The Community Edition, April 2022

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COSMIC RELIEF: SPRING SEASON’S ECLIPSES

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Preamble to the Community Edition

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.

NEWS IN BRIEF

VANDALISM POPS UP AT UW

The University of Waterloo is in the process of removing “symbols of hate” that have popped up around campus. The school is asking anyone with information to contact the Waterloo Regional Police Service or the University of Waterloo’s Special Constable Service.

WEAR MASK, GET BOOSTED

Despite the Government lessening its mask mandates, experts say that your best protection as another pandemic wave looms is to continue to wear masks indoors and get a booster shot. While some local institutions are eager to drop restrictions, a number of others continue to enforce measures.

GAME CHANGING CHILDCARE

A $13.2 billion deal was announced on Mar. 7 that would lower the cost of child care in the provice to an average of about $10 per day by 2025. News of the deal between the two upper levels of government comes after the recent launch of Waterloo Region’s child care plan.

HOSPITAL FUNDING INCREASED

The provincial government has annouced that it will be providing over $13.6 million to hospitals in the Region of Waterloo. Its main goal is the reimbursement of lost revenue caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

AVIAN FLU FOUND IN ONTARIO FARM

Biosecurtiy measures are being increased by Ontario farmers who are trying to control a recent outbreak of an avian flu. This strain of flu has been highly contagious about wild birds and has been reported at commercial farms in Atlantic Canada and the United States.

IN PERSON EVENTS COME BACK TO KW

The City of Kitchener formally announced a return to in-person events. Among dozens of other events, the Kitchener Blues Festival will return to retroactively celebrate it’s 20 year anniversary. While some hesitate to jump the gun on a ‘return to normal’, city officials laud the opportunity to bring visitors back around.

PARTY CANDIDATES CONFIRMED

Main party candidates who are running in the Waterloo riding this spring have been confirmed. In Janurary, the Ontrario PC part annoucned that Andrew Aitken will be its candate for Waterloo, and provincial librarys have confirmed local businesses owner Rami Said as their canditate.

CHURCHES SELL TO NON-PROFIT DEVS.

At least four churches in the Waterloo region have sold land in order to create affordable housing in the region. The former St. Mark’s Lutheran Church and St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in Kitchener have sold to non-profit developers who specialize in building afforable rental units. About 120 new affordable units are set to be created.

SUPPORT FOR UKRAINE

As more Ukrainian refugees are set to stay in Waterloo a local grassroots group aims to make their stay here as comfortable as it can be. Stephanie Goertz, founding member of Waterloo Region Grassroots Response to the Ukrainian Crisis says there has been an overwhelming amount of local support.

EDITOR’S

HARLEEN KAUR DHILLON

Finally, officially, it’s spring!

This winter was a long one—it first took too long to get started in earnest and then stretched into March after giving us a taste of spring for a couple days.

Thanks to some coming-of-age books and movies, I am very much in the mood to enjoy this season, especially by learning the names of flowers. I am, ultimately, a romantic at heart.

It is still important to remember that this March marked the two-year anniversary of COVID-19 measures being put in place in Waterloo Region.

It was Mar. 13 when the University of Waterloo, where I was then a student, sent an email stating it was closing for a week. It did not reopen while I was a student. Suddenly, my university experience was over.

On the last day of high school, we didn’t do any work in our classes and I gave presents and thank you notes to my teachers. University semesters usually ended with study periods preceding exams and final hang out sessions before friends went back home for the break.

My fourth year had none of that. My last year of school ended abruptly with a final journal club for a topic I never did understand.

I spent the next few weeks working

on my final essays and thesis, with my entire room covered in books and papers and myself either asleep or working on the floor in the middle of it all.

Time and space seemed to have lost their once rigid meaning. My blinds and door remained closed and I woke, worked, ate and slept with little regard for what the clock read.

And then it was done. I got my degree in the mail.

All of that is to say, I understand the desire to go back to normal. With spring just beginning and regulations being eased, it is very tempting for me to finally go back to doing all the fun things I did back before the pandemic.

It was mostly wandering around the city according to my whims alone, but it was fun.

However, I know that would be irresponsible. Just because we are exhausted does not mean the virus is done with us. Just because it is less likely to cause death doesn’t mean it isn’t dangerous.

As such, I continue to stay home unless it is necessary to leave, I continue to socially distance and to wear my mask and nag my family to wear theirs. It is annoying and I don’t enjoy it, but it is what I hear the medical professionals saying is best.

When the pandemic began, I and my friends, all aged 19 to 22, had decided that we would make the best of our 20s in the 2020s. We wanted to travel, to party, to be irresponsible before we had to start truly being adults. Now, more of my friends are graduating, one is married and the rest of us are working full or part time. And now, we can’t afford to be irresponsible because, as we learned from a very dire situation, our actions have direct impacts on those around us. If we are irresponsible, we could seriously harm others, be they friends, family or strangers. Sure, we will have to condense the years we have to enjoy our 20s in the same spirit as the Roaring 20s from the last century, but I would rather wait than risk causing harm to so many others.

At TCE, we continue to mask and maintain social distancing. We hope that the pandemic will soon pass and we can grow form this experience, but let’s continue being cautious until we can be sure this is over.

Mixed media artist Scrapdance evokes feelings of isolation and transition. LAUREN SPEIGHT GRAPHIC

ENGAGEWR EQUITY SPEAKERS SERIES

Cambridge and Women’s College Hospital. The speaker series aims to start a conversation with Engage WR and the community at large about building equitable cities.

RACHAEL MACINTOSH STAFF WRITER

Engage Waterloo Region (EngageWR) is an online platform that allows municipalities in Waterloo Region to gather feedback through multiple formats about current and future initiatives. This year, they introduced the Building Equitable Cities Speaker Series which is an initiative in partnership with Feminist Shift, YW Kitchener-Waterloo (YWKW), YWCA

“[One] goal of the platform is to ensure we are [maintaining] a consensus around government transparency and building public trust,” Sue Weare, community engagement consultant for the City of Kitchener, said.

First established in 1905, the YWKW is an organization that provides services to women and girls to support physical and mental wellbeing and economic choice and independence. Some of the resources they provide

include childcare, emergency shelter, employment programs, and affordable housing.

“We had started a conversation in our realm where [we wanted to look at] at feminist cities, city planning and urban design from that perspective,” Jennifer Gordon, director of advocacy at the YWKW, said.

The first installment of the speaker series was on Jan. 31 and featured Leslie Kern, author of Feminist City: Claiming Space in a Man-Made World, talking about how city design has failed women. Those who would like to hear Kern speak on this subject can listen to her recent appearance on The Feminist Shift podcast.

“Leslie Kern is really great at breaking [down] some of the ways that we don’t even realize that sort of that traditional sexism and patriarchy comes into play for how cities are built,” Gordon said.

“That’s everything, from little things like how transportation is arranged [to the] types of housing that goes in,” she said.

There will be four installments of the speaker series in 2022 that will feature a diverse list of speakers exploring how cities can be built to better accommodate the diversity of our community, particularly after the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Part of the approach that we’ve

taken is to recognize that no one person has all the answers, no one organization or one government has all the answers when it comes to equity. Only in working together across sectors, across governments, and together with the public are we going to be able to achieve that vision that we all have for a more just and equitable world,” Weare said.

The next installment in the speaker series will be on Apr. 26 featuring Leilani Farha, global director of The Shift, speaking about the value of a human right to housing framework for local governments. Registration can be found on the EngageWR website.

LOCAL ORGANIZATION INTRODUCES PERIOD BOXES WITH GENDER INCLUSIVE ARTWORK

seen and I want to help empower people of colour so they don’t feel alone—so we don’t feel alone,” Alana Decker, one of the featured artists, said.

ADRIAN QUIJANO EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

For folks with bodies that menstruate, some exciting news is flowing downstream. Changing The Flow, a Waterloo Region-based social enterprise focused on menstrual equity, recently unveiled the first two editions of their new period product holders featuring work from local artists.

