Safety checks Python dependencies for known security vulnerabilities and suggests the proper remediations for vulnerabilities detected.

Python 2k Updated Mar 23

The HydroGeoSphere April 2026 release is now available for download.

This month’s update focuses on improvements to velocity field computation, solver robustness and diagnostic reporting, along with several important bug fixes affecting restart behavior and fully saturated flow simulations. Together, these updates improve numerical accuracy, solver performance, and model diagnostics across a wide range of HydroGeoSphere (HGS) workflows.

Snow depth output added to observation files
Added nodal snow depth (SnowDepthSWE) to observation well and observation point output files when the rain and snowmelt boundary condition is active.

New solver convergence control commands (see hydrosphere_ref.pdf)

• New command flow solver check convergence on initial residual

• New command transport solver check convergence on initial residual

These commands allow early exit of the linear solver when the initial residual already satisfies convergence criteria, improving solver efficiency.

New solver divergence monitoring command
Added the command linear residual maximum increase, which detects solver divergence based on large increases in the residual norm.

Improved porous medium velocity precision
Fixed a bug that caused significant precision loss in computed porous medium velocities for fully saturated flow simulations using hexahedral block elements.

Updated initial head Tecplot export handling
Refactored the command initial head to tecplot so that it correctly accounts for initial head values specified using restart files.

Solver diagnostics and performance improvements (see hydrosphere_ref.pdf)

• Updated the commands flow solver detail and transport solver detail to include a new verbosity level and improved diagnostic reporting.

• Improved the serial and parallel linear solvers to enhance robustness, reduce memory usage, and improve parallel efficiency.

Improved warning message reporting
Updated warning message behavior in grok so that when an error occurs, all warning messages accumulated up to that point are still reported.
This makes debugging model setup issues easier and more transparent.

Fixes for velocity field computation commands
Resolved bugs in the commands compute velocity field from head and compute velocity field from head and conc that caused incorrect reading of head and concentration values from the prefixo.hen and prefixo.cen files. These fixes ensure more accurate velocity field calculations from restart-based inputs.

Fix for restart file initialization behavior
Corrected an issue where initial heads or concentrations specified using restart file for heads or restart file for concentrations were ignored when a restart index of zero was specified in the parallelindx.dat file.

Documentation updates
The HydroGeoSphere Reference Manual (hydrosphere_ref.pdf) has been updated to reflect all new commands and enhancements.

And as always, we are committed to the continued improvement to the user experience. Do you have suggestions for new commands or improvements to the user experience? Send your ideas to support@aquanty.com!

The latest installers are available on the HGS download page and a full list of changes/updates can be found in the release notes.

Download the April 2026 release of HydroGeoSphere here: www.aquanty.com/hgs-download

Review the release notes here: www.aquanty.com/updates

Something smells at regional council and the odour is floating all the way westwards to Wilmot Township. Natasha Salonen, mayor of Wilmot, may be trying to please two masters and it's not working.  She appropriately supported a motion to make data on the health of the underlying aquifer in Wilmot, public. It did not pass. She also voted unsucessfully along with four other councillors against the permitted taking of water from the Wilmot Centre wellfield for use in the cities. 

It certainly appears as if the majority of regional councillors have been able to overcome any squeamishness or heaven forbid guilt over the Region surreptitiously having been stealing Wilmot water for the last six years. As one local Wilmot resident stated "If the 1980 agreement cannot be trusted, what protection do we have?"  "Once trust is broken, it cannot be easily rebuilt."

There also appear to be possible discrepancies in the health of the aquifer underlying Wilmot. Regional staff apparently are handing out verbal assurances that water levels are healthy however now we are hearing that citizens complaints of drying up wells and wetlands are not just miles away but nearby the Wilmot Centre wellfield. It seems as if the so called data can be interpreted however the reader so decides. After decades of drivel, junk science and self-serving interpretations of a plethora of technical reports here in Elmira, Ontario I can appreciate how easy it is for highly motivated groups and authorities to interpret and see everything through rose coloured glasses.

Today's K-W Record article written by Luisa D'Amato is titled "Wilmot water pact down the drain". 

Laura Hudspith, Seer Four, 2024. Stained glass, solder, copper. 51 x 61 x 5 cm. Image courtesy of Zalucky (Toronto).

WATERLOO (ONTARIO) CANADA, April 9, 2026: The Canadian Clay & Glass Gallery is thrilled to announce that Laura Hudspith of Montréal, QC is the winner of the 2026 RBC Award for Glass. Hudspith will receive a $10,000 prize, which will support the development of her career at this critical time.

The only national award for emerging glass artists in Canada, the RBC Award is a prestigious honour. Presented through an ongoing collaboration with RBC, winners and finalists of the award are recognized as the best and brightest of the future of Canadian glass art.

We are pleased to celebrate this year’s RBC Award runner-up, Bram Locknick (Toronto, ON), who will receive a $5,000 prize. We also celebrate the achievement of the finalists for this year’s award: Alexi Garneau (Dorval, QC), Nadira Narine (Toronto, ON), and Eleni Papkov (Toronto, ON). Each finalist will receive a prize of $1,000 to further their practice.

This summer, the Canadian Clay & Glass Gallery will feature the winner and finalists in our annual Emergence exhibition alongside the winner and finalists of the Winifred Shantz Award for Ceramics. This exhibition provides a rare opportunity for these emerging artists to share their work with an extensive audience while helping to build their careers. An opening reception presenting the 2026 awards will be held on Thursday, May 28, 2026, from 6-8pm. All are welcome.

The 2026 RBC Award for Glass was juried by Katherine Gray, Sarah Hall, and Cheryl Wilson-Smith. On selecting Laura Hudspith as this year’s winner, the jurors state: “The work of Laura Huspith’s thoughtful blending of historic stained glass techniques with a fresh, contemporary, narrative offered the jury a richly layered, visually arresting story, that is technically proficient and conceptually engaging, placing her as this year’s winner of the RBC Award for Glass. Kudos to all!”

For more information about the RBC Award for Glass, visit our website.

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To schedule a media interview or for more information, contact Sarah Stanners, Executive Director & Chief Curator, at 519-746-1882 ext. 231 or director@theclayandglass.ca.

The Canadian Clay & Glass Gallery is an award-winning, national institution based in Waterloo Region celebrating the art and craft of clay, glass, and enamel. As a dynamic cultural organization, we continue to amplify diverse stories — opening dialogue and inspiring social change. Through exhibitions that address issues relevant to our times, an impressive selection of works in our Gallery Shop, and public programs that engage, educate, and excite — we are accessible to all. For more information, visit: www.theclayandglass.ca

The post Laura Hudspith Wins $10,000 Top Prize in 2026 RBC Award for Glass first appeared on The Canadian Clay and Glass Gallery.

Somewhere in the world, women's enrollment in Science, STEM, or Tech is high, and somewhere else, not so much.

And somewhere along the way, the retention rate dwindles, and many of them quietly disappear. Not because they aren't capable, nor because they don't belong. But often, for myriad reasons.

We do talk a lot about getting more women into science. But the real question is what happens after enrollment? How many are able to graduate with flying colors?

Let’s analyze this and answer some burning questions using this interesting dataset I found.

It provides details on women’s participation in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education across major countries from 2000 to 2023.

In the end, I found out that the story isn’t as simple as “progress is happening”.

Did I catch your attention!? Read on.

The dataset is mainly put together from National education ministries, UNESCO statistics, and OECD education databases. The temporal coverage is 24 years from 2000 to 2023. The features include country, year, STEM field, graduation rate, and gender gap index.

The gender gap index tells us how close women are to men in participation in a specific STEM field. So,

• higher value = women are well represented
• lower value = women are underrepresented

The index ranges from 0 (total inequality) to 1 (perfect equality).

The data covers 6 major countries: the USA, China, India, Germany, Canada, and Australia. And it includes four core STEM disciplines: Engineering, Computer Science, Mathematics, and Biology.

Now, with this out of the way, let's explore the dataset.

Here are a few interesting stats of the dataset:

• Median enrollment rate is 43.5%, while the median graduation rate is 35.9%.
• Median gender gap index seems to be doing well (0.75), and the minimum is 0.5.

• From the line plot above, we see the enrollment rate hovers around 42-45%, and since 2019, it has been on a declining trend: nothing alarming so far.
• The overall trend of the graduation rate seems to be climbing over the two decades, which is a positive outcome.

• The gender gap index seems to be relatively stable after 2012.

Importantly, there is no correlation among the three variables.

• The USA has the highest enrollment rate of all countries, but not the highest graduation rate.
• Canada has the highest graduation rates, while Germany has the lowest.

