Key Takeaways:

• The overpricing psychology often leads sellers to set high prices—but this usually reduces buyer interest and delays offers.
• The biggest dangers of overpricing your home include fewer showings, longer time on market, and price reductions.
• Understanding how to determine if a house is overpriced helps both buyers and sellers make smarter decisions.
• Negotiating down an overpriced house is common in today’s more balanced market.
• The long-term effects of overpricing your home often result in selling for less than it would have if it had been priced correctly from the start.

In today’s Waterloo Region real estate market, pricing strategy is one of the most important factors in determining how a home sells, how quickly it sells, and ultimately what it sells for. While many sellers believe pricing high creates room to negotiate, the reality is that overpricing often works against you. It limits exposure, reduces buyer interest, and can lead to a lower final sale price.

Across Waterloo, Kitchener, and the surrounding communities, we see the same pattern consistently: homes that are priced correctly from day one generate the most activity and achieve the strongest results.

The reality is simple: how your home is priced determines how buyers respond to it.

Overpricing is rarely intentional. It typically comes from a combination of emotional and external influences.

For many homeowners, their property represents years of investment, upgrades, and personal history. That connection can shape how value is perceived. At the same time, online estimates, past peak market conditions, and outside opinions can create expectations that don’t reflect where the market is today.

In a rising market, pricing ahead of the curve sometimes worked. In today’s environment, buyers are far more analytical. They compare properties carefully, and they move on quickly when something doesn’t align.

The market today is fundamentally different from what we saw just a few years ago.

Inventory levels have increased from the extremely tight conditions of the past, and homes are generally taking longer to sell. Buyers now have more options and more time to evaluate them.

That shift has changed buyer behaviour:

• Buyers are more selective
• They are comparing multiple properties within the same price range
• They are highly sensitive to pricing relative to condition and location

This is especially noticeable in neighbourhoods such as Upper Beechwood, Colonial Acres, Carriage Crossing, Conservation Meadows, Laurelwood, and Eastbridge, where buyers often have several similar homes to choose from at any given time.

When that happens, pricing becomes the deciding factor.

Overpricing doesn’t just delay a sale—it changes how buyers perceive your home from the start.

You Miss Your Strongest Window

The first one to two weeks on the market are when your home receives the highest level of exposure. This is when the most active buyers and agents are watching closely.

If your home is overpriced during that period, those buyers often move on—and in most cases, they don’t come back.

Showings Drop and Exposure Declines

Buyers search within defined price ranges. If your home sits outside of where it should be, it may not even appear in their search results.

Less visibility leads to fewer showings. Fewer showings reduce your chances of generating offers and creating competition.

This is one of the most common pricing mistakes when selling a home in Waterloo Region.

The Listing Becomes Stale

As time on market increases, buyer perception begins to shift. Instead of asking if the home is right for them, buyers start to question why it hasn’t sold.

Even if the price is adjusted later, the initial momentum is difficult to regain. The strongest buyers have often already purchased something else.

This is something we see consistently across our listings in Waterloo Region.

When a home is priced too high initially:

• It attracts less attention early on
• It requires price reductions later
• It often ends up selling under where it could have been with the right strategy from the beginning

Buyers become more cautious over time. It’s common to see:

• Lower offers from returning buyers
• Added conditions such as financing or the sale of property
• Increased negotiation pressure

That shift is not random—it’s a direct result of how the home was positioned in the market.

Homes that are priced correctly from day one:

• Generate more showings
• Attract stronger, more qualified buyers
• Create better negotiating leverage
• Are more likely to result in multiple-offer scenarios

Even in today’s market, multiple offers still happen—but only when pricing aligns with value.

In areas like Carriage Crossing and Conservation Meadows, where buyers are directly comparing similar homes, pricing is often the difference between one conditional offer and multiple strong offers.

Many sellers assume starting high gives them flexibility. In reality, it often leads to the opposite outcome.

Overpriced homes typically:

• Sit longer on the market
• Require price adjustments
• Attract weaker offers over time

In many cases, the final sale price ends up lower than it would have been if the home had been priced correctly from the beginning.

The goal isn’t to aim high—it’s to aim accurately.

That means:

• Pricing based on current market conditions—not past peaks
• Analyzing recent comparable sales—not just active listings
• Understanding how buyers are behaving in your specific neighbourhood
• Positioning your home competitively from day one

In today’s Waterloo Region real estate market, pricing is not just about value—it’s about strategy.

The psychology of overpricing is understandable—but in today’s market, it’s one of the fastest ways to lose momentum.

Buyers are informed, selective, and quick to act when a home is priced correctly.

If you’re preparing to sell your home in Waterloo Region, the most important decision you’ll make isn’t when to list—it’s how to price.

Get Your Waterloo Home Value

If you’re thinking about selling and want to understand exactly where your home fits in today’s market, start with a free home evaluation.

At the Deutschmann Team, we take a strategic, data-driven approach to pricing—ensuring your home is positioned to attract the right buyers and achieve the strongest possible result.

♦ Request a free home evaluation.

How do you know if your home is overpriced in Waterloo?
Compare it to recent local sales, evaluate time on market, and assess how it compares to similar homes in your neighbourhood.

Why don’t some homes sell in Waterloo Region?
The most common reason is pricing. Buyers are highly informed and will overlook homes that don’t align with market value.Can you still get multiple offers today?
Yes—but only when a home is priced correctly and positioned strategically from the start.

The post The Psychology of Overpricing (and Why It Backfires Fast) appeared first on Kitchener Waterloo Real Estate Agent - The Deutschmann Team.

 The title of one of the water articles in last Saturday's K-W Record is "Water crisis costing  major dollars ".  Both developers and municipalities allegedly are losing money with delays from the water crisis. Frankly I may feel badly for the construction workers who may or may not be currently losing employment but I'm less sure of feeling badly for the municipalities. They and their politicians are and always have been part of the problem. Also I thought our brain trusts had finally admitted that growth does not pay for itself and never has. That growth is subsidized year after year by higher taxes from long suffering residents . 

Parts of Waterloo Region can still build and develop as usual such as most of Cambridge , North Dumphries, Baden and New Hamburg.  Also developments and buildings that do not require additional water demand are exempt from the current hold on development.  Supposedly municipalities are losing out on Development Charges (DCs) as they are being greatly delayed. Again my understanding is that Development Charges may offset the costs of extending sewers or water lines etc. but that they do not cover 100% of the costs of growth which eventually include greater snow plowing, fire service and police service not to mention health care, hospitals etc. All in all I don't feel that citizens are remotely getting the full and honest versions of the negative sides of growth which of course also include environmental costs. Just ask residents of beautiful neighbourhoods whose vacant lots and wooded areas are under constant pressure from developers nibbling at the edges or worse. 

My advice to the Region of Waterloo is stay the course, get your water infrastructure improved and don't be harassed into premature lessening of the current development restrictions until everybody's water supply is stabilized and improved.

Here are the best stories from Code Like a Girl for May. They have been selected from everything we’ve published on Medium and Substack.

We use each platform differently.

Medium is where we publish more widely.

Substack is where we concentrate our strongest work. Only three stories a week, thoughtfully chosen and actively amplified.

Most of our Substack stories come from writers who don’t publish on Medium, so there’s very little overlap between the two.

If you’re only reading us here, you’re missing part of it.

