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An SWT based API for managing users and issuing SWT tokens.

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♦Kitchener GO Station, looking west on a bitterly cold December 8, 2025. Photo by me.

Winter set in early this season, with two big snows in November, and it looks like it intends to stay a while. We've had couple of beautiful, bright but bitterly cold days, but we've also had some hefty snow-squalls which ensured a White Christmas. That's fine. Now that we've had our white Christmas, I'm seriously looking forward to spring, though that seems a ways off.

What hasn't been welcome is the flu that has ripped through our family. The eldest child was the first to get it, and I felt it coming two weeks ago. Today, it lingers in Erin and the youngest child. We've been vaccinated, but this has been one of those years where the vaccination didn't quite match up with the flu strain that became dominant, clearly. Oh, well. Hopefully this virus is on its last legs with us. Fingers crossed.

This past month, I've had a few more podcast appearances to talk about my writing in general and The Night Girl in particular. To start with, I had the pleasure of sitting down (via Zoom) with Chris Clinard at Books4Guys, to talk about the themes of my work, including issues of identity, and the possibilities of my novel-in-progress, The Curator of Forgotten Things. I had a great time, and you can listen in on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, and Spotify, or directly from their website.

Another neat interview was on The Mind of Sai Marie, where we talked about my coming up from fan fiction as I embarked on my writer's journey. We got really deep into the themes of The Night Girl, and the questions were really challenging in the best way. Check it out here. Sai Marie also has a newsletter.

Then Aimee Ravichandran invited me on board Author Talk, with her co-hosts. As Americans in the middle of a cold wave, they spent a little time complaining before I noted that, as a Canadian, I had it worse, and I hated it too. We had a good time discussing urban fantasy for a good forty-five minutes. Check it out here on Spotify.

Finally, I apologize for letting mention of this podcast slip too late, but I had a great time talking to Kino Isaac, a South African podcaster, producer and creative entrepreneur, who was super engaging and got me talking about my love of Toronto, and even about watching Doctor Who on TV Ontario. Check out his podcast over on Spotify; he made 52 minutes go by super quick.

I would like to thank Ed Willett and his publicist Mickey Mikkelson for getting my name out there. I haven't had a chance to do this before with my previous books (excepting The Sun Runners and Tales from the Silence, which Ed also published and publicized), and I'm grateful for these fun opportunities.

♦In 1974, a bold idea took shape: the Fourth Dimension group home. It became Calgary’s very first shared living space for 12 people with spinal cord injuries—a place where individuals with disabilities could be seen in a new dimension, not defined by limitations but by possibility. From that dream, Accessible Housing was born.
Today, Accessible Housing continues to carry that vision forward. But like many nonprofits, they face growing challenges. As Calgary’s need for accessible, affordable housing rises, resources have not kept pace. Shifts in government funding, rising operating costs, and increasing demand have added pressure. The team works tirelessly to stretch every dollar and build strong partnerships, but sustainable, flexible funding is essential to expand programs and meet urgent community needs.

In 2024, Accessible Housing joined forces with Capacity Canada through the Design Collective program, led by Liz Dennis and Hugh Munro, and supported by the Lyle S. Hallman Foundation and Suncor Energy Foundation. This collaboration was transformative—helping Accessible Housing strengthen its workplace culture, refine its strategy, and ensure staff voices shape the organization’s future.

“Capacity Canada’s Design Collective program has been transformative for Accessible Housing, offering insights and recommendations that have strengthened our operational practices, enhanced staff wellbeing, and elevated our workplace culture and productivity. Special thanks to Liz Dennis and Hugh Munro for their exceptional guidance and insightful instruction.”
– Tolu Enaibe, Director of Programs, Accessible Housing

♦Together, they developed 34 recommendations to improve workplace culture, staff benefits, and organizational efficiency. Already, 21 have been implemented—bringing visible improvements in morale, productivity, and overall staff experience. With this momentum, Accessible Housing is better equipped to support the community and continue building inclusive spaces where everyone belongs.

This giving season please consider making a donation to Accessible Housing’s mission to create welcoming, accessible homes and stronger communities.
Every donation makes a difference—bringing safety, dignity, and belonging to those who need it most.
Please consider making a donation today!

The post A Legacy of Inclusion: Accessible Housing in Calgary appeared first on Capacity Canada.

