So when she decided to get not just one — but two tattoos on a whim, she was pleasantly surprised with herself.

“After a particularly challenging term at school, I walked over to the shop and knew that it was going to happen then and there,” Shim said. “It was quick, fairly painless, and pretty expensive.”

Currently, Shim has two tattoos on her wrist — a quill, and the symbol of the Deathly Hallows from the Harry Potter franchise. While they are small and minimal looking, Shim finds the meanings behind them to be significant, bigger and much more complex.

“The tattoos represent more or less the challenges I faced over my undergraduate career and both held a promise of what was to come,” Shim said.

Shim loves to write and is currently a student in the Rhetoric and Communication Design Program at the University of Waterloo, having a quill on her wrist seemed only natural for her. “[I wanted to highlight] my passion for writing,” Shim said. “I put it on my right

wrist as a reminder even as I am typing or writing with a pen that writing has gotten me through so much. It pulled me out of dark places and helped me achieve academic and personal goals across the board.”

To say Shim is a devoted fan of Harry Potter is an understatement. From the moment she discovered the series as a child, she became a loyal fan. Having the Deathly Hallows symbol was the perfect embodiment that displayed both her love and her understanding of the complex themes of the series.

“I took the tattoo to mean two things,” Shim said. “One, the significance of Harry Potter and its contributions to my formative years and two, possessing all three hallows in Harry Potter lore makes one the master of death. I do not want to be the master of death, but I would like to be reminded occasionally that such an idea exists because we’re so terrified of our own mortality. The idea that we would one day like to conquer death is such an innate, human line of thought, but yet, it gets most of us through the day.”

Shim also knew it was important to have both tattoos on her wrists. “[They are] consistently visible to myself when I am doing anything significant,” Shim said. “They’re reminders, bookmarks. Simple representations of my present existence.”

Our Ink, Our Stories is a collaborative project we have with the Kitchener Public Library. Read more stories at ourinkourstories.com

RAMONA LEITAO PHOTO

Think nutrition. Think protein. Think diversity.

That’s how we described our most needed food items when I worked in communications for Toronto’s Daily Bread Food Bank. We started with only nutrition and protein to describe what we most needed, rather than giving a list that never seemed to change.

Shortly afterwards, our research showed a growing number of people who had immigrated to Canada were accessing the food bank, despite often contradicting the myths surrounding who accesses food banks such as having a post-secondary education or having enjoyed previous career success. We then added “think diversity,” because popular donated items such as boxed macaroni and cheese were literally foreign to some diets. We recognized the need to collect food, like various dried beans for examples, that newcomers to Canada wanted to eat and knew how to prepare.

To highlight that we needed to diversify food donations, we organized a special event called the Amazing International Food Race. It featured teams of two racing around the city to buy food from stores that primarily served people of diverse cultural backgrounds, on top of several other challenges. It was a success attracting about 30 teams and media coverage.

So part of me was pleased to hear a request for culturally diverse foods as part of the The Food Bank of Waterloo Region’s pitch for support of its Holiday Food Drive, and also that the Rotary Club had purchased halal turkeys to be distributed by the House of Friendship.

Another part of me was disappointed the request for diverse foods still existed.

The pleasing upside is that these organizations were thinking about how to promote diversity within their services and how they are talking about them. That’s something that I think is important for many more organizations, businesses and people across the Waterloo Region to do. And by that, I mean more than social service organizations that help people improve their lives.

According to the 2016 census, 19 per cent of people living in the Waterloo Region are people of colour. But do our day-to-day experiences reflect that diversity?

I acknowledge that I write this column from my perspective as a white man. I am working to inform my perspective and my life with the input, insights and lived experiences shared by people of colour on social media and who I engage with in the local community.

I look around me at many events and activities and see only white people or even a vast white majority. I know that doesn’t accurately represent the diversity of our community. While I recognize that’s not intentional, it happens because those barriers are still in place.

It’s easier to reach people that are in your own social networks, rather than proactively reaching out beyond them.

So as we move into 2018, that means all of us need to be more conscious of how our businesses, organizations, social programs and even how we, as a community, can better reflect the reality of the diverse community we live in.

Let’s all resolve to “think diversity” and take the appropriate steps to be more inclusive. The more we do, the more everyone benefits.

BEFORE THERE WAS THE LRT

THERE WAS JOE AND KATE WORDS BY SETH RATZLAFF • IMAGES CONTRIBUTED BY KITCHENER PUBLIC LIBRARY

With state-of-the-art ION trains finally rolling through KW streets, it feels as if we’re entering a new era of public transportation in the Waterloo Region. But don’t be fooled, light rail is nothing new to KW. In fact, long before Google arrived along with the tech sector, before RIM and UW were popular acronyms, before Krug and Electrohome built teak stereo systems and oak chairs, even before the two World Wars, back one hundred and twenty eight years ago — when Kitchener was Berlin and Waterloo was, well, Waterloo — on April 4, 1889 a shipment of six Light Rail Vehicles (LRVs) arrived at the Grand Trunk Railway Station in downtown Berlin.

Seating up to 16 passengers, these LRVs were much smaller and lighter than Bombardier’s ION. Indeed, the original vehicles rolling down King Street over a century ago didn’t even have engines. They were powered by horse.

Seven years prior, three local “gentlemen” had motioned a private member’s bill in Berlin’s legislature: an “Act to incorporate the Berlin and Waterloo Street Railway Company.”

