The Community Edition: June 2018

VOLUME 6, ISSUE 9 • JUNE 2018

A BREATH OF FRESH AYR PAGES 8-9

LOCAL SALON’S PRIDE FLAG STOLEN

SECRET SHOWS AT SECRET VENUES

INNERCITY RAIL TACKLES HIGH SPEED TRANSIT

PAGE 4

PAGE 7

PAGE 13

JUNE 2018 // @THECOMMUNITYED

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IN THIS

ISSUE

VOLUME 6, ISSUE 9

JUNE 2018

FEATURE

8-9 IF STREETS COULD TALK: AYR

EDITOR’S PICK 5

FROM AN OLD CIGAR TO A NEW SPACE IN DTK

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

IN BRIEF // EDITOR’S NOTE CYCLE WR MAKING KW BIKE FRIENDLY PRIDE FLAG RIPPED DOWN AND STOLEN NEW APPAREL LINE HIGHLIGHTS CANADIAN ART THE SIDE HUSTLE: BASHAR JABBOUR MENTAL MATTERS: PRACTICING MINDFULNESS FOUR ALL’S NEW RETAIL SPACE SECRET SHOWS WITH SOFAR SOUNDS SEXPLANATIONS: ON CIRCUMCISION WR & HOWE: INCLUSIVE DOWNTOWN CORES TCE FICTION HOMAGE TO HOMETOWN WITH BLOCK PARENT NEW TUNE REVIEW: TO THE TREES WEIGHING OUR OPTIONS: HIGH SPEED RAIL THE IMPORTANCE OF WORLD REFUGEE DAY EASY BEING GREEN: GARDENING TIPS OONA MOON // EVENT LISTINGS OUR GUIDE TO PORCH PARTY SZN

INSIDE

COVER BY PAIGE BUSH

Volume 6, Issue 9 Next issue: July 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 Social Media Coordinator Brittany Kovacs Social Media Coordinator Ramona Leitao 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 Vice-Chair Lisa Irimescu Directors Benjamin Cooke Rosalind Horne Alan Li Noa Salamon H.G. Watson Corporate Secretary Noa Salamon

CONTRIBUTORS Nathalie Bouchard Stacey Danckert Megan Dawe Karli Ferriolo Marika Galadza Emily Gleeson James Gowland Cameron Hoddle James Howe Safina Husein Cameron Klapwyk Stacey Jacobs Jennifer Lyon Shyenne MacDonald Kristen Phillipi Kurtis Rideout John Roche Natasha Rolleman Dylan Siebert Kaitlyn Severin Cara Vandermey 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

Putting this photo in black and white definitely doesn’t do it justice, so head over to our Instagram to see it in full colour. The mural, which is part of CAFKA18’s “Recognize Everyone,” was done

by Lucy Pullen and sponsored by Thalmic Labs.

NICK STANLEY PHOTO

EDITOR’S NOTE: YOU FORGOT TO ADD THIS TO YOUR SHOPPING LIST

BY: BETH BOWLES

A few weeks ago, while shopping for shampoo and razor blades in the Shoppers Drug Mart on Bridgeport and Weber, I stopped in front of the pharmacy counter.

I didn’t have a prescription to pick up, but a sign taped to the counter caught my eye. It was a sign for naloxone kits, advertising that they are free and that they save lives.

I stood there, a series of thoughts scrolling through my brain. In that moment, I thought about all the work the Community Edition has done in the past months about the opioid crisis, I thought about the stats, I thought about the people I knew who had lost their lives to drug use, I thought about this public health crisis that so many people in Waterloo Region are trying so hard to ignore.

I thought about the 13 people who have died in the Region due to overdose this year, so far, as reported by the CBC. Thirteen people in 2018.

It’s only June.

Once I was brought back to

NEWS

ARTS

URBAN

NEW CROSSWALKS PROMOTE PRIDE

TECHNOLOGY PLAYGROUND DTK

TECH FOR GOOD DECLARATION

On May 29, the new rainbow crosswalk in downtown Kitchener outisde the Victoria Park entrance was unveiled. Shortly after, another crosswalk was unveiled in uptown Waterloo, only to be vandalized by a burnout from a vehicle days later. The crosswalks are in place to promote the Region’s inlusivity and solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community.

THEMUSEUM’S newest exhibit explores the theme of gaming, but not the kind that happens in your mom’s basement. On loan from the Toronto International Film Festival, digiPlaySpace, which features 10 installations from artists all over the world, incorporates art and tech in an interactive exhibit. The exhibit is aimed at children, but has been enjoyed by people of all ages.

On May 31 at Communitech’s True North conference in Kitchener, former governor-general David Johnston unveiled the Tech for Good Declaration. The document is putting in print all that was discussed at the conference ­­— transparency, up to date education, using tech to benefit vulnerable groups, etc. D2L Corp., and Thalmic Labs are among those who signed.

DNA USED TO CREATE SKETCH

LOCAL DJS TO PLAY HOME SALES DOWN 15 PER CENT MAIN STAGE

Waterloo Regional Police Services have teamed up with Virginia-based Parabon NanoLabs to create a skecth of a suspect wanted in connection with two sexual assaults of children in Kitchener.

The assaults, which are believed to be connected, happened in 2017 and 2013, both in October. The lab uses DNA phenotyping to create an image of a person based on ancestry.

Highbred and True North, two KW DJs, will make their mainstage debut at Ever After Music Festival on June 9 at Bingemans.

The festival has been a hot topic of discussion as of late because of the number of people it brought into the Region last year, as well as the number of noise complaints, which were over 100. This year, the city has lowered the festival’s noise exemption to 55 decibels.

Home sales this past May in Kitchener and Waterloo are down 15 per cent in comparison to last year. This year, 692 properties were sold, whereas last May, 817 were sold. Also, the average sale price of residential properties in May went down by 2.4 per cent this year. The price of condos, however, has increased by 2.7 percent. Local realtors still say there is a strong demand for homes in WR.

JORDAN PETERSON WATERLOO ART STOLEN IN KW

KW FINALIST FOR $50 MILLION GRANT

Jordan Peterson, the University of Toronto psychology professor who is always at the centre of Canadian free-speech debates, is coming to The Centre in the Square on July 22 for his latest book tour. Peterson’s name made it’s way into KW following controversy surrounding Laurier TA Lindsay Shepherd, as that issue began when she showed one of his videos in class.

Local artist Paul Roorda, who is behind “Time Stops,” a series that can be found around the Mary Allen neighbourhood, has filed a police report as a result of his art being removed. His art, which consists of a series of boxes fastened to utility poles, has been given permission by bylaw to be on display. The boxes appeared to be removed by some sort of saw.

Waterloo Region is among five finalist municipalities who could be given a $50 million grant from to federal government that would be put towards using technology to improve the lives of Canadians.

The Smart Cities grant was announced in 2017 and Waterloo Region’s pitch is focusing on how tech can improve the lives of kids and young people. Fingers crossed.

physical reality, I walked up to the pharmacy counter.

“Can I help you?” the woman behind the desk asked.

“Yeah,” I said, unsure of how to phrase my order. “Can I grab a naloxone kit?”

She didn’t blink at me in astonishment like I thought she would. She didn’t look confused because I don’t fit the stereotypical expectations that we place on intravenous drug users.

She didn’t ask me if I was high.

She just asked me for my health card, I waited a few minutes, and another woman came out with the kit.

“Have you used one of these before?” the other woman asked me.

“No,” I responded.

“Okay,” she said. “Let me show you how.”

She opened the kit and explained to me the process of administering naloxone. First, how you can tell that a person has overdosed. Next, how to administer the first injection.

Then, how to administer the

second. What she didn’t ask was why I needed it, who I was thinking about when I asked for one, or if it was for me. She didn’t ask me anything because when getting a naloxone kit, the questions don’t matter. The “why” doesn’t matter, but the “how” does.

In last month’s issue of TCE, Jenny Kirby wrote an op-ed about the need for supervised injection sites in the Region.

When she submitted that piece for consideration to be published, one sentence sent shivers down my spine. She wrote: “How we treat those most vulnerable reveals more about us than it does them.”

It took me maybe five minutes to get a naloxone kit. It was free. I wasn’t given a hard time about it. I didn’t have to give an explanation as to why I wanted one. I realize that getting a kit may be harder for those who use drugs because there is a potential of being questioned, or judged, or legal harm that they could be subjected to. But for me, it was

easy.

Like Jenny said in her op-ed, we are all touched by addiction.

If you think you live in this safe bubble, or don’t associate with people who use drugs, you are naive. If you live in Waterloo Region, you are affected by drug use. We all know that ignoring problems just causes them to fester and grow, and we also know that telling someone who uses drugs to stop using drugs also doesn’t work.

Naloxone kits aren’t a solution, but they are an easy thing to add to your shopping list next time you’re buying deodorant and bandaids. They are an easy thing to keep in your home, in your bag, at your office or in the business you own. There are people in this region that need our help and I like to think that this community builds each other up and helps each other out, opposed to shrugging our shoulders when another name turns into a statistic.

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EMILY GLEESON PHOTO

CYCLE WR ADVOCATES TO MAKING CYCLING BETTER KARLI FERRIOLO CONTRIBUTOR In April, the province of Ontario launched #CycleON: Ontario’s Cycling Strategy Action Plan 2.0, which is a five year action plan to encourage cycling, improve safety and provide more travel options across the province of Ontario.

Toronto and Ottawa are two Ontario cities that rank the highest on the Bicycle Friendly Community Awards scale.

