The Community Edition: October 2015

VOLUME 4, ISSUE 1 • OCTOBER 2015

ELECTION 42

PAGES 8-10

THE JOURNEY TO HERE PAGES 4-5

HOP TO IT PAGE 16

MAKER EXPO PAGE 14

OCTOBER 2015 // @THECOMMUNITYED

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A LETTER FROM THE INCOMING EDITOR IN CHIEF

Volume 4, Issue 1 Next issue: November 4, 2015 75 University Ave. W Waterloo, ON N2L 3C5 519-884-0710 x3564 Advertising All advertising inquiries should be directed to Care Schummer at 519-884-0710 x3560 care.schummer@wlusp.com

THE COMMUNITY EDITION TEAM Editor in Chief Jesse Bauman jesse.bauman@wlusp.com Publisher Lakyn Barton lakyn.barton@wlusp.com

Distribution Manager & Senior Briefs Editor Alistair MacLellan Social Media Manager Megan Nourse

Photo Editor Matt Smith CONTRIBUTORS Natalee Blagden Elizabeth DiCesare Jennifer Freitas Carolyn Gray Dan Herman Stacey Jacobs WLUSP ADMINISTRATION President Executive Director Advertising Manager Treasurer Vice-Chair Director Director Director Director Director Corporate Secretary

Elizabeth McFaul Jon Spee Cathy MacLellan Jessica Pett Christina Proctor Dave Thomas Kurtis Thomas Bryan Stephens Lakyn Barton Care Schummer John Pehar Abdiasis Issa Thomas Lillo Rafey Sattar Fred Kuntz Angela Foster Gary Doyle Emily Crump

The Community Edition is an alternative monthly intended to engage and inform the community.

Started in 2012, the Community Edition is an editorially independent newspaper published by Wilfrid Laurier University Student Publications, Waterloo, a corporation without share capital. WLUSP is governed by its board of directors.

Opinions expressed within the Community Edition are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the editorial board, The Cord, WLUSP, WLU or Canweb Printing. All content appearing in the Community Edition bears the copyright expressly of their creator(s) and may not be used without written consent.

The Community Edition is created using Macintosh computers running Mac OS X Yosemite using Adobe Creative Cloud. Canon cameras are used for principal photography.

The Community Edition’s flag font is Lobster, an open source font created by HVD Fonts. We also use Brandon Grotesque and Petrona.

The Community Edition is a member of the Ontario Press Council, which is an independent ethical organization established to deal with editorial concerns. For additional information or to file a complaint, contact info@ontpress.com or call 416-340-1981.

The Community Edition circulates monthly. Normal circulation is 6,000. The Community Edition subscription rates are $20.00 per term for addresses within Canada.

Preamble to the Community Edition Constitution The Community Edition will keep faith with its readers by presenting news and expressions of opinions comprehensively, accurately and fairly. The Community Edition believes in a balanced and impartial presentation of all relevant facts in a news report, and of all substantial opinions in a matter of controversy.

The staff of the Community Edition shall uphold all commonly held ethical conventions of journalism. When an error of omission or of commission has occurred, that error shall be acknowledged promptly. When statements are made that are critical of an individual, or an organization, we shall give those affected the opportunity to reply at the earliest time possible. Ethical journalism requires impartiality, and consequently conflicts of interest and the appearance of conflicts of interest will be avoided by all staff. The only limits of any newspaper are those of the world around it, and so the Community Edition will attempt to cover its world with a special focus on the community of Waterloo Region. Ultimately, the Community Edition will be bound by neither philosophy nor geography in its mandate.

The Community Edition has an obligation to foster freedom of the press and freedom of speech. This obligation is best fulfilled when debate and dissent are encouraged, both in the internal workings of the paper, and through the Community Edition’s contact with the community. The Community Edition will always attempt to do what is right, with fear of neither repercussions, nor retaliation. The purpose of community press is to act as an agent of social awareness, and so shall conduct the affairs of our magazine.

MATT SMITH PHOTO EDITOR Dear Allison, Thank-you for all the work, love and caffeine you brought to the Community Edition this past year. We wouldn’t be where we are today without it, and you.

Sending positive vibes and peace signs, as you start another adventure, The TCE Team

FEATURE

8-9 UNKNOWN KNOWNS: TCE CHATS WITH THE REGION’S LESS FAMILIAR ELECTION 42 CANDIDATES 3 4 6 6 7 10 11 11 12 12 13 14 14 14 15 15 16

IN BRIEF WE ALL COME FROM SOMEWHERE INVEST IN AFFORDABLE HOUSING WR UNDER REVIEW: TAX CUTS!?

CULTURAL EXCHANGE 5.0 LOCAL PERSPECTIVES ON #ELXN42 UNBUILT WATERLOO REGION WHY YOUR VOTE COUNTS THE STRATEGIC VOTING APPROACH START UP WATCH IMPACT THEATRE SEXPLANATIONS: TRUFFLE BUTTER PURE AND LOCAL: ROSE WATER WEAR OUT THERE: FIRST GLANCE MERCURY CAFE REVIEW LISTINGS MAKING LOCAL BEER LOCAL

An independent community newspaper like this one can and should be many things: speaker of truth to power; teller of stories, big and small; and, through those and other functions, builder of community. As I step into Allison Leonard’s (metaphorically) large shoes, I aim to keep growing the Community Edition in all of those ways.

I hope also for your input, and participation. The Community Edition is a team of people who give a shit, and you would not have this fine paper in your hands without them. You would also look pretty silly, pretending to read an invisible newspaper.

We are by the community and for the community, which means we also need to be of the community. I am an upper-middle-class, straight white guy. Yeah, I know.

So please fill out our readership survey, found online at communityedition.ca, advertised also on page 13, and tell us what’s what. Whose voices are missing?

Whose stories aren’t being told?

Are we too soft on The Man? Too hard? Tell us in the survey, and you might win a piece of local art.

Or, join our team. We know you already give a shit.

Which brings me to my second point. I tend to think that culture is other people—what they make and do. Though it can be easier to see other people’s and group’s cultural practices than our own, we all come from somewhere, and we are all already part of this creative, culture-making process.

Some Canadians worry that theywe-have no real cultural identity.

Maybe, and maybe that’s a good thing. Culture happens when we tell our own stories, and no matter how hard The Man insists otherwise, they are all important.

So, you do stuff, and you have a history. Look around, and then pitch us a story. Or take a photograph. Or send us a letter.

Or just line your green bin with our pages.

Deal? Great. See you next month.

Jesse Bauman Editor in Chief

THIS ISSUE WAS POWERED BY NATALEE BLAGDEN SUFJAN STEVENS ELI’S HOPS

THANKS FOR MAKING COMMUNITY MEDIA POSSIBLE!

OCTOBER 2015 // COMMUNITYEDITION.CA

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IN BRIEF

ION tracks ready to be placed along King Street between Union and Victoria as the first phase of LRT starts to take shape. The construction has forced the Oktoberfest Parade, which takes place Thanksgiving Monday, to be re-routed to Weber Street. MATT SMITH PHOTO EDITOR.