They wanted to construct a street railway that could provide service down King Street for Berlin and Waterloo.

For the two towns’ combined population of 6,300, it was a bold proposal. Too much, at first, for town council to accept. But after a few years of deliberation, council approved the project and set out a charter for its operation (presumably to the chagrin of anti-LRT protest groups). Railway service was to operate at intervals of no more than an hour; the LRVs were

to have front and rear lights for use at times of low visibility and a bell was to be affixed to the harness of the horses to warn pedestrians of an approaching vehicle.

By the time work on the railway got started, much of the company’s financing had been taken on by “capitalists” from New York City, albeit there was still partial local ownership.

In 1888, an order for steel rails was wired to England and on June 30 of that year, the first spike was driven into the ground. But this was largely a symbolic gesture to satisfy the demands of the company charter. In reality, most of the real work didn’t begin until after the cars arrived in April next year.

On May 8, 1889, a team of forty construction workers began laying the railway line on King Street at Bridgeport in Waterloo. By May 30, the line was complete as far as Wellington in Berlin. It was a single lane of tracks with a bypass at the mid-way point. Service must have started before the railway was finished because, according to the first driver of the streetcars, Harry U Clemens, passengers started hailing rides in May, 1889. There were originally only two cars operating, powered each by one horse, either Joe or Kate the Grey Mare.

Once the the line was complete, it measured approximately 3.9 km running down King all the way from Bridgeport to Scott Street. Clemens reported that the cars usually carried 10-15 passengers at a time, totaling about 400 per day. Service started at 6:40 a.m. in the morning, departing from a horse and car barn located in

Waterloo on the corner of Princess and King. The trip to Berlin took about 40 minutes, round trip back to Waterloo was 90 minutes. The last trip of the night left Berlin at Scott Street 9:40 p.m. On that trip, Clemens would attach a deeper-toned bell to the horse, so that any late night revelers knew it was their last chance to hitch a ride — otherwise they’d have to hoof it home.

Clemens also recalled that in those early days of operation some prominent Waterloo businessmen made a bet regarding how far, if unhitched and allowed to coast, the street railway car would roll from the top of the hill on King Street down into Waterloo. It was a hazardous test because of the slight curve King makes at the bottom of the hill entering downtown Waterloo — at the time there was also a deep ditch running beside the road ,there.

But Clemens was clearly not one to shy from a challenge (nor one to consider personal liability). He himself rode the car from the top of the hill to the place where it came to a rest in Waterloo. The car stopped at a point closest to the spot predicted by a man named Dr. Wells. He won the bet and took home the pool of money. May his name go down in history.

In 1895, the street railway was electrified, powered by the Berlin Gas and Electric Company, which was owned by the Breithaupt family. New electric-powered LRVs were purchased which could seat much more people.

There were two types of cars, an openstyle vehicle which was windowless, used in the spring and summer weather permitting and an enclosed

car for colder or rainier days. Crowds of onlookers gathered to watch local politicians ride the inaugural run in May. At that time, a single ride cost 5 cents, or six for twenty five cents. In the Grace Schmidt Room archives at Kitchener Library, there’s a small booklet from 1897 published by the Berlin and Waterloo Company titled “Conductor’s Rules.” Among its list of eighteen rules for the car operators, some protocols include: the use of “universal politeness” with all passengers, the delivery of large parcels to any stop for the price of one ticket and surprisingly, rules for the ejection of unruly passengers (“without violence” and only after a reimbursement of their cost).

After electrification, Joe and Kate continued pulling the older models down Water Street and Weber on a short connection to the train station until the two horses were finally retired in 1898.

Street railway service underwent significant updates and expansions over the next four decades until it was replaced with a trolley bus system in 1947. By and by, the old rail lines were paved over and forgotten, only to be rediscovered by LRT construction crews half a century later. So when the ION officially starts service spring 2018, just remember that Clemens, along with his two faithful steeds, Joe and Kate, were giving rides down King Street long before we were all born.

With a special thanks to Karen BallPyatt at the Grace Schmidt Room in Kitchener Public Library for her help with the research of this article.

Kate. Or Joe. We are not really sure.

JANUARY 2018 // COMMUNITYEDITION.CA

10 sets itself apart as an environmentally friendly option and a particular focus on sustainability. After launching in 2017, they’ve got big plans for 2018.

They will be launching an ‘Eco Store,’ where people will be able to order local products, craft beer and more.

It’s poised to be an excellent way for people in Kitchener-Waterloo to buy products and get them shipped locally in an environmentally friendly way. In addition, they also have a #makekwsustainable social media campaign in the works, along with a video focused on how cyclists and drivers can share the road safely with the LRT.

Abe Erb back in 2016 at the Brew Donkey Tour. If you look closely, you can see our pal BRFC. LAKYN BARTON PHOTO

CHRIS HUSSEY’S GUIDE TO WHICH KW BUSINESSES TO WATCH IN 2018 CHRIS HUSSEY CONTRIBUTOR 2017 was a tough one for businesses here in Waterloo Region. For many of them, particularly in downtown Kitchener or uptown Waterloo, the seemingly never-ending waves of construction made staying afloat a challenge itself, let alone earning a profit. But it wasn’t all doom and gloom. Many exciting new businesses

sprung up and immediately left their mark on this community.

