The Community Edition: March 2018

VOLUME 6, ISSUE 6 • MARCH 2018

PRESERVING THE COUNTRYSIDE PAGES 6-7 LINE

A LOOK INTO OPEN SESAME

NEW OWNER’S OF A NOT-SONEW DTK STORE

TROPIC LIKE IT’S HOT

PAGE 4

PAGE 8-9

PAGE 16

MARCH 2018 // @THECOMMUNITYED

IN THIS

ISSUE

VOLUME 6, ISSUE 6

MARCH 2018

2

FEATURE

8-9 FULL CIRCLE FOODS: NEW KIDS ON THE OLD BLOCK

EDITOR’S PICK 4

THE FACE BEHIND OPEN SESAME

3 4 5 5 6 10 10 11 12 12 13 14 14 15 16

IN BRIEF CIGI CELEBRATES WOMEN IN TECH SASC WELCOMES ANTI-HUMAN TRAFFICKING PROGRAM KW HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT PETITIONS GOVERNMENT PRESERVING THE COUNTRYSIDE LINE RFB DEVELOPMENTS: KEEPING THE OLD & THE NEW EASY BEING GREEN: RANGE ANXIETY OUR INK, OUR STORIES: A SON’S DRAWINGS THE SIDE HUSTLE: WHITE CAP CO. SEXPLANATIONS: MEANINGFUL WORK TCE FICTION: A CITY BY THE SEA WR & HOWE: RETHINKING TRANSPORTATION DTK GETS COLOURFUL WITH RAINBOW CROSSWALK OONA MOON // EVENT LISTINGS GROWING BANANAS IN ... WR??

INSIDE

CLASSIFIED AD

MODEL RAILROAD LAYOUT TOUR SATURDAY MARCH 24, 2018 The Doubleheaders MRC invite you to take part in our 35th Annual Layout Tour. Registration is at The Hespeler Arena, 640 Ellis Rd. West, Cambridge, from 9 am - 3 pm, just north of Townline Rd. and hwy. 401.

Entry is $8 for adults and $5 for kids 12 and under.

The 30 club and private layouts, most of which are open 9 am - 9 pm, are spread from Wellesley to Guelph and Waterloo to Cambridge, and include all scales from N (1:160) to G (1:25).

After registration, Layout Tours, like garden tours, allow you get to visit your choice of residential and club layouts, where your hosts operate their models and answer your questions.

Unfortunately most of our locations are not accessible.

Alternatively, guides will be available in Kitchener at Grand River Hobbies, Courtland at the Expressway: www.grandriverhobbies.com or 519-745-6630, just prior to and on tour day.

For more details, go to www.doubleheaders.org or contact dhtour@gmail.com or 519-571-7853

COVER BY PAIGE BUSH

Volume 6, Issue 6 Next issue: April 4, 2018 75 University Ave. W Waterloo, ON N2L 3C5 519-884-0710 x3564

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

THE COMMUNITY EDITION TEAM

WLUSP ADMINISTRATION

Editor in Chief Beth Bowles beth@communityedition.ca

President Andreas Patsiaouros

Publisher Lakyn Barton lakyn.barton@wlusp.com Assistant Editor Ramona Leitao Social Media Coordinator Brittany Kovacs Web Manager Care Lucas Photo Editor Nick Stanley Photo Editor Paige Bush General Inquiries info@communityedition.ca

Executive Director Lakyn Barton Advertising Manager Care Lucas

CONTRIBUTORS Katy Belshaw Alexandra Bissley Stacey Danckert James Howe Stacey Jacobs Nicole Langlois Monica Lee Sam Nabi Dylan Siebert Kaitlyn Severin Cara Vandermey Karlis Wilde Nancy Xiao

Treasurer John Pehar Vice-Chair Lisa Irimescu Directors Benjamin Cooke Rosalind Horne Alan Li Noa Salamon H.G. Watson 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.

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IN BRIEF

Niara van Gaalen is the organizer behind a petition to create Canadian Nature Bonds. Read more on page 5.

NICK STANLEY PHOTO

Local tropical fruit? It’s B-A-N-A-N-A-S. Read more on page 16.

(Just to clarify, the photo above is of a guava tree. Banana puns are just more fun. We promise there are bananas in the article.)

BETH BOWLES PHOTO

NEWS

ARTS

URBAN

SAFE INJECTION SITES ADVISED

CELEBRATING WOMEN IN TECH

SUSTAINABILITY OFFICE FOR KW

A study documented in a Waterloo Region report recommends creating at least three safe injection sites to prevent public drug use, overdose deaths and the spread of HIV and hepatitis. The report also recommends the possibility of setting up a mobile unit. Regional councillors saw the report Feb. 27 and plan on scheduling a March meeting for public input.

In honour of International Women’s Day on March 8, the Centre for International Governance Innovation is hosting an event, Celebrating Women of Influence in Tech. The event aims to find out how local women are influencing the future and how society can continue supporting that. Visit cigionline.org for more information on how to get tickets or stream the event online.

The first of its kind, the city of Kitchener has created a sustainability office to implement environment initiatives. Claire Bennet, the sustainability officer, plans on taking part in the city’s corporate climate action plan, and create new policies that will help Kitchener reach its greenhouse gas reduction target of eight per cent below 2015 levels by 2026.

ARVATO ADDS 500 HEDLEY CONCERT JOBS IN WATERLOO CONTINUES ON

A NEW HOSPICE IN WATERLOO

International client services company Arvato will be expanding and providing more than 500 jobs in the Waterloo Innovation Park.

The expansion will produce roles such as managers, workforce specialists, support staff in customer service, reporting, administrative, training, IT, human resources and recruiting. Arvato will be recruiting new employees later on this year and in 2019.

Despite the allegations of sexual misconduct from Canadian band Hedley, the city of Kitchener has approved the band’s concert at the Aud on March. 10. Kitchener city communications representative Colleen Collins told CBC News that the city has been monitoring the situation but also has a contract with events promoter and venue operator Live Nation, which the city “intends to honour.”

The Ontario government is providing $2 million to build a new hospice in North Waterloo.

Construction will begin in spring 2018 and is expected to open in summer 2019. In addition to the $2 million provided, the province will also provide $1 million in annual operating funding for nursing and personal support services.

Donations will be required to cover the remaining operating costs.

FUNDRAISING FOR KW SYRIA UNITED

CASTING CALL FOR DIRECTORS

ST. PATTY’S PARTY RULES REVAMPED

The Grand River Soccer Club are rallying to support the KW Syria United soccer team in raising $3000 to play in the 2018 season.

The team was initially able to play in 2017 with the support of Reception House Waterloo Region, but now needs more funding to cover lease fees, jerseys and other team expenses. Visit grandriverunion.ca for more donating information.

Kitchener Waterloo Little Theatre is looking for directors to participate in Playground, a festival of new theatre.

Playground and will combine both new and experienced directors and playwrights to create new works, such as readings, workshops and productions. View kwlt.org for more information.

In an attempt to deter St. Patrick Day parties on Ezra St, Waterloo city council approved a new bylaw that would fine party hosts who had their parties on sidewalks or roads of their neighbourhood.

While the costs haven’t been specified, they can include the costs of the time that authorities take to shut down a party, cleaning up a party or damages.

KW MAN WINS CASH FOR LIFE

STEEL RAILS 2018 IS B-A-C-K

PRINCESS CINEMAS PLANS EXPANSION

Edmond George of Kitchener is the winner of Cash For Life, and has opted for a lump sum of $675,000 opposed to $1,000 a week. After taking a poll in our office, we at TCE conclude that we would have taken the $1,000 a week because that’s a slow trickle of a lot of Ethel’s tacos.

The winning ticket was sold at the Little Short Stop on Kingsway Drive. Don’t all go at once.

Yes, this is a plug to our own event, and yes, we are judging you if you’ve never heard of this weird mysterious art party. We’re still in the planning stages, which means we want to hear from local artists.

If you or someone you know has any ideas for quirky and inventive interactive art installations, please email info@communityedition.ca to get involved!

John and Wendy Tutt, owners of Princess Cinemas and Princess Twin in uptown Waterloo, have recently purchased the Playhouse Theatre near Barton Street East in Hamilton. The theatre, believed to have opened its doors in 1913, was bought by the Tutts from City Kidz charity for $630,000. The Tutts are currently rennovating the space before opening.