The project, called Inclusion: Period Boxes for You, aims to supply free period products in public restrooms. These boxes feature inclusive art symbolizing menstrual equity and accessibility.

The enterprises’ vision is to ensure that people have access to period products in every public and workplace washroom. They also work to destigmatize menstruation through conversations and proper education.

While Changing the Flow is taking charge with activism, they also offer menstrual products in their online store. One of Changing the Flow’s main products is the Period Box, a box exclusively designed for period products in a way that is functional. Their compact designs are meant to fit on the back of a toilet or a bathroom counter. This box, though physically small, makes a huge change for folks who menstruate to feel like they belong.

“I want the gay community to feel

Decker created “No Shame In My Flow Game,” which is featured on Box One. She is a Black, bisexual mother of four living in the Waterloo Region. During the day she is a bilingual credit analyst, and by night she embraces art in all its forms.

For many period-havers, discussing periods and menstruation can sometimes be more painful than cramps. Many menstrual product ads stick to using flowery language to describe frequently unpleasant feelings. This can sometimes be partonizing for those who experience menstruation.

“The name came to me because I shouldn’t have to feel embarrassed about having my period. The piece itself of showing black hands together is really just to show that people of colour belong in the community. I wanted to show the unity of the BIPOC community. I wanted the art to create its own world,” Decker said.

The first phase of the project features two Black artists from the Waterloo Region. Alongside Decker’s work is Box Two, called “Let’s Talk About It,” which was designed by another Black artist from Waterloo Region whose identity is not revealed. They are referred to as Anno Neemiswr, a pseudonym created to protect their identity.

“We always want to be inclusive of the Black and Indigenous community, the 2SLGBTQ+ communities in our area. We wanted to give the artists

room to grow. We gave the theme of inclusion and asked them what they wanted the boxes to look like,”

Kevin Hiebert, interim president of Changing the Flow, said.

Additionally, the Period Box acts as an artistic platform featuring works of art. Its sides are specifically reserved for local artists from underrepresented communities.

Many period-havers attest that they do not see themselves in ads for menstrual products. In addition to overly glorifying periods, not all bodies, genders, races and abilities are represented in them.

“Being on my period is not really something I like. Sometimes I feel like, why do I have to be a girl? I have

learned how to maneuver with it, whether I like it or not. The only thing that I wish is that it’s not something that everyone should feel ashamed of. I don’t want my kids to ever feel like they have to hide or be scared,” Decker said.

Changing the Flow’s leadership team ensured that the artists are financially compensated and that the boxes signal that the community is working to destigmatize menstruation and normalize talking about periods.

“The catalyst [for the program] was finding the ways to bring people together, specifically bringing different pieces together meaningfully. We wanted to create the same message of positivity. Let people

know we got their backs,” Hiebert said.

Folks can find period boxes in the following locations: Cambridge’s Juici Yoga, Kitchener Public Libraries, the W Centre in Kitchener, SPECTRUM Waterloo Region’s Rainbow Community Space, The Shore Centre, ACCKWA (two locations), Sanguen Health Centre (three locations) and now the Community Edition office.

Box One of the project is called “No Shame in my Flow Game” and was created by local artist Alana Decker. KATARINA WEX PHOTO

EngageWR, an organization providing engagement opportunities in the region, introduced a speakers series exploring topics related to creating equitable cities. KATARINA WEX PHOTO

NEW GROUPS SUPPORT NEW CANDIDATES IN UPCOMING ELECTIONS

Still, the need for change in regional and city councils is dire as the current councils are not representative of the diversity of the region. As it grows, the governments that represent and make decisions for the region must also evolve. Petrocevic said the issues the region faces are complex and interconnected, diverse voices are needed at the table to have better decisions for the region at large.

“I think having more perspectives at any table is a good idea...I think it is absolutely necessary to get people who can hold each other accountable, who can hold our leaders accountable and who can create more discussion around what we as a community need,” she said. “I think that extends into our provincial election coming up as well.”

Representation is not only a matter of checking boxes—with diversity comes diversity of qualifications, life experiences, skills and more. Fuentes said having multiple with the same life experiences would result in very determined outcomes.

said.

In order for change to happen, the issue of incumbency needs to be addressed. Fuentes said there are many reasons incumbency is so common in municipal governments including a lack of media coverage for elections, less marketing, fewer resources, lower voter turnout and the disproportional importance of name recognition.

“[N]ame recognition becomes even more important and...I think part of what we’re looking to do is hopefully to provide some of those resources like canvassing and that kind of thing to help,” he said. “There are some incumbents that basically don’t have to campaign to get reelected and it takes a lot of work to catch up.”

Okoye also said that incumbents have support systems already in place, whereas first-time candidates must build that system. As such FABWR works on helping build equity and coalescing progressive voices to support new candidates.

HARLEEN KAUR DHILLON EDITOR IN CHIEF

The last municipal elections took place in 2018. Since then, life in Waterloo Region has changed significantly.

While the pandemic severely limited movement, social justice movements such as Land Back, climate action and anti-racism continued to gain momentum. In light of the evolving needs of the region, two local organizations were created to address the need for more representative municipal governments.

The Kitchen Cabinet was started by Rebecca Petricevic to create a database of volunteers for women, trans* and non-binary candidates. Petricevic was inspired by a keynote given by Laura

Mae Lindo, MPP of Kitchener-Centre, for the Waterloo Region Women’s Campaign School wherein Lindo noted that diverse perspectives are necessary to making better decisions.

For a Better Waterloo Region (FABWR) grew out of isolated conversations that converged with the efforts of some community members into an organization aiming for a progressive slate of candidates in the 2022 elections. Among the organizers are Paul Okoye and Andres Fuentes, both of whom have backgrounds in social justice.

Both groups hope to gather and provide resources for first-time candidates including, financial help, volunteers, guidance on running a campaign and more. Most importantly, they hope to give firsttime candidates a fighting chance in the upcoming elections.

“Oftentimes, when people think of municipal and regional election, they don’t think of it as exciting as, as the federal and provincial space while in

UW ALUMNUS RELEASES BOOK

reality...the regional and municipal space have a significant bearing on how we engage in our day to day life [and] who we are as a community,” Okoye said. “[W]hat we’re hoping to do is translate sort of the energy behind progressive movements into in our community into actual political action.”

Running for council is not cheap. When Fuentes ran for council, he spent close to $7,000, others can spend nearly $50,000 or $60,000.

“And the other thing is to provide those resources...[newcomers don’t have] political connections, they don’t know how to organize volunteers, they don’t know how to fund raise, they haven’t been involved in political process before—and that can be very intimidating,” Fuentes said.

“When you look at running for city council, or regional council, it’s not free...There’s a reason why the council’s look as unrepresentative as they as they do across the region,” he said.

“We need a diversity, not just of qualification, but of life experiences, of ways of seeing the world. You know, it’s so easy to forget, if you’ve lived here all your life, that there’s a very different world out there, that people do things very differently,” he said. “Qualifications are one thing, but how you translate those qualifications to actual decisions is a whole other thing that we’re missing.”

Petricevic said gender is key in how people interact with each other. With the Kitchen Cabinet, she centres the gendered experience and its importance in the political sphere. While getting more women in politics is a valuable endeavour, Petricevic said it is important to expand that understanding of gender to include trans* and non-binary voices as well to ensure diverse and representative governments.

“Your gender absolutely impacts how you view the world and how the world reacts to you or how society reacts to you, as well...if we get people who have different gender identities, and gender experiences with gender in society, that can only lead to better policies really, more inclusive policies,” she

“[I]t becomes a dangerous David and Goliath story where someone who’s already has the entire system working for them is running against someone who’s new to the system,” he said.

Ultimately, FABWR aims to provide a foundation for newcomers in the political arena and have a slate of candidates that aligns with their vision and perspectives on issues the region is facing.

“We may not alter all of the powers that you would have but at least we give people a fighting chance to actually run and reasonably when they say that said we are also open to having immigrants who are who are aligned with our vision or one region as well. The goal again, is to get a slate of candidates who align with those issues and how we interact with those issues,” Okoye said.