Kitchener City Hall will show up on the small screen as a set for the NBC reboot Heroes Reborn. Filming took place this month, while the series premiered September 24. MATT SMITH PHOTO EDITOR.

NEWS

ARTS

URBAN

CANADIANS HEAD TO THE POLLS

EXHIBIT LOOKS BRIGHT

HOMETOWN HOCKEY IN DTK

The longest election in Canadian history culminates October 19 when citizens across the country head to the polls to vote in the 42nd Canadian General Election.

If you have not recieved your voter registration card in the mail you can register on the Elections Canada website. The deadline for registration is October 13 at 6 p.m.

THEMUSEUM will be launching Light Illuminated in partnership with UW’s student chapter of The Optical Society and other leaders in optics and photonics.

The exhibition, which opens October 15, celebrates light and light-based technologies. Go for the science, stay for the full scale laser maze.

The Canada-wide Hometown Hockey tour kicks off in Kitchener on October 9, in conjunction with Oktoberfest. Ron MacLean will host the two day event, which is capped by a performace by Canada’s Barenaked Ladies and an outdoor viewing party of an NHL game broadcast on Sunday October 11.

GET READY FOR OKTOBERFEST

GROWNUPS READ THINGS IN KW

RIDE AND SEEK BIKE HUNT

Kitchener-Waterloo’s 47th Oktoberfest offically kicks off Friday, October 9 at 11:15 in downtown Kitchener’s Carl Zehr Square.

North America’s largest Bavarian festival is expected to see over 700,000 vistors to the region.

Over the following nine days there will be over 40 family and cultural events and festhallen.

Interested in publicly reading any of your old book reports, poetry, diary entries or letters from camp? “Grownups Read Things They Wrote as Kids,” a live storytelling event broadcast on CBC radio, is coming to Kitchener October 25. Sign up at grownupsreadthingstheywroteaskids.com.

Tickets are $12.

Community Access Bikeshare and BikeKitchener are teaming up to host a bike scavenger hunt on October 18. Ride and Seek particpants will cycle around Kitchener-Waterloo, capturing photos of items on the scavenger hunt list. There are over $1000 worth of prizes. Register teams of two to four for free at eventbrite.ca.

DOGS STAY ON LEASHES IN PARKS

NIGHT\SHIFT HALLOWEEN

ROUNDABOUT READY

Dogs won’t be running free anytime soon as Waterloo City Councillors have opted to hold off on designating the park as a leash-free environment. They have chosen instead to research the proposal in 2016 as part of a greater city-wide strategy. Bechtel Park is currently Waterloo’s only leash-free dog park.

Kitchener’s nocturnal adventure festival, Night\Shift, marks the annual autumn time change by showcasing pop-up art, performances and “placehacking” all around the downtown core. This year the theme is “costuming the core,” coinciding with the event’s October 31 date, on Halloween night.

The first of 11 roundabouts being constructed on Cambridge’s Franklin Boulevard will open to traffic by the end of October. The project, budgeted at 25 million, began in May, and is being spilt into two phases in order to open the project to multiple bidders.

Round and round we go, but what does it all mean?

RESTAURANTS LAUNCH IN DTK

OCTOBER IS DELICIOUS

OKTOBERFEST PARADE DETOUR

Two new resturants are opening up in Kitchener’s downtown core.

The Berlin has been under renovation in what was formely The Ren at 41. Across the street, B @ THEMUSEUM will open October 9. The resturant will feature ten craft beers with an emphasis on local breweries.

Oktoberlicious is bringing Bavarian inspired prix fixe menus and beer pairings to restaurants across the region. Participants, in partnership with Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest, will be serving the various dishes till Sunday, October 18. Visit oktoberlicious. oktoberfest.ca for more details.

The Oktoberfest Parade will be taking a slight detour this year because of ION construction on King Street. On October 12, the revised route takes the parade from King and Cedar to Victoria where it will turn right to Weber and then head up Weber to Bridgeport.

The parade begins at 8:45 a.m.

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WE ALL COME FROM SOMEWHERE THIS REGION IS MADE UP OF PEOPLE FROM SOMEWHERE ELSE, NOT INCLUDING INDIGENOUS PEOPLES. WE ARRIVE HERE FOR DIFFERENT REASONS, BUT WE STAY AND THRIVE BECAUSE OF THE HOSPITALITY SHOWN TO US BY THOSE WHO CAME BEFORE.

CAROLYN GRAY CONTRIBUTOR “As a child in a time of war, when you hear your name you do not resist the call, you just go.” Rudi Okot shares these words at a bustling Kitchener Tim Hortons, nearly twenty years after he came to Canada as a refugee. In a few weeks Okot will cross the ocean again, this time in the other direction, to work with refugees in the Middle East.

The United Nations High Commission on Refugees (UNHCR) estimates that there are currently roughly 20 million refugees worldwide. And while recent public attention on refugee concerns offers hope, the “refugee crisis” did not begin when the tragic photo of three year old Aylan Kurdi was first published. For many reasons, different conflicts receive different

amounts of attention over time. Recently, Syria has been in the spotlight.

A number of years ago, the conflict in South Sudan was making headlines.

Indeed, it was 19 years ago, in what is now South Sudan, that nine-yearold Okot awoke to the call of his name and sounds of gunshots ringing through the midnight air. Under the cover of darkness his family fled, and the morning light revealed their home flattened and their neighbours murdered.

Okot, who had already been dealing with being separated from his father, began a long journey with women and other children. Every rumble of a plane overhead brought anxiety, and the threat of bombs. Inching forward, the front vehicle of the convoy was destroyed by a landmine, killing most inside. The rest of the group had no choice but to keep moving.

Their convoy approached Kaya, a town recently captured by rebels, who took them in. Safe until their food ran out, they fled again to refugee camps in Congo, and eventually to Uganda and Kenya. In the rebel controlled ar-

eas of Sudan money was worthless, but in the Congo, Okot remembers picking up grains of rice that would fall from the ration bags being handed out by relief organizations. He sold that rice to pay his school fees while living in refugee camps. After finishing high school he began to teach, until one day he received an unexpected call from what seemed another world: Canada.

It was his father.

“I didn’t believe it – even when I spoke to him over the phone I didn’t believe it,” Okot recalled.

Until that fateful phone call, Okot had assumed his father dead for most of the 11 years they had been separated. In fact, his father had landed in Kakuma camp in Kenya, and with the help of Reception House, a refugee support organization in Kitchener, was welcomed to the area. Other of Okot’s relatives were later sponsored by a local church.

Last year Canada ranked 41st in the world on a UNHCR list of refugees per capita. The current government recently committed to settle 10,000 Syrian refugees, but this is misleading:

Rudi Okot. PHOTO COURTESY OF CAROLYN GRAY

OCTOBER 2015 // COMMUNITYEDITION.CA

it does not create new spaces, and means there are now 10,000 fewer spaces available to non-Syrian refugees. While the numbers of refugees around the world continues to climb, our commitment to refugee resettlement stays the same.

Canada was built on the forced displacement of many millions of indigenous peoples, and since then has been formed by people who came here for a better life. We did not always trickle slowly onto Canadian soil. In 1979 the Canadian government worked with private sponsors to bring 60,000 Vietnamese “boat people” to this country within 18 months.