• Interestingly, Math has the highest enrollment and the lowest graduation rates.
• The highest graduation rates are in the Engineering stream.

I checked which country-field combinations have high enrollment but lower graduation rates. This tells the story of a gap in the system where the enrollments are not properly transitioning into the final outcome.

• The highest gap is in China in Math, where 16.1% of women who enrolled do not graduate.

To understand which country has experienced the fastest improvement in all metrics over the years, I computed the slopes of enrollment, graduation rates, and the gender gap index. I also formulated a “progress score” which is simply the mean of the three slopes.

• Here, India shows the fastest overall improvement, while China is a close second.

Women's enrollment in STEM is about the same range over the years, but the graduation rates are improving, which is amaaaazing! Math seems to be a challenging field with low graduation rates. And India and China are improving faster in having women’s representation in science.

Note: This dataset ends in 2023, so the current trends are not captured, but overall, it is a good start to understand where we are and where to focus next.

Thanks for reading. And have a nice day!

I am happy to connect on LinkedIn, or GitHub!

What data actually tells us about Women in Science? was originally published in Code Like A Girl on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

• What: Film Screening: My Friend Omar: The Struggles of a Seasonal Worker
• Presented by: Amnesty Canada Group Nine ♦
• When: 6:30pm to 8:30pm, Thursday 9 April 2026
• Where: KW Little Theatre
• Location: 9 Princess Street East, Waterloo, Ontario Map
• Online: www.amnestywaterlooregion.org/2026/03/film-screening-discussion-my-friend.html
• Contact: groupnine9@gmail.com

On Thursday 9 April 2026 Amnesty Group 9 will be screening the documentary film My Friend Omar: The Struggles of a Seasonal Worker at KW Little Theatre. The event will begin at 6:30pm and will include a discussion of the film’s topic: Canada’s Temporary Foreign Worker Program. The film is 60 minutes long. The screening will be free to attend and snacks will be provided.

Following the screening there will be an opportunity to sign a relevant petition and letter to your local MP.

Synopsis of the film: “My Friend Omar: The struggles of a Seasonal Worker” follows Québécois-Chilean actor Christian de la Cortina, who, while preparing for his role as Sandro in “5e rang,” forms a friendship with Omar, a seasonal Guatemalan worker. This documentary unveils the persistent abuses some workers experience, exposing the shortcomings of the system. It also highlights Omar’s solidarity and fight for justice, representing the voice of often invisible workers.

Please share this event with your networks and join us Thursday April 9 for the screening of My Friend Omar. There are two posters attached below to assist in promoting the event. Any questions regarding the event should be sent to groupnine9@gmail.com.

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Whitehorse, YT and Kitchener, ON, April 8, 2026 –

Capacity Canada and Volunteer Bénévoles Yukon are pleased to announce a new partnership focused on strengthening governance capacity for Volunteer Yukon and its member organizations across the territory. Yukon has over 600 nonprofit organizations with a population of 48,000.

As part of this collaboration, Capacity Canada will provide a suite of governance supports designed to build board leadership knowledge and access to professional development opportunities.

Key elements of the partnership include the delivery of a two-hour virtual Governance Essentials Workshop for Volunteer Yukon and its members in May. This will be free for Volunteer Yukon members to attend.

In addition, Volunteer Yukon member organizations will receive discounts to attend Capacity Canada’s Board Governance BootCamp, taking place November 24–26, 2026 in Kitchener, Ontario, and discounts on on Capacity Canada’s ModernBoard courses, delivered in partnership with Conestoga College.

“This partnership reflects a shared commitment to supporting strong, effective governance in the nonprofit and volunteer sector across the country,” said Cathy Brothers, Chief Executive Officer of Capacity Canada. “We are pleased to work alongside Volunteer Bénévoles Yukon to expand access to governance learning opportunities for organizations doing vital work in their communities.”

“This collaboration supports our ongoing efforts to strengthen the capacity of volunteer-involving organizations across Yukon,” said Vladyslav Hryhorenko, Executive Director of Volunteer Bénévoles Yukon. “We are pleased to partner with Capacity Canada to offer practical governance supports to our members.”

Cathy Brothers, CEO of Capacity Canada cathy@capacitycanada.ca

Vladyslav Hryhorenko, Executive Director of Volunteer Bénévoles Yukon vlad@volunteeryukon.ca

Capacity Canada is a national charitable organization that supports nonprofit and volunteer organizations through governance education, leadership development, and capacity-building services. Based in Kitchener, Ontario, Capacity Canada works with organizations across Canada to strengthen board effectiveness and organizational sustainability.

Volunteer Bénévoles Yukon supports and represents volunteer-involving organizations across Yukon, providing resources, training, and advocacy to strengthen the territory’s volunteer sector.

The post Exciting Partnership Announcement – Capacity Canada and Volunteer Bénévoles Yukon Announce New Governance Partnership appeared first on Capacity Canada.

Erin Berry, Hyperprocess (detail), 2025. Earthenware clay, steel bolts, plasticine, geological specimens, fossils, PLA, aluminum, bronze, porcelain, found/donated objects. 366 x 325 x 231 cm. Photo courtesy of the artist. Collection of the artist.

WATERLOO (ONTARIO) CANADA, April 8, 2026: The Canadian Clay & Glass Gallery is delighted to announce that Erin Berry of Victoria, BC is the winner of the 2026 Winifred Shantz Award for Ceramics. Berry will receive a $10,000 prize, which will support the development of her career at this critical time.

The only national award for emerging ceramic artists in Canada, the Winifred Shantz Award is a prestigious honour. Presented through an ongoing partnership with the Keith and Winifred Shantz Fund for the Arts held at Waterloo Region Community Foundation, winners and finalists of the award are recognized as the best and brightest of the future of Canadian ceramic art.

We are pleased to celebrate this year’s Shantz Award runner-up, Etty Anderson (Montréal, QC), who will receive a $5,000 prize. We also celebrate the achievement of the finalists for this year’s award: Mariana Bolaños Inclan (Toronto, ON), Undine Foulds (Halifax, NS), and Parvin Peivandi (Vancouver, BC). Each finalist will receive a prize of $1,000 to further their practice.

This summer, the Canadian Clay & Glass Gallery will feature the winner and finalists in our annual Emergence exhibition alongside the winner and finalists of the RBC Award for Glass. The exhibition will provide a rare opportunity for these emerging makers to share their work with an extensive audience while helping to build their careers at a pivotal moment. An opening reception presenting the 2026 awards will be held on Thursday, May 28, 2026, from 6-8pm. All are welcome.

The 2026 Winifred Shantz Award for Ceramics was juried by Melanie Egan, Julie Hall, and Eekta Trienekens. On selecting Erin Berry as the 2026 winner, the jurors state:

“Erin’s commitment to an expansive, immersive practice and her exploration of materials, methods, scale, and exhibition installation all added up to an impressive application. Her strong reflections on the body, geological time, and a range of materials makes for thought-provoking storytelling. The jury was unanimously impressed with Erin’s ambitious practice and plans to deliver on her proposed work. Congratulations, Erin, we’re looking forward to seeing the work you make as the winner of the 2026 Winifred Shantz Award for Ceramics.”

For more information about the Winifred Shantz for Ceramics, visit our website.

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To schedule a media interview or for more information, contact Sarah Stanners, Executive Director & Chief Curator, at 519-746-1882 ext. 231 or director@theclayandglass.ca.

The Canadian Clay & Glass Gallery is an award-winning, national institution based in Waterloo Region celebrating the art and craft of clay, glass, and enamel. As a dynamic cultural organization, we continue to amplify diverse stories — opening dialogue and inspiring social change. Through exhibitions that address issues relevant to our times, an impressive selection of works in our Gallery Shop, and public programs that engage, educate, and excite — we are accessible to all. For more information, visit: www.theclayandglass.ca

The post Erin Berry Wins $10,000 Top Prize in 2026 Winifred Shantz Award for Ceramics first appeared on The Canadian Clay and Glass Gallery.

Perhaps twenty years ago I asked that question of Jeff Merriman (Chemtura) at a public CPAC (Chemtura Public Advisory Committee) meeting. Now most of the time Jeff was a pretty calm fellow but that particular question set him off. He became loud and agitated and behaved as if the question itself was a personal afront and secondly as if I had worded the question more like "You dirty dog are your disgusting Dioxin and DDT contaminants also further disgusting Dense Non Aqueous Phase Liquids (DNAPLS) that only the most slovenly polluters would have on their site.?".

Now his response surprised me because it was a calm and serious question. I did not know the answer then and am still not certain if they could actually be defined as DNAPLS or not. My suspicion then and now is that they could be according to some DNAPL criteria but possibly usually are not for some reason or another. Also just to be perfectly clear I most certainly did not phrase the question with words like ", "slovenly", "disgusting", "dirty dog" etc..

