The Community Edition: December 2021

INSIDE

Correction to Volume 10, Issue 2

On page 2, Nick Stanley is credited for the cover, but the photographer was actually Matthew Viveen.

On page 4 in the article titled, Regional Hydro Companies Will Merge, the CEOs of the two companies are attributed incorrectly. Rene Gatien was named the CEO Kitchener-Wilmot Hydro when he is, in fact, the CEO of Waterloo North Hydro. Likewise, Jerry Van Ooteghem is actually the CEO of Kitchener-Wilmot Hydro.

The following attribution should have been included with the article by insideWaterloo on page 13 titled, Training Won’t Save Black People in Crisis: Solutions Journalism Reporting bursaries are supported by Journalists for Human Rights and the Solutions Journalism Network and made possible by funding from the McConnell Foundation.

This story was funded through the Solutions Journalism and Journalists for Human Rights program, ‘Strengthening Media in Canada through a Rights-Based Solutions Approach.’

17 19 18 18 DECEMBER EVENTS LISTINGS

SPENDING THE HOLIDAYS IN WR NOVEL IDEAS FOR LAST MINUTE GIFTS COSMIC RELIEF: RESOLVING 2021 WITH JUPITER

Schott Matthew Viveen

Care Lucas Matt Smith

Splitt

Stronge Mariana Bilbao

Wex

Behzad

Sageman Marinus de Groot

MacDonald

Stimpson

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EDITOR’S

HARLEEN KAUR DHILLON

NEWS IN BRIEF

NEW STUDENT RESTRICTIONS

According to a letter sent to parents and students, Choice Properties REIT has indicated that as of Nov. 22 students that enter the plaza will be asked to leave. The Waterloo Region District School Board did not provide further information as to why these restrictions were put in place.

DOORLESS WASHROOMS

A few secondary schools located in Waterloo Region have decided to remove washroom entry doors due to what they described as “public health concerns around congregating.” This decision caused some outrage amoungst parents over the concern of student privacy.

SOLIDARITY WITH WET’SUWET’EN

Supporters of the Wet’suwet’en defenders rallied in Waterloo Public Square this past Nov. 24 Those at the rally say they are supporting the more than 30 people who were arrested defending against the construction. Rallies similar to this have been happening across Canada.

REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT

The Immigration Partnership Council is developing a refugee task force in order to oversee resettlement efforts in the Waterloo Region. Reception House and YMCA Immigrant Services are collobarating with the council in order to ensure specific needs are met by the development of the task force.

ANALYST PREDICTS DROP IN GAS PRICE

Dan McTeague, President of Canadians for Affordable Energy, predicts that there will be a an 11 cent per litre drop in gas prices from Nov. 28 onwards throughout Waterloo Region. Since the first week of October 2021 consumers around the region have seen an average price per litre upwards of $1.47 and $1.50.

REGION’S TALLEST MENORAH LIT

Nov. 29 brought the first public Hanukkah event in Waterloo Region in 2 years. Rabbi Moshe Goldman had the honour of heading the event to celebrate the first night of Hanukkah. He was joined by residents and community leaders for traditional food, dreidels, songs as well as candles.

THE STONES UNZIP AT THEMUSEUM

The UNZIPPED exhibition at THEMUSEUM is officially open to the public. The first international Stones exhibit has previously touched down in cities around the globe include the United States, Europe and Asia. Guests can explore the influence and storied past of one of the worlds most iconic rock bands.

TORONTO OR BUSSED

Local Harshita Mistry is organizing a petition to get a direct bus route from Waterloo to Toronto. Mistry has requested a route from the University of Waterloo. This comes as a reaction to the one year mark since Greyhound stopped providing a direct route to from Waterloo to Toronto.

WRPS ASK FOR $12 MILLION INCREASE

Police Chief Bryan Larkin asked regional council members to increase police budget to a total of $197 million citing an unprecedented increase in organized and violent crime in the region. Local groups such as Reallocate WR have called for a zero per cent increase. The budget is set to be approved on Dec. 15.

We don’t really celebrate Christmas.

Occassionally there will be a party we’re invited to and sometimes we host guests and last year I had my own friends over to my house. But generally speaking, we don’t celebrate Christmas.

What I think is important is being happy in other people’s happiness as well.

Seeing Christmas trees and menorahs and lights and all the beautiful decorations is heartwarming. I know we say this season is dark and dreary and cold—which is true, but I would argue that that’s not the nature of the season.

There are certain aspects of the season that we generally agree are dreary, such as slush or gray skies. However, they exist as they are but they are not inherently dreary or cheerful or anything. The world just is, we just perceive it in different ways.

Which is to say, what the world is actually like doesn’t matter as much as how we perceive it. And I think this is helpful because it helps me get out of my head.

Since only my perception matters, I can minimize the importance I attribute to things that make me sad or irritated and amplify the meaning

I attribute to the things that make me feel better. For example, I think slush is disgusting so I focus instead on leafless trees with branches lined with snow.

I mean, I still look out for the slush so I don’t slip. But you get the point.

The same is true for the holidays.

Although I don’t celebrate any holidays in December and although any New Year’s celebration usually means more work for me, I can choose to be happy that other people are celebrating. I can choose to be happy that other people are happy.

I know this doesn’t always work, no plan is foolproof. The winter months also bring seasonal affective disorder or, as we like to call it, the big SAD. There may also be other reasons to be down, maybe something is happening in your life or the world just sucks. Either way, an underlying sadness can be mitigated with the choice to include smaller happy things in your consciousness. It’s helpful in getting out of your head for just a bit.

This year, I will try to celebrate Christmas, mostly because I like getting presents. My given and my chosen family will both be gathered and we will give gifts and make lots of food and try this new hot chocolate recipe I found on TikTok.

It’s gonna be great.

I’ll also be participating in Secret Santa for the second time ever—I mean, it’s a work thing but it’s still pretty exciting.

In conclusion, I appreciate that there is joy in the world. I like that it is being expressed so openly and we definitely need a moment of respite after the crazy year of openings and closing and protests and anti-vaxxers and all around wild things we’ve had.

I appreciate that there is joy in the world and that it is more readily available. Although I have nothing to celebrate this month, I will participate in others’ celebrations.

And you’re always welcome to celebrate mine.

Bad Egg performs at the first Punk Rock Flea Market in person. JACKSON SCHOTT PHOTO

COVOX DIGITAL INCUBATOR MOTIVATES COLLABORATORS

the Arts to create the COVOX Digital Incubator.

ALEX KINSELLA STAFF WRITER

On July 29, Waterloo-based Inter Arts Matrix announced a $462,700 grant from the Canada Council for

The first-of-its-kind incubator is working with six regional arts organizations to design and stage interdisciplinary productions that they hope will increase the awareness of the regional arts scene.

Inter Arts Matrix partnered with five regional artistic organizations for the incubator—NUMUS Concerts, Open Ears Festival of New Music and

Sound, MT Space, Neruda Productions and Studio D20 Women’s Media Arts Collective—to offer space and mentorship for the projects.

Sheila McMath, the Artistic Director for Inter Arts Matrix, said the incubator pairs an established and a younger artistic director to bring a project from concept to realization. The program was initially meant to be done in person. With COVID-19 restrictions, Inter Arts Matrix adapted

it to a mix of online and in-person.

McMath said the digital aspect of the projects is helping to build an audience before the performances or exhibitions are complete.

“We’ve learned that the integration of digital tools with all the projects means the divide between the audience and the creators is very different. We can have people involved in projects from the very early stages and there’s a community that’s building as these projects are incubating that wouldn’t have wouldn’t have necessarily happened if we’d been doing them solely inperson,” McMath said.

“When [COVID-19] hit, we had to rethink the whole project and think about there being a digital or online aspect to every incubated project,” she said.

Viktorija Kovac is an artistic director and founder of Cosmic Fishing Theatre. She has been involved with the incubator since the original discussions for the project in 2017. She said that the idea came out of a focus group conversation on what is possible—and what is needed—for the local arts community.

Kovac spent time in the Toronto theatre community and recognized that many people worked as artistic directors much earlier in their careers.

“I thought it was a very interesting aspect to the work as a whole, that we have people wearing their Artistic Director, but not necessarily developing the tools needed to really dive into that role and not creating enough space for them to try out some of their very bold visions and

interdisciplinary work,” Kovac said.

Kovac applied to the COVOX Digital Incubator and is planning an interdisciplinary performance of Nick Payne’s Constellations. The two-person play tells the story of the characters’ relationship as it plays out across the multiverse.The play has been performed in Canada but this will be the first Waterloo Region staging. It is a story that Kovac thinks has relevance today during the pandemic.

“We have these characters and we get to see snippets from these different worlds. I thought about being in this pandemic where we’re faced with considering deeply what our relationships are when we’ve been stripped away from being physically connected,” Kovac said.

McMath said the incubator is already forming new connections within the local art community. The six projects being incubated are learning from each other and the creators are building a community.

“We support each other and go to each other’s shows, but this is a new level of collaboration,” McMath said.