The forces that drive people from the places where they fell in love, prayed and laughed are powerful, and often have connections to Canadians.

Our budget for military support of the US campaign in Syria, which includes the bombing of Kobani, the town where Kurdi was born, is over half a billion dollars. Many of our economic, environmental, and military policies play a critical role in creating the very circumstances that create “the refugee crisis.”

Canada is no replacement for home,

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no antidote for trauma, and in the face of government inaction, civil society’s many arms are organizing to create safe places for people fleeing violence.

The Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) is running an online “S.O.S. for Syria” campaign, and generally acting as a resource for individuals or groups interested in sponsoring families. Another way to act, of course, is to vote, and to consider each party’s stance on the roots of the refugee crisis, from conflict prevention to response.

Politicians respond to citizens, who can demand we accept more—or less— refugees, and also that they are treated with dignity—or not—upon arrival.

The organizing group No One Is Illegal carpeted the entrance to the recent Munk foreign policy leadership debate with the names of the more than 20,000 people who have died trying to cross the Mediterranean.

Okot arrived to Canada nine years after fleeing his home in South Sudan, sponsored by his family through the same MCC program now focused on Syria. He wasted no time becoming a passionate community builder, studying as an undergraduate at the University of Waterloo, and then com-

pleting a master’s degree in Ottawa.

He has developed local peace-building groups in Waterloo Region, and is the secretary general for the Kitchener-Waterloo South Sudanese Community Peacebuilding Task Force, which seeks to mitigate, manage, and transform the impact of the ongoing South Sudanese conflict.

Now he is in the Middle East, working again with MCC, helping refugees along their search for safety, and supporting peace-building programs operating all over the region.

As he puts it, still in a sunny corner booth at Tim Hortons, “for me, it is a calling, a conviction. That is why I am going. If I wanted money, I could find a job here. It’s just about making a difference.”

Okot knows first-hand the importance and impact of such work, here in the Region, and abroad. Like countless others, the word “refugee” does not represent the richness that Okot continues to offer the world as he moves forward along his journey, making a difference in the lives he touches here in Kitchener-Waterloo, and around the globe.

Following the Russian revolutions starting in 1917, many Mennonites were caught between passionate peasant movements, and violent national armies. In his book A Russian Dance of Death, Dietrich Neufeld includes excerpts from recovered diaries from that time, including the following, from October 23, 1919: “we feel as if we have been condemned to death and are now simply waiting for the executioner to come. Those who are not sunk in apathy are thinking of escape. But we have been notified that anyone caught three steps from his house will be shot without warning. Actually, there are so many armed riders around that any attempt to escape would mean certain death. Besides, there are the families to consider. And where could one go? The only safe escape would be across the border to another country! In this photo from 1924, so-called Swiss Mennonites, who had come as refugees many generations earlier, meet Russian Mennonites on Erb Street, in Kitchener.

COURTESY OF THE ARCHIVES AT ERB STREET MENNONITE CHURCH.

OCTOBER 2015 // COMMUNITYEDITION.CA

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WR UNDER REVIEW

DAN HERMAN COLUMNIST

The Working Centre is renovating the former Morning Glory Cafe at 256 King Street East into housing units. MATT SMITH PHOTO EDITOR

AFFORDABLE HOUSING NEEDS INVESTMENT DAVE THOMAS CONTRIBUTOR One in four Canadians spend more than 30 per cent of their income on a place to live. That means a lot of people may be one pay cheque away from losing their home. In Waterloo Region, there are 3,000 people on the waiting list for subsidized rental units. Some people may have to wait six years for a unit to become available.

There are a number of complex reasons for homelessness and people being at risk of homelessness. It’s clear that one of those reasons is the lack of investment in affordable housing, particularly at the federal level. As researchers Carey Doberstein and Alison Smith point out in their book The Harper Record (2011-2015), to be published this fall, successive federal

governments have since the 1990s avoided making a substantial commitment to constructing affordable housing.

Canadian post-war governments contributed significant resources to housing stock, but the last two decades have seen investment falling further behind. Doberstein and Smith’s review acknowledges that the Conservatives have in the last few years steered more money toward housing: about $250 million annually, until 2019.

However, new construction is not part of that commitment, and they plan to phase out support for rentgeared-to income. This is why Doberstein and Smith argue that the current funding “is not even half of what is required of the federal government to adequately address Canada’s vast affordability deficit.”

In this election campaign, what do the parties say about future investments in housing? The Conservatives have committed to their current levels of support for the Investment in Affordable Housing program through

2019. In his analysis, writer Bill Freeman concludes: “that means no affordable housing program at all.”

The NDP says it will implement a national housing strategy, and promises to build “10,000 affordable housing units, as well as maintain and strengthen social housing.” The Green Party also promises a strategy “that will address the continuum of needs. Their strategy touches on social housing for those in poverty or dealing with mental health and addiction problems, to First Nations, Métis, and Inuit housing crises, to the market failures depriving those with even a decent income of access to the affordable housing they need.

The Liberals also say they will implement a national strategy, part of a “ten-year investment of nearly $20 billion in social infrastructure” that will include resources for building new units and refurbishing existing stock.

Several parties have made promises for a federal leadership role in housing. But will they take action?

As Doberstein and Smith write:

“The fundamental problem of homelessness and affordable housing in Canada does not lie with the [current government’s] policy itself, but rather with the pitiful scale of financial investment by the national government. A common maxim in public administration is that ‘great policy plans without resources are fantasies.’

Indeed, it is a fantasy to believe that we can get a handle on homelessness in Canada without a real commitment from the federal government.”

That’s one factor to consider when you cast your vote on October 19.

Disclosure: Dave works for The Working Centre, which is among other things an affordable housing provider. The Working Centre was recently approved for $1 million from the Region of Waterloo’s affordable housing strategy to create 18 one-bedroom units, and is in the middle of a capital campaign to raise another $1 million to pay for the properties and renovations.

I hate to be cynical, but since the federal election was called on August 2, the most consistent thing I’ve heard is that each of the primary parties want to buy our votes.

Do you happen to be a craft brewer?

Well, there’s a potential tax cut for you. And you, over there, are you a teacher? We have a tax cut for you.

And you, way over there, with the big house and that grandiose addition being built at the back, wouldn’t you love a home renovation tax credit?

Sure you would.

Do any of these policies make economic sense? Hardly. They range from being so small that they’re ineffective in spurring any real consumer spending, to being so expansive that, in the case of the proposed home renovation tax credit, they’re a huge misallocation of resources.

Do any of these policies solve any real problems? Hardly. If craft brewers are having a hard time starting up, the problem isn’t taxes – it’s the lack of capital being invested in small ventures.

If teachers are having to pay out of pocket for expenses, the problem is the lack of money being invested in our schools and educational programs. And if you really need new windows, well, then, you should probably pay for those yourself.

Don’t get me wrong I understand the political game at work here. When I first heard about the home renovation tax policy my ears perked up since we’re doing some renovations around the house. However, it’s a shot in the wrong direction. If you can afford new windows, you likely don’t need a few dollars back. And if you’ve looked into our real estate markets and the service providers around them, they’re not exactly in dire need of assistance.

