The Community Edition: November 2018

VOLUME 7, ISSUE 2 • NOVEMBER 2018

IF STREETS COULD TALK: HESPELER PAGES 8-9

THE LRT IS COMING. WHAT WILL HAPPEN?

THAT’S ONE SMART CRUMBY COOKIE DOUGH

SHOPPING FOR DESTINY WITH WHITE TIGER

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NOVEMBER 2018 // @THECOMMUNITYED

IN THIS

ISSUE

VOLUME 7, ISSUE 2

NOVEMBER 2018

THIS ISSUE OF TCE WAS FUELED BY EXTRA CHEESEY PIZZA AND ANDREAS’ NEED TO EDIT EVERY PHOTO 15 TIMES BEFORE IT IS **PERFECT.** THANKS FOR READING.

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FEATURE

8-9 IF STREETS COULD TALK: HESPELER

EDITOR’S PICK 5

ADDRESSING THE ISSUE OF ROUGH SLEEPERS

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IN BRIEF // EDITOR’S NOTE NEW WR MAGAZINE DIVERSIFIES STORIES HOW WILL WE MOVE ALONGSIDE THE LRT? LITTLE MEDICAL SCHOOL IN WR PAT THE DOG’S LEGACY EASY BEING GREEN: SUSTAINABLE FASHION COZYING UP IN MARIT COLLECTIVE’S NEW SPACE BACKYARD VEGGIES FIND RETAIL SPACE MENTAL MATTERS // NEW TUNE REVIEW TCE POETRY THE SIDE HUSTLE: CRUMBY COOKIE DOUGH SEXPLANATIONS: SHOULD IT HURT? HARU NOON // EVENT LISTINGS SHOPPING FOR NEW OLD CLOTHES AT WHITE TIGER

INSIDE

COVER BY ANDREAS PATSIAOUROS

Volume 7, Issue 2 Next issue: December, 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 TJ Mroz

Publisher Lakyn Barton lakyn.barton@wlusp.com Social Media Coordinator Brit Kovacs Social Media Coordinator Ramona Leitao Web Manager Care Lucas

Executive Director Lakyn Barton Advertising Manager Care Lucas Treasurer Garrison Oosterof Vice-Chair Shyenne MacDonald

Photo Editor Nick Stanley

Directors Shyenne MacDonald Maiya Mistry H.G. Watson

Photo Editor Paige Bush

Corporate Secretary Maiya Mistry

General Inquiries info@communityedition.ca

CONTRIBUTORS Nathalie Bouchard Elizabeth Clarke Emily Crump Stacey Danckert Jesse Derry Cameron Hoddle Bashar Lulu Jabbour Stacey Jacobs Cameron Klapwyk TJ Mroz Sam Nabi Andreas Patsiaouros John Roche Kaitlyn Severin Matt Smith Cara Vandermey Racheal Walser

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.

NOVEMBER 2018 // COMMUNITYEDITION.CA

When she was 24, Miranda Campbell opened White Tiger Vintage Boutique in DTK. Now, seven years later, business is still doing well and she’s still drowning us in copious amounts of denim. More on page 16.

NICK STANLEY PHOTO

EDITOR’S NOTE:

WISHING THAT I’D TURN AROUND

BY: BETH BOWLES

For as long as I can remember, I’ve clung to nostalgia so tightly that it’s become a trait of my character.

When I was in my final year of high school, I remember laying on the floor in my friend’s basement, listening to Bright Eyes records and wishing so badly that I could go back to three years prior where I wasn’t worried about university applications, or financial aid or potential love.

When I started university, I remember sitting on the fleamarket couch in the living room of my mice-infested student apartment that I shared with my best friends, wishing so badly to go back to that basement floor. I wanted to feel it’s safe familiarity under my back as I stared at the ceiling, listening to Conor Oberst sing about his back-of-mind demons. University was hard and my relationship was rocky and I

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IN BRIEF NEWS

ARTS

URBAN

LRT LAUNCH DELAYED AGAIN

PAINT BY MUNZY IS TURNING FIVE

CLEARING SIDEWALK BY-LAW

The LRT — which was supposed to launch December 2018 — is now aiming for Spring 2019, according to a Nov. 6 report by the Region’s planning and works committee.

Specialized equipment and testing requirements are being cited as the reason. We’ll believe it when we see it.

Congratulations to Paint By Munzy in uptown Waterloo. The art gallery located at King and Dupont is celebrating its fifth year in business. Join the celebration at their annual Holiday Art Show on Nov. 17 at the Button Factory and enjoy over 60 unique artworks by local painter Jonathan Munz.

The City of Kitchener says it will be increasing by-law enforcement of sidewalk snow clearing. If by-law officers see an uncleared sidewalk, they will issue a warning to the property owner. If the sidewalk is not cleared within a day, the city will shovel and plow and bill the owner $400.

BODY FOUND IN DONATION BIN

ZONTA FILM FESTIVAL RETURNS

OVERFLOW SHELTER OPENS

A man’s body was discovered stuck in a donation bin chute on Hespeler Road on Nov. 1.

Discovered by a Cambridge resident walking past, the 32-year-old man was found with no vital signs and pronounced dead at the scene. The cause of death has not been released.

The Zonta Film Festival returns for its eighth year this year. The film festival celebrates female filmmakers and runs Nov. 8 to Nov. 10. Including films such as A Better Man, In The Name of Your Daughter and The Big Flip, all proceeds raised will go to local charities and nonprofits.

Located at the YWCA on Frederick, the temporary overflow shelter has opened as of Nov. 1 and will stay open until April. There are seven permanent shelters KW with a total of 245 beds — the new location has an additional 45 beds to accomodate the expect demand as the cold weather approaches.

GOOGLE WALK-IN

LOCAL WOODEN POPPY PINS

LICENSES FOR DOGS

The employees at the Google Canada Kitchener office staged a walk-in on Nov. 1 as part of a global movement to protest the company’s handling of executives accused of sexual misconduct and inequality within the workplace.

At Google’s Toronto office, employees read letters aloud and actually left work.

Mike Cassidy of Kitchener has crafted 150 wooden poppy pins to sell, with all the proceeds going to the Royal Canadian Legion Fred Gies Branch 50 and to be used for maintenance and special projects. The poppies, which are sold for five dollars, were crafted by hand at the KW Woodworking and Craft Centre.

Have a dog? It needs a license.

Until Nov. 12, the city and the KW Humane Society is offering a five-dollar promotion for firsttime license-applicants. Licenses, which are mandatory in Kitchener, can help return lost dogs faster.

Owners of unlicensed dogs can be fined up to $5000 but fees will be waived during this period.

missed my mom.

And now, I find myself living in a beautiful home, working a job that gives me the most freedom I’ve ever experienced and nurturing some of the strongest personal relationships I’ve ever had. And yet, I still look back on that mice-infested student apartment. I still think about that basement floor. I still contemplate these pieces of my past where I was knowingly miserable, and I miss them, even though at the time, I was so desperate to escape them.

In the past two years or so, I’ve drawn the conclusion that this isn’t clinging to nostalgia, but rather, this is depression. For me, depression presents itself as a state of constant dissatisfaction, even though life seems pretty okay. It’s dreaming about all the unattainable possibilities that could take me out of my

current place. It’s looking back and wanting to relive certain moments — moments where I was unhappy, but assumedly happier than the unhappiness that I’m currently experiencing.

When one of my favourite artists, Bogues, released a new album earlier this year, one specific line helped me make sense of this “condition” in which I live. On a song called “All Moved In” he sings: “I look back on everything, wishing that I’d turn around.”

I remember when I heard that line for the first time, gripping my steering wheel as I drove down King Street, tears threatening to fall from my eyes, a wave of “it all makes sense now” hitting me like a ton of bricks. I felt comfort in finding someone to relate to, but also immense frustration that I pointed toward myself.

Why can’t I just turn around

and face forward? Why am I so fixated on the past? I’m always missing something, which seems disrespectful to those who are in front of me — it seems disrespectful to the incredible opportunities I’ve been given and to the people who consciously choose to love me every day.