HOUSE OF FRIENDSHIP CLOSES TEMPORARILY

HOUSE OF FRIENDSHIP CLOSES FOR THE FIRST TIME IN ITS 82-YEAR HISTORY DUE TO AN INABILITY TO SECURE CAPITAL IN TIME

conditions, mental health issues, a criminal history, family breakdown/ conflict and physical health issues, or accessibility.

CARE LUCAS CONTRIBUTOR

On Nov. 30 House of Friendship temporarily closed the doors to its shelter for the first time in its 82-year history.

In a statement released Nov. 5, House of Friendship said they had found a new location for the shelter in the fall, but they were unable to secure the capital required from funders in time for the Nov. 30 deadline.

John Neufeld, executive director of House of Friendship, said the closure speaks to an increasing need for shelter care within our community that existed long before the pandemic..

“We still view ourselves as cute little Waterloo Region. But we’re in the same sentence for some factors of San [Francisco], Vancouver [and] Toronto, and we’ve gotten there very quickly,” he said.“With those realities, you’re going to have issues of homelessness also exploding.”

The need for shelter programs in the region has indeed increased since 2017. The 2021 Point in time count findings released by the Region of Waterloo revealed that 1,085 folks were experiencing some level of homelessness on Sept. 21 of this year.

Of those, 609 people responded to a survey in which 75 per cent reported experiencing homelessness for longer than six months. The respondents cited low income and high rental costs as two of the largest challenges to securing safe permanent housing. Other challenges cited included discrimination, poor housing

In addition to the economic factors, our region is facing a fatal opioid crisis that Neufeld referred to as a “poisoning crisis.”

There are many different reasons folks experience homelessness and Neufeld said that there is no solution that works for everyone. He applauded the regional organizations for outof-the-box thinking, referencing A Better Tent City, The Working Centre and OneRoof for their innovative approaches to shelter care.

“I think what we’re trying to do different in Waterloo Region through the shelter care model is to say, ‘let’s not just provide a roof over someone’s head…But let’s actually integrate healthcare, let’s actually get in those facilities, the pieces that will address their underlying issues of their homelessness’,”he said.

For now, the residents impacted by the Nov. 30 closure have been moved to temporary housing. House of Friendship continues to work closely with government funders to secure a new location, hopefully by February 2022.

Unfortunately, shelter programs are not always welcomed to the community with open arms. When A Better Tent City moved to their temporary location in Huron Park in June, neighbours voiced their concerns and frustrations online.

“It’s uncomfortable to think about for those of us who are fortunate to have a house or have that security, that a lot of people don’t. When they don’t, there’s some weird things that happen in the community. Like crime and theft and yet, it’s not comfortable. But what are we expecting when more

and more people are being pushed to the fringes,” Neufeld said.

Neufeld said he hopes the community can be drawn into the discussion more going forward.

“Let’s just invite the neighbours in, say, here’s what we’re doing. Here’s the challenge, things go sideways, call us, talk to us…that’s what I’m trying to push for,” he said. “It’s these larger economic forces that are bigger than any of us, and we’re just trying to address some of it.”

Waterloo Region’s 2021 Vital Signs Report, released by the KitchenerWaterloo Community Foundation listed possible solutions to tackle affordable housing in the region,

including lowering energy costs in rental units, investing in affordable housing initiatives, adding a tiny home or secondary suite to properties and advocating for more green spaces and access to transportation in lower income neighbourhoods around higher density areas.

Neufeld said there are lots of things we can be doing as a community to help. He recommended increasing your awareness by educating yourself around what’s happening in the community, advocating for portable and supportive housing in the region and getting involved by donating or volunteering with shelter providers if you’re able to.

“I’ve come to really appreciate understanding the bigger picture,” he said.

“It just fascinates me that every time I see these economic charts, and then I look at how many people …we fed in our food and program, how many people are homeless, like, there’s direct correlations between them. And they are connected, they do matter. They have any impact,” Neufeld said.

The House of Friendship is an important service for home-insecure people in the region but does not have a location for now.

MATT SMITH PHOTO

MATTHEW VIVEEN PHOTO

COMMUNITY PROTESTS ENCAMPMENT REMOVAL

the community in general.

to remove people from land they do not own.

HARLEEN KAUR DHILLON EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

On Friday, Nov. 26, a bulldozer took down a tent encampment on the corner of Charles St. E. and Stirling Ave. Jude Oudshoorn, a post-secondary educator in the region and member of ReallocateWR, helped organize a protest on Nov. 28 in support of the people that were forcibly removed.

“We need to increase opportunities for housing in this region. The housing is so unaffordable, and we need to be able to do something different...And the bigger picture is that we continue to overspend on police in this region. We’re continuing to punish our way of social problems and things are only going to get worse,” Oudshoorn said.

Around 30 people gathered on the street corner holding signs and listening to speakers from the community. They donated tents, sleeping bags, money and more.

Along with Laura Mae Lindo, MP of Kitchener Centre, and Amy Smoke from the Land Back Camp, there were members of other organizations and

“I spend so much of my time as an elected official talking about the importance of putting more love into the universe, of leading with love. That means treating every single person with love, care, compassion and recognizing their dignity,” Lindo said.

The group advocated leading with love and chanted “we love you!” for all the speakers. Natasha Joy, one of the attendees, said there was a need for more compassion in how people dealing with homelessness are treated. She attended the protest with her partner and two children.

“Our family is here to support the people that have been affected by this. It’s really sad that so many people can go home and sleep in a nice warm safe home and so many people don’t have that. It is affecting way too many people. It’s a sad thought to think that so many people are cold and hungry and alone, and that the city and the police has come in and have destroyed what little possessions they had,” Joy said.

For Smoke, the issue was greater than this one incident. They said reiterated Land Back Camp’s support for the displaced people and said that along with an issue of homelessness, this incident was a demonstration of sovereignty issues. In a country founded after forcibly removing Indigenous people, Canada continues

“Today for people who are being violently removed from their homes, Indigenous people are well aware of what that feels like. We are unsheltered, we are unhoused, on our own lands. The First People are being treated the same way. Governments will do that to you too. They will treat you like that too. They will change their minds,” Smoke said.

“These systems were built so that they can clear the lands for resource extraction and make everything real pretty for that status quo. We need to disrupt those systems. We need to stop allowing colonial enforcement and militarized state violence against people who are just trying to survive on these lands,” they said.

One of the speakers, identified only as Laura, had a son who was displaced from the encampment last week. She said there was a need for more drop-in services and supports for people.

“My son was removed from this encampment on Friday. I’m sure he had notice, but he had nowhere to go. The problem is not just housing, it’s the people with mental illness and addictions. They need more support and more drop-in centres where they are allowed to go regardless of behaviour. He’s not perfect but neither are the rest of us. He still deserves a warm place to be in a Canadian

winter,” she said. “There is no place for these people to go and stay warm and we need to fight for it. It could be us and it could be your child one day and it’s not easy.”

According to Rod Regier, Commissioner of Planning, Development and Legislative services, the encampment was set up and the end of September and removed after the region received public safety concerns including exposed sharps and proximity to a high school and a bus shelter.

Bruce Lackner, Chief Administrative Officer of the region, took full responsibility during a virtual council meeting on Monday.

“All residents deserved to be treated with respect and dignity,” said Bruce Lauckner. “On Friday we failed to do that. Seeing the images from Friday hit a lot of people hard. It hit me hard. This is not who we are,” he said.

Karen Redman, Regional Chair, told the Make Farwell Show on CityNews 570 that she found out about the encampment being removed from social media. She said an investigation will take place and finding shelter for people during the winter will be a priority for the council.

“We’re very lucky in our region that we have the talent and the know-how with our partners to meet the needs of homeless residents. We’ve always operated that we need to find them

shelter and the long-term goal will always be that everyone has a safe and stable place to call home,” she said.

With the provincial elections coming up in 2022, speakers urged attendees to think about who they will choose to lead them. Lindo said the priority should be to choose people that would use their power and privilege to lead communities with love and ensure the supports needed by the most marginalized sectors of our community are readily available.

“When the only option to ensure that community members are treated with love, care and dignity when we see an encampment is to call by-law, there’s a problem. We need to be able to rely on services, upstream supports—services that treat people with love and care, services that people have access to what they need. That’s who we have to be able to call...if we don’t have enough people to be able to provide them with care and support for those that are the most marginalized, then we are not electing the right people,” she said.

“We need to make sure that we use our power and our privilege and our voices to get more people that are willing to be courageous, to lead with love, to centre the most marginalized, to stand in the cold in order to ensure to ensure that other people have access to housing, to supports, to treatments, to whatever it is that they need to be able to thrive,” Lindo said.

CMW SUGGESTS CHANGES TO COMBAT HATE

Islamophobia in Canada.

record and report hate crimes.

RACHAEL MACINTOSH STAFF WRITER

The attack on a Muslim family that resulted in four deaths and one injured in June 2021 devastated London, Ontario and the surrounding communities.