Want to solve some real problems?

How about committing to the construction of a rapid two-way, all-day public transportation to and from Toronto on an accelerated schedule?

Or how about developing an internship fund to make sure that every individual who arrives in Canada is guaranteed work experience in their field? Or a childcare program that is geared to income? (Wait a minute, one party does have that one right!) Or how about a scale-up fund to ensure that high-potential companies who show the ability to grow internationally have a pool of capital to borrow from?

There’s no shortage of real problems in this country, and in this community. And there’s no shortage of smart people with good policy ideas to tackle them. What’s in the way, however, isn’t just politics – it’s the attitudes that each of us hold about what’s important.

Politicians build off of those perceptions and feed them right back to us. So perhaps it’s time for all of us to stretch our necks and look beyond our backyards. Rather than simply thinking about how a particular policy might help our pocketbooks, it would be nice if more of us could remove our heads from the sand and think about how we keep a great place like Canada great.

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Waterloo Region residents had the opportunity to discuss challenges and opportunities in arts and culture with local poltical candidates at Cultural Exchange 5.0 at THEMUSEUM. MATT SMITH PHOTO EDITOR

DON’T COMMODIFY ART, CANDIDATES TOLD #ELXN42 CANDIDATES MEET WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS AT THEMUSEUM TO DISCUSS ARTS AND CULTURE

MEGAN NOURSE CONTRIBUTOR THEMUSEUM brought together community members, artists, and politicians for the fifth instalment of A Cultural Exchange Art is not a commodity. That was the message leaders in the local arts community had for the 10 Waterloo

Region MP candidates in attendance at THEMUSEUM’s event A Cultural Exchange 5.0.

The Kitchener Centre, Kitchener-Conestoga, Kitchener South-Hespeler and Waterloo ridings were all represented by candidates ready to talk to community members about the importance of arts and culture. Each candidate took the stage for a few minutes to get their message across, followed by round-table discussions.

Stephen Woodworth, running for re-election in Kitchener-Centre, was the only Conservative Party of Canada candidate in attendance. Susan Cadell,

of the New Democratic Party (NDP) and Liberal Party candidate Raj Saini, also of Kitchener-Centre, were there as well. From the Kitchener-Conestoga riding, Green Party of Canada (GPC) candidate Bob Jonkman, Tim Louis (Liberal) and James Villeneuve (NDP) attended. Bardish Chagger (Liberal), Diane Freeman (NDP) and Richard Walsh (GPC) of Waterloo attended.

Lorne Bruce (NDP) was the only candidate present from the Region’s newest riding, Kitchener South-Hespeler.

Community member Betty Anne Keller identified as a major issue that political parties treat arts and culture

funding as philanthropic, rather than an investment.

“Art is not a commodity and audiences are not consumers,” said Majdi Bou-Matar, founder of MT Space and artistic director of the IMPACT theatre Festival.

Another common theme was that the local arts scene should be collaborative not competitive.

“The arts are not a competition.

Artists work better when they support each other,” said Paddy Gillard-Bentley, chair of the Coalition for Performing Artists in Waterloo Region. She used her stage time to discuss how

the limited funding and the system currently in place creates competition in the arts that inhibits collaboration.

The Liberal Party released its cultural platform just days before the event, which all of their candidates present used their stage time to reference. The GPC, NDP and Liberal candidates all promised to re-fund the CBC, which has had its budget slashed under the Harper government. During the final round-table discussions, Stephen Woodworth defended the Conservatives’ funding cuts to CBC, saying the company needs restructuring before receiving more funding.

KNOWN UNKNOWNS

IN ELECTION 42

SPOTLIGHTING CANDIDATES FROM THE SMALLER PARTIES OF WR Despite her best efforts, including hiring a law firm to argue on her behalf, Elizabeth May, leader of the Green Party of Canada, did not participate in the September 28 Munk leaders debate. Neither did Anna Di Carlo, leader of the Marxist-Leninist Party of Canada, or Tim Moen, leader of the Libertarian Party of Canada.

According to Elections Canada,

ACCORDING TO STATISTICS CANADA, THE AVERAGE NET WORTH OF THE TOP 20 PER CENT OF FAMILIES (SORTED

BY INCOME GROUP) IN CANADA ROSE BY AN AVERAGE OF 80 PER CENT BETWEEN 1999 AND 2012. THE BOTTOM 20 PER CENT EXPERIENCED A 38 PER CENT INCREASE. DO YOU THINK THIS IS A PROBLEM? AND IF SO, WHAT WOULD YOU DO ABOUT IT? No, when people earn money it’s theirs. People have to stop thinking all for one, one for all; that’s communism and that had major character flaws with human nature.

However, it’s proven capitalism can’t exist without charity.

EMMA HAWLEY-YAN ANIMAL ALLIANCE ENVIRONMENT VOTERS PARTY OF CANADA WATERLOO

there are 23 registered political parties in the 42nd Canadian General Election, plus independents. In the Region of Waterloo, seven parties are running candidates, along with one independent.

TCE asked the same three questions of each candidate from all parties, big and small, in the Region. With one exception, which made us blue, all can-

didates replied. However, we decided that you’ve probably heard enough from the majors, whose policies are also easy to find. So, we selected one response from each of the for-lackof-a-better-word minor candidates.

Sorry, Liz! All replies were edited for clarity, brevity and snarkiness.

Try to match the answers to candidates for maximum #ELXN42 fun!

The rich are getting richer through the private ownership of factories, mines, transportation systems and other means of production. This transfer of millions upon millions of dollars from the state treasury to individual companies and monopoly groups is done through subsidies, incentive programs, and selling off of nationalized assets at bargain basement prices. I would immediately stop this flow of funds to the rich and restore funding for social programs.

The unequal distribution of wealth is a problem. The ecological resources Canadians live off are finite, and the resources and the prosperity we gain from them must be equitably shared. Equitable distribution of wealth would mutually benefit the environment and society, bringing people closer to each other and to the natural world. We also propose a guaranteed basic income.

SLAVKO MILADINOVIC LIBERTARIAN PARTY OF CANADA KITCHENER CENTRE

NATHAN LAJEUNESSE LIBERTARIAN PARTY OF CANADA KITCHENER SOUTH-HESPELER

RICH HODGSON LIBERTARIAN PARTY OF CANADA KITCHENER-CONESTOGA

HOW WOULD YOU SUPPORT ARTS AND CULTURE IN THIS COMMUNITY? I do not believe the federal government should do anything to contribute to the arts and culture in this community. If the people want arts and culture in this community that is up to them. If an artist wants to sell their work, they need to make sure their work is worth more to a buyer then the buyer’s money is to them. Pretty simple.

JULIAN ICHIM MARXIST-LENINIST PARTY OF CANADA KITCHENER CENTRE

The main issue is who has access to arts and culture. Under the present system art can only be enjoyed by a certain segment of society, while a lot of working people, the unemployed, youth and others are cut off.

Art is a right, as is sports and physical activity, and it is the duty of the state to make this a reality. It is quite a sad state of affairs that capitalism gives our youth drugs, guns and violence, while the children in Cuba, a much poorer country, have access to theatre, music, opera and plays.

