The Community Edition: March 2019

VOLUME 7, ISSUE 6 • MARCH 2019

IF STREETS COULD TALK: BADEN

PAGES 8-9

STEP INSIDE HER TECH WARDROBE

TAKING THE RISK AND HIRING EX-CONS

OPEN SESAME, OPEN NO MORE

PAGE 4

PAGE 11

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MARCH 2019 // @THECOMMUNITYED

IN THIS

ISSUE

VOLUME 7, ISSUE 6

MARCH 2019

THIS ISSUE OF TCE WAS FUELED BY MENSTRUAL FLOW AND A GREAT GROUP OF LADIES.

Volume 7, Issue 6 Next issue: April, 2019 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 Photo Editor Nick Stanley Photo Editor Paige Bush General Inquiries info@communityedition.ca

Executive Director Lakyn Barton Advertising Manager Care Lucas Treasurer Garrison Oosterof Vice-Chair Shyenne MacDonald Directors Rosalind Horne Shyenne MacDonald Maiya Mistry H.G. Watson Corporate Secretary Maiya Mistry

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FEATURE

8-9 IF STREETS COULD TALK: BADEN

EDITOR’S PICK 5

A FATHER’S PLEA FOR FUNDING

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

IN BRIEF @MYTECHWARDROBE ON WOMEN IN TECH FEMWAVES TAKE THE AIR WAVES 519 SCHMECKS: THE PRICE OF A PIZZA PIE CELEBRATING 30 YEARS OF SASC HYPERLOCAL TRAVEL: HOMETOWN TEAMS TCE POETRY COMMON KNOWLEDGE SPARKS A CONVERSATION NEW RADIO STATION BRINGS TOGETHER MIDTOWN BE LIKE BRANSON: HIRE EX-CONS TANGLED IN YARN WITH CABIN + COVE THE SIDE HUSTLE: OUR STUDIO CLOSING THE DOORS TO OPEN SESAME EASY BEING GREEN: SUSTAINABLE DOGGOS MENTAL MATTERS: WHAT IS THERAPY? HARU NOON // EVENT LISTINGS SEXPLANATIONS

INSIDE

CONTRIBUTORS Jenna Aquino Nick Benninger Stacey Danckert Marinus De Groot Jesse Derry Melissa Embury Bashar Lulu Jabbour Stacey Jacobs Cameron Klapwyk Juanita Metzger Matt Munro Emily O’Brien Kurtis Rideout John Roche Kaitlyn Severin Cara Vandermey Racheal Walser Lauren Weinberg

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.

MARCH 2019 // COMMUNITYEDITION.CA

EDITOR’S NOTE: ON INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY

BY: BETH BOWLES

March 8 is International Women’s Day — and while every year, I recognize this day by reading articles or posting a photo on Instagram of my mom, there’s always something a little extra that you can do to support the women and womenidentifying people in your life.

And yet, I planned absolutely nothing for the March issue of the Community Edition.

As I was putting together this issue, panick struck me. How could I forget about International Women’s Day? Why didn’t I plan content around this day I advocate for?

As my content started rolling in, however, I realized that without a concrete plan, so much of March’s content was focused around exceptional women in

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the Region. In addition, so many of my writers in this issue are women.

While this issue lacks in racial and sexual diversity, something I’m dedicated to improve upon, I’m still proud that in some way, shape or form, the Community Edition does and will continue to recognize and celebrate exceptional women in Waterloo Region without really specifying these kids of stories.

My writers are constantly pitching me ideas about stories with women at the forefront and I will always publish those stories.

Here are some of the exceptional women featured in this issue of the Community Edition.

Happy International Women’s Day.

Wendy Heunul (left) and Kate Schlitt (right) are the co-hosts of Femwaves.

More on page 4.

PAIGE BUSH PHOTO

Jillian Welk runs Cabin + Cove. More on page 12.

NICK STANLEY PHOTO

IN (SUPER) BRIEF

The Sexual Assault Support Centre is turning 30 this year. More on page 6.

BETH BOWLES PHOTO

Lori Muloney co-runs Our Studio. More on page 12.

JESSE DERRY PHOTO

Caitlin Mulroney is the face behind @mytechwardrobe. More on page 4.

JESSE DERRY PHOTO

Maggie Arai and Abi Conners run Common Knowledge. More on page 10.

PAIGE BUSH PHOTO

SETTLEMENT RE-JIGGED

WALK ON GUAK

CAMBRIDGE SCHOOL TO STAY

FOOD4KIDS STRUGGLING

The Watchtower restaurant in Waterloo and Settlement Coffee Roasters in downtown Kitchener will be revamped and rebranded as The Round Table this month. The Round Table is a board game cafe and tavern in Guelph, known for its Medieval and Arthurian theme.

While this new partnership is still a little confusing, we’re excited for change — and board games!

Our pal Sam Nabi (writer and web helper-person for TCE) has recently garnered the mayor’s attention, as he proposed that the City of Kitchener permanently close Gaukel St. from Charles St. to King St. He thinks the temporary closure of the street hasn’t really affected downtown traffic, so why not close it permanently and make it a fun community space?

Kathie Shaw, director and principal of Oak Bridge Academy, a Cambridge school that supports education for children with autism, says that the school will continue to work hard despite provincial funding cuts. She’s planning to double her fundraising goal for scholarships to help with tuition costs.

Food4Kids Waterloo Wellington is struggling to keep on top of all of the children living with hunger in the Region. The program started in Jan. 2017 and now serves 509 children across Waterloo Region.

They need $310,000 to get to the end of this school year and there are currently waiting lists for schools to join the program, which sends kids home with food.

MARCH 2019 // COMMUNITYEDITION.CA

4

WHAT TECH LOOKS LIKE

CAITLIN MULRONEY OF @MYTECHWARDROBE ON TECH’S OPEN DRESS CODES

JENNA AQUINO CONTRIBUTOR Companies within the tech industry tend to adopt an “open” dress-code and while this is a definite perk, it can be difficult to navigate at first. Caitlin Mulroney, talent operations and community engagement manager at North (formerly Thalmic Labs), faced this challenge and as a recruiter for a tech company, she is frequently asked what sort of clothing is acceptable.

About a year ago, Mulroney created the Instagram account @ mytechwardrobe and began posting regularly to share her outfits, recommendations and positive messaging around self-confidence.

As a result, she has provided support for people in the industry looking for fashion inspiration.

“It took me about two years to cultivate my own personal style and get into a rhythm. It was a process of trial and error — partly because I didn’t have a resource,” she explained.

“My intention with creating this account was to help people. Even if you’re not working in tech, but maybe your formerly conservative

workplace just relaxed its dresscode, what do you do? How do you transition that, if you can? I wanted to provide a framework and try to build a community if I’m lucky – which has started to happen!”

Mulroney connects with her followers over Instagram direct messaging and through the comments in her posts. She appreciates getting real-time feedback and enjoys being an extra person to tell people “this is okay” when they need to hear it. Because she believes that feeling comfortable in your outfit can increase your confidence, she advocates for personal style as a means of selfexpression.

“It takes time, but [your personal style] is something you can define yourself, and it’s a really fun process,” Mulroney said.

“I think too often, specifically in business-casual, people tend to let go of that part of themselves.”

Mulroney’s biggest hope with the account was to provide a resource for women specifically. She strives to represent women in tech, and while she is not in a technical role herself, she highlights them in her work.

“Women in tech is a very broad topic and I have a lot to say on that.

I think women in tech need to see other women in tech to connect with them,” she said.

When it comes to what a woman wears, Mulroney recognizes that there are often stereotypes and

anxieties to overcome.

“It’s that “skin” thing. Women have skin and we can’t show too much of it or else we are not professional,” she said.

Mulroney said that she’s also read resources that have said things like: women interviewing for a job shouldn’t wear earrings that are too big because they might be distracting to your prospective employer, or don’t wear heels because they’re too loud on the floor.

“That is all total crap. If an employer is distracted by your big earrings, they are not the employer for you. Be who you are, because that is the person they’re hiring – don’t edit yourself,” Mulroney advised.

She aims to encourage women to ignore these ideals.

“If [the company] has said the dress-code is open, truly use your best judgement for what makes you most comfortable,” she concluded.

Posting every weekday at 5:00 p.m., Mulroney hardly ever takes a break from offering support through @mytechwardrobe and has no intention of slowing down. With the account recently reaching over one thousand followers, it is safe to say Mulroney has succeeded in providing a much-needed resource for navigating open dress-codes.

