The Community Edition: April 2018

VOLUME 6, ISSUE 7 • APRIL 2018

IF STREETS COULD TALK: VICTORIA PARK PAGES 8-9

WHAT CAN KW LEARN FROM DETROIT?

INDIGENOUS EDUCATION IN THE CLASSROOM

BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO CRAFT BEER

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PAGE 11

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IN THIS

ISSUE

VOLUME 6, ISSUE 7

APRIL 2018

FEATURE

8-9 IF STREETS COULD TALK: VICTORIA PARK

EDITOR’S PICK 4

MENTAL MATTERS: DROPPING RESISTANCE TO WHAT IS

3 4 5 6 6 7 10 10 11 12 13 13 14 15 16

IN BRIEF MUSIC MAGIC WITH TO THE TREES WHAT CAN KITCHENER LEARN FROM DETROIT? GETTIN’ GREEN AT THE ECOMARKET EASY BEING GREEN: DEBUNKING EV MYTHS KEEPING PUBLIC ART AFLOAT LOCAL LGBTQ+ ADVOCACY GROUPS’ STRUGGLES OPINION: SILENCING DANGEROUS VOICES GANAWENDAN DISCUSSES INDIGENOUS ISSUES TCE FICTION: A HOME THAT WORKS WR & HOWE: ORGANIC WASTE IN CONDOS SEXPLANATIONS: USE THE RIGHT WORDS A BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO CRAFT BEER OONA MOON // EVENT LISTINGS STEEL RAILS IS COMING ...

INSIDE

COVER BY MATT SMITH

Volume 6, Issue 7 Next issue: MAY 2, 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 Treasurer John Pehar

CONTRIBUTORS Melissa Bowman Stacey Danckert Megan Dawe James Howe Stacey Jacobs Janice Lee Jennifer Lyon Sam Nabi Khadijah Plummer John Roche Dylan Siebert Kaitlyn Severin Cara Vandermey Jake Wattsw Karlis Wilde

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.

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

matter of controversy.

The staff of the Community Edition shall uphold all commonly held ethical conventions of journalism. When an error of omission or of commission has occurred, that error shall be acknowledged promptly.

When statements are made that are critical of an individual, or an organization, we shall give those affected the opportunity to reply at the earliest time possible. Ethical journalism requires impartiality, and consequently conflicts of interest and the appearance of conflicts of interest will be avoided by all staff. The only limits of any newspaper are those of the world around it, and so the Community Edition will attempt to cover its world with a special focus on the community of Waterloo Region.

Ultimately, the Community Edition will be bound by neither philosophy nor geography in its mandate.

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

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IN BRIEF

Is there anywhere more tranquil in Kitchener than Victoria Park? I don’t know about you, but anywhere where you can see more than five dogs in five minutes is paradise. Read more about Victoria Park on pages 8-9.

MATT SMITH PHOTOS

NEWS

ARTS

URBAN

GARAGE FIRE IN CAMBRIDGE

CAFKA.18 WANTS YOUR SUPPORT

COLLISION CAUSES POWER OUTAGE

Police officials are investigating after a fire damaged a garage of a residential home on Queenston Road in Cambridge March 31. The fire originally occurred inside the detached garage and then spread to the garage, itself. Police were called around 1:30 p.m. No one was injured and the fire is considered to be not suspicious. There have been no updates for repairs costs.

Contemporary Art Forum Kitchener Area is looking for volunteers, sponsors, and donations for their upcoming annual exhibit, CAFKA.18: Recognize Everyone. The exhbit, which will take place in June all in various parts of the Region, will feature the work of local artists. For more information on how you can provide support, visit the donate section at cafka.org.

An accident on King St North and Brideport Rd East caused a temporary power outage in the area the morning of March 31. Businesses in that area remained closed for several hours. The accident involved a transport trailer and a car, resulting in a traffic light being knocked into the intersection. One person was taken to the hospital with minor injuries. Electricity was later restored.

HOMICIDE IN HURON COUNTY

ALBUM RELEASE FROM KW PRISON

INTERSECTION CLOSED

Two adults were found dead March 29 in a Huron County home around 8 a.m. Police are investigating this incident as a double homicide. The names of the deceased have not been made public. Police have also arrested a man at the scene. A woman who was found in the scene was taken to hospital with non-life-threathening injuries. Police have considered this an “isolated situation.”

A group of women at Grand Valley Insitution released their first album, Undisclosed Location earlier in March. The music was created with the help of the Pros & Cons Program, which helped in producing 10 tracks for their album. Listeners are encouraged to donate to selected charities. For more information and to listen to the music, visit prosandconsprogram.com.

Beginning early April 3, KW drivers will not be able to use Weber Street to get between Highway 8 and dowtown Kitchener. The city has suggested that drivers are being urged to use King Street as a detour around the closure. The closure is part of a larger project to reconstruct Sheldon Street between Weber and King. Sheldon street is expected to open late july or early August.

SIU CALLED IN AFTER SHOOTING

SHAKESPEARE AND POTENTIAL LAND DISPOSITION ALL THAT JAZZ

Ontario’s Special Investigations Unit has been called to investigate an incident where police shot a man who allegedly stole several weapons in the Hamilton area, near Cambridge on March 31. A foot pursuit began and resulted in an officer shooting the man on the 401 Eastbound between Cedar Creek Rd and Homer Watson Blvd. He suffered non-life-threatening injuries.

Kitchener Waterloo Little Theatre is premiering the 1930s Jazz version of Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice, from April 12-28. The original score will be composed my local musician, Tom Nagy. Prices of tickets vary, and are $5 cheaper to buy in advance. Check out KWLT’s website for more information on this cool mish-mash of genre.

The City of Waterloo has started a formal process to consider a land sale at 185 King Street East for an urban office project. The property is located by King Street East and Allen Street East, across the Allen LRT stop. The Disposition runs from March 21- May 1 at 4:30 p.m. Respondents must submit their proposal package to 185KingDisposition@waterloo.ca.

CONFERENCE RE-BRANDS

AERIALISTS IN KITCHENER

WIFI ON NEW ION BUSES (WOWZA)

This year, Communitech’s annual technology conference will have an additional downtown festival that will model Austin’s South

by Southwest. The conference is being rebranded as True North Waterloo and will take place from May 29 -31 at Lot42. The theme of the conference will aim to bring Canadian values to technology, according to Communitech’s CEO.

Cirque De La Symphonie, a Georgia-based circus group, will be accompanying the Kitchener Waterloo Symphony concert this April 6 and 7. The group perform to classical music on aerial silks and straps, adding that extra punch to the symphony experience. The last time the group was in Kitchener Waterloo was in 2013.

The new ION buses connecting Kitchener and Cambridge will be armed with USB charging ports and free wifi on board.

The nine buses will be in place before phase two of the light rail service between Kitchener and Cambridge is launched. Once phase two is launched, the buses will be between Fairway ION station to Ainslie Terminal.

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CONTRIBUTED IMAGE

KW’S SYNTH-ROCK SCENE WITH TO THE TREES BETH BOWLES EDITOR IN CHIEF Kitchener Waterloo undoubtedly has a vibrant music scene, with a surplus of hardcore and rock bands, so when you hear a band outside of that scene, they’re going to stick out.

To The Trees is a local synth rock band, a genre that has been under-explored in the Region. Consisting of vocalist Katelyn Bearinger, guitarist Mike Johnson, drummer Jake Bursey and Trevor Martin on keys, To The Trees is eagerly anticipating the release of their first self-titled EP this month.

Bearinger and Martin started their musical relationship as a folk duo, participating in the porch party circuit and playing community events in 2015.

When they added Bursey and Johnson to the group, they moved away from

folk.

“We transitioned into the synth world kind of naturally,” Bearinger said. “We each have a very wide variety of musical influences, but this was something that we kind of connected on and [synth rock music was] something we could easily create.”

Their first EP was made possible by The Foundation Assisting Canadian Talent (FACTOR), a federal grant that supports Canadian music.

“We hired someone to write the grant with us. It’s a pretty intense process. We had done some grant writing before, in the Region, and to a provincial grant, as well,” Bearinger said.

After being given funding through FACTOR, the band was able to connect with Chris Stringer of Union Sound Company, a recording studio in Toronto.

Alongside Stringer and sound engineer Alex Gamble, the EP was made possible.

Before this, To The Trees had only recorded a couple one-offs at local inhome studios.

“That was a big point for us when we

realized: okay, we’re going to put a lot of effort and time and energy into this, and money. We’re doing this EP, let’s do it right,” Bearinger said.

Martin also explained that professionally recording the EP has the potential to open new doors for the band.

“Working on the EP, that was kind of our first step, I think, to delve into the music world and see what would happen and then go from there,” he said.