Both Toronto and Ottawa are home to cycling groups that advocate for safer

cycling infrastructure in their cities.

In Waterloo Region, Cycle WR is a newly formed advocacy group that aims to advocate for better cycling and biking in the Region. This sounds simple enough, but according to Cycle WR’s chair, Emily Slofstra, it is not always as simple as it seems.

“There is so many things that [we] can tackle at municipal, provincial and federal levels to make cycling better,” Slofstra said. “It starts with making sure that roads and trails are safe; for having the minimum amount of cycling infrastructure needed to get from point A to point B safely, without having to go far out of your way.”

Cycle WR’s founding group is made up of individuals who love cycling and want to see more people in Waterloo

Region choose cycling because it can be a safe, fun and convenient method of transportation.

As a nursing student at Conestoga College, Slofstra can often be found biking between classes, meetings and placements, all across Waterloo Region.

“It was faster for me to bike from Fairview Mall to uptown Waterloo than it would have been for me to bus,” Solfstra said.

“Cycle WR started because of conversations that were happening on Twitter,” Slofstra explained. “There were a lot of conversations about biking happening in the Region and it was just the same things over and over again. So a friend of mine and I got tired and started this group because we need an actual advocacy group. All the cities [in Canada] that

have made major changes towards being safer for cycling have an advocacy group like this. And we didn’t have one so it was about time.”

According to a 2016 report conducted by the City of Kitchener, 41 per cent of cyclists rarely felt safe riding on the road, while 98 per cent felt safest riding on trails.

“The best way to get more people on bikes and to get more municipal support for cycling is to advocate for better infrastructure,” Slofstra said. “We are not saying that every person has to get out of their car and start biking and I think that’s a huge misconception. We are not asking everyone to leave their cars behind. But let’s see how we can make [cycling] safer for the person who might want to try it.”

Each municipality has their own plans for cycling infrastructure, but in a region where lines often cross, Slofstra and Cycle WR would like to see more of a vision across the board.

“If we can map out [the gaps] then we can show municipalities and the Region that something needs to be done. So we can help to fill those gaps,” Slofstra said.

Cyclists and non-cyclists alike are encouraged to join Cycle WR in advocating for better cycling infrastructure in Waterloo Region.

“Everybody knows that biking is good for you and it is better for cities, we just have to get there.”

FLAG STOLEN AS ACT OF VANDALISM UPTOWN HAIR SALON THAT ADVOCATES INCLUSIVITY DEVASTATED

BETH BOWLES EDITOR IN CHIEF On Saturday, May 19, the staff at Cowboys and Angels, a hair salon in uptown Waterloo, were devastated to find that their pride flag, which hangs high from the side of their building facing Regina Street, had been taken down as an act of vandalism.

“Our flag was missing. Our Canada flag was still up, but our pride flag was down and the pole was also removed,” Kate Jandle, hair stylist at Cowboys and Angels, said.

The pole, in which the flag hung from, had been removed with some sort of metal cutter. The pole was found by the dumpster, but the flag has not been located. Whoever removed the flag would have had to bring a ladder to allow them to reach the pole.

“It couldn’t have been a spur of the moment, spontaneous decision,” Jandle said.

Cowboys and Angels has always promoted solidarity with the LGBTQ+

community. They have always had pride flags up in the salon, but it wasn’t until late 2017 that they installed the flagpole on the side of the building. The flag itself was cut shortly after it was put up in 2017, so this is the second time the flag has been targeted.

“Initially, I just felt very hurt and taken aback. I felt like something was taken away from me,” Jandle said.

“When that’s taken away, it feels like it’s not okay to be you.”

Two days before the flag was torn down was International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia.

Cowboys and Angels posted a message of solidarity on their Instagram, as they have always promoted themselves as a safe space for the LGBTQ+ community.

When they discovered that the flag had been removed, they made another Instagram post. “Cowboys and Angels has always been a safe place where you can come and be yourself. We’ve always made sure the message was clear, this is a home for the lost, and a home where you don’t have to be someone else, you can love who you want, be who you want and no one can tell you otherwise …” the post read. “To whoever stole our flag, let it be a reminder that you can’t tear down our pride.”

Jandle explained that the response to the Instagram post has been positive.

“We’ve received a lot of comments about it, and everybody was just really sad to see that that would happen because they love walking by and seeing our pride flag up,” Jandle said.

Jandle explained that Cowboys and Angels actively attempts to welcome diverse clientele. While Waterloo Region is home to many organizations that promote inclusivity, it’s rare to see a business that offers services promote inclusivity to the extent that Cowboys and Angels does.

“I believe we’re very lucky to have all the diverse clients, and everybody from the LGBT community is so happy when they come in here and they bring us such life and joy. Anybody though -- it doesn’t just have to be from the LGBT community. We honestly are just so happy for anybody who walks through the door,” Jandle said.

“We just want everyone to feel comfortable and we want to know them and understand them and make sure they’re happy with their hair.”

Moving forward, the flag will be replaced.

“We talked about putting other versions of the flag up in areas that aren’t as accessible,” Jandle said.

“We’re not going to let this stop us from showing how much we love everyone.”

The flag, which used to hang beside the Canada flag, was cut down on May 19 BRIT KOVACS PHOTO

JUNE 2018 // COMMUNITYEDITION.CA

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DECORATING STREETWEAR

WITH CANADIAN ART KRISTEN PHILIPPI CONTRIBUTOR

Adam Birch, shown above, is one of the founders of Famingo Apparel, a local streetwear company that puts Canadian art in the forefront.

NICK STANLEY PHOTOS

Famingo Apparel is a local streetwear company that is working to put Canadian art at the forefront of their limited-edition collections.

Kitchener-Waterloo locals Adam Birch, Matthew Burnside and Calvin Humphrey created Famingo out of a mutual love for fashion and a desire to provide artists a new platform for disseminating their work.

At Famingo, basic streetwear style is decorated by Canadian paintings, illustrations and graffiti. Crewnecks, joggers, hats and t-shirts are released one collection at time, each focusing on a new artist. Trendy clothing is the backdrop, and artistic design and creativity is the focus.

Famingo’s goal is to support as many creative people as possible.

Not only are they collaborating with artists, but they are hoping to grow into a company that can provide

students and young professionals alike with creative experiences and events that help to grow the local community as a whole. Their collection profits are shared with the artists and also provide donations to local charities and organizations.

This “all-welcome and allsupported” mentality applies to their overall artistic aesthetic style, too.

While they will maintain consistent in types of clothing they sell (all streetwear inspired), the types of art will be constantly changing and growing.

“What [art] I like might not necessarily be what you like,” Birch said. “Instead of focusing on one specific [style], let’s get a broad representation … We are open to any and all kinds of art.”

Famingo’s goal is to simply put as many creative pieces on the market as possible.

The first collection, available for pre-sale next month, is dropping as a crewneck this fall. The featured artist is Vickie Vainionpaa, a University of Waterloo fine arts graduate. Her digital art is colorful, bubbly and fluid. The official design of the Famingo piece has yet to be

released, but surely it will be a good start for the company.

Birch became interested in fashion a little later in life, after spending all his school years in a uniform.

He gained inspiration from fellow Canadian brands including Atelier New Regime of Montreal, Raised

by Wolves and East Coast Lifestyle.

Famingo has a unique opportunity to help define a newly emerging Canadian streetwear identity, and they are planning on bringing as many creative people with them as possible.

“We are looking for people, not necessarily [just] artists, but people with powerful messaging …We are looking for painters or illustrators, graffiti artists, many forms of expression. We want to be one big creative brand,” expressed Birch.

As the local artistic and cultural community continues to grow, Famingo will be repping Canadian talent and paying them, too. In a time where supporting a creative career is financially difficult, Famingo wants to provide opportunities to anyone and everyone who is pursuing their dreams.

FROM AN OLD CIGAR TO A NEW SPACE IN DTK SHYENNE MACDONALD CONTRIBUTOR In the carcass of what once was fine dining restaurant The Berlin, The Rich Uncle Tavern is taking its place, opening June 5. Although the restaurants owners, Ignite Restaurant Group, remain the same, the establishment has been going under heavy renovations and new branding for the majority of May. “We felt like it was time and that the place needed to change,” Neil Huber, co-owner of Ignite Restaurant Group, said.

“We wanted to make a place that people could come and have a burger [with] a shareable atmosphere.

People can come and have a drink and not feel like they need to go through the entire fine dining experience.”

The Berlin first opened its doors in 2015 and the establishment quickly cemented itself in the community as a restaurant you can celebrate milestones at. While the restaurant did thrive, I’m in the opinion that The Rich Uncle Tavern’s unique and more casual atmosphere will be like a pea in a pod among the other unique and niche stores and restaurants on King Street.

“This whole space is becoming more approachable and easy to access. People can come in, have a drink and enjoy heightened pub food and just relax,” Huber said as we continued to discuss what people can expect when Rich Uncle’s doors open.

Huber led me upstairs to a large den where the event venue was deep into construction, but he went on to explain his vision for when it was done.

“We’re turning it into what we’re calling The Study,” he said. “It’s more of a speakeasy lounge, people can come in here and sit in the worn

leather back chairs, pull a book off the shelf if they want to, enjoy a stiff drink.”

The Study will give Rich Uncle that certain je ne sais quoi that’s going to separate it from the other pubs that clutter Kitchener-Waterloo. Since it’s up the stairs, patrons will be given a more intimate setting away from those eating in the downstairs area.

“Downstairs is where a big majority of the rebuild is happening, so essentially our bar used to be right here,” Huber motioned to a small sectioned off part directly below the stairs.