Subscribe to Code Like A Girl on Substack.

by AI Meets Girlboss

Reese Witherspoon gets pile-oned for saying women should learn AI. A designer loses subscribers for experimenting with it in her own work. A Claude Code learning session runs 27 people, three women. The discourse says adopt AI or get left behind. The comment section says resist. Both are wrong. The obstacle isn’t only the tech industry. It’s closer than that.

by Sarah Gibbons and Kate Moran

Tech bros didn’t discover taste. They discovered that AI made execution cheap. Sarah Gibbons and Kate Moran show why judgment, context, articulation, and pattern literacy have always been core skills. And why the people who’ve been forced to justify their work for years may be the ones best equipped for what comes next.

by Louise Deason

Louise Deason was fired from Facebook for taking a holiday she never took. The access logs, travel records, and performance reviews could have proved it in minutes. Nobody checked. This is a sharp, necessary story about how tech firings really work, and why the official reason is often just the cover story.

by Tiffany Bayton

“Shouldn’t be too bad” is not an estimate. It’s an engineer silently watching a dependency graph appear behind their eyes. Tiffany Bayton captures the hidden complexity inside every “small” product request. And why the most useful answer in tech is sometimes: let me investigate first.

by Marsha Teo

Marsha Teo thought dark mode would be a toggle. It turned into a full-system refactor. Hardcoded colors, typography defaults, code highlighting, SVGs, images, and rendering timing all had opinions. A smart, practical reminder that “small” UI features are only small until they touch the whole system.

by Sivan Hermon

A 1:1 with a leader shouldn’t be a status meeting in disguise. Sivan Hermon shows how to use that time to talk about feedback, people, priorities, and the systems quietly shaping the team. It’s a smart, practical template for turning manager 1:1s into a place where leadership actually gets sharper.

Best of Code Like A Girl: May 2026 was originally published in Code Like A Girl on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

♦

KITCHENER - A rough day at the office for the Kitchener Panthers.

Seven different Hamilton batters had home runs, as the Cardinals took down Kitchener 15-6 at Jack Couch Park Sunday afternoon.

While the offence was buzzing for the Cards, the Panthers had a tough time solving starter Freisis Adames.

Adames struck out 10 in 5.1 innings of work. He gave up three runs on three hits and issued two walks for the win.

Ben Hewitt got the nod for Kitchener, giving up five runs on five hits in three innings.

Rafael Gross continued to swing a hot bat. He went two-for-five with a home run, his third in four games.

Yosuke Fujie also hit his first home run of the season in the loss.

Kitchener will get a chance for revenge on Thursday, as Hamilton heads back to the Jack at 7:05 p.m.

GET YOUR TICKETS NOW and #PackTheJack!

♦

GUELPH - The heart of the Kitchener Panthers order combined for 10 of the team's 16 hits, en route to a 10-8 win over the Guelph Royals Saturday afternoon at Hastings Stadium.

It was a back-and-forth game early, as Guelph climbed out of a 3-0 hole.

Kitchener nabbed six runs in the sixth inning, batting around the order in the process.

But that seven-run lead nearly evaporated, as Guelph clawed back with five runs and even had the tying run at the plate in the ninth.

Yosvani Penalver had four hits, while Petey Kiefer and Malik Williams had three hits.

Yunior Ibarra drove in three runs as part of the win.

Raffi Gross and Charlie Towers both had triples in the large ballpark.

Samuel Quintana pitched four innings in the start, just 36 hours after pitching in a loss against London. He gave up three runs on four hits and struck out three.

Guelph's Alfred Vega gave up four runs on nine hits in 5.1 innings, striking out five and walking five in the start.

Kitchener improves to 5-3 on the season, while Guelph falls to 0-5.

The Panthers are home to Hamilton Sunday afternoon at 2:05 p.m.

GET YOUR TICKETS NOWand #PackTheJack! Wear your Kitchener Rangers jersey to get FREE ADMISSION to the game, and take in some baseball before walking across the parking lot to watch the Rangers in the Memorial Cup final on the big screen at the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium! 

You almost have to think that when everybody are unhappy with the Region's water decisions that maybe they really are all trying to get the boot this fall. Don't they know that they can simply say "I've had enough of the good times and am uninterested in the bad times so goodbye. "? 

Firstly they are about to take 15 litres per second more water from Wilmot wells. This item should not even be on the table until AFTER they have committed to drilling old wells deeper or new wells for Wilmot residents whose wells are no longer reliably providing water. This "commitment" does not mean either verbally or in writing because they are proven liars and deceivers.  This "commitment" means the cheque or cash is in the hands of the residents desperately needing them for immediate construction of new or deeper wells.

How clear has it become that the developers and builders are the tail wagging the dog? Man we've recently seen Woolwich Township cut and run from a single wealthy individual whose wants, not needs, for an enclosed, full size, full amenities ice rink on his property buffaloed them. Now over and over again we publicly see developers and builders telling the Region what to do and the difference between us and them is that the Region says O.K. to them. 

Basically the developers and builders have given the Region of Waterloo a deadline and it is June 3/26. That is this coming Wednesday and presumably will occur at the regional council meeting. That is when those in charge will find out if their specific projects have been allocated enough water to go ahead and start building, essentially after the cities give them the building permits and or other required documentation. Make no doubt any failure by the Region to do so this Wednesday will likely result in legal action by those far more entitled than you or I to continue making millions of dollars building homes, apartments, townhouses etc. for the Region's no longer grossly expanding population. Federal government policies finally stopping mass unneeded immigration have been enacted. That said allegedly there were only 90 new residents in Waterloo Region last year which seems unbelievable in the opposite direction of what we've had for the last twenty to fourty years.  

Politicians as well as those in charge may have gone too far this time as many of us have lost all trust in those who run the Region of Waterloo. Today's K-W Record have several water articles keeping us informed as to the latest nonsense going on.

I’ll be straight with you -I’ve spent an embarrassing amount of time inside AI builders this year. Not just clicking around for demos. Actually trying to take things to production. And that’s where every comparison I read online failed me, because they all stopped at the fun part.

Nobody talks about what happens six weeks later.

So I did it myself. I put Replit, Lovable, and 8080.ai through the full arc — from weekend prototype to something that could actually survive real users, real traffic, and real errors. Here’s what I found.

Most comparisons show you a landing page built in 30 seconds. That’s easy. What I actually needed to know was:

• What happens when I need horizontal pod autoscaling?
• Can I set up a staging environment that doesn’t share credentials with production?
• Was my database designed before the code, or did the AI just wing it?
• Can I deploy without leaving the platform and figuring it out on my own?

Those are the real questions. So that’s what I tested.

Lovable genuinely impressed me in the first hour. The React code it generates is clean, the TypeScript is well-typed, and the UI looks professional enough to start taking payments. I built a SaaS landing page with pricing tiers, testimonials, and a sign-up flow in under 30 minutes.

Then it asked me to “connect Supabase.”

That’s where things got complicated for me. Lovable’s entire backend model is Supabase-dependent. And when I started thinking about production — real production — I hit a wall. There’s no Kubernetes deployment. No containerized microservices. No multi-environment staging pipeline. The path from Lovable’s hosting model to production-grade infrastructure means you’re building that infrastructure yourself, outside the platform entirely.

To be fair — Lovable was designed for rapid prototyping. It’s excellent at that. My mistake was expecting it to be more. The marketing doesn’t always make that distinction clear, and I learned it the hard way.

My verdict: Use Lovable when you’re validating an idea or need a demo fast. Don’t use it when you’re planning to scale.

Replit felt more like home. Terminal access, direct file editing, 50+ language support, GitHub integration — this is closer to a real IDE. The AI agent can act on your codebase in ways that feel genuinely useful if you already know how to code.

And that’s also the catch.

Replit is fast if you have programming experience. For a less technical builder, the setup time increases quickly as you navigate an IDE environment and external documentation. I also noticed that when I started pushing toward production-grade complexity — multiple microservices, consistent deployment patterns, scaling configurations — I had to set those things up explicitly myself. The AI helped, but it didn’t think ahead about production infrastructure.