Caitlin Mulroney runs @mytechwardrobe, an Instagram account dedicated to discussing what tech looks like.

JESSE DERRY PHOTO

YOU’RE TUNING IN TO FEMWAVES

FEMWAVES, A NEW KW PODCAST, AIMS TO MIX FEMINISM AND STORY-TELLING, WHILE PROVIDING A VOICE TO THOSE OFTEN SILENCED

RACHEAL WALSER CONTRIBUTOR On a snowy day, inside a renovated old building on King Street, everything was quiet, except for the conversation.

“We just decided to stop being quiet about things,” Kate Schlitt admitted.

As the co-founder of Femwaves, an up and coming feminist podcast out of Kitchener-Waterloo, Schlitt and her partner, Wendy Heunul connected over topics traditionally unwelcome in the workplace, or even socially. The two work at Good Vibes Juice Co., where they record the podcast after hours.

“For me,” Heunul explained, “meeting Kate last year was the first time I met someone who had the same views on nutrition, health, hormones, spirituality and social issues. We joked around about starting a podcast to talk about issues we felt weren’t really talked about, but here we are.”

For those who have never heard of Femwaves before, Schlitt and Heunul describe it as a “women’s health and lifestyle” podcast, but they’re not stuck in the gender binary.

“We are open to all femaleidentified people, who want to share their story. We really want to use this as a platform to let other people talk about their experiences.

We recognize that we don’t know everything, but are really committed to inviting that conversation and supporting it,” Schlitt said.

Heunul explained that a lot of the issues female-identified people face are not new issues, but rather societally ingrained over time.

“And we just want to acknowledge [the issues], revisit them, and find out if things are really changing, and what we can do to help,” Schlitt said.

Heunul and Schlitt go on to identify some of their long term podcasts goals.

“It would be really cool if next year we could do an episode on the same topic and recount some of what happened in the year — acknowledging the efforts that have gone in to changing things. Women work really hard and we feel this isn’t always acknowledged,” Heunel said.

Heunel said they had plans for a future episode about domestic violence and already have women interested in sharing their stories.

“We have some guests we’ve been talking to about speaking, but right now, for one of them, the timing isn’t good. She’s going through the courts, and talking to a podcast like us could make things harder for her.

We want to be respectful of that,” Heunel said.

In a world that puts an emphasis on balanced journalism, Heunel said that she’s been asked if they will interview male abusers, also, when discussing the topic of domestic violence.

“To be honest, that’s not something I’m comfortable with. I don’t want to give him any more of a voice than he systematically has,” she said.

Schlitt nodded in agreement.

“We want this to be a safe place for women —” she said, “where their voices and their stories matter. We hope to talk about heavy issues like

“

WE WANT THIS TO BE A SAFE PLACE FOR WOMEN — WHERE THEIR VOICES AND THEIR STORIES MATTER. -KATE SCHLITT, CO-HOST OF FEMWAVES

Wendy Heunul (left) and Kate Schlitt (right) are the hosts of Femwaves.

PAIGE BUSH PHOTO abortion and birth control. These topics can be really triggering for people, but they’re also things we need to talk about without judgment, stigma or shame.”

Respectively, they come from their own personal places in acknowledging the lack of conversation about mental health and hormone challenges.

”

“Birth control has had a huge impact on my life,” Schlitt admitted, “and I’m not alone in that.”

“Also, [birth control] causes serious mental health concerns,” Heunul added. “Something like 70 per cent of women experience depression, related to their birth control. But they stopped the men’s birth control trials because that rate was too high … But those are identified as “women’s issues,” and “unpopular opinions” when women try to talk about them.”

But Femwaves has a different take.

Schlitt said she’s okay with being biased.

“It’s important to us that we make space for people who want to talk about their experiences, give them the floor,” she said.

Heunul laughed and agreed. “Do we have an agenda? Yeah we do. And we aren’t ashamed of it,” she said.

Femwaves is available on Spotify and iTunes. Check it out @femwaves and reach out if you have something you want to talk about.

MARCH 2019 // COMMUNITYEDITION.CA

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PIZZA: CHEAP EAT OR BANK BREAKER?

519 SCHMECKS

NICK BENNINGER COLUMNIST I love pizza — thick or thin, complicated, plain, traditional or off the wall, literally I’d eat pizza off the wall. While I am a documented food snob and can wax poetic about pie made from fior di latte and fermented dough cooked in a wood fired oven meeting the strict standards laid down by the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana, those who really know me well also understand I can crush a “hot’n ready” with crazy bread, no problem at all.

I am not a pizza snob but rather a pizza lover. I love pizza!

Pizza has one problem: itself. Like my own self loathing ass, pizza is its own worst enemy. The price of pizza can range from ridiculously low to questionably high, and it can be absolutely justified in each case.

Maybe I’m overthinking this but let’s review. I love pizza of all kinds and will defend the grease wheel like it’s my kin. I am a chef and earn my

living trying to sell food for profit, and firmly believe the customer benefits from a range of offerings.

What would I like from the readers and food lovers in the 519 and beyond? Simple, have an appetite and open mind for it all.

Such wide ranging price points are often met with criticism, especially when priced in the upper stratosphere; I want to challenge why. At first glance, two slices of pizza can look the same, but a deeper dive, under the pizza box lid, as it were, gives us a better understanding of the value of both.

Dough is cheap, so is salt — both key elements. From there, it can get very different, but the point is, with little money invested, a sprinkling of cheese and sauce, and the ability to serve it hot, mere pennies make a serviceable pie and happy customer.

However, we can take that same salted dough, simple and perfect with its signature, simultaneous crispy chew pull, add a different array and ratio of ingredients, creating a completely different experience, with a different price tag.

White anchovies, fresh buffalo mozzarella, expensive pizza ovens burning organic peach wood with highly trained chefs, house made pepperoni — the list goes on. The

CREATIVE COMMONS PHOTO pizza gets tastier and the price goes up.

Not long ago, a chef friend opened a new restaurant with a focus on pizza in the style of Detroit. The pizza is amazing, however not “cheap,” — 20 plus for a four slice pie.

Delicious and deep dish, easily feeds two people and contains no less than a ½ pound of frigging cheese — brick and locally hand stretched mozzarella form the base.

It’s great; I am indeed a fan.

Some people have reacted to this

pizza with the following statement.

“Really great pizza, filling and inventive, but $20 for a small pizza come on?!” To this I say: why can’t we have both? Don’t want the $20 fancy pie?

Kindly ask the local restaurateur to remove the imaginary gun from your head so you can spend your dollars elsewhere.

Be kind, be open to new experiences and be encouraging to the folks in our Region brave enough to try and sell food for profit. It ain’t easy, and baby, we don’t want to lose the nice

things we are lucky enough to have in this budding food community!

Check out the website for my recipe hacks on turning shitty frozen pizza into absolutely stunning snacks.

Nick Benninger is a local chef and restaurant owner.

A FATHER’S PLEA

FOR FUNDING

OPINION

MATT MUNRO CONTRIBUTOR On April 1, 2019 my son’s life will be irrevocably changed.

His name is Jack. He is five-yearsold and he has autism. He lives with me, my wife and his little brother Aiden in Kitchener.

We recently decided that the best thing for Jack would be to remove him from school and have him attend therapy full time, five days a week, for a total of 40 hours per week. We were in the process of requesting the necessary funding when the Ontario government announced their new changes to the Ontario Autism Program. As of April 1, the new guidelines will only allow him to receive funding for three and a half hours of therapy per week up until his 18th birthday.

Jack is a very sweet and affectionate kid. Rarely does an hour go by where he does not hug Aiden, or softly say, “tickle me,” to anyone in our house.

He prefers books to toys, though he has amassed a huge collection of stuffed animals that he methodically places across his bedspread and pillows every night.

He has been receiving ABA therapy since he was diagnosed with autism at age two. At first, we paid out of pocket for an hour a day, five days a week. As he got older it became clear that he required far more intensive therapy.

Jack’s ABA therapists have been crucial to his development because they understand how to teach him things. They helped him learn to express his needs and wants. They helped him learn to communicate

by speaking to us with one and two word phrases such as “bathroom” and “all done.” Without their help he would not have ever been able to effectively communicate with us at all.

Jack currently attends government funded ABA therapy from 8:30 a.m.-4:00 p.m., three days a week.

He goes to school on Tuesdays and Thursdays, but is not able to stay until the end of the day with the rest of his class. He is overwhelmed with the structured routines of the classroom. We frequently receive calls and messages from his teachers asking us to please pick him up early because he is having a meltdown, crying and screaming, hitting his classmates, banging his head on things and repeatedly saying “all done.”