Mr. Merriman strongly answered my question in the negative while somehow implying that the question itself was somehow inappropriate which for Jeff was unusual. Don't get me wrong, he was a company man through and through but still usually he at least attempted to answer questions, even difficult ones, without being unusually defensive. This response of his was strange.

DNAPLS are known as "sinkers" because their density (specific gravity) is greater than 1 . This means that they will literally descend through both surface water as well as unsaturated and saturated soils (i.e. groundwater). Water has a density of 1 .   Generally DNAPLS also have a low solubility in water which means that unlike NDMA which readily and fully dissolves in water, DNAPLS have a maximum mathematical solubility in water which can limit the extent of their groundwater contamination. For example chlorobenzene is a recognized DNAPL chemical with a solubility of around 440,000 parts per billion.  While 440,000 is a big number it isn't when compared to one billion. In fact as a fraction chlorobenzene can only dissolve in water less than one half part per thousand parts of chlorobenzene. The problem arises with chlorobenzene as with many DNAPLS that their low solubility in water (i.e. 440,000/1,000,000,000) still greatly exceeds their human health drinking water standard of only 80 parts per billion. Both Dioxin and DDT have very low solubilty in water although certainly Dioxins solubility exceeds the drinking water standard which is an extremely low 15 parts per quadrillion or  15/1,000,000,000,000,000).  The Ontario Drinking Water Standards (ODWS) does have a health criteria for DDT which makes me believe that DDT under some circumstances can dissolve in water at a rate greater than the ODWS. If not then why have a drinking water standard at all?

There are numerous other DNAPL criteria that I believe Dioxin and DDT have. The real issue may be the  difficulty in finding them and other DNAPLS in the subsurface. This is because they are able to migrate under gravity flow versus the usual subsurface groundwater fllow.  They can also penetrate both aquifers and aquitards and may or may not end up in depressions where they are capable of slowly dissolving over decades and centuries at concentrations greater than drinking water standards. Despite these difficulties, at least since January 2007 when Drs. Cherry and Parker (then Univ. of Waterloo) advised myself, Susan B., Wilf Ruland and Pat McLean that they should be removed or remediated from the subsurface, this world class professional advice has been ignored at CPAC, RAC, TAG and now TRAC.

I believe that both DDT and Dioxins are now probably in the off-site Elmira Aquifers courtesy of this negligence.

The Office of the Superintendent of Bankruptcy has announced the new surplus income limits for 2026 bankruptcy filings. We list the thresholds below and provide an example to help you understand what surplus income can mean for your bankruptcy filing.

You can read more about the 2026 Bankruptcy Guidelines on our surplus income payments page, or you can use our surplus income calculator to do the math for you.

Numbers are nice, but what does this mean to you? Here’s the simple explanation:

If you declare bankruptcy, the more you earn, the more you pay.  It’s that simple.

So, if you are a single parent with one child, you are a family of two, so your surplus income limit is $3,381 per month. If your net earnings (your income after tax, less child care and medical costs) are $3,718 per month, you are $337 over the limit, so you have $337 of surplus income.

If you are bankrupt you are required to pay half of your surplus income to your creditors, so in this example you would be making a surplus income payment of $168.50 per month.

If your income goes up, you pay more.  If your income goes down, you pay less.

If you are considering bankruptcy, you should estimate your income during the bankruptcy period, so you can estimate your surplus income and therefore the cost of your bankruptcy.  If you get a bonus, or work overtime at certain times during the year, or if you get laid off for part of the year those factors will influence your surplus income.

If you expect your income to increase and you are worried that you may pay a lot in surplus income, you could consider a consumer proposal as an alternative to bankruptcy.  We negotiate a settlement with your creditors up front, so if your income increases later your payments don’t increase.

Which option is best for you?  Contact us today and one of our professionals will calculate your options and help you decide which option is best for you.

The post New Surplus Income Limits for 2026 appeared first on Hoyes, Michalos & Associates Inc..

When: Saturday May 2nd, 11:00 am – 12:00 pm

Meeting Point: old library, 47 Albert St. Waterloo.

Walk Leader: Robert Shipley, past professor at the University of Waterloo School of Planning

The streets and open spaces immediately north of up-town Waterloo have been designated as a heritage conservation district for a very good reason. Albert, MacGregor, Fountain and few other short streets as well as Waterloo Park provide us with a wonderful assortment of architectural styles, reminders of the past and planning features that can be read like a book of community development. Robert Shipley, urban planning professor and head of the Heritage Resources Centre will share humorous stories and a unique perspective on the neighbourhood.

When: Saturday May 2nd, 10:30 – 11:30 am

Meeting Point: The main parking lot for the Grey Silo Trail (part of the Walter Bean Grand River Trail) is located at the end of Park Road, Waterloo, ON, near the RIM Park Recreation Center. A convenient address for navigation to the general area is 2001 University Ave E, Waterloo, ON N2K 4K4.

Walk Leader: Judy Watson

Join us for a relaxed, one-hour Jane’s Walk exploring the historic farmstead at Grey Silo. This very short, stop-filled loop focuses on how a 19th-century farm functioned as a complete system—growing food, storing it, caring for animals, and surviving through the seasons.

We’ll gather in the parking lot by the trail sign and then head to the farmhouse and visit the garden, a root cellar near the creek, the barn, and the silo. Along the way, we’ll explore how people lived on this land before modern conveniences and how the landscape has changed over time.

This is an interactive walk with opportunities to share observations, ideas, and stories.

Washrooms can be used before and after at the recreation complex which is a very short drive or a short walk away.

This is the home you have been waiting for.

Welcome to 370 Green Acres Drive, a rare and iconic offering in Old Colonial Acres—one of Waterloo’s most prestigious and established neighbourhoods.

Set on an expansive ~½ acre lot and tucked away on a quiet court, this timeless Tudor-style home offers 4,300+ SF of beautifully finished living space with 5 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms, extensive updates, exceptional privacy, and a backyard that feels like a private resort.

Surrounded by mature trees, this home delivers something incredibly rare—true cottage-style living in the city, just minutes to universities, major employers, and everyday amenities.

From the moment you step inside, the scale and presence are immediate. A grand 2-storey foyer opens to a classic centre hall layout, where the formal living room and private office overlook the front streetscape. The living room flows seamlessly into the dining room, creating an ideal setting for entertaining.

The main level unfolds into a bright, open-concept living space anchored by an updated Country Lane kitchen. Featuring heated slate floors, premium appliances, and an oversized island with seating for 6, this is truly the heart of the home.

The breakfast area offers direct access to the backyard, creating effortless indoor-outdoor flow. The adjacent great room, complete with gas fireplace and bay window, frames views of the mature landscape and fills the space with natural light.

A functional mudroom with built-ins, garage access, and a well-positioned powder rm with backyard entry adds everyday convenience.

The upper level offers 5 generous bedrooms—an increasingly rare and highly desirable layout.

The primary suite feels like a private retreat, featuring a custom feature wall with electric fireplace, sitting area, and a walk-in dressing room with built-ins and its own laundry area. The spa-like ensuite includes dual floating vanities and an oversized glass walk-in shower.

Four additional bedrooms provide exceptional flexibility, three with balcony access. An updated 5-pc main bath and a finished attic (~361 SF) complete the upper level.

The backyard is where this home truly sets itself apart.

Backing onto mature trees and designed for complete privacy, this outdoor space feels like a private retreat. An inground pool, expansive stone patio, covered seating area, and multiple outdoor living zones create a setting that is ideal for both quiet relaxation and entertaining.

It’s rare to find this level of privacy, lot size, and lifestyle in such a central Waterloo location.

Old Colonial Acres is one of Waterloo’s most established and tightly held neighbourhoods, originally developed in the late 1950s and expanded through the 1960s, 70s, and 80s.

What sets it apart is something that simply cannot be recreated today—large, mature lots, tree-lined streets, and thoughtful planning. Many properties sit on ¼–½ acre lots, and in some cases even larger, offering a level of space and privacy rarely seen in newer communities.

The neighbourhood is known for its quiet courts, curved streets, and low traffic flow, creating a peaceful residential setting that still feels incredibly connected.

• Anndale Park runs through the neighbourhood, adding green space and walking paths
• RIM Park is just minutes away, offering sports fields, indoor recreation, and access to the Grand River
• The Walter Bean Grand River Trail provides kilometres of scenic trails for walking and cycling
• Grey Silo Golf Course is nearby for those who enjoy golf in a natural setting
  
  

This is a neighbourhood that supports an active, outdoor lifestyle—without sacrificing convenience.