It’s a great path to a shareable prototype. It’s not a path to production infrastructure.

My verdict: Solid for developers learning or building side projects. Not the right bet if production readiness is your goal from day one.

This is where my experience genuinely shifted.

8080.ai doesn’t just generate an app — it designs a multi-tier microservice architecture from your natural language description. It produces database schemas, API contracts, and component diagrams before the code is written. The infrastructure it outputs is Kubernetes-native from the start: stage and production cluster deployments out of the box, Docker containerization, direct Kubernetes dashboard access, and a deployment pipeline you never have to leave the platform to manage.

What hit me most was this: the infrastructure pattern AI applications are moving toward microservices, Kubernetes, horizontal scaling, persistent storage is exactly what 8080.ai produces as its default output.

That’s not a small thing. Every other tool produces something you’ll need to migrate later. 8080.ai produces something that’s already where you’re going.

The built-in task decomposition, sprint tracking, and AI-driven browser testing with visual verification made it feel less like a builder and more like an actual engineering team working alongside me.

My verdict: This is the tool for when you’re serious about production. Not just a demo — a real, scalable product.

After all this testing, here’s how I’d map it now:

StageTool to UseLearning / ExploringReplit or LovableValidating an idea fastLovableBuilding for production 8080.ai

The tools aren’t competing with each other — they’re serving different moments in the journey. My mistake for too long was using prototype tools at the production stage.

Once I understood what each tool was actually built for, the decision became obvious.

If you’re still choosing, ask yourself one question: Are you building a demo, or are you building a product?

The answer tells you everything.

Everyone’s praising Replit and Lovable. I used both and I’m done. was originally published in Code Like A Girl on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Are you trying to network on LinkedIn and via email, but finding your response rate disappointingly low? You’re not alone. Effective networking is about building relationships, not just diving in with a request to be considered for a job. It’s about establishing rapport and trust, and this takes time and patience.

I had mixed feelings about networking when I first started attending events. The thought of walking into a room full of strangers, trying to infiltrate various little groups, and instigating a conversation made my stomach turn.

I needed to shift my perspective; otherwise, networking was going to be a source of anxiety and trepidation. I recognised the value, I knew networking was impactful for knowledge sharing, industry expertise, contacts and opportunities, but that initial walking in the door bit was like a roadblock to me. I needed to pivot my mindset away from expecting to walk away with new business and consider how I could offer value to others in a non-reciprocal way. This helped in removing a weighted expectation from my shoulders. By changing my focus, I removed the fear of failure and what felt like a forced transactional encounter. This created a space for more authentic conversations. When new connections walked away feeling informed, supported, or inspired, I became someone they returned to. The key was to give without expecting anything in return.

As well as this mindset change, I also brought a friend or colleague with me to help alleviate the solo nerves, and it also helped to have a few conversation icebreakers in my back pocket. Check these out for some helpful inspiration: 30 Brilliant Networking Conversation Starters and 17 Great Conversation Starters to Help Break the Ice at Networking Events.

Here are some tips to enhance your networking efforts:

1. Target the Right People: Focus on peers or individuals a level above or below your position, rather than solely on senior titles.
2. Personalise Connection Requests: Attach a short, thoughtful note with your connection requests to make a positive first impression.
3. Craft Specific Emails: When emailing someone, be specific about what they do that inspires you. Reference a quote or a specific moment their work impacted you. This type of engagement is more likely to garner a response.
4. Ask Targeted Questions: Be very specific with any questions-ask something that can’t be easily found through a Google search.
5. Be Concise and Compelling: Ensure your emails are concise and engaging, with a strong subject line to grab attention.
6. Be Respectful of Time: Not everyone is open to a virtual or physical call. Be targeted and thoughtful if you request 15 minutes of someone’s time. Many people prefer messaging where they can consider your query and tailor their response.
7. Follow Up Politely: If you don’t receive a response, follow up a week or two later with a gentle nudge. People get busy, and a polite reminder can bring your email back to their attention.
8. Leverage Existing Connections: Utilise the connections you already have. Ask if they can introduce you to someone specific, and explain why you want the introduction. This targeted approach helps them craft a supportive connection request.
9. Seek Professional Guidance: Engage with a career consultant or mentor for added support, advice, and guidance.
10. Optimise Your LinkedIn Profile: Keep your LinkedIn profile up to date and curated for the opportunities you’re seeking.
11. Research Job Roles: Leverage the terminology and descriptions used in job specifications, where aligned with your experience, mirror these in your profile and communications. This will help Recruiters align your skills and experience to their needs and increase their likelihood of accepting your connection requests.
12. Add Value in Engagements: When engaging with someone’s posts, to stand out, ensure you add value-either entertain, inform, or inspire.
13. Post Informative Content: Share content related to your profession and tag relevant companies and individuals you quote. Establishing yourself as a thought leader builds your credibility.
14. Join and Engage in Communities: Find a community and genuinely become part of it. Building the best connections and relationships often happens within these groups.
15. Explore Alternative Networking Platforms: Try platforms like Lunchclub, CoffeeMug, and Meetup. For those in Ireland, consider Network Ireland and Grow Remote.

By implementing these strategies, you’ll build stronger, more meaningful connections and enhance your networking success.

If you have any networking strategies that you feel have been successful for you, please share them in the comments section to help others.

Elizabeth Lenihan is an award-winning Career Strategist and Talent Consultant with over 18 years of experience helping professionals find clarity, build confidence, and move forward with intention. Based in Ireland, she works with clients internationally.

Explore more at elizabethlenihan.com or connect on LinkedIn.

Originally published at www.elizabethlenihan.com on June 13, 2026.

The Art of Networking was originally published in Code Like A Girl on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Register by June 15 and receive 3x entries to win a Chilly Moose cooler filled with you favorite summer beverages.

Join us for our inaugural summer bonspiel, KW Icebreaker 2026.

Loads of curling, prizes, food, live entertainment and of course fun!

Sign up now! 

kwgranite.com/index.php/club-events/event-registrations/175-kw-icebreaker-2026/individual-registration

♦

Our inaugural summer bonspiel, KW Icebreaker!

Join us for a BEACH PARTY themed event on August 7 - 9, 2026 at KW Granite Club.

Live music Friday and Saturday evenings!

♦

Friday night pizza and late night snacks and Saturday lunch and dinner included.

Three (3) game guarantee. All games will be 6 ends.

Good times on and off the ice to get the new season started right!

Price is $500.00 plus HST per team with up to 6 players allowed per team.

Register here:

kwgranite.com/index.php/club-events/event-registrations/175-kw-icebreaker-2026/individual-registration

♦

CHATHAM-KENT - Evan Elliott struck out seven in six innings of one-run-baseball as the Kitchener Panthers beat the Chatham-Kent Barnstormers 5-1 Friday night at Fergie Jenkins Field.

He gave up six hits and walked two batters to register the win.

The Panthers used the long ball to do most of the damage.

Mateo Zeppieri opened the scoring with a solo blast in the third, his first of the season.

Raffi Gross then went yard for the second time in two games, a two-run shot in the fourth to extend the lead.

Josh Williams hit his first home run as a Panther, a no doubter to lead off the seventh inning.

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Petey Kiefer went three-for-five and drove in the lone run where the ball stayed in the ballpark, later in the seventh.

Samuele Bruno was two-for-four in his first start of the year as catcher, as Yunior Ibarra got the night off.

Jake Liberta got a scoreless inning of work, while Bawin Colon shut down the Barnstormers in the final two innings.

Kitchener improves to 4-3 on the season, while Chatham-Kent drops to 1-3.