Combatting depression can be painfully hard and I’m sure that some of you are nodding your head in agreement. Actively choosing happiness can be so tough when you’ve conditioned yourself to believe that being “sad” is your most recognizable character trait. I want to stop devaluing how I feel by labelling myself as a nostalgic person.

What I’m experiencing isn’t nostalgia, it’s mental illness.

And while I currently don’t have a grand solution, a small step for me, and maybe for you, too, is to try to turn around.

NOVEMBER 2018 // COMMUNITYEDITION.CA

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MATT SMITH PHOTO

HOW WILL WE MOVE ALONGSIDE THE LRT? RAMONA LEITAO SOCIAL MEDIA COORDINATOR The LRT is scheduled to start operating by the spring, and with that comes concerns about safety for residents who either walk, cycle, or drive around the Region.

“Half the roads around me were redone without a thought to cyclists, or cyclists were an afterthought,” said Emily Slofstra, chair of CycleWR, a community group that promotes cycling and advocates for its safety in the Region.

“I think an extra mode of transportation could be a challenge.

Currently I see people biking in the tracks which is very dangerous, because even now the trains are

testing.”

Slofstra mentioned that there has been slight improvements for cyclists in the Region since the LRT route construction began.

“Biking through Waterloo along the LRT line has gotten a little bit better.

There are some alternative routes,” she said.

“In Kitchener there hasn’t really been anything. They have done some Iron Horse improvements but those are pretty far away from the LRT.” According to Slofstra, one of the reasons why CycleWR was created was because of how much worse the roads and safety for cyclists has gotten. And so, earlier in October, CycleWR created I Bike, I Vote — a pledge that asked candidates in the Fall 2018 municipal elections to commit to prioritize better safety for cyclists in the Region.

“We actually had 18 of the people who were elected sign the pledge,” she said.

Of those 18, five of them are councillors from Waterloo, five are councillors from Kitchener, as well as Waterloo Regional Chair Ken Seiling and two other candidates from the Regional level. Mayor Dave Jaworsky, Mayor Berry Vrbanovic, and former mayor of Cambridge, Doug Craig also signed, according to Slofstra.

“The biggest difficulty is at the Regional level,” Slofstra admitted.

“Regional roads tends to be where the problem lies; the roads are just not built for cyclists.”

The Region’s Manager of Community Relations for the ION Rapid Transit, TJ Flynn, explained that with new technology, it will take a little bit of time for residents to get used to how we move throughout the Region once the LRT is operational.

Flynn said that the Region has been in the works of promoting transit safety to its residents since as early as 2017, before the system and

vehicle testing began.

“We kind of kick started it [with] some media releases and messaging online,” Flynn said. “[As] we’ve advanced our [LRT] testing, our safety campaign has advanced as well.”

As of now, some of the initiatives that the Region has done to communicate with its residents about the safety campaign include creating safety booklets — which can be found online — advertise in local media, mass social media campaigns, implementing ION safety posters and signage along the LRT routes, and interacting with residents at community outreach events at schools, community centres, libraries and so on.

The Region has also received input and expertise from local community groups for their safety campaign strategies, according to Flynn.

“We have staff and transportation and [groups like] TravelWise [who]

have connections to the various cycling groups in the community,” he said.

Right now, the biggest priority for the Region is making sure that residents become more familiar with the LRT being present.

“We’ve been testing for a number of months now,” Flynn said. “I think it’s beginning to seep into the public conscience about trains in the community and that it’s not something to be afraid of. It’s definitely something that deserves respect and it’s something that we need to be aware of.”

But, Flynn stressed that ultimately, nothing has changed. He also encourages residents to provide more suggestions to the Region to help promote ION safety.

“Our messages are sort of clear — stay off the tracks and stay alert,” he said. “These messages are not new but it’s really important to continue to reinforce those rules.”

TEXTILE MAGAZINE AIMS TO DIVERSIFY

KW’S STORIES BETH BOWLES EDITOR IN CHIEF

Lifetime Kitchener residents Fitsum Areguy and Andy Myles have recognized a gap in the voices that are telling Waterloo Region’s stories.

Certain voices haven’t been given the platforms to share their experiences — platforms that appear to be more readily available to other groups.

As a result, Areguy and Myles are launching Textile, a publication devoted to uplifting and amplifying the voices of underrepresented and underprivileged folks in our community by publishing their fiction, creative non-fiction, memoirs, poetry and visual art.

“Andy and I both grew up in KW,” Areguy said.

“We both like writing and we wanted to do something for our community, sort of give back and do something [where] we could use our skills and create something.

Our vision is for a compassionate KW that engages with our literary community.”

Areguy is currently a master’s

student in science and family relations in human development at the University of Guelph. He has also worked extensively with the city’s youth, sits on the board for Bridges to Belonging and is the chair of the Young Carers Project.

Myles is enrolled in the Experimental Digital Media (XDM) masters program within the University of Waterloo’s English department in addition to having a writing background.

Textile’s mission, according to their website, is “to empower new and emerging writers of different gender, age, race, class, sexuality and ability.”

With core values surrounding diversity, creativity, relationships, respect, inclusion and equity, Areguy and Myles hope to give writing and publishing opportunities to those who have not been published before.

Areguy explained that Textile is also a reflection of how they view the foundation of community work, which is that it should start with genuine and trusting relationships with people. Areguy and Myles hope Textile can connect the past, present, and future of the Region, while shaping the historical, contemporary and future relationships they want to engage with.

“With Textile, we’re focused on a metaphor of weaving, of bringing

Myles (left) and Areguy (right) are planning to launch Textile in the spring. JESSE DERRY PHOTO together stories, but we’re also trying to reflect on the history of KW which was once more well known as a manufacturing industry,” Myles explained.

“We’re trying to comment on the city at a time where it’s really shifting.”

The first print issue is expected to be released in the spring.

Right now, Areguy and Myles are focused on finding funding, as well as spreading the word. With the support and guidance of KW Poetry Slam’s Bashar Lulu Jabbour, Areguy and Myles have applied for the Region of Waterloo Arts Fund and LSPIRG’s community grants.

They are currently looking for more sponsorship or available grants.

“There’s all of these writers,” Areguy said, “who are just pulling, and they all know what we’re doing, and as soon as we get the funding then we can really move forward.

One of the things we really want to do is pay contributors and we want to pay the editors.”

The theme for the first issue will be “transportation,” but Areguy and Myles are encouraging contributors to make their own interpretations of that theme and allow for flexibility.

“We’re not prescribing things to writers,” Myles said.

Right now, the first few pieces planned will explore ideas surrounding transit in KW, immigration, disability and movement — and that’s only the beginning.

After the first issue is released, Areguy and Myles will then decide how often Textile will publish.

Right now, they are considering publishing a print product annually with consistent online content throughout the year. They’re currently working with Feather and Anchor, a local publishing company

run by Mona Faith Mousa. Feather and Anchor is an artist services agency with a publishing branch for work that is created by and for BIPOC artists and audiences.

“I feel like I just have a sense of what KW means to me, and that’s not always articulated,” Myles said.

“It’s like hometown syndrome: I want to leave, but I also love this place, so this is a way to give back and articulate what KW is or what it could be.”

For Areguy, it’s about bringing a vision to life.

“We’re envisioning a city of engaged readers and engaged writers, people who want to celebrate the literary tradition here.”

Areguy and Myles are still looking for contributors — writers, editors and artists. They can be contacted through textilekw.com.

NOVEMBER 2018 // COMMUNITYEDITION.CA

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GETTING WR’S KIDS IN LAB COATS LITTLE MEDICAL SCHOOL IS A NEW PROGRAM THAT AIMS TO INTRODUCE CHILDREN TO MEDICAL SCIENCES

NATHALIE BOUCHARD CONTRIBUTOR Little Medical School is the first children’s program of its kind within the Kitchener-Waterloo Region. It is a STEM based children’s program that originated in the United States.

Therefore, the program is the first of its kind in Canada. Children from ages 4-12 participate in interactive learning activities within the field of medicine.

“There are a lot of programs for kids within the Waterloo Region [that focus on] math, science, computer science, coding and dance, but there is nothing that is medical focused for kids,” Winnie Tang, founder of Little Medical School Waterloo Region, said.

