WHY THE $10 MILLION: LOOKING AT THE POLICE BUDGET

GROWING LOCAL DEMAND FOR COSMETIC PROCEDURES LEADS TO MORE CLINICS

Sumiko Lui of Permanent Makeup & Aesthetics, said niche markets with human connections will survive for a long time. KATARINA WEX PHOTO

SHYENNE MACDONALD

CONTRIBUTOR

The year 2020 saw a Zoom boom—a distinct boom in the cosmetic procedure industry that was brought on by the 2020 quarantine. People were isolated at home and, whether they were working from home, taking leaves of absence or laid off, there were many Ontarians that went into the pandemic with lots of alone time and extra cash to spend.

People also had more time to look at themselves, decide what to change and heal from any procedures they chose to undergo. The top five procedures were breast augmentation, liposuction, rhinoplasty, eyelid surgery and facelifts.

While people were isolated and staring at themselves for several hours a day on video calls, mirrors and laptop screens they experienced Zoom fatigue—another new term introduced to modern vernacular on account of the pandemic.

Zoom fatigue is a reputed, alleged mental condition caused by the artificial connection created through Zoom, doubled by the constant exposure to one’s own reflection while also using social media.

Social media is directly correlated to body image issues. Before social media, in the ‘heroine chic’ era, it was tabloids and television peddling emaciated bodies to impressionable youth. In each generation, a new beauty standard to live up to is born.

However, the post-2020 quarantine influx of cosmetic surgeries was not a sustainable market. Instead, when Ontario began opening up again for the first time, facial procedures came into front-view and the beauty industry, rocked by the pandemic, had to adapt to the new demand. New aesthetic clinics and spas are opening up across Kitchener and Waterloo, two cities already growing at an exponential rate.

“Places that are so-so...when you have high fixed costs, and you have to close for indiscriminate periods of time, it really screws up a business’ cash flow…but now things are changing where we’re literally going to be living online…brands and salons that will survive have few things going on,” Sumiko Lui, an entrepreneur, makeup artist and aesthetician, said.

Lui has worked in the beauty industry for over ten years now, starting by herself. Now Lui works with Luxe Spa in uptown Waterloo as the premier lash technician in Waterloo.

“A lot of salons have gotten by not because they’re the best, but because they’re close or available. But the world is changing now. People, [consumers], are becoming more savvy. I have clients who comb through every single review, and will actually follow a Google review to the commenter, to check if it’s real,” she said.

“There are certain industries, unfortunately, that will probably completely disappear. But certain things that human beings truly cannot do for themselves, I call them high touch experiences, can never be touched by technology. Because people still crave connection. Even, I would say, my most introverted client still needs to connect to other people,” Lui said.

Facial procedures are an umbrella term for a variety of services that permanently or partially restructure or alter a person’s profile. From lip blush to botox, there is a vast array of services to choose from.

“Niche markets are going to be the only way you survive. In modern aesthetics, no one is going to trust the lady who does your waxing, your eyelash extensions and your hair and your nails. Everybody is going to want to go to someone who does one maybe two things extremely well,” explained Lui.

Many of the new beauty-based businesses in Waterloo specialize in one particular service. Lui suggests that this is the new path for aestheticians. Rather than being a jack-of-all-trades, the market demands a targeted service with an aesthetician that is an expert.

During the 2020 lockdown and the shorter ones that followed throughout the last two years, there has been a noted spike in the psychological condition body dysmorphic disorder (BDD).

BDD, loosely defined, is a condition in which a person obsesses over a perceived flaw, however minor. You fixate, intensely, on this perceived flaw and attempt to fix it through but, in the end, it’s impossible. In reality, there is no flaw, it was just your mind, but often people realize this far too late.

Common symptoms of BDD are compulsively checking oneself in the mirror, avoiding mirrors, constant exercising, constant grooming, feeling anxious or ashamed of one’s body and picking at skin.

Lui was transparent about the toll facial procedures can have on mental health but emphasized the importance of focusing on the selfcare side of cosmetics.

“[Perfection] is totally unachievable. I often say that 99 per cent of what you see on social media is fake. Not even 80 per cent or 85 per cent. There is nothing that’s real anymore,” Lui said.