FABWR will go public this month, with their first meeting taking place on Apr. 7. For more information, visit @FABWaterloo on Twitter or @ FABWaterlooRegion on Instagram, or email FABWaterlooRegion@gmail. com.

For more information on the Kitchen Cabinet, visit thekitchencabinet.ca.

ADRIAN QUIJANO EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

Aniqah Beharry, University of Waterloo alumnus and self-published author, is blazing her own trail after the release of her debut book, But Are You Really Sorry?. This poetry/journal chapbook is merged with introspective questions and is ideal for voracious readers who seek both emotional healing and poetry. The work encourages its readers to take a step back from their busy lives and look at the world from a new perspective.

“The book is rooted in experiences I had in Waterloo. I started writing this book when I was there. [In particular] I was heavily inspired by the Peace and Conflict Studies courses I took at UWaterloo,” Beharry said.

Beharry is a Muslim author and artist from and based in Trinidad and Tobago. As an artist she uses drawing and writing as a way to decompress. Beharry’s goal as a writer is to use her words as a remedy to heal. She is currently touring around the islands with her book.

Reminiscent of books like Wreck this Journal and Rupi Kaur’s Milk and Honey, no two copies of But Are You

Really Sorry? are the same. While many view healing in black and white, Beharry encourages her readers to see a wider view of healing and write or draw in any of the whitespace and drawings to fully engage with the book. For writers, this book gives all the free-reign required for those nights where ideas just need to be written down. For those who are drawn towards visual mediums, the freedom to draw wherever can help folks engage with the writing.

“I really wanted the book to be personalized. I wanted your copy to be yours. I try not to call it ‘my’ book. I want you to work through whatever you’re working through. That’s why at the end of every poem I ask a question and end off with a closing remark,” Beharry said.

Her debut collection reminds its readers that apologies and regrets are there to learn from. It is a work meant for constant re-reading and reflection for those who are looking to change themselves.

As a Mathematics major, Beharry was no stranger to variables. She took a Peace and Conflict Studies course out of interest. This sparked her fascination with emotional healing through written communication. Foundationally she was always interested in the written word; being influenced by romantic comedies, tragedies and creepypastas online.

Not satisfied with being a mathematician and creative, Beharry is also a national archer for the country of Trinidad. However the truly outstanding accomplishment of hers is her ability to embrace hardships as they come and grow from them.

“When you are placed in a situation where you don’t know what to say, how can you work through it?” said Beharry.

Both Beharry’s digital art and writing are vibrant with personality. Her identity as a Muslim woman of colour from Trinidad is showcased throughout her work. Vibrant colours meet soft lines in her assortment of self-portraits which capture a variety of emotions. As a poet, she chooses each word with care.

But are you Really Sorry? reinforces the notion that everyone is able to change and also takes a nuanced view into the journey of emotional healing.

“I think accountability is something that we have to work on every day. And it was something I started to think more about while I was in school. Just because people can change, it does not erase all the things that they did. I think the biggest thing that I want to say is that I people go into the book with an open mind and an open heart,” Beharry said.

For candidates, their campaign team can become very close, which is the idea behind the name “The Kitchen Cabinet”. KURTIS RIDEOUT GRAPHIC

EXPOSING LIVED REALITIES IN KW

Waterloo Region, maybe we can get more resources,” Chee said.

Prior to starting her Master of Social Work and internship at Waterloo Region Community Legal Services, Chee already had the idea of the Exposure Project in her head. During her internship, she was able to bring it to life.

Project is to raise awareness for the lived realities that people experience because of homelessness. She hopes to break down the stigma associated with people who have experienced homelessness and poverty through stories.

housing crisis.

Chee said that the voice of the affected population is missing from the conversations on homelessness.

When Evangelynn Chee came to the Waterloo Region, she noticed two things different in regards to those experiencing homelessness and poverty compared to other cities where she had worked. These was a sense of community and awareness.

“Organizations themselves are reaching out to each other, they’re establishing connections with each other and within the community that’s experiencing poverty and homelessness,” she said.

“I think [Waterloo Region] doesn’t gain as much attention as Toronto or Hamilton. That is why if I can shed some light into the Kitchener-

Chee started the Exposure Project, an online community platform for individuals who are experiencing poverty and homelessness to share their stories. Historically, these stories are not included in the media, and those that are included are not always true to the individual.

“I find that a lot of mainstream media tends to change the narrative according to what they feel will get more attention, but it is not necessarily what the individual wants to portray or doesn’t necessarily reflect who they are or the message they want to put out there,” Chee said.

Chee’s main focus for the Exposure

“You hear that a lot that people are just lazy, they just want handouts. We hear all of these things, but then when we realize what a person has gone through, the things that they have experienced and why they’re in a circumstance that they are, there is less blaming the individual, but holding the systems and policies accountable,” she said.

Not only do these stories shine a light on the stigma people experiencing homelessness face, they also showcase the systemic barriers in our community. Barriers like racism, discrimination, policing, criminalization of homelessness, lack of affordable housing and health care inequities which aggravate the

“Sometimes we don’t realize certain barriers that those folks might be experiencing. I think we try our best, and we have good intentions most of the time. But we might not be hitting the mark,” she said.

“What is missing is stakeholder participation, for involv[ing] the folks that are receiving the services and saying, ‘How can we serve you better? What are some ways that we can provide better accessibility?’” Chee said.

Chee hopes that The Exposure Project can be a place to provide education and understanding to others’ lived experiences.

Being able to create a new sense of understanding for those has already carried over in a more personal way to her work at the Waterloo Region Community Legal Services.

“I’ve heard feedback from lawyers, saying, ‘I did not know that this was that person’s story, and it kind of changed my perspective now that I’m working on their case,’” Chee said.

Although the goal of The Exposure Project has been about raising awareness, it is also tied closely to the experience of the participants.

Chee hopes that the community will approach The Exposure Project with open minds and open hearts.

For more information on The Exposure Project, visit @ TheExposureProjectKW on Instagram or wrcls.ca/theexposureproject.

THE UNDERDOG DANCE CORP. PERSERVERES

grew. Where she lacked experience, she compensated with perseverance as she fell for the art more and more.

ADRIAN QUIJANO EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

The Underdog Dance Corp., situated in the heart of Uptown Waterloo since September 2020, is an embodiment of the phrase, “dance from the heart”. Given the narrative of many small businesses struggling through the past two years, Underdog sticks out as a success.

Underdog is the only Latin dance studio for adults in the region. It features 1,000 square feet of dance space for both veterans and curious beginners to dance at their leisure.

“I have to say that I don’t feel like I run it solo because our instructors are the instructors that work at the studio. They all take so much ownership and initiative and so I’ve never really felt alone with it. I’ve been really, really lucky to feel like it’s a team effort there,” Emily Peat, owner of the Un derdog Dance Corp., said.

The development and eventual opening of Underdog truly was a passion project. Peat started dancing in 2017 at 25 years old with the Uni versity of Waterloo Mambo Club. An instant passion for salsa and bachata

Less than two years later she pursued her dream of dancing all day despite having a degree in Engineering.

By the end of 2018, she was teaching 17 classes per week and hosting monthly social dances. Now, Peat is Waterloo Region’s underdog dance instructor as she is an independent business owner with the least con ventional dancing qualifications. The studio’s biggest challenge in the past few years has been managing their revenue stream amidst the constant lockdowns and changing COVID-19 Restrictions. In Peat’s original pitch to investors she was advised not to follow through with the idea because of her lack of business partner. And yet,Underdog stands.

“Lockdowns were really not able to generate [us any] revenue, but we still had all of the expenses of maintaining the studio,” Peat said. “So that’s been really, really difficult and it seemed like every time we opened and we just financially recovered, then we were hit with another one. And then just kind of trying to hold out hope through all of that.”