For the members of To The Trees, music still remains a side-hustle. Bearinger, who went to Wilfrid Laurier University for classical piano, works for the school board. Johnson is a programmer at Blackberry, Bursey is a social worker and Martin is a graphic designer.

Bearinger explained that on top of their full-time jobs, the band is almost like another full-time job, keeping them all really busy.

“Every day we have to communicate: we’re replying to emails, we’re planning, we’re processing all sorts of different things. As far as the musical piece, we get together twice a week to practice,

sometimes more if we’re prepping for something. So the balance, for me, comes with being prepared,” she said.

“I put a lot of work into my day job and then I put a lot of work into this as well. It’s just by keeping a really rigid schedule and trying to stay on top of everything. It is a really busy lifestyle choice.”

But, as for now, the band sees value in maintaining their full-time careers outside of the music scene.

“When we have talked about [making this a full-time job] as a band, we do acknowledge that we really do need our full-time jobs. We need our day job lifestyle because of the reality of what life costs and what our needs are. I don’t know if that’s where things would go, could go. For now, it’s a side-hustle, for me,” Bearinger said.

To The Trees’ music has been described as “atmospheric within a musical structure.”

“It’s a cross between rock and pop, with a lot of synth and ambient structures,” Martin said.

The new EP deals with themes surrounding the human experience. With Bearinger as the main lyricist, she said the lyrics tell stories from her own life, as well as the stories of those around her.

“Within six songs, we talk about disconnection from other humans, from oneself; we talk about how we sometimes lack confidence and where we need to listen to our own truths,” Bearinger said.

Martin explained that he hopes the EP will get things started, and will act as an example of who they are.

“Now that we actually have a professionally recorded EP, as well as a video, we finally have some tools to start poking around in the industry and seeing what we can do with it,” he said.

The self-titled EP will be released April 6, with an album release party the night before at LOT42 alongside What If Elephants and Oh Geronimo.

DROPPING RESISTANCE TO WHAT IS

MENTAL MATTERS

JOHN ROCHE COLUMNIST Most people I meet seem to think that practicing acceptance will make you either a guilty bystander who colludes with injustice, or a slack-jawed couch potato with drool running down your chin. When I use the word “acceptance” in session, my clients look at me with wide-eyed terror as if I were suggesting they just roll over and die.

Clearly, I have some explaining to do.

So what is acceptance? Most simply, it’s dropping your inner resistance to reality as it is in this moment. It’s letting go of the tendency to compare reality to the alternate universe that exists only in your mind. It’s dropping the struggle and acknowledging to yourself that in this moment, no matter how much you kick and scream, this is how things are.

It’s choosing to work with reality rather than against it.

Why would we do something as crazy as dropping our resistance to what is?

Because it’s an illusion to think that if we

just internally resist something enough, it will change. It’s already the way it is, whether or not you think it should be. And by that point, believing that it shouldn’t be accomplishes nothing other than to waste your energy and poison you with negativity.

Let’s be clear: if sitting around expecting reality to be different worked, I’d say go to town; just sit there and hate things until they change. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work like that.

We mobilize this kind of futile resistance in both our external and internal worlds. Externally, we may think to ourselves: “My dad should understand me.” Internally, we judge thoughts and feelings in the same way: “I shouldn’t think or feel this.”

All such judgments are unhelpful.

The decision has already been made: your dad is not understanding you, the thought or feeling is already there. Your choice isn’t to decide whether or not it’s happening. Your only choice is to decide how you’re going to respond.

This is the point at which most people worry that acceptance will plunge them into catatonia. If we accept reality as it is, won’t we stop working to change ourselves and society? Actually, no. The only difference is that we just won’t be burning up energy unnecessarily on useless resistance to what already is.

Instead, we take reality as our starting point, and we respond more appropriately and with more energy.

Your dad isn’t understanding you?

Instead of comparing him to a super empathic version of himself that exists only in your mind, accept the situation and choose how to respond. Maybe you communicate your hurt to him. Or maybe you put up a boundary. Or maybe you just drop the expectation, because in expecting him to be different than he is, maybe you haven’t really been understanding him, either.

It works the same internally. Instead of fighting against a thought or feeling that’s already there, we accept that it’s part of reality in this moment then choose how to respond. Maybe we use mindfulness to unhook from it. Maybe we float back from it to a traumatic memory that needs to be processed.

Or maybe we choose just to allow it to be there because sometimes people just think unpleasant thoughts or feel uncomfortable feelings.

Acceptance is the beginning of mental health. With it, we begin to learn how to yield to the flow of life and work with reality rather than against it. Try it out.

It’s a real game changer.

John Roche is a therapist in Kitchener Waterloo.

RAMONA LEITAO PHOTO

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Could DTK’s “obsession” with high-price condo developments be sending us down a self-destructive path?

MATT SMITH PHOTO

WHAT CAN KITCHENER LEARN FROM DETROIT? DR. BRIAN DOUCET OF UNIVERSITY OF WATERLOO DRAWS PARALLELS BETWEEN THE TWO CITIES

SAM NABI CONTRIBUTOR At the Queen Street Commons Café in downtown Kitchener, a standing-room-only crowd gathered to hear from Dr. Brian Doucet, an associate professor at the University of Waterloo. His lecture was titled, “Why Detroit Matters, and What KW can learn from it.”

Detroit might bring to mind images of urban decay, shuttered automotive factories that no longer employ anyone. Or you might think of it as a city that’s rapidly becoming cool again, with new downtown residences and shopping districts.

Detroit tends to be framed either as an urban failure, or a newly gentrified utopia. Of course, the truth is a little more nuanced.

Doucet explained that while Detroit is an exceptional case, it is not unique. The same cocktail of economic and political pressures exist in many other urban areas, including Kitchener Waterloo.

It starts with the collapse of industry. Starting in the 1920s, Detroit was a boom town. It embodied the middle-class American dream, attracting families who could make a good living working in the automotive sector.

Around this time, Kitchener Waterloo became known as a manufacturing hub for boots, leather, rubber, and more – not to

mention the success of Seagram’s distillery during the prohibition era.

As the 20th century wore on, a decline in factory production hit Detroit and KW hard. Both cities saw some of their largest employers shut down, and workers were left in the lurch. Jobs were scarce, money dried up, and in Detroit, mostly white families who could afford to move fled to the suburbs.

This created an opening for grassroots organizing.

Shea Howell, who shared the stage with Doucet, moved to Detroit after its industrial collapse. She became a founding member of the Boggs Centre, an organization that develops community leaders in art and activism. It was 1973 and Coleman Young had just become the first Black mayor of a major American city. Howell was inspired by the new vision he embodied for community-building from the ground up.

“Industrial growth is no longer capable of giving us a way to think about the future,” said Howell. “We came to the realization that nobody’s going to fix this but us.”

“The social innovations that we see in Detroit arose out of necessity because of the absence of government, but also because of the absence of mainstream capitalism,” said Doucet.

Myrtle Thompson is a co-founder of Feedom Freedom Growers, a network of urban gardens in Detroit.

She also spoke at the lecture, alongside Doucet and Howell.

Long before urban gardens became an indicator of gentrification,

Thompson started doing it to feed herself and her community.

“It’s not a cool, cute, fancy thing to do. There’s nothing warm and fuzzy about gardening,” said Thompson.

Feedom Freedom Growers became a success by simply putting in consistent work, day after day.

Slowly, a network of urban gardeners began to form and they helped each other advocate for food justice in a broader sense.

“

INDUSTRIAL GROWTH IS NO LONGER CAPABLE OF GIVING US A WAY TO THINK ABOUT THE FUTURE. - SHEA HOWELL, FOUNDING MEMBER OF THE BOGGS CENTRE

”

In Kitchener Waterloo, The Working Centre grew out of industrial collapse as well. Its original purpose, in 1982, was to help people find work and overcome poverty. Its relationship-based, self-help model has expanded to tackle food, housing, transportation, clothing, and access to technology.

After decades of financial drought, money is flooding back into Detroit in the form of property speculation.

This type of investment can wreak havoc on the communities that have been there all along.

“People who rent homes in some of these neighbourhoods don’t realize that the owner of their home has changed to a property speculator who may not be paying their taxes.

This leads to tax foreclosures and sometimes people being kicked out of their homes even though they’re paying their rent,” said Doucet.

A similar dynamic is playing out along Kitchener Waterloo’s LRT line.

While we don’t have the same issues with foreclosures, the rapid pace of development is largely geared to investors, rather than residents.

In Waterloo, especially near the universities, there has been a surge of new condo buildings. The units are often owned by people who don’t live in the neighbourhood and rent to students. From 2014 to 2017, the average rent for a bachelor unit in Waterloo has shot up by 33 per cent to $928 per month. For units with 3 or more bedrooms, a classic student rental setup, rents have jumped 25 per cent. Elsewhere in the Region, rents have increased by about 10 per cent over the same period.