“When we’re talking about investing in ourselves, I love taking the time to think and unplug. Because the reason it is extremely therapeutic is because we are constantly inundated with information. Especially with scrolling addiction. We’re addicted to consuming other people’s content.”

NEW TAX BENEFIT FOR LOCAL VACATIONS

ADRIAN QUIJANO

EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

The Waterloo Region tourism industry joins others across the province in welcoming Ontario’s 2022 Staycation Tax Incentive. This temporary tax credit aims to encourage families and individuals to explore the province, and aid the tourism and hospitality industry recover from the impact of COVID-19. Ontarians are eligible to claim the tax credit if they were an Ontario resident on Dec. 31, 2022. Eligible children are not entitled to claim the credit on their personal Income Tax and Benefit Return for 2022 but residents who do not have spouses or commonlaw partners are eligible to claim their own expenses for the credit.

For the 2022 tax year, Ontarians who vacation within the province may be eligible to receive a 20 per cent tax break. The Ontario Staycation Tax Credit allows for a 20 percent return on accommodation expenses. Individuals are eligible for up to $1,000 in total returns and $2,000 for families. The tax credit is estimated to provide $270 million in support of about 1.85 million Ontario families and individuals.

When all other conditions are met, residents are able to claim an accommodation for a single or multiple trips up to the maximum expense limit of $1,000 as an individual or $2,000 as a family, accommodations booked either directly with the provider or through an online third-party platform, the portion of an expense that is necessary to have access to the accommodation, and the accommodation portion of a tour package expense.

Minto Schneider, CEO of Explore Waterloo Region and has worked with the organization for nine years. She said that the organization has helped promote tourism with Tourism Industry of Canada and they want to encourage people to experience the outdoors and accommodations that Ontario has to offer.

“We have been running an explore more campaign, which encourages people to stay two nights, and when they do that they get a $100 gift card to spend in the region. Because of the recent restrictions we have put a pause on the campaign but will be reintroduced in March,” Schneider said.

“[Waterloo is] so well known for the universities and being a tech city, but there are so many other things to do. We have amazing nightlife, when it’s open, we’re surrounded by rural communities and farmland. We have so much to offer,” Schneider said.

Short-term accommodations generally do not include timeshare agreements or a stay on boats, trains, or other vehicles that can be self propelled. The tax credit only applies to leisure states between Jan. 1, 2022 and Dec. 31, 2022 regardless of the timing of payment for the accommodations. This credit does not apply to business travel.

In order for residents to claim the tax credit, accommodation receipts must be saved. The receipt must include the following information: the location of where you stayed, the amount, the tax paid, the date of stay, and the name of the payer.

The Waterloo Region Tourism industry has much to offer yearround, especially during the winter months. The Staycation tax benefit allows for credit on short-term and/ or camping accommodations. These include hotels, motels, resorts, cottages, and lodges. The tax credit applies to vacation stays between Jan. 1, 2022, and Dec.31, 2022, regardless of the timing of payment for the stays.

“At this time I would say skiing, tubing, skating. Anything outdoors is great! Also, the St. Jacob’s Market is a great place to go shopping,” Schneider said.

WRPS BUDGET INCREASES

ADRIAN QUIJANO

EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

On Dec. 15, 2021, the Region of Waterloo approved a $10 million dollar increase for the Waterloo Regional Police Service. (WRPS) The total budget for 2022 comes in at $195, 760, 656 according to CTV News Kitchener Videographer, Colten Wiens. This increase means it will cost the average homeowner in Waterloo an extra $27 in tax money per year. The new budget is $2.4 million less than WRPS’s first proposal, which was initially $12.4 million for 2022. Chief of Police, Bryan Larkin stated this money was mainly meant to hire 35 new officers. The Region of Waterloo approved its 2022 budget on Dec. 15, 2021.

WRPS and the Region of Waterloo have made certain information packages on the matter publicly accessible. The Waterloo Regional Police Service, alongside all other police services in Ontario, must abide by the Ministry of Solicitor General Police Standards Manual. According to these guidelines, the manual is meant to help municipalities and police services understand how to follow the Act and Regulations.