A loyal and tight-knit community has grown from the Underdog Dance Corp. despite all of the hardships. The studio has a wide variety of program offerings, from five week sessions to

drop in classes. Some classes are also available for either in-person or online attendance. One of the studio’s goals is to celebrate dance in all of its forms, including athleticism and art. As a business owner Peat also makes sure the studio is an LGBTQ+ safe space so all people feel welcome to dance.

“[You have to ask yourself] what’s your intention or what do you want to get out of it? The other thing is that we talk often in class about how it [dancing] feels compared to how it looks. We’ve had people come in, day one, they don’t want to stand in front of the mirror and so they’re off in the back corner. And then week five, they like asking us to film, they just want to share their dancing and just makes you feel so good to see them,” Peat said.

As Underdog’s head instructor she and her team ensure that all folks who dance with them meet their movement goals. Regardless of skill level, dancers have a chance to build on what they already know while also picking up new techniques. Weekly events include bachata classes, chair dance, jazz funk and drop-in hip hop. For more information, visit https:// underdogdance.com/.

The Exposure Project is run by Evangelynn Chee and aims to share the lived realities of people experiences homelessness in the region with the rest of the community. ANDRES FUENTES PHOTO

ERIN APPLEBEE CONTRIBUTOR

CENTRE IN THE SQUARE’S PERFORMATIVE SUPPORT

Jordan Peterson is scheduled to speak at Center in the Square in May of this year. In a confusing and somewhat ironic turn of events, Peterson’s talk will be followed by “Queen: It’s A Kinda Magic.” An event that is clearly geared towards a queer audience.

Despite much backlash from the local LGBT+ community, the Centre in the Square has decided to continue with Peterson’s presentation in the name of ‘hearing out all sides.’

“I understand that the past one-anda-half-years has been tough on you, and any booking is welcomed. But

have you really considered this? If so, please remove the rainbow from your picture because it’s performative and nothing more,” Twitter user Nancy Wheeler said.

The Waterloo Region has been a breeding ground for similar circumstances in the past. In 2017, right-wing pundit/alt-right darling Lindsay Sheperd showed her class a video of Peterson opposing the use of gender-neutral pronouns in Canadian society.

Peterson has since become known for his vocal opposition to transgender human rights.

“This figure expounds pseudoscience, hate, bigotry, and misinformation,” Twitter user Michael Clark said.

In the graphic above, the “puppet master” is meant to reflect those who are responsible for the event (Center in the Square).

This highlights the performative aspect of hosting events meant to accomodate members of the LGBTQ+ community, while also providing a platform to someone who openly dehumanizes them.

ANNA WINGE-BREEN

THE HISTORY OF FASHION HAS A NEW HOME

STAFF WRITER RACHEL MACINTOSH UNSPOOLS THE FHM'S ORIGINS

After a pilot gallery in a former ironworks factory, Cambridge’s Fashion History Museum found its new home at the Old Hespeler Post Office.

The museum was established by founder, director and curator Jonathan Walford in 2004 and registered as a charity in 2009. Walford began his efforts by curating traveling exhibitions that toured across Canada and abroad, including a shoe exhibit in Hong Kong.

The museum currently houses over 12,000 pieces from over four centuries and a library archives research center that houses over 9,000 titles and pieces.

“[The mission is] about really promoting fashion history to the general public for an understanding of where we come from and being inspired for the future,” Kenn Norman, co-founder and chair of the Fashion History Museum, said.

When the City of Cambridge purchased the Old Post Office, the museum was able to expand into the full space. This change was helpful for the museum as it came at a time when COVID-19 safety regulations were in effect, and it allowed them to set up the museum for social distancing.

Use of the whole building also allowed the museum to create a gallery dedicated to two-dimensional objects. The same space is also used for events such as seminars and workshops.

Portraits of Mali is the current exhibition on display. It showcases the work of two photographers between 1949 and 1972, with portfolios sponsored by the Cartier Foundation.

“It was a great opportunity to share these with the public,” Norman said.

Another notable addition is an exhibit called Three Hundred Years of Fashion that showcases fashion from 1720 to 2020.

“[It showcases] the full evolution of 300 years of fashion,” Norman said.

“Everything from the materials that are available, to the technology to create fashion—retailing, manufacturing—and then just also to the change in how we interact with our clothes.”

Norman described the museum's inception by Walford as he worked at a living history site in Burnaby, BC. The idea to curate came to him after he was handed a collarless shirt as a part of his costuming for a 1920s village setting—similar to the Doon Pioneer Village here in town.

Upon receiving the shirt, Walford said he thought it was alright but he could do a better job of providing something more authentic to the time period.

“And that really inspired him into researching fashion history,” Norman said. The collection has grown largely in part to the donations of other private collectors and vintage clothing dealers. For example, a vintage clothing dealer from Montreal recently donated the contents of her store to the museum after retirement.

“Collectors are amazing in this aspect, too, because usually they focus in on a very specialized area, and they get to know it inside out. And we’re able to tap into that passion and learn a lot ourselves,” Norman said.

“We actually purchased a shoe from 1660, which is one of only seven examples known in the world [and] that's one of my current pride and joys,” Norman said. “It’s in a navy blue velvet with silver embroidery on it and white leather, and it’s just fantastic to be able to handle something that old, particularly in Canada where we’re not used to seeing these things every day in our museums or in collections.”

In May, the Fashion History Museum will be hosting a Mother’s Day weekend event featuring local vendors and producers of wearable art.

“We’re tentatively planning for September,” Norman said. “We’re just beginning to pull it together now, the ‘Tweed Run’, which is a bicycle event that started off in England. And it’s based on wearing vintage while you cycle.”

For more information about The Fashion History Museum and upcoming events, visit fashionhistorymuseum.com.

Co-founder

chair,

Norman,

THE STUDY ROOM PROVIDES A PLACE OF GOOD VIBES AND GROWTH FOR PUNKS

Their Bandcamp page describes them as being inspired by misguided hatred, self-loathing and all the anxiety, despair and uncertainty that is born when people hit their mid-twenties.

SHYENNE MACDONALD CONTRIBUTOR

In the past two years, while the city has been locked away and festering inside itself, new life has been brought into KW and sunk its teeth into the underground scene.

Somewhere in the heart of KW is a basement. Like most basements it is made entirely of concrete and cold, with a steep stairwell that leading to it

The room is named The Study Room and is a popular venue in the local punk scene. Jake, Jackson, Nate and Ali are all proprietors of the space.

“There’s a really true, honest thing that’s happening here in the shadows.,”

Jake said. “Ever since Nate and I have been buds, we’ve always wanted to run our own house show venue. In the early years, coming up [with places like The Study Room]…it’s something that’s really beautiful and intimate that can be found in those four walls,” Jake said.

“We all find each other very inspiring…Everyone brings positive energy to the table. It’s effortless,” Jackson said.

Ali, Jackson and Jake, being prolific artists apart, perform together in a band named Dead Friend Collective.

Nate is the founder and head of No Funeral Records, he acts as a tastemaker for music in the region. The pandemic influenced his and other musicians’ decisions on how they created and shared music.

“I interned for a label back in 2017, then I moved on to my own thing. I’ve been booking and releasing little things here and there,” Nate said.

“I got to finish an album and put it out…Without the pandemic we probably wouldn’t have done that. We would have just kept playing shows, doing the same thing. I feel like it was an excuse for people to really [push themselves], record music and write new shit without focusing on performing so much,” he said.

The pandemic also prompted selfreflection and rediscovery. It gave many artists the chance to step out of their comfort zone and try new things, especially as the pressure of performing shows was removed. Without anyone to clap and sing along with them, the artists within The Study Room were forced to stop and look inward.

“Why am I doing it? Is it something that’s a creative outlet for myself, something that I want to do as a career? Do I just want to make music,

like what exactly I want to do with it [became the question]. I know I was doing a lot of side projects and kind of fucking around with music a lot,” Ali said.

“We got to take our time with our recording process, it was like all the pressure was taken out and just enjoy what we’re doing. I think a lot of appreciation sunk…all the bullshit is out of the way, so you have to realize why you’re doing this,” Jake said.