“There hasn’t been a lot of thought as to what kind of communities are being built. It’s really just what can developers make the most money at, and what are good properties to invest in?” said Doucet.

One upscale Detroit redevelopment, called “The Albert,” displaced 115 low-income seniors from their affordable apartment units. The company started renovations while former residents were still in the building, and launched a glossy advertising campaign that claims: “residents

are going to feel like they’re living in a five-star hotel.” One-bedroom apartments are now available for $1,600 USD per month.

Given these disruptive real estate challenges, how do grassroots organizations adapt? They began at a time when money was scarce and neighbours banded together out of necessity.

The Boggs Centre, Feedom Freedom Growers, and The Working Centre all initially set out to fill a gap in the social safety net. As the economy grows in Detroit and KW, those problems won’t magically get resolved. The effects of real estate speculation teaches us that economic growth can even make some things worse.

Rather than organizing for political power, Howell explained that the Boggs Centre focuses on reconnecting at a personal level.

It’s about building a culture that can sidestep the boom-and-bust of financial cycles, one that can get things done no matter who the mayor is.

“I don’t see that transformative change coming from planners, politicians, policymakers — especially if it’s related to issues of social justice,” said Doucet.

“But with enough momentum from grassroots organizations, you change the tone of the debate.

You eventually change what is considered to be normal.”

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SHOPPING FOR AWARENESS

AT THE ECOMARKET JENNIFER LYON CONTRIBUTOR As the first of its kind, the EcoMarket is an eco-conscious marketplace and conference coming to town on April 21, at the Waterloo Region Museum. This event promises family-friendly fun, interactive and carefully curated vendors and informative talks, all the while promoting eco-consciousness.

Jen Novakovich is passionate about bringing together green innovators in order to support a growing and diverse green sector in the Waterloo Region and is bringing that passion to life with the EcoMarket.

“Our goal is to help uplift local, green innovators and ideas and to have a more meaningful conversations with our community about how we can work together for a greener future,” Novakovich said.

Novakovich is the owner and operator of the EcoWell, a Canadian

cosmetic business focused on public education and science communication regarding sustainability, cosmetic science, and clean beauty. “[I’m a] firm believer in supporting local for a cleaner environment and more enriched community,” she said. “This event is 100 per cent free to attend, and carefully curated to bring some of the best sustainable businesses from right here in our region.”

Local green innovators and entrepreneurs will be showcasing their products, running demos and giving out free samples at the market.

“We have so many great vendors coming to our event. MEC, for example, will be doing free demos and repairs, we also have some really great local jewellery and clothing vendors and the food will be amazing. Come hungry, you won’t be disappointed,” Novakovich said.

You can expand your green knowledge at the conference portion of the event. Local speakers will cover a wide range of topics from harnessing the composting power of worms, to a review of the arctic aquatic environment using traditional Inuit

knowledge.

Novakovich explained they are working to make this event “zero waste,” with help from community partners.

“Everything from the décor, to the utensils, will be either reusable or compostable,” Novakovich said.

The event will also be 100 per cent green powered with the help of Bullfrog Power, whose generators will match the amount of conventional electricity the event uses with green power back into the grid.

In addition to running her own business, Novakovich has plans to expand across North America, hosting events and creating more opportunities for green innovators to thrive. She is also busy creating content for her educational YouTube channel, blog and podcast.

“The EcoMarket is a celebration of sustainable businesses and ideas from right here in Ontario. We will be bringing eco-friendly vendors, expert speakers from the Region, and delicious local food & drinks,” she said. “Anyone who is interested in green living would really enjoy this.”

Jen Novakovich hopes to uplift local, green ideas with EcoMarket.

NICK STANLEY PHOTO

MISCONCEPTIONS SURROUNDING

ELECTRIC CARS

EASY BEING GREEN

STACEY DANCKERT CONTRIBUTOR Last month I talked about how range anxiety (or as I’d prefer to refer to it: the misalignment between driver’s needs and electric car (EVs) availability and infrastructure) can impact one’s decision to purchase an electric car. This month, I wanted to continue the discussion on electric cars by exploring some of the other myths surrounding electric cars.

“THEY DON’T REALLY FIT OUR LIFESTYLE.” I essentially answered this last month. As I mentioned, 87 per cent of the trips we take can be done with an EV, so they probably do!

“THEY DRIVE LIKE GOLF CARTS.” Ok, I know this is the only pre-existing reference we have for EVs, but it couldn’t be further from the truth. When my family was forced into making a decision about a car purchase a couple of years ago, and

knew that limiting our impact was a really important factor for us, we decided to see if we could make an EV work for us.

When we eventually found one to test drive we were stunned by the difference. We used to joke that pressing the gas pedal in our previous car had to go through a committee discussion before it would finally move forward. The get-up-and-go (torque) in EVs is unbeatable, which explains the Formula-E and makes it a really nice car to drive.

“THEY ARE TOO EXPENSIVE.” Nope, this doesn’t hold either.

Gas costs about 3 times more than the electricity needed to drive an equivalent distance. Ongoing maintenance costs are about $0 (although I did have a bit of a chuckle when the dealership accidentally called me to schedule an oil change. I told them if they could find it, they could change it. And for the moment, at least, the provincial government offers an almost $15,000 rebate, which brings EVs and their gas-powered equivalents to about par.

“THEY AREN’T ACTUALLY GREENER IF YOU FACTOR IN ALL RELATED EMISSIONS.” A bit more complicated, but some-

CREATIVE COMMONS PHOTO thing I have often heard. Batteries, steel, and energy for charging have all been accused of adding to the lifetime energy costs of EVs. But the numbers tell a different story. When comparing manufacturing-based emissions of the two types of cars (including the batteries), Popular Mechanics estimated that it takes 2.4 years for the EV to start becoming emission-free (a number that will drop as Tesla improves battery production efficiency). However, in reality, most of the emissions from cars actually come from vehicle operation, not manufacturing.

When you start to include the emissions from actually driving into the calculation, it appears that EVs reach emission parity with their gasoline counterparts after

between about four and nine months (depending on the specific cars being compared).

Every moment of driving, after that point, gas-powered cars are creating unnecessary emissions. Of course, there are still some emissions related to the energy needed to charge an EV, but in Ontario, our grid is relatively clean, comprised mostly of nuclear and then hydro and renewables. This is not at all comparable to the emissions related to oil and gas — especially if you are using the most energy-intensive oil coming from places such as the Oilsands.

Since the difference in emission rates is so staggering and 24 per cent of Canada’s greenhouse emissions come from transportation, making the switch to EVs would significantly

cut our greenhouse gases here in Canada.

NOW WHAT? We just need to convince car manufacturers and sellers that EVs are a viable option, so we have more options that are even better than the current selection. Of course, it’s possible that when the new Tesla Model 3 finally gets released to the general public up here, their sales will be the only convincing they need.

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

DID YOU KNOW THAT WE DO MONTHLY TRIVIA NIGHTS AT CHAINSAW? PRETTY NEAT, EH? LIKE US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE INFO

APRIL 2018 // COMMUNITYEDITION.CA

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The public viewing art installation “Swoon” by artist Jamie Angelopolous in Victoria Lake for CAFKA16.

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

FROM NIGHT\SHIFT TO CAFKA: CELEBRATING PUBLIC ART RAMONA LEITAO CONTRIBUTOR Earlier in March, Eric Rumble, announced the retirement of the annual arts festival that he co-founded, NIGHT\SHIFT, in Kitchener Waterloo.

“Zero funds have been raised to put on a sixth festival in early November 2018 and there are no plans or resources to produce another one,” Rumble said in a blog post on the NIGHT\ SHIFT website.

And so, with its retirement, what does it mean for local art initiatives in KW? What needs to be done for organizations like NIGHT\SHIFT to remain sustainable and continue receiving support from their surrounding communities?

Both co-founder Eric Rumble of NIGHT\SHIFTand Executive Director of Contemporary Art Forum Kitchener and Area (CAFKA) Gordon Hatt offered some input on the challenges of maintaining an organization and the importance of keeping KW art alive.

CAFKA is a contemporary visual non-profit organization that aims to promote local art in KW through its exhibits and events.

Hatt, who stressed that while CAFKA

is different from NIGHT\SHIFT in many ways, also sees some similarities in the origins of both organizations. “[CAFKA] started up in 2001 and ran for five years as an annual event,” Hatt said. “We got a little bit of money, little project grants here and there. But because we were unincorporated we couldn’t really run our own finances; we couldn’t get grants directly paid to CAFKA. They had to go through other organizations. Everyone who was employed was on a short term contract.”

Similarly, NIGHT\SHIFT started out the same way with a volunteer base structure, but with more responsibilities being put on the founder himself.