This attack was the largest mass killing in London’s history but is one instance of a long-ongoing problem of Islamic hate crimes in Canada.

In response to this tragedy, a national summit on Islamophobia was held on July 22. The purpose of this summit was to provide a platform for Muslim organizations and communities to make recommendations for addressing

The CMW has published their own recommendations on addressing Islamophobia in Canada after July’s summit. The recommendations are the result of their years of formal and informal community consultation and a large community consultation on Muslim women’s needs assessment.

Items the Coalition of Muslim Women recommends include sections covering definition and focus, hate crimes and hate incidents, gendered islamophobia, education, policing, and housing.

One of the key concerns of the CMW is hate crime accountability units.

There are many barriers to accurately reporting a hate crime in Canada such as an individual’s willingness to pursue legal action based on factors like fear of police or the emotional toll of legal proceedings. However, a large issue is how law enforcement themselves

“[There are stories from the community saying ‘I called the police services for this, and they just said, oh this is… like, road rage, for example. Or neighbourhood dispute. Like, you know? It’s sort of an assault. But not a hate crime.’ Right away, at the beginning,” Mazhar said.

“There’s no exact sort of ‘hate crime’ in the Criminal Code of Canada. There’s nothing. Any crime can be a hate crime if it can be established that it was motivated by, or hate was an aggravating factor in the crime.”

The CMW has a third-party reporting system where hate crimes can be reported through channels including phone calls, text messages, and whatsapp. Through this system, the Coalition of Muslim Women provides mediation, counselling, and law enforcement liaison work on behalf of those who have experienced a hate crime.

“We have over 70 reports so far, and we have provided one-to-one support in different ways to just over 20 per cent of those more than 70 incidents. So it’s basically used and it’s getting more normal. One of the examples is when the duct taping incident happened at Alpine Public school, we received multiple calls from parents the same day. We had to call a meeting the same day, that afternoon,” Mazhar said.

Funding for this third-party reporting system will be expiring in April of 2022.

The Coalition of Muslim Women (CMW) was established in KitchenerWaterloo in 2010 by a group of racialized Muslim women. It addresses Islamophobia, particularly gendered Islamophobia.

The organization was created in response to Bill 94 in Quebec, a bill that would require anyone receiving public services to show their face,

targeting Muslim woman who wear niqabs.

“We call [Bill 94] a sort of grandfather of the secularism law that we have [today]. And many people say ‘call it grandmother’--I’m like, ‘No, no. Not grandmother. Grandfather.’ It’s very patriarchal in nature, so I’m not going to call it grandmother,” Fauzia Mazhar, Executive director and cofounder of CMW, said. “So, at the time, many of us here, Muslim women, we came together initially and we thought that this is not something that should be happening in Canada. Yes, it’s happening in Quebec, but it’s kind of setting the precedent.”

More information about the Coalition of Muslim Women and how to get involved can be found on their website.

HARLEEN KAUR DHILLON PHOTO

2021: ANOTHER YEAR OF COVID-19, SAD

JANUARY

1. Ontario’s record high COVID-19 case count of 3,363 infections in one day on Jan. 2.

2. Province-wide stay at home order is enacted, Waterloo Region has 518 active COVID-19 cases, the stay at home order does not stop case counts from climbing.

3. Federal government announces travellers of foreign flights must self isolate upon return and provide a negative COVID-19 PCR test, and self isolate for two weeks in a hotel. The cost to be covered out of pocket for travellers.

APRIL

1. On May 5, a petition started by local photographer Lindsay Coulter circulated the Waterloo Region, contending that small business in ontario was being unfairly targeted by COVID-19 lockdown measures. The petition garners more than 109,000 signatures.

1. On July 9, Dr. Hsiu-Li Wang reports that 72.2 per cent of regional COVID-19 cases were among unvaccinated people and 24.8 per cent of cases were recorded as partially vaccinated or not fully protected, as of May 1.

1. As of Feb. 1, the Waterloo Region has had 9536 cases, up from 6,189 at the beginning of January

2. Premier Doug Ford announces the emergency order will expire but the stay at home order would still be in place on Feb. 8.

3. On Feb. 11, the Doug Ford Government admits it failed to meet its long term care home vaccination target in January, and was mistaken in initially claiming it had.

4. The federal government approves the Astrazeneca vaccine for use on Feb. 29.

1. On Apr. 1, the total cases for Waterloo Region sits at 12,085 since the start of the pandemic, a rise of 1,241 cases since March, amongst rising cases, the province is shut down once more.

2. On Apr. 7, a state of emergency is declared for a third time, coupled with the provinces second stay at home order.

3. On Apr. 21, Waterloo region opens vaccinations for people who must leave home for work

4. On Apr. 29, Trinity Bible Chapel attendees are ticketed for violating the stay at home order and outdoor

gathering limits.

2. On May 11, Waterloo Region opened pre-registration for vaccines for anyone ages 12 and up. Of those eligible, 45 per cent received at least one dose. The Ontario Medical Association (OMA) declares it unsafe to lift lockdown restrictions citing the continuous rise of cases in Ontario

3. On May 18, Kitchener City Council member John Gazzola is corrected after calling those who receive the vaccine “Canadian guinea pigs”.

4. On May 20, restrictions on outdoor activities are lifted, allowing for 5 people to enjoy outdoor activities together.

5. On May 30, hundreds gathered for an open-air church service in Waterloo Public Square, led by pastors Jacob Reaume, Nate Wright, Aaron Rock and Michael Thiessen. At the time the church was facing more than 40 charges related to flouting lockdown rules.

2. Waterloo Region entered step 2 of the Roadmap To Reopen on Jul. 12 and step 3 on Jul.16 despite the high case count.

3. As of Jul. 14, a total of 18,058 cases

have been logged in the Waterloo Region.

JUNE

MARCH

1. On Mar. 1, 10,844 cases had been recorded in waterloo since the start of the pandemic.

2. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine is approved for use by Health Canada on Mar. 5.

3. The CBC reports that Waterloo has linked multiple cases to social gatherings, specifically at schools on Mar. 26.

4. The Astrazeneca vaccine is suspended for use on people under the age of 55 due to a rare blood clotting issue.

1. Stay at home order ends on June 2, but most restrictions remain in place until step one of the Reopening Ontario Roadmap is reached. Premier Doug Ford announces schools will remain closed for the remainder of the year.

2. A anti-lockdown rally in uptown Waterloo attracts the presence of Maxime Bernier, federal leader of the PPC party.

3. Ontario enters step 1 of the Roadmap To Reopen on, 3 days early, waterloo region re opens non essential businesses, along with restaurant patios, outdoor activity capacity limit raised to 10 people.

4. On Jun. 16, the Delta variant cases begin to rise in the waterloo region, residents are now able to book their second shots if they received their first shot on or before May 9.

5. Ontario enters step 2 of the Roadmap To Reopen on Jun. 30, a couple days early, the waterloo region remains in step one due to high case rates.

OCTOBER

SEPTEMBER

AUGUST

1. The Region of Waterloo reports a total of 18,424 cases as of Aug. 4.

2. The Ford government pauses further reopening under step 3 on Aug. 17, citing the rise in Delta variant cases.

1. On Sept. 1, it is announced that a vaccine certification system will be deployed in two phases and proof of vaccination will be required to enter non essential businesses like bars, gyms, and restaurants, beginning Sept. 22.

2. On Sept. 15, Lee Fairclough, president of St. Mary’s hospital, said hospitals are operating at high capacity due to employee retention issues and noted surgeries may need to be postponed or cancelled.

3. The vaccine passports first phase is enforced on Sept. 22 and the government announces people who have an allergic reaction to vaccine ingredients or experienced myocarditis or pericarditis after their first dose are exempt.

4. Waterloo Region’s fully vaccinated population reaches 82 per cent on Sept. 22.

1. On Oct. 11, local bars and venues were frustrated they are excluded from having capacity restrictions lifted, the provincial Ministry of Health responded saying it would work with businesses excluded from the lifted restrictions to adjust capacity limits appropriately.

2. On Oct. 14 a large crowd of protestors gather outside Grand River Hospital to protest the region’s health care worker vaccine mandate, following the suspension without pay of 200 health care workers from the region.

3. The second phase of the vaccine passport rolled out on Oct. 22, where a citizens phone uses a individualized QR code to provide proof of vaccination. On this day, the Ford government announces plans to lift restrictions in Ontario, beginning with capacity levels for non-essential businesses and capacity limits are lifted for restaurants and venues.

4. Close to 1,000 protestors gather in Uptown Waterloo to protest COVID-19 restrictions and vaccine mandates for healthcare workers on Oct. 24.

5. On Oct. 27 the region logs its 20,000th case.

1. Two officers of the Waterloo Region police are put on unpaid leave on Nov. 3 due to violation of COVID-19 policies. The force has higher than average vaccination rates.

2. As of Nov. 10, local hospitals note that 158 employees of over 7,900 employees would be terminated for not being vaccinated.