Despite its quiet, established feel, Old Colonial Acres is incredibly well located:

• Minutes to Conestoga Mall, grocery stores, and everyday amenities
• Close to University of Waterloo and Wilfrid Laurier University
• Easy access to Highway 85 and transit, including the ION LRT
• Surrounded by top-rated schools and parks

It’s this balance of privacy, space, and convenience that continues to drive demand in this neighbourhood.

Homes in Old Colonial Acres rarely come to market—especially those offering this combination of lot size, updates, and backyard lifestyle.
370 Green Acres is a standout example of what makes this neighbourhood so special.

If you’ve been watching for homes in Old Colonial Acres, you already know how rare opportunities like this are.

If you’re considering a move—or wondering what your home could be worth in today’s market—we’d be happy to connect and share our insight.

The post 370 Green Acres Drive, Waterloo: Old Colonial Acres Living at Its Finest appeared first on Kitchener Waterloo Real Estate Agent - The Deutschmann Team.

On the first Tuesday of every month, we’ll announce a new Fearless Female, including a video interview of them sharing their business story. Want to be featured as a Fearless Female?

Contact Memberships for more details. The Fearless Female Program would not be possible without our Title Sponsor, Scotiabank.

To learn a little more about the Scotiabank Women Initiative, and why they’ve chosen to sponsor this program, see the video below.

♦

The Fearless Female we’re featuring for the month of April is Cherylynne McKee, Principal and Educational Leader of St. Jude’s Scholars’ Hall Private School (SJSH). 

Cherylynne McKee has dedicated her life to advancing inclusive, student-centered education while leading the evolution of a multi-generational family business.

Currently completing her Doctorate in Educational Leadership at Western University (graduating October 2026), Cherylynne’s research focuses on building educator capacity to implement inclusive education practices. She also holds a Master of Education in Educational Leadership (Western University, 2023), a Bachelor of Education from Nipissing University (2003), and an Honours Bachelor of Political Science with a Minor in Music from Wilfrid Laurier University (2001).
SJSH is more than a career for Cherylynne—it is her home, her family, and her lifelong passion. Founded by her parents in 1982, she quite literally grew up within the school community. From watering plants and collecting garbage at five years old to tutoring students as a teenager, her path into leadership was both organic and deeply rooted in purpose.

Over the past 14 years, Cherylynne has taken over the daily administration of SJSH, leading a full-time staff of 45 while guiding the school through a period of significant growth and transformation. She was the architect behind the school’s rapid transition to a fully online learning environment during COVID-19—an entire school reimagined over a single weekend.

Her leadership extends beyond programming into strategic growth and operations. Cherylynne has overseen the construction of a 10-classroom and dojo addition, is currently managing the development of another expansion, and continues to guide the school as a thriving, multi-million-dollar organization. At the same time, she has taken on the financial leadership of the business, ensuring its sustainability while honouring its founding mission.

As she prepares to complete her doctorate, Cherylynne is bringing research-driven, forward-thinking leadership to rejuvenate and strengthen a more than 45-year legacy institution. Her work is grounded in a deep commitment to inclusive education, community, and innovation.

Beyond her professional accomplishments, Cherylynne is a devoted mother to two wonderful children—balancing the demands of leadership with the values of family that have always defined both her life and the school she leads.For Cherylynne, SJSH remains what it has always been: her home, her family, and her heart. And through her fearless leadership, she is ensuring its future is as strong and impactful as its past.

To learn more about Cherylynne’s journey as a Fearless Female, watch the interview below (or read the written format).

Tell us more about the school

So, we are a private school. We’ve been in the region since 1982 when my parents actually started the business. It was intended to be a temporary alternative to the publicly funded system where students that were struggling with learning disabilities would come for an intensive programming so they could go back into the public system. It has evolved into being a permanent alternative to the publicly funded system where students that are both neurotypical and neurodiverse are getting intensive instruction and assisting them in becoming successful adults.

Can you tell us more about your team?

I have multiple administrators that work with me. I have a high school vice principal. I have an elementary vice principal, and I have a head of my special education programming.

So, when I move into the role of director of education, they would be resuming the role of the separate principals.

What was your career path?

It’s a little bit of a roundabout way. I didn’t intend to become a teacher. I didn’t intend to get an education. My first degree at Wilfrid Laurier is in political science. I had intended to go to law school. I really wanted to get into constitutional law. I’m driven by the government. I find politics just so fascinating and that’s where I believe my pathway was.

While the universe had other plans, I didn’t get into my law school program of choice. I took a year away from it to essentially decide what I wanted to do. Do I still want to pursue law and politics or not? It was within that year that my father said to me, being that you don’t have anything right now, why don’t you come into the school and just do some work with the kids and do some teaching with them.

It was within the first three months I was like; I fell in love. This is what I was meant to do. I fully decided to put the law school path, close that door and then I went to teacher’s college the following year. It really was a roundabout way of how I came to this. I never would have thought that I’d be leading this business right now. It was not a plan of mine.

Tell us more about your educational background

I went to Wilfrid Laurier for my first degree of a Bachelor of Political Science. I also did a minor in music because I just really loved it. That’s why I chose Laurier at first because they have such a strong music program. I ended up then going to Nipissing University up in North Bay for the Bachelor of Education Programming. Then I taught. I spent the next 15-16 years teaching in the classroom. I taught kindergarten music. I taught OAC philosophy back when there was OAC courses. Most of my teaching career was spent doing social studies at the high school level.

Then it was 2018, I was already in roles of administration. I was bordering both being a teacher and being an administrator. I decided I really want to continue my education, especially if I’m going to really go into this role of administrator. I found this program at Western University in Educational Leadership. I took their master’s program, and I graduated that in 2023. As I was navigating through the Master of Education Programming, I just loved the professional learning I was gathering from it. I didn’t want to stop. I started the doctorate program in 2023 at Western. I will graduate this October with my doctorate.

What are some of the highlights of your career so far?

Early on in my career, I was chosen to attend the learning conference through Nipissing University. I was still quite a young teacher. I went to London University over in the UK. I had written a paper about my pre-service teaching and the role I use of technology and connecting it with the students. That was, I think, my first real taste of being a scholarly practitioner. When I became a teacher, I really sunk into the building of the relationships with the students.

As I started to come out of the full-time teaching, I really wanted to dive back into that scholarly aspect of being a teacher. That’s when my life took me back to school.

What are some of the biggest challenges that you have faced so far?

The single greatest challenge. There’s been a lot along the way, of course. There’s always ups and downs. The single greatest challenge being a principal at this time was COVID. It was totally unprecedented. No one had anticipated it. Everyone was asking me for answers that I did not have. I will never forget when Doug Ford announced that schools had to be closed. We don’t have a March break. Our school has an April break.

On Thursday, March the 12th, when Doug Ford made the sweeping announcement that schools would stay closed after the March break, it hit me like, we don’t even have a March break. We are supposed to open our doors again on Monday and start. I had an emergency meeting with my entire team Friday morning at 7 o’clock.

I told every teacher, scrap whatever you have right now. Throw away every lesson plan you have. Everyone’s getting on Edmodo, which was a platform that no longer exists. Everyone’s getting on Edmodo. You’re building a classroom. Make sure every student has access to the Edmodo account. Write out instructions for parents. Class starts at 8.30 in the morning. I spent the weekend figuring out how I could have class start on Monday.

One of my parents of our graduates that has left now, they graduated. He is a professor at Conestoga College. He let me know, Conestoga is using this program called Zoom. You should look into it. I spent that whole weekend researching and figuring out how Zoom works. I purchased an account for every single teacher. On Monday morning at 8:30, class began with all the students in class, all the teachers on Zoom, class ready to go. Those initial weeks of the closure were the most exhausting and probably some of the most rewarding weeks. It really taught me going into something that difficult.

I always questioned myself as a leader of, am I really legitimate? I was just a teacher at one point. Who am I to say what everybody can do? When everyone turned to me and just followed what I had to say, it really legitimized that, no, I have a voice here and I can do this. It was an incredibly challenging yet very rewarding time period.

Knowing what you know now, would you have chosen a political career or done anything differently?

No, I have been offered. I have been offered by different political parties to put my name in, but I’m not interested. I’m not interested to run for local governments. I’m not interested. It’s too much of a putting your personal life out there and that’s just not for me. What I would have done differently is, when I expanded my leadership team, I really saw the value of having other voices and that I didn’t have to carry the burden of leadership alone.

I think if I were to change anything, I would have expanded my leadership team probably sooner. They’re invaluable to me. I would have gone back in time and said, you don’t have to do it alone. You can expand your leadership team. I would have done that differently.

What methods have you used to grow professionally?