The new bar, about three times larger, was being rebuilt across from its former. Now larger in size, patrons will be able to sit down and just enjoy a drink casually. Huber continued laying out the floor plan he was envisioning.

Finishing the tour, Huber went on to explain how The Rich Uncle Tavern came into fruition. The Berlin had clearly been inspired

by Kitchener’s original naming of Berlin — which had been changed in the midst of the First World War. However Rich Uncle’s titling is something slightly more quirky and could even be seen as kismet. “[Rich Uncle] is inspired by an old cigar that was sold at The Walper,” he said.

The Walper Hotel is, of course, still in business today and remains around the block from Rich Uncle.

“There was a cigar there called The Rich Uncle, and we had this old leather bound book that regaled the history of the region of Kitchener. In almost every single page of this book there were these advertisements for this cigar. So we saw it as a sign.

After we were spit-balling a few names Rich Uncle seemed to stick. It gave us a point of difference in the Region and lightened the mood.”

But more than just an interesting piece of time, the new restaurant is going to enthrall patrons with its decor.

“We’re trying to drive the look and style of the place around something that may have existed in

BRIT KOVACS PHOTO the late 1800’s, early 1900’s. So, as if The Rich Uncle actually lived in this space and over the years just accumulated things in his life and put them on the walls.”

It was still bare when I was at the restaurant two weeks ago, but I could see it slowly coming together as Huber described the vintage wallpaper and paintings they would have to complement the aesthetic.

“If you take a moment and look around, everything should be able to tell a story.”

Despite The Berlin closing its doors and Rich Uncle taking its place,

previous diners of the former should still expect the same high-quality food.

“We’re purveyors of sustenance and unique spaces. We want to make spaces that check the box for delicious food and delicious drinks,” Huber said.

“We’re one of the few restaurants in Southern Ontario that have a fire stove. Which means all the meat that gets cooked on the stove gets cooked over a live fire; it gives our food a unique smokey flavour.”

Though Huber couldn’t narrow down his favourite thing on the

menu, he assured me the burgers are something all meat-lovers should try. Whether or not Rich Uncle can live up to the high expectations locals hold remains to be seen.

However given Ignite Restaurant Group’s track record of success, I doubt any of us will be disappointed.

JUNE 2018 // @THECOMMUNITYED

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COMPUTER PROGRAMMER BY DAY, POET BY NIGHT THE SIDE HUSTLE

CAMERON KLAPWYK COLUMNIST Since coming to Kitchener-Waterloo from Syria with his family 13 years ago, Bashar Jabbour has wrestled with complex feelings about home, place and identity. A few years ago he began writing as a creative way of sorting through some of these feelings. At that point it was just a casual pursuit.

“I never thought about it as a serious endeavor,” he said. “I thought about it as something I could just do for fun, for myself.”

In the last few years, writing and performing poetry has become an essential part of Jabbour’s identity.

Another part of Jabbour’s identity is his daytime gig as a computer programmer. Having studied math, computer science and history at the University of Waterloo, Jabbour is passionate about finding ways to bridge the gap between technology and the humanities.

Jabbour wrote his first poem in October of 2014. Later that month he attended an event at the Black Heritage Society of Guelph. From that event, he recalled local singer-songwriter Janice Jo Lee’s performance in particular.

“I was watching her tell a story,” he said. “And she called people onto the stage and they formed a circle around her and she was interacting just with them. I remember watching and thinking: I didn’t know poetry could be like this.”

Jabbour left this experience inspired.

“I had this idea in my head and I just started writing,” he said. “I was this classic, inexperienced poet who writes all their thoughts.”

Jabbour’s first poem was addressed to the many people who were asking him about the Syrian civil war. He performed it for a friend, who told him it could win a poetry slam. He then wrote a second poem, went to a slam, and won $20. He had made money off of poetry. The sum was insignificant, but a seed was planted.

In the six months that followed, he wrote two new poems every month.

“It felt like the floodgates had opened,” he said.

These 12 poems were written specifically to white people. They captured Jabbour’s perspective on both the Syrian civil war and what it feels like to be an immigrant. He performed them over and over, to many different audiences, particularly Canadians who were directing their attention towards the Syrian refugee crisis.

For the future, Jabbour has grander ambitions for his writing. In addition to getting involved with KW Poetry Slam as the treasurer in 2016, then becoming co-artistic director along-

side Janice Jo Lee later that year, he recently finished a first draft of a poetry book.

“The book starts with a lot of grief on my first two years in Canada.

Thirteen years later, looking at those two years, and realizing the amount of difficulty.”

The second half of the book focuses on what it means to master life in Canada as an immigrant. “[It is born out of] the realization of how much longer I have to be on equal footing with people who were born here or people who have cultural currency here,” Jabbour said.

Much of the book practices the art of speaking to his reader through metaphor and narrative, intentionally avoiding complex terms like colonialism and whiteness in favour of language that better captures the essence of what Jabbour intends to portray.

He is optimistic that the book will be a success, but said, “I don’t need money for the book. I need exposure.

I already have a job.”

Bashar jokes about becoming the next Rupi Kaur.

“There’s a wave of young writers utilizing all kinds of platforms to generate some serious money,” he said. “There’s this saying now, ‘you sell 10 per cent of what Rupi Kaur sells and you’ll be set for life.’ ” And if the first book does not capture that sort of interest, it is worth noting that Jabbour has two other books already in the works.

PAIGE BUSH PHOTO

CREATIVE COMMONS PHOTO

PRACTICING MINDFULNESS IN THE DAY-TO-DAY

MENTAL MATTERS

JOHN ROCHE COLUMNIST Mindfulness has reached uber fad status in the field of mental health.

It also happens to be one of those words we throw around a lot without ever really defining. Fortunately, Jon Kabat-Zinn’s working definition of mindfulness is pretty solid: “Mindfulness is awareness that arises through paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgementally.” Basically, the opposite of mindfulness is sleep-

walking.

Despite what you may have heard, mindfulness is not a particularly “spiritual” practice. You’re simply noticing what’s going on around and inside you in the present moment without judging it. And if you notice judgmental thoughts coming up — for example, “Only an idiot would think something like this” — you just notice those, too. Instead of the usual human experience of being blindfolded by a constant stream of judgments, worries, regrets, emotions, and conditioned responses, once you become mindful you start to actually see and participate in the world around you.

Like any other skill, mindfulness can be developed through practice.

The point of formal sitting meditation isn’t to have amazing mystical

visions or to show how spiritual you are, but to develop your ability to notice whatever arises in the present moment without getting swept away by it. Like reps in the gym, every time you notice your mind has wandered, you simply come back to the present moment. Over and over again, you notice a thought or feeling or body sensation has hooked you, and you let it go and come back to the now.

Just like thousands of reps in the gym makes you better at normal life stuff like carrying your groceries or taking the stairs, formal meditation practice makes you better at remaining present in day-to-day life without getting swept away by thoughts or feelings. The same applies to mindful movement practices like yoga, Tai Chi, or walking meditation.

One pretty major benefit of mindfulness is that not getting swept away by thoughts, feelings, and conditioned responses is awesome for your mental health. So many mental illnesses and relationship issues are characterized by a total lack of presence. Thoughts and feelings often push us around without us even realizing it’s happening, and we walk through life as a bundle of bad habits and conditioned responses. If we want to start getting free of any of that, it’s important to start slowing down and paying attention.

The other thing, is that when we’re caught up in our heads all the time, we fail to notice just how incredibly beautiful and miraculous life is. We don’t have to move to an ashram in India or wait until we die to find paradise; it’s been right in front of us

all along, in the sound of birds singing or snow crunching underfoot, in the eyes of a loved one, in the joyful dance of every atom in our body. In order to see it, all we have to do is open our eyes.

While mindfulness is an incredibly transformative practice, it should be noted that a major block to mindfulness practice is trauma. The wounds of overwhelming experience or broken relationship can derail even the most dedicated and disciplined mindfulness practice. In this case, I highly recommend that you seek professional trauma therapy alongside your mindfulness practice.

John Roche is a therapist in Kitchener Waterloo.

JUNE 2018 // COMMUNITYEDITION.CA

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Sofar Sounds has organized secret shows all around KW; the photos shown are from the May 6 show at THEMUSEUM.

BRIT KOVACS PHOTOS

BREAKING THE FOURTH WALL WITH SECRET SHOWS JAMES GOWLAND CONTRIBUTOR Four years ago, Amit Mehta started venturing to secret concerts in Toronto.

These unique venues provided an intimate platform for musicians and their audience to unite in a genuine and local artistic experience – no stage, no barriers, just music. Then one night at a show, Mehta was asked why he kept driving all that way when he could just produce the same experiences in Waterloo Region instead. Soon enough Mehta would embrace his community’s artistic potential, founding Sofar Sounds Waterloo, and producing its first secret concert by September 2017. Lucky audiences have been tapping their feet ever since.

While 409 cities across the globe have adopted the subterranean Sofar Sounds

experience, Sofar Sounds Waterloo represents one of only two communities in Canada that produce more than one concert per month.

“This Region is like a blank slate,” Mehta said, who is also City Lead for Sofar Sounds Waterloo. “When I look at KW compared to anywhere else, it’s the most collaborative ecosystem there is.”

Mehta and his current crew of 19 volunteers always build a show around the musicians and their stories, while striving for the most diverse crowd possible.

Whereas other Sofar cities may use a lottery system to choose their audience, Sofar Sounds Waterloo will actually pick through audience applicants to ensure diversity.

“This is literally community building,” Mehta said.