“NIGHT\SHIFT has certainly had fantastic volunteer contributions from dozens of awesome locals, but organizationally it only materialized,” Rumble said in an email statement to the Community Edition. “I was devoting 500+ hours of my spare time during each of the last five years to fund, develop, wrangle and deliver it, cradle to grave and beyond.”

When CAFKA realized their volunteer base was diminishing due to some of their volunteers experiencing burn out, it turned itself into a non-profit corporation, thanks to the support of Musagetes, a local foundation in KW. “We have a constitution, we have bylaws, we have officers of the corporation, we have mandatory term limits,” Hatt said, in regards to their structure.

“There are all sorts of government structures that are intended to develop

individuals with skillsets, fundraising skillsets, legal skillsets, financial skillsets. We bring them in and have a training period and at the same time try to bring in fresh blood.”

Hatt also stressed the importance of constantly adapting as an arts organization.

“You’re creating a living organism when you create CAFKA,” Hatt said.

“And you have to feed and nurture it.

And the environment and social norms and cultures around it changes, [too].”

In addition to adapting and creating more structure, another aspect that CAFKA must always maintain is having at least 50 per cent of their board as practicing artists, which also allow them to get funding from the Ontario Arts Council Program and Support for Artists Run Organization.

Being an arts professional for 30 years, Hatt admires the local arts initiatives in KW, and is sad to see an event like NIGHT\SHIFT retire.

“I’m sad to see them go. I understand entirely why five years is probably the limit for organizations like that,” Hatt said. “I thought what they did with the storefronts and the music was really great. Some of my worst criticisms of Kitchener are walking down those empty streets at night. So that was what they did so well.”

Rumble, who is also sad to see the event he created come to an end, is grateful for the opportunities he had as well as the impact he hopes it leaves.

“I’ll be forever pleased that it allowed

me to support weird, experimental music and to pay a bunch of lovely people to craft weird, experimental experiences for a bunch of other seemingly mostly lovely people who reciprocated by bundling up and coming out and giving so much energy to it all in so many ways,” Rumble said.

“I hope NIGHT\SHIFT encouraged people to feel fresh layers of possibility in the many downtown spaces that hosted festival programming, whether neglected laneways, strange pockets or small businesses,” Rumble also said in regards to the legacy he hopes NIGHT\ SHIFT leaves behinds.

“I hope it helped entice both locals and visitors to explore some of Kitchener’s creative subcultures and to connect with artists or ideas that are active here, now.”

NIGHT\SHIFT will be hosting a farewell party on May 30. More details of the event will be posted on NIGHT\ SHIFT Facebook page.

Both Hatt and Rumble see the importance of promoting local art in the Region. The most upcoming exhibit by CAFKA, Recognizing Everyone, reflects just that.

“It came from a game,” said Hatt when explaining the origin behind the theme of this annual exhibit. “The game was that two artists who go to different cities, where they didn’t know anyone … [and] see everyone around them and make them truly familiar … It’s a way of saying everything around you is strange and everything around you is

familiar. It’s kind of an interesting idea of asserting yourself in a new landscape in a way that makes it home.”

Like all of CAFKA’s exhibits, Recognize Everyone, which will take place from June 2 - July 1 2018, is being organized by local artists of CAFKA’s program committee. The art installations will be placed as south as Cambridge and as north as Conestoga Mall in Waterloo.

“I think they felt they wanted to do something for Kitchener,” Hatt said when explaining the importance of having artists behind these local initiatives.

“The very act of having contemporary artists organizing this event is very ideal. It’s kind of a radical act just belonging here. Artists belong here. It’s just not a place that makes rubber and sausages and tech gadgets, it’s also a place where artists and musicians and creative people belong.”

Rumble also echoed the same sentiments and offered advice on how KW residents can continue supporting local art.

“Give whatever you can to whatever grabs your attention. Donate money to events and organizations you want to see continue their work. Consider opportunities to PWYC seriously,” he said.

“And if you hear anyone suggest that an artist do something for exposure instead of payment, please give that person a talking to.”

IF STREETS COULD TALK:

A WALK IN THE PARK WORDS BY MELISSA BOWMAN • PHOTOS BY MATT SMITH

Cities across the country have a ‘Victoria Park’ to honour Britain’s Queen at the turn of the 20th century — leaving Kitchener as no exception. The park opened in 1896 and has grown and transformed in the many years since then. In that time, the area around the park has also grown, welcoming a diverse and eclectic group of residents. Some stay for just a short time while others have spent their entire lives in the neighbourhood.

Harold Russell falls into the latter group.

Russell was born literally within steps of Victoria Park in his family’s home, built in 1888. His mother, Dorothy Russell, was also born in the family home at the corner of David Street and Schneider Avenue.

Russell and his wife Lynne renovated and moved into the home in 1994, joining Dorothy who lived in the home all of her life until her passing in 2005.

“Some of the families that were there when I was growing up as a child were still living in the neighbourhood,” Russell recalled.

Of course, few of those families remain in the neighbourhood today.

However, Russell still appreciates the many younger families that are moving into the neighbourhood. “It really demonstrates the evolution and renewal of the area,” he said.

The neighbourhood’s evolution also includes Reception House, a charitable organization that opened in 1987. Reception House Waterloo Region, according to their mission, is a “community based organization that provides a warm welcome to government assisted refugees.”

Reception House supports some of Victoria Park’s, and Canada’s, newest residents out of its 101 David Street location. “[Our role is] educating the public, talking to people who have an interest in what we do and overseeing social integration support programs,” said Marika Galadza, manager of community engagement at Reception House.

Like Russell, Galadza also has observed the continuous changes in the neighbourhood.

“Our community is changing and becoming more diverse, so it’s sort of on us to work with newcomers and to welcome them to our community,” Galadza said.

Longtime residents like Russell and newcomers at Reception House share disparate stories and experiences. However, the park and its surrounding neighbourhood demonstrate several points of connection.

Canada’s shores have kept it relatively isolated from the horrors

of war. However, Russell remembers living through World War II as a young child. He and his friends incorporated ‘war games’ into their play in the park. “[I remember] watching movies such as Commandos Strike at Dawn at a local movie theatre, likely the Lyric or the Fox,” he said.

Often Russell overheard adults discuss the war around the dinner table.

“I remember those conversations well, even though I was only a child.

Perhaps that was the future history teacher in me already showing,” he said.

Russell attended large wartime events in Victoria Park like Victory Bond rallies, as well as parades in downtown Kitchener.

“My family often talked about their worries about the war, while my friends and I often relied on those war themes for our play,” he said.

War remains in the background of many of Russell’s childhood stories; however, war is still a present-day reality for many families worldwide.

Canada has seen an influx of refugees fleeing war-torn countries over the last few years, reaching its climax in 2016 when Canada welcomed 25000 Syrian refugees.

Galadza saw how that impacted Reception House. “That saw our services scale up by 500 per cent,” she said. “We served close to 1000 refugees in that one year whereas most years it is 200-300.”

Leaving everything behind to move to Canada is so obviously a stressful and isolating time for newcomers, so Galadza appreciates what the Park and neighbourhood offer to these individuals and families.

“It’s such a blessing to have this location (101 David St.) I can’t even imagine the conditions that they are coming from, and to be in such a beautiful space across from Victoria Park — which is just so gorgeous — it’s really a blessing.”

Russell still lives in his childhood home today, and uses similar language as Galadza to describe the neighbourhood.

“It was a blessing to be born so near the park. My playground was a block away in either direction, and what more could a child want really.”

In addition to imaginative games, such as those based on themes of war, Russell engaged in a variety of sports available in the park. He both played baseball, and also watched the Kitchener Panthers play in the park’s stadium which would later be removed in 1967.

“My passion for baseball started in the park. In addition to playing ball with friends, my first job was selling programs at the baseball games

there,” he said.

Russell also played football in the park, skated on Victoria Park Lake during the winter and recalled his mother playing tennis when there were courts there. Soccer was also popular for him and his classmates, who won the city championship for Victoria School in 1947.

Now, it’s rare to walk past the Victoria Park Commons and not see children chasing after a soccer ball, when the weather warms up. It’s likely that some of those children just arrived to Canada and are staying at Reception House.

The Park is a place for recreation, but also one of peace for Reception House residents. “[I’ve] heard from so many clients that when they are feeling restless or frustrated, they just walk through the park,” Galadza said.

Their connection to the Park often remains, even after families find a more permanent home.

“We know that there are a lot of newcomer families that meet there regularly, even after they move out of Reception House, which is so nice to see,” Galadza said. “This is their first impression of Kitchener, this beautiful park and this beautiful home.”

It’s clear that the park acts as a binding agent between neighbours, despite being a long-term resident or a newcomer. The Victoria Park Neighbourhood Association (VPNA) seeks to strengthen such connections between neighbours. “[The VPNA is] creating a stronger sense of belonging and a safer, healthier and engaged community,” said Cathy Lumb, a VPNA board member.