Gross negligence is usually required for a screwup as severe and life shattering as that which occurred between Bishop St. and the Grand River. I've heard numbers of between 300 and 600 homes were affected by the TCE (trichlororethylene) plume from Bishop St. all the way to its' discharge point into the Grand River. 

Oddly enough it seems that the Chromium contamination has not been addressed which seems peculiar to me. In fact I believe it was the same Chromium vi that was the problem in California that the famous Erin Brockovich was involved with. GE were involved as they owned BorgWarner which occupied a site across the road from Northstar that had also used TCE. At the time of the discovery of the contamination the occupant of that site was known as Rozell who apparently had not been a part of the contamination.. 

Northstar Directors settled with the Ministry of Environment for 4.75 million dollars towards cleanup costs etc. A private. local lawsuit cost Northstar another 4 million dollars still peanuts considering the health damages alone that they had caused.

It seems probable that the outdoor sheds have mitigated some (most?) of the effects of TCE poisoning within the community's homes.  That said nothing can mitigate the permanent health damages from years of exposure prior to the mitigation being initiated. Far too many people have become sick and died prematurely. Yours truly spent an evening in Joyce Hipel's home with her son Tracy and others early on in the crisis. After departing I suffered from a TCE headache with only a couple of hours of exposure. She lived in it 24 hours a day and passed on in 2010. 

Our authorities are world class in minimizing other people's suffering. Their families do not forget.  

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The Youth Impact Project (YIP) is a collaboration between the Children and Youth Planning Table of Waterloo Region (CYPT) and Smart Waterloo Region Innovation Lab (SWRIL). The Youth Impact Project looks to fund youth who are addressing local challenges which are identified through the 2023 Youth Impact Survey results. The funded projects include a focus on supporting youth mental and physical health, increasing feelings of belonging, and responding to climate change and food insecurity.

In 2024, over 100 youth from 15 local organisations pitched their ideas to a panel of nine youth. The Youth Decision-Making Panel (“The Dragons”) decided which projects would receive funding to make their idea a reality. In 2025, CYPT and SWRIL are accepting youth applications online, and a team of three youth are deciding which projects will receive funding.

The Coil Care Project is a youth-led program that creates space to learn about natural haircare, shared lived experiences, and reclaiming pride in Black hair. The program is a culturally relevant space for healing and wellness through hair education, ritual, and community building. The Coil Care Project will include community educators, workshops, custom care kits, and creative storytelling spaces for healing.

Applications for the 2025 Youth Impact Project are now closed and 17 youth projects across Waterloo Region received funding. Stay tuned in the coming weeks as we announce the other 10 projects!

Last but not least, we are grateful to our funders United Way Waterloo Region Communities and Region of Waterloo for making the Youth Impact Project possible.

The post 2025 Youth Impact Project Showcase: The Coil Care Project appeared first on Children and Youth Planning Table.

It's always the same. No need for a health study because non health experts have already pre-determined the outcome using their physic powers combined with their political prowess. Politicians with their extensive training in generally nothing deem themselves experts in everything. Hence clearly no need for a health study. That could only bring bad news whereas without a health study we can assume the best case scenario. Problem therefore solved!

Next point. It's DNAPLS you twits! DNAPLS DNAPLS & more DNAPLS. Nothing screams DNAPLS like TCE (trichlororethylene). Despite this the word DNAPL is not in the Record's article, not even once. Instead there is some description by a lay person  about sub surface clay being responsible for pools of TCE.  This is a gross simplification that should have been clarified by either the Region or the Min. of Environment. However just like here in Elmira our dishonest and corrupt authorities never want to mention that word (DNAPL) for fear that curious citizens will look it up and learn the horrors and consequences of it.

  Clay or lack of clay does not produce pools or free phase DNAPLS. Excessive amounts of trichloroethylene spilled or dumped onto the ground produces these pools and flows of  essentially pure TCE below ground surface.  Yes either a depression in an area of lower permeability silt or clay whether within a permeable aquifer or within a basically less permeable clay or silt aquitard can capture and hold a pool of this undissolved (free phase) DNAPL TCE.  Depending upon the size of the depression and size of the pool of pure TCE, it can take decades to even centuries to fully dissolve into the groundwater flowing past it. 