At the same time, Mehta and his crew occasionally run into challenges within the local music scene. On average, only half of the musicians at Sofar Sounds Waterloo shows are local, and roughly 30 per cent of these locals must be sought out by the six Artist Acquisition

members of the crew. With music ranging from Indian fusion to bluegrass to traditional Persian to hip-hop, the entire crew must then vote unanimously on whether the artist is appropriate for a show, evaluating more than just the music itself. What is the artists motivation?

Will they engage with the audience? Are they at the right stage to perform in this unique environment?

Also required is the proper venue. Past shows have occurred at THEMUSEUM, Ten Thousand Villages, Moonshine Juicery, Terminal, Accelerator Centre on 44 Gaukel St., two software companies, a brewery, a church, and a hair salon.

For Sofar Sounds Waterloo, the venue hosts must be a non-profit organization or supply the space for free, and always share an appreciation for music.

“I don’t want guests to be getting a sales pitch while they’re there,” Mehta said.

Invites are sent out one week before the show, the location is relayed one day before the show, and the three artists in which the show is built around remain

a mystery until you walk through the doors of the venue.

Profits from the $15 tickets go to musicians at a rate of $100 per half hour, but the rate can increase as the venue size increases. Revenue also goes to marketing (though Mehta admits that marketing a secret is not easy), as well as towards purchasing or renting gear.

“Speakers are the only thing we don’t own,” Mehta said. “They’re so expensive.”

Being musicians themselves, Mehta and his bandmate, Sofar Sounds Waterloo audio tech lead Adrian Eitzen, often must pick through their own equipment at home to make up for gear that is missing at a show.

“That’s how we keep it sustainable,” Mehta laughed.

Eventually, with the profits, Mehta and Sofar Sounds Waterloo would like to initiate artistic workshops for emerging artists in KW, as they begrudgingly feel that a lot of the local music scene revolves around the “bar culture.” Mehta feels that many artists don’t get booked unless they can help an establishment

sell alcohol, which only encourages local artists who do not fit the bill to go and perform elsewhere, usually Toronto. Mehta also questions why local musicians do not busk more often, suggesting that there is so much more to the local music scene than open-mic nights.

Conversely, Mehta also understands the pressures for an unknown artist.

Playing a live show can be discouraging for emerging local talent if tickets to their show don’t sell well, he acknowledged. Fortunately with Sofar Sounds, this alleviates the fear of not selling tickets.

“It’s about crafting that whole experience where guests are exposed to new music, new spaces, new people,” Mehta said.

“And how do you encourage more local artists to get out there? By giving them access to this very intimate setting, where they have that one-on-one with the audience – that’s the right way to do it.”

EXPANDING THEIR RADIUS:

FOUR ALL’S NEW STORE FRONT NATHALIE BOUCHARD CONTRIBUTOR Four All Ice Cream has certainly made a splash in Waterloo Region since their opening in May 2017. The all-natural, locally sourced ice cream vendor always appears to have something new and exciting up their sleeves, the recent announcement of a new retail space being no exception.

Sit back and relax, because we are about to spill the cream on all things Four All. “We opened up Four All about a year ago and our initial focus was that we are a manufacturer, we made ice cream and that was my original business plan that we make ice cream and we sold it to other people’s businesses. We weren’t retail focused,” Ajoa Mintah, owner and chief ice cream maker said.

“When we got the place set up, zoning did allow us to take 25 per cent of the square footage into retail which we did, and we had a very good experience with retail, initially. We didn’t really think

people would come to the back of the Bonnie Stuart Building to hang out and eat ice cream,” Mintah said.

Based on the retail success, Four All has decided to branch out and offer people more of a retail store experience.

However, they eventually hope to transition to two separate locations: a factory and a retail space.

Thus, with the second location, Four All is looking to expand their horizons beyond pints and cubes to enjoy at home. They want to become a more retail focused dessert utopia, offering more than a scoop in a cone, but a dessert experience to rival the competition.

“An opportunity came up with the owners of The Berlin, who are currently going through a re-branding themselves. But the owners of The Berlin approached us about Graffiti Market and they were looking for a business like us to [contribute] to that market place,” Mintah said.

Graffiti Market is going to be a market inside the Catalyst 137 building in Belmont Village and Four All’s new location is set to open inside the market by the beginning of July, depending on construction.

“We thought that was a great fit, and it also gave us an opportunity to build out

our retail business,” Mintah said.

As for the current location, the tasting room will stay at their current location: 141 Whitney Place unit 105. But, Four All plans to open up the second location to expand their retail offering. The new retail space at Graffiti Market is completely devoted to retail only and has no manufacturing space.

“The retail space gives us the ability to offer more ice cream and comfort cones instead of being able only eight flavours at a time we can offer 12 flavours at any given time,” Mintah said.

Four All plans to not only offer cones and cups but donut sundaes and tacos.

“We’ve got a couple different ice cream sundaes planned, one of them is a fun one and we are hoping to work with Debrodniks Donuts,” Mintah said.

Four All plans to take advantage of the newly acquired space and continue to change the ice cream game, even more than they already have.

“I think retail is an unexpected surprise, our question mark here is what if we make it even more accessible and have even more to offer,” Mintah said.

“Our hope is that people will want more Four All.”

Ajoa Mintah of Four All Ice Cream looking cool as a cold scoop of ice cream.

NICK STANLEY PHOTO

IF STREETS COULD TALK

FEEL IT COMING

IN THE AYR

TONIGHT WORDS BY NATASHA ROLLEMAN PHOTOS BY PAIGE BUSH

There’s something unique about growing up in a small town. It’s everything people stereotypically describe it as: you know every person that passes by, there are the old families that have been here for generations (half the town is related) and if you’re not, then you’re close with the families who are.

I grew up in the same house my entire life, where my grandmother lived across the street, and my uncle two houses down. A similar story for many people raised in Ayr, a small town nestled in between Galt and Paris.

As kids, we spent our days down by the old watering hole, playing road hockey in the streets, biking endlessly around town, and hours just laying in the tall grass. To clarify, it was the ‘90’s not the ‘50’s.

Throughout my childhood we talked about wanting to “get outta here,” to move somewhere more exciting, all the while taking for granted how lucky we had it to have such a tight-knit, safe community.

Even after “making it out” myself, having lived in multiple different places since high school (Vancouver, the Netherlands and Japan), and finally returning home this past year, I find myself back in Waterloo Region, back in my old town, with a fresh appreciation for the beauty in the countryside and in our small quaint downtown, but I also recognize the changes happening in our community.

Now, as I stroll through the old downtown, I can still see the ghosts behind the new facades; behind the new dental offices, law offices, marketing firms, I can picture the old hardware store, the antique store, The Millpond Cafe where I used to have breakfast with my great grandfather, the General Store where I have a faint memory of walking to with my mother to get some baking supplies.

I walk along the route my brothers and I used to take to go to and from school everyday: starting by the old arena, through the downtown, and slightly up the hill to Ayr Public School. My strongest memory of our walks was my younger brother, Jake, who somehow always managed to have change on him — most likely “borrowed” from our dad’s change jar — so we could stop after school at one of our regular shops to get a snack.

We would stop at the Cream of the Crop for chocolate raisins, or the Little Short Stop (that was a

quarter of the size it is now) for 5cent candies. There was the bakery where Jake and our neighbour Konrad would buy those long 99cent cheese breadsticks and smack each other with first before eating. Now a dental office, that bakery remains just another distant memory, where people walk through the front door for root canals opposed to kids who buy big breadsticks.

Since I’ve grown up here, the size of our town has doubled in population. People now say that Ayr’s on the “map” since our growth has brought us a Tim Hortons, a brand new community complex, and the new Foodland with a decent sized LCBO inside. Now Ayr houses around 4,000 people, with plans in place to double that number in the next five years.

I appreciate what growth does for a community and am proud that Ayr is a desirable place to live, but on the other hand, I feel some sense of loss, that the Ayr of my youth is no longer there and in a short time, the village will appear even more different than it does now. I can’t help to wonder with all this expansion, how will Ayr maintain its identity? How will we preserve that small town atmosphere that people move here exactly for, and what causes so many people to stay? As we grow, will all this be lost, or is there a balance that can be struck?

Recently, I met with Mayor Sue Foxton to discuss these changes in Ayr and where she sees the community headed. We reminisced about the days when she taught swimming lessons to me, and half the village, in her backyard pool. I asked her if that Ayr still exists?

Foxton assured me that as a community re-invents itself, the echoes of the old town will still ring through. That these certain activities may be lost, but the spirit of community and togetherness is still alive and well. She pointed to new growth, such as the condo developments being built downtown that will attract more people, creating a more vibrant business community.

While yes, sometimes we cling to the nostalgia that was our childhood home, it’s also important to make room for new growth without sacrificing a sense of familiarity.

Just the other day I went downtown Ayr with my brother for a snack, and sure enough Jake had some spare change in his pocket.

Some things never change.

JUNE 2018 // COMMUNITYEDITION.CA

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A QUICK PROCEDURE?

E VA LU AT I N G

CIRCUMCISION SEXPLANATIONS

STACEY JACOBS COLUMNIST “Should I circumcise my baby?” A question I get asked often. Parents are of course talking about penis circumcision (the partial or complete removal of the foreskin), as circumcising a vulva is illegal in Canada, and many other parts of the world. This in itself is interesting, one is illegal and spoken of in often horrific terms, while the other is a decision which can be openly talked about and pondered.