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NICK STANLEY PHOTO

OPENING THE DOORS TO KITCHENER CULTURE ALEXANDRA BISSLEY CONTRIBUTOR Open Sesame’s owner, Lauren Weinberg, did more than just open an art store. Though the shop has been open for only two and a half years, it’s hard to imagine what downtown Kitchener would be without it now; the book store/ art gallery/zine library/music venue/ event space has quickly become a cultural hub in the downtown core and a voice for social justice in Waterloo Region.

With a feminist, progressive mission, Open Sesame is a source of books, publications, household objects, art and events that might struggle to find exposure and audiences otherwise. Weinberg and her team – exhibit curator Sarah Kernohan, along with JoJo Worthington, Elsa Ruck, Candy Young and Graeme Ruck – are intentional about filling a gap in the Region’s art, music and

literary communities by offering an accessible space for a variety of different events (live music to Wikipedia Edit-aThons to poetry and literary readings), and by welcoming and encouraging works and submissions from local and under-represented artists.

“I would really love to be more inclusive, in our exhibition program, in the merchandise we carry, so anyone is welcome to talk to us if they have books or art or whatever it is they want to share, but we are especially eager to have things by artists from marginalized groups,” Weinberg said.

An America expat settled in Kitchener-Waterloo for the past four years, Weinberg’s dedication to an inclusive, accessible space and inventory seems to stem, in-part, from her own learnings about her new home. Moving to Canada, she said, she was surprised to find that Canadians don’t really like to talk about the huge problems like racism, sexism, homophobia, economic inequality — among others — that still totally pervade our communities — at which point in our interview I laughed because, uh, yup.

“Thinking of my own experience in developing a sense of social justice and the desire to see a better world,” she said, “it’s all from reading, from seeing art exhibitions, from learning about something from someone else’s point of view.”

“I guess I am always trying to read and educate myself about these issues, as a newcomer and a settler, and I wanted to have books and publications that would let people do the same,” she said.

“I want Open Sesame to be a place where people can learn about these issues and talk about these issues and, hopefully, promote more tolerant perspectives.”

If you haven’t already, check out the current exhibition by Kitchener-based artist Robert Achtemichuk at 220 King Street West in Kitchener; scope their upcoming events on their Facebook page, fist-pump your way through their Twitter feed, or support them with your online consumer power.

When it comes to her own responsibility as a community member and small-business owner, Weinberg strives not to settle just for marketplace feminism and social justice (i.e. wearing your activism), and makes a real effort to take action. She cites the “Future is Female” shirts that Open Sesame carries and frequently re-stocks: she has committed a percentage of the proceeds from the shirts to donate to the SHORE Centre.

The store was also an official co-host of this year’s Women’s March where they provided free hot apple cider and doughnuts to participants. 100 per cent of the proceeds from their sales that day went to the Sexual Assault Support Centre of Waterloo Region’s Male Allies Program.

“Literally every dollar counts,” Weinberg said, in the context of small business ownership.

Corporations like Amazon and Walmart drive down how much people are willing to spend on anything, the effects of which primarily trickles down to small businesses (see: the empty storefronts littering up and downtown), but the value of supporting local small

businesses is magnified when, as in Open Sesame’s case, they are also giving money back to the community, supporting local artists (the store carriers works from a number of University of Waterloo Master of Fine Arts grads, for example) and holding space for important voices and conversations that might not otherwise be getting much airtime.

Weinberg is grateful for the support that Open Sesame has received, but also acknowledges that Kitchener-Waterloo could be doing a lot more to support the arts more generally. She questions the Region’s obsession with STEM (science, technology, engineering and math), and what it means for our economy, noting several studies that demonstrate the arts’ importance for the long-term economic health of a community.

“By focusing exclusively on tech, which it seems [the City] is, you are not making this a city where everyone’s going to want to live,” she said.

Supporting the arts isn’t all about economics, though. For Weinberg, art offers something more, something that isn’t necessarily quantifiable. Art builds empathy.

leadership experience to the Ladies Do Launch network to provide a community of women in space leadership roles to mentor and inspire multigenerational women in the field throughout their careers.

Aganaba-Jeanty’s focus on the panel is on inclusivity and the space industry, an extremely relevant tech topic today after the achievement of Elon Musk’s Space X achievement and the growing benefits of the space industry. According to Aganaba-Jeanty, the space industry

CIGI is located uptown, at Erb and Caroline. RAMONA LEITAO PHOTO ited amount of role models and mentors should be about inclusivity: including everyone, as space affects everyone, and in these fields,” she said.

“After their studies or breaking in involving women in the space industry beyond support roles. She will also these fields, they see less advancement and poor mentorship to move past a focus on the retention of women in the STEM by providing a network of women strong sense [of] imposter syndrome. I in leadership roles to younger female want these young women to see women in leadership roles who will show them generations. that they can take risks without every“When I went to the Waterloo Women event at the University of Waterloo, thing crashing down.” there were female graduate students in STEM who did not see how they could move up simply because there are a lim-

CIGI CELEBRATES WOMEN IN TECH EVENT TO CELEBRATE INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY FOCUSES ON CHANGING TECH ROLES

MONICA LEE CONTRIBUTOR On March 8, Waterloo Region and its thriving tech community will be celebrating International Women’s day with a spotlight on how some of the Region’s most influential women are shaping the tech sphere. The sold out event, entitled Celebrating Women of Influence in Tech, will be hosted by CIGI and will involve a discussion panel that focuses on how women in KW are shaping the future of tech, and how to support incoming generations in creating positive change in technology focused roles.

In today’s uncertain political and economic climate, celebrating women in leadership roles and the discussion of mentoring women to feel more confident reaching such roles, is a theme that the panel hopes to emulate.

“It started as Vidyard’s idea to celebrate International Women’s Day in

the KW Region and it really became a community initiative because we are such a tech based region and we wanted to celebrate the women who help make that happen,” Amanda da Silva, the moderator of the panel remarked.

The event will include Hillary Hartley, Jessica McElhone, Christine Tutssel and Dr. Timiebi Aganaba-Jeanty. These panel members all come from multiple sectors of the tech industry such as government, tech markets, strategy and academia.

The representation and experiences of the panel members reflect KW’s vibrant and diverse leaders in all areas of the tech industry. Aganaba-Jeanty, a post-doctoral fellow with CIGI’s International Law Program, is the only academic on the panel with previous experience at the Nigerian Space Agency and the executive director of the World Space Week Association. Aganaba-Jeanty’s satellite and climate change research, as well as her work for the Ladies Do Launch network, is vital in connecting the local community and the wider global technology today.

Aganaba-Jeanty wants to bring her

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NEW ROLE DEVOTED TO COMBAT HUMAN TRAFFICKING IN WATERLOO REGION, THE MOST COMMON AGE OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING VICTIMS ARE 12 AND 13

BETH BOWLES EDITOR IN CHIEF On Jan. 2, the Sexual Assault Support Centre of Waterloo Region welcomed Nicky Carswell to the team to lead a brand new program: the anti-human trafficking program.

Carswell, who previously worked at Haven House as a residential support worker in domestic violence, holds a masters of social work from University of Waterloo (Renison) and a certificate in trauma studies from Wilfrid Laurier University.

These experiences, plus an interest in program development, encouraged Carswell to apply for the role.

“When I worked in domestic violence, a lot of the women that I worked with were being exploited sexually and just weren’t aware of it, so I was doing a lot of safety work and work with them and figuring that out,” she said.

“So the fact that this job allowed me to develop a program and work with a population that I really care about was a good fit for me.”

Human trafficking, while it can be a broad term, generally refers to taking advantage of someone, by using force, or coercion, or blackmail. Despite the dramatized version of human trafficking that we sometimes see in movies, it

doesn’t always involve transporting people from country to country. In fact, human trafficking looks quite different in Canada.

“When I ask people what they think of human trafficking, they do picture borders and crates and ships and people being transported country to country, when actually in Canada, it’s more of a domestic issue, with 70 per cent of it taking place here, in Ontario,” Carswell said.

Ontario is actually acting as a hub for human trafficking, because movement within the province is so easy with the 401 and the QEW. It’s easy to travel undetected. While statistics are still being compiled, in 2015 there were 27 incidents of trafficking reported in Waterloo Region. 26 of which involved sexual exploitation.