Without the park, the 2016 sledding party wouldn’t have brought both new families and long-term residents together. “[There were] about 75 newly arrived refugee children from Reception House that had a chance to try out tobogganing and enjoy hot chocolate with whipped cream for the first time,” Lumb said.

Although the streets don’t really talk, the people who frequent them speak for those streets. In the Victoria Park neighbourhood, the streets, and the park itself, tell the diverse and unique stories of those who live and have lived there, during times of stress or happiness or change.

Just as these streets help to connect neighbours, our stories help to do the same.

Marika Galadza is a volunteer at the Community Edition.

APRIL 2018 // COMMUNITYEDITION.CA

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UNDERFUNDED AND UNDERAPPRECIATED

KITCHENER WATERLOO’S LGBTQ2I+ ADVOCACY GROUPS AND THEIR CONSTANT STRUGGLE TO STAY AFLOAT

JANICE LEE CONTRIBUTOR With a recent rise in public homophobia and transphobia, many have asked how they can help the local LGBTQ2I+ community. As an organizer of the local Rainbow Reels Queer and Trans Film Festival myself, I reached out to my colleagues at Kitchener Waterloo advocacy groups about our collective challenges.

Plan B is a grassroots organization that provides resources, safer spaces, and events especially for trans people, non-binary and gender variant people.

This includes providing chest binders at a subsidized cost and clothing swaps, as well as workshops and socials for crafting, life organizing and board games in a safer space.

Plan B is located within Treehaus collaborative workspace.

“With rising rent prices and limited spaces that meet our accessibility standards, we are currently in a co-working space that meets our needs at the moment, but is not suited for our goals for growth,” organizer Sam Estoesta said.

Plan B has modest needs for sustainability: rent money, bus tickets and snacks for events. Yet fellow organizer Mary Ferguson said even these resources are hard to come by, for an organization that serves a predom-

inantly under-waged community, asking for donations is difficult.

“Grant applications are rarely successful and our board members often pay out of pocket to pay our rent at the office,” Ferguson said.

The best way to support Plan B is to share their events, donate cash or GRT bus tickets.

SPECTRUM is a rainbow community space providing education and training, as well as hosting groups such as Aging with Pride, Parents Family and Friends Support and Multicultural Connect. The space is located in the Boehmer Box building at 283 Duke Street West, Kitchener.

Long-time advocate and community organizer Jim Parrott spoke of the disparity between policy and culture.

“Some folks in our community believe that our main battles have been fought and won – we have numerous pieces of legislation in place that are the envy of most other countries in the world. And yet, the vast majority of same-sex couples are not comfortable walking hand-in-hand in town,” Parrott said. “Many queer-identified people do not feel safe being out to coworkers. And residents of retirement homes and long-term-care facilities are largely terrified of being transparent about their sexuality or gender identity.”

SPECTRUM is still reeling financially from an unsuccessful fundraiser in October of last year because of low turnout. Parrott said that donors will be given charitable tax receipts and that the community can support by

buying ads in SPECTRUM publications and by simply attending their fundraisers.

Making A Scene is a filmmaking program for LGBTQ2I+ youth directed by local filmmaker Becca Redden.

Redden said she is driven by the excitement of the youth, but resources to pay project leaders are limited.

“We see the impacts our program makes. But it feels so out of reach when you make a solid case for why you need compensation and you get a quarter of what you asked for,” Redden said.

The program used to run for six

months, but with a lack of other funding resources, it has been scaled down to one week.

“There are kids that rely on this program. How do you explain to them that the funding system is messed up, that we have to scale back, that the city doesn’t support them?” Redden said.

Redden sees this as part of an ongoing trend.

“The marginalized folks who bring culture to this community are quitting because the resources to pull off big and incredible programming just aren’t being given out. They are there, but they aren’t being given to us.”

MATT SMITH PHOTO

She would like to see the wider community take a moment to think about what makes their community great. “Is it the festivals? Is it the youth groups?

Is it the shelters? Is it the markets?” she asked.

“Even if they aren’t going to go, or if they don’t relate to it — to stand up for groups when their groups are being shut down. Or just hand us money so we can do great things with it. I just wish the community at large would be better allies to folks who, piece by piece, are making the community better.”

JAKE WATTS PHOTO

DE-PLATFORMING DANGEROUS VOICES ON CAMPUS

OPINION

KHADIJAH PLUMMER CONTRIBUTOR It’s been a week and I am still in shock. I am in shock that in 2018, we are still discussing the issue of racism.

I am not usually one to participate in protests and rallies, mainly because they give me anxiety. I was still incredibly anxious with every step I took closer to the Wilfrid Laurier University Quad that evening, but I did my best to ignore it. Where there are counter-protesters, there are those perpetuating the issue being protested against.

I was worried that my partner, a white man, and I, a Black woman, would stick out like a sore thumb and become the target of some sort of violence. It was the first time since being tied to Laurier in any way, shape, or form, that I actually felt unsafe.

As of last Tuesday, I didn’t have a clue who Faith Goldy was. Turns out, she has been tied to alt-right or white nationalist ideologies. As a part of a speaker series held by a group called the Laurier Society for Open Inquiry, Goldy was invited to speak on campus.

I was at work and my partner sent me a link to an article in the Huffington Post. In summary, it basically suggested that deplatforming is the best way to kill a dangerous idea. In this case, the dangerous idea is the ideology of white supremacy.

To be clear, this ideology is not a “white people versus everyone else”

sort of idea. It is a far-right belief that none other than the caucasian race should inhabit the earth. My stomach dropped as I sat at my desk, not only because of what was to be spoken about, but where. I could not believe that the administration at my beloved alma mater had failed to recognize the problems that would arise from allowing such an individual to have a platform on campus, especially with the large BIPOC and LGBTQ+ populations and advocacy groups that coexist there.

Sure, everyone is entitled to their own opinion, which is the centre of the free-speech debate, but I would say that deeming white supremacy to be an opinion that needs to be given a platform is far-fetched. Standing up against it is a fight that we are all responsible to take part in, no matter our race, class, age, or sexual orientation.

It was beautiful to see such a diverse group of people

taking a stance against Laurier administration and speaking up against what was happening on my former campus. While Goldy and her followers were inside, the rest of us were rallying outside for hours in the cold. My partner and I, although mindful of the potential danger that could happen, were more concerned about the message we would send if we were to do absolutely nothing and stay home. Not only does this ideology negate my existence as a human being, but it negates our existence as two people whom are romantically involved.

Although now, just as an alum of Wilfrid Laurier University, the biggest realization that I had that day was about who university administration gives a platform to.

It also hurt to realize that although about 100 of us gathered outside, 175+ gathered inside to hear Faith Goldy (even more had to be turned away).

When the talk was cancelled, they moved to the war memorial across from campus, which was particularly insensitive as many counter-protesters held up signs of mass military graves with the caption, “They Cannot Have Died For Nothing.”

I hope that we, as a school community and larger community, can view this as a way to learn and grow. We all deserve to be treated equitably and we all deserve to be here.

As American writer and poet Max Ehrmann once said, “You are a child of the universe. No less than the trees and the stars.”

The voices we choose to amplify on our campus is something everyone should be concerned about and thus, we must work together to correct it.

APRIL 2018 // COMMUNITYEDITION.CA

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Amanda Trites and Scott Norton also use Barbie dolls in traditional Indigenous clothing to help educate kids in schools about Indigenous history and culture.

NICK STANLEY PHOTOS

INDIGENOUS EDUCATION WITHIN THE CLASSROOM

GANAWENDAN, A GROUP IN WATERLOO REGION, IS USING EDUCATION TO ADDRESS INDIGENOUS ISSUES

KAITLYN SEVERIN CONTRIBUTOR ‘Ganawendan’ is a term used by Ojibwe people that loosely translates to “take care,” or “protect.” It’s also the term that best describes the message one KitchenerWaterloo group, Ganawendan, is hoping to project in their presentations around the community.

Created by facilitators Amanda Trites and Scott Norton, the pair chose the name Ganawendan to broaden their messages of cultural protection for Indigenous youth, reconciliation and healing among young and older generations.

“We’re trying to focus more on our Indigenous community, our Indigenous youth, and if we can protect those youths now and make it easier for them to have a brighter future,” Norton explained. “But in order to do that, we have to build this safety net for them where they

feel like they have that power and that safety and that community to be able to fight for those things.”

For almost a year, Ganawendan has been hosting presentations in various schools and workplaces, which consist of cultural sensitivity training, cultural workshops and traditional storytelling told through dance and music. Trites and Norton also use their experiences with healing to focus on generational traumas in the Indigenous community.

“We’re hoping to connect both our healing paths … but we want to connect it in a way that we can help everyone else heal at the same time,” Norton said.