The Panthers continue a busy four-game stretch Saturday in Guelph. First pitch is 2:05 p.m. from Hastings Stadium.

Kitchener returns home Sunday afternoon for a matchup against the Hamilton Cardinals, also at 2:05 p.m.

GET YOUR TICKETS NOW and #PackTheJack! Wear your Kitchener Rangers jersey to get FREE ADMISSION to the game, and take in some baseball before walking across the parking lot to watch the Rangers in the Memorial Cup final on the big screen at the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium!

A faculty committee at Yale University recently called for more transparency and clearer standards in admissions, along with fewer advantages for the rich and well-connected, such as the offspring of alumni, varsity athletes, and the children of faculty, staff, and donors.

I appreciate that focus on merit. And it got me thinking: is there room for improvement in our hiring processes?

In today’s newsletter, I cover five ways to introduce more merit into hiring, drawing from my books and past newsletters.

Marginalized candidates may be asked for proof or credentials that others were never required to provide.

In 2022, when then-Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson was nominated to serve as a U.S. Supreme Court justice, one conservative news host demanded to see her LSAT score. (As you may know, the LSAT is a standardized law school entrance exam.) It shouldn’t have mattered. Jackson received her law degree from Harvard 25 years earlier and went on to have an impressive career, including being a district judge in Washington, DC. By contrast, that same news host didn’t ask to see the LSAT scores of the previously nominated Justice Amy Coney Barrett before announcing, “There’s no question that Barrett is qualified for the job.” (I should note that Jackson is Black and Barrett is white.)

Here’s another story. When I interviewed Dr. Kelly Paradis for my book Belonging in Healthcare, she shared some things she heard about women during interviews, including, “She said, ‘I’ a lot in her presentation. ‘I did this, I did that.’ Did she really do all that stuff by herself?” Yet, as Paradis pointed out, members of the same review committee didn’t question the validity of the men who similarly described their accomplishments.

To help ensure more merit in hiring, we can:

• Specify all the qualifications needed for an open position before reviewing the first résumé or application.
• Restate these requirements at the beginning of meetings to discuss candidates.
• Look out for requests for additional credentials for specific people.

The goal is to not shift the standards during the evaluation and to focus on the merits you need to get the job done.

Share on Instagram, LinkedIn, or YouTube.

A recent article in Fortune’s The Interview Playbook heralded a best practice Steve Jobs used to evaluate job candidates. He’d ask himself if he’d want to grab a beer with them. If the interview had felt forced, awkward, or draining to him, it was a major red flag.

Honestly? That advice is a red flag for me.

It’s basically a friendship test. Would I enjoy spending time with this person? Do they remind me of my younger self? Would they fit into my social circle?

Those questions can easily steer us away from merit and toward familiarity, comfort, and similarity. And that can disadvantage candidates from underrepresented backgrounds, different communication styles, or nontraditional career paths.

If someone brings up the “beer test” during hiring discussions, push back. Encourage the team to step back and focus on structured, fair evaluation practices, like the ones I shared in my May 15 2026 newsletter.

“Lacks executive presence” can sound objective, but it often isn’t.

In Stop Using ‘Executive Presence’ as a Reason to Not Promote Women, Alizah Salario wrote,

“the push to acquire that special ‘je ne sais quoi’ of executive presence is actually a trap…it puts women and people of color in the tricky position of hiding their authentic selves to fit into a leadership box filled with white men in suits.”

It also means that if we use it to evaluate talent, we slip away from measuring merit.

If we hear someone saying “they lack executive presence” during an interview debrief, let’s shift the conversation to focus on the skills and experience they’d bring to our team.

White men may benefit from a “halo” where one strength is generalized into a high rating, while other groups receive “horns” that unfairly define them.

One strong answer becomes “they’re amazing.” One mistake becomes “they’re not ready.”

To combat this effect, researchers Joan C. Williams et al. recommend at least three pieces of evidence to back ratings.

Consider advocating for an update to your candidate assessment form to request at least three examples of the behavior, rather than generalizing the feedback based on just one.

Last but not least, here’s something I share at least once a year in my newsletter.

To help remove bias from the candidate selection process, Google has given the hiring team a simple handout that describes common errors and biases that assessors make and how to fix them.

In his book Work Rules, former Google executive Laszlo Bock explained that simply reminding people of these biases was enough to eliminate many of them.

I love it.

Let’s all be aware that hiring on merit doesn’t happen by default. The more intentional we are about removing bias, the closer we get to building the best teams.

That’s all for this week. I’m glad you’re on this journey with me,

Karen Catlin (she/her), Author of the Better Allies® book series

Copyright © 2026 Karen Catlin. All rights reserved.

Together, we can make a difference with the Better Allies® approach.

• Say thanks to Karen and buy her a coffee (Need a receipt for educational reimbursement? Reply to this email, and we’ll take care of it.)
• Sponsor an edition of this newsletter
• Follow @BetterAllies on Instagram, Medium, or YouTube. Or follow Karen Catlin on LinkedIn
• Read the Better Allies books
• Tell someone about these resources

Introduce More Merit in Hiring was originally published in Code Like A Girl on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Based on the most recent luxury market data, Waterloo Region continues to show strength as we’re in the spring market, with both single-family and attached luxury homes remaining firmly in seller’s market territory.

The luxury benchmark price in Waterloo Region is currently $1,100,000 for single-family homes and $700,000 for attached homes. While inventory has increased significantly compared to last year, buyer activity remains strong enough to keep the upper-end market moving.

For homeowners thinking about selling a luxury property in Waterloo Region, the current market is not one-size-fits-all. Pricing, presentation, timing, and strategy matter more than ever.

The single-family luxury market in Waterloo Region remains a seller’s market, with a 26% sales ratio in April 2026. A sales ratio above 21% is considered a seller’s market, which means demand is still outpacing available supply in key price segments.

In April 2026, there were 199 single-family luxury homes available and 51 sales. This is a notable shift from April 2025, when there were only 96 luxury homes on the market. Inventory has increased by 107% year-over-year, giving buyers more options than they had last spring.

However, more inventory does not mean the market has slowed dramatically. Luxury single-family homes still sold for a median of 98.50% of the list price, showing that well-positioned properties are continuing to achieve strong results.

The median sales price for single-family luxury homes was $1,259,100 in April 2026, remaining relatively stable compared to April 2025. Median days on market also remained unchanged at 17 days.

This tells us something important: buyers may have more choice, but they are still acting quickly when a home is priced properly and presented well.

The most active price band for single-family luxury homes in April 2026 was $1,200,000 to $1,249,999, with an 80% sales ratio.

This price range is especially important for Waterloo Region because many move-up buyers, executive buyers, and family-focused luxury buyers are searching in this segment. Homes in this range often appeal to buyers looking for more space, upgraded finishes, larger lots, better school access, or established neighbourhoods.

For sellers, this means the $1.2M range can be highly competitive, but also highly responsive when the home is marketed correctly.

The attached luxury home market was even stronger in April 2026, with a 49% sales ratio. This also places attached luxury homes firmly in seller’s market territory.

Attached luxury homes include higher-end townhomes, executive townhomes, and upscale condo-style properties priced at or above the $700,000 benchmark.

In April 2026, there were 53 attached luxury homes available and 26 sales. Inventory increased by 66% compared to April 2025, while total sales increased by 4%.

The median sales price for attached luxury homes was $747,500, down slightly from $760,000 in April 2025. However, the sale-to-list price ratio increased to 99.68%, showing that many attached luxury homes are still selling very close to asking price.

Days on market also improved significantly. In April 2026, attached luxury homes spent a median of 17 days on market, down from 34 days in April 2025.

This is a strong indicator that the attached luxury segment remains highly active, especially for properties that offer strong layouts, updated finishes, and desirable locations.