The Little Medical School that was founded in the States has programs that focus on veterinary science and pharmaceuticals, in addition to their medical program. The focus is to give children the opportunity to gain knowledge beyond the typical scope of what it means to be a doctor, veterinarian, or pharmacist.

“Right now, I only have the vet programs and the medical doctor, but I hope to bring more of the programs like little pharmacist, little nurse or little dentist to the program,” Tang said.

“It’s a slow process, I didn’t just

want to bring out all the programs at one time but slowly bring about interest in all the programs.

Tang further explained that the program emphasizes hands on learning.

“In our classes we let the children utilize all the [medical] tools, like a stethoscope to listen to a patient’s heartbeat or syringe without the [actual] needle, blood pressure monitors to measure a patient’s heart beat,” Tang said.

“We alternate the activities we do based on the age level of the children. That way it allows for the children to be engaged in ageappropriate content.”

The curriculum varies weekly by age group and the children enrolled in Little Medical School have the opportunity to learn a different skill, part of the body and career path within the medical profession.

Tang, who’s work background is in data science and IT, doesn’t personally have a medical background, but because the program is developed by American medical professionals and boardcertified surgeons, the program is professionally curated to be taught by any adult with any educational background.

“As a doctor-themed program, we start with the different tools a doctor uses … and the other weeks, we talk about the different parts of the body. For example, we talk about the heart and the role of the cardiologist [and] then let the children use a stethoscope,” Tang said.

“We let the children listen to audio

clips of an irregular and a regular heartbeat. Again, these are things that doctors do in real life when they have training,” Tang said.

The interactive training portion is meant to give children that hands-on experience. Beyond just the knowledge of medicine, the kids can practice skills pertaining to the specific profession they are learning about.

The program runs weekly for one hour, but in addition to their weekly program, Little Medical School has a Kid’s Night Out event every third Friday of the month for a few hours, in addition to summer camp programing. There are currently approximately 30 kids enrolled, but they are broken up into smaller groups to provide more direct experiences.

“The parents would just drop their kids off for a few hours — perfect for a date night,” Tang said.

Ultimately, Tang would like to see a program like this run in the school system. “[The goal is] just to inspire the little children to pursue a career in health care, because once you expose them, they kind of understand what it means to be a doctor or a vet and what-not,” Tang said.

“At least that way they know what it is, and then they are inspired to pursue that career when they are older.”

Winnie Tang is the founder of Little Medical School Waterloo Region.

PAIGE BUSH PHOTO

ADDRESSING THE ISSUE OF ROUGH SLEEPERS A FEW WEEKS AGO, THERE WAS A FIRE AT THE FORMER TRINITY CHURCH, A TEMPORARY HOME TO MANY OPINION

ELIZABETH CLARKE CONTRIBUTOR A couple of weeks ago, there was a fire in the former Trinity Church next to the YW’s shelter on Frederick St. in Kitchener. The YW is a not-forprofit that provides programs and services for women and children, including emergency, affordable and supportive housing programs.

Luckily, the fire next door was contained quickly and no one was hurt.

The anticipated evacuation of our shelter wasn’t needed, but the situation was alarming, nonetheless.

Our staff had been concerned that a fire might happen, because they were aware that people were staying in the church. It had been closed up, awaiting demolition, but people were still managing to get inside, and were seen coming and going.

This abandoned church became a temporary home to some people, some of which our staff know.

Diane* has stayed at our shelter on and off over the past several years.

She is an older woman, with some physical and mental health issues.

Recently she’s been in a relationship with a man who is also homeless and they want to stay together. They can do that at the shelter in Cambridge, which serves both men and women,

NICK STANLEY PHOTO but they can’t in the Kitchener adult shelters, which don’t. They don’t want to go to Cambridge, though, so rather than be separated, they’ve been sleeping rough.

Julie* has been homeless since she was in her teens. She struggles with addiction and has overdosed many times. Although she had affordable housing for a year or so, she decided to leave it. Her substance use made it difficult for her to cope with the rules and responsibilities of being a tenant, and she’s been sleeping rough since she moved out.

Tamara* is pregnant, and her mental health and addiction challenges are serious. No one knows very much about her.

Different services have reached out to Tamara to offer mental health and housing support, but she won’t engage with them. She’s back in our shelter for now, but her behaviour there is challenging, and if it becomes a threat to others’ safety, she may not be able to stay.

Waterloo Region is experiencing a surge in people like Diane, Julie and Tamara, who won’t or can’t use

the shelter system so are tenting, squatting in empty buildings, or sleeping on the street. Rough sleepers, or “unsheltered homeless” as they’re sometimes called, are typically people with the greatest and most complex needs. Substance use, mental health issues and trauma associated with childhood abuse and other violence are common. Sleeping rough is difficult and dangerous, and women who sleep rough are at most risk.

We don’t know exactly how many rough sleepers there are in our

Region as they tend to be transient and as many, like Tamara, don’t want anything to do with social services. And as our police and bylaw enforcement officers ask them to leave more public areas, they go into hiding.

But, our street outreach teams have managed to build supportive relationships with about 50 of them.

Of those, almost three quarters don’t want and won’t access shelter. The remainder are service restricted, typically due to problems with prior shelter stays, or are not eligible for shelter.

No one should have to sleep in a tent or on the street or in an empty church, but no one can be forced against their will to accept shelter or other services. And shelters can’t be forced to admit people whose behaviour may jeopardize the safety of other shelter users and shelter staff. As the service manager for homelessness, the Region of Waterloo has the mandate to fund homeless shelters, but it doesn’t have the mandate — or the resources — to provide mental health and addictions treatment and support, which are provincial responsibilities.

It’s not clear what the solution is to the complex problem of unsheltered homelessness, but what is clear is that it will take a creative and coordinated response.

Elizabeth Clarke is the chief executive officer of YW. *Names have been changed for privacy purposes.

NOVEMBER 2018 // @THECOMMUNITYED

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PAT THE DOG RECOGNIZED

CANADA’S THIRD LARGEST PLAYWRIGHT DEVELOPMENT RECEIVES GRANT

RACHEAL WALSER CONTRIBUTOR Pat the dog theatre development is the third largest playwright development centre in Canada, the recent recipient of a two year, $96,000 innovation grant from Canada Council to address gender parity in Canadian theatre — and yet, it remains humble.

With the company’s name printed in all lowercase, the main entrance to this transformative space is on the back porch in a century era home located in downtown Kitchener. But what you don’t see, when you’re standing in the parking lot looking up at it, is pat the dog’s biggest claim to fame: it’s willingness to provoke a conversation.

Thirty years ago, it all started with a mom.

“I didn’t call myself a writer,” said Lisa O’Connell, pat the dog’s artistic director. “I have an indigenous background, and was the first member of my family to graduate high school. I studied politics, had three children, but I didn’t call myself a writer.

Writing was just something I did.”

O’Connell wrote op-ed pieces about what it was like to be a woman in the mid-nineties, how she felt bathing suit shopping as a twenty-something mother of three and about not being a “Martha Stewart

Mom.” O’Connell’s perspective was funny, and being snatched up by the editors of Chatelaine, Today’s Parent and the Toronto Star.

“I wrote about everything,” O’Connell said. “I wrote about some pretty controversial subjects.”

And the feedback was everywhere.

“I remember, there was one day, when I was driving back from Central Meat Market with my youngest in the back in a child seat and I heard my name on the radio,” she recounted.

“It was around Mother’s Day, there was a big vote on the criminalization of homosexuality. I’d taken the stance of “how could any mother deny a child?” And this whole radio program was attacking this viewpoint, and then attacking me. I was gobsmacked.”

But O’Connell didn’t let that stop her.

“In hindsight, it was a wonderful thing to have happen because it makes you realize that as writers, when we sit inside and write, it’s just us and the page. Then it goes out into the world, and there you are, seeking a conversation,” O’Connell said.

“Even if the feedback is negative, that means you’ve hit something, there’s a conversation to be had. And I think that’s a very theatrical thing.”

Ultimately, O’Connell ended up moving into theatre. Having joined a small theatre group in downtown Kitchener, she jumped in both feet first.

“I contacted every dramaturgy resource I could, and taught myself,” she said.

When the company closed two years later, O’Connell wrote an “achingly honest” grant to start pat the dog.