Hence keep in mind that small quantities of TCE can dissolve into and move with groundwater. Yes these small quantities can exceed the Ontario drinking water standards (ODWS). I believe that both dissolved in groundwater TCE as well as free phase TCE can volatolize into toxic vapours which most certainly can be lethal at acute concentrations in the short term and or lethal at much lower concentrations over longer time frames. I might add that right this second I'm not 100% certain that both dissolved TCE and free phase TCE can volatolize into toxic vapours. These vapours can then migrate through foundation cracks or other openings (for household services such as gas, water, electric etc.) including floor drains etc.

Basically the Bishop St. community in Cambridge were sold a Bill of Goods when they were told that ten years of backyard garden sheds with activated carbon filters would be the end of their problems. DNAPLS literally can take decades to centuries to slowly dissolve. This is similar to the bull**it sold to Elmira residents  that thirty years of pump & treat technology would clean up our drinking water aquifers. Our authorities  are terrified to ever admit to their lack of oversight and supervision of well known polluting industries. They will never tell us how little oversight companies like Varnicolor, Uniroyal, Northstar Aerospace, Canadian  General  Tower etc. have received over many decades. 

It is even possible that recent K-W Record articles regarding Uniroyal/Elmira (Nov. 15/25) and this one in today's Record titled "It's not going away" are less about finally informing citizens and more about setting the stage for future public acceptance of a Lake Erie water pipeline to Waterloo Region. Funny how much the Region of Waterloo have talked up their wonderful groundwater and their world class staff and infrastructure for decades. Now we are hearing a different story. 

Well now this is almost a synopsis if you will if the last year or so.  Starting with dioxin contaminated milk we now know that it has been contaminated since the 1960s. This information comes from government records of the day discovered by university researchers . Then from Susan Bryant we learn the truth (?)  on November 15/25 that she lied to me back in the 1990s about dioxins tested for and found in milk from cows along the downstream Canagagigue Creek. Based on this information and more I have to strongly suspect that our milk sourced from these farms still has dioxins in it. Thank You Regional Health Unit as well as Woolwich Township. Apparently poisoning Old Order Mennonite farmers and the general public is O.K. whereas depriving them of their milk quotas is not!

The Varnicolor Chemical site was so grossly contaminated with solvents that the light ones  were floating on top of the water table. These were inadvertently discovered by Digger Dave Holmes around 1989.  Varnicolor's owner publicly stated that Digger Dave "was full of shit" when he reported that either at a public meeting or to authorities. The light solvents are referred to as LNAPLS for Light Non Aqueous Phase Liquids and the heavier ones as DNAPLS or Dense Non Aqueous Phase Liquids. Varnicolor Chemical had both and all of them ended up in the Elmira drinking water aquifers although it took 35 years for authorities to admit only that many of the heavier, chlorinated solvents descended deep enough to enter the Municipal Upper drinking water Aquifer.

Jesse Wright at a June 2025 TRAC meeting advised that chlorinated solvents (chlorobenzene) were found at several industrial/commercial locations in and around First St. and Howard Ave. This may have been done in order to explain the admission of former DNAPLS present beside the Howard Ave. water tower in Elmira throughout the 1990s and later. That second admission came from the Minutes of s September 2024 TRAC meeting in which Allan Deal (GHD) attempted to slickly avoid admitting anything about chlorobenzene DNAPLS  ever being on the Varnicolor site.  Same with NDMA. Varnicolor was protected by the authorities from blame over ruining our drinking water aquifers for decades until they finally admitted multiple chlorinated solvents from Varnicolor did contribute to those ruined aquifers.

Joe Ricker (not GHD probably WSP)  made disingenuous statements as well as deflective statements suggesting that our aquifers couldn't be cleaned by 2028 due to "ASYMPTOTIC " principles. My opinion is that he is full of shi*.  Asymptotic principles may be a real thing but his description sounded and smelled like bulls*i*. I believe that he misapplied a real mathematical principle for the self-serving benefit of his client (Lanxess) and himself.