In the Region of Waterloo, the police officer rate per 100,000 population in 2019 was down to 131, a decrease of one per cent compared to the 2018 rate. This is below the national and provincial rates of 183 and 174 respectively. The WRPS has regularly reported police officers to population rates that are lower than the national average.

In 2019, Waterloo Region had the lowest police officer-to-population rate since 2003 when there were 129.9 officers per 100,000, according to Statistics Canada.

On average, there has been an increase of citizen-generated calls from 2010 to 2019, which include: unwanted persons, driving complaints, disputes, disturbances, domestic disputes, suspicious persons, suspicious vehicles and mental health-related calls for service The WRPS created a presentation outlining where the 2020 budget was going and what the proposed 2021 budget increase would go towards. According to this presentation; 99 per cent of the WRPS’s budget must be focused on the following requirements under the Police Services Act: law enforcement (76 per cent), administration and infrastructure (21 per cent), and Emergency and Public Order (two per cent). In 2020, the WRPS’s Ten-Year Capital Budget Forecast was reviewed and approved. This forecast included planned capital improvements or “lifecycle replacement” on existing facilities. As stated in the outline for the 2021 budget increase, most of the money (70 percent) is set to be used for facility additions and renovations.

Additionally, in 2021, the WRPS launched its “Path Forward” project. Its main goal was to restructure the Investigative Services Division. This included intimate partners violence, special victims, youth protection, cybercrime, drug interdiction, firearm violence, gang and hate crime intervention and a continued focus supporting victims of property and financial crime. According to the WRPS’ 2021 proposed budget, their main priorities for the year included the Path Forward project, as well as adhering to the Community Safety and Policing Act.

According to the letter, the primary focus of “Path Forward” is addressing systemic racism within policing as well as advancing equity, inclusion, and diversity within the police system. The “Path Forward” project comes in alongside the WRPS’ Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) unit. This special unit launched in 2012 and includes police and civilian members from a variety of backgrounds.

Correspondingly, the proposed budget increase was brought to the Waterloo Finance Committee on Jan. 12, 2021. In a letter written to Waterloo Region Chair, Karen Redman from Chief of Police, Bryan Larkin, Larkin wrote:

“Although the financial crisis, social unrest, and the continued impact of the global pandemic has created unprecedented challenges, it has also provided an opportunity for the Police Service to continue to reimagine the future of policing as well as accelerate innovation and learning while continuing self-reflection.”

In the midst of the continuously uncertain environment Waterloo finds itself in, it seems that this budget increase can cause a volley of questions rather than simple answers for the average Waterloo citizen. The Community Edition staff tried to reach out to the WRPS for quotes, but they have opted not to comment.

It is unclear where the $10 million dollar increase comes from and exactly what the numbers presented to council by the WRPS mean for the region. It is also unclear whether the WRPS will be implementing any meaningful changes to their work.

ReAllocate WR is a collective that has been advocating for reinvesting police funds in services dedicated to community care for marginalized peoples. Both Reallocate WR and GroundUp WR teamed up in Nov. 2021 to try and stop the WRPS Budget increase. The two organizations called for the council to meet its commitment to spend $250,000 on facilitating community conversations and then creating action plans for a police-free community care model.

Amy Smoke (they/them) works as the co-founder of Land Back Camp, a member of the Anti-Racism Advisory Working Group for WR, and a grassroots organizer of rallies. They have lived in the Waterloo community for 46 years.

“As an Indigenous person with a criminal record, I am hyper aware of their [the Police’s] presence, their violence, and their tactics in all the spaces I’m in,” Smoke said. On Nov. 28, 2021, Smoke was a part of the protest against the clearing of a housing encampment in Kitchener. They, alongside many other concerned citizens, spoke out against the criminalization of homelessness and the force which the Waterloo Regional Police service used to clear the camp. During this protest, Smoke was one of the many demonstrators who spoke out against the police budget increase.

“These [police] 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 militariazed state violence against people who are just trying to survive on these lands,” Smoke said.

LOCAL CINEMAS SHOW RESILIENCE

CARE LUCAS

CONTRIBUTOR

For two years, local cinemas adapted to everchanging restrictions and public health guidelines, showing resilience and strength through the pandemic. For John Tutt, owner of Princess Cinemas in Waterloo, the provincial restrictions were welcome.