For sellers, the current market offers opportunity, but it also requires a more strategic approach.

More inventory means buyers have options. They are still willing to move quickly, but they are also comparing properties more carefully. A luxury listing that feels overpriced, underprepared, or poorly marketed can sit while better-positioned homes attract stronger interest.

In today’s market, luxury buyers are looking closely at:

• Location and neighbourhood reputation
• Overall home condition
• Lot size, privacy, and outdoor living space
• Interior layout and functionality
• Quality of finishes and recent updates
• Professional photography and presentation
• Accurate pricing based on current market data

Luxury homes are not just competing on square footage or price. They are competing on perceived value.

The April 2026 data shows that luxury homes are still selling close to list price, but that does not mean sellers can price aggressively without consequence.

In a market with more inventory, buyers have more leverage to compare. If a home is priced too high from the beginning, it can lose momentum quickly. Once a property sits, buyers may start to question whether something is wrong with it, even if the home itself is beautiful.

Strategic pricing is not about underpricing. It is about positioning the property where it will attract the right buyers, create urgency, and support a stronger negotiation outcome.

This is especially important in Waterloo Region’s luxury market, where neighbourhood, lot size, finishes, school access, and property style can all impact value differently.

Luxury buyers expect more than basic listing photos.

Professional presentation can directly impact how a home is perceived online, especially when buyers are narrowing down options before they ever book a showing. High-quality photography, staging guidance, strong listing copy, and polished marketing materials all help create a stronger first impression.

In Waterloo Region, where luxury homes can vary widely from executive suburban homes to estate-style properties, historic homes, custom builds, and upscale townhomes, marketing needs to clearly communicate what makes the property stand out.

The goal is not just to list the home. The goal is to position it.

For many luxury homeowners, spring 2026 remains a strong time to consider selling.

The market is still favouring sellers in both the single-family and attached luxury segments. Homes are selling close to asking price, days on market remain reasonable, and buyer demand is still active across key price ranges.

That said, success depends heavily on strategy. The homes that perform best are usually the ones that are priced with current data, prepared thoughtfully, and marketed with a clear plan.

For homeowners in Waterloo, Kitchener, and surrounding areas, understanding the current luxury market is the first step in deciding whether now is the right time to sell.

If you are considering selling your home, it is important to understand where your property fits within today’s market, not just based on general averages, but based on your neighbourhood, home style, lot size, condition, and buyer demand.

The Deutschmann Team provides market-backed custom home selling plans designed to help sellers make confident, informed decisions.

If you are ready to sell soon and want to understand your home’s current value, our team can help you review the data, assess your property’s position, and build a strategy around your goals.

The post Waterloo Region Luxury Real Estate Market Update | May 2026 appeared first on Kitchener Waterloo Real Estate Agent - The Deutschmann Team.

When you’re getting ready to sell your home, it’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking everything needs to be updated, upgraded, or perfect before it hits the market.

It doesn’t.

One of the biggest mistakes sellers make is spending too much money on the wrong improvements. We see it all the time. Homeowners pour time and money into projects they think buyers will care about, only to find out those updates didn’t meaningfully increase the sale price.

As listing agents, our job is to help sellers make smart decisions before listing. That means knowing what is worth fixing, what can be left alone, and where you’re better off saving your money.

If you’re wondering what not to fix before selling your house, here’s what you need to know.

This is a big one.

A full kitchen renovation before selling is usually not the best move. Kitchens are expensive to renovate, and sellers rarely get back every dollar they put in. On top of that, your taste may not be the buyer’s taste.

We’ve seen sellers spend tens of thousands of dollars redoing kitchens right before listing, only to find that buyers still view it as a kitchen they may eventually change.

Instead of a full renovation, focus on strategic improvements that help the space show better:

• fresh paint
• decluttering countertops
• updated lighting if the current fixture is especially dated
• minor hardware updates if needed
• professional cleaning
• repairing anything visibly broken

That’s the sweet spot. Clean, fresh, functional. Not overdone.

A dated bathroom is not always a dealbreaker. A dirty, damaged, or poorly maintained bathroom is.

There’s a huge difference.

If the bathroom is functional, clean, and in solid condition, you probably don’t need to gut it. Buyers can look past older tile or fixtures much more easily than sellers think, especially if the home is priced properly and presented well.

What matters most is that the bathroom feels:

• clean
• bright
• well-maintained
• free of mould, leaks, or obvious damage

Before listing, it usually makes more sense to:

• re-caulk where needed
• touch up paint
• replace a broken mirror or light
• fix dripping faucets
• ensure grout looks clean

That’s a far better use of money than a full remodel right before putting your home on the market.

Not every cosmetic detail needs to be updated.

A lot of sellers start looking around the house and suddenly every faucet, light fixture, doorknob, and cabinet pull feels like a problem. Most of the time, it isn’t.

If those finishes are extremely dated or inconsistent, we may recommend a few simple updates in key areas. But replacing every fixture in the house is rarely necessary.

Buyers know cosmetics can be changed. What they care more about is whether the home feels clean, functional, and move-in ready overall.

If you’re going to spend money, spend it where it has the most impact. Chasing every tiny cosmetic imperfection is a fast way to burn through your budget for very little return.

Flooring is one of the first things sellers panic about, and fair enough, bad flooring can stand out. But that doesn’t automatically mean you need to replace everything.

In many cases, a full flooring overhaul is overkill.

Before replacing floors, ask:

• Are they actually damaged, or just not your style?
• Would a deep clean make a big difference?
• Would one room benefit more than replacing the entire house?
• Can we work around them through staging and pricing?

Sometimes the answer is replacing a small section. Sometimes it’s refinishing hardwood. Sometimes it’s simply removing worn area rugs, cleaning thoroughly, and letting the rest go.

Blanket replacements are not always the answer.

This is where a lot of sellers waste money.

Buyers often want to personalize a home after they move in. So if you spend a lot updating things based purely on taste, there’s a good chance the buyer won’t fully value it.

This can include:

• trendy backsplashes
• bold design choices
• custom built-ins that only suit your lifestyle
• expensive wallpaper
• highly specific finishes

The more personal the update, the more likely it is that a buyer sees it as “nice, but not for me.”

When preparing a home for sale, neutral and broadly appealing almost always wins.

Now for the flip side.

While there are definitely things you do not need to fix before listing, there are also issues you should not ignore. These are the items that can hurt buyer confidence, show up during a home inspection, or make the home feel poorly maintained.

Here’s what we typically recommend addressing before listing:

Fix:

• leaky faucets
• running toilets
• loose handles
• doors that stick or don’t latch
• damaged locks
• burnt-out light bulbs
• broken appliances if they’re included in the sale

These are smaller issues, but buyers notice them fast.

Repair or remove:

• holes in walls
• cracked tiles
• torn screens
• damaged trim
• stained ceilings
• chipped paint
• loose railings

Visible damage can make buyers wonder what else hasn’t been maintained.

Fresh paint is often one of the most worthwhile pre-listing updates.

A clean coat of paint in a light, neutral colour can instantly brighten a home and make it feel fresher, cleaner, and more move-in ready.

This one matters more than almost anything else.

Before listing, focus heavily on:

• deep cleaning
• decluttering
• depersonalizing
• organizing storage spaces
• washing windows
• making the home smell fresh
• staging key rooms well

A clean, well-presented home almost always outperforms a cluttered one, even if the cluttered one has newer finishes.

The smartest sellers don’t prepare their home based on emotion. They prepare it based on strategy.

That’s where working with an experienced listing agent matters. Before spending money, you want clear advice on:

• what buyers in your market actually care about
• what improvements are worth the investment
• what can be left alone
• how to position your home to sell for the best possible price

Every home is different. Every price point is different. And every market responds differently.