In 2015, the Canadian Pediatric Society put out a statement saying they do not recommend the routine circumcision of every newborn penis, as the benefits do not outweigh the risks. This statement was made after consideration of the research studying the benefits and risks of circumcision.

In 2012, the American Academy of Pediatrics, also after consideration of the research, put out a statement saying the health benefits of newborn circumcision outweigh the risks; however, the benefits are not great enough

to recommend universal circumcision of the penis.

Both ultimately leave the decision up to the parents/guardians of the newborn, stating they should make the decision after they have all the up-todate information. In any case, the person being circumcised is not able to consent to the procedure. Infants need substitute decision makers. However, should procedures deemed not medically necessary be decided for them?

Or should the decision to remove the foreskin be deferred until they can make this choice for themselves?

Circumcision has been declining in Canada. Today, approximately 30 per cent of newborns are circumcised. It is not covered by insurance and can cost up to 500 dollars. Circumcision became medically popular in the late 19th Century in Britain and North America, however it has been a cultural and religious practice for thousands of years. Initially, if not for religious or cultural reasons, the procedure was performed for reasons of hygiene, disease prevention and to avoid the procedure later in life.

Today it is also performed as part of family tradition (other family members are circumcised and we must all look the same) and to prevent or decrease urinary tract infections (UTIs), penile cancer and Sexually

JENNIFER LYON PHOTO Transmitted Infections (STIs) such as herpes, HPV and HIV. UTIs, STIs and penile cancer can still occur after circumcision, they can also be decreased with proper hygiene and safer sex whether circumcised or not.

HIV research has found decreases in HIV with circumcision, however, the great majority of research looking at the reduction of HIV in circumcised penises is not from Canada, where the risk of HIV is much lower than it is in other countries. Therefore, it is hard to make associations for the Canadian population’s benefit of circumcision.

And with these benefits come risks.

Circumcision is painful, this is true for anyone who is circumcised, including infants. There can be bleeding,

infections, unsatisfactory cosmetic results, over removal, side effects of pain medications and in rare circumstances partial amputation of the penis and death from hemorrhage or sepsis. Many parents I speak with after deciding on circumcision tell me they were not prepared to see their infant strapped to a hard table during the procedure, or the crying and irritability that came for days after.

A new movement has arisen from the non-consensual act of newborn circumcision – circumcision restoration – the act of re-growing your foreskin.

Many people have achieved foreskin regrowth through at home, long term, tissue expansion. Other attempts are being made at growing foreskin in a

lab using stem cells. People are angry that a body part they were born with was cut off before they were able to have a say in the decision.

The removal of the foreskin removes nerves, natural lubrication and protective functions of the penis, all of which may be desirable. Circumcision should be given much thought, information should be sought, and questions should be asked. The removal of a body part should not be taken lightly.

Stacey Jacobs is the sexual health educational manager at SHORE Centre.

Remember when King and Victoria looked like this three years ago? Holy smokes.

MATT SMITH PHOTO

BUILDING INCLUSIVE DOWNTOWN CORES IN WR

WR AND HOWE

JAMES HOWE COLUMNIST Are we building a downtown Kitchener for everyone? A place where people from a wide range of demographics feel comfortable?

At the rate that condo developments are popping up, I’m concerned that we may already have missed our opportunity. The newest is a whopping 30-stories at Duke and Frederick. But I am not aware of a single new affordable housing unit in

downtown Kitchener.

At least one new apartment tower is proposed near the Kitchener Market. But who will be able to afford the rent?

Waterloo’s core is already arguably serving a more privileged clientele.

And downtown Galt with the Gaslight Condos is following the same trends.

Intensification of our cores is great. That does not mean that intensification is always great.

Downtown Kitchener is moving quickly towards being a wonderful place to live for young single people or a childless couple. Of course to afford it, you’ll need to work in tech, the public sector, be a professional or retired with a good income, leaving out a large population of people who still need a place to live downtown.

We can do better but we need to be intentional about it. How we intensify should be a key issue in the municipal election as it heats up in the fall.

A vibrant core is a place where everyone can feel welcome. It is a great people place and offers opportunities for arts, leisure and recreation that don’t require you to spend money or have money.

I consider downtown Kitchener to be a walker’s paradise where you don’t need to own a car. But people with low incomes without cars are having an increasingly tough time finding an affordable place to live.

They should be able to walk to their jobs in the stores, restaurants and support services but can’t if there isn’t affordable housing in areas of high density. Instead they will need to move and buy a car or invest time

and money to use transit.

Instead, we should be building affordable housing into new developments using Section 37 of the Planning Act that gives municipalities negotiating power such as increasing density by adding affordable units. Our municipalities should also be seizing the new inclusionary zoning powers granted by the province that requires a certain percentage of units in an area to be affordable. And since not everyone can buy a condo, we need to have rental units where the rent is geared to income.

We want downtown cores that are built for children and families.

That means more units with three bedrooms. That means places to play and be free to be a kid. A core area built for kids works for everyone.

We also need to build our cores

so they are liveable for our older citizens. Simple things like shorter crossings at intersections and more time for pedestrians make a city age friendly and suitable for more than your average healthy young adult.

The people elected in October have an important role in whether our core areas are built for all of us or for the select few. When the new term starts in December, they will set priorities based upon their interactions with voters. If they hear you care about this issue and know it affects how you vote, we can intervene just in time.

Let’s intensify by building communities with vibrant people places where everyone can enjoy the benefits of living in the core.

JUNE 2018 // COMMUNITYEDITION.CA

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LESSONS FOR THE LONG HAUL WORDS BY DYLAN SIEBERT TCE FICTION ‘And that concludes our discussion of the main differences between Shia and Sunni Islam,’ said Henry, closing his book. ‘Thank you to William and Fatimah for your insightful presentation on the 2073 Damascus Accord and its commemorative festivities here in Waterloo Region.

I’ll see you back here in fifteen minutes for Q and A with our special visitor.’

Two dozen ten-year-olds got up from their desks and milled toward the door, their chatter laden with anticipation for the glorious spring morning beckoning from the schoolyard.

As the last few trickled out, Henry called from the front of the classroom, ‘Oh, and Kitty?’

A girl with one blonde braid hanging down her back turned and looked at him over her shoulder.

‘You remember it’s your job this week to turn the compost pile, right?’

She gave him a nod and a roll of her eyes, then skipped out the door.

The classroom was still. Nothing moved but motes of dust turning in the long sunbeams from the upper windows.

‘Can I come out now?’ said a small voice from the vestibule just behind Henry’s desk. He turned and grinned at the young woman peeking out of the teacher’s office. She grinned right back, tossing her long black braids over her shoulder. Henry waved her out from her hiding place.

‘That was quite the lesson, Mr. Watterson,’ she said, laying an armful of rolled-up papers on the desk at the front of the classroom.

‘They seemed to know a lot more about the Five Pillars of Islam than I remember knowing at their age.

You’ve got some keen minds, here.’

‘They are pretty sharp, aren’t they?’ Henry folded his arms in contentment. ‘The curriculum’s designed to prepare them for participation in civic life, no less and no more. To that end, religious literacy is right up there with reading, writing, and basic ecology.

Everything else they can learn in their prenticeships or from an independent study group.’

‘Don’t forget the library,’ Abigail put in. ‘I remember the exact place on the shelf where I found my first physics textbook. It was in the grown-up section, which of course made it twice as intriguing. I can’t imagine where I’d be today if I’d been forced to read a dumbed-down version of the same material in school.’

Henry nodded. ‘The most important part of teaching is knowing what not to teach. I learned that pretty early on in my own prenticeship.’

‘So what do you want me to say to them?’ asked Abigail.

‘Just tell them what you do on a typical workday. Show them your

blueprints, talk about the design and testing process — you don’t have to make a big speech. They’ll have lots of questions, so just follow their interests. Only ...” He hesitated.

‘What? Will there be a crossexamination afterward?’

‘No. Just — don’t let them talk about giant squids the entire time, okay? They need to know there’s more to the world than the Marianas Trench.’

Abigail smiled, flashing her perfect teeth. ‘Okay, just a little bit of squid talk, then. And if I want to draw them some basic diagrams?’

‘There’s chalk on the ledge here.’ Henry motioned toward the blackboard.

‘Excellent. You know, sometimes I go to conferences at older universities that are still using smartboards. Can you believe it?

The things only work half the time, and they’re twice as difficult to use.

Talk about a misstep on the march of progress.’

Henry wrinkled his nose. ‘You know how I feel about the march of progress. Anyway, the school board banned screens in the classroom decades ago. Otherwise lessons would just turn into a giant droolfest.’

‘The smarter the tool, the dumber the user,’ said Abigail, nodding. ‘And vice versa.’

‘I guess you would know,’ said Henry, glancing toward the window.

‘I’m not entirely sure which way to read that comment, Mr. Watterson,’ said Abigail teasingly, putting her hands on her hips.

‘What? Oh, come on, you knew what I meant.’

‘I always do.’ She took a step toward him and reached up to straighten his collar. ‘Time was, you weren’t one for making big speeches yourself. You’ve changed, Henry.’

‘Abigail …’ he began, his features stiff.

‘Yes?’ ‘They’re watching us …’

Abigail’s gaze flicked toward the window in time to see a row of faces ducking out of view. ‘Oh. Sorry.’

‘It’s fine,’ said Henry. He turned toward his desk and started straightening papers, blushing furiously. ‘Ring the bell, will you?’

‘Sure.’ She picked up the bronze hand bell from its cubby next to the blackboard and crossed the room to the window where she’d seen the small faces peering in. Sliding up the glass pane, she gave the bell four or five good shakes and was pleased to see a gaggle of kids darting out from under the sill with their hands over their ears.