But as the world begins to move forward again, the artists are coming out of the woodwork. So, The Study Room has become a place where a community gathers and some of KW’s finest come to show off what they created while everyone had to quarantine.

“I don’t think I’ve met anyone as passionate and genuine about art as people in this city, honestly. I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else; it feels good to be in the heart of it,” Jackson said.

“There’s not a lot of artists here that aren’t in the grant circuit, I don’t think money gets thrown around here too much. So [the industry isn’t] watering it down, everyone is here because they want to be here,” Nate said.

Despite the emergence of artists ready to share and entertain again, The Study Room is one of the few house venues open to the circuit of bands rotating. Nate said he generally focuses on heavier music

such as punk. As there are few artists outside the small circle of friends and many artists moved away since the pandemic began, he said it is difficult to find artists willing to perform or start bands.

All four proprietors work on growing the music scene through networking.

=“I feel like we’ve been planting seeds, networking and just sinking our claws into the weird and important parts that make this work for the past six-ish years. We would be doing this, regardless—but the vibe we’re getting, the impact and the outreach we’ve been getting it’s because of the time we put in. It’s genuine work too, ” Jake said.

Having a house venue for people from all around to gather keeps the KW punk scene growing again and thriving. They also hosted an all-ages show featuring Crywank at Shortfinger.

“It’s nice to have control over what happens. With other venues we’re at the mercy of getting bookers or stuff we don’t necessarily align with,” Nate said.

“There is something happening here, and I like what we’re getting to contribute on our side because I think it’s pushing people that don’t know, in the right direction,” Jake said.

There is an element of cynicism in punk culture, a sentiment that has only grown with the pandemic. For Jake and Nate, however, there is still

much positivity and passion in the local punk scene.

“It’s cynicism for sure, there’s a cynical output. But, from my experience, being involved with this scene, there’s a lot of genuine, positive and passionate people. I think it comes innate sense that the world is really dark, there’s a lot of fucked up stuff going on in the world right now. So, let’s combat it,” Jake said.

“You don’t have to subscribe to anybody else’s vision on how to live your life, you can choose that yourself. You choose to be morally sound, whatever that means to you… Go out and make your own noise,” Nate said.

THE ROLE OF REPRESENTATION IN GROWTH

QUEER SPACE

heroes to us for different reasons. These personal heroes give us many things: they allow us to see aspects of ourselves, give examples to aspire to and, through their stories, provide road maps for navigating our own lives.

BEN STIMPSON COLUMNIST

Fair representation in the media has been a hot topic for the past couple of decades, often argued as a fairness piece for representing our intersectional society. The sociological and even political importance for representation is often spoken about, but I find a more crucial and less mentioned psychological aspect far more interesting. Our media is becoming rich with representations, and so now it’s time to reflect on why that representation truly matters and how representation for representation’s sake isn’t good enough.

In a recent interview, I was asked about my personal identity journey and I spoke about the importance of representation to me. Part of why it took me so long to come out to myself was because I didn’t see anyone in the media or television who looked like me. When I did start to see figures who I could relate to, I found that my understanding of myself deepened. We all have our super heroes; characters from fictional stories and video games or real-life figures and community members become

In particular, two series have been instrumental to me understanding myself better: Avatar the Last Airbender (2005), and Steven Universe (2013). Within both of these worlds, I saw characters who grappled with similar struggles to those I was feeling inside. Both of these shows invited me to step into my own authenticity.

For me, when I started to see the very queer characters in Steven Universe, I saw suddenly intimacy, love, support and empowerment among this community of characters. I also saw something I had been craving since I was a child, which was normalcy of experience. The characters of Steven Universe taught me that I didn’t need to be anything other than who I am, and my normal is normal. This was a very different relationship I had with these characters than other gay and queer representations earlier in my life, such as Queer as Folk or Will & Grace

The psychological mechanism here is called identification, and it swings both ways. Have you ever come across someone you instantly hated/loved and realized later it was because you saw things in them that you were uncomfortable with or liked about yourself? Have you ever really

admired someone and developed those traits in yourself? This is a very natural process of human psychology and something that we are actively doing on a regular basis. Part of this process allows us to synchronize with others through a function called social mimicry. Little babies are observed doing this all the time as they learn how to interact with the world around them. It is also true that as we age, we often tend to congregate with people who we perceive are like us. Marketers understand these processes deeply and are always conducting research on what different populations identify with and relate to, sometimes consciously and sometimes deeply unconsciously.

Unfortunately, the same mechanism of identification that can create healthy insights in some can also create the potential for dark and unhealthy dynamics in others.

The reality of toxic fandom is an example of this, whereby a change in a character in any way can spurn on vitriolic responses among some fans. The recent addition of a dwarf played by an actress of colour in the upcoming Lord of the Rings television series is an example of this. So many fandoms are having to deal with this sort of restrictive interpretation of the material, even wholesome shows like My Little Pony and Steven Universe

Often, the problem is that an individual over-identifies with a particular character or world and through over identification, their self-esteem is tied to that material.

Any changes or reinterpretations of that material by other fans is met with scorn because the individual perceives a personal attack on themself. In some cases, toxic fans might even feel a loss of self as the material changes and adapts. What often occurs then is what we would call externalization of deep insecurities onto others to regain a sense of power or control. It’s not a great situation, but it is an all too human one.

An exercise I often give clients is to think about their personal heroes. Who are they? What are their strengths? What obstacles have they overcome in their stories? What do they teach us about ourselves? Often the answers to these questions bring

up a great deal of personal insight within the client.

I encourage readers, if they have a spare moment, to journal about what representations have had an impact on their lives and what characters have become important to them over time.

As I age, I look back on material I grew up with and find myself identifying more with other characters than the ones I did originally. Likewise, who are some of the characters or heroes out there now who could hold a key to your future self? Take careful note of which characters or individuals bring up a reaction inside and contemplate what about them you are reacting to.

MORS VERUM (2021)

Mors Verum is old-school death metal worship at its finest. Their third offering, The Living (2021), is comprised of five devastating tracks for fans of Gorguts and Immolation. Mors Verum pay homage to their exalted lineage by honouring their roots while leaving space for inventive composition. The three-piece band is sure to appease the most discriminating hordes with their coarse and unrelenting brand of death metal. Elite.

The Living (2021) begins with earthcrushing riffage akin to mid-era Immolation, pinching dissonance squeals over chugging, open notes to antagonize the structure of its own progression. Polyrhythmic percussion serves as the foundation upon which warring guitars attempt to assert dominance over jangling bass. This dynamic creates textural anomalies reminiscent of late Azagthothian

compositions where opposing pitches compete to resonate over blazing tempos. Guitars squeal and lash over a steady double-pulse, bringing order to the chaos of rampant licks. Cyclical drums churn into oblivion as menacing notes rattle into the cacophony of blast beats and pointed bell-strikes.

Mors Verum lend a voice to doom and gloom—though its message is shrouded by the growl of an irked beast. Deep, commanding vocals urge through a human host as if to communicate a message from below. The line between harmonic dissonance and harmonious progeny is muddled by the clamor of plucked bass and menacing, minor-pentatonic licks. Mors Verum is hell-bent on demonstrating their reverence for the golden age of death metal, and they do so with a serious respect for the genre. Though, one might wonder: how the fuck they are going to play this live?

Genres: Death-Metal

Associated Acts: Stolos, Spook the Beast, Ischemic, Gravitational Distortion

Representation in mainstream media is vital to developing a sense of belonging. KATARINA WEX GRAPHIC

H. TOOTH COLUMNIST

MUSINGS ON RUSSIA : GUILT AND HELPLESSNESS

ALEX KINSELLA STAFF WRITER

The Russian invasion of Ukraine evokes many different emotions. For those who have fled similar conflicts to find a better future in Canada, watching the news from Kyiv and Mariupol can be a traumatic reminder of similar violence they’ve escaped.