“The most common [method in Canada] is the boyfriend effect. And that is a pimp, who is posing as a boyfriend, gaining trust over a really vulnerable girl, and taking advantage of her and coercing her into doing things she’s not comfortable with. By the time she realizes that this isn’t a relationship, this is a game, there is no safe option for her to exit,” Carswell explained.

Human trafficking in Ontario is currently growing faster than most drug crimes.

Carswell explained that trafficking in Ontario often begins on the internet, on sites such as Facebook or Craigslist, where men often contact vulnerable women and girls who openly share personal stories on social media. They use social

media to gain trust, and then that trust can move into a relationship.

It’s different from sex work because in sex work, the worker is usually able to exit without the fear of violence; they control their work environment, their money, their business--they have the choice that victims of human trafficking do not. Human trafficking uses fear or violence to impact the victims ability to exit. 93 per cent of trafficking victims are women and girls and the majority of traffickers are men; members of the LGBTQ+ community are also an at risk group.

When Carswell first started to develop the program, she developed it for ages 14 and up. In Waterloo Region, however, the most common age of human trafficking victims are 12 and 13.

As a result, Carswell is making the program more accessible to that demographic. She has started ongoing programming with oneROOF Youth Services, as young people who experience homelessness are also at risk to be victims of human trafficking.

“I’m so flexible; I will meet with people at coffee shops, at restaurants, out in the community, at school, and just have a conversation and see if I can start planting some of the safety seeds,” she said.

The program will provide wrap-around services for those who experience, are at risk of experiencing, or have exited sexual exploitation. It’s free and confidential, regardless of

NICK STANLEY PHOTO

HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT RAISES CLIMATE CHANGE AWARENESS NICOLE LANGLOIS CONTRIBUTOR Just as teenagers in the United States rise up as a powerful force against gun control, a Kitchener teenager has launched a political action to address a crisis of another kind: climate change.

Niara van Gaalen, a 17-year-

old student at Cameron Heights Collegiate Institute, is the mover behind a petition to the federal government that would see the creation of Nature Bonds, a financial instrument to allow ordinary Canadians to bankroll the government’s efforts to transition to an economy of net-zero carbon by 2024 and to protect 90 per cent of the country’s land and aquatic area as a permanent natural reserve.

Like war bonds (sometimes known as victory bonds) created by the Canadian government during the First and Second World Wars to

raise funds for the massive costs of going to war, Nature Bonds would be an alternative financial investment — essentially, loans issued to the government through purchase of the bonds and repaid with interest after a set number of years.

“Right now there is no way to raise money that allows the public to participate directly, and I think if people are able to invest money in their own communities, and see the change that it brings, that’s a much better way to involve them than simply having the government spend [our tax dollars],” said van Gaalen.

immigration status. Short and long term counselling is available, along with advocacy and support, individual safety planning, assistance with finding housing, public education and outreach, among many other services that can be found online.

Although Carswell has only been in her position for two months, she already has clear goals for her future with SASC. “I’d like to see an expansion of this program,” she said, “and I’d like to see a lot of partnerships with the community partners. I want everybody on the same page, working together to combat human trafficking. And I want to see the numbers plummet.”

But her push for Nature Bonds is about more than involving people in the democratic process; it’s also about meeting what van Gaalen sees as the urgent need for more money to be spent on addressing climate change solutions. Referring to Canada’s much-lauded commitment to keeping global temperature increases to no more than 2 degrees Celsius over preindustrial levels, through its signing of the 2015 Paris Agreement, van Gaalen said, “The amount of money the government is spending right now is far from sufficient, and though it’s more than the previous government invested, it simply won’t suffice for the changes we need to see.”

Raj Saini, MP for Kitchener Centre and the official sponsor of van Gaalen’s petition, has high praise for the teenager’s ambitious proposal.

“I’m a huge fan of Niara. I think she’s a rising star. In August 2016, when a climate policy conversation was held at Kitchener City Hall, she made a fantastic speech and really impressed me. I wanted to support her in her advocacy.”

Saini believes the petition is an important conversation starter, even if some of the petition’s goals (such as preserving 90 per cent of Canada’s land and water as a permanent natural reserve) might be “too much” for this government. “[Acknowledging that] we [the federal government] are committed to keeping the 2-degree rise in global temperatures; Canada has committed itself to that goal,” Saini said, citing some of the ways to achieve that goal. “There has to be a price on carbon in order to change behaviour and we have to incentivize investment in renewable forms of energy.”

Saini calls climate action a win-win-win situation. “In this government, we realize that the

CREATIVE COMMONS PHOTO While Waterloo Regional Police Services has two officers on staff that are dedicated specifically to combating human trafficking in the Region, Carswell’s job as a support worker offers victims alternate support outside of legal bounds.

“It’s really important in human trafficking to have that one support person follow them through their journey because of that culture piece. If you can be that outsider getting in, it’s really important to not just hand people off to other service providers, but to follow them through it,” she explained. “That’s my goal.”

environment and the economy can go hand-in-hand. If we invest in the environment, it will be good for our economy, and for society. Everybody wins.”

To van Gaalen and others her age who fear the possibly catastrophic future effects of climate change, the challenge may seem more existentially threatening, and less like an economic opportunity.

“The real return on investment in this case,” she has written, “is preserving the earth for future generations.”

Van Gaalen is committed to working from a position of determined hope.

“I advocate for the environment only because I have no intention of letting the beautiful world in which we live get destroyed because we failed to act. Climate change and the destruction of the biosphere have dire consequences that may be irreparable.”

With almost eerie echoes of what America’s youth are saying about the threat that gun violence poses to them, van Gaalen stated: “I have skin in the game. I will live to see the consequences of whatever happens.

I talk to other people my age and as much as we have hope for the future, we also feel a great disappointment in the older generations who weren’t proactive about dealing with this.

And it’s now on our shoulders and we wonder: Will it be too late?”

At least 500 signatures are needed for the Nature Bonds petition to be presented to Parliament. All citizens and residents of Canada are eligible to sign, and the petition closes for signatures on March 23, 2018.

To sign the petition, go to https:// petitions.ourcommons.ca/en/ Petition/Sign/e-1364.

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THOSE WHO FOUGHT TO PROTECT THE COUNTRYSIDE WORDS BY SAM NABI AND KATY BELSHAW PHOTOS BY PAIGE BUSH AND COURTESY OF FRED MARTIN Back before they built a roundabout at the intersection of Erb Street and Erbsville Road, before the commercial plazas and townhouses, this part of Waterloo wasn’t a part of town at all, but a hamlet called Rummelhardt.

In 1986, this was the western edge of the city, and Fred Martin wanted to keep it that way.

“We had a fairly good garden there, we had some livestock, we had some chickens and pigs, we made apple cider. It was more of a life skills learning thing. Save a bit of money and understand how to butcher a chicken,” Martin said.

Martin and his housemates were students at the University of Waterloo.

They lived on a 2.5 acre farmhouse property that had a weathered barn and a grain silo with a missing roof.

They painted the words “STOP THE CITY” on the barn’s roof in bright white letters. It was their response to the relentless creep of suburban sprawl at their doorstep.

“When development happens on grade A agricultural land, it’s a resource that you’re going to lose forever,” he said.

Today, the Ontario government is considering expanding its Greenbelt to include the Waterloo moraine, located at the rural-urban boundary in northwest Waterloo. The moraine replenishes groundwater that all of us in Waterloo Region rely on.

The Greenbelt wasn’t around in 1986, so Martin and his friends took matters into their own hands. On a Saturday in October, they hosted BarnFest, a ten-hour live music festival to support the cause.

“Our point was to try to ensure that we maintain some integration of farming, or even just good market gardens,

close to the urban market,” he said.

As new suburbs replace farms, they upset the balance between city-dwellers and rural agricultural producers.

“It’s a matter of food-land as a resource ... Urban people need to be happy when they smell shit.”

The need to protect our water wasn’t yet on the radar at BarnFest. That concern would burst to the forefront three years later, when Elmira’s groundwater supply was found to be tainted with industrial toxins.

(That contamination still hasn’t been cleaned up and residents of Elmira can’t drink their own water.)

In the end, BarnFest was not able to save the farm. The city expanded westward and its limit now stands at Wilmot Line, just at the edge of Waterloo’s new Vista Hills neighbourhood.