‘Wow,’ she said, turning back to Henry. ‘Did they grow those sunflowers?’

‘Yes. The whole garden is their work. It helps get them engaged first thing in the morning. From there we move on to indoor lessons, with a break for recess mid-morning.

By the time they head off to their prenticeship placements in the

afternoon, they’ve maxed out their study focus for the day and are ready to do something with their hands again.’

‘So that you can spend the afternoon planning the next day’s lesson.’

‘Or meeting with the trustees, most of whom are parents of my students and who live in this neighbourhood.

They have the final say in what gets taught in the classroom, although they give me a lot of scope for creativity. Right now we’re planning a —’ But just then the door burst open and Henry’s students came flooding in. They found their seats quickly and leaned forward in expectation as Henry and Abigail took their places at the front of the room.

Henry cleared his throat. ‘This morning our Vocational Interest speaker is Abigail Oyelowo from the University of Waterloo. Abigail is a grad student in the engineering department who works on submarine designs for the Marianas Trench Project, with which you’re all familiar. Take it away, Abigail.’

‘Thanks, Henry.’ Abigail picked up one of her blueprints and began to unroll it, but already a dozen hands had shot up and questions were tumbling out from all sides.

‘Have you ever piloted a sub down to ten thousand feet?’

‘Is it true we’re going to have a colony on the ocean floor by the time I graduate?’

‘My older sister says boys’ brains aren’t suited to engineering. Is that true?’

‘Are you Mr. Watterson’s girlfriend?’ Kitty Vance’s slow, drawling voice brought a dead hush to the classroom. She arched one eyebrow as she twined her long blonde braid slowly around one finger.

Abigail stood there for a moment, looking at the rows of silent faces locked on hers. ‘Well,’ she said, beaming, ‘who wants to hear about giant squids?’ A ripple of excited babble spread through the room.

Henry folded his arms and gazed longingly at the June sunlight streaming through the open window.

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JUNE 2018 // COMMUNITYEDITION.CA

HOMAGE TO HOMETOWN KURTIS RIDEOUT CONTRIBUTOR “Down the 401, passed the Schneider’s sign; That’s where I wanna be/Might be hurtin’ but it’s got a certain je ne sais-quality” Cambridge act Block Parent’s new album Amongst the Hurtin’ Mess closes with an ode to their beloved city, topping off an album that – in a refreshingly DIY, punk rock fashion – perfectly captures what it means to embrace where you come from.

I had the chance to chat with the group, and they had some great things to say about the city that shaped them and how it influenced their most recent musical effort.

“We love Cambridge and I think between the three of us we all kind of had our bout [with] growing up and moving away from the tri-cities and then kind of realizing that all we really needed was to come home and love and enjoy our hometown,” drummer and vocalist Zack Dodge said.

“You don’t need to go to like Toronto or London or Ottawa … everyone thinks you’ve got to leave Cambridge.

We were just super stoked to come back and kind of … embrace the hurtin’ mess [laughs].”

Block Parent is made up of brothers Zack and Jake Dodge, on drums and bass respectively, and Jacob Verkerke on guitar. The trio share vocal duties, with Jake acting as lead, carrying the band through a swath of gritty punk

bangers that pay homage to both the city of Cambridge and the punk scene of the earlier 2000’s.

At first listen, Amongst the Hurtin’ Mess evokes nostalgic feelings towards the kind of fast, aggressive and playful type of punk rock that launched bands like Green Day and NOFX into the limelight in the late 90’s.

“We were all part of the scene in the early-mid 2000s when it was kind of in its last ‘boom’ I would say,” Zack Dodge said.

One of the most intriguing aspects of the project is the way the band elevates the city of Cambridge to an almost folk-like status, not unlike Canadian staples Stompin’ Tom Conners or, more recently BA Johnston, who both use iconic imagery to paint vivid portraits of Canadiana.

With song titles like “Pioneer Sportsworld” and “To live and die in Cambridge,” as well as detailed album artwork depicting such staples as Fast Eddies, Stoyles Fish N’ Chips, George’s Tavern – all of which is anchored down by a reimagining of the infamous Schneider’s sign featuring Block Parent’s insignia – the album comes across as unapologetically Cambridge.

“When we think of Cambridge, it’s all of our landmarks, like the Fast Eddies, Stoyles, or Georges,” Zack Dodge said. “You know, it’s the food, it’s the people, it’s the characters … it’s home.”

“The whole city is mom’s home cooking,” he added. “And we are just proudly embracing the normality of it. It’s just perfect the way it is, and we are happy to represent it right now.”

As for the near-future, the band plans to continue holding things

down in Cambridge, opting to focus on writing, recording and performing their music locally over adopting any formal plans to tour.

“We’re pretty pumped to be writing, recording and releasing music as frequently as we can and we’re doing all of the production … ourselves from the ground up,” Zack Dodge said.

“We are all working full-time jobs – I’ve got a kid on the way – we would love to hit the road and tour in a fulltime capacity, but just for the nature of our band right now, we are super pumped to support the local scene and keep writing and releasing music.”

That said, out of town dates are not out of the realm of possibilities.

“If the community around us demands out of town shows, we will take those as they come,” he added.

With the emphasis shifting back to recording following this past Sunday’s CD release for Amongst the Hurtin’ Mess it will be interesting to see how this trio follows up on their wellreceived, full-length debut.

For now, the group will switch their focus back to recording mode, but before we finished talking, Jake Dodge mentioned that their next show would be at Chainsaw on August 31. Expect to here some classics – both old and new – at that show, and remember to check out Amongst the Hurtin’ Mess on Spotify, Itunes, Google Play, CD and Cassette (via 3 Nines Compact Cassettes).

Kurtis Rideout (also known as stevedave) is a local musician who also has a cassette out via 3 Nines Compact Cassettes.

On April 14, Block Parent opened for The Dirty Nil at Night School.

KURTIS RIDEOUT PHOTO

NEW TUNE REVIEW

RUNNING INTO THE FIRE SONG: “Run From Fire” by To the Trees LINK: http://smarturl.it/runfromfire

WE SERVE BEER (and wine)

APOLLOCINEMA.CA

The synth-rock scene has been prominent in music for quite sometime. The 80’s and 90’s brought us groups like Depeche Mode, and Eurythmics. Artists of that caliber paved the way for the current batch now carrying on the genre like Metric, Bastille, and CHVRCHES to name a few.

We’re lucky that in KitchenerWaterloo, another band who’s a part of this movement is close by. They go by the name of To The Trees, and they recently released their debut self-titled effort earlier this year. In the March issue of the Community Edition, we spoke with the band about their new album and their recording process, but now that the album has been out for a couple months, we’ve had some time to really listen.

Their sound has all of the ingredients of the synth-rock concept. On their track “Run From Fire” lead singer/ synth player Katelyn Bearinger, shows her vocal range with delicate to strong

lyrical verses paired with the solid sounding band who merge to create a passionate anthem.

You can check out the song for yourself on YouTube, or the band’s website @ www.tothetrees.ca.

To The Trees has also made themselves very visible in the community with recent shows at venues like LOT42, Harmony Lunch and The Boathouse. If you love live music you can also check them out live for The Backlot Sessions located at Monigram Coffee Roasters in Cambridge on June 13. Come and support our local talent.

- Cameron Hoddle, Local DJ

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JUNE 2018 // COMMUNITYEDITION.CA

OH THE PLACES YOU (MIGHT) GO

WILL THE HIGH SPEED RAIL COME TO WATERLOO REGION?

KAITLYN SEVERIN CONTRIBUTOR In the next decade, residents of Kitchener, Waterloo and London may become witness to the construction of a high speed rail (HSR) — the first of its kind in the province of Ontario.

However, not all those in Southern Ontario are happy about the project, and some municipal and local government officials are advocating for more transportation options.

In May 2017, the Premier of Ontario, Kathleen Wynne, announced that the province would be moving forward with their plans to implement the high speed rail between Toronto, Kitchener, London and Windsor.

In early March of this year, the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario (MTO) and the province of Ontario initiated an Environmental Assessment (EA) for high-speed rail from Kitchener-Waterloo to London.

It was also announced in the 2018 Budget that the government will make an investment of $11 billion to support the construction of the HSR Project between Toronto and London. Wynne noted that it is the single biggest investment in the 2018 Budget from the Liberal Government.

According to the official website of the HSR, the economic benefits from the HSR are estimated to acquire over $20 billion within the next 60 years. In Ontario, the HSR is defined as a system that operates at or above 250 kilometers per hour on dedicated tracks, or 200 km/h on already existing tracks.

Phase One of the HSR project will include stops in Toronto, Pearson Airport, Guelph, Kitchener-Waterloo and London. Phase Two will extend to Chatham and Windsor. Phase One of the HSR Project is expected to be

completed by 2025, with Phase Two projected to finish in 2031.

While the provincial government and the MTO is in the midst of their EA, community members and advocates within the Kitchener-Waterloo Region are expressing their support, or concerns, with the HSR project.

In a City Council meeting last month, Kitchener Mayor Berry Vrbanovic explained how these new transit projects, including the HSR and the two-way all-day GO service, is “critical to growing the Toronto-Waterloo Region Corridor to its full economic potential.” In an article in The Record, Vrbanovic explained that improved transit will ensure economic growth in southwestern Ontario’s rural communities and mid-sized cities.