In the beginning of February of 2019, after five months of Jack attending school two days a week, we realized that things were not getting better for our kid. Despite our efforts and the diligent work of his therapists, Jack is not yet fully toilet trained. He is not adjusting to the rules and expectations of the classroom. Despite the efforts of his teachers and the school’s educational assistants, Jack does not seem to be gaining much from school. He is just not ready to learn like other kids his age. He needs more intensive ABA therapy.

Being the parent of a child on the autism spectrum requires you to constantly re-evaluate your hopes and expectations. The hopes I have for Jack should not be dictated by this grossly irresponsible decision to cut his funding for ABA therapy.

These new guidelines are atrocious and will severely debilitate his development. For now, I will speak for my son in saying that we are not “all done” in fighting to have our government support his invaluable and intensive ABA therapy. He deserves it.

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MARCH 2019 // @THECOMMUNITYED

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BETH BOWLES PHOTO

30 YEARS OF “YOU ARE NOT ALONE”

FOR 30 YEARS, THE SEXUAL ASSAULT SUPPORT CENTRE OF WATERLOO REGION HAS SUPPORTED SURVIVORS — AND THEY’LL CONTINUE TO DO SO

MELISSA EMBURY CONTRIBUTOR This year, the Sexual Assault Support Centre of Waterloo Region (SASC) is turning 30. The trauma-informed, intersectional organization has been tirelessly disrupting violence against women since they opened in 1989, creating more and more programs to handle a growing wait list of sexual assault survivors reaching out for support.

“One of the most impactful things we can do, as individuals, is to believe survivors and believe people when they tell us their experiences,” explained TK Pritchard, the public education manager for the Waterloo Male Allies program.

“It’s not easy for people to share their stories, and when someone shares their story with us, we really have to honour that, and recognize that someone has shared something really important and just believe them and listen to them,” said Pritchard.

The feminist grassroots community organization of SASC began in 1989 when a few community members

came forward with a small donation of $1,000 to get the centre started.

It was a donation of airtime from an answering service that same year that started their 24-hour support line.

Two months later, the massacre at École Polytechnique occurred, which was a catalyst for shining a light on the issue.

“That really shifted things and the conversation changed,” said Pritchard. “We’ve seen lots of shifts in trends in the public dialogue and that was a moment when there was more of a recognition of violence against women.”

Receiving a generous $30,000 donation from Mutual Life Canada made it possible to hire their first staff person. Over the years, they have grown from 1 to 15 people on staff and added multiple programs to serve the growing needs of survivors.

The 24-hour immediate crisis and intervention support line is now staffed with a comprehensively trained team of volunteers. Their Family Court Support program was created to help women who have experienced abuse as they navigate the legal system. They have also added Nicky Carswell in a new role to combat human trafficking in Canada, as it’s mostly a domestic problem, with

70 per cent of it taking place here, in Ontario.

Pritchard heads the Male Allies program — one of the public education programs which facilitates various workshops, training and youth programming in schools, community groups, and workplaces for men and boys.

“

OUR TAGLINE FOR THE CENTRE IS “YOU ARE NOT ALONE” BECAUSE WE RECOGNIZE HOW ISOLATING THESE EXPERIENCES CAN FEEL FOR PEOPLE. -TK PRITCHARD, PUBLIC EDUCATION MANAGER, WATERLOO MALE ALLIES PROGRAM

”

Since the centre was first formed, they’ve been observing how trends affect their services. Things that come out publicly in the media always inspire survivors to reach out.

“A lot of people pinpoint #MeToo as a shift in our times, but the reality is that we started to see a big increase in the demand for our services starting with the Jian Ghomeshi case and Bill Cosby, and as those really came into the public eye, then we saw that raise more calls to our support line, and more requests for counselling,” Pritchard said.

“When things like that happen in the news we get a spike in our calls.

It just dominates the news cycle, and for a survivor, seeing those messages over and over again can be really impactful.”

The centre is continually looking for ways to be able to provide more services to survivors. Pritchard said that the demands for their services exceed what they’re able to provide.

“We have a significant waitlist. It’s three times worse than what it’s ever been at its longest. Over the last few years, we have seen a steady rise.

The reality is that there are a ton of people in our community that need support,” he explained.

SASC would like for people to understand that there are many ways to support the centre.

“Whether it’s telling people about the centre, becoming a monthly donor, coming out to some of our events, or volunteering for the support line or gala — it’s helpful for

us to share the message and get it out there.”

Beyond that, there is a need for public education. The centre hopes to see the community sharing what they want to see in the central health curriculum with local school boards and representatives, and making sure that their voices are being heard.

Pritchard also stresses that talking to young people and people of all ages about consent and healthy relationships is a major priority.

“Our tagline for the centre is “You Are Not Alone”,” Pritchard said, “because we recognize how isolating these experiences can feel for people.”

SASC hopes to continue to be a place of community and support for people so that they don’t experience that same type of isolation. Their mission is to be a part of creating a world without sexual violence and oppression for all.

They will be celebrating their 30th anniversary with their annual Signature Fundraising Gala in the fall, which usually sells out quickly.

Last year’s gala had a 1940s theme with live music, entertainment and a silent auction.

MARCH 2019 // COMMUNITYEDITION.CA

7

SUPPORTING YOUR HOMETOWN TEAMS

YOU DON’T HAVE TO TRAVEL TO THE BIG CITIES TO WATCH A BIG SPORTS GAME; YOU CAN BE A SPORTS FAN RIGHT HERE IN KW

HYPERLOCAL TRAVEL

JUANITA METZGER CONTRIBUTOR I picked a great night to attend my first KW Titans basketball game at the Kitchener Auditorium in January. By the end of the second quarter, the Titans obtained a sixpoint lead over the Prince Edward Island Storm.

At the final buzzer, the Titans won by four points in a tense overtime period, 137 – 134. Energy from 1300 fans had the arena buzzing during the whole game, but it went off the charts for an extra ten minutes filled with a lot of player fouls.

The vibe of this National Basketball League of Canada game is typical for many local sporting events; fans clearly knew their favourite players by name. The dance pack got huge appreciation from the crowd and resident DJ Richard Gooden received massive love for his music contributions. Free-throw contestants made their best shots with applause from the audience.

A cowbell rang out to hustle the players down the court.

Players from Wildhawk Basketball, a youth skill development league in Waterloo Region, stormed the court at half-time for ten minutes of impressive play, their dreams of basketball stardom as visible as their

little pounding hearts.

I’m not a sports fan, particularly, nor do I follow any team. But, I have been known to take in a match or game because I rather like the vibe and energy that goes along with sporting events in places I’ve traveled. I love the music, the chants, the dances, the fan engagement contests and traditions for player recognition. I love learning about team legends and history and even their mild (or major) scandals.

I stood in the streets for a Grand Prix cycling race in Bermuda. I took my seat among 50,000 football fanatics for a Sporting Lisbon match at the Alvalade XXI stadium. I go to the occasional Toronto Blue Jays baseball game. I attended a Super Bowl party, once, and I’ve watched FIFA World Cup football games in pubs around the world. I’ve even participated in a March Madness college basketball pool, just for the smack talk that goes along with colleagues playing for bragging rights.

Kitchener, and area communities in Waterloo Region, has a collection of hometown teams that are easy to access for a fraction of the ticket price commanded by professional franchise teams. The up close experience with local sports puts team spirit and pride on full display.

In addition to the KW Titans, who have regular games until the end of March, there are a few other options for traveling like a local to get your sports fix this spring season.

1. Tri-City Roller Derby is an allwomen’s flat-track derby league

based here in Waterloo Region and they are as bad-ass as they come.

2019 Season tickets are on sale now for home bouts, which take place at Moses Springer Arena, Waterloo Rec Complex and New Hamburg Arena.

2. Kitchener Panthers, founded in 1919, have played 100 seasons of baseball. Find this local institution and their regular games at Jack Couch Stadium, a 1400 seat field beside the Kitchener Auditorium.

3. Learn about Lacrosse with the KW United women’s lacrosse team and the KW Braves Junior ‘A’ Lacrosse Club (men’s).

4. Kitchener Rangers, a perennial local favourite, has regular season games until the middle of March.

Act quickly because these games can sell out.

5. More of a summer event, but I include it here because I’ve been to this race and it’s super exciting. The Ontario Cycling Association hosts a criterium road race on a 1.3 km loop course around Victoria Park in downtown Kitchener. It’s up close and personal with clicking gears and a menacing peloton trying to catch the break-away riders. Women’s and men’s races of various age groups happen throughout the day.