Recent cuts to arts funding makes it more and more difficult for people to access art and entrenches the elite concept of art and culture as a luxury: something that only belongs to those who can afford it.

ELAINE BAETZ MARXIST-LENINIST PARTY OF CANADA KITCHENER SOUTH-HESPELER

HOW WOULD YOU BALANCE OIL-SANDS DEVELOPMENT WITH THE COSTS OF ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION AND CANADA’S EMISSIONS REDUCTION GOALS? The problem of environmental degradation can be solved if human beings, especially the working people, are in control of deciding what to produce and how to produce it.

Climate change and environmental destruction are a result of monopoly interests running roughshod over public right, Indigenous rights and Mother Earth. Without looking after human beings and upholding their rights, including their right to decide, and without restoring nation-to-nation relations with the Indigenous peoples, neither human beings nor Mother Earth stand a chance.

LEE SPERDUTI INDEPENDENT CAMBRIDGE

It is not the responsibility of the federal government to direct economic activity and this would include oil sands development. The role of government is to ensure that both individual and property rights are protected and to allow the marketplace of individual actors to direct themselves economically.

To this end, the Libertarian Party of Canada is proposing a substantial cut to corporate taxes and the removal of tariffs and trade barriers.

When people own their property, they are more effective stewards of the environment.

Our current government has pigeon-holed our economy by focusing on the energy sector. The amount of resources that it takes to extract such a small amount of oil is an extreme waste. And the tailings ponds will be there for our grandchildren to deal with. Enough is enough! We must focus on new green technologies, diversify our economy, help manufacturers green their processes and home owners reduce their carbon footprints.

MANUEL COUTO MARXIST-LENINIST PARTY OF CANADA CAMBRIDGE

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KNOWN UNKNOWNS: LOCAL PERSPECTIVES TCE SENT MODIFIED VERSIONS OF THE SAME QUESTIONS FROM THE PREVIOUS KNOWN UNKNOWNS SECTION TO COMMUNITY MEMBERS WITH RELEVANT EXPERTISE. SAME RULES AS BEFORE - TRY TO GUESS WHO SAID WHAT.

ACCORDING TO STATISTICS CANADA, THE AVERAGE NET WORTH OF THE TOP 20 PER CENT OF FAMILIES (SORTED

BY INCOME GROUP) IN CANADA ROSE BY AN AVERAGE OF 80 PER CENT BETWEEN 1999 AND 2012. THE BOTTOM 20 PER CENT EXPERIENCED A 38 PER CENT INCREASE. DO YOU THINK THIS IS A PROBLEM? AND IF SO, WHAT SHOULD BE DONE ABOUT IT?

HOW SHOULD WE BALANCE OIL-SANDS DEVELOPMENT WITH THE COSTS OF ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION AND CANADA’S EMISSIONS REDUCTION GOALS?

IAN MCLEAN PRESIDENT & CEO GREATER KITCHENERWATERLOO CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

It is a very important issue, particularly when coupled with similar trends in income inequality.

Solutions are not easy, but should include maintaining an efficient, redistributive tax system. Also, spreading ownership of capital among employees can improve productivity, make wages grow and reinstate a strong middle class, thereby reducing income and wealth inequality.

We advocate for the best possible economic conditions for businesses to thrive in our Region and expand their workforce. For example, the expansion of the capital cost allowance tax rebate for manufacturers looking to update and innovate their production lines and hire high paid skilled workers in order to compete with international competition.

WHAT DO YOU THINK THIS COMMUNITY NEEDS FROM OUR REPRESENTATIVES, TO SUPPORT THE ARTS? We need a community arts centre with accessible and affordable space.

We need actual infrastructure for local artists because after a certain point it is impossible to make a living in this region as a professional artist.

All of our best artists leave.

Advocacy for arts and culture by our elected officials.

I am especially keen, because as a newcomer who arrived in November last year, I can’t vote! But it’s clear that this region punches above its weight, and our representatives should be engaging with what’s happening here, and championing it in Ottawa. They should be a useful conduit to key decision makers in Ottawa.

We would like to see an emphasis on reducing our demand for energy to begin with, so that we reduce our reliance on fossil fuels; and, an integrated climate action plan that includes both mitigation and adaptation. A critical part of this plan is a national incentive that encourages people to update their homes so they use less energy. This approach is more effective at inspiring action than tax credits.

MARY JANE PATTERSON EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR REEP GREEN SOLUTIONS

ANA FERRER ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR ECONOMICS UNIVERSITY OF WATERLOO

JANICE LEE KITCHENER POET & MUSICIAN CITY OF KITCHENER ARTIST IN RESIDENCE

ANDREW BENNETT EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR KITCHENER WATERLOO SYMPHONY

ALEX MUSTAKAS ARTISTIC DIRECTOR & CEO DRAYTON THEATRE

OCTOBER 2015 // COMMUNITYEDITION.CA

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UNBUILT WATERLOO REGION: THE TD TOWER

The iconic postmodern Toronto Dominion tower at King and Ontario Streets graces the city’s skyline with its unique, stepped profile, sturdy marble façade, and ornamental pediments, domes and clock faces. The construction of the tower alongside City Hall in the early nineties ushered in a new sense of architectural opulence in the downtown cityscape but original plans called for double the steps, and double the domes. A TD twin was originally slated to mirror the King Street tower, rising from the lot at Ontario and Charles Streets. Plans for the doppelganger were dashed by an economic downturn, and while the property on which the cloned tower would have risen still represents a significant development opportunity, the likelihood of an identical tower is as dead as the dreary downtown of old. MATT SMITH PHOTO EDITOR

OCTOBER 2015 // @THECOMMUNITYED

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START UP WATCH

KURTIS THOMAS CONTRIBUTOR

Election signs dot lawns and boulevards across the region as the country’s longest election campaign heads into its final weeks. MATT SMITH PHOTO EDITOR

STRATEGICALLY VOTING FOR CHANGE NATALEE BLAGDEN CONTRIBUTOR Voter apathy and low turn-out have plagued Canadian elections for years, with many citizens discouraged by our “first-past-the-post” electoral system.

This is not surprising, considering that the vast majority of Canadians did not vote for our current government. In the 2011 federal election, 24 per cent of eligible voters cast ballots for our current leadership. That was 39 per cent of those who went to the polls.

This time around, there are a few new technologies available to people who have decided that strategic voting is the best way to participate in the election.

On September 29, Leadnow and Fair Vote Canada representatives visited the Kitchener Public Library (KPL) to promote online tools that allow voters to gauge their options more

accurately than ever before, to “make their votes count.” The organizations’ goals are twofold: to change the way we govern now, and the way we elect future governments in Canada.

Leadnow.ca provides enhanced local polling to help the “anything-but-Conservative” (ABC) strategic voters form an effective, united front on election day, October 19.

Fair Vote Canada has amassed heaps of volunteers who ask individual candidates where they stand on proportional representation. Answers are then posted on Fairvote.ca, whose slogan is, “let’s make 2015 the last unfair election.”

Both organizations repeatedly note that Harper won a majority in 2011 thanks to just 6400 votes in a handful of swing ridings.