“As we head to the polls, we should be urging all political parties to fasttrack two-way all-day GO service, and to firmly commit to getting shovels in the ground on the higher-speed rail project, which is the key to unlocking economic opportunities along the Toronto-Waterloo Region Corridor,” concluded Vrbanovic in his article to The Record.

InterCityRail, a non-profit organization that promotes solutions for safe and reliable passenger rail transportation in southwestern Ontario, has been advocating for public input on the high speed rail project.

Ken Westcar, a spokesperson for InterCityRail, said the group has held three public outreach meetings in Tavistock, New Hamburg, and Thorndale to inform community members on the impact of the HSR project. Westcar has also written for the Ontario Landowner’s Association, where he urged the provincial government to take part in a multi-option environmental assessment process, rather than a single-option.

According to Westcar, three to four options are typically considered within the process of an EA. These include: do nothing, maintain the current role of the rail, grow the role that rails play

in regional transportation and finally, transform rail as the mode of choice for transportation in the Region.

However, the first three options are not being considered by the province within their EA of an HSR between Kitchener and London During their public forums, InterCityRail will list the advantages and disadvantages of the HSR project, during and after the construction is completed. The group’s core area of concern are the two existing routes from Kitchener to London, which are currently operated by VIA Rail, and cannot co-exist with the HSR, in part to insufficient ridership.

However, the group acknowledges their full support for the Toronto to Kitchener High Performance Rail segment, as there is a demonstrated need for it, there will be less impact on farmland and street closures, and the upgrades will benefit both the VIA Rail and the local population. According to InterCityRail, the high-performance rail can have a mix of Go Trains, Regional Express Rail and VIA Rail.

Services can also expand and contract as customer demand changes over time.

“What [InterCityRail is] really trying to say to people, to the province, [is] that you must open this up to other options which includes the VIA Rail, which includes potentially Go Service extensions,” said Westcar.

Harold O’Krafka, the director of Development Services for Wilmot Township, said that while there are benefits to HSR — including the lack of traffic, the high speed of the train and the shorter travel time from London to Toronto — the provincial government and the Minister of Transportation, Kathryn McGarry, should be looking at high-performance rails.

However, in their meeting with the MTO and her staff, it was indicated that other options, such as a high-performance rail, would not be considered as an alternative to the HSR. “The strange thing of course is,

they’ve determined that a high-performance rail was perfectly acceptable between KW and Toronto,” said O’Krafka. “So, if high-performance is good between Kitchener and Toronto, why wouldn’t they at least vetted through the environmental assessment in a public forum to prove what they’re already telling us?”

“Prove to us how all those factors that’ll be impacted by High-Speed Rail will not be better under High-Performance.”

Currently, O’Krafka has been working with the Wilmot Township on providing information to its residents on how the project will affect their agricultural land and lifestyle. However, since the provincial government is planning to have public forums in September, O’Krafka explained that receiving answers proves to be difficult.

“I think the general consensus among the rural population is the process is flawed and it defeats,” he said. “It takes it out of the realm of a process that’s designed to get the best solution and it has the appearance of being a more political decision not necessarily a technical decision based on the best available information.”

“There are significant populations among the corridor, but because the province is refusing to consider high-performance as an option, we’re being excluded from access, which is very frustrating.”

While the provincial government is urging community members to express their concerns during the planning process, public engagement sessions will not be held until September.

“What are they going to build in Kitchener? We don’t know what the answer is, I don’t think the province knows the answer but ... there’s a lot of unknowns at this point,” said O’Krafka.

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CREATIVE COMMONS PHOTO

BECOMING

NEIGHBOURS

WORLD REFUGEE DAY IS ON JUNE 20 AND HERE’S WHY IT MATTERS MORE THAN EVER

MARIKA GALADZA CONTRIBUTOR June 20 is World Refugee Day, a day that must be regarded as more than a one day affair; it’s a monthlong celebration, reflection and call to action organized by over 10 community partners, at various locations, bringing attention to refugee advocacy work that happens all year long.

Waterloo Region’s theme this year is “becoming neighbours,” reflecting the local impacts of a global “new normal.” One where 65 million people are displaced by war, violence and persecution across the globe, representing the largest number of displaced persons since World War II. Apart from the now sevenyear-old war in Syria, protracted conflicts continue in Somalia and Afghanistan, and statelessness threatens protection for Palestinians and Rohingya peoples. And these are only the top headlines.

Headed by the Community Coalition for Refugee and Immigrant Concerns (CCORIC), World Refugee Day WR is comprised of a series of events in collaboration with local refugee serving agencies.

From a month long exhibit at THEMUSEUM, to an ice cream party with Welcome Home KW, to the annual “Walk with Refugees for a Stronger Canada” on June 23 starting at Kitchener City Hall.

As conflicts rage on, and public interest wanes, this may be the most important year to come out and show solidarity.

Oceans away from the massacre in Gaza, or the Rohingya genocide in Burma, Canada has had the luxury of offering proportionally small resettlement gestures, as geographically closer nations bear the brunt of humanitarian response.

Today, Lebanon hosts over one million Syrian and Palestinian refugees, Turkey’s politics have become polarized, exacerbated by over three million asylum seekers, and over half a million displaced peoples live in refugee camps in Kenya such as Dadaab, with some of the slowest resettlement processing times in the world.

Compare and contrast these numbers to Canada’s commitment to resettle 27,000 refugees in 2018.

27,000 is less than one per cent of our population, and a decrease from the response in 2016, although the

global need has not lessened.

It’s important to remember, that behind each of these amorphous numbers, is a person, just like you and me. They are not the problem.

They are not the enemy. It’s the arms trade, paired with violent extremism, power politics and desperation. This is what we should be limiting the flow of, not the people caught in the middle.

As Canadians, living in a peaceful nation, with passports that open doors for us the world over, it may seem difficult to empathize with the horrific reality of potentially never being able to return home.

But refugees who have experienced displacement, violence and denial of basic human rights are among us. They are rebuilding their lives in Waterloo Region – somewhere around 2,000 of them since 2015 are becoming our neighbours. By participating in World Refugee Day events, you are invited to appreciate not only the struggle, but the resilience, resourcefulness and will to succeed that our newest neighbours arrive with.

Last year’s Walk With Refugees for a Stronger Canada garnered some heckling. “Go back to your country,” was one slur we got on King Street.

What this onlooker may not have considered, is that when refugees succeed in our communities, we all succeed, because when the systems that support refugees improve (like housing or healthcare) all low income people benefit, many who have experienced their own traumas.

This World Refugee Day, CCORIC encourages you to look at newcomers in our community not through a label of past struggle, but as neighbours. It’s an opportunity to reflect on how we might share a bit more of our privilege and security with those who’ve been pushed from home. We have little control over global political situations which produce refugees, but we have the ability to vote for inclusive governments and extend a warm welcome here, both personally and politically. By doing so, we make this little corner of the world, which we can control, a whole lot safer and more livable for everyone, including our newest neighbours. That’s the kind of neighbourhood I want to be a part of.

For a full list of World Refugee Day WR events, visit worldrefugeedaywr. com.

Marika Galadza is a member of CCORIC and works at a refugee resettlement agency in Kitchener.

PAIGE BUSH PHOTO

TWO GREEN THUMBS UP

A FEW COOL TIPS FOR WORKING IN YOUR GARDEN THIS SUMMER cover in Ontario is grass, sustainable alternative to fertilizers.

EASY BEING GREEN ground Actually, if you compare fertilizer which can offset carbon emissions,

STACEY DANCKERT CONTRIBUTOR As soon as the weather starts to warm up, I begin seeing many of my neighbours who have been hibernating all winter long. It seems that once the winter blanket of snow disappears, people are anxious to clean up their budding gardens.

Working in the garden is somehow therapeutic, even if you are doing repetitive, never-ending tasks such as pulling weeds. Indeed, there is evidence that gardening decreases stress, anxiety, depression and improves the general quality of life.

Gardening isn’t only positive for our physical and mental health, it also provides benefits for the natural environment as well.

People do talk about the benefits of trees. Once their trunks are more than 15cm around, they become part of the lungs of the planet, taking in carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen.

They also provide shade for our homes that can cut summer cooling needs, decrease the risk of flooding and erosion and capture particulates and pollutants from the local air.

But there are benefits of planting gardens that extend beyond trees.

The most basic and traditional

but often don’t because of how we maintain it. Powered lawn care, water and herbicides are used since it isn’t a competitive plant.

Another option, of course, is to plant a veggie patch. These are not only a carbon sink, but also help to offset some of the food miles that would otherwise get food to you.

After all, about 8 per cent of our carbon footprint comes from our food.

Even with the best of intentions, gardens can work against sustainability. So I wanted to outline the ways in which we can work against our own efforts. One of the more obvious places to start is with the application of synthetic fertilizers. Fertilizers are often based on carbon-intensive petrochemicals.

Peat is a popular amendment that should be included because it is an effective carbon sink and the mining of it far exceeds the rate at which it’s renewed. But there is a sustainable alternative, the largest source of offsets come from diverting food waste to landfills.

While the largest contributor to greenhouse gases from gardens can come from plant detritus, done properly, composting can be beneficial for our gardens. If compost is left to sit, it creates methane which is a large contributor to greenhouse gases. But if provided oxygen, or if the gases are captured and used for heat, it can result in a

use with compost, compost comes out on top. Fertilizers only feed plants (and may not be optimally balanced for your plants) whereas compost actually amends the soil to make it healthier, thereby improving the overall health of plants. It also improves the soil structure which will increase water retention and will hold nutrients, while also adding beneficial microorganisms that ward of diseases, thereby cutting the need for other chemicals.