3. Thirteen outbreaks are recorded at different schools in Waterloo on Nov. 12.

4. There are 20,484 total cases logged in the region total as of Nov. 17.

GOOD FOOD, NATURAL WINE

Owned and operated by Lindsay Cameron, Goldie’s Convenience is a unique natural wine bar located in the heart of Downtown Kitchener at 98 Queen St. After facing many hurdles, the bar held its grand opening on Sept. 30.

Goldie’s has an always-changing list of natural wines, a massive availability of by-the-glass pours and small plates for nibbling too. Throughout the bar, there are also many local grocery items, Goldie’s merch, books and magazines, and non-alcoholic drink options available for purchase. The welcoming atmosphere is enhanced by plants scattered throughout the rooms with cozy seating nooks and a dreamlike colourscape.

Cameron is no stranger to food and wine and has over a decade of experience working in the hospitality industry in Kitchener-Waterloo and Toronto. She has known for a long time that opening a spot of her own would be a part of her future.

“I’ve known I wanted to open my own bar/restaurant since my first restaurant gig in 2011. I was in the Environmental Studies Faculty at the University of Waterloo and picked up some restaurant work to help pay for school. I was very quickly enamored by the hospitality industry and the beauty of it. Whether it’s helping people celebrate huge moments in

their lives, or simply being a reliable cozy spot to hangout, I knew this was it for me,” she said.

Throughout the next decade of working in different bar and restaurant environments, Cameron found natural wine and it became clear to her that the world of natural wine perfectly connected her passion for the environment and sustainability within the food and beverage industry.

A large part of creating a welcoming space is to have staff that embody the same principles and values, and are dedicated to ensuring guests always feel comfortable. Cameron is equally as ardent about ensuring that she shows up for her staff and takes care of them and their wellbeing.

“Goldie’s needed to be a place to access these amazing natural wines I had fallen in love with, but also a place to promote sustainability within the industry. Not only from an environmental standpoint, but for far too long hospitality workers have been underpaid, overworked and mistreated. This was not going to be the case at Goldie’s,” Cameron said.

The pandemic and lockdowns posed roadblocks for many business owners. Cameron learned quickly to adapt to this new reality, and continued moving forward despite the unknowns.

“[COVID-19] definitely slowed things

down for me. I was set to sign a lease right around the time things shut down. Instead, I waited and found another location once things started to open again, and began working on the new space. Unfortunately, every lockdown meant we weren’t able to move forward with the space, so it took much longer than I had planned,” she said.

Cameron has many aspirations for Goldie’s throughout the next while, with her biggest focus being to continue strengthening the connection Goldie’s has to its community.

“I hope that Goldie’s can be a reliable and safe place for the Downtown Kitchener community to both celebrate the big and enjoy the little things in life. A place to learn about natural wine, but also to have ongoing conversations about sustainability within the hospitality industry,” Cameron said.

Chat with Lindsay and her team at Goldie’s Mini Bar located at the Winter Artisan Market, held at The Kitchener Market on Dec. 11, 12, 18 and 19. Goldie’s is open from Tuesday to Thursday 4 p.m. to 12 a.m. and Friday to Saturday 2 p.m. to 12 a.m.

WORDS AND PHOTOS BY BREEN SPLITT

PEACE, JOY AND… HUGS?

SEXPLANATIONS

the alcohol we may be consuming, means there may be some unwanted touching going on.

STACEY JACOBS COLUMNIST

The holidays are fast approaching, and you may feel extra excitement at celebrating with friends and family you have not seen in almost two years! You may be planning parties, with lots of people and in all your eagerness you may have completely forgotten about social distancing, personal space, and asking before you give someone a hug.

Some of us may have enjoyed certain aspects of the pandemic. Staying home with a good book without having to make excuses, removing people from our lives who we did not want there in the first place, and not hugging people when saying hello or good-bye.

The expectation to stay a safe distance from others means we may be out of the habit of asking for consent before touching someone. That combined with the joy and anticipation we are feeling to see friends and family again, as well as

It is important we take a moment, set some intentions around consensual behaviour, and think about the nuances of consent. Power influences consent, and gender, race and age among others are often a factor.

A pillar of consent culture is autonomy—the freedom to make decisions, including decisions about your body, without any outside interference. This may sound simple, but it is often complicated to put into practice. It challenges us to think about the power dynamics of our relationships and consider others rights, needs and wants, as well as our own.

In what situations and with who, do we have more or less power? Are we asking people we have power over to do things they don’t want to do and putting them into positions where they feel they cannot say no? If they do say no will there be consequences?

What might those consequences be?

For example, adults almost always have more power than children. Are we expecting children to hug us? Are we even asking? Children also have the right to bodily autonomy and for their health and safety they should grow up

feeling they can control who touches them and how. They need to be able to say no and adults need to respect this the first time they say it.

We all need to respect “no” the first time we hear it. We need to stop pushing people to change their minds. This wears people down and takes away their autonomy. It is not consent when you are forced to give in. Are we asking for a hug as we lean in or are we respecting personal space and asking from 6 feet away? How are we asking?

Is it phrased in a way that allows people to decline without feeling guilty, embarrassed, or rude?

I know I used the example of a hug but please consider consent in all your interactions.

Happy Holidays, and I hope the season brings you joy and (consensual) hugs.

GUELPH’S ALTER EAT-O BRINGS QUALITY KETO

ALEX KINSELLA CONTRIBUTOR

Serving the growing demand for keto diet-friendly foods is the mission of Guelph-based Alter Eat-o. The shop produces and sells bread, pizza crusts, desserts, and other specialty items.

The keto diet focuses on eating highfat, low-carbohydrate foods and is said to force the body to burn fat instead of carbohydrates. The diet is prescribed for children with severe epilepsy.

Located on Garibaldi Street in Guelph, Alter Eat-o is operated by sisters Leslie Lang and Molly Hutchinson. Lang is the founder and Head Culinarian, while Hutchinson is Alter Eat-o’s Head of Public Relations

Development.

The duo were raised in Kitchener and were inspired by the local food shops that were part of their childhood in downtown Kitchener. Hutchinson said that the food-forward community in Kitchener was part of why they developed an early love for experimenting with ingredients and techniques.

“We grew up in an urban community in Kitchener. We were drawn to the idea of being the type of business that’s integrated into the landscape of a community. We looked at some places in strip malls and other locations. But we kept coming back to our current location because it had such a nice community feel to it,” Hutchinson said.

Lang said that their mother was curious about different cuisines and encouraged them to try new things.

“We were never the standard kitchen or standard menu family that would have basic meals. We were always experimenting and mom would

always be looking for new flavors and taste fusions. That’s where Molly and I got, not only love of food, but our confidence to experiment in the kitchen and just say, hey, let’s try these flavor combinations and see what happens,” Lang said.

In addition to the local food scene, the duo found guidance for their business at the Kitchener Public Library (KPL). While in their 20s, the sisters decided to start a company based on their love of food and experimentation. They took courses at the KPL that helped them begin the process of founding their own business.

Hutchinson moved to Alaska, while Lang married and moved to Edmonton, but their love of food would bring them back together on their business idea.

“About three or four years ago, we simultaneously, without each other knowing, started a keto-friendly lifestyle. We happened to be chatting

about that one day and I started to think that this could be it,” Lang said.

Lang began the keto diet for its health benefits, while Hutchinson adopted the diet based on the recommendation of her naturopathic oncologist after being diagnosed with breast cancer. Both found that many of their favourite foods didn’t have keto-friendly options so they began experimenting in their own kitchens.

“Ultimately, for me, the diet was about how I felt and that I got to eat amazing food. I didn’t feel deprived, but then I also knew I wanted to look at how I could take some of those higher carb foods like lasagna and bread and chocolates and make them keto friendly,” Lang said.

In 2019, Lang opened Alter Eat-o in Milton, and the business grew quickly.

Hutchinson joined Lang shortly after and the two soon moved to Guelph.

The move to Guelph provided the business with dedicated space rather than a shared facility. The location

is also centrally located to serve customers in the Greater Toronto Area, Waterloo Region, and Wellington County.

Today, Alter Eat-o offers in-store shopping at their Guelph location and deliveries across Waterloo Region. While they have business goals of signing distribution deals with small food retailers and restaurants, their focus is still on making keto-friendly food that tastes amazing.

“The best compliment we get is when someone tastes something that we’ve made and looks at us like, ‘this can’t be keto’,” Lang said.

For more information, visit altereato. ca.

Although we come together in the holidays, consent before touching is important.

NICK STANLEY PHOTO

KITCHENER SISTERS OPEN UP NEW RESTAURANT LOCATED IN GUELPH OFFERING A CREATIVE SPIN ON KETO FAVOURITES

Sisters Leslie Lang (left) and Molly Hutchinson (right) experiment with foods to make delicious, keto-friendly creations. Both began keto-friendly diets independently and came together to found Alter Eat-o. MATTHEW VIVEEN PHOTO

WINTER WONDERS IN WATERLOO

PHOTOS OF WATERLOO'S LIGHT INSTALLATIONS BY JACKSON SCHOTT & KATARINA WEX, LAYOUT BY KURTIS RIDEOUT

HOME IS SOMEWHERE CLOSE

When I finish writing this I will probably grab some food and then stop by my childhood home and take things in one last time. My parents lived in that same house for the last two decades.