Yeah, I’d say my connections with my colleagues are massive. And so through Western University, that has really helped my leadership grow. So not only learning about the scholarly aspects of it, but I have colleagues now all over the world. I have some colleagues in Vancouver and BC, up in Thunder Bay, Calgary, but then also in Hong Kong, in parts of Europe, because the way that the University of Western does it is through Zoom.

So, it’s all online. I have all these amazing colleagues from all over and connecting with them regularly, hearing what their challenges and their successes are, me sharing mine, I have found that that connection with other leaders has been tremendous in understanding myself, but then also helping myself grow. And then adding in the scholarly aspect of it as well.

The last five years have been spent researching and reading has caused me a lot of reflection on my own leadership and say, well, what type of leadership am I doing? Which leadership does feel more natural to me? And so, all of that self-reflection combined with the connections with my colleagues has been tremendous.

What does your work routine look like?

Yeah, so evenings and weekends are spent at school learning. This final year, I’ve been writing my dissertation. And so I’ve been lucky enough that I’ve been able to take Wednesdays off. So, I don’t come to school on Wednesdays, and my team of leaders take care of everything here at the school. And then I’m able to spend a full day at home just writing and researching where it’s nice and silent.

I do have two young kids. So, evenings and weekends are, I’m a mom, so I must spend that time with them. But my Wednesdays have been instrumental.

How do you define success?

That’s a really good question. My success is defined by the success of others. And so, my form of leadership is very transformational leadership. I’m really connected with others and building others. So transformational leadership is all about making other leaders. And so when I have a student who I’ve been working with, even if it’s something minor, a young child that’s not understanding how to add or subtract or carry or borrow, or they’re just struggling with something, and if I just help them a little bit, and then that glow of I did it, that glow of I’m successful now, that tells me that I’m successful.

Up until university, just the other day, I got an email from the student that I had taught well over 10 years ago. And she’s now at the University of Cambridge in the UK, and she’s getting her PhD in chemical engineering. And she sent me an email out of the blue, Mrs. McKee, my time with you was pivotal in my learning.

And it’s like, you never really know what kind of impact you’re making on somebody. And so, I look back at that, and I go, wow, that to me feels like success that I’ve had this impact on these kids.

Do you think teaching as a profession is undervalued?

I don’t know, that’s a good question because I think everyone views it in a different way. But I can only really say how I view it. And what I tell my teachers is that we’re not really here to teach curriculum. Like that’s just the medium we’ve been given. What we’re here to do is raise children. And so, it there’s so many more things that are involved in that.

You know, there’s soft skills involved in that. There’s advocacy involved in that. There’s self efficacy that’s involved in that. There’s, there’s so much more that’s involved. And I think, I think that gets missed. Some people forget that that’s what teaching is about.

Yes, I want your child to learn how to read and write, I want them know the difference between or I want them to know the causes of World War One. But in the end, it’s more about the relationships we build, it’s more about the person that they become. And so, as a teacher, as a principal, I’m always reminding teachers that stop focusing on the curriculum, it almost sounds counterintuitive but stop focusing on the curriculum and focus on the child.

And I think that gets missed with a lot of people, they just see the job, they see the position and they miss that that’s what we’re here for.

What core values drive you?

So, the core value that really guides everything that I do is an ethics of care. The students that are in my school are people. And again, I think too many adults minimize the worries of a child, and they say that they’re too simple. But when a six- or seven-year-old child is upset because they can’t, they can’t find that favorite eraser of theirs. In that moment, that means everything to that child.

And as adults, if we dismiss the child, it teaches them that the adult doesn’t care. And so whereas if I pause, and I show that child, how you feel matters to me right now, and I take the time to help them find that favourite eraser that they have, it teaches them that they voice their concern to an adult, the adult will validate it, and there’s so many lessons involved in that. And so, yeah, the value that really guides everything that I do here at the school is that ethics of care.

What methods did you use to grow your team and recruiting talent?

Building strong teams is again, all through transformational leadership. So, I am very consciously aware of building relationships with my teachers and my staff. And building a team lies in the space between actions I have found.

And so, it’s not the to-do list. It’s not the meetings we have. It is the interactions that we have. It’s the relationships that we build. It’s all of that builds that trust and that bond between leader, and teacher or leader and employee, so that if I do need to put my foot down as a boss to say I need this to happen, there’s so much trust and relationship built that even if the person doesn’t understand why I’m making that decision, they will accept the decision. So, all of the team building happens in all of those little, small spaces between meetings and between the to-do lists and between those things.

And then attracting new hires. I’m fortunate enough that the school has an incredible reputation. We have an incredibly low teacher turnaround rate. And more teachers are attracted by our, let’s call it traditional model, where we’re very low technology. There’s a lot of administrator support with teachers here that some teachers feel they don’t have in other places. And so, there’s not a lot of advertising or call out that I must do.

I find that some teachers are really drawn towards my programming. And so, then it’s about finding the best of the best that get drawn to me.

What do you look for when hiring a new teacher?

So, when I’m looking to hire somebody, if I have a space available, of course I want to look at the resume. I’d like to see what you’ve done, where you’ve gone to school, the experience that you have. To me it’s not about the degree hanging on the wall though. It is more about the relationship that I see within the person.

I like to hear about experiences of them working with other students, the challenges that they’ve faced. I often ask about, tell me a story when a student or a class really challenged you. What did you do? How did you cope through that? Who did you lean on to get assistance? And I really love to hear those stories that the person is bringing to us.

I also like to bring somebody on who’s got interesting passions. And so, if I had a teacher, and if she’s listening, she’ll know who she is, but I had a teacher who was into bell ringing. And so, she said, I would love to have a bell club here. And so we bought all the bells, and she taught the students how to do bell ringing. And just such an interesting aspect to who she is. So yes, I’m looking for somebody who knows the curriculum, but I’m looking for somebody who’s really intent on building those relationships and then who can bring their own passion into the school.

 What are your views on Waterloo Region?

I really love the Waterloo region. I’ve been here my whole life. So, I almost wouldn’t consider working anywhere else. But what I really love about Waterloo is that it is this, it is still a small town. It’s very much a small town. Like I meet someone like yourself, I’m like, where did you go to high school? And where did you, oh, I went to this high school. You went there? Like there’s such a connection of the people who’ve grown up and who have been in this town. And we all know somebody who knows somebody. And there’s this connection that exists within Kitchener-Waterloo, this small-town atmosphere.

But with our growing population, we also have this kind of big city atmosphere. So, we get the best of both worlds of being this large city with all the wonderful things that come with it. And then also that small town feel. And I found that the networking in Kitchener-Waterloo is strong because of that small town feel. That’s amazing. And if we want to talk about that a little more, you mentioned networking.

What are some tools in networking that you’ve seen, or you use yourself in the region that makes it, you know, better for you to meet people?

I guess nothing. Again, I’m much more of a relational leader. So, the tools that I use mostly are talking to people and learning people. The parents that I have in the school, a lot of them own their own businesses. A lot of them have been in the region. And so it’s a matter of really getting to know. Again, it’s not just I’m not just here to get to know my students, but it’s also the families here. And so, getting to know the families that are here, I get to network with them throughout the school day and hear what they’re doing and where they are. And they’re giving me advice. I’m giving them advice. So, my community here at the school doesn’t just stop with my students. It also extends to the parents as well.

And so that is kind of the largest networking that we have.

What inspires you?

To me, the kids. It sounds so cliche. It really, really does. You know, every educator will talk about that. But I just enjoy the joy that a small child will find out of the silliest little thing. You know, they’ll they will find a joke. Like, why did the chicken cross the road? A joke. And they just laugh the belly laugh that will come out of a child. And so, when I’m when I’m having a challenging day, if I’m, you know, reading over emails, and there just seems to be a problem after a problem, or I’m having a challenging day, I typically pause. And I walk out of my office purposely; I start walking around the school. And I just remind myself why we’re here.

I interact with the students, I have silly interactions, we laugh, we talk. And it’s a good reminder of this is what motivates me it. I just I love the joy of a child. And it helps me get through any of the hard days that we have here.

Has being a teacher helped you become a better parent?

It definitely has, I think it’s actually the reverse. I think being a parent has helped me be a better teacher, and better educator because before I was a parent, I mean, I logically understood, of course, that the child and the mother and father have that deep connection. Of course, you understand that. But it’s something completely different when you have that connection yourself.

And so whenever I’m dealing, even if I’m dealing with a teenager who’s having a challenging moment, let’s just say, and I’m constantly reminded that this teenager is somebody’s baby, there was a moment when that baby was in their arms and was crying or had a fever, and that parent worried over them, and was scared for them. And, and I put myself in those shoes. And even though the teenager might be causing me challenges, I have that in my head, which again, goes back to that ethics of care.