There was a lot on both ends of the spectrum for local businesses in 2017 and there’s good reason to think that 2018 will be an eventful year, as well. With that in mind, here are my picks for five independently-owned businesses to watch in 2018.

ABE ERB Abe Erb is a business desperately looking to recover from the previously mentioned LRT construction, especially with its uptown Waterloo location. Like other businesses in the area, this will ultimately depend

on whether or not the Region is able to attract crowds back to the uptown core, so Abe Erb’s Waterloo location can help to maintain the good reputation it held prior to construction. Meanwhile, Abe Erb’s second location in downtown Kitchener had a great year overall in 2017 after opening in the Tannery building in December 2016. Although the two locations are in different positions heading into 2018, both are definitely worth keeping an eye on.

ECO COURIER Eco Courier is a new bike-powered delivery service in the Region that

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www.princesscafe.ca t: @princess_cafe ig: @theprincesscafe

PATENT SOCIAL Patent Social hasn’t even officially opened their doors yet, yet they’re already creating a buzz on social media. They are touting themselves as a bar and social eatery and although their website doesn’t provide much else, there are bits of info on their Twitter and Instagram accounts about what specific things they’ll be offering. Located on 17 Erb Street East in Waterloo, Patent Social will offer a unique combination of live music, coffee (courtesy of Smile Tiger Coffee Roasters), retro video games, craft cocktails and trivia. And as if that weren’t enough already, they will host comedians Mia Jackson and Landry as part of the KW Comedy Festival in mid-February. It’s hard to judge a venue before getting a chance to try it out, but the buzz is sure starting to seem more and more justified.

FOUR ALL ICE CREAM Four All Ice Cream came out roaring right out of the gate when they opened up in Spring 2017, and there’s no sign of them letting up anytime

TCE POETRY RACHEAL WALSER CONTRIBUTOR

soon. Founded by entrepreneur Ajoa Mintah, the local ice cream producer makes handcrafted ice cream that has proven to be a hit in the Region.

Every month, they change and add new seasonal flavours to their already awesome lineup. For example, to kick things off for the new year, Four All is giving January a breakfast theme, with flavours for each of their four categories: vegan, classic, foodie and childhood. In addition, Four All has made a significant push to play a bigger role in the KW community, particularly with their involvement in various events. Arguably one of their highlights in 2017 was when they participated in Picklefest at THEMUSEUM by creating a pickleflavoured ice cream specifically for the event. Needless to say, that garnered a lot of attention at the event and on social media. It will be interesting (and probably delicious) to see how they continue that momentum into 2018.

MATTER OF TASTE Matter of Taste is one of the Region’s classic cafes and have been open in downtown Kitchener since the early 2000’s. But in 2017, they opened up a location in uptown Waterloo right by the ION light rail station. They are hoping the long-awaited arrival of the LRT will bring people to the doors of the second café, affectionately known as ‘MAT2’. They actually originally opened a second café in uptown Waterloo way in 2008 but had to say good-bye in 2013, so it’ll be interesting to see if the second time is the charm this time around. But you can be sure they’re going to brew up many good times in the process.

JANUARY 2018 // COMMUNITYEDITION.CA

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CELEBRATING

100 YEARS OF BASEBALL

THE KITCHENER PANTHERS ARE TURNING 100 AND THAT’S A WHOLE LOT OF INNINGS

KARLIS WILDE CONTRIBUTOR In 2018, the Intercounty Baseball League — along with the Kitchener Panthers — will celebrate their 100th season.

To commemorate the love of the sport that has fuelled the organization over this past century, a cumulative look at the history of the league is being compiled into a book by John Thompson. The purpose of the book is to celebrate the unusual place in the sporting world that the league represents. Bill Pegg, President of the Kitchener Panthers, refers to it as a “working man’s league.”

“There are eight teams in the league,” said Pegg. “And so each team is going to have a section in the book to tell its story.”

Currently stretching from Kitchener to Barrie, the league has intermittently widened and contracted since its inception between Stratford, Galt, Guelph and Kitchener.

“Those teams had a third or a

half-century almost participation,” said Thompson. “Then there are other teams that had, what I would call a cup of coffee, to use a hockey term, that they were here only for two, three, up to ten or eleven years.”

This is one of the most interesting characteristics of the league and that’s based on how it attracts the talent: most of the players are brought in locally, by a sheer love of the sport.

“You’ve got to have a group of people who are passionate about the game and passionate about the game at that level,” said Pegg. “You’ve got to have, obviously, a core of players that’s changing annually and being supplemented—and you have to have money.”

“In my research I find that … small dynasties and teams will, if they win a championship, there’s a good chance they’re going to repeat, three-peat, four-peat,” said Thompson. “When you go back over the history of the teams that have been around for a long time, obviously they’re going to win more championships in the long run, but no team has won more than 15 of the 99.”

This illustrates the fluctuating talent and values within each team.

“Teams ebb and flow in their quality,” said Pegg. “And that’s just the nature

LINDSAY TOTZKE PHOTO of the way it goes.”

The nature he refers to is a necessity in this kind of environment — with small budgets comes the inability for teams to entice disinterested athletes.

No matter how committed the players are, eventually their natural, aging physical limitations, if not their lives and careers, will put an end to their IBL careers.

Pegg has seen this multiple times in his tenure with the league. Teams tend to build a core of talented players.