Today, politicians and city planners agree that this is where the sprawl will stop. In 2010, our Regional government agreed to protect rural areas with a countryside boundary line, which defines where the city ends and farmland begins.

“It’s a totally different political climate from the ‘80s, where it was all about growth and ensuring residential single-storey construction,” Martin said.

Kevin Thomason, another local advocate for environmental protections, began asking these same questions when he was driving home to his place, which is located on the Waterloo moraine.

“I was shocked to see forests being clear-cut and wetlands being bulldozed,” he said.

Thomason said we must continue to ask ourselves: “well, what do we want to protect, what are we going to give up, what are we going to ultimately

become, and what do we value?”

To answer these questions, Thomason set out to protect land and water, first by advocating for environmentally sensitive landscapes, and later supporting the countryside line.

In many ways, the countryside line, which protects our wetlands, woodlands and groundwater recharge locations, was developed as an “effort to replicate our own mini version of the Greenbelt in Waterloo Region,” which the Region was left out of in 2005.

While we have a certain level of local protection, the expansion of the Greenbelt to Waterloo Region would provide a second layer of reinforcement to our local policies.

“In an ideal world, we would have both,” Thomason said.

“What we’ve got to do is make sure the government hears from as many people as possible, even if it’s just a sentence, one word or whatever. But we need to get people responding.”

Thomason explained that this is important for the quality of life for everyone already there.

“If you still want to have clean water coming out of your tap, if you still want to go to Herrle’s for a fresh cob of corn, or go to the farmer’s market,” he said.

Katy Belshaw and Sam Nabi are organizers of the Hold The Line, a cycling and music festival that celebrates our countryside. Hold The Line 2018 will take place on September 8, 2018 at Fertile Ground Farm in St. Agatha. For more information, visit www.holdthelinewr.org.

Sam Nabi is the former Web Manager for WLU Student Publications, TCE’s parent organization.

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BarnFest in 1986 was a ten-hour live music festival to support the rural-urban boundary in Waterloo Region.

The city limit now stands at Wilmot Line, at the edge of Waterloo’s new Vista Hills neighbourhood.

THE NEW KIDS ON THE OLD BLOCK

WORDS BY KAITLYN SEVERIN • PHOTOS BY NICK STANLEY The Kitchener-Waterloo Region is undergoing a huge facelift in the next year or so. The construction of the LRT, an $80-million development happening underway in downtown Kitchener’s east end by 2019 and future condominium developments have paved the way for local businesses to be brought to fruition to the stretch of King Street and the downtown core.

In uptown Waterloo however, developments have been problematic for retailers, as popular and beloved businesses have been closing down.

Some local business owners in the area believe these closures are due to what seems be the never-ending construction of the streetscape improvements, including the two-year installation of the Ion light rail. The developments affected retail sales, caused deliveries to become more difficult and impacted rising rent prices.

Reported by CTV News, over 15 uptown businesses have closed since July 2017, one of the latest being Eating Well Organically, which will close its door this month after fram-

ing itself as a local favourite for over 20 years.

Fortunately, more business owners are seeing new opportunities to thrive in the new streetscapes, as over 17 businesses have opened their doors to the public in the last year.

That, or a new generation of entrepreneurs will possibly take over their favourite stores, restaurants and businesses to keep their local market alive for a new crowd of customers.

One local store, Full Circle Foods, has been a staple in Kitchener for more than 20 years. Formerly owned

by Patricia Szlagowski, the store has been located on Charles Street West since 1998.

But last month, Full Circle Foods’ ownership changed hands as co-owners Julia Gogoleva and Sam Nabi took over business.

“At first it was the peanut butter that drew me in,” Gogoleva recalled.

“Then as I started to change my eating [habits], I have been transitioning to veganism and had been coming in here a lot more.”

After moving to Kitchener five years ago, Gogoleva grew a deep ad-

miration for the local food markets, so once she and Nabi saw a ‘For Sale’ sign at Full Circle Foods a year prior, it was almost inevitable they own the business.

“We found out the price [and] we figured people are buying houses that are kind of our age in our financial situation, so then maybe we can get a business,” Gogoleva said. “We just never considered that it would be an option for us in this time of our lives because we’re young [people].”

With the changes happening in downtown Kitchener, Gogoleva admitted that she and Nabi were doubtful before taking on their new business venture. Fortunately, Gogoleva feels more enthusiastic about taking over Full Circle Foods, especially after seeing the support from local community members who helped the young entrepreneurs take over the business.

“We want a place where you know the people who work there and you see your friends shopping too, a place where it’s part of your downtown life, with unique products that

the employees are proud of; that’s the kind of society we’re really into and we think there’s a lot of support for it too,” said Gogoleva.

In addition to selling health food, Nabi and Gogoleva also hope to find a creative way to use Full Circle’s parking lot this summer. The space could hopefully encourage community members to come together and enjoy art or music or great food.

Amidst the stories of businesses closing their doors, or feeling generally pessimistic about how construction and development may impact small business owners, Nabi and Gogoleva are offering an alternate optimistic narrative.

“There’s always going to be doubts and business is really risky, but we’re really excited to do this and we’re willing to take those risks,” she said.

Sam Nabi is a current contributor to TCE and is the former Web Manager for WLU Student Publications, TCE’s parent organization.

MARCH 2018 // COMMUNITYEDITION.CA

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EVERYTHING SOLD IS NEW AGAIN IN CENTURY HOMES

RFB DEVELOPMENTS USES A COMMUNITY-FIRST APPROACH WHEN WORKING WITH HERITAGE HOUSES

RAMONA LEITAO ASSISTANT EDITOR

The RFB Development Benton Project. RON BROHMAN PHOTO

Preserving local history while creating something new is the general motto of RFB Developments, an upand-coming real estate development company based in Kitchener Waterloo.

“It looks specifically at heritage properties and look[s] to approach the development process more as a community approach,” said Ron Brohman, founder of RFB Developments. “We just look to maintain those attributes and try to develop and save some of these heritage properties in return.”

RFB Developments was created in 2015, soon after Brohman graduated from Queen’s University in Art and Architectural History.

“When I graduated … I was driving around Kitchener; I just [saw] all these old heritage houses boarded up,” Brohman said.

“I thought ‘hey there’s probably an opportunity here to develop them’ and ‘why aren’t people developing them.’

I kind of did a little bit of research on why people don’t [do this] … I found out [that] there’s a lot of communication with the city and neighbours [that’s required] … you kind of have to be willing to approach these people and talk to them.”

For Brohman, having that property development and an entrepreneurial background that is needed in this type of company is not foreign to him. In fact, his family has created a legacy in KW through their businesses and con-

struction projects over the past 200 years, such as owning Pepi’s Pizza, taking part in building Old Kitchener City Hall and owning various hotels in the Region.

“My grandfathers were entrepreneurs in downtown Kitchener and contributed to the Region. And just because my family is from here [for many] generations, I hear their stories and hear what downtown Kitchener was here. They’ve seen the ups and downs of it and witnessed the growth that’s happening now,” he said.

Brohman said that while having familiarity with these skills, creating a real estate company has been a learning process that all began when he got his first project: the Benton Project.

“That was our flagship property and I learned a lot through that process,” Brohman said. “I think the hardest thing basically was to try to preserve the existing building, [while renovating] the inside … from an artistic standpoint, that was a challenge.”

The Benton Project was a process of renovating four apartments within a residential house on Benton street that began in 2015 and took nearly two years to complete.

Brohman hopes to use what he learned from this first major project with his other upcoming projects, such as the Roy Street project.

“That [is] an interesting project because … we’re looking forward to doing a mix of commercial and residential [workspace]. It’s in the very early stages … We would like to build a creative shared workspace,” Brohman said.

“There’s a lot of shared workspace for tech and things in that nature.

I think that area in Roy street, the proximity to the civic district and

downtown [is great]. I just think it’s a great opportunity to promote art in Kitchener Waterloo,” he said.

To further delve into the company’s initiatives, Brohman has partnered with Kayla Zawiski from the Local Advocate and Catalina Berther who helps out in marketing.

According to Brohman, there is an importance in preserving the historic architecture in the buildings his company renovates.

“It’s not just because the buildings look good,” he said. “I think it’s a cultural aspect. Each building has a story to be told and I think the more we can tap into that, I think the better the development process is.”

Brohman also emphasized the importance of having a community-first approach within his company.