Tentative date for the Twilight Grand Prix event is Saturday July 27.

You don’t have to be an athlete or a fanatic to engage in local life through sport. In fact, a local sports event can be a great way to experience a destination’s sport traditions and culture. Guaranteed, someone will be there with a cowbell to cheer on the home team.

NICK STANLEY FILE PHOTO

WHEN MY FATHER CALLS, I CAN HEAR THE WEATHER CHANNEL IN THE BACKGROUND WORDS BY BASHAR LULU JABBOUR TCE POETRY he says a big storm is coming tonight, let me pick you up. I am stubborn. I say tomorrow there is a midterm, I cannot study at home, do not worry, go to bed, I will take a later bus. on the later bus, after midnight, as the wind howls, the wheels spin in place, moving only snow, digging themselves deeper. the driver calls for help, says that the next one headed home will be here in 45 minutes. I pick up the phone and call my father. he chuckles, says to wait, he will be right there. on the way home, he does not remind that he works at 6:00 a.m. instead, he asks how my studying went. fine, I say. I do not tell him that for most of the night, I smiled into the brown eyes of a woman, as she explained the basics of biophysics.

I fail that midterm. my father works at 6:00 a.m. every morning. I fail that class. on another bus home, I stare into the melting snow, Fairuz blasting into my ears, we shall return / the nightingale told me.

WE SERVE BEER (and wine)

I fail another class. my father works at 6:00 a.m. I fail my sixth class. I mull over the words of the student success councilor, you are doing your best, my father calls, I can hear the weather channel in the background. he asks if I need a ride home before he falls alseep.

APOLLOCINEMA.CA

IF STREETS COULD TALK RAISING A FAMILY AND LISTENING TO THE TRAINS IN BADEN WORDS BY KURTIS RIDEOUT • PHOTOS BY NICK STANLEY It was this little townhouse on Charlotta Street, across from an empty lot and a spat of train tracks that my brother and I used to fixate on the trains. I don’t think we ever noticed the noise. It was like that with a lot of things when I was really young, living in Baden, a small town about 15 kilometers east of Kitchener-Waterloo.

The townhouse wasn’t much. It was on the end of a converted manor, so we were separated from our nextdoor-neighbours by permanently locked doors. But we had a nice little fenced-in yard with a shed in the corner — the thing was just packed earwigs, if memory serves.

Looking back now, it was the ideal place for a couple with two young children: the school was in walking distance, plus it felt like the type of place where everybody knew everybody, what kind of trouble could we get into? — The short answer is always at least some, but I digress, and that’s a whole other story.

After having my brother at the end of 1993, my parents moved to Baden from an apartment in Kitchener.

The town was a lot smaller back then, and it was a short drive to both of their workplaces, as well as my grandparents’ places in Kitchener, so it worked out nicely.

I think about my family at that time a lot, and when I do, I always picture the train tracks across the street. My girlfriend and I visited Baden just the other day and the sound of trains seemed omnipresent — err — I heard several obnoxious horns in the short time I was there.

It never did bug me though, at least not when I was a kid. I just got to be excited about trains. My parents had this way of spinning everything into a positive light — all good parents do it, really — and I have to give them all of the credit.

It made it hard for me to focus on the negative things back then, and it helps me focus on the positive things now.

It’s not to say that my family struggled with financial issues or I that had a rough childhood either, because even when my parents had issues with money, they made a point of keeping my mind at ease and my nose out of it. It was just that when I was driving through my old neighbourhood for the first time in years, a lot of things started falling into place for me.

When my parents met and, for whatever reason, decided to engage in procreation, they were not that much older than I am, living in an apartment not that far from the one I live in now.

They didn’t have much more than that, other than hopes and dreams for their family-to-be.

When they saw this old townhouse come up for sale in the small, tightknit community of Baden, things must have been falling into place for them.

Because, when I think about Baden, and the time I spent there as a kid, I don’t dwell on my aging neighbourhood, or the perma-locked door in the bedroom my brother and I shared. It didn’t bother me that all the kids in my class had in-ground pools, that my babysitter was emotionally torturous, or that I was rocking handme downs, and all that.

When I think about Baden, I think about learning to skate on the pond

by Foundry Street as it froze over each winter. I think about rollerblading and skateboarding for the first time all around the parking lot at Castle Kilbride. I think about tobogganing down the kames at Baden Hills.

But mostly I just think about the fact that my mom and my dad and my brother were always there with me through each bit.

My parents always used to tell me to set goals and work towards them; to always want more for myself, and I feel like I’m finally starting to see what they mean now.

Eventually we moved into a bigger place in a smaller village about 25 kilometers south of Kitchener. But when I reflect on those formative years spent in Baden, I can’t think of a single thing I would like to see different and I feel blessed for that.

My parents moved from Kitchener to Baden because they wanted what was best for my brother and I, and when they saw that old townhouse, I don’t think they could have possibly imagined where we would both end up, or the fact that everything would work out to be fine for all intents and purposes. They just knew that they were making a decision that was right for their family.

In the years since we moved away from Baden, the population swelled to a little over 4500 people — thanks, in part, to the addition of a couple subdivisions sprawling to the east and to the north — but it’s mostly cooled off for the time being.

Like a lot of the small towns and villages surrounding the borders of Waterloo Region, Baden seems to be prime for development, but it still holds on to that cliché small town charm.

Not a bad place to start a family, I guess.

MARCH 2019 // COMMUNITYEDITION.CA

10

WHEN COMMON KNOWLEDGE IS NOT SO COMMON NEW LOCAL SPEAKER SERIES WORKS TO TEACH MILLENNIALS ‘BASIC ADULTING’ TOPICS AND SKILLS

BETH BOWLES EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Have you ever felt silly or embarrassed for not knowing something that’s been deemed “common knowledge”? According to Kitchener resident Abi Conners, a lot of 20-somethings feel this way as they enter the world of “adulting.”

Conners, who is originally from Listowel and is currently a sales consultant for Georgette Packaging, moved to Kitchener just this past May. As someone who works full time, she found it hard to find learning opportunities without signing up for a class or going back to school.

This idea began to percolate, and in November she began working on Common Knowledge — a fun, social and low-committal speaker series geared to millennials on topics that are deemed “common knowledge,” but are actually still confusing to understand.

“The first reason [I started Common Knowledge is that] since I graduated [university] I found that there’s a lack of places and spaces to expand upon the intellectual learning that you do in university,” Conners said.

“The second reason is there are a lot of life, or “adulting” topics that I think a lot of 20-somethings, myself included … don’t have a good foundation of knowledge [on]. I think a lot of 20-somethings are in

the same boat [as myself] and it’s totally okay and normal to be in that boat. But, instead of resigning to my knowledge gaps, I wanted to think of a way to make the learning curves easier for myself and for other people.”

In November, Conners, alongside her Georgette Packing co-worker and Common Knowledge “right hand woman” Maggie Arai, started planning their first talk. They contacted local design studio miiseryloves, who was excited to take on Common Knowledge’s branding and marketing and decided on their first topic: real estate.

Conners felt the topic of real estate would appeal to a diverse crowd, as many first-time buyers are at different stages in their lives.

“As a 20-something, you need to know about [real estate], but the resources are overwhelming and intimidating,” she said.

With the catchy slogan: “Twentysomethings can’t buy houses without calling their parents,” Common Knowledge hosted their first talk in the J&P Grocery Cafe on Feb. 19. Tickets were $20 and Tracey Appleton, a broker from Coldwell Banker Peter Benninger Realty and Maureen Spina, mortgage agent from Mortgage Alliance First Choice Brokerage were the speakers.

“I was really pleased with the engagement of the audience [at the first event],” Conner said.

“It was great to see. And hearing people ask questions and feel like they were really learning something and had something to take away was awesome. That’s exactly what I wanted.”

Conners is now working on

Common Knowledge’s second talk, which will be at the end of March, also at J&P. The topic is climate change and she has already booked an astrophysicist from the University of Western.

While planning and curating these talks does take up time, Conners’ goal isn’t monetary.

“My primary goal is to bring something new and exciting to the community and really help educate people and bring this concept to life, and if that means that I get to make a little money, then I think that’s a bonus,” she said.

Moving forward, Conners is inviting the community to engage in conversations around Common Knowledge. She asks that people contact her via Instagram or email (commonknowledgekw@gmail.com) to offer ideas about what they think has been unfairly deemed “common knowledge.”