But I think having children has made me a better educator.

What advice would you give to other people aspiring to become a teacher?

So, one of the things I challenged with myself is feeling like I can do this, and I earn this and what I have to say is valid. And that was something I, I struggled with for a long time.

And what really came out of that is what I have to say is valid. And so, what I’d say to other future women leaders in whatever business is, have confidence in yourself that what you have to contribute is valid. And I think I spent a lot of time second guessing myself and saying, well, maybe, you know, maybe not, I won’t contribute to that. I don’t know if that’s appropriate, or I kind of take a back seat and let other stronger voices take over. But once I really crossed that threshold, I realized, no, what I have to say really is valid. And so it’s just go fearlessly into the night and what you have to say is valid.

What future aspirations do you have?

My career. So again, in October of 2026, I will, with all the luck in the world, I will get my Doctor of Education. I do plan on continuing that scholarly aspect of my career. And so I’ve already connected with one of my former professors, a publisher. And so, he and I have already talked about writing a book about my parents’ legacy and writing a book about the school. So, I really think that’s going to be my next venture.

But then getting the word out about the school, it’s one thing to write a book and then, you know, put in a small publishing company and having, I don’t know, a couple hundred people purchase the book. But to get the book out there, I would love to travel. I want to go back to conferences. I want to explain our school and our system and the amazing things that we do here. So that’s kind of what I see myself personally doing. And then within the school itself, it’s always focused on refinements.

After year after year after year, it’s what can we tweak? What can we refine? And so, the next few years, we’re really focused on my high school program as to how do I refine it? How do I highlight our uniqueness and really showcase what we can prepare our students to do? And so, there’s no big sweeping changes. But we’re doing some building changes. So, we’re doing a gym renovation and we’re doing a high school lunchroom renovation. We’re changing it from more of a cafeteria into a lounge for my high school students. We’re changing the staff room.

So, the physical building will go through some larger changes, but the programming will be about refinements and not large changes. That’s amazing.

What’s your school’s thoughts on field trips and what’s St. Jude’s sort of philosophy on that?

Yeah, that experiential learning is important because what you learn out in the world is deeper than what you learn sitting in a classroom. So, I love field trips and I love the way that they connect, but I want them to connect to whatever content, what we’re talking about. So, my kindergarten grouping, they always go year after year, they go to the Butterfly Conservatory. That’s always a good field trip. But the teachers spend the first month, they, we bring in butterfly larvae and then we grow butterflies. They go through the whole life cycle of the butterfly. We release the butterflies and then we go to the Butterfly Conservatory. That’s just one example.

But I love it when teachers will take what they’re learning in the class and then connect it with something outside. So, you would see field trips through, I had a group just go to Activate and it’s a fun program. It’s like the kids just thought, well, that was a fun day, but it ended up being all about our leadership program.

And so, they were learning communication and the teachers that took them to Activate were really focused on building those, continuing those leadership skills. I have a grade eight and grade nine leadership conference that we go to Muskoka Woods. And so again, the students, it’s guised as this is going to be a fun opportunity, but there’s learning embedded throughout the whole process.

And so, I’m, yeah, I really love taking the kids outside of the building.

Tell us more about your traditional approach to teaching

Everything we do here is very purposeful. And so, when I’m taking a parent around and I’m walking around, often a parent will ask about technology and our use of technology. And I, I joke a little bit and I say, it’ll feel a little like 1994 here. It’ll feel like maybe 1986, because you really won’t see the technology.

So, from kindergarten to grade five, it is paper and pencil. The students are learning from textbooks. They have a speller. Students are taking notes from the board. It’s study after study, after study, a decade’s worth of knowledge or more has proven that when you take a pen and you take a pencil and you put it to a piece of paper and you use your hand and the motions of writing the synapses that are created are so meaningful and deep and connected to memory. And learning is far greater than when you take and you click on a keyboard and you look at a screen.

It is so, there isn’t the same depth of connection. And so, there’s, there’s been a time or two where an apparent has walked around and like, well, gee, it’s 2026. How come you don’t have smart boards? How come you don’t have, you know, all laptops or tablets as like, it’s done very, very purposefully because up until the age of 25, a child’s brain is still developing. And so, I need to provide every opportunity to develop all those incredible connections and synapses until they hit that age. And there just isn’t enough research to say that the traditional old school ways are not as good as the new ways. So, we are still very purposeful, very traditional in that aspect.

Where can listeners find out more about you?

So, they can find me by going to sjsh.ca. I’m the principal, and you’ll see my principal’s message and my email is located there. Of course, I’m on LinkedIn too, if a person wants to look me up. As of the summer, they could find my doctorate research on the Western Repository. And so that will be published, again, with luck, it’ll be published at the end of August 2026. And so, they’d be able to find my dissertation there. And then just we have a parent Facebook group, the school’s on Instagram. And whenever they message the school through Instagram or Facebook, it’s directly to me. So, if I get a message from a parent or a question online, I get it directly on my phone. So that’s directly contacting me.

*This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

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Tomorrow is the big day for the Region as they see whether or not private discussions/negotiations with Wilmot Township mayor Natasha Salonen will bear fruit. Keep in mind that regardless of new municipal governance legislation coming from Ontario, she like all other regional mayors will face the voters this October. Hence if she appears to bend too easily to regional wishes to take Wilmot water she might pay for that  at the polls and lose her job.

Meanwhile two new articles have appeared in today's K-W Record. The one mostly deals with more incentives for large water users to cut back on their usage and the other mentions some water upgrades to the Mannheim Service Area. This second article by Bill Doucet advises that 60 litres per second of water will be restored to the capacity of the Mannheim Service Area via upgrades to the Parkway water system located near Fairway Rd. and Manitou Dr. in Kitchener. Now of course as we already know these wells have long had trichloroethylene (TCE) in them courtesy of the former Deilcraft furniture building on the site. If the name Deilcraft rings a bell it may be due to association with Electrohome and or with Shanley St. in Kitchener which had an abandoned former Deilcraft factory there for many decades also with TCE contamination in the grounwater.

The first article reminds us that "...the region incorrectly combined the capabilities of two separate systems in its capacity calculations.". Now this is yet still another unanswered question by the Region of Waterloo.  Presumably the Record are referring to the two different water treatment systems namely the Middleton System using chlorine versus the Mannheim System using chloramination. Why are there two systems and why can't the treated water be interchangeable whether used in Cambridge versus used in say Waterloo?  At one point in time I suspected that the more highly contaminated (especially with bacteria and viruses) Grand River water required stronger treatment and maybe that was the reason for chloramination versus straight chlorine.

This first article also points out that the region has been over pumping the Mannheim Water Service Area. Presumably again the reporter is referring to specific wells very close to Kitchener's west side and just barely into Wilmot Township. This over pumping was also mentioned in the second article done by Bill Doucet although he referred to it as the Mannheim well field. That description I believe to be more accurate. 

Finally there still has been no followup in the Record regarding the shutdown Greenbrook wellfield (a little too close to the Ottawa St. landfill) or the very long time shut down Woolner and Pompeii wells beside the Grand River very close to Breslau (& Safety-Kleen).  

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The simplest and most straightforward answer is DNAPLS, DNAPLS & DNAPLS. Boy is hindsight ever clearer and easier to see what has gone on behind the scenes. Uniroyal also had the October 1991 sweetheart deal negotiated between themselves and the Ontario Min. of Environment (MOE) to protect.  The  EAB announced their decision, after being unceremoniously dumped by the MOE in October/November 1991, that their jurisdiction remained and provided any party asked for the hearing to restart, they would do so. This also explains the timing to me as to why APTE did not ask for the hearing to restart. Susan B. and Sylvia were both made offers they could not refuse including lifetime permanent seats at the table provided they played ball on the DNAPL issue. 

Despite quotes in local newspapers from Susan B. in late 1992 stating that DNAPLS were the biggest environmental issue at Uniroyal Chemical she and Sylvia willingly sold the farm on the matter in late 1993. This even included a critique of consultant Conestoga Rover's DNAPL efforts by Sylvia, Glenys McMullen and myself on APTE letterhead in the fall of 1993. December 10, 1993 the MOE inexplicably (other than corruption & backroom deals) accepted Conestoga Rovers (CRA) and Uniroyal's plainly pathetic latest DNAPL report. Then APTE (i.e. Sylvia ) inexplicably without prior APTE consultation also accepted CRA and the MOE's new DNAPL position.