“It kind of made it easier for us as a business because then we had parameters to operate that the public knew about and could feel safe about,” Tutt said.

As of Mar. 1 however, those mandates are beginning to ease. The Ontario government is eliminating the vaccine passport mandate, providing individual businesses the autonomy to continue requiring two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine at their own discretion.

Princess Cinemas has opted to stop checking for proof of vaccines—a decision Tutt said was based around trusting the advice of government officials who have been guiding public health protocol throughout the pandemic. “I’m sure they don’t just pull those numbers out of their hat,” Tutt said. “That’s what they’re doing full time. I run a theatre full-time, right? So, we really lean on them to help us through this.” Tutt also credited Kitchener-Waterloo’s high vaccination rate and the ability to safely socially distance at their cinemas for helping to create a safe environment. Apollo Cinema, however, is not yet prepared to drop the vaccine passport. The cinema recently announced they will continue practicing public health measures despite the removal of the provincial mandate. “We…decided for the safety and comfort of both of our guests and staff that we will continue to require proof of two doses against COVID-19, for the foreseeable future,” Cara Watson, general manager and director of operations at Apollo Cinema, said.

“We didn’t want to put an end date on that, because things have been going back and forth for the past two years,” she said.

It’s a move that Watson said has received overwhelmingly positive feedback from the Kitchener-Waterloo community.

Watson understands not everyone might be ready to return to the movies just yet.

Apollo Cinema will still serve popcorn to anyone who wants to avoid a large crowd and pick up a snack between 7:15 - 9:00 P.M. They will also be hosting additional mystery movie nights both live at the cinema and for those interested in purchasing their mystery movie boxes to take home.

Tutt said he did not feel qualified to determine a future date to lift restrictions around the vaccine passport outside of the provincial mandates lifting on Mar. 1.

“I wouldn’t want to rely on the whims of me. I wouldn’t want me to be the decider. I’d have much more faith in Dr. Wong, Dr. Tam and everybody that works with the numbers and case limits. It just makes sense. We’ve done it for two years,” he said.

He added that a lot of Princess Cinemas guests are regulars so there is an additional level of comfort already. Both businesses are excited to be open to the public again and hopeful that this time, they will remain open for good.

In March, Princess Cinemas is featuring Rock This Town, a locally produced one-hour film that will dive into KW’s unbelievable rock music history and look at the many rock legends who have passed through our region.

In April, Princess Cinemas will also host the three-day Bicycle Film Festival, a presentation with King Street Cycle, the Uptown Waterloo BIA, The City of Waterloo, Waterloo Region and bicycle advocacy groups.

Apollo Cinema will be screening Cats where folks can sing-along and shout at the screen while simultaneously taking in a show from Vixens and Tease Burlesque.

Watson understands not everyone might be ready to return to the movies just yet.

Apollo Cinema will still serve popcorn to anyone who wants to avoid a large crowd and pick up a snack between 7:15-9:00 P.M. They will also be hosting additional mystery movie nights both live at the cinema and for those interested in purchasing their mystery movie boxes to take home.

THE BINGSU BRIGHTENS WATERLOO WITH REFRESHING DESSERTS

WORDS BY ADRIAN QUIJANO, PHOTOS BY KATARINA WEX

The Bingsu is one of Uptown Waterloo’s newest additions to its restaurant roster. It offers classic hot and cold Korean desserts and bubble tea. It is the City of Waterloo’s first Korean bingsu speciality dessert cafe, and has been family owned and operated. General and social media manager Hanna found the first few months of their opening enjoyable despite many hardships along the way.

“We opened up just at the end of October last year. There was a lot of rain, snow and, of course, the COVID-19 restrictions,” Hanna said.

However, the Bingsu has made a successful debut on the food scene despite the many challenges.

For the uninitiated, a Bingsu is a Korean shaved ice dessert with sweet toppings that sometimes include chopped fruit, condensed milk, fruit syrup and red beans. Historically natural ice was used as the dessert base but later artificial ice was produced and high-quality sweeteners were more commonplace.