For those who have never experienced terror, death, and destruction on their own soil, watching this unprovoked invasion turn into a full scale war can be surreal. And for anyone, like me, of Ukrainian or Russian ancestry, or with family and friends living in those countries, the emotions are magnified.

Whether in print, on television or on social media, we are witnesses to the horrors that Ukrainian citizens and residents face every day. And while we are reminded of the outpouring of humanitarian aid from around the world, we know that much needed military assistance is still woefully inadequate.

My maternal great-grandparents were immigrants to Philadelphia from Ukraine, and while most of our extended family remained in the northeast, my mother moved to Ireland where she met and married my Irish father and where both my brother and I were born. Even after returning to the U.S. and settling in South Florida, our family connection was primarily with Ireland. My connection to Eastern Europe started with an

unexpected turn in the early 1990’s. My father began what would become an almost ten year photographic assignment documenting U.S. healthcare initiatives in the New Independent States of the former Soviet Union. He had always been fascinated by the history and culture of Russia with a particular affinity for Soviet-era art and propaganda. This was not lost on me and even my degree—Russian and Eastern European studies from Florida State University—focused more on Russia than any other country. I studied the Russian language and accompanied my father on several visits to Russia, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. I spent a co-op term in Moscow where I developed strong friendships and where I returned on multiple occasions.

I have become virtually multicultural—identifying as Irish, American and, now, Canadian, with an attachment to Russian people and the culture I was exposed to. When I hear people speaking Russian, my ears perk up. When I meet Russians I feel comfortable discussing music and films and sharing popular culture. When I moved to Canada and was exposed to family cottages for the first time, I instantly thought, “Dachas!”

When the war broke out, I had many questions and wanted to reach out to my friends in Moscow. But I put it off and then put it off again, instinctively knowing that my inquiries might put them in harm’s way. Here, we are free to send emails, texts and DMs without thinking twice—but not in Russia, not now.

My father emailed one of his friends to ask what it’s like in Moscow. The reply came a few days later, saying that everything was fine. That western media is telling lies about what’s happening.

My dad has known these people for almost thirty years. He knows they don’t support what the Russian government is doing, but their safety and that of their children means not

speaking up. They are not involved in the decisions that are happening—and their freedoms to protest are far from those that people casually waste here.

But my friends are in Moscow, not in Kyiv or Marispaul. They have not had to flee their homes. They have not been shot at and their communities, schools and hospitals have not been bombed. They are citizens of a nation that has invaded their sovereign neighbour and while I can’t know what they think, I want to believe they are devastated and consumed by their inability to make this horror stop.

As more stories come out about atrocities committed by Russian soldiers, I feel embarrassed by my connection to that country and its people. It is difficult to separate the two. These acts aren’t being done by the people I know, but how do you reconcile the two?

One of the people I met in Moscow was a girl named Eka. Her mom worked as a translator for my father and I often accompanied them around Moscow. She loved photography and my father shared his knowledge with her. Twenty years later, Eka sent him an email after reconnecting on Facebook. She wrote, “It’s very funny I’m a photographer now. I remember when we were at Red Square you showed me your cameras and I dreamed to have the same. Dreams come true. I wish you come some day and maybe we will make some shots together.”

I hope we get that chance one day to meet again. And in the meantime I am consoled with the belief that the Ukrainian people will survive and thrive once again and that the Russian people I know hope for and believe that too.

CANCELLING? OR DEVELOPING CULTURE?

Cancel Culture has been one of the terms most often evoked in public discourse for some years now. Originally describing a new social media trend of exposing and opposing injustice, for many it has become injustice itself, as a power that can indistinguishably attack the guilty and the innocent. And the most recent inflation of the term’s use is not of an innocent nature either: the political right seems to be capitalizing on it, misusing it to amplify the sense of loss of culture and identity in Western societies. Since the upcoming provincial elections will strain the cohesion of our society and the maturity of our democratic culture once more, I would like to invite some further reflections on this controversial phenomenon. My conclusions will be less about the outcome than about procedure.

My research for the present article resulted in a couple of surprises. To start with, as a non-social-media user, I was unaware of the fact that the notion of ‘cancelling’ was first used among equity-seeking minorities some eight years ago and that it was celebrated as empowerment of the underprivileged.

The second surprise pertained to the fact that the most thoughtful critics of this phenomenon are prominent people from the left spectrum, such as Barack Obama, who cautions us that no one is great in all respects, and Pope Francis, who warns against eliminating freedom of expression through intimidation.

The Canadian experience may not be as bad, but from my own classroom experience I know how difficult it is to engage students in speaking openly of any important matter. Most of them are confused by a professor actively encouraging diverse views on principles and values that they have learned others had already decided on. Apparently, our education system does not deliver what it intends or pretends: educating our youth to become a critical, inclusive and empowered next generation of citizens; instead, the majority is led to disengage from politics. This, I regard as the real threat to our democratic freedom.

I was not, however, surprised how right-wing people instrumentalize the notion of Cancel Culture, making it a key argument for what they present as the aggressive and destructive agenda of the left. The catchiness and vagueness of the term come to their aid. No matter if protests arise from covering up the crimes of white supremacists, from belittling the suffering of minorities or from frustration about temporary measures to keep people safe during the pandemic: cancel culture is a highly effective tool to increase dissatisfaction about unwanted change and perceived loss, which is blamed on the ‘left mob’ or their ‘elitist advocates’.

Most vocal in this regard has been Donald Trump, himself known for bullying and stigmatizing his opponents on Twitter, and now the founder of a new platform (ironically) called Truth Social. Even before the gross inflation of cancel culture during the pandemic, Fox News employed the term significantly more often than its competitors. Let me share yet another surprise with you.

I found that the verbs ‘to cancel’ and ‘to call out’ were and still are used synonymously especially among the youth. I lament this (even if it may make my teenage daughter roll her eyes, again). But the conflation of the two verbs unduly surmises that there is no difference between ‘calling out’— that is, exposing and accusing—on the one hand, and ‘cancelling’ that is ending someone’s (or something’s) status or position—on the other.

Yet, depending on who puts forward accusations, on how many amplify them and on how sustained the grievances are, we may see very different reactions, ranging from silence over counterattack to apology, resignation and even legal investigation. ‘Calling out’ and ‘cancelling’ are obviously interrelated, but not the same thing.

Activists defending ‘shitstorms’ as a democratic power of the underdogs may emphasize that it should not matter who voices the complaint, and I agree. Tyrannical regimes, of which there are too many to list these days, typically start by taking away this freedom of expression from the people.

As a result, this should not be the approach of a self-confident democracy. But to really take away the ammunition of the self-declared defenders of whatever culture, we must do more. First, let us reflect on our relation to change, no matter whether we consider ourselves more progressive or more conservative:

should we not all agree that whatever is fair and useful should be preserved and whatever is unfair and harmful needs change?

Is considering the facts and seeking a balance among diverging interests not helpful for overcoming excessive partisanship?

Second, we must hold our decisionmakers to higher standards, whether they are individuals or institutions. The first rule here is a simple one and ingrained in a principle of Roman Law: ‘audiatur et altera pars’—‘let the other side be heard as well’. A fair

hearing is something each of us would expect. While it might not find room in a spontaneous emotional outcry among the masses, it must be granted before a just and sustained judgment can be passed, that is before a TV show is discontinued, a journalist reprimanded, a statue demolished, or a school renamed.

Third, it matters a lot if the choice of cancellation results from—or at least stands at the beginning of—a humble learning process, rather than being just a concession to public pressure or out of fear of losing votes or money.

Change that lacks balance, transparency or a democratic process can be destabilizing and cause further division, whereas change that results from fair, honest and inclusive consultation can help a community grow. The outcome itself is often less important than the process, for this may reveal more than the outcome itself about who belongs and who is ‘cancelled’.