“The first-past-the-post election system constantly hands power over to a very slim margin of the population to run roughshod over the majority,” said Kelly Carmichael, Executive Director of Fair Vote Canada.

To illustrate her point, Carmichael added that “it could be as little as 27 per cent of your neighbours who are going to choose who’s going to repre-

sent you in government.”

Strategic voting could take majority support away from the Conservatives, or whomever citizens hope to replace, but only if voters in swing ridings can find a way to work in concert. That’s where Leadnow hopes their “Vote Together” campaign will help voters agree on which non-Conservative candidate to back.

At the time of publication, Kitchener Centre was facing a tight, three-way split among voters, according to Leadnow’s local polls. However, old standbys, like the national polls and sites like ThreeHundredEight.com, have been predicting a clear Liberal win.

Their statistics are too broad, and miss local nuance and outliers, according to Corrigan Hammond, Eastern Field Organizer for Leadnow.

“Our big tool here is locally-specific polling. If you’re waking up and you want to vote strategically … you need reliable, accurate info to make sure that that vote counts. National numbers are not going to cut it,” said Hammond.

In addition to providing local polls, Leadnow’s “Vote Together” campaign adds a second step to help solidify a

block of voters. Shortly before election day, all those who have pledged to use “Vote Together” will be asked to choose between the top non-Conservative candidates in their riding, to see if there is sufficient support to move forward. This allows citizens to choose according to their own local issues and priorities, rather than receiving a blind recommendation from Leadnow.

“We focus support behind a candidate who’s locally electable – and that’s what really sets us apart from other campaigns across this country that have done strategic voting in the past,” said Hammond.

Following the event, concerned citizens exchanged phone numbers and details on upcoming civic engagement activities in downtown Kitchener, such as The Working Centre’s “Diploma in Local Democracy” program, furthering participants’ knowledge of democratic principles and avenues of engagement in Waterloo Region.

Derided by many as cynical and imprecise, the strategic voting movement nonetheless makes it clear that many in Canada still care deeply about the democratic process.

Ever want to be a journalist?

Good. We’re looking for some.

EMAIL JESSE.BAUMAN@WLUSP.COM FOR MORE INFO

SUNCAYR Most of us are diligent about applying sunscreen before heading out into the sun, but many more of us forget to reapply. The Suncayr team hopes to stop that from ever happening again, and have created a product that changes colour when applied to the skin; and disappears when sunscreen is applied. After a few hours the mark begins to show up again and the wearer knows that they are no longer protected from the sun. A valuable tool for parents and sunshine aficionados alike, Suncayr lets you spend more time enjoying the sun, and less time nursing a burn.

EYECHECK The process of an eye exam has now become commonplace for most of the developed world. However, for many millions of people, the technical and financial investment an exam requires is too great. EyeCheck is working to remove those barriers and ensure everyone has the right to clear eyesight.

Using a smartphone app for screening, and a highly specialized EyeCheck camera, optometrists can use the results to determine prescriptions efficiently. EyeCheck breaks down time, distance, and financial barriers on their mission to provide a clear future to everyone.

TETECHS We’ve all dreamed of ordering a pair of X-ray specs from the back of a comic book, but we’ve also all realized that they exist only in the world of fiction. TeTechS is working on a real world equivalent using terahertz sensor technology. People working in manufacturing can use sensors created by TeTechS to see through opaque objects and barriers to identify layers and defects that would previously be invisible. But that’s not all! The sensors can identify the materials inside a product so that users can know what it’s made of.

OCTOBER 2015 // @THECOMMUNITYED

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TECH MAKES BIG IMPACT ON THE STAGE ELIZABETH MCFAUL CONTRIBUTOR

Bin Bin. PHOTO COURTESY OF NOUS JOUONS POUR LES ARTS

Different technologies have shaped Kitchener-Waterloo’s landscape in different ways, from different Iroquoian farming practices to roundabouts and start-up incubators.

IMPACT 15, Kitchener’s biennial international theatre festival and conference presented by MT Space, showed us how technology is also changing the language of live performance.

Across the six day festival’s 50 shows was a focus on the effects of technology and social media on performance practices. The festival’s conference asked “how do we use smart technologies to make our stages smarter?” and “how can our smart stages become the revolution?” Many of the shows were already working towards those questions.

LANDLINE was one such production, by the artists Adrienne Wong, from Neworld Theatre in Vancouver, and Dustin Harvey, from Secret Theatre in Halifax. LANDLINE uses technology to collapse the distance

between two strangers, who become the audience and the actor in a play happening simultaneously across two cities. Armed with an iPod and your cell phone, you drift through the streets of your own city while texting with a stranger doing the same over 4,000 miles away in Vancouver. The audio track prompts you to wander the streets and to stop at a series of locations linked to your memories and imagination.

“Any piece of art is trying to make the audience relate it back to their own experience as a human being.

So why not take a direct approach towards doing that?” said my anonymous scene partner afterwards.

It’s quite strange to feel completely alone, without a destination, in a city you’re otherwise familiar with. A thrilling experience that asks you to befriend a stranger and share your world, Wong and Harvey effectively used real-time digital communication to break down barriers within ourselves and across the country in which we live.

In Return Home, stories of an Indigenous Anishinaabe woman from Quebec and an Indigenous Palestinian woman born in exile showed the power of technology to build a space out of a black box set. The piece used

projected photos, videos, and audio to help us travel with the two characters as they struggle with identity, land, and history. The technological elements blended seamlessly with dance, natural sounds, and acting.

Bin Bin took technology in a different direction: connecting an international audience to a foreign language piece. This piece from Moroccan theatre company Nous Jouons pour les Arts was presented in Arabic and French, with English subtitles. A hilarious exploration of prejudices, cultures, and perspectives, Bin Bin turned THEMUSEUM’s unique upstairs space into a cabaret night.

IMPACT 15 experienced significant setbacks earlier in the month when the National Theatre Company of Iraq’s performances of Camp were cancelled due to the denial of visas.

However, in another poignant merging of technology and the stage, the festival brought members of the production to Canada, digitally, through a Skype conference in the Registry Theatre.

Storytelling continues to evolve in our digital world, and the onstage innovations of IMPACT Theatre Festival only scratch the surface of the ability of technology to truly change the theatre experience.

POLL NUMBERS SHOW YOUR VOTE MATTERS

WHEN YOU BREAK DOWN THE NUMBERS, WINNERS ARE OFTEN DETERMINED BY ONLY A FEW HOUSEHOLDS

CATHY MACLELLAN CONTRIBUTOR Spending a lot of time with lists of numbers was about as interesting as watching the grass grow, until I went through a couple of elections as a candidate. For the past ten years I have been your basic political animal, fully involved in local and national party politics at different times with the Green and Liberal parties. My husband chuckled knowingly when I declared,

after spending a couple of hours with some spreadsheets, that “the numbers are finally speaking to me.” For the folks running elections campaigns, local and national, it’s all about the numbers – they love spreadsheets, as do pollsters.

A recent Waterloo Region Record editorial made the claim that “democracy means power to the many, not the few,” which is a nice idea that is rarely true in practice. In an election we actually do give power to “the few:” that is how representational systems like ours work. We elect someone to represent us, and the ratio is one representative for approximately 100,000 people. But does your one

vote really matter here? Yes, it does!