According to Trites, the duo wanted to focus the “no-sugarcoated” truth about the history of Indigenous People, the misconceptions surrounding Indigenous People and what it means to give and receive reconciliation.

While Ganawendan hopes to spread their work into Cambridge, they cherish the opportunity to teach in their home community of the KW Region.

“We only have three Indigenous organizations within this region, and that’s not enough; that doesn’t support our community the way it needs to be supported, so we’re just looking to make it a better community for us, everyone involved and our children,” Trites said.

“

ONCE THEY HEAR THOSE STORIES, I GUESS IT MAKES THEM A LITTLE SAD, BUT IT ALSO INTRIGUES THEM TO FIND MORE QUESTIONS TO ASK AS WELL. - SCOTT NORTON

”

“We are breaking down the stereotypes and just get over it mentality because we have a lot of that still, unfortunately,” Norton said. “Our process of breaking that

down and educating [is] if we start with the kindergartens, grade ones and elementary level students, we can [break the stereotypes].”

While all the presentations from Ganawendan aim to break down stigmas and unite all generations of community members, the group tries to customize their teachings to suit their audience. If Trites and Norton are invited to present to kindergarten students, or to an elementary school, the group will incorporate dance, songs, traditional clothing and props into their storytelling.

“When we start them out that young, it just helps to open their minds to inclusion which helps to rid that of oppression and the racism and discrimination that is currently going on,” Trites said. “We’re trying to eliminate that from as early as we possibly can, so our future generation doesn’t have to worry about all of the same things we’ve been worrying about.”

When performing for elementary schools, Norton noted how the kids from ages 10-12 might learn more as they are more inclined to

ask the most detailed and intricate questions, such as what residential schools in Canada were like during the 20th century.

“Some of the questions I’ve been asked on a panel [are about] people that went through residential schools, [and] what were their daily routines in that school. I have aunts and uncles that went through residential school and I heard a lot of those stories, and I explained as much as I can,” Norton said.

“Once they hear those stories, I guess it makes them a little sad, but it also intrigues them to find more questions to ask as well.”

Currently, Ganawendan is planning on more presentations in elementary and secondary schools across KW. The group is also working with THEMUSEUM and hope to host their own community event in April.

“The thing with our teachings is that we’re no better or no worse than anyone else. We just have a little bit of a bag of information or knowledge that we can share with people and at the same we’re learning from them,” Norton said.

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APRIL 2018 // COMMUNITYEDITION.CA

A HOME THAT

WORKS

TCE FICTION

DYLAN SIEBERT CONTRIBUTOR The soft light of the lantern flickered faintly. Its reservoir of vegetable oil was running low, but Marta hardly noticed. She was bent over the kitchen table, studying the series of charts in front of her. GARDEN PLAN — 2080 SEASON, each one read in bold, clear letters, and in each diagram Charles Street could be seen running down the left-hand margin.

She hardly noticed Faizal enter the room, either, until he was standing behind her with his hands on her tired shoulders. ‘Still working?’ he said gently.

‘Mmm, yes. Get that knot, will you?

Right between the shoulder blades.’

‘You could turn on the light, you know. It’s well into off-peak hours now.’

‘Oh, I know. The price of electricity’s so variable though, you never know what they’re going to charge you once you flick the switch,’ Marta grumbled.

‘These are the interns’ drawings?’ asked Faizal, reaching past her for the desk lamp. The pool of warm, incandescent light that flooded the tabletop seemed dazzling.

‘You’re right, that is better.’ She rubbed her eyes and leaned back in her chair. ‘I keep telling them, keep your soil covered! Either with mulch or with dense enough plantings that the leaves give enough shade to keep the moisture in.’

‘But their rows are so pretty when they’re spaced out like that,’ said Faizal innocently, his hands gently working away at the knot.

‘Maybe they could afford to plant like that back in the twentieth century, but summers in southern Ontario were about four degrees cooler then, and a lot less dry. And it doesn’t help our fertility retention that we tend to get flooded almost every spring. Winters, too, more and more. The less exposed dirt, the less we risk losing in the runoff.’

‘Why so many flowers? I thought they were training to be market gardeners.’

‘Flowers can be a cash crop too.

But these are wildflowers to attract pollinators: goldenrod, purple asters, milkweed. Gardening’s about more than just plants, you know. You need the beneficial insects and birds to help combat pests and invasive species.’

‘I suppose you know best,’ said Faizal.

He left off the massage and slid into the chair next to hers at the table.

‘Listen, I’ve been thinking,’ he said.

‘Have you, now?’

‘Very funny, Miss Marta. But I’m serious. Ever since I met you, you’ve wanted to have your own place. You

know what I mean — a bit of land to work the way you want it. We’ve got a great setup here, but you were never meant to live in a townhouse across from the Parkade Gardens.’

‘Hard to imagine a setup that could beat my one hundred-metre commute.’

‘How about a ten-metre commute?

A kitchen garden for self-sufficiency — you know, corn, beans, potatoes, squash — high-calorie crops that store well through the winter. And then a market garden for income: leafy greens, heirloom tomatoes, herbs, fancy courgettes, that kind of thing.’

‘I see Mr. Faizal has studied carefully the difference between homesteading and farming.’

‘Hard not to, living with a know-it-all like you.’

Marta smiled, then turned in her chair to face him directly. ‘But Faizal, what if there’s another drought?’

There was worry in her eyes.

‘What if, what if? At one point people worried about a seven or eight degree climb in summer temperatures over twentieth-century averages, or worse, and look where we are today. Data over the last ten years have stayed consistent: emissions have finally levelled off.’

‘But it took fifty years of hard pushing just to slow the runaway train to a standstill. We’re nowhere near being able to reverse course yet.’

‘All the same, I don’t feel that I’m living in a train wreck of a civilization, do you?’

Marta smiled despite herself. ‘No, I don’t.’

‘And imagine if we were still relying on petroleum-based fertilizers for our daily bread, instead of locally sourced organics,’ Faizal went on. ‘Every political tremor in the Persian Gulf would send the price of food soaring.

I mean, they’re never, ever going to find a cheaper fuel source for cars and lightbulbs, so our choices in that department are expensive gas and electricity or no gas and electricity.

But compost is abundant and free, if you know how to make it, and it powered almost every major empire in history.’

‘Agreed. Okay, I admit it, the risks aren’t nearly so bad as they could be.’

She looked at the wall for a moment, thoughtful. ‘If we moved away from town it’d be hard for my mom, now that she’s all alone.’

‘She can come too!’

‘She’ll never quit working, Faizal.’

‘She doesn’t have to. There’ll be plenty of chores for everyone — the kids too, when they’re old enough.

We’ll have a home that works, not just a home where we occasionally spend time together.’

‘I’m sure my mom wouldn’t mind working for her grandchildren instead of a foreman,’ Marta mused. ‘You’d have to keep some paid work though, at least until I could get the farm on its feet.’

‘I’ll do it,’ said Faizal, placing his hand

over his heart. ‘No indignity of paid employment will deter me, if it means I’ll be able to come home to my family once you’ve got your ducks in a row.’

‘Can I put the ducks in a row?’ said a sleepy voice. Marta and Faizal both turned toward the foot of the stairs, where they saw a four-year-old in blue pyjamas printed all over with yellow submarines. With one hand, she dragged a stuffed squid with button eyes, and with the other she rubbed her face, yawning tremendously.

‘Yes Rosa, you may,’ said Faizal.

‘Come here for a minute, will you?’ He hoisted the little girl onto his lap. ‘How would you like to live on a farm in the country, with Mama and Baba and Ali, and maybe Abuela too?’

‘Okay,’ said Rosa. ‘But only if Abuela comes too.’

‘There we have it!’ said Faizal, looking at Marta. ‘A direct mandate from the board of directors. Do I have permission to start hunting for real estate?’

‘Permission granted,’ said Marta. ‘But start your hunt in town. A long lot like those ones next to the Iron Horse Trail would do quite nicely.’

‘I’m not bored, I promise,’ said Rosa, squirming a little. ‘I’m really, really… interested…’ This time her yawn would have tipped her right off Faizal’s lap, had he not been holding her close.

‘Okay, sweet potato, time for you to go back to your garden bed.’ Faizal stood, bouncing her a little as he shifted his daughter to a carrying position.

‘Ancona, I think,’ Marta murmured, looking at the wall again.

Faizal stopped halfway across the kitchen and turned back. ‘What was that?’

‘What? Oh, I was thinking about ducks. They’re the best breed for laying. They produce high-quality fertilizer, too.’ She reached across the table and switched off the lamp, plunging the room back into lanternlight.

‘What did you do that for?’

‘Practicing. If we do find a place outside the city limits, we’ll be lucky if it has any kind of grid connection. And like I said, electricity’s not cheap, and we’ve got loans to think about.’ She gave him a look. ‘You’ll have to start cutting back on coffee, too.’