“And here we are,” she said. “Thirteen years later we are one of the biggest playwright development centres in Canada.”

With the two year, $96,000 grant from the Canadian Council, pat the dog can set out do exactly that: create conversations.

“Over half of the theatre graduates are women, and yet only 30 per cent of the shows being produced come from women. We need more women’s stories,” O’Connell said.

On Oct. 10, pat the dog presented the first in an eight part series called Heels on the Diving Board: “a curated series of first-look theatre performances created by fierce and beautiful women” at the KW Art Gallery.

“This show is not only written by a female-identified playwright, but also creates jobs for four female actors over 40,” O’Connell said.

“We’re not interested in creating pieces that just go into somebody’s book case. From the point of inspiration until it goes on the stage, we’re asking ourselves, what can we do to make this happen? We’re creating an opportunity for women’s stories to be told, produced and disseminated.

With this grant, we are creating that conversation.”

BRIT KOVACS PHOTO

WHAT YOU WEAR

CAN AFFECT OUR PLANET EASY BEING GREEN

STACEY DANCKERT COLUMNIST As we head into the holiday season, it’s important not to forget about the impacts the clothing industry has on the environment. Since the birth of “fast fashion” in the 90’s — where new designs are released each season — people are expected to have an extensive wardrobe, while cheaper labour and extensive transportation lessen quality.

The fashion industry has become a major contributor to global environmental issues. It is second only to the oil and gas industry in the list of emitters, creating more carbon emissions than international flights and shipping combined.

Much of the clothing that is produced is cotton-based, requiring huge amounts of water, pesticides and space to grow. Over 120 million trees a year are cut down just to grow cotton As a monocrop, it requires 25 per cent of the world’s pesticide use.

The dyeing process requires a monstrous amount of water and often results in toxic chemicals such as bleach, sulfuric dyes and formaldehyde ending up in our waterways.

Poorer quality and decreasing costs mean that millenials buy 5 times that of their parents and are throwing away about 37 kg of textiles each year — about 7 per cent of our total waste.

This trash creates the equivalent of about 6.5 million cars worth of greenhouse gases as it decomposes in the states, alone.

So how can we do better? One option is to choose clothing made from sustainably farmed natural fibres. I hope the legalization of cannabis will increase access to hemp, which is not only strong and versatile, it also uses much less water and is pest and disease resistant.

Other options are: linen (flax), jute, bamboo, lyocell (wood pulp), soy, alpaca, organic wool, qmilk, s.cafe (coffee grounds), or peace silk (made without killing the silkworms). Fair trade clothing uses both eco-friendly materials (including natural dyes

and no toxic chemicals) and a safe manufacturing process.

Alternatively, some mainstream clothing manufacturers have begun to use recycled content. This is a creative way to repurpose old textiles and plastic waste. Unfortunately, we’ve recently discovered that washing recycled textiles releases plastic microfibers that easily make their way into our waterways. PolyGone, a local startup, is trying to create a solution. But until then, it’s best to avoid synthetic clothing including polar fleece, acrylic and polyester.

‘Pre-loved’ and ‘upcycled’ (old clothing refashioned into new creations) clothing are even better options. They have already undergone the ugly manufacturing process so extending their life keeps them from ending up as landfill.

Increasingly, people are making this choice. In the USA, approximately a billion pounds of clothing are donated every year — more than is actually needed. Only about 20 per cent of donations are used locally, while the rest is packaged, shipped overseas and sold as clothing, recycled into fabric, insulation or rags, or sent to landfill.

Unsurprisingly, the best option is to reduce what we buy. Although it’s tough as we face pressure to be ‘in season,’ and look ‘trendy,’ it’s important for us to fight against the lure of cheap clothing. We can have an impact with thoughtful buying decisions. Buy pieces that fit well, are good quality and can be used across seasons. Care for and repair clothing to extend its life and when they do reach the end of their life, local waste management recommends giving them to charity as they work with recyclers to keep them out of landfills longer.

We have many great local resources. You can find out more about the industry and how to be a positive influencer locally at Trusted Clothes (trustedclothes.com). If you need to learn how to mend old clothes into better than new, attend one of TransitionKW’s Repair Cafés.

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

NOVEMBER 2018 // COMMUNITYEDITION.CA

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Stephanie Rozek in the Causerie’s performance room (left) and the sun-filled lounge (right).

NICK STANLEY PHOTOS

COZYING UP TO THE CAUSERIE

A NEW SPACE RUN BY MARIT COLLECTIVE AIMS TO CREATE SPACE FOR MEANINGFUL CONVERSATIONS

SAM NABI CONTRIBUTOR “We call it a communal living room,” CJ Perez said.

I’m sitting at a large table across from her and Stephanie Rozek, co-founders of the non-profit Marit Collective. The room is adorned with tasteful knickknacks and vintage furniture, including a glass display case from the original Goudie’s department store.

“It’s not a networking space, it’s not a coworking space, it’s not a business space, and it’s not intended to be an exclusive space.”

This place, a project of Marit Collective, is called the Causerie, located at 154 Victoria Street South, Suite 2, in Kitchener. Down the hall, there’s a performance room that will soon house one of the Causerie’s two pianos. A sun-filled lounge with couches and plush chairs faces Victoria Street. We’re sitting in a dining room of sorts and it’s just chilly

enough to turn on the fireplace in the corner.

Perez and Rozek spent the last few years building community around meaningful conversations and relationships. They started HackerGrrlz, a coding mentorship program, and ran an annual International Women’s Day event called Change the Ratio.

These days, Marit Collective hosts intimate monthly conversations on topics like emotional labour, decolonization, diversity, or bridging arts and tech. The Causerie is their next step: a physical space to build a more permanent community around these messy and challenging discussions.

Core to the Causerie is a culture of mutual respect and thoughtfulness.

“People come in and talk to us and realize that we are not judgmental about identity or beliefs,” Rozek said.

“To make that trust with people, you have to have a community. You need to have a sense of belonging.”

Waterloo Region, with its three post-secondary institutions and plenty of grassroots activist groups, isn’t necessarily lacking when it comes to forums

for critical discussion, but the Causerie wants to create a place to deepen relationships, not just share ideas.

“We talk to people about the idea of third spaces. You have home, and work, and there’s a third space,” Perez explained.

“And for a lot of people in decades past, that’s your church, your legion hall, your union hall, your bowling alley, your local pub at the corner. We’ve lost a lot of those spaces to make more amorphous communities, but as humans, we need them.”

Perez and Rozek see the Causerie as a place to grapple with the political and social division in our culture, without needing to choose sides right away.

“It’s easy to go, ‘Here’s this binary, I’ll pick one and carry on with my day,’ But humans aren’t like that,” Rozek said.

The Causerie isn’t a debate club — they’re not interested in holding up competing ideas just for the sake of argument. The point is to deepen understanding, not necessarily determine what’s right and wrong.

“The thing that’s uniting everybody is that everyone is curious and every-

body’s being respectful, and everybody’s being thoughtful. But not everybody understands an issue at the same level, or has the same perspective on it,” Perez said.

“It’s hard to find places to have those conversations that are not academic or activist. There are a lot of people who are never going to enter those spaces.

They will immediately feel like it’s not a space for them.”

The Causerie aims to build up a broad cross-section of members. Some will be drawn in by workshops and discussions.

Others may gravitate to coffee socials, concerts, jam nights or other arts programming.

Melissa Krone curates artwork to be showcased in the space. For her, the Causerie’s mission dovetails perfectly with the art community.

“Artists have always occupied that space, and patrons of the arts are people who appreciate and support that work.

I feel like there is a natural overlap in audience between the two,” Krone said.

Art pieces from l.t. doughtery, a local mixed-media artist, have already have been acquired for the space. dougherty

is also a poet and writer, adding another point of connection for everything happening at the Causerie.

“When we make relationships, it’s all through proximity and repeated encounters. We’re very local-focused,” Rozek said. “We have some people that are joining mainly for the social component and then they might get pulled into the conversations.”

Downtown Kitchener lacks affordable venues for artists to perform and the Causerie could fill some of that void by booking space for rehearsals, concerts, or other events. It’s both a potential source of income and a way to build connections between local artists and the Causerie members.