In most ridings there are between 210 to 250 places to vote, called polls.

Each poll has 200 to 500 names on the eligible voter’s list. Let’s be optimistic and say 65% of people vote at a poll with 350 eligible voters.

According to recent polling data, we could expect each major party to get 31 per cent, or 109 votes. The Green Party would get 5 per cent, the Independents one per cent, with the rest scattered among parties or spoiled ballots. In this scenario, 110 votes are needed to win this poll.

If we assume that each house in a poll has at least two voters who vote the same way, a candidate needs to

find 55 supportive “doors” in each poll to be sure of a win. Volunteers and candidates are now at your door – be nice to them – to find out if you are part of the 65 per cent who will actually vote and who you are voting for. Ideally they want to find those 110 votes that will ensure they win that poll.

In 2008, the winner in what is now the Waterloo riding won by just 17 votes, and if you study the polling data, publically available from Elections Canada, you will see just how close most of the polls were. Many were tied or had less than 10 votes separating candidates. The significance of every vote is clearly shown in

you hear a lot from us. we want to hear from you.

TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOURSELF AND FILL OUT OUR READERSHIP SURVEY AT COMMUNITYEDITION.CA OR EMAIL JESSE.BAUMAN@WLUSP.COM IF YOU WANT TO CHAT ABOUT IT, OR JUST SAY “HEY.”

the Poll results. Your vote counts!

An election is one of the few times where we might erode the power of the elites. If you choose not to vote, you are actually giving more power to those who do, who very well may not represent your point of view. Essentially, you are letting someone else choose your representative for you. A look at the numbers shows that, while not every vote backs a winner, every vote plays a part in who becomes the winner.

According to Section 101 (6) of the Commonwealth Electoral Act of 1918, all eligible citizens must enrol and vote in federal elections in Australia, or face financial penalty. -Ed.

OCTOBER 2015 // COMMUNITYEDITION.CA

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VOICES PURE & LOCAL

WEAR OUT THERE

SEXPLANATIONS

JENNIFER FREITAS COLUMNIST

CHRISTINA PROCTOR COLUMNIST

STACEY JACOBS COLUMNIST

I am often asked if a toner is a necessary step in a skin-care routine, and my answer is a resounding yes! Toners are multi-purpose and beneficial in a variety of ways. However, not all toners are created equal. For example, more astringent toners are better for oily skin. So, do your homework, and keep reading, as I will tell you all about rose water!

Rose water is my favorite of all hydrosols, or floral waters, and with good reason. Gentle, with many skin-enhancing benefits, it can help hydrate, refresh, soothe and even cleanse your skin. Plus it smells simply divine!

The many benefits of natural toners are explained with a little science! Naturally, our skin maintains a pH of 5.5, but when you cleanse this balance can become disturbed due to the alkaline ingredients in most cleansers. Natural toners like rose water help to restore your face’s pH balance to 5.5.

Rose water is a natural humectant, meaning it attracts and keeps your skin moisturized! Give yourself a spritz after you have cleansed and apply your moisturizer right after – you will notice the difference right away and enjoy more dewy, hydrated skin.

You can also use rose water to refresh your skin if you are in a hurry and can’t actually cleanse. It will remove dirt, grime and oily residue, leaving you feeling clean and refreshed.

This simple, one ingredient product might seem to good to be true, but simple is often best, especially when it comes to skincare. However, rose water has so many other uses that this vanity staple can contribute to your well-being in other ways.

You can use it in the shower as a hair rinse – it will condition and add shine. Plus, your hair will smell gorgeous for hours afterwards! It is also amazing for toning down puffiness and discoloration: soak some cotton pads with rose water and leave them on your eyes for about five minutes, and you will look well-rested.

You can also use rose water as an aftershave due to its natural anti-inflammatory properties. It calms down red and irritated skin. Another favourite use of mine is to use it as a linen spray. Rose has long been used as an aphrodisiac – it’s romantic, sexy and unforgettable, so spray some on those sheets!

Rose water is sublime. It’s naturally full of antioxidants and provides hydration thanks to the natural sugars contained in rose petals. It will soften fine lines, brighten your skin and leave it feeling plush and healthy. Plus, you can’t beat the scent of fresh roses.

First impressions count. Research shows it takes seconds for individuals to form an opinion about a person’s characteristics and traits, and once formed, those initial conclusions are hard to change. This year’s federal election has brought the psychology behind first impressions to the forefront as candidates travel the country looking to spark support for their idea of a better Canada. With governance on their minds, candidates are using all available tools to ensure they appear confident and credible. This includes presenting a polished and professional look.

Whether we realize it or not, our impressions of each candidate are derived, in part, by their appearance.

What they look like, what they wear, how they speak and how they stand all communicate strong messages about their ability to lead. Few of us have the opportunity to meet each individual, and must therefore rely on our perceptions. Do we feel they are trustworthy, likeable and competent?

Will they make a great leader? While their position on critical topics will ultimately determine voter behaviour, portraying a positive image throughout the election increases the likelihood of a successful campaign.

A study by Todorov, Mandisodza, Goren and Hall (2005), is just one example of the power of appearance in politics. Their study had participants rate candidates on a number of traits after flashing their photo for one second. The result? Impressions of candidate’s competence predicted the outcomes of U.S. congressional elections in 2000, 2002 and 2004.

This finding suggests we do make rapid, often subliminal decisions about a person based on our initial reactions – a result politicians are well aware of.

In a similar situation, when completing Vote Compass on CBC’s website, I was presented with a photo of each candidate and asked how trustworthy and competent I found them. Separating our perceptions from reality is difficult, if not impossible, and the former clearly influences our behaviour as voters.

The stakes are obviously high for political candidates, but everyone should pay attention to the psychology of first impressions, because the image we present impacts our ability to reach our goals.

As we tell those around us who we are, what we represent and what our values are, we need to make sure our image is working for, and not against us. As for the election, will it be the candidate who makes the most positive impression that wins? We will see on October 19.

I was recently asked by a friend if I knew what truffle butter was. I immediately began to imagine the delightful tastes of truffle and butter becoming one. I had heard about such delicacies on the Food Network and I was excited to learn more. And then my bubble burst. My friend showed me the urban dictionary definition: “when you pull your dick out of her asshole and put it in her vagina. The tan around the pussy is called truffle butter. Poo mixed with cum = truffle butter.”

My mouth, which had been watering as I imagined rich aromatic butter, was now watering as I tried not to vomit. I have a hard time believing that the person who coined the term truffle butter has any respect for vaginas, consent, or butter for that matter. Don’t get me wrong: between consenting adults there is nothing wrong with anal sex, or vaginal sex, or having vaginal and then anal sex. There are, however, dangers to having anal sex and then immediately switching to vaginal sex, even if done consensually. I feel like I should not have to say this but apparently I do: poo does not belong in a vagina!

Anything that has been in an anus - penis, fingers, hands, sex toys etc. - should not go into a vagina until thoroughly cleaned. Better yet, have separate toys that are only used in the butt, and one butt per toy. Use toys for the butt and toys for the vagina at the same time. Use gloves and condoms and then change the gloves and condoms before switching from the anus to the vagina. Or start in the vagina and then switch to the butt. There are many safe ways to involve the vagina and the anus in sex play together.