“We draw from our Korean background, the bingsu itself is a very popular Korean dessert, surprisingly there’s not a lot of shops in Waterloo that does them,” Hanna said.

The Bingsu boasts a variety of bingsus, herbal teas, and bubble teas on their menu. The 6 different varieties offered at the restaurant stray from the traditional flavour of Patbingsu, a rendition of the desert adorned with red beans and condensed milk.

“My favourite one is the injeolmi bingsu. It has a roasted soybean powder, and it has red bean paste on top of it, and it has little pieces of rice cake, and ice cream. It’s my go-to Bingsu for when I’m away,” Hanna said.

The family’s goal at The Bingsu is to share their Korean heritage and cuisine with as many folks in Waterloo as possible. Since the first cafe in Korea started serving bingsus in 1946, the dessert has slowly gained popularity in the West.

The popular Korean street dessert called a ‘croffle,’ so named because it is a cross between a croissant and a waffle, has started to gain traction at The Bingsu as well. The restaurant’s goal is to introduce traditional Korean flavours like red beans, rice cakes called tteok and ground nut powders to the region. Dessert conceptualization also takes cues from their diverse staff, who make menu suggestions based on dishes from their cultures as well.

“We are seeing a lot of school clubs wanting to collaborate with us, and so we want to be more engaged with the community. Finding better ways to let people know about our store,” Hanna said.

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RETRO VIDEO GAME SWAP MEET REDUX

KURTIS RIDEOUT EXPLORES THE PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE OF GAMING IN KW

Zack Schaff er and Rui Couto met at a video game swap meet in Waterloo a little over 10 years ago. Schaff er was vending–he has an unbelievable collection of Nintendo games and memorabilia–and Rui had his eyes on a copy of Pokémon Red. “I really like your beard,” Schaff er off ered from across the table, breaking the ice. “I’ll give you a discount if you buy it.” About a month later, the two would reconnect by chance via an exchange on Kijiji. Schaff er was selling a copy of Wild Guns for Super Nintendo. “I’ll never sell this game because of the memory behind it,” Couto stated with pride as he slid the game out of his bag, handing it to Schaff er. Schaff er laughed and then the two grinned in unison. Both Schaff er and Couto are avid collectors, with Schaff er specializing in Super Nintendo and Couto leaning towards NES games. As he explained further, he pulled out an authenticated test market copy of Super Mario Bros.

“I’m a few years older than Zack, so I focus on Nintendo Entertainment System [games],” he said. Couto also has an extensive collection of comic books, including an original copy of “Superman” No. 1. Together, Schaff er and Couto have spent the last ten years traveling around southern Ontario and sometimes beyond in search of new ways to expand their respective collections. Along the way they have made many connections and built a community around their shared passions for collecting and, of course, video games.

The duo will share a full circle moment when they host their very own game swap meet at the place where it all began, the St. George Banquet Hall. Zack & Rui's Excellent Retro Video Games and Comic Books Swap Meet Extravaganza is set to take place on April 17 and will coincide with several events at local businesses around Uptown Waterloo and Downtown Kitchener.

“It wasn’t a crazy revelation, Zack and I connected over games years ago and it’s something that keeps us together,” Couto said.

The idea for the swap meet came about organically; both Shaff er and Couto concluded that KW was the hub for retro video game swap meets for several years. The student population and the booming tech sector have always meant that there were plenty of unique and rare items up for grabs.

Schaff er and Couto hope to tap into both of those markets and once again bring people from the community out to connect over video games and collectibles.

In the past couple of years, we’ve seen a lot of people pick up the controller to help pass the time.

According to Statista, the global increase in time spent playing video games during the pandemic amounts to 39 per cent. Alongside this rise, many will also point out that contemporary and mainstream gaming platforms have leaned increasingly towards profi t models that are tied to gaming as a service.

It’s safe to say that if you are playing video games in the year 2022 you fall in one of two camps: you game online with your friends a few nights a week, or you just drove into a suburban neighbourhood to buy a copy of Midnight Club Los Angeles off of a 15 year old that you met on Facebook Marketplace.

Schaff er and Couto will look to tap the latter group over the former, but both emphasized the diversity of the gaming community and the importance of engaging people in a variety of ways.