By the time that this is published I will be situated a few hours north of Waterloo in a small town near Grand Bend. I am going there to help my parents unpack their belongings and move some couches around. All that fun stuff.

In what seems like an instant, the place where I built my identity will change hands from my parents to a set of brothers who intend to split the house in half and make use of the convenient seperate entranceways. The place that I have always called home will become a touchstone for new memories that I can sadly not claim as my own.

Damn, here come the waterworks. We really put off these kinds of feelings because it hurts to dwell, especially when not much can be done to soften the blow. My parents swiftly sold their house a couple of months ago and at that point we agreed that we wouldn’t get worked up about

things before we had to. Let’s make it an elusive thought, if we can.

As sad as change can feel, change offers us at the very least a new perspective. A new way to look at the world and the life we have made and the friends that surround us. A new way to look at the community that shapes our values and our instincts and our taste in post-modern literature.

Suffice to say that a lot has changed in the past couple of years, but let’s spare the details.

Seeing your childhood home change hands stirs up some weird feelings. I am grateful for the stability reflected by my experience but then I sort of crumble at the thought of someone else calling this really personal space home.

Making an effort to challenge these pervasive reocurring thoughts is as exhausting as locating the meaningful in the mundane. But reflecting on what really matters helps you identify a path forward.

And here we go...this rumination was not supposed to be cheesy. That was the simple request I recieved right before I started to write.

But it’s all about the right ratio on the right pizza from the right restaurant. Cheese has its place, you know, just like the rest of us—and here is the part where I say it, “My place is KW.”

Quit while you’re ahead.

There is a scene in the movie Joe Dirt where an ancillary character tells Joe that home is where you make it. This is straightforward, corny, but it does apply here very well. To elaborate on that, home is not a phyiscal space but instead a feeling evoked under the right circumstances.

At the core of every “home” is a community. A family. A group of people who put their differences aside and bond over something that is sacred and intimate.

The prompt that started this article was, “what did we learn in 2021.” I can’t speak for this publication at large but I’ve learned that community is crucial. Because after my parents move away and I can no longer return to my childhood haunt, I know that there is at least one chosen place that I can go back to. A place that has welcomed me with open arms and helped make the person that I am.

That was cheesy.

It is only more fitting that you are reading this under the banner of The Community Edition. When I moved first moved to Waterloo, it was this publication that taught me more about the city I would soon endearingly refer to as my home. It opened doors to new places and gave me connections to people I would not have met under other circumstances. Ultimately, The Community Edition helped me cultivate the sense of belonging and understanding that I carry with me to this day.

I can now see that path forward in the faces of my friends and my coworkers and my colleagues and all of the other connections I’ve been able to foster in this beautifully flawed community.

I can’t wait until my parents get settled in so that I can bug them and raid their cupboards and scare them with hyperbolic bullshit. But when it’s time to leave, to go back home, I know the destination. The same way that Google Maps does.

I CHOSE TO SURVIVE

BY SHYENNE MACDONALD

Trigger warning: rape, sexual assault, trauma

Anyone else just absolutely obsessed with the Netflix series BoJack Horseman? The show about a talking horse, but he’s sad? Think Eeyore if he was on cocaine.

There’s a line from it that I can’t get out of my head: “Life is a bitter, nasty slog, mein herr; why not sell your sadness as a brand?”

I adore the idea of selling trauma. Slicing it away piece by piece like it’s a cherry pie. As if laying your skeletons bare for the world to see ever alleviated the burden of their care.

In fact, I loved the idea so much that three years ago I wrote an article for The Cord, Laurier’s school newspaper, called “Learning to Trust After Trauma”. It was my attempt to process a sexual assault I had gone through when I was 15.

Before I say anything else, I want to clarify: I do not blame myself for being raped. I used to and there are dark days, when I want to hurt my own feelings, that I still do. I blame myself for my naivety, for not being able to fight back.

But I know enough now to understand that you can’t really blame a girl for losing a game she didn’t even know she was playing.

That girl above has no idea what’s going to happen. She doesn’t know about all the ways a man can humiliate a woman. When she’s raped, she won’t know what to do, so she locks it away. Until I wrote that article, back in 2018, I never acknowledged what had happened to me. A little secret, between him and I alone.

However—and I think a lot of the others who have chosen to stay silent will agree—the shame that’s born from the secret is a poison you force yourself to swallow daily.

For years I was alone in my terror. Because of my silence I was locked away in that room with him. When I wrote that article, I thought I was freeing myself. But all I ended up doing was drawing back the curtains. I was now exposed, humiliated and ashamed.

If you’re wondering if I handled that well, the answer is a resounding no. The word I would use to describe the three years that followed is ‘catastrophic’.

After the article, I dropped out of university and did a quick and easy spiral into addiction. Despite this, I have no regrets about writing it. It was the first step in reclaiming a voice I thought had died in that room.

Besides, it was during the fight out of those ruins that I finally began to learn.

As it turns out, shouting to the world ‘I’m a victim’ did not fill me with the strength #METOO seemed to suggest it would. Despite the support I had from my family and peers (support which I willfully ignored), there was no feeling of empowerment. When I looked in the mirror all I saw was his victim. I wasn’t the girl who survived, I was the girl who couldn’t get back up. The girl who froze.

Except now, everyone in my life knew too.

This is what I didn’t know at the time, that I wish I had: you have to choose to be the survivor. Even if everyone else is calling you one, you have to choose to survive. Survival is a choice. It is all a choice.

I may not have chosen to be raped but I sure as hell chose to stay down. I checked out of this world. I didn’t make plans for my future because I didn’t care if I had one. My last ten years were largely spent in my room, barely going to classes, barely seeing my friends, barely participating in life.

Because I had internalized the belief that I’m prey and that I’m weak, I became a perpetual victim. There was a spider’s web in my mind of what I couldn’t do entrapping me, all because I was still stuck in the shame of being the victim.

By 2020 I had drunk myself into poverty. It was just a couple of years prior when I was on the precipice of greatness, but now I was teetering at the edge of the abyss.

Defeated and losing my mind at 23, I moved in with my brother (my eternal knight in shining armor) and was finally able to look within and face my demons.

Maybe it was the steady stream of Jocko and Jim Rohn, or the country air, or all the stories of everyone else hitting rock bottom. But something must have sunk in eventually because there has been a change in my thinking.

That change just might be me finally growing up and learning accountability. I will never have full control over my life, nobody does. You make plans and the universe laughs. But what I do have, what I’ll always have, is full control over how I react.

These are words, I realize, my father has been telling me since I was a little girl.

I remember a conversation I had with a friend after the article was published. She went through a similar

experience in high school, silence and all. I said to her, “I would rather die than be raped again”—death over humiliation. Because truthfully, that’s always been what bothered me most. My body being taken from me, like I’m just a thing. To be treated and used as if you’re not even a human is something nobody should ever have to endure.

She disagreed with my plea for death, telling me that it’s not right to think like that. She pointed out that we were both still alive, we both survived. I couldn’t argue but couldn’t agree either. I was so lost in my victimhood that I couldn’t see what she was saying: thinking the way I thought isn’t just a slight to those who didn’t survive, it’s a promise that if there’s a next time, you won’t either. It was me surrendering to my fear before the battle even started.

This is the tricky thing of accountability. It doesn’t necessarily fix the fear. I still live with it, the fear of being raped again. I’m a woman, I’ll live with that threat until I’m old enough to be considered invisible. But what accountability gives me is a chance for control.

At 15 I didn’t know about the threat of assault, but I certainly do now. I know the threat is there so now it’s my responsibility to protect myself, it’s time to learn some self-defense.

At 22 I never thought I could become an alcoholic. Now at 25 it’s my responsibility to see that my penchant for addiction will control my life if I let it.

At 35, I know I’m going to look back and laugh at all I can’t yet see. Life has many lessons to teach me still.

All of this terrifies me, but it’s not enough to just be scared. Holding myself accountable means it’s time to do something. It’s time to stop letting fear control me.

One of our greatest gifts as humans is that we get to learn from our mistakes. My gravest mistake was to believe for one moment that he destroyed me. He doesn’t get to be that. He doesn’t have that kind of power, he never did.

Why is it that the most painful truths are always the most liberating? I destroyed myself. I ruined myself.

But the best part is this: I get to rebuild myself. I get to save myself.

Shyenne in Dec. 2011 (left) a few months prior to the assault and now (right). SHYENNE MACDONALD PHOTOS

PEACE STAGE BRINGS ART TO THE PEOPLE

serving in the region as a presenter of music, dance, drama, and literary and visual arts from around the world.