“You can’t do something like this as a startup model,” Perez said. “It doesn’t fit into a little box. You can’t just pick it up and plop it in any city, because then it’s not an organic community. This is of KW and it’s for KW.”

Sam Nabi was a speaker in the 2017 Change the Ratio event, a former project of Stephanie Rozek and CJ Perez.

IF STREETS COULD TALK:

HESPELER

WORDS AND PHOTOS BY ANDREAS PATSIAOUROS When I was in high school, I would spend most summer weekends taking trips to Becker’s, the corner store on Fisher Mills in Hespeler — a neighbourhood and former township within Cambridge.

Things couldn’t get much better than slurping cold slushies on a hot summers’ day, while chatting with friends on the bleachers at Victoria Park and discussing essential topics, like the upcoming school dance.

Throughout my entire childhood, the hands that owned the corner store, along with its name, changed so often that I literally just kept calling it Becker’s. Even when ownership changed, it’s shell still remained the same, acting as a fixture of my adolescence, a staple within the place that I grew up. No matter how many times it changed, it would always be Becker’s to me.

I know this is overly simple logic, but I was a kid after all, and it’s the simple things that really mattered, just the same as adventuring around Hespeler was both the most mundane and most thrilling form of entertainment.

It was my job as a kid to explore the unexplored, and Hespeler had much of that to offer.

There was a sort of rush in figuring out where the roads of Hespeler led, as well as its alleys, its trails and its tracks.

The more paths you know like the back-of-your hand, the more you really begin to understand that neighbourhood itself. Whether it was cutting across the train bridge over the river on my way back from high school, mainly to take sick selfies with my new LG Shine at the time, or biking through the trails at Silver Heights Park, I was generally always on the move.

But often enough, I’d also find myself coming to a halt downtown. As you venture down Guelph Avenue, all the way across the river and over the bridge to Queen Street, you’ll find the original village on the river. It’s lined up with charming little shops and restaurants at the edge of the everflowing Speed River.

One of Queen Street’s most obvious landmarks is the historic factory that overlooks the river. It’s of those places worth exploring as a kid, even just investigating it from the outside was like standing in the shadow of a sleeping giant. It’s almost as if you could hear its soft breathing, waiting to be awake, once more.

The building itself was once a woolen mill established in 1864 and was the largest mill in Canada, at the time.

Something that was once a part of Hespeler’s growth, lay vacant for years.

As a kid, the abandoned factories and run-down lots looked like a spot for a grand adventure, but as I got older I saw them for what they really were — a missed opportunity to be something much more productive for local residents.

What little charming shops did exist on Queen Street often closed and were replaced with something similar, never really lasting too long, like the loss of Video 99 which will always leave a giant gaping hole my heart (RIP.) As I reached my senior years at high school and then eventually my university days, I made more and more friends from out of town. They’d generally ask me what there is to do in Cambridge, and I’d always reply saying: “well … there isn’t really much to do there.”

There simply weren’t many opportunities for social interaction for adults, or reason to stick around after you’re done school. And it’s unfortunate because for a small place, it certainly does have a lot of character.

To me – and I think to many – Hespeler is little more than a pitstop.

It’s conveniently situated next to the 401, so that you can quickly get to other cities where there is “stuff” to do.

Guelph, Waterloo, Kitchener are basically a stone’s throw away.

So, when my friends and I were at a driving age, we’d make our way to patio bars in Kitchener or arcades in Brantford, and even though I’ve lived in Hespeler for 25 years, the older I got, the less time I’d spend here.

And eventually, I started to forget about what made it special to me.

However, on my drives back home from Laurier, where I attended school, I’d get subtle reminders of the familiarity of Hespeler’s charm — the same I felt when I looked at Becker’s.

As I approached my suburb, sometimes I’d catch a glimpse of Snoopy atop his house on Beaverdale Road — yes, quite literally a house with a gigantic Snoopy on top — or the smiley face hill as I approached from Hespeler road, always happy to see me.

But, most of all what caught my eye every night was a sign labeled

“#HOPE” at the edge of someone’s yard, lit during cold winter nights, fairly close to the corner store on Fisher Mill’s.

I never questioned why it was there or who lit the sign up every night, but just that it had become a familiar mark, letting me know that I was nearing my home.

For years I felt much more connected to the community in Waterloo than Cambridge, mainly because I naturally gravitated towards it. I felt that more emphasis was placed upon local businesses rallying together to build a stronger community. But, as I graduated university and started spending more time in my forgotten town, I realized that changes were a lot less subtle now.

A construction project to revitalize the abandoned factory as the new home for Riverbank Lofts, has begun.

The forgotten mill was once a beating heart for the Village on the River, but as time changed, the town no longer needed it. This act of transforming an outdated space into something functional for today’s generation is a much needed spark of innovation for Hespeler to reach its potential.

And with a lot more hot-spots springing up like The Village Well pub or Four Father’s Brewery, I now find myself starting to ask friends from out of town to join me here, in Cambridge, to socialize.

It’s not to say that there were simply no worthy places before, but the kind of energy you can see going into bringing more life and diversity to this core area of Cambridge is quite striking. Witnessing the city and businesses really start to view Hespeler as an opportunity to invest in is a much-needed step in the right direction.

I sincerely hope we see much more of it in the future because as wonderful as I think this kind of “uncovering of Hespeler’s potential” is, there is still a long way to go.

As more changes roll in and Hespeler begins to grow in unexpected ways, I think it’s safe to say that its character and charm will always remain. We’ll see it in the colourful graffiti splashed across ally walls, or the sound of the rushing water as we walk across Jacob’s Landing and it’ll still feel familiar — just as the corner store by my house will always feel like Becker’s to me.

NOVEMBER 2018 // COMMUNITYEDITION.CA

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Full Circle Foods in downtown Kitchener is one of the spots where you can grab Gaia’s Growers produce.

NICK STANLEY PHOTO

GAIA’S GROWERS BRING BACKYARD VEGGIES TO YOU KAITLYN SEVERIN CONTRIBUTOR Winter might be on the horizon for Canadians, but the cold season proves to be a new opportunity for two garden growers in Waterloo Region.

Sara Buczek and Kristen Sherman, Kitchener residents and the founders of Gaia’s Growers, are getting their hands dirty to start sharing their natural and organic vegetables within the community.

It started as a business idea last January and then the creators of Gaia’s Growers re-connected and instantly shared an interest in food, vegetable gardening and a passion to reduce, reuse and recycle their produce.

The two planned to grow tomatoes, zucchinis and other types of vegetables in unused yards and garden spaces in the Region and sell them to local businesses, such as the organic and natural food store, Full Circle Foods.

In the past, Buczek and Sherman have had separate experiences with vegetable gardening. In the past, Buczek had worked on an organic farm in British Colombia called SSOL Gardens and Sherman has maintained all-natural vegetable gardens on several pieces of land in the area.

The pair currently live together in a bachelor apartment in Kitchener.

However, they have had little luck in finding any available land to maintain their vegetables. After several unsuccessful attempts at joining community gardens, the two decided to pitch their idea to local friends, who offered up their unused land and yard spaces. “[These people] just have these yards

with big lawns and they’re usually people who have day jobs and kids and busy lives who don’t really have time to maintain their yard,” Sherman said.

“They don’t have a need for [the yards] and they would love to see something growing there; they just don’t have time to do it themselves.”

Currently, Buczek and Sherman are working to find more natural food stores and businesses to sell their products. However, since the business is still a new venture, the pair is still testing the idea of Gaia’s Growers to see if it can succeed until next year.

“We’re hoping to have a few more plots that we’re already starting to talk to people about and hopefully more sales,” said Sherman.

Now that winter is slowly showing its face the Region, Gaia’s Growers are using the cold weather to time, plan and prepare their upcoming projects.

“The climate in Kitchener is difficult

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to grow in the winter. Right now, we’re using the winter as a planning and preparation time because the permaculture is actually things you do in all seasons to make sure you’re ready,” said Sherman.

One of the methods Buczek and Sherman are using to grow their produce throughout the season is “overwintering.” The method of overwintering plants means protecting plants from the cold weather in a sheltered area, such as in the home or garage, where they will be able to continue to grow as houseplants.