There will also be prizes given away, events tied in with local arcades in the community, and a gaming tournament for those who lean more towards playing games than collecting them.

The duo aim to make the event as wide reaching as possible using their local connections.

According to Allister Scorgie, director of Sport Hosting at Explore Waterloo Region, the gaming community in Waterloo is one that is expansive, diverse and at times loose knit.

“It’s astounding to see the growth in the last 20 years, and I think with COVID and everyone being stuck at home, that has certainly accelerated that and amplifi ed it,” Scorgie said, describing how the tourism department shifted their focus to eSports in 2020.

Scorgie’s team began off ering eSports camps as a way to safely engage gamers in the region during the COVID-19 pandemic. While events are currently formatted to prioritize remote access, Scorgie said that his team is eager to hit the ground in Waterloo when they can safely do so.

“From a reach perspective, there is tons of value in doing things online and engaging with the community there,” Scorgie said. “But there is also value in doing things in person,” he said. “If we’re going to have hockey arenas and concert halls and parks—why not have something for gamers?”

“We want to do more things live, but virtual is always going to be there,” he added.

Although he was sparse with details, Scorgie also alluded to some projects that his team is currently supporting. A top priority among them is going to be the creation of venues and more spaces tailored towards gaming in the region.

“I can’t say where or when, or with who, but there is going to be a dedicated eSports venue in Waterloo [soon] and that’s super exciting,” Scorgie said.

While Scorgie’s team is focused on developing opportunities related to eSports and gaming, he emphasized how accessibility and diversity are key factors in developing communities around gaming. As for the physical realm, Scorgie pointed out how things like couch co-op and video game collecting are bound to increase in popularity alongside other channels that are also popular in the gaming community.

“There are also all the spin off s, the chat groups on Discord and the communities built around gaming on YouTube, streaming, Twitch,” he said. “People getting together to watch people play video games, people talking about video games–It’s exploded, like skyrocketed.”

Scorgie’s observations touch a nerve. Gaming has become such a massive part of the entertainment industry and it’s increasingly hard to ignore.

For now, we don’t need to look any further than Zack, Rui, or local arcade bars like AOK and Pin Up Arcade for proof of concept. If you need any other evidence to help see the writing on the wall, you’ll just have to wait and see at this point. Time will tell.

Whether you are looking for a leisurely Mario Kart league to join, a copy of Bucky O’Hare and the Toad Wars to own, or you are trying to play League of Legends competitively, the gaming community in Waterloo Region is increasingly diverse and growing at a fast rate.

Your turn to hold the controller may be much closer than you anticipated.

QUEER VIDEO GAMES NEED TO LEVEL UP

QUEER SPACE

ALISTER E. COLUMNIST

Now that video games are a significantly more mainstream art form, there is a much higher demand for representation of marginalized groups. Despite queer people being more accepted now than any other time this century, we still have a long way to go, and modern media reflects that. While queerness is more represented than ever, it still has some serious problems.

Take the poor representation in Fire Emblem Three Houses. The options for women-loving-women (W/W) relationships are actually quite solid, and work really well specifically for Edelgard, the main female character, but the male side is abysmal.

Despite technically having only three options for men-loving-men (M/M) relationships, which is already awfully low, only one is really a gay relationship, as the other two is more lifetime companions without romantic feelings.

While the downloadable content (DLC) would add two more M/M characters, that comes with its own host of problems, and still means the queer representation in this game is awful. Other than the previously mentioned Edelgard and a few others, none of the characters even imply they’re bisexual. They’re simply given a same sex relationship because the game needs to check a box and never mention being into the same sex otherwise. The characters’ queerness being treated as an afterthought or easter egg, is all too common in gaming. We deserve a major improvement.

Asexual people also seriously lack representation. Even outside of gaming, it’s hard to name any asexual characters other than Todd Chaves, Jughead Jones and Spongebob. None of the listed characters originate in a video game.

For casual gamers, it would be impossible to name a confirmed asexual character originating from a video game. For someone much more into games like myself, I can only mention Parvati from The Outer Worlds. While there can be subtextual evidence suggesting a number of characters to be ace, these hints are few and far between. This reflects how society at large still kind of overlooks asexual people.