Many are curious about anal sex.

The nerve endings around the anus can make anal play pleasurable. The key to anal sex is lots of lube (anuses do not naturally lubricate) and taking it slow. Start with a finger or a small toy.

Anal toys should have a base so they cannot get sucked into the anus - don’t assume that all things come out of the butt. Never surprise anyone by putting something in their butt. This can cause damage, sometimes permanent.

Communication and consent are key.

Always ask.

Also, there is often no poo involved in anal sex. Poo does not sit at the anal sphincter waiting to make its move. Poo sits higher in the body, in the colon, and only when you get the urge to poo has it moved into the rectum. If you have the urge to poo you should do so before having anal sex because unless you are sexually aroused and derive pleasure from feces (which some do) shitting yourself during sex is probably not a turn on. Moral of the story, truffle butter should be made from butter and truffles and nothing else.

Thousands of people dropped by this region’s first Maker Expo to explore and talk with local artisans and creators. Oh, and there were robots fighting. MATT SMITH PHOTO EDITOR

After six years in storage and a trip to Cincinnati to be freshed up, the Oktoberfest glockenspiel rang loud and clear at its October 5 unveiling.

Not pictured: animatronic Snow White. MATT SMITH PHOTO EDITOR

OCTOBER 2015 // COMMUNITYEDITION.CA

Eating well at the Mercury Cafe. JESSICA PETT CONTRIBUTOR

KITSCHY GOODNESS AT THE MERCURY CAFE ELIZABETH DICESARE COLUMNIST Nestled in the corner of Duke and Ontario Streets is the surprisingly large Mercury Cafe. The cafe opened at the end of August and has already started garnering a reputation for fresh, delicious, locally-sourced food.

Mercury Cafe is co-owned by Andy Hillock and Daniel Demois, the duo that also runs the Apollo Cinema next door. Hillock’s partner Kelly Lannin runs the kitchen, where she serves up homemade dishes using local ingredients as often as possible.

When you first walk in, you immediately get soaked into the kitschy, indie atmosphere, complete with tantalizing scents of fresh baked goods and the sounds of alternative music.

It’s a place that undoubtedly attracts the young, working professionals within the downtown core. Over a short 30-minute lunch, I counted about 25 people come in, grabbing quick meals.

The building, which previously held the Amsterdam Cafe, became available this past summer. Hillock explained that he and Demois immediately jumped at the opportunity, seeing it as a unique way to expand their business in the downtown core.

“We run the theatre next door, and we’ve kind of always had in mind the idea of doing food with the theatre,” said Hillock. “So instead of dinner and a movie, dinner with your movie.”

“There’s a lot of potential with this place, so it’s kind of a way to test out a bunch of stuff that we’ve wanted to do for a long time,” he continued. “It just all came together very quickly.”

As for the menu, Mercury Cafe offers unique, fresh dishes that the downtown crowd should be excited about. Nearly everything on the menu is prepared in house and from scratch.

Lannin, a professionally trained chef, has experience in high-end Toronto restaurants and bakeries — such as

Daniel et Daniel, Bobbette & Belle Artisanal Pastries and Dish Cooking Studio — and previously ran her own baking company called MSTRBKR. She translates her skills to the cafe’s new menu with ease.

All of the baked goods are packed full of flavour. The lemon crinkle cookie is soft and smooth, but also has an explosive lemon flavour you’ll be tasting hours later.

The sandwiches are also drool worthy. The roast beef that they use is from an eye-of-round roast that is seasoned, cooked and sliced in house. It’s tossed on a caraway kaiser bun with aged cheddar, and will undoubtedly leaved you full and satisfied. At roughly $10 for lunch, what’s not to love?

In November, Mercury Cafe and Apollo Cinema plan to work together more closely to offer food options for movie-goers. The goal, according to Hillock, is to offer “unique events, good food, good beer and just a fun experience.”

Right now the biggest challenge for the cafe is generating awareness since it is somewhat tucked away underneath the RBC building. But even with impending LRT construction, Hillock remains positive that business will continue to be steady.

“In some ways I don’t think it will affect [the cafe] as much as it will affect the theatre, because much of our clientele is within probably two blocks,” he explain “Any traffic is good traffic.”

While there are many obvious connections between Mercury Cafe and Apollo Cinema — both are local businesses, run by the same owners, offering unique services to the downtown core — their names are not intentionally linked.

“It was just fun,” joked Hillock. “It was kind of a play on the Apollo a little bit, but it’s not about Greek or Roman gods. It’s just a bit silly [and] we liked the name of it.”

Four double americanos out of five double americanos.

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OCTOBER 2015 // COMMUNITYEDITION.CA

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IT’S TIME FOR CRAFT BREWERS TO GO LOCAL JON SPEE CONTRIBUTOR This past weekend was beer-filled, but not in the sitting-around-doingnothing-but-drinking sense. It started Friday night with a “homebrew-off,” a friendly competition hosted by a good friend of mine. We had eight different harvest themed homebrews to sample and vote on. That was followed with Saturday’s Brew Day in uptown Waterloo, where a good number of very tasty local and regional beers were available. On Sunday I hosted a homebrew workshop at the Harvest Home Festival at the Wellington County Museum and Archives.

After so much tasting, comparing, evaluating, discussing, and enjoying I was left with a few new thoughts bouncing around my head. But my main question is, when will local beer go local?

Brewing developed over the past several thousand years. However, beer that we would actually recognize is more recent, having evolved in breweries all over Europe over the past few centuries. For most of its evolution, one main factor influenced what was possible—locale.

Historically, brewers had to work with what they had. Since beer begins with water and its chemistry plays a rather large role in the outcome of the mashing process, this had a huge effect on regional styles. Mashing is the heating up of a mixture of water and milled grains, usually barley, to create a sugary liqu called wort.

After water, the solid ingredients determine what sort of beer can be made. These days it’s mostly barley and hops, but this wasn’t always the case.

Over the years, different brewing regions developed different types of malts and hops, as well as ways of processing those ingredients.

Finally, fermentation was determined by the available yeast, which was generally saved from batch to batch. The deliberate selection of yeast over generations led to today’s great diversity of yeasts, and their accompanying styles of beers.

These days, modern craft brewers pair the knowledge and wisdom of brewing history with a good understanding of chemistry and biochemistry to brew pretty much any beer style they want. This has obvious benefits for beer drinkers, who get to try beer from all over the world, brewed in their back yards.

However, that freedom means that no brewer anywhere is forced to work hard to develop their own true regional style.

I love to think about what it would look like to work within the confines of local—by using only local unaltered water, local malt and grains, local hops, local yeast, and any other possible local ingredients—to create a style that is true to our region and climate.

Many Ontario breweries are already incorporating local hops into their beers, and a few brave ones are using local malts, which have a long way to go before they can match the quality and consistency of those from the Prairie Provinces and Europe.

In the meantime it is up to beer lovers to continue supporting local craft breweries, and to ask the brewers what exactly makes their beer “local.”

In time, maybe Ontario will be home to its own unique beer style.