“It makes the plants hardier, they’re already used to being outdoors and then we know that our crops are going to be good,” said Sherman.

The message of Gaia’s Growers, as described by the creators, is founded within the principles of permaculture.

In growing their business venture, Buczek and Sherman strive to use

whatever is available to them without threatening the ecosystem. Their slogan, “simple, sustainable, soulful,” is built upon their promise to grow beyond organic produce.

“I know that gardening is a big thing for people, but it’s always [about] buying new seeds, buying new starter kits, buying new soil, [etc.],” said Buczek.

“We’re really trying to just use what’s around us and in our environment to minimalize our footprint ... on the planet because it’s super important to us.”

Buczek and Sherman are still looking for more useable land and encourage those interested to reach out via Facebook or Instagram.

NOVEMBER 2018 // COMMUNITYEDITION.CA

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TAKING A LEAP OF FAITH MENTAL MATTERS JOHN ROCHE COLUMNIST For the first 20 years of my life, I stayed safely within my comfort zone.

After gathering two decades’ worth of data, I can conclusively say that it was an awesome strategy for keeping myself miserable.

At some point, I decided something had to change. So I hitchhiked across Canada, bought a one-way ticket to Europe to live as a nomad and then a monk, came back and moved across the country for grad school, rolled the dice as a broke ass new grad and became an associate therapist, started a private practice after a year, and then moved into a big new office and hired some therapists of my own.

A little over a decade after that first time I stuck my thumb out, I’ve become an expert on helping other people do things that scare the shit out of them. Because sooner or later, everyone I work with starts asking some pretty big questions about meaning and life and death, and I’ve started to see some things we all have in common on this journey to live the most awesome life possible.

And while you may not like me for saying it, it almost always involves taking a leap of faith.

The first step is to figure out what direction to leap in. The good news is, we have this amazing GPS built into us as humans that tells us exactly where we need to go. The bad news is, most of us don’t pay attention to it.

So what’s the GPS? It’s passion, enthusiasm, excitement. It’s what you really, really love to spend your time doing, or what you dream of spending your time doing. I know it sounds cheesy, but it’s true. All of us have some idea, some activity, some dream that gets us totally amped — if we let ourselves entertain it.

When I was 14, it was the far-fetched idea of having the same job as Frasier Crane — remember him? At 20, it was the idea of striking out like Alexander Supertramp and making my way across Canada by thumb.

So what gets you pumped? Where and with whom do you feel most rapturously alive? What dream do you not even allow yourself to entertain?

Even asking the question and allowing yourself to answer it honestly is terrifying. Not least because most people will be quick to tell you what an idiot you’re being.

I distinctly remember, as an angry, poor kid with mediocre marks in grade nine, telling a guidance counsellor I wanted to be a therapist.

She looked at me with an expression I later discovered was called condescension, and told me that it would take a lot of schooling and maybe I should look into something else. I’ve received similar messages from well-intentioned people at pretty

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much every fork in the road since then.

But even if people are going to be dicks about it, ask yourself the question. Ask yourself and see what you really, really want. Where you want to live, how you want to make money, who you want to spend your time with, who you want to be.

Then start doing your research. After all, taking leaps of faith doesn’t mean being impulsive or uninformed. Find people who’ve done the scary thing you want to do and ask them how they did it. Talk to your therapist about it.

Make a budget. Look into schools or housing markets. Find a coach or an awesome friend and come up with a plan.

And eventually, once you know what you want and (roughly) how to get there, go for it. Yep, it’s that simple — and that terrifying. But terrifying though it may be, I can tell you from experience that it most definitely beats the hell out of being trapped in the cage of your comfort zone.

John Roche is a therapist in Kitchener-Waterloo.

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SHY HARRY BRINGS THE BLUES ALBUM: Yestermind by Shy Harry LINK: https://open.spotify.com/album/4lCmO1vDyfGg6nz32O5Goh

The sound of blues/groove rock has been prominent in the music industry for years, from bands like Fishbone, to the more current Black Keys. Coming out of Cambridge is three-piece band Shy Harry, who also follow this formula.

Their latest work, Yestermind, was released in October. This well-crafted 12 song package is filled with bluesy, groove infused tracks.

Songs like ‘Hasn’t Been That Long’ and ‘Never Let Me Fall Away’ begin with a softer intro, then build into a blend of blues and funk, which are staples to the band’s vibe and sound.

The guys kick it up a notch with funky guitar riffs paired with sophisticated chords, amplified by the proficient percussion section.

Other tunes such as ‘Yeats’ and ‘See Me Through’ begin slow with intricate, melodic chords. The soulful, bluesy vocals are presented heavily in these tracks. The subtle harmonies throughout once again show the force, and maturity of the band. Although

featured throughout the entire album, the guitar solos performed are reminiscent of rock ballads of the ‘80s and ‘90s — a welcomed theme to the nostalgic ear.

The album in a whole is a solid piece of work, featuring the musicianship and flair Shy Harry possess without ever sounding forced.

Right now, you can check out Yestermind on any major steaming service. To catch the guys live, the album launch party is on Nov. 30 at Four Fathers Brewery in Cambridge.

Come check out, grab a pint and support your local talent.

- Cameron Hoddle, Local DJ

DEC 4, 2018 at the

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ADVANCE TICKETS available now

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NOVEMBER 2018 // COMMUNITYEDITION.CA

A HISTORY OF US IN MOVEMENT WORDS BY BASHAR LULU JABBOUR ILLUSTRATION & PHOTO BY PAIGE BUSH TCE POETRY when I met her, she stood tall in her poem. moon dangled from back pocket, tides danced back and forth, she is of water, you could tell, emigrated from mountain to valley, valley to sea, and to mountain once more, moon resting at her feet, tides reinventing where she ebbs and flows, she is of water, you could tell, carrying debris, mountain to valley, valley to sea. when I met her, legs crossed, moon at her feet, she stood tall in her word, gently pulled on my wrist, whispered, tonight, you are yours. you are not war, you are not broken bodies or lost poems, you are not promises made in the gentle flow of your heart, instead, you are yours. when I kissed her, the moon at her feet inched closer, leaned in to listen, you could taste the genealogy of movement on her tongue, heat of desert cradling salty water of Mediterranean, river running time immemorial, one home to another, she is of water,

you could tell, of folk that found rebirth in yearly flood, redefining anatomy of home on their tongue, she is of movement. there are days we lay in our bed, strangers, lovers, the moon sits by her feet, quiet brilliance, we do not touch, we do not talk, today there is no movement, the water on her bedside lay still. our toes touch, the hair on my thigh brushes against hers.

I am reminded of the moon dangling out of her back pocket the day I met her, two genealogies of movement, laying still, together.

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NOVEMBER 2018 // COMMUNITYEDITION.CA

THAT’S THE WAY THE COOKIE CRUMBLES THE SIDE HUSTLE

Sara McMurphy (left) and Jennifer Appleby Vine (right), owners of Crumby Cookie Dough in the Eco Cafe in St. Jacobs, one of the spots their cookie dough is sold.

PAIGE BUSH PHOTOS

CAMERON KLAPWYK COLUMNIST On Halloween night of last year, Sara McMurphy decided to keep her friend, Jennifer Appleby Vines, company as she handed out candy to trick-ortreaters. At some point in the evening McMurphy went to grab a drink from Appleby Vines’ fridge. In it she noticed an open tube of Pilsbury chocolate chip cookie dough with a spoon sticking out of it.

“You eat that stuff?” McMurphy asked her friend.

“You don’t?” her friend replied back.

They talked for a bit about Appleby Vines’ guilty pleasure and then the conversation moved on to other topics.

“The night ended and we went our separate ways. Then the next day Jenn was like, ‘Are you thinking about cookie dough?’” McMurphy recalled.

It turned out she was.

Both Appleby Vines and McMurphy have a background in the culinary industry. They became friends while working together at The Charcoal Group. McMurphy was a chef and Appleby Vines was in sales and management. While they both left their roles at Wildcraft earlier this year for different reasons, they count many years of experience in food service as invaluable.

Appleby Vines now works for local start-up Georgette Packaging while McMurphy is working for Indigo.