But as that core ages, those players eventually leave the league — often in

clusters — in order to get back to their real lives.

While this can be a struggle for teams competitively, Pegg was able to frame that differently to understand the real heart at the center of each player’s commitment.

“These are fellows who are really dedicated to playing the game …” he said. “Which is part of the cache of the league.”

Aside from sections on each team, the book plans to showcase the top 100 personnel who influenced the game — from players to other stake-

holders — through an assortment of materials that are important to the team both practically and historically.

“There are about 40 players who participated in the Intercounty Baseball League who also played Major League Baseball,” said Thompson.

The book will go to press in late January. Its release is set to coincide with a centennial banquet on Feb. 24 in Kitchener.

KARMA: THE RIPENING OF OUR OWN PAST ACTIONS

SEEKER’S CORNER

CHRISTOPHER EMORY-MOORE COLUMNIST On the last Tuesday evening before Christmas, when Waterloo Region’s church yards and shop speakers were flush with tributes to Jesus, a local disciple of Buddha quietly set up shop in a basement meeting room at the Kitchener Public Library to share her teacher’s good news: your mind is like a crystal covered in sludge, but the sludge can be removed.

Kelsang Kunden, resident teacher of Guelph’s Avalokiteshvara Kadampa Buddhist Centre, has been a Buddhist nun for fifteen years in the Tibetan-inspired global Buddhist movement New Kadampa Tradition. Since May, she has been driving from Guelph to Kitchener to offer weekly branch

classes at KPL. Before class on Dec. 19 I asked her why. She laughed and responded, “Good question.”

“Well, they’re drop-in meditation classes, so the aim is that people can find inner peace, not only in the class, but learn the tools to establish it and actually maintain it during their week.”

Kunden offers such tools through a combination of meditation and teaching to anyone who shows up and pays the $12 class fee. Every class consists of two meditations: “a very simple meditation” to let go of distraction at the outset, usually focused on the breath, and another at the end which “involves contemplation and then concentration holding a virtuous, positive mind.”

Each seemed about fifteen minutes long with enough verbal pointers to fend off the worst bouts of mental wandering and sleep.

Two thirds of the 90 minute class consisted of a lecture-style teaching; the aim, as Kunden described to me

beforehand, is to address present suffering (samsara, a.k.a. sludge) and potential happiness (nirvana, a.k.a. crystal): “The teaching is principally based on how we can change our normal way of thinking, so we change our mind from a negative state to a positive state,” Kunden said.

“Normally, we expect others to do that for us, or places, or people, or situations, but we can actually learn to do that ourselves by thinking about people and situations differently, by having a positive perspective on them.”

With her Tibetan name, maroon and saffron robes and shaved head, Kunden is unmistakably Buddhist. I asked her if the classes were, too.

“These are all Buddhist teachings.

But even though they’re Buddhist, these teachings are open for anyone of any background or any experience. So people can come along and enjoy the teachings and take them at whatever level they want, to integrate them into

their own life.”

Seated at the front of the room next to a makeshift table shrine with a small Buddha statue, she guided our group of ten out of the first meditation and through an anecdote-filled teaching that explored the relationship between the practice of patience and the doctrine of karma.

The Buddhist practice of patience, Kunden explained, entails a genuine acceptance of suffering. Without training our mind to patiently accept problems when they arise (which they will), we have no power to maintain our own happiness in the flux of daily life. Instead, we will instinctively react with anger, always thinking: “this should not be happening to me.”

But why not? Kunden pointed out that according to Buddhist teachings on karma (the law of causal actions and experiential effects), a kneejerk aversion to pain is out of touch with the reality of its inner, immaterial causes. She suggested that whenever we experience unpleasant feelings, if

we can remember they are the ripening of our own past actions, or karma, this view counteracts our thoughts of anger which, mistakenly blames other people and situations.

“Karma is a big pill to swallow for a lot of us,” Kunden said.

She insisted that learning to control our own anger is a prerequisite for effectively combatting the anger of others, like when we talk about systemic injustices such as racism, and that believing in karma can be a mighty ally.

After a concluding meditation on the crystal-like purity of our own mind, Kunden sent us on our holiday way equipped with a practice (patience) rooted in a belief (karma) that struck me as a radical call to own my daily pains by learning to identify them as pains I have caused others.

Christopher Emory-Moore is a doctoral candidate in the joint WLU-UW phd in religious studies.

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JANUARY 2018 // COMMUNITYEDITION.CA

IF STREETS COULD TALK: WILLIAMSBURG FRANK PROSPERO CONTRIBUTOR Thirteen years ago, my wife and I decided it was time to purchase a home.

Living in Toronto seemed unattainable and as a University of Waterloo alumnus, my wife was partial to Waterloo.

Plus, it was close to family in Stratford and Kitchener. Soon after we started our search, I was lucky to get hired by a non-profit association in Kitchener.

Since my wife was still working in Toronto, we decided that southwest Kitchener was the place to look.

We had family and friends that showed us established communities.

However, we both thought a fresh start in a new community would work best for our family and meet our needs. We chose Williamsburg, which is situated with Fischer-Hallman Road to the east, Trussler Road to the west, Bleams Road to the south and the 7/8 Expressway to the north.

Williamsburg seemed to be a community that was going to grow and would have that rich diversity we enjoyed so much as Torontonians.