MARINUS DE GROOT CONTRIBUTOR

On Friday, Nov. 12, the Peace Stage began an inaugural run as part of an unprecedented initiative called The Kindness Project. Isabel Cisterna, founder of Neruda Arts, said the aim is to bring professional art to neighbourhoods, making it accessible for a wider audience, including children.

“[It’s] so that kids can come out and see something spectacular…It doesn’t have to be music. It can be theatre, it can be puppetry, it can be poetry, it can be anything. That’s the beauty of this trailer, right?,” she said.

The project had a stage that could be transported around the region and included Laurier’s library and Community Music program as well as Quarry, the St. Jacobs communications company associated with the Heart Beats Hate movement.

House of Friendship helped arrange the nine-stop itinerary, including Emmanuel Day Care Centre in Waterloo, Hats Off in Cambridge, Extend-A-Family, along with the Chandler Mowat and Victoria Hills community centres in Kitchener.

Neruda Arts is in its 20th year

The organization took lessons learned from dealing with the challenges related to COVID-19 and made some fundamental changes to its operations, which are now based in St. Jacobs.

[IT’S] SO THAT KIDS CAN COME OUT AND SEE SOMETHING SPECTACULAR

that many artists facing barriers were still left.

So they hit upon the idea of building the Neruda Arts Peace Stage, a mobile performing arts presentation platform that can be taken anywhere including villages, neighbourhoods, schools, retirement homes, parks, parking lots and driveways.

Sandra Dunn, a blacksmith from Two Smiths in Bridgeport, was part of the planning and construction process. People were invited to contribute through a modest online fundraising campaign. By the fall, it was built, paid for and ready.

The project went into the communities bearing gifts of music and encouraging words to families as they came out to receive holiday hampers as the dark days of the year set in.

Tamara Menon, acting artistic director of Neruda Arts, said in a public announcement last summer that they started focusing on supporting artists as best they could.

“We shifted our focus to support the artists in a way that is best achieved, at this time, through social media… [and we] equipped an audio/visual studio called Sound on Sound (SOS), where we have the tools to further the careers of local musicians and more,” the announcement said.

And yet, the Neruda team was aware

“The Kindness Project has taught us many lessons. Children take to kindness like bears to honey, in a natural way. Adults required more understanding but once they were open to receiving, they enjoyed the experience and told us that their hearts needed it more than they had imagined,” Cisterna said.

“We had a very successful first run. Let’s hope for more art, more kindness and more community building in the future,” she said.

H. TOOTH COLUMNIST

Because of Fear (2021) is the third full-length offering from Acid Damage. The artist takes a uniquely deliberate approach in constructing ambient compositions. Employing the methods of noise and drone composers alike, Acid Damage bares a cinematic beast of writhing horror using minimal instrumentation and processing.

A percussive, bellowing knot resonates a reductionist revelry for a dystopian hellscape. The low, intermittent chime is a bereft sirencall for a despondent populace. A scattered, John Carpenter-esque beat chain palpitates with the classic charm of early digital hardware sequencers. It plays behind a growing, embryonic haze of symbolic optimism as the innocence of discovery begins to

shine through a dismal cloak. We hear the uncorrupted song of a piano, its major keys progress to align us with a hopeful sentiment. While delicately placed notes ring justly into creation, a dissonance seeps into the stronghold of forgiving melodies. From hopefulness, a jaded neutrality is born. A growling, formidable drone consumes our soundscape with a gust of pitch-bent modulation. A heavily distorted synth takes the form of a seething wind. The erratic buzz of overloading circuits dissolves as a quiet threat crawls from the sleep of uncertainty, undetected.

Because of Fear imposes a lapse into the unnerving depths of introspection. While fit to serve as the score to a claustrophobic dream, the album lends a harsh light to the corruptible and brutish state of our current reality. Because of Fear does not endeavour to philosophize, though its animosity may leave listeners contemplating their baser selves.

Associated Acts: Hungry for Vladimir Genres: Dark-Ambient, Noise, Drone, Post-Industrial, Soundtrack, Score, Instrumental, Soundscape

CISTERNA, FOUNDER

Neruda Arts’ Peace Stage aims to make art more accessible to community members. CARLOS PORADA, NERUDA ARTS CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

PUNK ROCK FLEA MARKET RETURNS

Robinson said.

Robinson handled the recruitment and booking for vendors while Wappler worked with Zack Schaffer to book the venue and Christ Walton helped oversee the event altogether.

Things Boutique, was another vendor who was able to participate in the market. Palarca’s shop specializes in animals skulls, bones, insects, specimens and taxidermy.

ADRIAN QUIJANO EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

On Saturday, Nov. 6, Grand River’s punk scene saw the triumphant return of punk music and culture. The Rhythm and Brews dining room was packed to the brim with local punk vendors carrying an assortment of items including animal skulls, retro video games, pins, buttons, t-shirts, and belts for The Punk Flea Market.

There was also a large selection of local punk and alternative bands playing throughout the day. Patrons were able to shop around while listening to their favourite local music.

Stacie Robinson and Kyle Wappler, alongside a team of fellow alternative music enthusiasts, worked tirelessly to ensure a smooth event. This was the first punk event that Robinson and Wappler worked on together.

“My favourite part was seeing all of the familiar faces again and seeing and meeting new vendors. We actually have had many new vendors this time—about 10 or 11. We had five vendors return that vended at markets before. [Also] It was so fun closing out the event with my partner, Chris,”

Development of the Punk Flea Market at Cambridge began in June when capacity restrictions were being lifted and was initially an outdoor event. The bar rail was adorned with old tickets from classic shows like the Rolling Stones and Triumph. All patrons and participants were abuzz with excitement with coming back to the live music scene after almost 2 years. Although folks seemed to be carefree, Robinson and her team made sure that participants were also being safe.

“The venue capacity was 200, so with COVID-19, we were pretty careful to stay in that capacity. We were trying to test the waters with the way COVID-19 restrictions have been,” Robinson said.

“I’m scared, and also tentative. There’s the fear but also it’s nice to reconnect,” Breila Rose, owner of Burnt Toast Creations, said. “[It’s] awesome and beautiful, especially because the punk scene is unifying. But also it’s hard to meet new people.” Rose’s booth was filled with items created from natural and recycled materials. With the help of her partner Mack they were able to create a booth that was filled with unique punk merchandise.

Crystal Palarca, owner of Dead

“[It] feels awesome, it’s nice to be at a live show and it’s great to have a space here with people like me. I still wanna do markets, [but] because of COVID-19, I started doing art and being on Etsy, it can only go up from here for me!” Palarca said.

Robinson and Palarca will be hosting a Krampus market at the Red Chevron in Guelph, on Dec. 18 at 1:30 p.m.

Em Cunningham of Hush Puppy Designs was an excited member of the vendor roster. Her shop specialized in original art prints, accessories, portraits, and logo designs.

“I do a lot of different markets, this one is my favorite because people don’t just come to shop, they come to support local music. It’s nice to see people doing their thing and talking to each other. The Human communication is so important, and I want to keep participating in events like this and making more connections locally,” Cunningham said.

The excited faces behind masks of staff, vendors, and patrons alike adorned the restaurant like flashing bulbs of light and hope. The market was welcomed readily and the return for the alternative music community in Waterloo Region was highly anticipated.

AUTHENTIC SELF AWAITS

QUEER SPACE

that people can over identify with what they do (their jobs, hobbies, beliefs) rather than being who they are. Significant attachment to doing our lives can create significant identity crises when we stop doing those actions, especially when

BEN STIMPSON COLUMNIST

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused worldwide disruptions to how we relate to one another, and ultimately also our own selves. The long term impacts of this new normal will undoubtedly be felt for years to come. As we approach the two year mark of the start of the pandemic, I’d like to reflect back on how this moment in our history has impacted my relationship to my queer identity. I work as a therapist and the vast majority of my clients come to me with symptoms that all point to wanting a more authentic and intimate relationship with themselves. Many issues people face—be they emotional, physical, spiritual or psychological—can be traced back to their relationship with the self.

When I say self, I mean that essential core essence that no matter what version of us exists from moment to moment, it is still present. When we come into this life, we are bombarded by external messaging telling us who we should be or how we should act. When we step out of the restrictive boundaries society or our loved ones project onto us, we are often punished by others or ourselves. Oppression by society is an experience keenly understood by marginalized peoples, but what about the punishment we do to ourselves? In trying to align with social expectations, individuals can chase a socially acceptable vision of themselves, putting on a mask that can interfere with relationship to self. Likewise, I have also observed

I believe that the question of being versus doing is a poignant one for the queer community. Historically, so many queer identities have been defined by cis-straight society as the performance of actions which were outside of the norms of heteronormativity. As a protest against oppression, the expression of identity through performative action has been an important foundation in the emergence and exploration of deeper aspects of queer identity. Our community formed safe spaces where people could explore themselves and engage in the expressive rituals of the community. This all changed with the COVID-19 lockdowns. The lockdowns meant community spaces were closed, Pride parades were cancelled and meeting up was discouraged. The community had to move online, and this created opportunity but also major disruptions. Specifically, in not being able to gather in these spaces and do queer identity, how did we embody being queer? These lockdowns and the isolation really made me reevaluate how much emphasis I was putting on my doing rather than being—and I wasn’t the only one asking these questions. All my clients, no matter their identity, were grappling with the same existential questions.