“It’s interesting, speaking to the older members of the community,” he said. “They can touch upon how Kitchener was back in its glory, [when] business was booming and manufacturing was great and there [were] downtown shops and stores and everything. I think their voice can’t be lost in this exciting new tech [industry].”

“Basically, RFB, I think, wants to stay grounded to the community. It wants to talk to the neighbours to the people who lived in the area, make sure they’re understanding of what they’re doing with the development and that they have some sort of connection with it … if you can give them an opportunity to participate and be a part of the [project], that’s what we want.

We want to be an open book when it comes to the development … I think that’s what drives us.”

CREATIVE COMMONS PHOTO

HOME, HOME OUT OF RANGE WITH AN ELECTRIC CAR

HOW ELECTRIC CARS SHOULD NOT CAUSE DRIVER’S ANXIETY ABOUT MAKING IT BETWEEN CHARGING POINTS may be tied to the language we use. the argument “EV’s wouldn’t really per cent of the battery. Although it EASY BEING GREEN contracting this condition?

STACEY DANCKERT COLUMNIST As electric cars become increasingly more common, it is inevitable that you will hear the term “range anxiety.” This term is used to describe the worry felt by electric vehicle (EV) drivers that the battery will run out before a suitable charging point is reached and is often touted as the primary hindrance to buying an EV. So should you keep your gas-guzzler in efforts to avoid

On the outset, if you look at the raw numbers of how far a car can travel before refueling (by electricity or gasoline), it can be intimidating. For example, many gas-powered cars will travel upwards of 600 km, while commonly available EVs are closer to 100-120 km — a pretty hefty 500 km difference.

But there are some reasons to believe that the notion of range anxiety has been vastly overblown.

Recently, MIT provided some powerful data against the reality of range anxiety. When they compared the distance that an EV (such as a Nissan Leaf) can travel, with the trips that people make, they found that 87 per cent of driving that is currently being done, could be done using an electric car. That means that in all likelihood,

work for me” isn’t the reality. I should clarify, too, that those figures assume that the drivers do not charge during the day and have at least 10 km remaining at the end of the day. Even more amazingly, the number only drops a bit if you live in a rural area.

I’m not naïve. I understand that perception is reality and that we still have to deal with the remaining 13 per cent.

There are solutions such as renting, joining a car-share program, trading with a friend, and, yes, charging.

Charging stations are often hidden behind buildings and rarely have obvious labeling so you may not even know how many there are. In this Region alone, there are over 40 car charging stations, with some taking as little as half an hour to recharge 80

takes longer than pumping, charging is plug and go: eat, shop, read, take a walk, whatever you like.

Charging becomes more inconvenient as soon as you want to travel further than about 250 km. Although that may mean a bit more planning and is certainly a change that takes getting used to, there are also positive changes such as waking to a “full tank” every morning since we can all charge at home. And many of us can avoid making any changes since my calculations suggest that, on average, households in Ontario have 2.3 cars.

Certainly those households that already own a second car could decide to make the switch pretty easily.

So why aren’t more people making the switch? In part, the perception

Using phrases like range anxiety may be playing a substantial role in holding us back. Perhaps we could stop linking our issues with range to mental health and more realistically tie it to the delay of progress in dealing with those remaining 13 per cent of our trips.

If you’re considering the purchase of a new vehicle, I challenge you to look past what we are told are the reasons to rule out EVs and look at the reality of whether it may actually make sense for you and your family. You may be surprised at what you discover.

For more info on where to find charging stations visit plugshare.com.

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

MARCH 2018 // COMMUNITYEDITION.CA

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PAIGE BUSH PHOTOS

USING HIS SON’S ART AS A WAY TO CONNECT

OUR INK, OUR STORIES

BETH BOWLES EDITOR IN CHIEF Kitchener resident Craig Sears’ entire arm is covered in his sevenyear-old son Parker’s drawings. This isn’t a case of a child on the loose with permanent markers; from Sears’ shoulder to his wrist, Parker’s drawings are tattooed on his skin — Sears’ way of communicating to his son that he will always love and support him.

Last year, Parker was diagnosed on the autism spectrum. “[My wife, Paula and I] got a call one day from his teacher. She was a fantastic lady, loved him to death, saying there might be something wrong here because he consistently cried, he consistently didn’t know what was going on, structure was lacking with him. That’s when

we decided to get him in with a psychologist,” Sears said.

Sears explained that Parker had always been “quirky.” He had a vocabulary larger than kids his age, and often parallel played with other kids, meaning he played alongside them opposed to with them. Sears also explained that because Parker is so high-functioning, his autism is oftentimes invisible.

“He’s at a gifted-level of intelligence — super smart, razor focused on one thing. With that being said, because he’s so high functioning, that poses a problem because a lot of people don’t realize he has autism,” Sears said.

Sears provided a couple examples of how Parker’s autism affects his behaviour. He recalled a recent memory of taking Parker to a movie theatre. Something in the movie scared him and he ran around the theatre yelling. There was another instance in the grocery store where Sears felt they were being judged by other shoppers.

“In the grocery store one time, he was being a little loud, and there was a lady in front of me in the line up.

She gave us both a bad look, and it

kind of insulted me because he’s just being a child. He’s an autistic child.

So what I do is, I was loud with him,” Sears said.

Sears said that the common misconception is that he and his wife are bad parents, or that Parker is a misbehaved brat. The default is for strangers to scoff, opposed to actually understand why Parker is behaving the way he is.

Sears, who volunteers his time to teach kickboxing and was formerly drafted to the CFL, explained that he and Parker have not always shared similar interests. Sears explained that Parker’s boundaries are very firm in terms of the activities that he does and does not want to do, like when Sears’ coached Parker’s blastball team, a game Parker showed little interest in. Parker’s diagnosis offered a lot of answers to unanswered questions and gave Sears the opportunity to reframe the methods he chose to connect with his son.

“I’m glad we got this diagnosed so soon, because now I can understand him,” Sears said.

That’s where the idea for the tattoos came from. Sears explained

that all over his house, Parker has taped up pictures that he’s constantly drawing. It’s those pictures that Sears has tattooed all over his arm, which he started just this past January. Some of the pictures include characters from Plants vs. Zombies, a game the two play together, and even a self-portrait of Parker, himself. The tattoos were done by Cam Davis of Berlin Tattoo in Kitchener. “[Davis] was more than receptive to do this. He was excited. He loved it,” Sears said.

“The way that [Davis] has rendered it is exactly how I wanted it. The scribble lines are there, it’s outside the lines. The first guy I saw [said] he would tighten everything up and make it all nice and neat. I was like, that’s not what I want.”

Although Sears’ arm is covered in the drawings, he said it’s still incomplete. There are still a couple characters he wants to add and he hopes to have Parker draw a puzzle piece, too. As for Parker, Sears said that his son was initially embarrassed to have his art permanently on display on his father’s body. But after Sears’ started

the project, Parker is now helping him decide where future pieces should be placed.

Sears hopes the tattoos will act as a way to show Parker how much he loves him and how important it is to him that the two connect in a way that Parker knows how.

“This is the only way that I know how to support him,” he said.

Sears said that as much as he wants his son to be his “partner and crime” and learn from him, Parker teaches him something new every day.

“I think we all [have to] take a good long look at ourselves and realize that there’s more behind the picture of people. When he was running up and down the aisles in the movie theatre screaming … something scared him and he can’t control it,” Sears said.

“It’s because he’s wired differently, and you never know who’s wired differently. Just realize that before you make a judgement.”

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

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MARCH 2018 // COMMUNITYEDITION.CA

PHOTOS COURTESY OF WHITE CAP CO

IT’S A NICE DAY FOR A WHITE CAP CO UPDATE THE SIDE HUSTLE

KAITLYN SEVERIN CONTRIBUTOR If you’re looking for Eddie Stannard, you can find him studying at hair school, and later at Spearhead Barber and Supply in Waterloo, where he works as an apprentice. Recently, weekdays have been pretty hectic for Stannard, but he still sees the need to focus on his side-project, which has quickly turned into another stream of

income.

His side hustle, White Cap Co., started out organically, as Stannard tells it. While on a five-week tour through the United States as a merchandise manager, Stannard saw fellow bands playing corn hole — the simple sport of tossing a beanbag through holes in a board.

“We played all over the country,” Stannard recalled. “When I got back from tour, I started hosting these [games], getting all my buddies together and we would just play corn hole and barbecue in the backyard.”