We purchased a new build and took a leap of faith that it would meet all our needs. When we purchased our lot, we could see a few existing homes on our street — Periwinkle Street — and those around us. We were also excited about the community facilities that were newly built or planned, like the schools, shops, parks and trails.

Today, the Williamsburg Community is home to 5,000 households, 17,000 people and a variety of mixed-use housing, commercial and green space.

What makes this community special is the diversity of the people who live here. I have neighbours from Guyana, China and Portugal, just to name a few.

Our community is a mix of couples,

new parents, established families with school-age children, young adults, and older adults that are accessing newly built low-rise condos and long-term care options. In some cases, households are multigenerational.

Families were quick to put up fences around the small backyards you see in Williamsburg, presumably to provide a safe play area for young children and to provide privacy. My wife, who is originally from Prince Edward Island, and I didn’t want a fence. We felt that it would make our small yard look even smaller. Although we are fenced in on two sides, there is no fence between our one neighbour and us, even after 13 years of living here. This creates an even bigger space in our tiny backyards; our yard is often the place to be for the neighbourhood kids to play soccer and have races.

While recently speaking to my neighbours about fenced in yards, some commented that they put them up for a safe play area, but found that their children didn’t want to play in the backyard. They’d rather play in the front yard where they can see all of their friends. In fact, some neighbours are thinking it might be time to take down those fences.

In Williamsburg, despite being a 15+ year established community, we have the challenge of being a somewhat transient community. We have many people moving in for short periods of time to flip homes, or moving here from Toronto, or to find more affordable housing.

Unfortunately they don’t take the time to get to know our community.

Recent statics put the turnover at close to 30 per cent, annually.

On my street, with over 75 mixeduse housing units, we are one of the maybe 12 homeowners that are the original buyers from day one.

We’ve experienced the challenge of disengagement within this transient neighbourhood first-hand.

When we first moved in, my neighbours and I used to put on a street party. We spoke to all the homeowners on our street and got permission to close the entire street for the party.

We had games for the kids, challenges for the adults and all contributed to a potluck. In order to close the street down, you need unanimous permission from every homeowner. This was easy to get in the beginning.

After at five years, we found that many of the new homeowners were surprised to hear of our plans and, in fact, were not interested. At times, it has been difficult to engage people and build up interest in participating in local events like a street party, community festivals or meetings about traffic calming. Our local community association has really helped to build a sense of community in Williamsburg and they do great things within the community with very limited community space. For many years, recreation facilities in this area have been pushed back to accommodate other projects, but the community association has taken a creative approach to programs and services. They utilize all three schools, local churches and the long-term care residence to provide affordable programming within the community, such as pre-school, conversation circle, ballroom dancing, fitness programs, special events and so much more. We can now see more social cohesion within our community and neighbours are once again getting to know and support one another.

I’m glad that my family chose this community to call home and will continue to do so as long as we have great neighbours, schools, businesses and diverse community programming. It’s like a small town within a city where it’s possible to know everybody’s name. All it takes is a friendly “hello.”

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JANUARY 2018 // COMMUNITYEDITION.CA

MATT SMITH PHOTOS

JANUARY 2018 // COMMUNITYEDITION.CA

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MAKING AND MARKETING OUTSIDE OF THE 9-5

LACEY J. HEELS IS PROVIDING LOCAL MAKERS IN KW WITH A COMMUNITY THROUGH THE MAKER’S COLLECTIVE

THE SIDE HUSTLE

CAMERON KLAPWYK COLUMNIST Lacey J. Heels has an infectious laugh. It echoed off the walls of her high-ceilinged, downtown Kitchener apartment as her dog Sidney, a rambunctious boxer, greeted me at the door with wet kisses.

“I’m a small-town girl from up north: Midland, Ontario,” Heels said.

“I grew up around the water with lots of nature and lots of animals.”

“I came to Kitchener Waterloo in 2008 for school, but then I fell in love with this place so here we are, almost 10 years later.”

After graduating from Wilfrid Laurier University, Heels spent several years working with KW startups and then several more quickly climbing the ladder in the marketing agency world. In late 2016, she realized that she had a deep desire to strike out on her own.

“I was unhappy for a long time,” Heels said. “And that was a lesson to learn, for sure … “Put in your time,” is what we’ve been told as we’re coming up. And it’s true in a lot of ways, but I suffered. It was not good for my spirit.”

But it was in these challenges that Heels began to seize new opportunities.

“During that time I started to do things that I loved on my off-time.

I would take on jobs and freelance

projects that I liked to do with clients that I really enjoyed. I understood then that I wanted full creative control and wanted my client work to be partnership. And I also paint, so that was always a really good outlet for me.”

The wall behind the kitchen table in Heels’ apartment is adorned with one of her paintings. It is an abstract piece of textured turquoise, white and gold. The elemental swirls are reminiscent of a distant overhead shot of a tropical ocean scene.

In 2017, Heels completed nearly 100 paintings.

“In the five years prior I had done 88 in total,” she said.

Through local art shows and a popular Instagram account, Heels has become a recognized name in the local arts community.

Accompanying Heels’ creative explosion was the launch of LJH Creative, her own freelance marketing consultancy.

Though the switch to full-time solo work was initially exciting and liberating, the novelty quickly wore off.

“It was really hard, that transition,” she said. “I wasn’t seeing people every day. And that was the missing link for me. And it was winter, a classic Canadian winter, and so I was hibernating quite a bit in my house.”