My life is pretty queer involved: I work at a book shop where most of the staff are queer, get my hair cut by a queer barber, buy my coffee from a queer owned space, many of my clients are queer, and much of my recent reading material has been queer focused. I am privileged in this way, as these spaces still exist

for me to engage with. But am I queer because of these things? No, the authenticity of my queerness is no longer as a dependent on my performing my identity, as instead reminding myself of the innateness of this being for me rather than just the experience. The experience flows from the lenses my sexual orientation causes me to see the world in general and not just when I’m intimate with a partner or buying coffee at a queer coffee shop. If truth be told, I was starting to lose sight of that reality that my queer self is not demarcated from my British self or my therapist self; or my geek gaymer self and are all expressions of my essential self. This is what all of the parts of myself have in common—they are expressed but are not dependent on the expression. A big realization I came to was that for a long time I felt less-than-queer because I didn’t engage with the community through entering queer spaces. I was thrust right back to being that fourteen-year-old kid growing up in a small town and dreaming of Church Street in Toronto and living the fabulous gay life. So, to feel more secure in my identity, I went to queer spaces and engaged in doing rather than being because that made me feel more like I belonged. It took not having those spaces open to me to understand the unhealthy dynamic beneath the surface and to realize that queerness isn’t dependant on living the gay life, but is instead nourished by it.

Have you found yourself dealing with similar issues during this pandemic? Have you been struggling to express your queer self? I would like to give you some questions I found helpful to contemplate on your journey:

How does your queerness inform your other social identities?

In what ways do you embody your queerness already?

How does expression of queerness deepen your relationship to self?

In whats ways does it hinder your relationship to self?

If you could tell your younger self something, what would it be?

When you look in the mirror, what do you see?

Ben Stimpson (He/Him/They) is a queer-identified Kitchener area therapist, writer, teacher and workshop facilitator. His work focusses heavily on the intersection of personal narratives, identity and relationships. Alongside his therapy practice, Ben is a student at Waterloo; sells books at Words Worth Books Ltd,.; and serves as an educator on SPECTRUM’s Rainbow Diversity Training team. To find out more about Ben, please see his website: www. padukawellness.com.

WR RESIDENTS SPEAK ON SPENDING THEIR HOLIDAYS WITH CHOSEN FAMILIES

committed to one another in a way that is similar to what people expect from biological families,” Anonymous said.

holiday gatherings.

For anonymous, however, the holiday season is not always as joyous and hopeful.

For some folks, being with their given family can be extremely difficult during holiday celebrations. A given family can be biological but also the family that an individual grows up with.

Many choose to be with people who they consider family through friendships, romantic relationships, and general comradery. Regardless of one’s feelings, most agree that the holidays and winter months are made merry with other people.

On the other hand, an anonymous member of the Waterloo community provided a helpful glimpse into the nuances of the holidays spent with chosen family.

“To me, chosen family are people who go beyond the heteronormative definitions of friendship. My family is composed of some of my closest friends, but it’s also about being

Leanne Mendonsa, on the other hand, enjoyed spending Christmas with her family. Most holidays had been spent with friends since the start of their university career. For Mendonsa, being enrolled in university had forced them to learn how to celebrate the holidays without their given family.

“[Chosen family is] anyone who I love and holds a special place in my life, and that’s honestly most people I choose to be friends with. It’s people who I can be myself with, and people that I can truly see as family, in the sense of sticking things out through thick and thin, supporting, celebrating with, and living with, really,” Mendonsa said.

Because of the ever-changing nature of COVID-19 restrictions it can be hard for many to make holiday plans.

Although Ontario regulations have changed since last year, folks are holding their breath about another wave. However, despite the looming fear of the unknown, Mendonsa still makes plans for future Christmas and

“The holiday season has very mixed meanings for me. It’s a time for celebrating the people I have in my life now, while also mourning the people that I’ve lost. Overall, it ends up being a time for reflection.” anonymous said. This reflection also brings upon a hope for better days, and healing with the people that care for them most.

“This year, I’m hoping to spend more time around the holidays with the family members in my immediate social bubble, and then hopefully have a chance to get together with my other family over the season,” Anonymous said.

December brings the winter cold and snow as well as commercials with depictions of traditional nuclear families gathered around a table and celebrating jovially with one another.

However, this is not everyone’s reality. Keeping in mind that not everyone’s experience is the same keeps us grounded and makes us human.

This is where we explain what’s happening in a photo. PIXABAY CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

ADRIAN QUIJANO EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

TCE

LISTINGS EVENT

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 2 CHRISTKINDL MARKET ONLINE

Enjoy all of your local holiday shopping from the comforts of home with the virtual Christkindl Market!

This online market place will be held until Dec. 5 and includes 70 of your favourite local shops and artisans.

There’s officially no excuse to shop with overlord Bezos!

STRIP BY VICHAEL HO

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 3

INDIGENOUS ART MARKET KITCHENER FARMERS MARKET

Come and support Indigenous artists, crafters and vendors from all across Southwestern Ontario! There will be a variety of prints, paintings, beadwork, clothing and so much more to choose from. Bring cash and leave it with the vendors! All of it! Makers deserve your cash! Want cash? Become a maker.

Market •FREE • 3:00pm–9:00pm

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 4 ELMIRA SANTA CLAUS PARADE DOWNTOWN ELMIRA

The Kiwanis Club of Elmira is organizing the annual Santa Claus parade. People of all-ages are invited to celebrate the holiday festivities with their local community. Soak up even more Santa Claus by looking through the rest of these event listings. Man, that guy gets around!

Outdoors • FREE • 11:00am–12:00pm

MONDAY, DECEMBER 6

PARENT SUPPORT MEETING ONLINE

Families for Addiction Recovery is hosting an Online Parent Support Group that provides a safe space for parents. Discussion topics include finding practical strategies, support and sharing resources. This group is facilitated by a parent with lived experience.

Online • FREE • 7:00pm–8::30pm

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 7

LESLIE ODOM JR. CONCERT CENTRE IN THE SQUARE

Calling all “Hamilton” fans! The multitalented vocalist Leslie Odom Jr. will be performing at Kitchener’s own Centre in the Square. Tickets are on sale now, patrons are encouraged to get theirs while supplies last because these are likely to sell out pretty quickly.

Music $42 adv 8:00pm

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 10

CRAVING CONNECTION

VICTORIA PARK

For new parents who are looking to connect with members of their community, come out to this event being run by Breastfeeding Buddles of Waterloo Region. Participants are recommended to bring a blanket to sit on, as well as any toys/items that will keep babies occupied!

FREE • 11:00am–12:00pm

Outdoors

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 11

WINTRY CANDLELIT STROLL

SCHNEIDER HAUS

The Schneider Haus National Historic Site will be hosting a magical, candlelit evening outdoors! The night will be filled with musical entertainment, storytelling provided by Region of Waterloo Libraries and tales from Santa Claus himself! The event will be running until Dec. 18.

Outdoors • $10• 6:00pm–8:00pm

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 12

2SLGBTQ+ YOGA THE BRANCHES

The Branches Yoga studio will be hosting its monthly in-person beginner’s yoga. No previous experience required! This is a safe space where everyone and everybody is welcome. Visit their website thebranchesyoga.com to register and for location details.

Fitness • FREE • 7:30pm–8:30pm

MONDAY, DECEMBER 13

CHRISTMAS SIGN PAINTING CRAFTY CRYSTAL

This in-studio event will provide a space for folks to learn how to apply and paint stenciled sign designs. Participants will have their choice of stain colour and design upon registration. Don’t forget your creative brain! Maybe leave the eggnog at home though.

Crafts • $30 • 6:00pm–8:00pm

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 16

GUELPH SPARKLES IN THE PARK RIVERSIDE PARK

Join Guelph residents at Riverside Park to celebrate their 23rd annual Guelph Sparkles celebration. There will be a multitude of holiday lights for all to enjoy. And if that wasn’t enough to convince you to join, we heard that Santa is scheduled to visit, too! Damn, he’s all over the place this month, eh?

Outdoors • FREE• 5:30pm

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 18

SPECTRUM MINDFUL MOVEMENT COMMUNITY CENTRE

For folks who want to explore self-care and connection in the community look no further! Facilitator Joscelyn Guindon will be hosting this group for folks to explore movement and dance. You’ve found an avenue to connect with others in an open and meaningful way. Start now!

Fitness FREE 10:30am–11:30am

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 18

CP HOLIDAY TRAIN AT HOME ONLINE

Canadian Music Hall of Fame inductee Steven Page and The Strumbellas are leading an all-star cast of performers aboard the Holiday Train concert! CP will be donating $1.24 million to 198 food backs in communities across the country. Where’d they get the idea to do it on a train? We’re into it!