Soon after coming back from tour, Stannard started the Waterloo Cornhole Club, which inspired him to create logos, t-shirts and hats for their members. The neo-traditional tattoo-inspired designs, which cover

most of WCC’s merchandise, are collaborated by Stannard and fellow tattoo artists and designers. The merchandise quickly sold out, and it didn’t take long for community members to take notice.

“I like to call it more of a co-op because I’m having fun and coming up with cool ideas of my own and my friends; we make things together. I’m just the one who spearheads it all and organizes it,” he said.

According to Stannard, the “craftbeer inspired apparel” is catered to a young, university crowd, and their dads, too. The brand also pays tribute to Kitchener Waterloo’s influence on the southern Ontario craft beer scene.

The Region is home to over eight local breweries and to the annual KW Oktoberfest — the second largest Oktober-

fest in the world. “[KW breweries] all work together and support each other and they’re trying to grow something really cool,” Stannard said.

Throughout WCC’s existence, Stannard and his friends have hosted numerous pop-up markets in independent stores within the region. Now, Stannard is currently preparing for his biggest event to date: the White Cap Co. Spring Release party, hosted at uptown Waterloo’s Harmony Lunch on March 10.

But between his devotions — his job at Spearhead and his training to become a barber — Stannard still struggles to find time to focus on WCC. While he hopes to see the growth of the brand and the artistic collaborations, Stannard’s passion project may

just stay within the confines of a side hustle, for now.

“It’s just something I love to do and it’s a lot of fun, but I don’t know if I’ll have the time to pursue it fully.

There’s a lot I’d like to do that I haven’t been able to do just because of time,” he said.

“I’d like to get into more stores … but it’s hard to coordinate all of that.”

For now, he’s satisfied with the position that White Cap Co. has placed him within the community.

“WCC has helped me break into the local community and really made me feel at home in Waterloo. WCC and the barbershop have introduced me to so many people doing incredible things in this city and made me feel like part of it.”

UNDER-VALUED WORK AND DOING IT ANYWAY SEXPLANATIONS

STACEY JACOBS COLUMNIST

WE SERVE BEER (and wine)

APOLLOCINEMA.CA

I have worked extensively in the community as a sexual health educator for well over a decade. I have remained passionate about the work I do and think it is essential for people’s health and well-being, and yet it is consistently under-valued. I see great value in the work I do, and go home almost every day knowing I made a positive difference in someone’s life.

It doesn’t stop there, though. I also work part-time in the field of addictions and see great value in this work.

I also think this work is essential and under-valued.

I find many similarities between the fields of sexual health and addictions.

The judgements people make, the stigma surrounding certain people, certain acts and the silence society continues to reinforce.

I often wonder if this is the reason the work is undervalued. People often under-value things they do not understand or are uncomfortable with, and it is my experience that sex and addictions are misunderstood and make many people feel uncomfortable.

We all have our own ideas about sex – what it is, who does it, who doesn’t do it, who should do it, who shouldn’t, how we should do it, where we should do it, why we should do it — the list goes on and on. We all also have our own ideas about relationships. Who should be in a relationship, who should not be in a relationship, what constitutes a relationship — again

the list goes on and on. With these ideas we also make judgements, often thinking that our way is the best way, possibly not accepting the choices of others.

Our ideas are formed by society, the media, our culture, our religion, our family, our friends. This is true of sex and relationships, and I think it is also true of addiction. We form ideas about what addictions are, who has them, who doesn’t, why people have them.

Our judgements create stigma and stigma is not helpful. Stigma isolates people, prevents people from finding support and prevents people from communicating.

This lack of communication creates silence which can lead to hiding who we are and the struggles we may have.

When judgement and stigma lead to our silence, or the silence of others, we all suffer. How can we support one another, learn from one another, accept one another, without understanding and communication?

There are many ways to be in this world, and a diverse world is an interesting world, a world which holds great possibility for sharing, learning, embracing and celebrating. Who are we to judge others? No one is perfect.

No one is mistake-free. We all walk in our own shoes and view the world through our own senses. Our experiences will always be our own and although they may be similar to other people’s, they will never be identical.

I will continue to do the important work that I do, keeping my biases in mind, respecting the people I work with and creating a space to have conversations about both sex and addictions in able to increase understanding and comfort.

Stacey Jacobs is a sexual health educator for SHORE Centre.

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MARCH 2018 // COMMUNITYEDITION.CA

A CITY BY THE SEA TCE FICTION

DYLAN SIEBERT CONTRIBUTOR There is a city I know of, a city by the sea, whose walls look out westward over the water. Wherever one goes in that city, the sound of the waves is near. At one time, it drew merchant ships from up and down the coast, and travellers would walk the long road from the east, passing the great southern desert with its shifting sands and brightly coloured caravans, just to gaze outward from the city walls. For beyond this city there was no land to speak of, no further shore to beckon the eye, nothing: only the endless waves, so lonesome and so beautiful.

It was a strange place to begin with, you might say, and perhaps that was what made the inhabitants as they were — I cannot say for sure. But throughout the years of its splendour, all who visited the city would remark on its pleasant climate, the good-natured hospitality of its people, and the strange obsession that filled their talk, night and day.

For the people of this city lived with the firm and certain knowledge that theirs was the last of all cities, and that its end would bring about the destruction of the world. This much had been known since the days of their ancestors, but what the inhabitants did not know was how the fall of their city would come about.

And since they were a lively sort, the question remained an inexhaustible source of debate, and no small amount of vexation.

Some said that the end would come with a great and terrible fire, others that the sea would rise up and drown the city and all its people. Some spoke of a dreadful war to come, a war to end war, while others talked of a man of unspeakable wickedness, whose rise to power would bring about the long-awaited day.

Yet to every such matter of great weight there is a counterweight, and

against those who speculated as to the fall of the city and the world’s end, there arose another party who said that the city would stand forever, and that the world would not end — or that it would, but not before the Last City had ascended on a pillar of fire to begin an endless voyage among the stars, leaving the earth behind, after which perhaps it need not end after all. But because those who said such things were few (though no less loud), their thought is not clearly remembered in our time, and I confess that I myself have never fully understood it.

In the wide streets and busy marketplaces the controversy raged, in great currents and in swirling eddies, changing from one year to the next as new signs and portents appeared.

Though visitors were always made welcome and invited to join in the debate, they seldom did, and more often left soon after. The nomads who came up from the great southern desert to barter would nod and smile sagely when the old question arose, for they knew their silks and spices fetched a better price when the city people’s heads were turned by their particular passion.

So it continued, from generation to generation, or would have, but nothing on this earth goes on unchanged forever. The longer the city stood, neither falling nor rising, the greater was the frustration of its people, and over time their arguments grew into quarrels, and their quarrels grew into strange deeds.

Some began to kindle fires in the old quarter under cover of night, hoping to bring about the conflagration that would burn the city to the ground. Others endeavoured secretly to undermine its high stone walls, in expectation of the great drowning wave whose coming they felt sure was near. But in the city by the sea, rain was too frequent, and world-ending waves too infrequent, to make either fire or water adequate to the task. The culprits were caught and punished, and the quarrels grew unassuaged, until the people of the city had become very vexed indeed.

And so there was a war, a dreadful war, and among those who took part I am sure that a few did deeds of un-

speakable wickedness. While this was going on, the nomads kept well away.

But when all was said and done, and a rueful peace had been made, most of the city was still there, not to mention the world itself. To all involved, this was a great and lasting disappointment. Visitors began to turn up again, wanting to see the places where the famous battles had been fought, and to look at the sea. And when they departed up the long east road they took with them the silks and spices they had bought to help them remember their journey.

What finally became of the city by the sea, you ask? It is a tale not long in the telling. On the far side of the great southern desert, it was discovered that by sailing with the monsoon winds, a ship could round the southern coasts in half the time it took to go the age-old way, along the western shore.

Sea-traffic to the famous city diminished, then vanished, and travellers on the eastern road became fewer and fewer.

Over many years the city dwindled, little by little, until it was no more than a handful of huts amid the wide streets and empty marketplaces. And I have heard that when these last few gathered their belongings and departed forever from the city of their ancestors, they were still arguing with one another as to the hour and the manner of its final destruction, or whether, (though I could not tell you how) its fiery ascension to the stars was imminent. It is possible that despite all their years of wild imaginings, it was not in their power to conceive of a future for their city that led neither downward nor upward, but sideways, as I suppose is the natural way of things.