“The success of Common Knowledge will be very much dependent on the community and if I’m delivering things that they actually care about,” she said.

“So, it’s up to the community to tell me what they want to hear because I want to put on events and talks that are exciting and interesting for people and make it as diverse and inclusive as possible.”

Maggie Arai (left) and Abi Conners (right) started the Common Knowledge speaker series.

PAIGE BUSH PHOTO

COMMUNITY REVIVED THE LOCAL RADIO STAR THE MIDTOWN RADIO PROJECT AIMS TO OPERATE WITH A 24/7 HYPERLOCAL PROGRAMMING FOCUS

MARINUS DE GROOT CONTRIBUTOR

David Harmes (above) founded the Midtown Radio Project that held its first professional development session Feb. 13.

NICK STANLEY PHOTOS

Last summer there was an article in the Waterloo Region Record about a plan to launch a mandate-based, volunteer-run digital radio station with a “hyperlocal” focus. The aim is to operate 24/7 with programming designed to reach, reflect and serve the “Midtown” area of Kitchener and Waterloo, exclusively.

There has been substantial progress since then, although not as rapid as originally hoped — there was talk of starting as early as the last fall.

That’s fine with project founder David Harmes. “[The project is a citizen-led] community-building initiative that is allowed to grow at its own pace. It is important that no one gets stressed out,” Harmes said.

The project was able to get on its feet thanks to a $1000 Neighbourhood Placemaking grant from the City of Kitchener.

A core objective is to “develop and reinforce a sense of shared identity” in an area that is changing rapidly.

“Midtown” is a term heard more and more often: There’s Midtown Yoga, a Midtown Lofts project and a lively “Your Midtown KW Neighbourhood” blog.

The boundaries are open to discussion — that it should include the area from the railroad tracks to Union and from Margaret to Belmont is a given. Areas adjacent to Waterloo’s King South up to the bend at William are also an obvious good fit.

That Record piece was a critical turning point for Harmes.

“More than 80 people came forward to express interest in what we were doing, including about a dozen who became the nucleus of a team of active volunteers that has been growing ever since,” he said.

There was an inaugural meet-up in August. A public information and recording session was organized as part of the Belmont Bestival in September. Before the year was out, the Midtown Radio project was collaborating with the Kitchener Public Library, and holding meetings in the board room of the Zehr Group, the people behind the massive Sixo Midtown development project.

The pace began to quicken after the holidays. On Feb. 13, which happens to be the UNESCO World Radio Day, the project held its first professional development session in space provided by Sixo, now known as Station Park. They’ll continue to meet there on the second and fourth Wednesday for a while, and then consider another timeframe.

The emphasis now is content production. “[The aim] is to populate the station with as much local content as we can

find. We’re looking for more locally produced music, comedy, radio dramas, or any other creative audio project people are working on,” Harmes said.

Harmes is particularly excited about the music they’ve chosen.

“If you’re the type of person who listens to live music in KitchenerWaterloo, you’ll like Midtown Radio.

It’s going to be very local so you’ll hear a lot of familiar sounds,” he added.

There’s no hard and fast target launch date, but Harmes thinks that now that they’re “up and running with the software”, they’ll be operating in late spring or early summer.

He wants to make it clear, however, that they’re “still looking for people to get on board.”

Anyone interested in audio recording, podcasting, radio show production, on-air hosting, marketing, or organizing events can contact the group at midtownradiokw@gmail.com, and follow their progress via the Midtown Radio Project Facebook group.

MARCH 2019 // COMMUNITYEDITION.CA

11

WHY AN EX-CON COULD BE THE BEST EMPLOYEE

AFTER SERVING 10 MONTHS IN FEDERAL PRISON, EMILY O’BRIEN IS ENCOURAGING BUSINESS OWNERS TO HIRE THOSE WITH CRIMINAL RECORDS

OPINION

EMILY O’BRIEN CONTRIBUTOR Anyone who has a criminal record cringes when they see the black box on a job application asking about their past. The dreaded “do you have a criminal record by which you have not been pardoned for” question is not on every job application, but when it is, it is often the determining factor whether someone will or will not get the job.

My name is Emily O’Brien, and I just served ten months in federal prison at Grand Valley Institution for Women. After serving time and getting to know other women that have been incarcerated, I argue that employers are missing out on valuable talent when they deem someone not worthy of a position because of their record.

I know that as a former inmate, I have a bias. But that shouldn’t discredit the fact that hiring people that have previously been incarcerated is not only good for your business, but it is also good for

the community. Thankfully, Richard Branson, the billionaire owner of the Virgin empire, agrees with me.

When I was reading Richard Branson’s book The Virgin Way, he indicated that all of his companies, which have over 75,000 employees, are welcoming to people with criminal records. He argues that ex-cons are more likely to stay in a position longer (therefore reducing employee turnover and the costs associated), demonstrate excellent effort and a willingness to learn, and most importantly, rarely reoffend.

This keeps the community safer and saves the high numbers of tax dollars that are dedicated toward prison costs. He highlights that the concerns that coincide with hiring ex-cons (potentially be late, not showing up and theft) are actually less prevalent than hiring people without records.

Ex-cons know where problematic behaviour led them the last time and do not want to return, therefore are more aware of the risks of behaving poorly. They want to be on their best behaviour. He also indicated that ex-cons are less likely to spend company time searching for other employment.

Women go to prison for all kinds of reasons; fraud, trafficking and importing are the most common

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offenses. But, during my time in GVI, there were also women there for robbery, drunk driving, sexual offenses and murder.

I noticed some violence on compound, but not nearly as much as the media portrays in various shows. We are not as angry and as volatile as some people think we are.

That being said, we are definitely not all created equal.

After having spent time with dozens of women, I noticed that none of them just woke up one day and decided to commit a crime.

Many were in desperate situations trying to provide for or protect their family. Many had terrible substance abuse problems. Many also were victims of physical abuse, which prompted their retaliation.

Regardless of the situation, the majority of women I met also acknowledged that they had made a mistake and wanted to improve their life.

They, like me, wanted to see their families again, make them proud and never return to prison. All they needed was a chance. Many women got a taste of this chance by participating in the prison Work Release program. Like any other job, inmates had to prepare resumes and participate in an interview with local employers. The prison has a

few staff members who are in charge of partnering with businesses in the area, which include a landscaping company, a catering company, a restaurant and an animal adoption agency.

Even before I came to prison, I knew that people who had transgressions with the law also demonstrated having unique skill sets that could actually be used to benefit a variety of organizations.

Once I arrived, I witnessed these skills in real life, and even used some of the “survival hacks” myself.

I have seen women show incredible creativity, problem solving abilities, patience, and exceptional resiliency.

I have seen women create their own peanut butter cup recipes (and they are better than Reese’s!), thread eyebrows with a tampon string and put on a full face of makeup using an assortment of things in their cell.

I have seen shoes used as erasers, purse’s made out of i-cloths, and shoes sewn back together using dental floss. This kind of tenacity and out of the box thinking (despite being inside the box) can serve as an asset to any organization looking to be more competitive.

Another way that ex-cons can help rather than hinder a business is by utilizing their skills to help prevent future crimes on the business itself.

For example, if there is someone who has a fraud or theft conviction, you can bet they will be the best loss prevention associate you ever had.

They know every single way to steal something, and can help point out things in places a business owner never thought to look.

Evidently, the benefactors of hiring an ex-con will aid the community, the business and the ex-offender. Of course there will be challenges. Any organization is going to have challenges with employees, regardless. Ex-cons will arguably express more humility and appreciation for their work, as we have an impeccable desire to learn, produce and be part of a team that sees them as the humans that they most certainly are.

I encourage all employers, no matter what size, to be inclusive and progressive by giving myself and other ex-offenders a chance. You never know, we could end up being one of the best employees you have ever had.

12

MARCH 2019 // COMMUNITYEDITION.CA

COZY UP WITH CABIN + COVE

JILLIAN WELK IS MAKING KNITTING COOL AGAIN WITH HANDS-ON WORKSHOPS

Jillian Welk organizes Sip n’ Stitch, which mixes knitting, crocheting and coffee.

NICK STANLEY PHOTO

KAITLYN SEVERIN CONTRIBUTOR Before starting Cabin + Cove, a project intended to bring new and aspiring knitters together around Kitchener-Waterloo, founder Jillian Welk was busy selling her products on Etsy. After her hand-made products became best sellers on the e-commerce website, Welk knew she had a goal in mind, and since then, it’s fruition Cabin + Cove has started to grow and grow.