Because of society’s unwillingness to educate people about anything queer, it’s common for media and art to pick up the slack. When groups still go unrepresented, it becomes much harder for people who are part of that group to even understand what they are, and to belong.

I know what it is like to be unaware of a crucial aspect about yourself, and feel isolated even when you find out can do serious damage. This feeling is suffocating. People don’t deserve to feel this way because they aren’t interested in sex with the ‘opposite’ gender.

That being said, there are some games that get it right.

Hades is a game starring the confirmed bisexual Zagreus making his way out of the underworld. Along the way, the player meets a ton of hot Greek gods that will ruin anyone attracted to two dimensional characters. Zagreus is able to hook up with two of them. The fearsome whip wielding Megara, and the literal god of death Thanatos.

So not only do we have a hot bisexual sub in Zagreus, but on top of that, he can also be in a polyamourous/open relationship with both Thanatos and Megara. Along with this, there are other characters that are queer, like Artemis, who is a lesbian.

The best part is that it isn’t an easter egg [a hidden aspect]. Unlike in Fire Emblem Three Houses, where the queerness of the characters is only really an afterthought that actively has to be willed into the character by the player, Artemis will talk multiple times about her attraction to women without the player’s interaction. Zagreus can hook up with Meg and Thanatos and no one bats an eye. Zagreus even goes so far as to joke about him being a sub for Megara in one of the boss fights.

Queer representation like this, where it’s an aspect that you cannot ignore of the character.

This piece does not do a full deepdive into the actual quality of the representation we do get, or how a lot of it still isn’t very good, or the lack of pansexual, trans and non-binary representation, but that could be a whole other article or two.

For players looking for quality queer representation, I suggest you go play Hades because it’s amazing. It does a great job of showing that queer people are people, and are just as normal and everyday as any cishet person.

It’s time that people acknowledge that.

Later Daters is another Queer and Trans Inclusive Video Game KATARINA WEX PHOTO

PRINCESS CINEMAS SCREEN SLASHED

CARE LUCAS

CONTRIBUTOR

On Feb. 23, two individuals entered Princess Cinemas in plain sight. Soon after, the pair was seen damaging one of the screens in the theatre before quickly exiting the premises. Princess Cinemas was one of three independent cinemas the suspects vandalised that day, during a string of incidents that is now being investigated by police.

Initial reports circulating online suggested the incidents could be a social media stunt, as one of the suspects in the video appeared to be filming the event on a cellphone. Other reports suggested the incident might be racially motivated.

John Tutt, owner of Princess Cinemas said Halton Regional Police and Waterloo Regional Police Services are now investigating a different motive.

Tutt said there was however, one common thread between all three cinemas-—all theatres were showing a movie that has a possible turf war over its distribution.

“We didn’t know that there was sort of this backroom turf war between film distributors in the Toronto market,” Tutt said.

Similar incidents have plagued movie theatres in Ontario for several years. Although this is the first time such an incident has occurred at an independent cinema in KW, it is becoming an ongoing trend in the GTA.

“Let’s say one distributor doesn’t like another distributor. And he or she sees that distributors’ films are starting to make rounds in theatres and getting bookings for private events. And then the one distributor sends out [people to damage] the screens in advance of those films playing in specific theatres,” Tutt said.

The goal of rival distributors is to directly sabotage another distributor’s ticket sales and success by forcing cinemas to cancel the screenings of their film.

“It’s a very, very competitive industry,” Tutt added.

The vandalism is just another setback for the cinema following months of lockdowns and restrictions that have impacted their business.

Unfortunately, the damages were not covered by insurance and will cost Princess Cinemas thousands of dollars in repairs. The screen was temporarily repaired, but Tutt admitted it was not a perfect solution, referencing visible bubbles on its surface.

Princess Cinemas has already ordered a new screen which will be installed imminently.

Despite the challenge the situation has posed, Tutt said the outpouring of community support has been overwhelming.

There is now a GoFundMe raising money to cover the cost of the screen.

Tutt said the uptown Waterloo wine bar Babylon Sisters has also offered to host a live concert with proceeds going towards the replacement screen.