At long last the Waterloo Region District School Board (WRDSB) are appropriately getting dragged through the mud in which they have frolicked for so long. Their behaviour towards both Caroline Burjowski and trustee Mike Ramsay has been disgusting. What is nearly as disgusting in my opinion is that our courts take so *ucking long to hear cases and render intelligent opinions. Yes by the way just for the record all their opinions are NOT always intelligent. That said they are going to have to really stretch their credibility to be able to find loopholes or legal machinations that would let the WRDSB off the legal hook that in their arrogance and willingness to spend taxpayers money to the last nickel; that they have put themselves upon.

Pathetic appeal bodies I believe are mainly to give mostly powerless citizens some hope that somewhere there is justice. Of course here in Canada and possibly the United States we have the very best judicial systems in the world THAT MONEY CAN BUY. Otherwise they suck. OMB now OLT (Ontario Land Tribunal), EAB now ERT (Environmental Review Tribunal, Integrity Commissioners, Ombudsmen and on and on. The system is corrupt and every now and then a politician or other big shot gets his fingers wrapped for some minor offence just to give the rest of us some hope yet again that the entire system isn't corrupt from start to bottom. It is but there are worse systems around the world which is one hell of a pathetic compliment to our systems.

♦

KITCHENER - The Kitchener Panthers are proud to announce the signing of outfielder and Indy ball MVP Rafael "Raffi" Gross.

Gross is coming off a stellar year with the Portland Mavericks in the four-team Mavericks Independent Baseball League, where he was named the league MVP in 2025.

He hit for a .299 average, including eight home runs, 36 RBI and stole 22 bases in 48 games. Gross also won a gold glove award.

In 2024, he hit .269 in 12 games for Baton Rouge in the Texas Collegiate League and also played for Texas Southern University.

Gross is a USA Baseball 16U national team development program alumni.

"Raffi adds a young and dynamic outfielder to the mix for us," said general manager Shanif Hirani.

"He adds an element of speed on both sides of the ball and provides us with versatility in the outfield."

============

RAFAEL "RAFFI" GROSS

• Bats/Pitches: R/R
• Hometown: Winnipeg, MB
• Birthdate: April 27, 2003
• Pronunciation: RAH-fee GROW-ss

♦This photo, entitled Tim Hortons Drive Thru, was taken by Ann Baekken, and is used in accordance with their Creative Commons license.

If there's a fair argument that sometimes Canadians are too patient, maybe it comes in the drive-thrus of Tim Horton's on Christmas morning.

This Christmas, I wanted to treat the kids to some Timbits. Now, you might think, "but, James: it's Christmas morning. Isn't everything closed?" But I know for a fact that some Tim Horton's stay open, even through the darkest Christmas night, so I head out. And the neighbourhood Tims (a small building that exists primarily as a drive-thru) seems busy. Cars are lining up down the street. So, I pull in behind them, with my music playing on my stereo, and I settle in towait.

There's something about a queue, and I don't think this is just a Canadian thing. We see a line-up of people or cars patiently waiting for something, and a part of our mind just thinks: I've got to get in on that action! So we join the line-up and wait. The spent cost fallacy comes in pretty quick. Sure, you might be able to get faster service if you go elsewhere, but then all the time you spent in the line here will have been wasted. What a tragedy! Just hang on for another minute. Things will move then and I'll get my prize, surely!

Ten minutes later...

Ten minutes later, I sense that something is wrong. We're not moving, at all. That this line isn't now miles long is largely due to people rage-quitting behind me. I was anticipating delays because, maybe, they staffed this small outlet with a single worker to handle orders, do cash, cook, pour coffee and clean (possibly in defiance of the Geneva Convention), but no. This is different.

It takes me pulling out of the line and driving past the front door of this Tim Horton's outlet to see that, indeed, this place is closed on Christmas day. Now, to be fair: this front door is out of sight of the cars lining up for the drive-thru. Further investigations later shows that other closed Tim Horton's have their holiday hours posted not only on their front door but also beside their drive-thru order stand. This one doesn't. Somebody has forgotten, and a very orderly chaos is reigning.

It actually takes some honking and yelling at the line-up to convince these people that this Tim Horton's they're lining up for is closed and they should be on their way. Those that leave seem grateful.

I then found the one Tim Horton's in the neighbourhood that was open, and it is packed. Cars are stretching down the street, just like the closed Tim Horton's I've left, but I can see workers working inside. Parking my car and getting out gets me into the pedestrian line, which still takes me twenty minutes to get my coffee and Timbits, but oh, well. It's Christmas. Everybody is mostly cheerful.