But first, let’s go back to the beginning. Almost ten years ago, Welk was inspired to start knitting after a friend of hers created a hat for her first-born son, which “fit him perfectly.” After teaching herself how to knit through books and online tutorials, Welk opened up an Etsy shop and within a few days was receiving orders from around the globe, including Australia and Europe.

For the next few years, Welk would knit exclusively for newborn baby photographers, who contacted her through her Etsy shop. After the birth of her second son, Welk started creating digital knitting patterns through her website.

Finally, in 2016, Welk started Cabin

+ Cove to offer more modern knitwear for adults, as well as to build a muchneeded community around knitting.

“I looked around KW and there’s a lot of really great knitting groups but it didn’t really have the modern appeal that I was looking for,” said Welk. “I wanted to be in a beautiful space and drink really great coffee and lattes and so I ended up just doing that on my own.”

“

MY GOAL IS TO INTRODUCE KNITTING TO PEOPLE IN A FUN WAY. -JILLIAN WELK, CABIN + COVE

”

Welk currently runs two different knitting workshops, one of which is designed for absolute beginners and focuses on the basics of knitting.

Welk usually hosts these beginner’s workshops at David’s Tea in uptown Waterloo and only allows up to eight sign-ups per workshop to give more individual attention to guests.

During the two hours of her

beginner’s workshop, Welk takes the time to teach the basics of knitting, such as how to cast-on yarn, how to perform the knit and purl stitches, and how to read a knitting pattern.

“I have it down to a science. I’m able to give the proper cues and tips and tricks to really make sure that people leave with confidence with what they’re doing and so they’re able also to start creating items,” Welk explained.

Along with the Cabin + Cove, Welk has also started two programs — Sip n’ Stitch, which is a monthly meeting where knitters and crocheters can “meet, mingle and make.”

Another program, called The CozyRiot Project, is intended for groups to create hand-made products for organizations in KW. In the past, the group partnered with the Women’s Crisis Services of Waterloo Region and Huron heights Secondary School to distribute knitted hats, scarves and sweaters to those in need. They are now working to offer their knitted projects to Reception House Waterloo Region.

“My goal is to introduce knitting to people in a fun way,” said Welk.

“And since, 2015 I’ve taught over 300 people to knit.”

OUR STUDIO

OFFERS SENSE OF

COMMUNIT Y

THE SIDE HUSTLE

CAMERON KLAPWYK COLUMNIST Fifteen years ago, Lori Maloney was looking for work in the Kitchener area and came across a job posting in a local newspaper that intrigued her.

“Would you like to help people with developmental disabilities live the life of their dreams?” it said.

At that point she was working as a GM at a theatre in Woodstock.

“I hated it,” she said. This was despite being a part of community theatre most of her life.

“As the GM, I was doing all the stuff no one else really wanted to do and watching everybody else do the stuff that I really wanted to do, so it was a lot like torture.”

She loved the concept of helping people dream up and live into their best life. It was an approach that was distinctly unique from the one she applied during her years employed at ODSP and Ontario Works offices.

And so Maloney applied and was hired to work as a facilitator with the Developmental Services Access Centre. Today, she works as an independent facilitator. In this role she helps empower people to connect with opportunities within their community, whether they be in the form of work, volunteering or social

connections.

After a decade of doing this work, Maloney realized that the people she was working with were often missing something in their life.

“They had these great lives on paper, but they had nothing to do on a Saturday night,” she said.

“While they were often friends with people they worked with or volunteered with, they did not have a lot of peers — not that person you would go have a beer with or not that person you would have a sleepover with,” she said.

So Maloney and her friend Cristin Osborne began to ask themselves how they might connect people. Osborne is a fellow independent facilitator and a local artist.

“We decided we would open a studio, a place where people could come and express themselves artistically,” Maloney said.

In September of 2017, Our Studio was born. It started with a small one room gathering on Mondays at 141 Whitney Place, a building whose other tenants include Four All Ice Cream and local artists. The building is owned by a local architect, John MacDonald.

Shortly after they added in Thursday sessions, with Collaborative Theatrics in the morning and Choir on the Run! in the afternoon. Now they are also running Musical Saturdays, Karaoke Parties and Saturday Night Paint Parties.

Our Studio brings its art to the community in the form of art shows, musicals, and theatre performances.

From left to right: Brittany, Jessica, Lori and Ren; not pictured: Cristin Osborne.

JESSE DERRY PHOTO “Here you can be a star,” Maloney said.

It has become a place where incredible bonds of friendship form.

“We’ve had couples get together and we’ve had couples break up,” Maloney said.

As member Jessica shared, “Studio gave me lots more friends and the opportunity to come out of the closet.”

She was excited to let me know that at their next show, a Glee themed performance, “my girlfriend and I are

going to do ‘Jessie’s Girl’.”

Maloney’s dream is that one day soon, the space can be running five days a week. She realizes that to do so she will need a few more hands on deck. But it is a vision with the potential to significantly impact the Kitchener-Waterloo community and build a creative community hub like no other.

“Lots of times, our community members like to perform these tear-jerking songs,” Maloney shared.

“And people will ask me, ‘why did you choose those songs?’ And I will say, ‘I choose nothing. These are the stories that people want to share.”

“I’ve seen entire audiences reduced to a puddle because somebody is singing from their heart about something that is so important to them,” Maloney said. “Are the notes perfect? Maybe, maybe not. It doesn’t matter.”

13

MARCH 2019 // COMMUNITYEDITION.CA

TOO BAD, SO SAD: SAYING GOODBYE TO OPEN SESAME OPINION

LAUREN WEINBERG CONTRIBUTOR I often joke that although Open Sesame — my gallery/shop/event venue, which until Feb. 28 occupied 220 King Street West in Kitchener — wasn’t a registered nonprofit, it was “not profitable.”

Case in point: last month, a customer in Alberta ordered two magazines, which cost only $14 because we were having a sale. I put the magazines in an envelope, which I brought to Canada Post. The shipping fee was $16. We made -$2!

When I started Open Sesame in the fall of 2015, I knew I wouldn’t get rich selling “thoughtfully designed” housewares and accessories, graphic novels and feminist zines, in addition to hosting art exhibitions, concerts, and poetry readings. But, I figured I would break even, especially because I wasn’t paying myself a salary. I was lucky and privileged enough to have a partner whose income could support our family. I promised him we would never go into debt.

Welp. I was wrong about that — and a lot of other things.

Five minutes after I left Canada Post, I realized I should have repackaged the magazines in separate envelopes to circumvent the weight limit for unregistered mail, which one Open Sesame vendor always does to keep shipping costs from destroying their business. I should have stocked fewer magazines, which never sold well, to begin with.

I should have listened to my parents and become a lawyer.

My lack of business acumen surely hastened our storefront’s demise, but not all of my decisions were stupid.

The feminist zines regularly sold out. I hired Kitchener artist Sarah Kernohan as our curator, and she organized more than two dozen exhibitions that were as good as the gallery shows I saw in Chicago, where I worked as an art critic before moving to Kitchener-Waterloo.

Open Sesame collaborated with organizations I respect, such as CAFKA and Open Ears. We donated money to

SHORE Centre, OK2BME and Reception House. We sold books about social justice and sought out books whose authors and protagonists reflected our community’s diversity. We gave local artists, writers and musicians a place to share and sell their work, and affordable rental space to progressive groups who needed it.

Still, Open Sesame’s sales never offset our expenses, most notably our market-rate rent and property tax.

Kitchener and Waterloo Region don’t yet invest enough in public transit, cycling infrastructure, or snow clearance for downtown businesses to thrive without dedicated parking — which we didn’t have.

“

MY LACK OF BUSINESS ACUMEN SURELY HASTENED OUR STOREFRONT’S DEMISE, BUT NOT ALL OF MY DECISIONS WERE STUPID. -LAUREN WEINBERG, OWNER, OPEN SESAME

”

Some customers were disappointed by our prices, and unmoved by my arguments that Open Sesame paid a Living Wage (currently $16.15 per hour in Waterloo Region) and stocked products that can’t be found at Walmart.

Knowing how rapidly the cost of housing and the prevalence of precarious employment have increased in Waterloo Region, I can’t blame them for being frugal.

When well-meaning customers suggested we relocate, I had to explain that our rent was low for downtown Kitchener, where I have viewed several vacant storefronts that are more expensive and in worse condition. One had rats in the basement.

I am at least not naïve enough to move to uptown Waterloo, where we may find double the foot traffic but quintuple the rent. Thanks to gentrification, Open Sesame probably can never have a brick-and-mortar space in Waterloo Region again.