The truth is, selling your home is not about making it perfect. It’s about making it marketable.

If you’re getting ready to sell, don’t assume you need to renovate half your house first. In many cases, the best results come from a more strategic approach: fix what’s broken, freshen what’s tired, clean everything thoroughly, and avoid sinking money into updates that won’t meaningfully pay off.

That’s how you protect your bottom line and go to market with confidence.

If you’re wondering what your home needs before listing, we can help you make the right call.

The post What’s Worth Fixing Before You Sell, and What Isn’t appeared first on Kitchener Waterloo Real Estate Agent - The Deutschmann Team.

Broadway Magic, International Spectacle, Canadian Icons and Live Experiences
Take Centre Stage in Downtown Kitchener

Kitchener, ON — Centre In The Square is proud to unveil its 2026/27 Season with a simple challenge to audiences across the region: Dare to Be There. This Season marks a milestone moment for the venue, with the most ambitious Broadway lineup ever presented on the Centre’s stage, alongside world-class international performers, iconic Canadian artists, spectacular family programming, and the continued growth of the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony’s presence at the Raffi Armenian Theatre.

New this Season is the inaugural Studio Theatre Experience, an intimate series showcasing extraordinary artists in a more personal setting, alongside expanded school shows and education programming that continues to make live performance accessible to the next generation of audiences.

“‘Dare to Be There’ is more than a tagline; it’s an invitation,” says Executive Director Eric Larivière. “This season is about shared experiences, powerful moments, and the incredible energy that only live performance can deliver.”

This Season cements Centre In The Square’s position as a leader in live experience and gives audiences across Ontario every reason to make Kitchener worth the drive.

Broadway In Kitchener Series

This season, Broadway takes centre stage in Kitchener with four spectacular productions direct from New York, plus a special encore engagement of one of Broadway’s biggest hits.

Broadway Series productions include:

• Mrs. Doubtfire • November 3, 2026
• A Christmas Story – The Musical • November 25, 2026
• Legally Blonde – The Musical • May 18, 2027
• Jersey Boys • May 28, 2027

Broadway Encore:

• The Book of Mormon • March 16–21, 2027

Broadway in Kitchener season tickets offer audiences the best way to experience the magic of Broadway without leaving Kitchener. Subscribers can secure the best seats in the house for all four productions, keep the same seats for every show, save almost 25%, and receive exclusive early access to purchase tickets for The Book of Mormon before the public!

International Series

The International Series brings globally celebrated artists, immersive concert experiences, dance, and cultural performances from around the world to our stage.

International Series performances include:

• An Evening with Celtic Thunder 2026: Celebrate Your Favourite Songs • September 5, 2026
• Lorrie Morgan & Pam Tillis: Grits and Glamour Tour • October 9, 2026
• Pat Metheny – Side-Eye III+ • October 10, 2026
• The Buena Vista Orchestra • October 18, 2026
• Mariza • October 28, 2026
• The Psychology of Cults – A Live Event • October 29, 2026
• Cinderella presented by Classical Arts Entertainment • November 29, 2026
• Love Actually In Concert • December 3, 2026
• Five For Fighting with String Quartet • December 10, 2026
• YAMATO: The Drummers of Japan – Tamayura: Echoes of the Soul • February 6, 2027
• Swan Lake by International Ballet Stars • March 24, 2027

Canadians Series

The Canadians Series celebrates beloved homegrown artists and uniquely Canadian live experiences.

Canadians Series performances include:

• Ballets Jazz Montréal – Dance Me: The Music of Leonard Cohen • November 18, 2026
• Dwayne Gretzky presented by ENOVA • November 20, 2026
• Marianas Trench • December 5, 2026
• Natalie MacMaster & Donnell Leahy: A Celtic Family Christmas • December 15, 2026
• Blue Rodeo • January 8 & 9, 2027
• Can You Sing, Kitchener • April 30, 2027

ENOVA Presents: Classic Rock Series

ENOVA returns as the proud Presenting Sponsor of the ever-popular Classic Rock Series, bringing legendary albums and iconic rock tributes back to the Centre’s stage.

ENOVA Presents: Classic Rock Series includes:

• The Australian Pink Floyd Show – The Happiest Days of Our Lives: Greatest Hits ’26 • September 21, 2026
• Classic Albums Live: Billy Joel – The Stranger • November 13, 2026
• Brass Transit: The Musical Legacy of Chicago • November 14, 2026
• Classic Albums Live: Elton John’s Greatest Hits • January 30, 2027
• Classic Albums Live: Led Zeppelin II • March 12, 2027
• Classic Albums Live: Pink Floyd – Dark Side of the Moon • April 9, 2027

Family Series

From magical holiday traditions to acrobatics, wizardry and theatrical adventures, the Family Series offers fantastical experiences for audiences of all ages.

Family Series performances include:

• Cirque Musica: Holiday Wonderland • November 26, 2026
• The Nutcracker: A Canadian Tradition • December 28, 2026
• Cirque Éloize: iD Evolution • February 27, 2027

Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony Series

The Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony continues to grow its presence at Centre In The Square, returning with five orchestral performances spanning beloved masterworks and festive favourites. The expanded KWS series reflects the strengthening partnership between the two organizations and their shared commitment to making world-class music a cornerstone of cultural life in Waterloo Region.

Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony performances include:

• Masterworks 1: Beauty and Power • September 26, 2026
• Yuletide Pops • December 19, 2026
• Masterworks 2: Solace • January 23, 2027
• Masterworks 3: Folk Dances • February 13, 2027
• Masterworks 4: The Journey Home • May 15, 2027

Grand Philharmonic Choir Series

The Grand Philharmonic Choir returns with a powerful lineup of celebrated choral masterworks performed alongside the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony.

Grand Philharmonic Choir performances include:

• Haydn: The Creation • November 7, 2026
• Handel’s Messiah • December 12, 2026
• Brahms: Ein Deutsches Requiem • March 26, 2027

Studio Theatre Experience Series

The Studio Theatre Series offers intimate, immersive, and innovative performances across music, theatre, and live experiences.

Studio Theatre performances include:

• Billy Raffoul • October 10, 2026
• Michael Kaeshammer • November 5, 2026
• Daniel Vnukowski: Beethoven, and Mixed Programme • March 6, 2027
• BOOM • April 28–May 1, 2027

Education Programs & Summer Camps

Centre In The Square continues its commitment to inspiring the next generation through an expanding lineup of school shows and summer camps. This season’s School Shows Series features seven curriculum-connected performances for elementary and middle school audiences, with tickets available for as little as $5.

2026/2027 School Shows:

• Sing Pitch Perfect with Deke Sharon & Splüsh • October 27, 2026
• Doktor Kaboom: Under Pressure • November 16, 2026
• ILL-Abilities: No Excuses, No Limits • February 1, 2027
• Sultans of String: The Refuge Show • March 2, 2027
• Ocean Blue • March 9, 2027
• DeeDee Austin • April 13, 2027
• BOOM • April 27–30, 2027 (Studio Theatre)

In addition to school-year programming, the Centre’s popular Summer Camps return this July and August with a variety of one- and two-week sessions designed for children ages 4 to 14. Led by professional artists and arts educators, these camps offer a welcoming space to build confidence, express creativity and make new friends, culminating in a final showcase performance for family and friends.

The 2026/27 Season is proudly supported by Season Sponsor Heffner Lexus Toyota, Season Media Sponsor CTV, Destination Programming Sponsor Raelipskie Partnership, and ENOVA, sponsor of the Classic Rock Series.