Other ways that you can ensure the sustainability of your garden include using mulch to conserve water, growing plants that are appropriate for your region, and crop rotation to limit pests and other related issues.

Additionally, ‘low till’ planting, in which digging is minimized, can also ensure that you limit the loss of quality through oxidation.

Like with everything related to climate change, there isn’t a simple answer, but generally speaking, gardening is not only good for our physical and mental health, but is also good for our planet’s health.

While I sit here under the cooling shade of the sweet-smelling lilac tree, I can’t imagine a better way to fuel creativity.

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

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ARTS & CULTURE EVENT LISTINGS FRIDAY, JUNE 8

SATURDAY, JUNE 16

WOMEN OF THE WORLD CONCERT SERIES TERMINAL

In partnership with City of Kitchener’s Feminist Fridays, Neruda Arts will present the first of four artists in a concert series celebrating women in music.

Performances from Malika Tirolien, K-Iri and JoJo Worthington.

Registration required.

Music • Free • 7pm - 10pm

SATURDAY, JUNE 9 BIG HOG, THE RESOURCE NETWORK + MORE CAPER SPORTS BAR

Big Hog and The Resource Network are coming up from Indianapolis to tear up Caper Sports Bar with support from local acts Shit Rat, Ricky Mullen and Demon Skulls.

Presented by KWCDIY. Music • $5 - PWYC • 9pm

SUNDAY, JUNE 10 GRAND PORCH PARTY 2018 UPTOWN WATERLOO WEST

The 8th Annual Grand Porch Party featuring a wide range of talented musicians from the area and elsewhere. Stages will be located at on Avondale, Alexandra, Menno and Euclid. For more information got to grandporchparty.wordpress. com.

Festival • Free • 2pm - 5pm

DIY WORKSHOP: BLACK AND WHITE PHOTOGRAPHY KWAG

Learn the basic elements of creating black and white photography from instructor Lawrence O. Fajardo of LOF Photography.

“Fajardo explains when and how to manipulate exposure and employ greyscale photography to enhance an image.”

Workshop • $35 • 1pm - 3:30pm

MONDAY, JUNE 11 READING: TOM CULL AND LAURIE D. GRAHAM OPEN SESAME

Tom Cull will present his new full-length poetry collection Bad Animals. Local writer Laurie D. Graham, publisher for Brick magazine, was recently nominated for the Trillium Award for Poetry in Ontario.

Reading • Free • 7pm

FRIDAY, JUNE 15 TAME THE LANE 2018 BREITHAUPT BLOCK

Come to the Breithaupt Block in downtown Kitchener for a Block Party brought to you by Smile. io, Workplace One, Perimeter Development, Plugin, The Walper Hotel and The City of Kitchener. $5 advanced tickets; $10 at the door.

Party • $5 - $10 • 4pm - 7pm

SATURDAY, JUNE 16 STEVEDAVE & THE RIDEOUTS HARMONY LUNCH

3 Nines Compact Cassettes presents stevedave & the rideouts in their concert debut. Supported

by Baby Labour, N>V and more tba.

Follow 3 Nines Compact Cassettes for more info.

Music • $5 - 10 • 8pm - 11pm

COURAGE: A CONVERSATION WITH LUCY DECOUTERE THEMUSEUM

THEMUSEUM will host Lucy DeCoutere as she speaks about her experiences with the Jian Ghomeshi trial. Music by Joni NehRita, appetizers provided by Derek Hines.

Talk • $43.45 • 6pm

KING STREATERY FOOD TRUCK FESTIVAL 2018 DOWNTOWN KITCHENER

The tastiest food trucks in the Region will take over three blocks of King St. between College and Ontario. As one of our favourite summer festivals, you won’t want to miss this. The Our World Festival of Music kicks off 7:30.

Festival • Free • 3pm - 9pm

SOLSTICE SAMPLING: SUMMER NIGHT CRAWL UPTOWN WATERLOO

What better way to kick off the summer than with good food and good drinks? Join in on this summer’s restaurant crawl and check out some of uptown’s most popular eats. Live entertainment will also be positioned throughout uptown during the event.

Festival • $40 • 5pm - 9pm

SUNDAY, JUNE 17 A DAY OF PLAY: LEGO BRICKS WATERLOO PUBLIC SQUARE

Open Streets Uptown Waterloo Presents: A Day of Play. As a part of a series of community events promoting socializing and playing, Open Streets Uptown Waterloo is inviting people of all ages to convene in Waterloo Public Square for A Day of Play. Enjoy music, art activities, community groups, businesses and eateries.

Event • Free • 12pm - 5pm

COMMUNITY BIKE RIDE REEP GREEN SOLUTIONS

Join Reep Green Solutions to celebrate Father’s Day while exploring the Region’s bike trails.

A guide will also be teaching you about the plants and animals we call our neighbours.

Biking • $5 - $10 • 1:30pm - 3:30pm

FRIDAY, JUNE 22 STEEL RAILS 18 THE COMMUNITY EDITION

An interactive art party on a train — everything else is a mystery until you board. Where the train goes doesn’t even matter because it’s the ride that counts. This year, we’re coming back bigger and better and longer (yes, that’s a hint) than ever before. Tickets are sold out but follow us on Facebook and Instagram for information about GIVEAWAYS! Party • Ticketed event • 5pm - 11pm

FREE FEMINIST FRIDAY: PRACTICAL MAGIC APOLLO CINEMA

In celebration of the Summer Solstice, Feminist Fridays is presenting a free screening of Practical Magic at the Apollo. In collaboration with Luna Market, the event will also feature tarot card readings from Blue Moon and a beeswax candle rolling workshop.

Also, MARGARITAS. Film • Free • 5pm

SATURDAY, JUNE 23 RESTORING INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE AND BUILDING COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS LAURIER FACULTY OF SOCIAL WORK

Brought to you by the Centre for Indigegogy at the Laurier Faculty of Social work – in partnership with Laurier Indigenous Initiates, White Owl Native Ancestry, Healing of Seven Generations, Conestoga College Aboriginal Services and Wilfrid Laurier University – this two-day gathering aims to connect indigenous Knowledge Keepers with Indigenous educators, students and the community.

The gathering will offer traditional teachings and workshops as well as ceremonies, songs and a keynote address by Anishinaabe Knowledge Keeper Banakonda Kennedy-Kish (Bell).

Conference • Free • 5pm - 11pm

THURSDAY, JUNE 28 REACH THE BEACH FUNDRAISER STARLIGHT

*BEACH THEME IN FULL EFFECT* This fundraiser, sponsored by Wellington Brewery, will go to support ‘Teach on the Beach,’ a charitable organization that funds school programs in Ghana.

Featuring performances from McBae, Kulture, Warner, The Disco Godfathers and special guest Lawz from the UK. Advanced tickets are avaiable on ticketweb.ca for $12.

Fundraiser • $12 - $15 • 7pm - 2am

CAFKA FAMILY DAYS: OPTICAL ILLUSION ART KITCHENER FARMERS MARKET

CAFKA is presenting families with the opportunity to create their own piece of optical illusion art with Artshine-Arts4All. All ages welcome; children in attendance must be accompanied by an adult.

Workshop • $5/PWYC • 9am - 12pm

FRIDAY, JULY 6 KANE BROWN LOT42

Fast rising country singer Kane Brown will be in town performing some of his popular singles including “What ifs,” “Last Minute Late Night” and “Heaven.”

Even if country isn’t your thing, LOT42 is one of the Region’s coolest new event spaces — I heard Steel Rails was there two years ago!

Music • $45 - $60 • 8pm

POWERBOMB HARMONY LUNCH

DCHC519 and Have Hope present Powerbomb with supporting acts Christchoker, Cruel Bloom and UTL. Look no further for a wild night of punk and hardcore.

Music • $10 • 7:30pm

SATURDAY, JULY 7 KW VEG FEST 2018 KITCHENER CITY HALL

More than 40 vendors will be in downtown Kitchener in front of city hall promoting plant-based living.

Join in the fun, try out some vegan food and hang around for a filmscreening and some informative speakers.

Festival • Free • 11am - 6pm

COMMUNITYEDITION.CA @THECOMMUNITYED

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porch party season is back Here’s TCE’s super detailed map of the porch parties in the Region. Enjoy. grand porch party

Hohner Ave

June 10 · 2pm - 5pm

8th annual porch party in uptown Waterloo

porch party

TCE PICK Samson Wrote performing 2:15 - 3:15 @ 51 Avondale Ave

may 26 · 3pm - 8pm

Okay. It already passed but it was great and you should watch out for it in 2019. Also, congrats on winning a capital improvement grant. preston porch party

Schneider Creek

aug 25 · 1pm - 5pm

porch party

4th annual porch party in Preston. Located on Beaver Street in Cambridge.

July 28 · 3pm - 8pm

Located at the Schneider House and on Peter Street.

They have not announced their line up yet but we are waiting in anticipation.

TCE PICK Jessie T performing 1 - 1:45 @ Porch 1

IF YOU READ TCE A LOT YOU PROBABLY KNOW STEEL RAILS IS COMING. WELL WE’RE TELLING YOU ONE MORE TIME. JUNE 22, 2018 VISIT THE STEEL RAILS 2018 FACEBOOK PAGE FOR MORE INFO. IT WILL LOOK NOTHING LIKE THIS PHOTO. THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS TRACKS SPONSORS Libro Credit Union Lot42 Global Flex Campus

RAILWAY SPONSORS Darryl Watty - Watty Way TRAIN SPONSORS Insight Eyecare Waterloo Brewing & many more