I've known for many decades that APTE buggered themselves and the public interest with their bizarre turnaround on DNAPLS in 1993-94 but until 2008 I felt that they had made a horrible but honest decision. I was wrong. The evidence of their (Sylvia & Susan B.) being co-opted by the polluter has only risen since. This co-opting of the citizens group via its' leadership is the primary reason that we still do not have either a restored aquifer nor a clean downstream Creek today.  That said the cooperation (legal or illegal) by our elected politicians has certainly aided and abetted the polluter, their successors and fellow travellors.

Most citizens are straightforward albeit complacent. The ambitious ones often become politicians and quickly learn how to deceive. Those that can't get elected sometimes learn how to gain respect and authority in other ways. Being "friends" with people in power and authority is one of those ways. One that I hope never to learn.  

The Internet has become one of the most important aspects of our daily lives. Which is why internet issues are the most frustrating ones. Be it streaming a movie, attending a video conference, or reading something on the web, everything comes to a halt when the Wi-Fi signal weakens.

Sometimes Wi-Fi router problems lead to such situations. Yet, they are overlooked. Most of these problems can be fixed easily. They usually occur due to minor issues such as signal interference, outdated settings, or too many connected devices. In this blog, we’ll discuss common issues with routers and provide solutions to resolve them. So, let’s dive in!

If your internet has become slow, the first step is to diagnose the Wi-Fi network. Check if the internet is down for everyone or just for you. If it’s down for everyone, there might be an internet outage, which will be resolved without you needing to take any action.

If the issue is only occurring on your device, perform a wired vs. wireless test by plugging the device directly into the modem/router. You can also try connecting different devices to check if the issue is with your device, or perhaps with the UbiFi F1 Router itself.

For a closer look, log in to your router’s admin page. Every router has one. Here you can check for errors, outdated firmware, or network congestion. These small checks will help in finding the actual cause of Unstable Wi-Fi. And once you know the reason, the fix becomes much simpler.

As your router ages, its performance may deteriorate due to constant usage and heating. Below are the most common Wi-Fi router problems you may face.

If you regularly experience slow internet speeds, even after restarting the router, chances are that your router’s components have become weak. If it’s an old router with outdated firmware, we recommend upgrading to a new one.

Check if your Wi-Fi connection drops randomly, even if your device is close to the router. In such cases, the router’s hardware or software might be failing. If the internal components fail to maintain a stable connection due to wear and tear, connection drops become common.

Routers do heat, but excessive heat is a red flag. If it feels hot to touch, you might experience performance issues. Overheating can also cause permanent damage to the router.

If the router keeps restarting on its own, it can be a sign of trouble. While routers perform manual resets to establish a refreshed connection, if this occurs too frequently and without prompting, there may be an issue.

Regular updates ensure better safety and performance for the router. Manufacturers keep updating the router to fix bugs, add new features, improve functionality, and increase security against threats. If your router is not getting updates, either there is an issue or it is outdated.

If you are having a tough time connecting your device, your router’s signal may be weak or have failed. Older routers can’t handle multiple devices simultaneously. If you face connection issues even after moving closer to the router or can’t connect multiple devices, the router might be the cause.

Cables become loose or get damaged due to constant movement and bending. Constant exposure to dust and moisture also affects the hardware. Accidental tugs, along with damage from furniture and pets, also cause problems.

If the Wi-Fi router’s settings aren’t configured right, you may experience connectivity and performance issues. Problematic extensions and misconfigurations put unnecessary load on the router leading to slower internet speeds and accelerated wear of its components.

Put simply, outdated often slow down, overheat, drop connections, and struggle to support multiple devices due to weak hardware or outdated software. Loose cables, poor placement, or incorrect settings can make these router issues even worse, leading to unreliable Wi-Fi performance.

Solving Wi-Fi router problems becomes easy once you have identified the core problems. Below are the steps you can take to restore a strong, steady Wi-Fi connection.

Your router runs continuously, which may cause it to collect errors. Sometimes, a simple reboot is all you need to clear these router issues. Turn off the router, wait 10 seconds, and then turn it back on. If problems persist, a factory reset may help.

Firmware updates enhance the router’s performance. Manufacturers constantly release updates to ensure optimal performance and security of the router. Check for updates in the router’s admin page and install the latest version.

Hardware issues often arise over time. Ensure that cables fit snugly in their ports. Look for broken connectors, frayed wires, or dust blocking airflow. If a port is loose or damaged, that can interrupt your signal. Keeping the router clean and in good condition helps.

Thick walls, floors, microwaves, baby monitors, and other electronic devices can interfere with your signal. Move your router to a central location to improve network coverage. Avoid placing it near metal objects. This will make your signal stronger.

Advanced tools provide insight that manual checks often miss. They help you identify where the issue is occurring and adjust settings for improved performance.

Configure your router according to the type of performance you expect. Ensure the router is using the right Wi-Fi band (2.4GHz for distance, 5GHz for speed). Ensure the network mode is up to date. Disable unused features that put unnecessary strain on the router. The correct configuration keeps your router running at its optimal speed.

If there are too many devices connected to the network, the performance will drop. Disconnect old gadgets that no longer need Wi-Fi access. Change the Wi-Fi password if you suspect outside users are connected. Keep the network coverage limited to where you actually need it.

In short, troubleshooting a Wi-Fi router becomes easier if you know the cause. Reboots, firmware updates, better placement, and secure wiring can quickly restore strong performance. Managing connected devices, adjusting settings, and utilizing diagnostic tools helps keep your router stable and your connection reliable.

Most Wi-Fi router problems, such as slow speeds, connection drops, and overheating, can be easily resolved by firmware updates, physical inspections, and optimized router configurations. With the right fixes, your router will deliver consistent performance.

If you still encounter connectivity and performance issues after implementing all the fixes, consider upgrading to a modern router. You can also explore our internet plans, which offer the option to select a high-performance router for enhanced performance.

Your router, overloaded devices, or interference could limit your speed, even with a fast plan.

Restarting your router once a week helps keep it performing well.

A central, elevated, and open spot in your home works best for even signal distribution.

If it’s over 4 to 5 years old or doesn’t support modern Wi-Fi standards, it may need to be upgraded.

Use 2.4 GHz for range and 5 GHz for faster speeds and less interference. Ideally, use both based on your needs.

Originally published at ubifi.net on April 6, 2026.

Slow Internet? Common Wi-Fi Router Problems & How to Fix Them was originally published in Code Like A Girl on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Registration is officially open for Friendship Golf 2026, and we’re thrilled to invite our community to join us on the greens as we celebrate a major milestone — 30 years of playing with purpose. 

Since 1996, Friendship Golf has brought together caring community members, local business leaders, and dedicated golfers of all skill levels to raise critical funds and awareness for our ShelterCare program. What began as a single fundraising tournament has grown into one of House of Friendship’s most cherished annual traditions! 

♦ Wednesday, July 8, 2026, 7 AM – 2 PM 
♦ Beaverdale Golf Club, Cambridge 

For three decades, Friendship Golf has been about much more than golf. It’s about connection, compassion, and coming together as a community to support people who need it most. 
Over the years, this event has sold out many times and welcomed hundreds of returning golfers who come back year after year because they believe in the mission and they know the impact their participation makes. 
As we celebrate our 30th anniversary, we are especially grateful to everyone who has played with us before, sponsored the event, donated auction items, volunteered, or shared our story. Friendship Golf exists because of you. 

♦All proceeds raised through Friendship Golf support House of Friendship’s ShelterCare program, an innovative, integrated model of housing and health care located in Waterloo. 

At ShelterCare, 100 men experiencing homelessness have access to: 

• On‑site medical care 

• Mental health and addiction supports 

• Housing‑focused case management 

• 24/7 wrap‑around support in a safe, dignified environment 

Many people experiencing homelessness face overwhelming barriers to accessing health care. ShelterCare removes those barriers by bringing care directly into shelter — where individuals feel safe, welcomed, and supported. Here, men can stabilize, become healthier, work toward permanent housing, and begin to exit the cycle of homelessness for good. 

Friendship Golf helps make this life‑changing care possible. 

Join us on Wednesday, July 8 for a meaningful and energizing morning on the course — all wrapped up by early afternoon. 

Your day will include: 

• Continental breakfast 

• 8:00 AM shotgun start 

• Fun, friendly competitions 

• A delicious banquet lunch 

• A mission‑focused silent auction 

• Inspiring ShelterCare stories and impact moments 

Whether you’re a seasoned golfer or picking up clubs for the first time, Friendship Golf is a welcoming, inclusive event focused on purpose and community. 

Golf spots fill quickly each year, and we don’t want you to miss this special anniversary celebration. 

We can’t wait to welcome you back — or join you for the first time — as we come together to celebrate 30 years of Friendship Golf and continue building a community where everyone belongs. 

Join us on the greens. Play with purpose. And help men move beyond homelessness. 