‘And we’ll all have to start getting to bed earlier,’ he said, returning the look.

She grinned. ‘I’ll be there in a minute.

Good night, Rosa.’ But the bundle in Faizal’s arms was silent as he carried her back up the stairs.

Marta turned once more to the garden charts and the soft pool of light on the tabletop. Her eyes wandered absently over her young students’ plans for the future. But it was her own plans that filled her mind as the lantern guttered low.

With thanks to Kim Bell and the authors of the Ministry of Natural Resources’ Climate Change Research Report 44 (CCRR-44).

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APRIL 2018 // COMMUNITYEDITION.CA

RAMONA LEITAO PHOTO

MANAGING WASTE IN KW CONDOS AND APARTMENTS

WR AND HOWE

JAMES HOWE COLUMNIST Given all the fuss to get people to use the green bin, you might wonder why you’re throwing your apple core and kitty litter into the garbage at your apartment building or condo. It becomes frustrating if you’re interested in adopting a zero waste lifestyle or have recently moved out of your single family home to enjoy your retirement in a condo.

You may then be one of the people trying to figure out how to get organic

waste collection at your building or complex, only to find out that it’s next to impossible.

How could this possibly be? We know that our local landfill is fighting hard to avoid reaching capacity that is anticipated in 20 years. We also know that organic waste creates methane which is a particularly nasty greenhouse gas. And we know that time is running out to avoid the worst of the impact of climate change, which is irreversible.

So why doesn’t the Region of Waterloo collect organic waste from multiple unit residential sites? It’s own official plan limits urban growth and calls for intensification.

The answer is simple. The Region doesn’t have to collect organic waste from these properties.

While that may not make sense,

it’s perfectly legitimate. The Region of Waterloo is only required by the province to collect garbage from single family homes and small multiunit properties with six units or less.

Anything larger is considered a business and is served by a private waste collection firm.

Still you’d think that one resident or a group of residents who care about living sustainably could at least make a difference in their own building or complex. Private firms offer the service but it is priced dramatically higher than collecting the garbage and taking it to a private landfill — possibly even one they own. And the Region of Waterloo’s tiny pilot program isn’t accepting more participants.

That makes it an expensive option for even the most environmentally-friendly condos or property owners.

On top of that, it is a risky option since only a small minority is likely to participate. Quality of waste is an issue, too, if people don’t understand what is compostable.

So all the local people whose home is in one of the large apartment buildings or condos that are popping up are forced to throw their organic waste into the garbage which is then trucked outside Waterloo Region — racking up greenhouse gas emissions to transport it and as it decomposes.

But you may be thinking, why does the Region of Waterloo collect my building’s recycling? I’m sure it was due to public pressure to offer the service. It probably helped too that materials collected for recycling can be sold whereas there is a cost for disposing organic waste.

To their credit, the Region of Water-

loo does plan to initiate a study next year about offering organic waste collection to all homes in Waterloo Region. Still, a report to Regional Council isn’t expected for a couple years with implementation still further down the road.

Public pressure is the best way to get this service offered sooner at your building or complex. Start with your landlord, property manager or condo board. Even better, make sure provincial politicians looking for your vote in June know you want the province to require this service. Then in the fall, let your regional council candidates know that you want the Region to provide you with organic waste collection as soon as possible.

And in the meantime, perhaps a grassroots initiative can provide a solution.

EVALUATING OUR WORD CHOICE SEXPLANATIONS

STACEY JACOBS COLUMNIST “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names can never hurt me”: a school yard chant I said many times growing up. I now know that names can hurt, they can hurt for months, years, a lifetime. And beyond calling someone a name to intentionally hurt them, unintentionally making assumptions about a person can hurt them just as much.

I have been making it a priority in my life to try not to make assumptions about people. Not to assume their gender, their sexual orientation, who they are in a relationship with, whether or not they want to, or can, have children.

It is usually not my intention to hurt someone’s feelings and I am sure this is true of most people, but we need to be more aware of how we do hurt people’s feelings unintentionally.

Using language that is inclusive — meaning to not make assumptions or leave people out — is something that I have been working on for years, both in my writing and speaking. Small changes in language can go a long way in the prevention of doing harm to others.

One example of inclusive language is using the pronoun “they” instead of “he or she” when you do not know which pronouns a person uses. It is essential to remember that you cannot tell what pronouns a person will use

by looking at them. The pronoun “they” can be used both in the plural and singular and can easily fit in anywhere he or she does. If you know someone’s pronouns, it is important to use them when talking to, or referring to, that person. You can also use their name if you know it.

I use the words people and person a lot, instead of gendering terms such as man and woman. For example: “person who is pregnant,” instead of “woman who is pregnant,” as not everyone who is pregnant identifies as a woman. I refer to the body parts when talking about the body parts, leaving gender out of the sentence.

For example: “the uterus shreds its lining during menstruation,” instead of “a woman’s uterus shreds its lining during menstruation.”

I talk about “parents,” “guardians” and “caring adults,” instead of “moms and dads,” as not everyone has a mother and a father. I ask people about their “partners,” “significant others” or “sweethearts,” instead of “girlfriends” or “boyfriends,” so not to assume sexual orientation. I do not walk up to a group of people and say: “Hi guys.” I say: “Hi everyone, everybody or folks.”

I absolutely make mistakes along the way. When I catch myself, I say sorry, correct my language and move on. I do not dwell on it. However, the more you practice, the easier it becomes, until one day you do not have to think about it at all. The inclusive words automatically come to you, you are making less assumptions about people, you are hurting less feelings and ultimately, that’s a good thing.

Stacey Jacobs is a sexual health educator for SHORE Centre.

WE SERVE BEER (and wine)

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A BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO CRAFT BEER

BY KARLIS WILDE, BEER ENTHUSIAST

The craft beer scene has been popping for a few years, but that doesn’t mean that everyone is hip with the nomenclature. To help you out, here is a basic guide to craft beer in 2018.

HOW MANY TYPES OF BEER ARE THERE?

WHAT EVEN IS AN IPA ANYWAY?

A billion. But all of these riff on two major styles of beer, which are defined by the types of yeast used. Lagers (think Budweiser, Canadian) and ales (think the kind of stuff your hipster neighbour drinks).

The India style Pale Ale is probably the most popular style of craft beer, so it’s worth knowing a little bit about it. The name is a little misleading, because it’s actually a British creation.

In the early 19th century, British troops were stationed down in India, and beer was shipped to them from home. The only problem? The voyage was too long, and the beer would spoil before it reached them.

So brewers began to load their beer with a ridiculous amount of hops — a plant used in brewing which works as a natural preservative — in order to have the beer survive. This wound up

WHY DO PEOPLE CARE ABOUT PORTERS?

WHAT MAKES A BEER SOUR?

Porters — and stouts, like Guinness, which is a type of porter — are the most highly sought after, best reviewed beers you’re going to find and that’s because they’re so deep and dark and different.

Porters are thick and loaded with

Emerging as a dominant style over the past couple of years, sours are bold and arresting. But what is it that makes them taste so funky?

They’re fermented with delicious bacteria from wild and weird strains of yeast.

To avoid these sour flavours throughout history, most mainstream, modern brewing has cultivated yeasts and made them manageable and predictable, for an accessible and consistently delicious product. Until

complex, varied flavours. This can include coffee porters, brewed with real coffee, oatmeal stouts, using oats as a malt and chili, chocolate stouts, brewed with chocolate and hot peppers.

WHAT IS AN IMPERIAL BEER? If a beer is an imperial, that just means it’s strong. Imperial stouts, imperial (or ‘double’) IPAs, they’re defined by being at least 8 per cent alcohol by volume.

A lot of the pricy imperial beers you’re going to find these days are

recently, soured beers were often thrown away, being dismissed as rotten, foul beer, rather than a craft specialty.

But that has changed and the heyday of the sour is here. These puppies make for great summery, fruity flavours, but they can certainly also be a little off-putting. For a more controlled fruity taste, maybe drink a cider instead — they’re generally made with only apples and controlled yeasts.

WHAT IS A WHEAT BEER? ‘barrel-aged,’ which is exactly what it sounds like. These ‘vintages’ often have big, cool flavours soaked up from the wood in barrels formerly used to age other alcohols (usually whiskey).

WHAT SHOULD I ORDER AT A CRAFT BEER BAR? If you’re at a place that only sells craft beer, don’t be intimidated. There are tones of “starter” beers that make getting into craft an easy transition. If you want a Budweiser but you also want to grow a bushy beard and listen to Future Islands on vinyl, drink a kölsch. If you

giving the beer the bitter, hoppy taste that people have grown to love.

The irony? Now anyone will tell you that an IPA needs to be drank quickly, within three months of canning, in order to preserve the flavours of the hops!