O

ALTAY COSKUN COLUMNIST

STRIP BY VICHAEL HO

LISTINGS EVENT

THURSDAY, APRIL 7

ST. JACOB’S DAY TOUR

ST. JACOB’S FARMERS MARKET

Touring season starts early this is year! Come join Maple Leaf Tours as they bring you the joins of St. Jacob’s Country. Whether or not you’re a vetran or newbie for St. Jacob’s, you don’t want to miss out on Ontario’s number one stop for rural country shopping, dining, and culture.

8:30pm

Shopping

THURSDAY, APRIL 7

YOGA HIKE

HURON NATURAL AREA

Tired of being Vitamin D defincient?

Why not join Huron Natural Area in exploring the wonders of regional nature! This eight-week, in-person program series will include a 90-minute yoga hike. Explore trails and soak in that early spring sunlight while it’s fresh and fragrant. You know you want to.

10:00am - 11:30am

Outdoors

FRIDAY, APRIL 9

SPRING AYR ARTISAN MARKET 2958 GREENFIELD ROAD

For those who are looking to escape the hustle and bustle, join the North Dumfries Community Complex in their Spring Artisan Market. Follow @heretotheremarketevents for updates on which vendors will be there. Spring is finally here, yay! Can I go outside now?

Shopping FREE 10:00am - 4:00pm

SATURDAY, APRIL 9

SPECTRUM MOVEMENT GROUP COMMUNTY CENTRE

Calling all movers! Join SPECTRUM Waterloo in their monthly mindful movement group. Explore movement and dance, and how we can connect with ourselves and each other. This space is trans and non-binary affirming and is body postive. #transisbeautiful.

Self-care FREE • 10:30am - 11:30am

SATURDAY, APRIL 9

GREBER SHOW STUDY ROOM 519

Come rock out (safely) at Study Room 519. No Funeral Records presents Greber, Terrible and the Horribles and Susans as their head-rolling roster for the evening. Don’t worry, it’s on Saturday. You can sleep in the next morning, we won’t judge you. We never do!

Concert FREE/PWYC 8:00pm

SUNDAY, APRIL 10

EASTER MARKET

FOUR FATHERS BREWING CO.

Spring has sprung and so has the season of markets! The Mom Market Collective of Guelph will be organising an indoor marketplace. Local artisans and vendors will be featured. Also, there’s rumours that a certain bunny will be available to take pictures with! Sign me up.

Shopping • FREE • 11:00am - 3:00pm

SUNDAY, APRIL 11

JOKES AT JANE’S JANE BOND

Uptown Waterloo’s hottest stand-up comedy show is back with Ben McKay hosting a rip-roaring line up. The night will feature headliner Dylan Gott! Dylan has been featured on Comedy Central UK, Sirius XM Radio and has been recorded for Just For Laughs. Jane’s has awesome food and beer choices too.

Comedy • $15 • 8:00pm

FRIDAY, APRIL 15

SPRING CANADIAN PET EXPO. THE INTERNATIONAL CENTRE Pet families and animal fanatics are welcome to celebrate their furry or scaly friends at this expo. Join CPE for three days of safe interactive fun, pet focused shopping, entertainment and more! This one’s all about the pets. Why not spoil someone else for a change?

Exposition • $20 • 4:00pm

SUNDAY, APRIL 17

ZACK & RUI’S RETRO GAME SWAP ST. GEORGE BANQUET HALL

Zack & Rui’s Excellent Retro Video Games & Comic Books Swap Meet Extravaganza! Is set to kickoff mid April with a handful of local events tied into the schedule. Make sure you stop in for treats, eats and appearances from local celebs (the likes of Ricky Berwick no less).

Swap Meet • $11.62 • 11:00am - 3:00pm

THURSDAY, APRIL 21

SKITOUR APRAVES TOUR

MAXWELL’S CONCERTS

Maxwell’s presents another mashup of music with three seperate acts coming together for one epic show! Time to bust out that outfit labelled “for raves only” that we all have in the back our closets. Glow sticks, um... face paint? No, not face paint, bracelets! That’s a rave thing, right?

Concert $25 8:00pm

FRIDAY, APRIL 22

EQUUS IN CONCERT CENTRE IN THE SQUARE

Experience a multimedia experience unlike any other, exploring humanity’s amazing partnership with the horse. The award winning CBC-TV miniseries is brought to life on the big-screen while the KWS performs the score. There is nothing like a live score by the KW Symphony.

Music • $13 • 8:00pm

SATURDAY, APRIL 23

PINCH CABARET #5 BUTTON FACTORY ARTS

Host Ben Gorodetsky is bringing his mix of NYC nightlife cabaret and spontanous improv comedy! This night of unexpected variety and live performing arts includes; comedy, poetry, folk music, drag queens and so much more. Yeah, this is happening. It’s time to kiki with the gals, guys, and enby friends.

Variety Show• $6 - $22 • 8:00pm

SATURDAY, APRIL 23

SARAH JERROM

THE JAZZ ROOM

Let Canadian vocalist, composer and arranger Sarah Jerrom whisk you away into a jazz filled evening! She will be accompanied by her jazz quartet “Dream Logic,” and they will be performing genre-defying instrumentation and experimental soundscapes. Jazzy!

Music • $20 • 8:00pm - 10:30pm

FRIDAY, APRIL 29

2SLGBTQ+ SALSA NIGHT THE UNDERDOG DANCE CORP.

SPECTRUM and The Underdog Dance Studio have partnered to bring us a trans and queer friendly dance. Participants will recieve a salsa dance lesson and then dance night away. Half of the proceeds will support SPECTRUM’s programming for 2SLGBTQ+ people in Waterloo Region.

Dance • $10 • 8:00pm - 10:00pm

FRIDAY, APRIL 29

UW DRAG CLUB SHOW WILF’S

Join UW Drag Club at their Welcome Back to WILF’s show this month. Enjoy a night filled with drag kings, queens and monarchs performing sickening lip-syncs and exuding all of that sweet, sweet stage presence we all crave. We know we’ll be there, will you? Guess we’ll find out at the end of the month.

Show FREE 8:00pm

BICYCLE FILM FEST RETURNS TO KW

GREEN AND NOT BLUE

cannabis provincially. It took a whole other year to get hired by my company of choice, due to various issues caused by the pandemic; staffing needs waned during lockdowns as delivery became more popular.

I had a small, long-standing dream of mine come true recently—I started working at a legal cannabis store about two weeks ago.

Ever since I was 18, I have enjoyed cannabis. It helps me sleep, eat, relax and generally function better. The therapeutic value is immense, and the more I read about it the more stories I would find that echoed my problems.

As a teenager, and well into my 20s, I never thought Canada would legalize it, especially with the Conservative federal government that I had grown up under. When the Liberals won in 2015, they included talks of legalization in their platform, which was exciting but not set in stone.

Mar. 15, 2022 was my first day at my dream job in my dream industry, and it has been amazing. I am a natural salesperson when it comes to cannabis. I put my whole focus on learning all I can about what cannabis is and what cultivars (strains) have what effects.

I have extensive product knowledge from both experience and moduledriven learning provided by the company.

The experience has been energizing, like a vital breath of fresh air into my personal life which has been permeated with defeat and disappointment the entire pandemic.

which is something I value highly in a workplace. Challenge is a welcome element in the workplaces I am a part of.

The store I work at is situated uptown in Waterloo. It is a busy location. I get to meet tons of interesting people, which has always been a draw for me when it comes to job perks.

They are happy to come in and see the savings, knowing they can afford something to help them relax on the couch after a long day at work, and often express how pleased they are about it.

After struggling so long during the pandemic and having my fair share of disappointing days, I feel like I have found not only a place I belong in, but a place I want to be.

ALEX KINSELLA STAFF WRITER

The internationally acclaimed Bicycle Film Festival is returning to the Princess Twin Cinema for the second year from May 5 through May 7. The touring festival brings together film, music and art that celebrate cycling and cyclists. The uptown Waterloo movie theatre hosted the 20th anniversary edition of the festival last year and John Tutt, owner of the Princess Cinemas, says that he is excited to host the event again.

“We did it the first time during the reopening of the pandemic in August 2021 and we were able to shoehorn it into the end of August, but we want to make it an annual spring festival. We’re getting excited about the outdoors and getting back outside,” Tutt said.