BETH BOWLES PHOTO (TOP); NICK STANLEY PHOTO (BOTTOM) “Too bad—so sad,” says a sticker from Stay Home Club, a witty Montreal studio that’s one of my favourite vendors.

I can’t get too broken up about my concept shop closing when Grand River Hospital is slashing its nursing staff.

Open Sesame’s maintaining its online shop (opensesameshop.com) and it will keep organizing art exhibitions and literary readings in KW. (I hope the City of Kitchener, which owns 220 King Street West, turns it into a cultural space.)

I had to lay off my talented employees, though. I think we lose something when a retailer disappears, to be replaced by a chain that contributes little to the community and has no interest in supporting local makers. Or replaced by nothing at all.

There are no laws obligating landlords, utilities, city governments, or Business Improvement Areas (BIAs) to give discounts or special assistance to businesses that are independent or socially responsible.

What would downtown Kitchener and uptown Waterloo look like if there were? I suspect they wouldn’t be filled with bank branches, mediocre fastfood restaurants, and empty storefronts. But if my time as a shopkeeper taught me anything, it’s that we need to destroy capitalism.

Lauren Weinberg is the owner of Open Sesame.

MARCH 2019 // COMMUNITYEDITION.CA

14

WHAT IS THERAPY AND

WHAT DO THERAPISTS DO?

MENTAL MATTERS

JOHN ROCHE COLUMNIST A part of me dies every time someone asks if my job is just to sit there and “listen to people talk about their problems.”

That’s actually not what therapy is, but somewhere along the line, people got the wrong idea. It’s probably mostly Hollywood’s fault, although some blame can be placed on therapists who actually do just sit there slack-jawed for an hour and then take people’s money as if they’d just provided a valuable professional service.

So what is therapy, actually?

The word itself comes from the Greek word for “healing,” and it can be defined as the process by which someone moves from selfdestructive patterns of thinking, feeling and behaving to living a life that’s more in alignment with who they really want to be.

So, first and foremost, therapy starts with goal setting. People have all kinds of beautiful dreams of how they’d like to be living: courageously speaking their truth more often, starting a romantic relationship,

mending a broken heart and moving on with life, discovering their dream job, healing relationships with their families.

Once someone outlines what they most deeply want out of life, the job for the rest of therapy is a) to figure out what’s in the way of them living that way, and b) to systematically overcome those barriers.

What’s getting in the way could be any number of things: a trauma response, a lack of skills, an unhealthy environment, or avoidance, to name a few.

Sometimes things are relatively simple, and all people need is a bit of skill development and what we therapists terrifyingly refer to as “exposure.”

Let’s say someone has social anxiety. After some assessment, we discover it’s because she predicts that people will judge her if she goes out. And maybe this untested prediction makes her avoid going out. And since she avoids doing the scary thing, she never has the chance to get used to doing it, so the anxiety never goes away, or maybe even gets worse over time.

So the therapist would teach her social skills, help her put herself out there gradually so she can realize it’s actually not that bad, and come up with a contingency plan for how to deal with haters so she can feel confident about dealing with the odd A-hole.

It’s not necessarily easy, but it’s pretty simple.

Sometimes, though, the problems are deeper rooted. The very same presentation of social anxiety could come from a source of terrifying childhood trauma.

In that case, therapy would still require skill development and exposure, but long before that it would also require education on trauma; symptom management strategies for flashbacks, anxiety, and numbing; harm reduction strategies for addictions; resolution of the core trauma; and grief work for all that was lost.

This is a complex process that often takes years.

What I’m trying to say is: therapy is some complex shit. Rather than being an expensive listener, a good therapist is a highly trained professional who blends the latest insights of neurobiology and behavioural science with being trustworthy, inspiring, and really good at explaining why your brain is doing what it’s doing.

Listening is an important part of what therapists do, but saying a therapist is just a good listener is kind of like saying a surgeon is just really good at washing his hands.

John Roche is a therapist in Kitchener-Waterloo.

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Bowie, our resident dog model, eating her dinner. Her preferred dinner is (sustainable) local goose poop in DTK. BRIT KOVACS PHOTO

SUSTAINABILTY

FOR GOOD BOYS EASY BEING GREEN STACEY DANCKERT COLUMNIST Sometimes, my “Easy Being Green” topics are driven by something that I want to learn more about. Last month, my husband and I finally gave in to my kids’ constant requests to get a dog. There were a number of reasons that we chose not to in the past — travel, energy, cost and most importantly, the environment.

That might not be the first thing you consider when deciding to get a pet, but if you want to live sustainably, this extends to all parts of your life. Humans already consume resources faster than they can be replenished and this problem is exasperated by having pets.

For example, a dog consumes the equivalent to driving an SUV over 4000 km every year, given that the pet population is about 14 million in Canada, it really adds up. Particularly, most pet foods are meat-based, which is a water and land hog, causing soil degradation, deforestation and are inefficient energy sources.

So is it possible to be a sustainable dog owner?

Ultimately, the answer may be no, but we can tip the scale in our favour. To start, even though we think of dogs as being carnivores, they have evolved among humans, and can also digest plant products.

Therefore, vegan food is an option — as long as they are nutritionally balanced.

Sadly, the carnivorous leanings of our dog (who, as a rescue, had already experienced meat-based kibble) turned up his nose at the offering (don’t assume this will happen with your dog. I suspect ours is just a picky eater). He is happy with vegan treats, but it’s hard to convince him to eat enough food to stay healthy. So we are searching for another option.

Unfortunately, new trends, such as the removal of by-products, work against a sustainable dog food industry. While dog food traditionally contained edible byproducts that humans chose not to consume, they now compound food waste by farming more animals and discarding more edible food.

There are some less-than-ideal byproducts that are heavily processed

resulting in low nutritive value, but often, using by-products helps build efficiency into an otherwise environmentally intensive process.

As people continue to eat meat, things like crushed egg and lobster shells, animal organs, skin and bones can all be healthy and sustainable components of dog foods.

Thankfully, a couple of companies make dog treats from healthy byproducts including Dockside, here in Canada. But alas, none make daily food for dogs this way.

By far, the most sustainable food for dogs is insects, followed by rabbit. A number of dog foods already contain rabbit and there are a couple of new manufacturers that will soon offer insect-based dog foods. These are far better than the traditional beef, lamb or chicken muscle that comprises most dog foods. This category may be the best option currently available unless you choose to make your own. Insect flour and powder are locally available, and the internet is scattered with recipes.

Thinking sustainably can begin before you even bring a dog home.

Besides not getting a dog at all, the next best option is to find a reputable rescue, such as from Petfinder.com, which won’t add to the population any further. You can also look for used sources of accessories through Kijiji or second-hand shops. If that isn’t possible, buy durable items, made with natural fabrics and look for companies that are working toward sustainability.

Finally, there are a number of ways to dispose of your doggie’s “business” more sustainably. The best disposal is the very same receptacle that we use; our sanitary system is built to manage all feces safely and effectively. The next best option is either the city’s composting system or one of your own. If you do choose the former, use bags that are explicitly labeled “compostable.” For the latter, there are a number of backyard systems called digesters, an anaerobic (without air) process of decomposing waste.

Unfortunately, having pets does use significant resources, but with a little effort, they can be reduced.

As with anything, there is no perfect or easy answer, but hopefully this at least begins the conversation.

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

MARCH 2019 // @THECOMMUNITYED

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EVENT LISTINGS

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

FRIDAY, MARCH 8

SATURDAY, MARCH 16

SATURDAY, MARCH 23

WOMAN2019 SMILE.IO

SWAP ‘TIL YOU DROP

MODO YOGA WATERLOO

BLACKSMITHING THE ROUND TABLE

Join your community in a celebration of all self-identifying women and non-binary individuals, by mixing and mingling over cocktails and snacks. There will be speakers, artists and vendors, as well. All proceeds will go to the Region’s Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Treatment Centre.

Do swap coupons tickle your curiousity? Ours officially is. Fedex last year’s threads to this event and work on your fine motor skills so you can fill your closet with your neighbours gently used clothing.

There will be an option to buy items for $1-2 on the day, as well as an auction for some items at the end.

Exercise your frustrations as you hammer your chisel into copper, carving a design of your choice, and creating art. Nothing excites us more than a good hammering, of a piece of copper that is. All tools and instruction will be provided throughout the evening. Hammer away, darling, we believe in you.