The Centre also acknowledges the continued support of the Government of Ontario through the Ontario Cultural Attractions Fund and the Experience Ontario program, the Government of Canada through the Canada Summer Jobs program, the Lyle S. Hallman Foundation Kids to Camp Fund at the Waterloo Region Community Foundation, The Walper Hotel, Delta Hotels Waterloo, 570 NewsRadio Kitchener, 96.7 CHYM FM, Country 106.7, the Waterloo Region Record, M&T Printing Group, and Borealis Grille & Bar.

Centre In The Square gratefully acknowledges the major funder, the City of Kitchener for its continued support.

Tickets for the 2026/27 Season are available exclusively to CentreStage Members from May 27 through June 7, 2026, with public on-sale dates beginning June 8, 2026.

For full season details, Broadway subscriptions, memberships, and tickets, visit www.centreinthesquare.com.

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Media Contacts

Eric Larivière
Executive Director, Centre In The Square
416-557-8498
ELariviere@centreinthesquare.com

Jonathan Randall
Director, Marketing & Development
519-578-5660
JRandall@centreinthesquare.com

About Centre In The Square:

Centre In The Square is the leading destination for live experiences in the Greater Kitchener-Waterloo Area. With over 180 annual events, Centre In The Square showcases top local, national, and international talent, enriching the cultural landscape with concerts, plays, comedy, lectures, and more. Located in the heart of Downtown Kitchener, Centre In The Square is a meaningful space for live experiences and community gathering, generating creative and economic impact and serving one of Canada’s fastest-growing communities.

The Woolwich Observer published a Letter To The Editor from Ms. Bryant that was commenting on an earlier article in the Observer (Oct. 12/23) titled "Lanxess study finds Canagagigue contaminants pose no unacceptable risk". Ms. Bryant's Letter To The Editor one week later is titled "Canagagigue hotspots should be addressed".  Well yes as a matter of fact they should and only a wealthy corporation with more money than ethics could think otherwise. 

There is of course no health study to back up the Risk Assessment claims of no unacceptable risk. There is however reams of paper involved in a number of Draft reports as well as in the possibly final report. As stated lots of contaminants were found some 1,000 times higher than regulated standards. These contaminants are long proven Persistent Organic Pollutants (Pops) including DDT, DDD, DDE, dioxins and furans, Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs), PCBs and mercury. They are found in the bottom of the Creek as sediments as well as along the Creek as creekbank soils plus further away from the Creek as Floodplain soils. Finally they are also found in members of the Benthic community that lives within the sediment and finally via bioaccumulation have moved up the food chain into fish tissues. These fish of course are also predated upon by birds of prey, raccoons, foxes, coyotes and more. Yes the fish tissue concentrations also exceed published health criteria  None of this seems to matter to the suits merely doing the job they were paid to do.

This situation is the result of money talking. The successor polluter has more money for legal battles than the Township, the Ministry of Environment (MECP) or anybody else involved. They are not afraid to spend it to save themselves millions in further cleanup costs. In my opinion both human health and environmental health for them are not nearly the priority that shareholders' profits are. Money talks!

• What: Film screening of All That’s Left of You.
• Hosted by: ♦Neighbours for Palestine: Waterloo Region.
• When: 1:30pm to 4:30pm on Sunday 31 May 2026.
• Where: RSVP for location.
• Location: Near Block Line LRT station, Kitchener, Ontario Map
• Register: actionnetwork.org/ticketed_events/all-thats-left-of-you-film-screening-flotilla-fundraiser
• Contact: waterlooforpalestine@gmail.com

Hear a Flotilla organizer share their experience trying to break the siege on Gaza and bring in humanitarian aid. After the short talk, watch the award-winning film, All That’s Left of You, which traces one Palestinian family’s history from the Nakba to modern day. Sunday, 31 May 2026, doors at 1:00pm Register for Kitchener location. $15.50 – proceeds to Canadian Boat to Gaza. Co-sponsored by N4P & IJV. Let’s show our support for the returning activists. We hope to see you there! Register: actionnetwork.org/ticketed_events/all-thats-left-of-you-film-screening-flotilla-fundraiser

♦

All That’s Left of You begins in the Occupied West Bank of the 1980s, when a Palestinian teenager is swept into a protest that changes the course of his family’s life. Reeling from its aftermath, his mother, Hanan, shares the story that led them to that fateful moment. Spanning seven decades, this epic drama traces the hopes and heartaches of one uprooted family, revealing not only the scars of displacement, but the unbreakable spirit of survival. Executive produced by Mark Ruffalo and Javier Bardem, the film is a New York Times Critics’ Pick, Independent Spirit Award Nominee, and was shortlisted for an Oscar.

The film is presented in partnership with Canadian Boat to Gaza and is co-sponsored by Neighbours for Palestine: Waterloo Region (N4P) and Independent Jewish Voices Waterloo Region (IJV).

♦

KITCHENER - A valiant bottom of the ninth came up just short for the Kitchener Panthers.

Down 7-2, the Panthers got three runs and had the tying run at the plate, but Skylar Janisse finished it off as the London Majors nabbed a 7-5 decision Thursday night at Jack Couch Park.

Two of the three runs came off a two-run home run for Raffi Gross.

The difference in the game came in the fifth inning, when the Majors scored four runs and sent nine to the plate.

Owen MacNeil took the loss, giving up five runs on four hits in 4.2 innings of work. He struck out four and walked four.

Cesilio Pimentel scattered four hits in six innings for the win in his CBL debut for London. He struck out six and allowed two runs.

Malik Williams was the lone Panther to have a multi-hit effort, he was two-for-three.

Kitchener falls to 3-3, while London moves to 4-1.

The loss begins a busy week for the Panthers. They hit the road to Chatham-Kent and Guelph Friday and Saturday.

The next home game is Sunday at 2:05 p.m. when the Hamilton Cardinals come to town.

GET YOUR TICKETS NOW and #PackTheJack!

An open source benchmarking framework for IT automation

Python 329 4 issues need help Updated Jun 2

The post Summer Aerial Silks appeared first on Grand River Rocks Climbing Gym.

Thank you for your interest in joining the Board of Directors of Elmira District Community Living (EDCL).

EDCL is a grassroots, community-based organization dedicated to supporting individuals with developmental disabilities and their families in Elmira and the surrounding area. We are committed to building an inclusive community where everyone belongs and has the opportunity to thrive. Your skills, experience, and perspective can help strengthen and grow this mission.

We are currently seeking two new board members to complement our 12 member Board. We welcome individuals with diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and lived experiences.

In particular, we are seeking individuals with experience in:

• Finance
• Construction/property development/planning/architecture

If you are passionate about our mission and interested in giving back to your community, we encourage you to apply.

Board members contribute approximately 15-20 (board member only) 25-30(if on a committee or committees) per year. This includes:

• Attending board meetings
• Participating in committees as needed
• Supporting occasional events or initiatives

Board meetings are held in the evenings on:

• The fourth Tuesday in September, November, January, and March
• The first Tuesday in June

The Annual General Meeting is held on the second Tuesday in June.
Committee meetings occur 2–3 times per year at mutually convenient times.

• Successful completion of a Police Check

Please submit a letter of interest by June 15 via email to: cpeterson@elmiraacl.com

If you have questions or would like to learn more, please contact:

Cheryl Peterson, Executive Director
Phone: 519-669-3205 ext. 226
Email: cpeterson@elmiraacl.com

You can also visit our website: www.elmiradcl.com

The post Elmira District Community Living (EDCL) appeared first on Capacity Canada.

♦

The Aplastic Anemia and Myelodysplasia Association of Canada (AAMAC) is seeking volunteer Board Directors from across Canada who want to help shape the future of patient support, education, advocacy and research for Canadians impacted by aplastic anemia (AA), myelodysplasia and Myelodysplastic Syndromes (MDS) and paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH).