Tutt is partnering with King Street Cycles, cycling advocacy group CycleWR and the Uptown Waterloo BIA to bring the festival to life.

The three-day Bike Film Festival in Waterloo will include film screenings, an art exhibit at the Paint By Munzy gallery and live music with local alternative rock band Safe as Houses.

The City of Waterloo and the Uptown Waterloo BIA will provide a bicycle valet service for festival attendees.

“I’ve been trying to get this festival here for a long time, but normally it only toured in the bigger centres like Singapore, Barcelona and New York,” Tutt added.

Tutt said that the festival’s founding director Brendt Barbur was hit by a bus while cycling in New York City and found inspiration while recovering.

“He decided that he wanted to celebrate the bicycle and he’s turned it into this international touring festival. He’s brought in art, music and media, and we’re trying to build that up here in Waterloo,” Tutt said.

Building up interest and infrastructure for cycling is also the mission of the local advocacy group CycleWR. David Trueman, a member of CycleWR’s steering committee, said that CycleWR wants to see more events that promote cycling for leisure and as a form of active transportation.

“We’re for anything that gets people excited about cycling. The timing of this time of year is great when people are starting to think about the good weather and that it’s time to dust off

the bike,” Trueman said. He pointed to the Downtown Cycling Grid in Kitchener, protected bike lanes in uptown Waterloo and other cycling infrastructure projects as a sign of momentum for cycling in the community. While the trails are separate now, Trueman said work is starting this summer to bring residents a connected and protected cycling system.

“The City of Kitchener is planning the work that will connect the Iron Horse Trail through Cherry Park all the way over to Joseph Street. Then eventually the trail will connect to the new transit hub. When that’s completed, it’s going to really make the downtown cycling grid that much more useful,” Trueman said.

Tutt often cycles to the theatres on Princess and King Streets. He said while the trails and bike racks benefit businesses in uptown Waterloo, there is still much work to encourage more people to cycle around the city.

“We never had bike racks near the Twin before, but they’ve been installed all over the place. For the festival, we want people to know they can bike down and use the valet service. It’s a way to promote the culture of cycling through this festival,” Tutt said.

Andy Cox, owner of King Street Cycles, said he was attracted to sponsoring the festival because of its cycling focus and the opportunity to collaborate with other uptown Waterloo businesses. He added that the festival is an opportunity to promote uptown businesses and cycling simultaneously — something that’s core to the store’s mission.

“We try not to sell bicycles as much as we sell cycling itself. We like to sell the cycling lifestyle more than just individual bicycles out the door. It was an opportunity for us to tick a lot of boxes,” Cox said.

In addition to the festival, King Street Cycle sponsors and contributes to other cycling events in the region. The store hosts community rides on Monday and Wednesday evenings and organized a cycling brewery tour before the pandemic.

“We’re always looking for new events to interact with the community and enjoy the atmosphere of uptown Waterloo,” Cox said.

The Bike Film Festival runs from May 5 through May 7 at the Princess Twin in uptown Waterloo. For more information about the festival, visit princesscinemas.com.

In 2018, I was proven wrong, and the federal government legalized marijuanna for recreational use and for growing a limited amount of plants.

The provincial approach to legislation was to only allow the purchase of cannabis from the Ontario Cannabis Store (OCS). OCS-licensed stores began opening in the region in late 2019 and have continued to open at alarming speed since.

In 2021, I obtained my Cannsell, the license budtenders require to sell

Budtending is easy, it comes naturally to me. Every customer has a challenge or a problem or is looking for a good experience for an affordable price.

Still, this is a new experience for me. Typically, customers tend to stick to the known as opposed to the unknown, and it can be difficult to sell someone on more expensive pet food that may help a pet shed less or have better regulated bowels, than it is to convince someone to spend a buck or two more on some top shelf bud as customers are already often open to the possibility of a new or better experience. This makes the job highly motivating and engaging,

It’s a small thing, but it’s unbelievably freeing to have a job that is enjoyable. Every day is not so draining that I cannot enjoy myself when I have left for home. I am by far more content and it speaks to the importance of improving workplace conditions in many industries, so we can all enjoy our time outside of work.

Princess Twin Cinema will once again host the Bicycle Film Festival in May. JANSHER KHAN PHOTO

SPRING SEASON’S ECLIPSES

COSMIC RELIEF

ELFIE KALFAKIS COLUMNIST

Eclipses occur during full and new moons when the Earth casts a shadow on the full moon in a lunar eclipse and the moon intercepts the light of the sun in a solar eclipse.

Astrologically, eclipses speak to our destiny and karmic story. Every year, we go through what astrologers call an eclipse season, during which each new and full moon create a lunar and solar eclipse respectively. In 2022, we have two eclipse seasons, one beginning Apr. 30 and another in the fall.

Eclipses relate to geometric points along the elliptical orbit of the moon known as lunar nodes. These nodes align with different opposing signs on the zodiac, and this eclipse season they will be in the signs of Taurus and Scorpio.

What this means is during the spring eclipse season we will want to make changes in areas related to our values and possessions (Taurus) and our subconscious and sexual lives (Scorpio). Seemingly fateful events and unpredictable energy will put these parts of ourselves into question.

To help prepare for our first eclipse season this month, here is another cosmic playlist and some guidance based on your sun and rising sign.

ARIES

You’ll be speaking loudly this month, and receiving unexpected news relating to financial matters. It’s time to rely on your friends and community to help you make some decisions.

CANCER

There is a lot of focus on those around you and how they can help you get to where you want to be. Take this month to recuperate and revisit your options with some more sensitivity.

LIBRA

It’s time to tackle that to-do list and get into production mode. You can find help in the close partnerships you have, so don’t be afraid to ask for a helping hand.

TAURUS

Your career has been in focus over the last month, and it’s time to spread that energy into your community. Find those parts of you that are unique and meet people with some compassion.

LEO

It’s time to build a stronger relationship with your intuition this month. You’ll be feeling a lot more magnetic and empowered, so let your gut guide the way.

SCORPIO

You’ll be thrown for a bit of a loop with some information coming from different unexpected places. Indulge in some play this month; the stars are aligned for you to have some creative fun!

CAPRICORN

Expect some surprising and playful news coming your way this month. You will have lots of information to think about, so take this month to strategize your next steps.

AQUARIUS

You’ve been on a journey of selfdiscovery for some time, and it’s time to put those newfound parts of yourself into action. This will bring unexpected, yet heartwarming communication.

“Nightfall” by Kid Koala

“03.45 : No Sleep” by The Cardigans

“Mystery of Love” by Sufjan Stevens

“Time” by Tori Amos

“Dust in the Wind” by Kansas

“Karma Police” by Radiohead

“The Four Horsemen” by Aphrodite’s Child

“Everlasting Light” by The Black Keys

“Teeth Agape” by Tanya Tagaq

“Dancing Barefoot” by Patti Smith

“Child Psychology” by Black Box Recorder

“World Looking In” by Morcheeba

“Go Flex” by Post Malone

“The Other Side Of Paradise” by Glass Animals

“Take My Breath” by The Weeknd

“Past Lives” by BØRNS

“Always Together With You” by Spiritualized

“While We Wait” by Dominique Fils-Aimé

“Another Go Around” by Beach House

“Brain Damage” by Pink Floyd

“Eclipse” by Pink Floyd

GEMINI

You’re focusing on big goals this month, but under the surface you have lots of existential questions. By the end of the month, you will likely want to speak up about something important.

VIRGO

Expect some surprise news about new things to explore. Your to-do list is getting smaller, and it’s time to celebrate with those closest to you.

SAGITTARIUS

Unexpected news about your work life will have you forming some new partnerships. You’ll be craving some alone time in order to process some big changes.

PISCES

You’re feeling very energized and inspired. You’ve been trying to figure out something important, and this month will bring you an unexpected breakthrough.

ELFIE KALFAKIS GRAPHIC