With the 80-hour workweeks of their previous roles are behind them, they had the time to give a potential side hustle the tender, loving care it would need.

After realizing they both couldn’t get cookie dough off their minds, Appleby Vines remembers asking McMurphy, “Wouldn’t it be cool to make a cookie dough with good ingredients?”

Initially, they threw around ideas about how to make a better version of a Pilsbury dough, intended for baking.

But they quickly learned, as Appleby Vines said, “that almost all the major cities [in the US] have an edible cookie dough café or store where you can get cookie dough in a cone or a cup.”

It turns out that by heat-treating the flour and the eggs, the raw dough becomes safe to eat.

The pair did some research and realized that while there were a few places in Canada serving up raw cookie dough, there were none that impressed them from a branding and presence point of view.

“We smelled an opportunity,” Appleby Vines said.

“

WE ARE REALLY FOCUSED ON QUALITY OF INGREDIENTS, AND WE WANT TO SOURCE AS MUCH AS WE CAN LOCALLY. - SARA MCMURPHY

By Christmas of 2017, the two soon-to-be entrepreneurs had talked to countless friends about their idea.

Their friends suggested that they do a test market phase. So they invested in what McMurphy affectionately calls, “the smallest little food trailer.”

They decorated it with 1960s-style wallpaper and began to book themselves into festivals across southwestern Ontario for the summer season.

At the same time, they began to experiment and play with recipes.

“It was quite the process to even just make a simple chocolate chip version,” McMurphy said. “For example, we tested eight different butters just to find the perfect butter. The one we settled on is from Stirling Creamery and our cookie dough wouldn’t be the same without it. We are really focused on quality of ingredients, and we want to source as much as we can locally.”

The pair proudly introduced their new baby, the Crumby Cookie Dough Co., at the Elmira Maple Syrup Festival in April of 2018.

It was a big hit at this and subsequent festivals, as the little cookie dough trailer made its way to another city or town almost every weekend until the end of the summer. Over time they expanded their flavour menu and now offer 13 different options with incredible names such as “Feisty Redhead,” “Rainbow Pony Show” and “Pretty Fly for a White Chai.”

And they come up with delicious new ideas every day.

“I would love to do a cookie-dough beer pairing,” McMurphy said. “I can see a stout or dessert-y beer going really well with a chocolate chip cookie dough.”

While Crumby Cookie Dough Co. remains a side hustle on top of their day jobs, Appleby Vines and McMurphy have big plans for the future.

“Ultimately, our goal is to have a storefront location, similar to what Ajoa at Four All Ice Cream does where she’s open a couple days a week, and doing both wholesale and retail,” Appleby Vines said.

They also have dreams of striking a deal with larger retailers such as Whole Foods and Farm Boy. It is hard to imagine this industrious pair not succeeding. But even if they come upon tough times, McMurphy is prepared.

“Worst-case scenario, we have a trailer. I can live out of that,” she joked.

With an ever-growing demand for their product and the legalization of cannabis edibles on the horizon, it appears the future will be Crumby in name only for these two.

NOVEMBER 2018 // COMMUNITYEDITION.CA

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IT’S (NOT) SUPPOSED TO HURT

PAIN DURING SEX IS NOT NORMAL, SO WHY DO WE THINK IT IS? not present. Perhaps the pain is normalizing it. Stop telling folks that SEXPLANATIONS it is supposed to hurt the first time, due to tense pelvic floor muscles.

STACEY JACOBS COLUMNIST “It’s supposed to hurt the first time.”

How many times have you heard that phrase? Maybe you heard it from friends or family or a teenage girl in a movie.

However, it does not have to, nor should it, hurt the first time you have sex. This normalization of pain during penetrative sex, especially the first time, has led to many problems, myths, and shitty sexual experiences, especially for people with vaginas.

I spoke with my colleague Maggie Hamel-Smith Grassby, a sexual health educator at Sexual Health Options, Resources & Education (SHORE Centre), about educating young people. She said she hears the same myth over and over.

“What we are talking about is the pervasive belief that penetrative sex is often painful and there is nothing that can be done about it. That is not true, there are many things we can do to prevent and alleviate painful sex,” Hamel-Smith Grassby said.

“The first thing is to stop

and stop normalizing bleeding as a necessary and common sign that you are a virgin. This normalization of pain during sex contributes to a world where people don’t care if their partner is enjoying the experience.”

There are many reasons people have sex: for the intimacy, the control, to feel loved, to fit in, for money… but it is often because it feels good in some way.

Unfortunately, we often withhold information about pleasure from young people, especially young people with vaginas. We also do not educate about all the ways sex can feel good and how, if it doesn’t, this can be changed. There are also people who derive pleasure from pain and like a little kink in their life, however, this pain is different from the un-pleasurable pain many people feel during sex.

Pain is not something to put up with or “play through.” Pain is our body’s way of telling us to stop, that something is not right. We should educate people to listen to their bodies, not ignore them for some ridiculous social norm. We should provide them with ways to decrease pain and increase pleasure.

Perhaps the pain is due to anxiety about having sex, because communication and consent were

Perhaps porn and the patriarchy are to blame for a lack of foreplay, leading to a lack of arousal and blood flow to the pelvic area. Perhaps there is not enough lubrication!

“We are actively in the community giving out free condoms and lube and people are constantly saying they don’t need lube,” Hamel-Smith Grassby said.

“We provide the education about lube improving penetrative sex by reducing friction, improving the efficacy of safer sex barriers such as condoms and dams and increasing pleasure and sensation and people still don’t take it!”

Many of us misunderstand the process of arousal and lubrication.

Yes, many vaginas self-lubricate, but many do not lubricate enough or are not given enough time to do so.

Anuses, though mucus membranes, do not lubricate in the same way.

Therefore, need extra lube to increase pleasure by reducing pain and discomfort.

I will leave you with an earth shattering idea: try lube, try communicating with your partner, and try thinking of sex as pleasurable for everyone involved.

Stacey Jacobs is the sexual health educational manager at SHORE.

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EVENT LISTINGS

WE’VE HAND SELECTED SOME COOL UPCOMING EVENTS AND WRITTEN SOME WITTY COMMENTARY. YOU’RE WELCOME.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 8

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 15

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 24

DIRTY BINGO CHAINSAW

BEARS, BEETS & OFFICE TRIVIA CHAINSAW

ETSY HOLIDAY MARKET RIM PARK

Sashay your way over to Chainsaw as Radio Laurier presents their annual Dirty Bingo fundraiser hosted by Kyne the Drag Queen and sponsored by The Stag Shop.

With dirty words replacing ‘bingo,’ vibrators replacing cash prizes and inflated balloons decorated with images of boobs, you’re in for a ride.

Now, do you want to be in a secret alliance? Absolutely you do. Get your Dunder Mifflin A-team, B-team and your “Just For Fun” friends together. We won’t be competing in Flonkerton but we will be quizzing you on all things Dunder Mifflin, so you better know your Astrid’s from your Asturd’s. See you there!

Pack your knitting needles, your holiday cheer and a splash of cash for their Etsy’s 3rd annual holiday market. Presented by Living Fresh, this market allows you to shop handmade at over 75+ shops from WR. Our pal, BRFC will be there, so make sure to stop by and pick up your daily dose of enamel pins.

Fundraiser • $5 • 6:30-10pm

Trivia • $5 • 7-9pm

Market • Free • 10-5pm

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 9

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 16

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 25

MERIT X WILLIBALD COLLAB WILLIBALD FARM DISTILLERY

AFTER HOURS AT THE LIBRARY WATERLOO PUBLIC LIBRARY

WATERLOO NIGHT MARKET WATERLOO

Join in on this celebration of gin and beer, as MERIT x Willibald release “Fashionably Late,” a Kviek that infuses Willibald Gin botanicals in the mash water producing a unique funk to the farmhouse ale. Catering their menu to MERIT’s tap takeover and serving MERIT beer inspired cocktails, this event is travel worthy.

With every local fundraiser, our heart grows ten times in size and so should yours. So, join WPL at their 5th Annual After Hours at the Library signature event where discourse will be had, craft beer will be sipped and canapés will be devoured. Tickets include one drink and hors d’oeuvres.