If you go there today, you can still walk those wide streets and look out from the high walls toward the sea. I have heard that there is now a continent out that way, or perhaps several, though the view is still as beautiful and as lonesome as before. You may see the nomads there, tending their flocks, for in springtime there is good grazing in the shelter of those high stone walls, where the sound of the waves is endless and near.

CREATIVE COMMONS PHOTO

MARCH 2018 // COMMUNITYEDITION.CA

14

FIGHTING CLIMATE

CHANGE BY RETHINKING

TRANSPORTATION

GETTING OUT OF OUR CARS AND USING OTHER TRANSPORTATION THAT ALLOWS US TO INTERACT WITH OTHERS BENEFITS OUR LOCAL COMMUNITY

WR & HOWE

JAMES HOWE COLUMNIST For too long we’ve gorged on carbon and now it’s coming back to haunt us like a bad burrito. Climate change is already rearing its ugly head and changing our world in ways that affect the quality of our lives.

The upside is that we can prevent a little heartburn from progressing to irreparable cardiovascular damage.

To fight climate change, we need to go on a carbon diet. In Waterloo Region that means we need to ditch our fossil fuel powered cars.

According to ClimateActionWR , half of our local carbon footprint is from our transportation choices.

The good news is that if we do so by moving from car centred cities to people centred cities, our overall quality of life improves including our physical and mental health.

That’s without even considering how we benefit from a healthier world

that avoids the worst of climate change.

So that means doing more than switching out our gas powered cars for electric ones. While I hope we’ll see mass adoption of electric cars in the near future, they won’t eliminate congestion on our roads or other ill effects such as disconnecting from each other as people.

In a people centred city, transportation brings us together and helps us connect with each other and our built community.

That’s why it is so great to see the upcoming launch of the LRT and the concurrent public transit improvements particularly the expansion of iXpress routes.

Making public transit more attractive is about more than making it more efficient. It provides us with the opportunity to create public spaces that are real people places which are truly accepting of everyone and where you don’t need to spend money to enjoy it. We also need to create “sticky streets,” that attract people and encourage them to linger. Food trucks, patios, having frequent entrances and being able to see inside buildings accomplish that.

A people centred city is a walkable

NANCY XIAO PHOTO city. People need to be able to walk to buy milk and meet other everyday needs. They also need to feel safe and secure. That includes being able to get out of your home in winter even if you face mobility challenges or have young kids in strollers.

In a people centred city, people on bikes are not competing with cars for road space. They have physically separated lanes that are a priority to keep clear of leaves or snow.

Build them and people will come because they encourage people to ride without feeling a need to be a

road warrior. You will see more kids riding bikes to get to more places.

Parents will no longer equate riding a bike as playing chicken with tonnes of steel.

When we choose active forms of transportation, we’ll greet each other more often and give each other the finger less often. Improved connections improve our social cohesion. We become happier.

We are also healthier as a result of regular exercise.

So like stepping on a scale may motivate us to go on a diet, climate

change can motivate us to make better choices for how we get around. We’ll not only reduce our carbon footprint but feel better and live in a happier community.

To help get you started or consider improvements, come on out to MovingWR on March 25. From 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. at Kitchener City Hall, you can learn more about how easy it is to make different transportation choices that improve your life, our community and our world.

RAINBOW CONNECTION AT A CROSSWALK IN DTK

AS A PART OF THE LOVE MY HOOD STRATEGY, THE RAINBOW CROSSWALK WILL BE BUILT BY CHARLES ST. TERMINAL IN TIME FOR TRI-PRIDE

RAMONA LEITAO ASSISTANT EDITOR OK2BME, a support service for LGBTQ+ youth in the Waterloo Region, is aiming to have a rainbow crosswalk at the Charles Street Bus Terminal and Victoria Park intersection in downtown Kitchener.

The crosswalk, which has already been approved by the City of Kitchener through the Love My Hood strategy in Jan. 2018, is set to be built by the end of May 2018, in time for the tri-Pride festival.

Communications and development coordinator at KW Counselling Services Scott Williams explained that the crosswalk will act as a more visible symbol of solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community.

“We have a rainbow pride flag flying over our building year round, so that’s something that we thought [could be] an even brighter symbol,” Williams said.

Williams also said that the LGBTQ+ support service was inspired by other cities in Canada and their rainbow crosswalk initiatives, such as Toronto,

Calgary, and Vancouver.

“All kinds of big cities have them, and we feel Kitchener should have one as well.”

According to Williams, the reception from the community has been nothing but positive.

“Especially from LGBTQ people,” Williams said. “We’re [also] incredibly grateful for the City’s support. I think it shows great support for the rainbow community, for sure … it’s really rewarding and gratifying.”

The crosswalk will cost approximately $15,000 and is aimed to be made with a thermal plastic material that is more resistant than other community crossings, as it has a greater friction that the asphalt it’s bonded to.

OK2BME is also looking forward to collaborating with the City of Waterloo in creating rainbow crosswalks in the uptown area. “[The city of Waterloo] has been in touch with us to see if we’re interested in working with them, and absolutely, we are.”

OK2BME will continue collaborating in their biweekly leadership group and organize an event to prepare for the crosswalks.

“It’s just a really important symbol to show that Kitchener is a safe place for LGBTQ people,” Williams said.

TCE RADIO, ONLINE AT COMMUNITYEDITION.CA

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ARTS & CULTURE EVENT LISTINGS THURSDAY, MARCH 8

MONDAY, MARCH 12

BEARS. BEETS. THE OFFICE TRIVIA CHAINSAW

Do you want to be in a secret alliance? Absolutely you do. Get your Dunder Mifflin A-Team, B-Team and your “Just For Fun” friends together and join us for Part 2 of Bears. Beats. The Office Trivia.If you came to our first Office Trivia night, rest assured we’ll be bringing brand new questions. Get your ticket online and skip the que until 6:45pm. Seating is limited.

We host monthly trivia at Chainsaw with varying themes - check out our Facebook page to find information on our events.

Trivia • $5/person • 7pm - 9pm

INTRODUCTION TO KNIFEMAKING TWOSMITHS

Two Smiths is back at it again with another workshop. Bladesmith Jeff Helmes will be teaching an introductory knife making course from March 12- 16. This course will teach students the properties of carbon steel and how to apply the hot and cold working processes of making a knife. Students will leave with a completed knife, a small forge welded Damascus billet, and probably a sense of feeling like a total badass.

DIY • $1,500 • 9am - 5pm, March 12- 16

FRIDAY, MARCH 16

LOCAL LADIES X INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY: PRESS FOR PROGRESS PRINCESS TWIN CINEMAS

Local Ladies will be celebrating International Women’s Day with a screening of Press for Progress, a film that features women from Kitchener, Waterloo and Guelph and their interpretation about what press for progress means to them.

Raffle prizes will be available as well as a selfie station.

‘90S COVERS - OPEN MIC BERLIN BICYCLE CAFE

The theme for Berlin Bicycle Cafe’s March Open Mic will be ‘90s covers.

Signing up starts at 7pm and the show begins at 7:30pm. Local artist Janice Jo Lee will be hosting and playing a set. One guitar and one mic will also be provided.

Aside from singing, attendees are encouraged to do other activities such as comedy or poetry reading.

Open Mic • $6 or PWYC • 7pm - 10:30 pm

Film • $10 • 7pm - 9pm

SATURDAY, MARCH 17

WOMAN2018

Woman2018 will be hosting a social event where networking and acknowledging the progress women have made in the social, economic, cultural and political backgrounds.

All proceeds go towards the Waterloo Region Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Treatment Centre.

Charity/ Art Exhibition • Recommended donation amount is $15 • 7pm - 10pm

SATURDAY, MARCH 10 COFFEE & CALLIGRAPHY: INTRODUCTION TO HANDLETTERING SEVEN SHORES COMMUNITY CAFE

Emma Fretz Designs is hosting a two hour introductory course in handlettering. The course is open to beginners with little to no experience in calligraphy and intermeidate students as well. You’ll have the opportunity to learn the basics of modern calligraphy, false calligraphy techniques and world flow. Materials are provided.