Celebration • Free • 7 - 10pm

Clothing • $5 • 3:30 - 5pm

Workshop • $25 • 7 -9pm

SATURDAY, MARCH 9

SUNDAY, MARCH 17

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27

CRAFT SALE STANLEY PARK MALL

ST. PATRICKS DAY EVERYWHERE

BROOKLYN NINE-NINE TRIVIA CHAINSAW

Hosted by the KW Seniors Day Program, this craft sale comes just in time for Easter and Mother’s Day. Pick up a crocheted hat or those slippers that allow you to slide across the hall better than Tom Cruise, as you pocket handmade trinkets and support KW’s local gang of senior entrepreneurs.

The time of the year where debauchery and weather innappropriate clothing is upon us.

Where the streets of the Region are littered with solo cups, foot prints and green glitter. Tune in for news headlines, 45 minute Snapchat stories and countless citations.

Remember, don’t drink and drive.

Do you know how to interpret Gina’s dance moves? How about the correct pronunciation of Nikolaj’s name? Don’t worry, we aren’t going to ask you if Kelly is Scully’s wife or dog. So assemble your perfect team and practice your No Look High Fives. We’ll see you there. Winky face. Maximum 6 people per team.

Panel Discussion • Free • 7 - 9pm

Holiday • Free • All Day

Trivia • $5 • 7 -9pm

THURSDAY, MARCH 14

MONDAY, MARCH 18

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27

CATVIDEOFEST PRINCESS TWIN CINEMAS

CALLIGRAPHY WORKSHOP SMILE TIGER COFFEE

MYTH OR MENSTRUATION? CAFE PYRUS

Dig your claws into the plush red seats at Princess Twin as you shed your way through the latest cat videos, including animations, music videos and internet powerhouses.

This feline-friendly film festivity is presented in partnership with the KW Humane Society and will leave you hacking up fits of furballs.

Looking to integrate smooth handwritten notes into your repertoire of hobbies? Open an Etsy shop with witty catchphrases stained into cardstock? Personalized wedding gifts, anyone? This workshop includes two brush markers, lesson sheets, a tracing booklet and further resources.

In SHORE’s annual event, Fact or Friction: Community Stories, they will be acknowledging, de-stigmatizing, and celebrating menstruation. These stories don’t need to be personal and you do not have to menstruate to participate, as we all benefit from varying perspectives on menstruation.

Feline Films • $15 • 7 - 9pm

Workshop • $55 • 6:30 - 8pm

Community • Free • 7 -9pm

THURSDAY, MARCH 14

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 20

FRIDAY, MARCH 29

DIRTY BINGO CHAINSAW

BEER & BREAKOUT MUSEUM AFTER DARK

FREE FEMINIST FRIDAY: PERSEPOLIS

Presented by Radio Laurier, Dirty Bingo is a sex-positive and inclusive fundraiser for all students and community members to try their hand at winning dildos, anal beads, lubricant and bondage tape. Hosted

by Miss Drew, the proceeds from this event go towards supporting student broadcast media.

If you were given 90 minutes to save the world, would you channel your inner Kim Possible? Well, whistle for your mole rat because this event requires you to resurface from your bunker as you attempt to breakout of their escape room.

If that isn’t enough, your first beer from Waterloo Brewing is on them.

Join Apollo as they screen this coming-of-age story of a precocious Iranian girl that begins during the Islamic Revolution for their returing Feminist Friday event. Filled with the growing tensions of the political climate of Iran, executions and the growth from a child to a rebellious, punk, this film will blow your mind.

Fundraiser • $5+ • 7-10pm

Beer • $40-50 • 6:30 - 9pm

Film • Free • 7 -9pm

FRIDAY, MARCH 15

THURSDAY, MARCH 21

SATURDAY, MARCH 30

DINING IN THE DARK THREE KRETANS

DUNGEONS AND DRAG QUEENS

CHAINSAW

WATERLOO

This event is the perfect destination if you want to take your blind date literally. So, wear your pajamas, your slippers or dare to leave your house without putting your eyebrows on.

This event will provide funding for accessible technology for individuals experiencing sight loss in KW. Local comedian included.

Join in on a creative night filled with self-expression in an open and inclusive space with special guest, Miss Drew. A portion of proceeds will be donated to Our Spectrum, to support their LGBTQ21+ programs.

Glue down your eyebrows, tuck to the heavens, and beddazle your bodysuits for this extravangza.

Do you enjoy espresso-induced heart palpitations while breathing the fresh air of uptown Waterloo?

How about supporting the local economy as you learn all things latte art and burlap sacs from baristas and bakers? Join this coffee trail and visit DVLB, Abe Erb, Settlement, Bauer Bakery, and much more.

Food • $85 • 6 - 9:30 pm

Fun • $10 • 6 - 9pm

Coffee • $15 • 10am - 2pm

SATURDAY, MARCH 16

FRIDAY, MARCH 22

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3

RAINBOW REELS SLOW DANCE THE WALPER HOTEL

RADICAL BODIES VERITAS CAFE

NEW APPROACH CANINE ACADEMY

An alternative to the chaos that ensues on St. Patricks Day in the region, the LGBTQ2I+ slow dance has returned. Crafts, Four All ice cream, root chips and popcorn has us drooling already. This event is Sway’s winter fundraiser as they build up to their 19th Annual Queer and Trans Film Festival in October.

This annual evening of art and performance, is held in celebration and solidarity, centred around people whose bodies have been marginalized, oppressed or sidelined in wider society on levels of sexism, transphobia, racism, ableism and any axes missed. Appetizers and refreshments will be provided.

Do you have a good boy worthy of a 12x12 canvas and your artistic strokes? A parrot with a tagline?

Perhaps a feline or seven? Either way, the event allows you to recreate your furry child in the colors of the rainbow. Twenty dollars from each ticket will be donated to the Cambridge Humane Society.

Dance • $10-20 • 8pm-1am

Art• Free • 6:30 - 9pm

Art • $40 • 7 - 8:30pm

COMMUNITYEDITION.CA @THECOMMUNITYED

APOLLO CINEMA

THE COFFEE TRAIL

PAINT YOUR PET

MARCH 2019 // @THECOMMUNITYED

16

GOING WITH THE FLOW, THE MENSTRUAL FLOW

SEXPLANATIONS

STACEY JACOBS COLUMNIST March 6 is the opening of FLOW: The Menstruation Exhibition, curated by Virginia Eichhorn at THEMUSEUM. I have been fortunate to work with THEMUSEUM and the Diva Cup to conceptualize and bring to life this exhibition.

As those of you who read my column know, menstruation is a topic I hold near and dear. I can visualize a world where menstruation is discussed openly and honestly, with no stigma, shame, confusion or negativity. A world where everyone is educated at a young age about the reasons people menstruate, the cyclical nature of menstruation, and the intricate workings of our bodies. A world where period poverty does not exist and is replaced with menstrual equity, ensuring everyone has access to the menstrual care products they need and deserve in order to live with dignity.

I work every day to make this a reality in our community. As an educator, I talk to many people, young and old, of all genders, about menstruation. As I have mentioned many times before, young people should be educated about menstruation before menstruation happens. I have heard far too many stories about children thinking they are dying, have cancer or are injured, because they did not know what a period was. This is unacceptable.

I have heard far too many people talk about periods as gross, disgusting or dirty. We all have bodily functions and fluids. This is how our bodies do what they need to do. We all pee, we all poo, we all have runny noses and ear wax.

Menstruation is another bodily fluid.

A fluid leaving the body to cleanse the uterus and allow it to regrow to protect a potential pregnancy – how is this gross?

Or does it seem dirty because not everyone menstruates and the people who do often identify as girls and women? How might our attitudes and conversations change if people with penises menstruated?

The bleeding, ovulation and growth of the menstrual cycle allows for reproduction to happen. Without this cycle, none of us would be here.

Without a protective uterine home for the first months of our lives, none of us would survive. Menstruation brings life.

And that is why it deserves its own exhibition. The exhibit will be open until May 28 — Menstrual Hygiene day — I invite you to take an hour and enjoy the art, education and discussion of FLOW. What else can you do? Donate menstrual care products (tampons, pads, menstrual cups) to your local Food Bank. The price of admission for your next event can be a donation of a menstrual care product.

Educate yourself and others about menstruation, period poverty and menstrual equity.

Ask your place of employment/place you volunteer/places you frequent, to stock menstrual care products in all washrooms. They are a necessity just like toilet paper, tissue and paper towels. And simply talk about menstruation openly and respectfully as the natural bodily function that it is.

For more information visit THEMUSEUM’s website.

Stacey Jacobs is the sexual health educational manager at SHORE.

BRIT KOVACS PHOTOS