Online • FREE • 6:00 pm

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 18

KWANZAA PAPER KINARA WATERLOO PUBLIC LIBRARY

Children of all ages are welcome to make their own paper kinara as well as to light a “candle” for each day of Kwanzaa. Participants are able to pick up their kits at Waterloo Public Library from Dec. 18 to Dec. 24. Kwanzaa begins on Dec. 26 and ends with a communal feast called Karamu on Jan. 1.

MONDAY, DECEMBER 20

MAKE A SNOWBALL LAUNCHER WATERLOO PUBLIC LIBRARY

Children ages 9 to 12 are invited to come and learn how to make an amazing snowball launcher! Registrants will be able to pick up their supply kits at any Waterloo Public Library location one week before the event. Be careful out there now, snowballs usually spell trouble!

Crafts

2:30pm–3:30pm

MONDAY, DECEMBER 20

2SLGBTQ+ BOOK CLUB WATERLOO PUBLIC LIBRARY

Members of the queer and trans community are invited to hop online with Waterloo Public Library to discuss books by 2SLGBTQ+ authors and/or books that explore queer/trans experiences. December’s book of the month is called “I’m Afraid of Men” by Vivek Shraya.

Online FREE 7:00pm-8:00pm

NON TRADITIONAL GIFTS

INDIGENOUS ART

MADE WITH LOVE BY LORE

COVID-19 is soon turning two years old and it’s safe to say that it has taken a toll on everybody and teachers especially. They adapted in a way never seen before. Online curriculums, zoom calls, grabbing kids attention at a distance, keeping distances in the classroom, you name it!

This applies to many other professionals and loved ones in our lives and giving them a gift during this holiday season can be a way to recognize their hard work in a simple and thoughtful way. Of course, as always, while supporting small and local businesses that have adapted in an incredible way or have found other paths to rebuild their lives and start new businesses.

Looking to upgrade your gift giving game? Skip the mug, the candles and the lotion. Here is a list with ideas of gifts for teachers, coworkers, and friends.

I have to confess that this was my absolute favourite gift last year and our region is full of talented artists. My favourites are Luke Swinson and Alanah Jewell from Morning Star Designs but you can check a few of them at the biannual indigenous art market. (@iamkitchener)

SWEETS AND TREATS

You can’t go wrong with a few sweets and treats. Try “Chocolate Barrs’ Candies” in Stratford, the Stone Crock Bakery in St. Jacobs, Delighted Sweets and Treats, a local small business on instagram that makes exotic Brazilian sweets with vegan options or Sugar and Flame for handmade marshmallows with holiday flavours like eggnog or peppermint bark.

GIFT CARDS

These are always a win and no one can deny it! Why not make them local? I would highly recommend Play-aLatte with so many spending options inside.

I always turn to local small businesses to shop for personalized items. Think beyond the typical mug and go for a personalized ornament, a keychain, an advent bag with special messages. You can find them on instagram as @madewithlovebylore (and hopefully on Etsy soon).

BONUS

If you are looking for unique gifts and a whole experience buying them, I would highly recommend shopping at the Benjamin Tree Farm gift shop while enjoying a nice cup of hot apple cider or at Snyders Farm, inside their brand new Gift Barn or strolling down St Jacobs Village and its unique stores.

ADD THESE TO YOUR HOLIDAY TODO LIST

CENTRE IN THE SQUARE

MARIANA BILBAO CONTRIBUTOR

Looking to get into the holiday spirit? I can tell you there is no place for the grinches out there because no other region does Christmas better than the Waterloo Region!

There are events for every budget, from markets to plays to train rides, there is something for anyone looking for some festive entertainment.

If you keep an eye out, the region’s December calendar is looking busier and full of holiday events to help you enjoy local businesses, great food and entertainment with a local stamp!

This year, you can choose to give the most priceless and cherished gift: time spent together. After months of isola tion and online meetings, it is time to safely meet your friends and family in some local unique events.

CHRISKINDL MARKET

This city tradition is a must-visit and is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. Downtown Kitchener becomes an absolute winter wonderland with tons of local vendors, live music and so much more.

You can attend in person from Dec. 2 until Dec. 5 or all month long with online activities, like their advent calendar.

CAMBRIDGE CHRISTMAS MARKET

Just outside city hall, you’ll be able to enjoy a one day outdoor market in the beautiful city of Cambridge with live entertainment and food trucks.

Whether you decide to go with your family, your friends, on a date, with kids or even alone, The Centre In The Square has you covered! Ballets like Cinderella or the Nutcracker and live concerts take place in December.

SANTA’S MAGICAL CHRISTMAS ADVENTURE

You can choose a daylight or an evening experience and ride from St. Jacobs to Elmira and back in the most magical experience aboard a magical train ride in the Waterloo Central Railway.

WONDERS OF WINTER

Back again at Waterloo Park, over 100 colourful and fun displays. Grab a cup of your favourite warm beverage and enjoy the magical stroll in the park. Our favourite parts are the elf houses and the scenes inside.

CHRISTMAS ON THE FARM

Somehow Snyders Farm makes an outdoor Holiday event feel cosy. How? with pre-booked winter campfires, sweet treats from their bakery, the brand new Gift Barn and visits from Santa.

GIFT OF LIGHTS

A great way to hop on the holiday spirit and skip the cold walks in this drive thru experience for the whole family. Beautiful light displays with light tunnels, jumping reindeers, and a whole north city full of light and colour.

Despite the dreadful winter weather, Snyder’s farm is always a cozy spot

a weekend

from the city.

Online shopping is also available in the Online Market until Dec. 20.

MARIANA BILBAO CONTRIBUTOR

MARIANA BILBAO PHOTO

Support local makers cross stuff off your list all at the same time. MARIANA BILBAO PHOTO

RESOLVING 2021 WITH JUPITER

COSMIC RELIEF

ELFIE KALFAKIS COLUMNIST

The astrological wheel is an analogy for how we evolve as humans. As much as we each have our sun signs, if we dig a little deeper we can understand our astrological make up is actually a unique combination of interactions between planets and the zodiac signs.

The end of the year brings us to Sagittarius season. Sagittarius represents what we seek.

What more do we want to experience? Where can we gain those experiences?

As the sun travels through this sign in December, we are reflective of the year behind us, and can plan what we want to experience in the year ahead.

Sagittarius’ planetary ruler Jupiter is also changing signs this month. Jupiter changes signs every year, often being a good indicator of the astrological themes of the year to come. In 2021 Jupiter was in Aquarius and its major themes revolved around revolution, scientific innovation and humanitarianism. This year brought us the capitol riots of Jan.6, the Taliban capture of Kabul, the COVID-19 pandemic vaccination roll out and more conversations and initiatives towards the global climate crisis than years before.

In 2022—actually as of Dec. 28, 2021—Jupiter will be in the sign of Pisces. Collectively we will experience themes of surrender, idealism and magic. The coming year will ask us to inspire, create and have hope. Both collectively and personally we will see themes that may also relate to events of 2010 when Jupiter was last in Pisces. That year brought us the WikiLeaks scandal, the launch of Instagram, the Arab Spring, the BP oil spill and the end of the H1N1 pandemic as declared by the World Health Organisation. There perhaps will be themes of 2010 resolving themselves in the year to come.

Astrologically, the beginning of Capricorn season on Dec. 21, also the winter solstice, marks the birth of a new solar year. It has us wanting to set our goals for the cycle to come. So, here are some resolution prompts and another cosmic playlist so you can put a spell on 2022.

Sagittarius

What nurtures me? How can I create a better relationship with my intuition?

Capricorn

How can I better share my ideas? What information do I need to gather?

Aquarius

What do I want to invest my resources into? What do I value?

Pisces

What do I identify with? What is the most honest version of myself?

Aries

What do I believe in? What ideas am I willing to stand behind? What is my role in the collective?

Taurus

What does my community look like? Where can I make a difference?

Gemini

What do I want to accomplish? What does success mean to me?

Cancer

What do I need to learn more about? What philosophies can I explore?

Leo

What is beneath the surface? With whom can I share those intimate parts of myself?

Virgo

Who is in my circle? What partnerships would I like to cultivate?

Libra

How can I improve my routine? Where can I make healthier choices?

Scorpio

How can I create more space for play in my life? What brings me joy?

“Running Up That Hill” by Kate Bush

“Starlight” by Muse “Just Like Heaven” by The Cure

“Dreams Tonite” by Alvvays

“Jupiter” by Donna Missal

“Take My Soul” by Thievery Corporation

“Gold Fire” by Santigold

“Jina Muso” by Soungalo Coulibaly

“Canto de la Selva” by Porangui, Baptiste Sejourne

“Breathe” by Telepopmusic, Angela McCluskey

“Her & the Sea” by Clann

“Once Upon a Dream” by Invadable Harmony

“I Can See Clearly Now” by Johnny Nash scan me

ELFIE KALFAKIS GRAPHIC