Crafts • $30 • 2pm - 4pm

MARCH MADNESS KWLT

March Madness is KWLT’s annual theatrical competiton, where production teams are given a short script, audition their actors the next day, and perform the week later.

This year’s script is called “I Did It”

by Michael L. Davenport.

Theatre • $15 - $20 • 8:00pm - 11:00pm

This recurring event will have yoga instructor Rebecca Lofsnes from Flow State Yoga, who will be giving an hour long practice of Hatha and Vinayasa Flow yoga. Beer will be provided by Wellington Brewery.

Wonder if there’s a “Hold My Beer” pose?

Yoga • $15 • 3:00 pm - 5:00 pm

Fresh Ground is encouraging KW residents to attend their weekly craft market, where local crafters offer handmade products such as soap, jewellery, hand spun yarn and childrens toys. Visit freshground.ca for more information.

PLANT-NITE WITH EXTEND-AFAMILY WATERLOO REGION BOSTON PIZZA BINGEMANS

This planting party is organized in support of Extend-A-Family Waterloo Region. Spend 1.5 hours in creating a living tabletop garden with other partygoers. $15 dollars from each ticket sale will be donated directly to EAFWR. Each ticket will provide all the materials needed for planting.

Planting • $60• 7pm-9pm

FRIDAY, MARCH 23 BYBB FOR FREE ICE CREAM FOUR ALL ICE CREAM

It’s a BYBB event where you can bring brown bananas that you though you were going to throw out and instead help Four All in making Banofee Crunch ice cream. Trading bananas means a free mini scoop at the tasting room. This event will continue until March 25.

Fun • Free • 12pm - 7pm

SATURDAY, MARCH 24 EARTH HOUR EVERYWHERE

It’s time to turn off your lights and electronic devices for one hour.

What can you do in the meantime?

We suggest reading our March issue of TCE if it’s not too dark. Or nap.

Fun • Free • 8:30pm - 9:30 pm

SUNDAY, MARCH 25 MOVINGWR TRANSPORTATION SYMPOSIUM KITCHENER CITY HALL

Rainbow Reels is hosting a party for LGBTQ+ people. The event is all ages with an open bar.

Bringing friends and donations are also encouraged. Email janicerainbowreels@gmail.com for more information. Ticket sales end March 17 at 2p.m.

The Kitchener community, along with Sustainable Waterloo Region and TravelWise is hosting an event to showcase and discuss other transportation options available in the Waterloo Region to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Activities include test driving electric vehicles, decorating a bike station, trivia, and more. We also know, based on his column this month, that KW’s very own James Howe will be there.

Dance • $11.06 • 8:30pm -1am

Seminar • Free • 11am - 3pm

Market • Free • 10am - 1pm

QUEER SLOW DANCE THE WALPER HOTEL

SUNDAY, MARCH 18 WHALE & ALE, KITCHENER PAINTING NIGHT WHALE & ALE PUB

Take part in a two hour paint night with an artist who will teach you how to create a painting that you will also be able to take home. All equipment is included, such as a 16x20 canvas, brushes, an apron, paint, and an easel. Since it takes place in a pub, feel free to let the alcohol flow to to enhance your creative juices.

Paint night • $20 • 4pm-6pm

MONDAY, MARCH 19 LAUGH YOUR HEART OUT THE REGISTRY THEATRE

SUNDAY, MARCH 11 YOGA & BEER STARLIGHT

HANDMADE MARKET FRESH GROUND

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 21

Organized by KW Counselling Services, this improv comedy night will feature comedians who have worked with Second City, such as Karen Parker, Reid Janisse, Alastair Forbes and Ashley Comeau. Funds will go towards accesible mental health services in the Waterloo Region. Chuckles and belly-laughs are guarenteed. Visit evenbrite.ca to buy your ticket.

Comedy • $40 • 7pm - 8pm

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 28 INTRO TO MALE ALLEYSHIP MALE ALLIES

Male Allies, a program from the Sexual Assault Support Centre of the Waterloo Region is inviting you to learn more about how men can play a role in ending sexual and gender based violence. This introductory community workshop aims to provide constructive and open dialogue, where discussions on gender, masculinity, sexual violence and bystander intervention will take place. Register for the event on eventbrite.ca Talk • Free • 6:30pm - 9pm

THURSDAY, MARCH 29 ALIEN INTRUSION APOLLO CINEMA

This event is perfect for those who believe in Aliens and UFOs. Apollo Cinema will be screening Alien Intrusion, a film that goes more in depth of the stories of those who have witnessed UFOs and encountering strange entities.

Visit fanforce.com to purchase your ticket.

Film • $20 • 7pm- 9pm

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MARCH 2018 // @THECOMMUNITYED

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Trevor (right) and Kathryn (left) Gerber in their toasty warm greenhouse. BETH BOWLES PHOTOS

THE A-PEEL OF LOCAL FRUIT IN WATERLOO REGION JUST WHEN YOU THINK YOU’VE SEEN IT ALL, THESE FARMERS IN MILLBANK ARE NOW GROWING BANANAS

KARLIS WILDE CONTRIBUTOR Sweet, yellow fruits will soon be available from the tropical destination that is Waterloo Region — I bet you didn’t expect that one.

Located in Millbank, Ontario, a farm owned by Trevor and Kathryn Gerber is taking on the ambitious task of growing exotic fruits inside a controlled, housed environment.

Linked with Canada Banana Farms, the necessary tech was facilitated by and provided for the Gerbers by Terry Brake. After all, the mission of growing bananas in the Great White North has been, until recent years, an impossibility and is thereby linked to very particular techniques.

Brake, who comes from an engineering background, has made it his mission to adapt growing methods for tropical fruits within the Canadian environment. This has involved taking plastic tents and developing ways to keep them even warmer than houses throughout the winter, as well as altering and dwarfing bananas until they are a size conducive to these particular hoop houses.

“He figured out a natural, organic ecosystem that fits in this greenhouse,” Trevor Gerber said. “It fills up the volumetric capacity of it.

It’s a jungle, it’s a real jungle.”

“Pineapples are the natural insecticide — they give off a pheromone that keeps the bad insects away from the tropicals.

The papaya sweetens the citrus and citrus sweetens bananas.”

Considering that they aren’t native to the territory, Canadians eat an incredible volume of bananas.

Hundreds of millions of dollars worth of the fruit is imported into the country every year; the vast majority of which comes from ethically dubious labour practices in South and Central America.

That’s much of the draw to localizing the process: by growing bananas locally, Canadians could get fresher fruit that fairly and equitably benefits their neighbours.

Canada Bananas operations have taken off all over Canada: there are multiple farms in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and Quebec.

But Ontario seems a little more hesitant to join in.

“In Ontario, there’s hardly anything,” Gerber said. “And Ontario — especially southern Ontario — is where the people are.”

Gerber considered that the enormous effort involved with growing bananas here — including the hard labour — may be causing local farmers to pause while

directing their energies there. After all, bananas in Canada are a brand new concept, full of questions and doubts. But Gerber sees the work as rewarding, and feels confident that, in the near future, his efforts growing tropical fruits will pay off with consistent and lucrative business.

After all, modulating tropical conditions has also allowed for experimentation with other fruits.

“We have bananas, lemons, oranges, papaya, pineapple, guava,” Gerber said. “We’re working on avocado, hopefully someday we have coconut — Terry’s working on coconuts right now. We have passionfruit. We’re working on a whole bunch of different things but the main ones will be the bananas, the guava, the papaya, oranges and lemons.”

It appears to be an awful lot of work, both from farmers and from tech, to grow bananas within the

Region. So how do the fruits of that labour taste?

“They’re amazing,” said Gerber.

“One thing we noticed right away is that the peels start turning brown; you take the peel off and they start turning brown right away. To me that’s a sign of freshness.”

“And they’re smaller, like the bananas aren’t as big as the grocery store ones, but they’re sweeter and the taste is amazing. Once you’ve had them, the store-bought bananas just don’t seem quite as good anymore.”

Gerber’s farm, located at 2191 Chalmers-Forrest Road in Millbank, hopes to have local bananas — as well as other tropics fruits, field greens and cucumbers — for sale this summer. In the meantime, they’re open 9-12 on Saturdays, selling peppers and tomatoes.

WE’RE BACK. CALLING ALL ARTISTS FOR STEEL RAILS ‘18.

VISIT THE STEEL RAILS 2018 FACEBOOK PAGE FOR MORE INFO.