Out of that season of hibernation her newest endeavor, The Maker’s Collective, was born.

“The Maker’s Collective actually happened out of a need of my own. When I quit my corporate job [I developed] this unhappy, lonely feeling … You realize you

Lacey J. Heels launched the Maker’s Collective website in December 2016. NICK STANLEY PHOTO need to surround yourself with other entrepreneurs who also get it and are doing the same things and facing the same challenges,” she said. “So for me, I was looking for a community of creative types, entrepreneurs, people who are likeminded and hard-workers, and fun, and enjoy life.”

Heels explained that most of the maker’s groups in KW were niche groups, like groups exclusively for photography, or knitting, or quilting.

“Although I identified a little bit

with a lot of those groups, I wanted something that could connect multidisciplinary creatives in one space so that we could connect and help each other,” Heels said.

“That’s kind of why the Maker’s Collective came to be. I needed a community of makers, entrepreneurs and creatives that I could connect with and build relationships with so that we could help each other on this crazy journey.”

In December of 2016, Heels

launched the Maker’s Collective website. In late 2017 she began dreaming up the Makers Co. podcast with fellow creative, Laura Hart, a project manager at a design agency with her own side hustle as a style coach. She hopes to be releasing regular episodes throughout 2018.

Lacey J. Heels is certainly embracing it all and we are excited to share in her journey, wherever it takes her.

NEW TUNE REVIEW

TO DWELL IN YOUR HEART Album: My Heart Artist: Ambre McLean Released: November 24, 2017 Link: ambremclean.bandcamp.com/ album/my-heart Her 5th studio album, My Heart feels like Ambre McLean asking us, earnestly, to keep a deep secret.

This album pulls you aside to have that heart-to-heart with yourself that you’ve been avoiding. It never gets ahead of itself, as McLean spins you stories of love lost and unrequited: “There is a hole in Nicole’s heart / Like nothing that I’ve ever seen / And the only sound that resounds in the dark / Is the one that reminds her to breathe.”

The arrangement is sparse, with lots of room to reflect. That said, it’s not an acoustic album in the traditional sense. Tracks like “Sad Day” and “Fall Away” embrace looping vocal effects to stretch and bend the melody to a more sombre tone.

Big, open and and airy, McLean’s voice is also cut with something more

gritty, a sandpaper drawl that recalls Melissa McLelland circa 2009.

McLean changes up the instrumentation from song to song, bringing in bells, piano, banjo, violin and organ — just not all at once.

It’s this restraint that pulls you in to listen more intently. McLean’s vibrato holds just a touch longer that is comfortable against an echoey emptiness.

On the whole, it’s a dark album.

Though there is one truly joyful song on the record (I won’t say which one), it’s quickly chased by more melancholy.

In My Heart, McLean is not trying to solve the riddle of love or show us a way through the pain. Instead, she opens a window to dwell with your heart, no matter what shape it’s in.

- Sam Nabi

JANUARY 2018 // @THECOMMUNITYED

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ARTS & CULTURE EVENT LISTINGS THURSDAY, JANUARY 11 DECOLONIZATON AND BECOMING AN EFFECTIVE ALLY KWAG

Dr. Terri-Lynn Brennan will be speaking at KWAG’s event to create dialogue in the ongoing history and legacy of Indigenous identities. Visit KWAG.ca for more information.

Talk • $20 + tax • 7pm

FRIDAY, JANUARY 12 NEW YEAR, NEW YOU! TORY TALKS NUTRITION AND MEAL PREPPING SUPPERWORKS

Promised yourself you’d be more on top of things this year? That you wouldn’t just eat a sad granola bar for lunch? Local athlete Tory Jones will guide attendees through the steps in meal prepping and prepare six entrees to take home.

Registration needed.

Cooking • $228-$238 • 6pm

AT MY TABLE IDEA EXCHANGE, CAMBRIDGE

As part of the At My Table series, local chefs display innovative and Canadian products for the modern cook, including an eco-section to promote having sustainable cooking methods. Attendees will also be able to see a display of the history of cooking products used in the past.

Exhibit • Free • 12pm-5pm

DAVE ALLEN HOUSE CONCERT KYLE’S PLACE, CAMBRIDGE

If you’re into crashing a house party and listening to some local music, then this is the closest event you’ll get. Dave Allen invites you to an intimate house show at Kyle’s Place in Waterloo to listen to his new music. Tickets are limited. Visit sidedooraccess.com to purchase tickets and for more information on the location.

Music • $20 + tax • 7pm-10pm

SATURDAY, JANUARY 13 INTRODUCTORY BLACKSMITHING TWO SMITHS

THURSDAY, JANUARY 18 BEARS. BEATS. THE OFFICE TRIVIA NIGHT CHAINSAW

It’s almost as exciting as Pretzel Day. We’re hosting a fundraising trivia night to keep this great paper in your hands — and what better way than to celebrate our favourite paper distributor. Show up early to get a spot ... we don’t want to brag, but people were standing at our last trivia night. Who wants to stand and do trivia? No one, that’s who.

Fun • $3 • 7pm-9pm

SECRET POP UP RESTAURANT THE EVENT FIRM

The Event Firm is starting the new year with a secret pop-up restaurant in Waterloo, with dishes created by local chefs. Everyone loves a secret — despite popular belief, secrets do make friends. Check online for more information about the location and dishes.