AAMAC is a federally incorporated registered charity dedicated to building a seamless national support network for patients, families, caregivers, friends and healthcare providers affected by bone marrow failure diseases. In addition to patient education and support, AAMAC funds Canadian research focused on improving outcomes for those living with these rare and serious conditions.

This is a meaningful governance opportunity for leaders who want to contribute their experience, judgment and voice to a mission-driven national organization. This role is best suited for individuals who are prepared to contribute over multiple years. Board Directors help guide AAMAC’s strategic direction, strengthen organizational sustainability, support patient-focused programs, expand awareness across Canada and ensure the organization remains responsive to the needs of patients and their support networks.

While beneficial, candidates are not required to have prior board experience, a medical background or direct personal experience with bone marrow failure disease. AAMAC welcomes individuals who are thoughtful, collaborative, committed and prepared to contribute consistently.

The expected time commitment includes:

• 6–8 virtual board meetings per year
• 1 annual strategic retreat, held virtually or in person
• Committee participation, approximately 3–4 hours per month

AAMAC is currently prioritizing candidates from Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia, although applicants from anywhere in Canada are welcome.

Experience in any of the following areas would be considered an asset:

• Nursing, clinical care or healthcare systems
• Patient support, advocacy or community outreach
• Financial management, accounting or audit
• Nonprofit leadership
• Fundraising, communications or stakeholder engagement
• Bilingual proficiency in French and English

AAMAC supports a respectful, collaborative and mission-focused board culture. This is an opportunity to help strengthen a national organization serving patients and families facing rare, complex and life-changing diseases.

For more information or to submit your application, please email cindyanthony@aamac.ca

The post AAMAC appeared first on Capacity Canada.

Apply to join CIRA’s Board of Directors and help shape the organization’s strategic direction and governance as it fulfils its mandate to manage the CA domain for the benefit of all Canadians.

CIRA’s Board plays an important role in supporting a trusted internet through initiatives such as the Net Good program, cybersecurity products, internet policy development, and other programs that strengthen Canada’s digital future.

You are a professional with governance experience, interested in joining a high-performing board, who actively:

• Promotes teamwork and helps build agreement.
• Asks relevant questions and expresses opinions based on solid reasoning.
• Recognizes strategic risks and opportunities that could affect CIRA and suggests sustainable solutions.
• Shows leadership with a creative and innovative approach to solving problems.
• Values diverse perspectives and experiences, fostering openness and continuous improvement.

• Legal Leadership and compliance experience, with subsidiary governance and management expertise and board-level judgement on policy, stakeholder and reputational risks, and/or
• Executive Leadership experience overseeing business operations with direct accountability for profit and loss, including strategy execution, budgeting, financial performance, and resource allocation, and/or
• Deep knowledge of DNS Operations, secuirty, and governance, with the ability to translate technical issues into strategic, risk, and policy considerations relevant to Board oversight.

CIRA’s Board meets in person three times a year, typically in November, February, and June.

*Additional Board meetings and meetings of Board Committees are held virtually throughout the year.

Applications must be submitted between 2pm ET on May 28 – 2pm ET on June 11, 2026.

Application Link apply-nominations.smapply.ca/

Learn more about the process and key dates for joining CIRA’s Board at cira.ca/election

CIRA is the national not-for-profit best known for managing the .CA domain on behalf of all Canadians. As a leader in Canada’s internet ecosystem, CIRA offers a wide
range of products, programs and services designed to make the internet a secure and accessible space for all. CIRA represents Canada on both national and international stages to support its goal of building a trusted internet for Canadians by helping shape the future of the internet

The post CIRA appeared first on Capacity Canada.

This is not the first time that hockey of all things has determined the makeup of Woolwich Council. The irony is that Mayor Shantz's initial win (20 years ago?) as a councillor over Pat McLean was not due to any remote superior character, education or experience but due to Sandy Shantz publicly supporting a two ice rink recreation centre whereas Pat wanted but one. Now as Sandy is not running again in this falls municipal election she won't lose her seat over her decision to permit the new, private rink to stay. The same may not be said for other councillors whether in favour or against allowing the new rink near Bloomingdale to stay despite the property owner pretty much literally waving their middle finger at Woolwich Council.

It was a calculated, in your face slap to both councillors and planning staff as the very well to do property owner decided to simply ignore zoning and by-law issues by building his personal, fully enclosed and fully equipped ice rink supposedly for his family and friends only versus for commercial purposes. Time will tell as this person has demonstrated a willingness to publicly flip the middle finger at Woolwich Council.

There are many issues involved in this situation and frankly despite my harsh criticism of Woolwich Council environmentally, I almost feel sorry for them with this no win scenario.  Issues include individual's property rights versus the encroachment and expansion of government influence and authority. Issues also unfortunately include the Rule of Law whereby each and every citizen is to be treated equally before the law.  What we clearly see here is an individual with the money and influence simply confronting a municipal government and effectively telling them to #uck off or else I'll see you in court or at the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT) or both. No subtlety, no apology, no oops I goofed. Any other average citizen treating Council this way would have the Township's lawyers all over them and a very expensive, possibly bankrupt inducing legal battle before them. 

Part of my sympathy for the individual involved has to do with most municipal council's including Woolwich historically lying, deceiving and bullying citizens whenever it pleases them. Think of the Rattasids among others who for a while owned the former Paleshi garage and auto wrecking yard and how they were treated by staff and council. Clearly this individual in Bloomingdale whether through good luck, good management or whatever has the financial means to push back hard and has chosen to do so. His is a classic case of do what you damn well please on your own (very large) property and then ask for forgiveness afterwards with little to no sincerity and a blatant in your face attitude because clearly his lawyers have told him that an expensive legal battle for the Township during an election year will not be wanted by them. 

Frankly half of this looks good on a municipal Township with a long history of both stupidity and arrogance. It's just unfortunate that it sends the message that yes indeed money does put you above the law. Just ask a couple of guys by the name of Nygard and Stronach about how long money can buy you legal protection in this country.

The headline above demonstrates what passes for environmental cleanup and improvement in Woolwich Township particularly between polluters and politicians.

These results are from the recently released 2025 Biomonitoring Report. DDT and metabolites (mostly DDE) in fish tissues are above the CCME (Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment) Guidelines of 14 ng/g for several reaches in the Creek on the Lanxess (Uniroyal) property.  The guideline is 14 ng/g and the concentrations in Shiners and Bluntnose Minnows averaged between 50 and 70 ng/g, well above guidelines.  

PCB concentrations in fish tissues were all below the CCME Guidelines except for the upstream reach which is interesting. What is just upstream from the former Uniroyal that could have discharged PCBs in the past?

Dioxins and furans concentrations in fish tissues were above the CCME Guidelines of .71 pg/g TEQ (Toxic Equivalency) downstream but below them upstream from Lanxess/Uniroyal.  The downstream composite samples were around 1.6 pg/g which also indicates a decrease from  concentrations that were higher in the early 1990s but have been stable over the last five years. Now this result similar to the others allegedly can not be "...directly or statistically compared with historical MECP tissue data..." due to differences in sampling, fish species assessed and other reasons which I find very convenient and dubious. 

Somewhat strangely the dioxin and furan tissue concentrations in Shiners are higher in 2025 than they were in 2020. One excuse given is that the fish (shiners) averaged a little larger in the 2025 sampling than the earlier one.

All in all this study proves that doing nothing is cheaper than actually cleaning up and that eventually when you stop polluting, concentrations of toxic Persistent Organic Pollutants (Dioxins/DDT/PCBs etc.) tend to decrease over decades.