This iniative was brought forward

by WLU’s Innovation Labs with the aim of fostering a sense of community between the university students at the City of Waterloo residents. They hosted a soft launch on Oct. 21, Night Bites, to orient themselves with event planning.

Vendor applications are still open.

Food • TBD • 6-10pm

Fundraiser • $50 • 7-9:30pm

Market • Free • 5-9pm

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 10

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 16

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 27

18TH FREDERICK ART WALK KITCHENER

PICKLEFEST THEMUSEUM

BRAINSTORMING WORKSHOP WATERLOO REGION MUSEUM

If walking 4 km is an adventure you fancy, join the community in strapping their boots up for the Frederick Art Walk touring one of Kitchener’s oldest neighbourhoods.

There will be hand-crafted works for sale, including art, pottery, jewelery and more. Viewing of maple trees and old century homes is free.

Do you enjoy a good pickling?

Head to this event featuring dishes and brews from dill-icious local restaurants and breweries. Tickets include 12 sample dishes, 11 beer samples, a beer glass and fun activities. So don’t pickle around, grab a good dill on tickets and relish in this fest.

Facilitated by Lucy White, principal with the Osbourne Group, this workshop is designed for arts organizations across Ontario considering embarking on a creative space project. Participants will engage in critical discussion and problem solving with those tackling similar issues and gain guidance.

Market • Free • 5-8pm

Festival • $30 • 7-10pm

Workshop • $15 • 10am-3pm

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 11

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 17

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 1

NIGHT MARKET BUTTON FACTORY

PAINT BY MUNZY TURNS 5!

BUTTON FACTORY

STITCH’N’KITSCH MARKET 67 ERB ST W

With proceeds from admission going to OneRoof Youth Services, we’re marking this Night Market as a must attend event in the community. Vendors include our pals from White Cap Co., BRCH Cafe, Luster&Oak, and much much more. Be reckless, spend all of your cash and eat lots of snacks.

Treat yourself to a night saturated in local art, catered snacks, a cash bar and live music. There will be over sixty unique pieces from local artist, Jonathan Munz alongside complementary copies of their brand new Paint by Munzy 2019 calender. So stop by, bid in their silent auction and support local art.

Do textiles, pottery and decadent treats ignite a fire in your soul?

Same. You can even partake in the purchasing of woodwork and handmade dolls. So, head on out and meet these local artists while supporting the local economy and populating your home with terrifying dolls with rosy cheeks.

Market • $2 • 6-10pm

Art • Free • 6-10pm

Market • Free • 10am-5pm

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 14

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 21

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 1

CLOTHING SWAP SEVEN SHORES CAFE

HEELS ON THE DIVING BOARD KW ART GALLERY

GOAT YOGA 246 SHERRING ST

Dive into your closet, pull your knits, pants and turtlenecks out and head on over to Seven Shores to indulge in the clothing swap of the year. Sorted by size, you’ll have every opportunity to seize strangers’ clothing right from underneath their noses all for the low low price of five dollars. A true steal.

This curated series showcases theatre performances by fierce women who live in Southwestern Ontario. November 21 is dedicated to Queer Spawn by Kira Meyers-Guiden, discussing their experiences as a second generation queer spawn and claiming space often taken by nuclear families.

The event is exactly what you’re thinking it is: yoga alongside goats in a heated barn. Who doesn’t lie awake at night dreaming of goat cuddles? However, you may find a furry pal compromising your downward dog or knocking you out of your Sirasana. All proceeds from this event will be donated.

Shopping • $5 • 7-9pm

Art • $16.52 • 7-10pm

Yoga • $30 • 1-2pm

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 14

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 23

MONDAY, DECEMBER 3

ARTS STAKEHOLDER SESSION THEMUSEUM

DAVID BOWIE’S TAROT LAUNCH OPEN SESAME

BRIT KOVACS’ BIRTHDAY NATIONAL HOLIDAY

Members of the arts and culture community are invited to a cultural forum! Attendees will be invited to share their thoughts and feedback on a critical mass of arts and culture in DTK. Further topics will include a panel discussion on the supporting and nurturing of a vibrant, cultural community. RSVP to confirm.

Bowie and Davide De Angelis began collaborating on a highly innovative and visually spectacular tarot deck with a myriad of references to Bowie’s lyrics, sacred geometrics, magic and traditions. Hive&Grove and Wordsworth Books are cosponsoring this launch party, so see you there, fellow stargazers!

Do you like hazy IPA’s, bread and cheese mixtures and ballads by sad women? Yes? You do? So does our social media coordinator, Brit.

This day is her birthday, so in Brit’s honour, indulge in all of these things — maybe even give yourself a stick and poke for shits! Happy birthday B, we love you.

Community • Free • 5:30-7:30pm

Party • $20 • 7-11:59pm

Birthday • Free • All Day

COMMUNITYEDITION.CA @THECOMMUNITYED

NOVEMBER 2018 // @THECOMMUNITYED

16

CLOTHES WERE THE DAYS

WHITE TIGER

VINTAGE BETH BOWLES EDITOR IN CHIEF When Miranda Campbell returned home to Kitchener in 2011 after working on an organic farm in California, she decided to act on a dream that had always lingered in the back of her mind. At 24-years-old, she decided to turn her love for vintage clothing into a business she could be proud of. For the first five months after returning, she worked as a server at a Waterloo restaurant and saved enough money to open White Tiger Vintage Boutique, a vintage clothing store in downtown Kitchener.

Now, seven years later, Campbell’s store is recognized as one of the staple vintage stores in the city, and business is only continuing to grow.

“My grandma would always take me shopping [and] thrifting, but I started getting into it more when I was in high school. I started getting more into vintage, and stopped buying new clothes, gradually. Then I just kind of started collecting,” Campbell said.

“By the time I left [for California], I had boxed away a bunch of stuff. I was just travelling and I just wanted to do something. So, I had this idea — I could go back to Kitchener [and open a store].”

Campbell explained that she originally had her sights on a smaller spot, but when that fell through, she ended up leasing 248 King St. E., where the store still stands today. The space was a little larger than she had originally envisioned, but nonetheless, she took the risk.

“Where the store is today, is a lot different from when it first started — there was a lot less, but I managed to make it grow over time,” she said.

Campbell cited memories of shopping as a child with her mother and grandmother as the spark that ignited her love of thrift shopping. She remembers frequently going to Worth A Second Look on Victoria St. with her family.

“I just have memories of going there all the time as a kid and buying second hand stuffed animals and thinking it

was so cool, just because everything was so different from one another,” Campbell said.

“You can walk into a mall shop, and there’s multiple of each size. But if you go thrifting or vintage shopping, there’s just that one, so if it actually fits you, it’s like destiny.”

But it isn’t just the thrill of destiny that fuels her passion for vintage, there’s also the sustainability factor of shopping second hand.

“It’s great [that new clothes] can be cheap, but it doesn’t really create value for the item. People are more likely to buy more, but not appreciate it as much, so the likelihood that you might give it away within a year, or not wear it at all — the chances are higher,” she said.

Campbell explained that she really cares about sustainable fashion and that she hopes to foster that through her store.

“For clothes to be created that quickly, there’s a lot of environmental harm in the process … so how quickly it is produced versus how quickly it takes to break down. I’m really into sustainable fashion … that’s what I like to bring through vintage shopping. I try to bring in fashionable items for people that are current and unique, as well,” she explained.

Since White Tiger Vintage is not a consignment store, Campbell travels to various cities or states throughout the year in search of items to sell both in her store and on her online Etsy shop. Recently, she’s traveled to California and Montreal to shop.

“I like to ultimately look for good materials — cotton, silk, leather, denim — but then of course all the fun ‘70s polyesters and acrylics,” she said.

Campbell’s favourite items generally come from the ‘70s or ‘90s and her favourite material is definitely denim — which is made obvious the second you walk into the store.

Although Campbell said the downtown construction did slightly affect her business, the store is currently in great shape.

“I feel like it came to be in the past while; it’s gotten a lot busier. I’m just really impressed,” she said.

“It would be great to have a bigger space. I have so many clothes that I would love to have more space.”

NICK STANLEY PHOTOS