Food • $75 • 6pm-9pm

FRIDAY, JANUARY 19 CLITERATURE 2018 VICTORIA PARK PAVILION

Cliterature is back for its 14th year.

This event celebrates women’s sexuality through erotic readings, live music and dance, with 25 performers. The event spans until January 21. Visit cliterature.ca for more information on registering.

Art • $18-$30 • 7:30pm-1am

SATURDAY, JANUARY 20 WOMEN’S MARCH CANADA KITCHENER CITY HALL

The Waterloo Region is participating in the annual Women’s March Canada. The event is to promote positivity, safety and beliefs in the rights of women and girls. Creative posters and chants are invited, but are also advised to be kept respectful. Because what’s a march if it isn’t respectful? Taylor Swift will (probably) not be making an appearance. Free coffee will be on site — it’s still darn cold.

Community • Free • 10am-1pm

Inspired by our feature last month?

Attendees will be taught forging techniques that will help them to produce a toasting fork and door handle at this blacksmithing class. No previous experience in metalworking is necessary. Cost will cover the materials and safety equipment that will be provided.

Skills • $380 • 9am-5:30pm

SUNDAY, JANUARY 14 THE ACHROMATICS THE JAZZ ROOM

Known for their upbeat Latin and soul music, the Achromatics are coming to the Jazz Room for a matinee performance. This Canadian nine-person ensemble has a range of R&B, jazz, blues, and funk.

Music • $20 general • 4pm-7pm

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 17 CITY GARDENS AS HABITAT KPL - MEETING ROOM C Join the discussion of the ecology effects of city gardens and how to structure and plant a garden to create better habitat.

TUESDAY, JANUARY 23 MAKE-UP MAKING SETTLEMENT CO. Make up is great — even if it is just weird mud we put on our faces. Join The EcoWell and learn how to make your own perfume, lipstick and facial powder using all-natural products. There will also be discussions on sustainability and common makeup ingredients. Price includes products and a take-home recipe booklet.

THURSDAY, JANUARY 25 VENUS IN FUR KW LITTLE THEATRE

The first of nine performances for KWLT’s latest production, Venus in Fur, based on the classic erotic novel, Venus in Furs. Visit kwlt.org for more information about tickets and how to support local theatre.

Theatre • $15 - $20 • 8pm-11pm

SEASONAL DOCUMENTARY: WINTER PRINCESS TWIN CINEMA

Heal (2017), will be featured as part of the KW Professional Organizers third annual event, where films are chosen to promote thoughtprovoking conversation with its viewers. There will be a Q&A at the end of the film. Tickets are first come, first served.

Film • $10 • 6:30pm-8:30pm

FRIDAY, JANUARY 26 MANIFESTATIONS OF RACISM IN STEM WPIRG

University of Waterloo teaching staff and Waterloo Region-based speakers will take part in a panel to address how racism is present in STEM fields (Science, technology, engineering, math) from their personal experiences. This talk is part of WPIRG’s “Getting Organized: Tools for Resisting Racism and White Supremacy” conference. Visit wpirg.org for more information.

Talk • Free • 5:30pm-6:30pm

SATURDAY, JANUARY 27 BREAD MAKING 101 WATERLOO REGION MUSEUM AND DOON HERITAGE VILLAGE

This workshop promises to help your baking “rise to the occasion” as instructors walk you through the fundamentals of bread making.

We’re guessing that you can eat the bread after you bake it, which is insentive enough to go to this workshop. Butter sure as hell better be included.

Baking • $30 • 10am-3pm

SUNDAY, JANUARY 28 WATERLOO REGION COMMEMORATES QUEBEC MOSQUE SHOOTING KITCHENER CITY HALL As hosted by the Hate Crimes Project - Coalition of Muslim Women, the community will gather to remember the six Muslim people who were murdered at the Quebec Mosque shooting one year ago.

Remembrace • Free • 3pm-4pm

Fun • $30 • 4pm-8pm

THURSDAY, JANUARY 25 CHALLENGING RACISM IN HIGHER EDUCATION WPIRG

Wilfrid Laurier’s Diversity and Equity Office Director will be speaking at the University of Waterloo as part of WPIRG’s “Getting Organized: Tools for Resisting Racism and White Supremacy” conference, which will be taking place that weekend. Visit wpirg.org.

Talk • Free • 6pm-8pm

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 31 VEGETARIAN THAI COOKING CLASS KITCHENER FARMERS MARKET

If you love Thai food and are interested in meatless meals, this cooking class sounds like your jam because who needs thai take out when you can recreate your favourite meals in your own house?

The cost of this event includes a recipe and food prepared during the class.

Cooking • $49 • 6:30pm-8:30pm

Talk • Free • 7pm-8:30pm

COMMUNITYEDITION.CA @THECOMMUNITYED

JANUARY 2018 // @THECOMMUNITYED

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MATT SMITH PHOTOS

CARL ZEHR SQUARE REVAMP IS UNDERWAY

THE SQUARE’S FACELIFT IS MORE THAN JUST A CONSTRUCTION PROJECT. IT’S A STRENGTHENING OF COMMUNITY.

KAITLYN SEVERIN CONTRIBUTOR If you’re at all invested in the Kitchener Waterloo community, it is almost certain you have stepped foot onto Carl Zehr Square at one point in time. As a recognizable community landmark, Carl Zehr Square acts as downtown Kitchener’s central point.