Bonus tid-bit: a New England IPA is a hazy, unfiltered one that basically looks like orange juice (big fruit flavours!) and Milkshake IPAs are IPAs brewed with lactose sugar so they aren’t vegan and, while a bit creamy, they don’t really taste like milkshakes.

want something crazy, bold and fruity, drink a sour. If you want something refreshing, drink a half juice, half beer radler (which translates in German to cyclist, for whom the beverage was originally crafted).

Wheat beer — or ‘white’ beer, because wheat literally means ‘that which is white’ — is classified under several different styles like wit, Weiss or gose. These beautiful babies — often classified as Belgian — showed up just about everywhere about ten years ago with the then heretical and now ho-hum idea of serving a pint with a slice of orange in it.

Most wheat beers are going to taste

like cloves and coriander (because that’s what they’re brewed with), but the defining feature of the category ‘wheat beer’ is really just that it’s brewed with a predominantly wheat malt. They’re a cool way to capture complex, summery flavours, while staying fairly accessible to the average palate.

“ THERE’S A BEER OUT THERE FOR EVERYONE. I HOPE YOU FIND YOURS. ”

APRIL 2018 // @THECOMMUNITYED

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ARTS & CULTURE EVENT LISTINGS THURSDAY, APRIL 5

TUESDAY, APRIL 10

INDIGENOUS PEOPLES, CANADA, AND THE DECLARATION BALSILLIE SCHOOL OF INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

MP Romeo Saganash will be speaking Bill C-262 and the importance of implementing UN Declaration oon the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Legal experts Paul Joff, Jose Alwin and Dr. Dalee Sambo Dorough will provide insight on the uptake of UNDRIP and implications for consulataion and consent in resource governance.

Registration is available on evenbrite.ca.

Talk • Free • 7pm - 9pm

UNDER THE RADAR: THOROUGHBREDS APOLLO CINEMA

Under the Radar is Apollo Cinema’s series that showcases modern films that didn’t quite catch the attention during its initial release.

This time Apollo will be playing Thoroughbreds, featuring actors Olivia Cooke, Anya Taylor-Joy, and Anton Yelchin. Tickets are available online.

Film • $8-$12• 7pm - 9pm

FRIDAY, APRIL 6 LIGHTS: WE WERE HERE TOUR ELEMENTS NIGHTCLUB KITCHENER

Canadian artist LIGHTS will stop by in Kitchener as part of her nation-wide tour. LIGHTS has also partnered with Plus1 so that $1 from every ticket sold on tour will go towards climate movement through Equiterre in Canada. The event is general admission.

Concert • $38.50 + Fees • Doors open at 7pm

SATURDAY, APRIL 7 SUSTAINABLE FASHION WORKSHOP & CLOTHING SWAP REEP GREEN SOLUTIONS

PolyGone and Reep Green Solutions have created a workshop to help you refresh your wardrobe and make it more sustainable. Attendees are expected to drop off old clothes and accessories to the Reep House between 1-3pm on April 5-6 to receive a swap ticket. All items that are not taken home will be donated after the event.

Workshop • Dontation • 1pm - 3:30pm

ALMOST HIP (THE TRAGICALLY HIP TRIBUTE) CHAINSAW

The Almost Hip is back at Chainsaw for set of the greatest hits by The Tragically Hip. Doors open at 9pm.

Karaoke will proceed at 11:30 p.m.

Music • $3+19 bring ID • 9pm - 9:30pm

MONDAY, APRIL 9 HACKERNEST KITCHENER WATERLOO APRIL TECH SOCIAL UNITRON GLOBAL

HackerNest Waterloo Tech Socials in KW aims to help attendees to connect with the local tech community in fun ways without pretention or an agenda-free. Visit the event page on Facebook for more information. Tickets are also available online at meetup.com.

Conference• Suggested donation of $10 to $20 • 8 pm - 11:00 pm

LOVE BLOSSOMS AT THE EDELWEISS EDELWEISS TAVERN

Cocktails n Canvas will be having local artist Lisa Golem to teach you how to paint “Love Blossoms”. Use promo code PLAYTIME for a 30 per cent discount when purshasing your ticket online. More information is available on the event page on Facebook.

Arts and Crafts • $45 • 7pm - 9pm

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 11 THE KITCHENER FLANAGAN FOOD SHOW LOT 42

The Flanagan Food show aims to provide new flavours, provide food samples and networking opportunities with representatives.

We support any event with free food. Yum. Show • Free • 9am - 5pm

THURSDAY, APRIL 12 TREAT YO SELF: PARKS & RECREATION TRIVIA CHAINSAW

Once a year, we spend a day treating ourselves. What do we treat ourselves to? Parks and Rec trivia, of course. We can’t promise you a calzone, but we do promise you trivia better than what you can find in Eagleton.We have no idea what we’re doing, but we know we’re doing it really, really well. Purchasing tickets in advance will guarantee you entry until 6:45pm the night of. After 6:45pm, we will allow those who did not purchase advance tickets to buy at the door. If you have an advanced ticket at arrive after 6:45pm you will be asked to wait in line. Also, please note that seating is limited and we do not guarantee seating.

We encourage you to come early to secure a table. Maximum of six people per team.

Trivia • $5 • 6:45pm - 9pm

SATURDAY, APRIL 14 COFFEE & CALLIGRAPHY: INTRODUCTION TO HANDLETTERING SEVEN SHORES COMMUNITY CAFE

This workshop is suitable for both beginners and those with lettering experience. Instruction is oneon-one and customized to each student’s skill level. Tools like a calligraphy pen and paper will be provided. Ticket are available on eventbrite.ca.

Workshop • $48.81 • 2pm - 4pm

SUNDAY, APRIL 15 BEYOND CRISIS FILM SCREENING, POTLUCK AND DISCUSSION REEP HOUSE FOR SUSTAINABLE LIVING

Tranistion KW is hosting a movie screening of Beyond Crisis, a movie that addresses a new era of climate change. A discussion community contributions to resolving climate change will also take place after the screening. The event is also a potluck, so attendees are encouraged to bring a dish. Tickets and more information are available online at eventbrite.ca

THURSDAY, APRIL 19 RECORD HOP: VINYL NIGHT AT THE LOKAL THE WALPER HOTEL

In light of World Record Store Day, The Walper Hotel will be hosting a pre-celebration on the 2nd floor lounge bar of the Lokal. DJ Good Dr will be playing tracks form the ‘60s and ‘70s.

Fun • Free • 7 pm - 10 pm

FRIDAY, APRIL 20 KW WINE & FOOD SHOW THE AUD

Caudle’s Catch Seafood, KW Wine & Food Show and Sophie’s Gown Shoppe Kitchener will be hosting a local food show where attendees can try craft beers, cocktails, wines, and food from Ontario restaurants. There will also be live cooking demonstrations, a fashion show, wine pairing and musical entertainment. Prices vary depending on when the ticket is purchased. More information is available on the event page on Facebook.

Food • Advanced ticket price $13.27 + $1.00 S/C + HST • 7 pm - 10 pm

SATURDAY, APRIL 21 COMMON GROUND 2018 KULTRUN MARKET

Businesses located at the Regina Street Commons by Regina and Dupont will host their second Earth Day Festival 2018. Kultrun Msrket and Neruda Arts will have music from Mari Palhares and Y Josephine, a percussion duo from Venezuela and Brazil, a drum circle. Torchlight Tattoo will have an art exhibition featuring five artists working and collaborating with members of the Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities. Seven Shores Cafe will provide free sweet potato and chive soup if you bring a reusable container or purchase one on site.

Yoga/meditation classes will be offered.

Fun • Free • 12:30 pm - 8 pm

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 25 TEA INSPIRED DIY BEAUTY NIGHT SWEET DREAMS TEA SHOP

The Eco Well and Sweet Dreams Tea Shop will be having a three-hour hands-on seminar where attendees will learn how to make three different take-home products that contain tea, such as tea toner, tea infused lip balm and a tea & clay face mask. Attendees will be taught how tea can be used in various recipes, which includes how to use extracts and infusions. Tickets available at universe.com DIY • $35.00 • 6 pm - 9 pm

SATURDAY, APRIL 28 GREG SESTERO LIVE: BEST F(R)IENDS & THE ROOM PRINCESS CINEMAS

The Waterloo Region welcomes all local artists, creators, investors and community members to take part in sharing their opinion on how to best honour the arts in the area.

Consultation sessions will take place in Cambridge, Kitchener, and Waterloo. Visit the events page on Facebook for more information.

Talk • Free • 6pm - 8pm

Film •Free• 3pm - 6pm

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APRIL 2018 // @THECOMMUNITYED

STEEL RAILS IS AN INTERACTIVE ART PARTY. WE WON’T TELL YOU MUCH BUT YOU’RE INVITED ALONG FOR THE RIDE. VISIT THE STEEL RAILS 2018 FACEBOOK PAGE FOR MORE INFO.

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