Tensor library for machine learning

C++ 14.4k 4 issues need help Updated Apr 9

Today's K-W Record has an article written by Luisa D'Amato titled "Regional council advised to rescind restricting draw from Wilmot aquifers".  Now according to a staff report supposed to be debated at regional council this Wednesday; both the Wilmot Centre wellfield and the Mannheim wellfield draw from the same underground aquifer known as AFB2. This particular aquifer is the largest one beneath a very large portion of the Waterloo moraine. The Wilmot Centre wellfield includes wells K50, K51 and K52. Samantha Lernout of Citizens for Safe Ground Water is appropriately demanding transducer data (i.e. presumably groundwater elevation levels)   since 2019 for these three wells. 

While the Region admit to over pumping at the Mannheim wellfield and that it should be allowed to rest and recover, apparently according to the Region water levels are fine in the Wilmot Centre wellfield and can be drawn from further. Now here is where the Region have to expect pushback at least until and after citizens have seen and analyzed water elevation levels from the Wilmot Centre wellfield. I hope that regional councillors are not so stupid as to rubber stamp the taking of more water from Wilmot Township this Wednesday until, at the earliest, citizens and other stakeholders have had time to look at the data presented. Right now the Region's credibility is on thin ice and any more "mistakes" in communicating honest information and data will never be forgotten or forgiven. 

Some online influencers (a.k.a. members of the manosphere) claim to address men’s struggles but can promote a version of masculinity rooted in dominance, status, and the distrust and disrespect of women.

And, as Equimundo’s research found, 40% of adult U.S. men surveyed, and half of younger men, say they trust one or more men’s rights, anti-feminist, or pro-violence voices from the manosphere.

These ideas don’t just stay online. As Quartz notes, these patterns can start to shape workplace behavior. While the article points out that sexism predates the manosphere, it’s concerning that this online mindset may be spreading in organizations.

Left unchecked, the manosphere will influence who gets heard, trusted, and promoted at work.

Here are some red flags to watch for:

• Selectively pushing back: People who accept guidance or data reporting from men but ignore it from women.
• Relitigating decisions: After a woman sets direction, people who have side conversations to reopen the debate.
• Stereotyping: People who say, “All women are like that,” or “Women should act like this.”
• Promoting conspiracies: People who believe women are using them to get ahead in their careers.
• Avoiding women: People who believe society is stacked against men, and it’s best to not be around women.
• Promoting misogyny: People who believe men are superior to women when calibrating talent and allocating pay or bonuses.

As the article puts it, when we don’t intentionally design our culture, it defaults to whatever behavior goes unchallenged.

So, let’s all challenge these harmful behaviors. Name the pattern (“I noticed this”). Ask “What made you say/do that?” to encourage someone to reflect on their choices.

And model respectful, inclusive behavior ourselves.

Share this action on Instagram, LinkedIn, or YouTube.

What happens when managers see an employee’s self-rating before writing their review?

Research by Harvard professor Iris Bohnet and colleagues found that managers often anchor on those self-ratings, letting them shape their own evaluation.

And self-ratings aren’t neutral. Women tend to rate themselves lower than men, with women of color rating themselves the lowest.

That means a well-intentioned process can quietly reinforce existing inequities.

To counteract this bias, consider recommending a simple process change for your organization. Have managers submit their initial performance ratings before they see employee self-evaluations.

March 26 was Equal Pay Day, the date that marks how far into the new year that women must work to make what men earned the previous year. And it’s a day later than last year, because the pay gap has widened.

Women working full-time now earn 81 cents for every dollar men earn — and that gap is widening. It’s down from 83 cents just a year ago, according to NPR.

And there isn’t just one Equal Pay Day. There are several throughout the year, each highlighting even wider gaps for Black, Latina, Asian American, and Native American women, to name just a few.

If you’re thinking that the pay gap is mostly about career choices, I’ve got some news for you.

Nobel prize-winning research by Claudia Goldin shows that most of today’s pay gap exists within the same occupation — and often widens after the first child.

If your organization hasn’t done a recent pay equity review, push for one:

• Ask when the last review was conducted, and what was found.
• Advocate for regular audits across roles, levels, and demographics.
• Encourage leadership (or your union) to share a clear plan for closing any gaps.

Make sure it’s on their radar, and that there’s a plan to act on it.

When we are chronically overloaded by a world unraveling, we can experience “compassion collapse.” It’s a human response that diminishes our capacity to show up with empathy for the people right in front of us, including our family, friends, and coworkers.

I learned about it from Leah Weiss, PhD.’s article, Compassion Collapse in the Age of Doomscrolling, published in Psychology Today.

Weiss explains, “We are not capable of sustaining heightened empathy for bottomless pain.” And that we each should look out for it in ourselves. Signs include numbness and flooding, which means repeatedly checking the news.

If you sense compassion collapse in yourself, set boundaries with the news, especially before work so you can show up present and engaged with your colleagues.

And focus on where you can have an impact. You don’t have to carry the weight of the world. Put your energy into small, meaningful actions at work, as I share in this newsletter every week.

This week’s ally action from the Better Allies community is from Carly Struna, who emailed me about a recent leadership workshop she attended.

When participants split into breakout groups, each group needed someone to guide the discussion. In a room comprised mostly of men, the vast majority of people who had stepped up to take on the facilitator role were women.

When everyone came back together, the instructor shared what he’d observed — and didn’t sugarcoat it:

“Men, we can do better.”

Struna told me she appreciated the real-time callout of this “glue work” dynamic — who we expect to take on the emotional and organizational labor that keeps things running.

I really appreciate it, too. When we take on administrative or organizational roles that aren’t part of our job description, we move into a subservient role, which can make us seem less valuable than our peers. We look less leaderly in a culture that devalues these tasks. Plus, it’s a red flag in #1 in this week’s newsletter.

Sharing the load helps ensure these invisible contributions don’t fall to the same people every time.

If you’ve taken a step towards being a better ally, please reply to this email and tell me about it. And let me know if I can quote you by name or credit you anonymously in an upcoming newsletter.

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
pronounced KAIR-en KAT-lin, click to hear my name

Copyright © 2026 Karen Catlin. All rights reserved.

Being an ally is a journey. Want to join us?

• Say thanks to Karen and buy her a coffee (Need a receipt for educational reimbursement? Send us an email, and we’ll take care of it.)
• Follow @BetterAllies on Instagram, Medium, or YouTube. Or follow Karen Catlin on LinkedIn
• This content originally appeared in our newsletter. Subscribe to “5 Ally Actions” to get it delivered to your inbox every Friday
• Read the Better Allies books
• Form a Better Allies book club
• Tell someone about these resources

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

Challenge Manosphere Behavior, and Other Actions for Allies was originally published in Code Like A Girl on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

If you are starting your journey in software development, learning Git and GitHub is one of the most important skill you can acquire. GitHub helps you manage your code efficiently, whether you are working alone or collaborating with a team.

In this beginner-friendly guide, it will help you learn and get better understand what GitHub is, why it is matter and how to use it with simple command line(cmd) examples.

Git is a version control system. It helps you to track changes in your codes.

GitHub is a cloud-based platform that provides space to store to save your Git repositories, collaborate with others and showcase your work.

• Track code changes very easily
• Collaborate with developers who live worldwide
• Build a strong developer portfolio
• Work on open-source projects
• Manage safely different versions of your code

You can download Git from the official website:

Git

After installation, open Command Prompt (CMD) and check:

git --version

set your username and email

git config --global user.name "Your Name" 
git config --global user.email "your@email.com"

Navigate to your project folder:

cd/path/to/your/project

Initialize Git:
git init

Add all files to staging area:

git add . 

OR,

Add a specific file:

git add filename

Save your changes with a message:

git commit -m "Initial Commit"

First, create a repository on GitHub. Then connect it:

git remote add origin github.com/your-username/repository-name.git

git branch -M main

git push -u origin main

Download a project from GitHub:

git clone github.com/username/repository.git

Update your local repository:

git pull origin main

Create a new branch:

git branch feature-branch

Switch to it:

git checkout feature-branch

--OR

git switch feature-branch

git checkout main

git merge feature-branch

Create a .gitignore file:

node_modules/

.env

*.log

• Commit frequently with clear messages
• Use branches for new features
• Pull before pushing to avoid conflicts
• Keep your repository clean and organized

• Practice daily to build confidence

So, learning Git and GitHub might feel confusing at first. But with practice, it becomes second nature. These tools are essential for every developers and it will open doors to collaboration, open source contributions and career opportunities.

Start small, stay consistent, and keep building.

If you found this helpful:

• Share this article
• Leave your throughts in the comments

GitHub for Beginners : A Complete Guide with Command Line (CMD) Examples was originally published in Code Like A Girl on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.