Kitchener City Hall opened in 1993 after a national design competition was awarded to Kuwabara Payne McKenna Blumberg Architects, a Canadian architecture firm. For the first 21 years of its existence, the space was called Civic Square, but on Dec. 1, 2014 was renamed to Carl Zehr Square, in honour of Kitchener’s longest serving mayor Carl Zehr, who served from 1997 to 2014.

From the time it opened to the public, Kitchener City Hall featured a large open square with a fountain, as well as a widely popular ice rink visible to traffic running down King Street. According to the City Hall Outdoor Spaces Master Plan, the exterior spaces were intended for community members to gather around and allowed for a variety of activities and events to take place.

For a quarter of a century, the space has lived up to its original purpose and is still a beloved spot for permanent residences and guests of the community.

While the square has seen its high share of happy celebrations, events and shows, such as when Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was named the official keg tapper at the 2016 Kitchener Waterloo Oktoberfest Official Opening Ceremonies. However, the space has also witnessed local and external communities gather around to meet, grieve and remember. A prayer and solidarity vigil for the victims of a shooting at a Quebec City mosque last year on Jan. 29, was held in the Square. Through celebrations and grievances, the space has been one where all members and guests of the Region can come together and know, in such comfort, that a place such as this can exist.

With so much use of the Square, elements of the popular space began to grow old and withered with each event that was held there. In 2016, the City of Kitchener saw the need for repairs to elements of the Square, such as the concrete paving and the roof of the parking garage.

Currently, there are cracks in the concrete and drainage issues with the Square’s fountain. This became an opportunity for the City of Kitchener to review how the Square was being used for the community and identify any changes that were needed to support future events that were to be hosted in the space.

Earlier in December, it was announced by Kitchener Mayor Berry Vrbanovic and the City of Kitchener that Carl Zehr Square is preparing for a long-awaited facelift and receiving the critical repairs it needs to host the annual and recent programming it sees every year.

According to 570 News, the vision of the new and improved Square will feature a shallow pool with water jets for kids to play in as the summer months arrive and the fountain will have an easier transition to a gathering area, among other plans for renovation.

The project, which is set to take place in 2019, is estimated to cost approximately $5.7 million.

According to Vrbanovic, money for the project is set to be worked out in upcoming budget years, as well assisted support from infrastructure funds in both the Ontario and Canadian governments.

Jeff Young, manager of special events for the City of Kitchener, believes the renovations to the Square are more inclusive of future events and gatherings and therefore will enhance the overall experience for all audiences to the space.

Along with facelifts coming to the fountain, concrete and parking garage, the concrete stage, which sits currently at a 90-degree angle, will be turned onto a 45-degree angle towards King Street and Gaukel Street to hold a larger audience.

“It just provides a much wider viewing area for the guests at the shows, so the sight lines will be far better with the new design on the Square,” said Young.

In the last 10 to 12 years, attendance at events held at Carl Zehr Sqaure has increased over 30 per cent and from 2011 to 2016, the number of events have doubled.

In 2015, 100 events were held and there are no signs of decrease. The Kitchener Blues Festival will see around 100,000 guests over its four-

day time period and over 10,000 guests attend Kitchener’s Rock and Rumble festival, a recently popular summer event which is nearing its seventh year of production.

“Those are just some of the big events that go on in the Square and really, what it does is give us is a far more reusable space on the event site so it won’t feel as disconnected because it will really flow from inside City Hall, onto Carl Zehr Square, and right onto King Street,” Young explained. “It’ll be one nice smooth flowing event footprint for the guests when they come in.”

During the construction season, which Vrbanaovic said will take two construction seasons, annual events held at the Square will relocate.

According to Young, once the construction schedule is finalized, programming may have to move out onto King Street, Victoria Park or around City Hall.

“It’s hypothetical right now and we have to wait to see what those construction plans are and how they’ll impact events and then we’ll make a decision from there.”

As the special events manager for over seven years, Young has his share of favourable events that he and the Kitchener Special Events team have organized over his career.

Hockeytown, an event held in March where tyke players from the Kitchener Minor Hockey League play at the Square’s outdoor skating rink for a chance to win the Mayor’s Cup, is a small but extraordinary event that stands out for Young.

“It’s not a huge event. We usually get a few thousand people out there, but it’s a completely different

audience, you’re getting a lot of young kids who are coming out and able to experience City Hall in a completely different way than they may in the summer,” he said.

The Kitchener Summer Lights festival kicks off the summer season with programming held at the Square and King Street from 8:00 p.m. to early morning, and what follows are eccentric and annual must-see local summertime events, such as Canada Day, Rock and Rumble, Cruising on King and the Blues Festival.

Later in the year, the Square will host the opening ceremonies for Oktoberfest, the annual Christkindl Market, and finally, will end the year with the official Kitchener New Year’s Eve celebrations.

“We really try to have programming throughout the year onto the Square and take advantage of all the seasons, and we’ve done a pretty good job of that with the winter programming all the way into the summer,” Young said.

With 2017 New Years Eve passing and with renovation plans slowly coming into play, Carl Zehr Square is set to become the popular hub for a new generation of event planners, artists, local business owners and residents of KW. “It’s only going to get better with the renovations,” Young said. “It really allows us the opportunity to expand that footprint and provide more activation spaces for the guests when they come to the events.”