And as I pass the closed Tim Horton's in my neighbourhood, the cars are still lining up, for nothing.

Good for the Record (& Terry Pender) in publishing this story describing the opinions of Barbara Robinson, civil engineer, and former chief engineer for the City of  Kitchener. The title of the story is "Waterloo Region water supply source of angst and debate". She has let it be known clearly that the Region (RMOW) are asleep at the switch in not having expert staff in regards to sanitary sewers within the Region.

Her claim, which makes sense to me, is that there are massive inflows of clean water into the sanitary sewers all of which require treatment prior to discharge to the Grand River, Canagagigue Creek, Speed River etc. Here in Woolwich Township which I fondly call Dogpatch there has been an ongoing battle allegedly against  I & I otherwise known as Inflow & Infiltration. The problem of course here is that all the spokespersons and governance bodies are so used to lying to the public that who knows if what they say is truthful or mere wishful thinking. 

We have been told by them that large parts of the Birdland subdivision had their roof eavetroughs  connected to the sanitary sewers. Allegedly this has caused, especially during wet weather, massive inflows of clean water to the Elmira Sewage Treatment Plant . Again allegedly we are advised that there was (is?) an ongoing program to disconnect these roof drains (i,e, eavetroughs) from the subsurface sanitary sewer pipes. 

If this is for real then kudos to our local engineering department and councillors who invested in that program.  Now Barbara Robinson has also suggested that some catchbasins in the Region have been incorrectly connected to sanitary sewer pipes versus to storm sewer pipes. I can certainly understand how bad that would be as far as exacerbating high flows into the Sewage Treatment Plants (STP).  Other problems include laterals running from homes to the sanitary sewers buried underneath roadways. If there are leaks in those laterals then again rainwater or high shallow groundwater (i.e. water table0 could also infiltrate into the laterals this preventing it recharging local aquifers and overloading STPs.

Wouldn't that be ironic if Dogpatch (Woolwich) were actually ahead of the curve on these issues? Unfortunately it wouldn't make the Region (RMOW) look very smart if they are actually lagging behind Dogpatch.

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 December is Sandra Hepditch, Co-Owner and CMO of Fo’Cheezy Food Trucks.

Sandra Hepditch owns a fleet of five award- winning Fo’Cheezy food trucks along with her partner, Sandor. After nearly 25 years in corporate marketing and business development she made the transition to her dream job as an entrepreneur.  An education in English and experience in the service industry gave her the background to push the boundaries in this space over the past three years. 

Sandra is candid about the challenges and rewards of her life as she shares what it’s like to make big life changes while surviving breast cancer and living with mental health issues. Her resilience and integrity drive her to give back to her surrounding community with a genuine generosity. All of this with a large dose of gratitude make Sandra our ideal December Fearless Female.  

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

Tell us more about Fo’Cheezy

So, Fo’Cheezy has been around for around 13 years. I joined in 2023, and the work I do with Fo’Cheezy is really a jack of all trades, but what I love about it is that I get to do things that are interesting to me. So, I get to do all the HR, all the staffing, and the training. I look after some of the accounting, which I do not love.

I would rather spend money than track money, but I also get to do a lot of philanthropy. So, a big part of what we do is give money away to celebrate our success and to share with the community because it is important to us, and I get to choose where we put that money every year.

Tell us more about your career path

That is an interesting question. What inspired me to get into sales and marketing is that I have always been a storyteller. So, I took an English degree back in Halifax at St. Mary’s University, and I always loved stories and what motivates people. And I have always loved the heart of the matter of what goes into people’s happiness and things like that and been connected to people. So, from there, I got into insurance, and there is a lot of storytelling in marketing and in lifestyle insurance and telling people stories and protecting what you love and those kinds of things.

From there, I went into the technical side of things. So, website building and user experience, which I loved. And then I found out that I was a great writer. So I really, there’s lots of things I’m not good at, but I can write, which I like because it comes in handy when you’re doing all different kinds of things like social media, everything down to, from Instagram all the way through to writing blogs for LinkedIn.

How did all those experiences prepare you for leadership?

I learned about leadership at a young age because I always worked in service. So, I worked selling coffee, I worked delivering newspapers. I have always worked; I worked as a babysitter. Then I worked as a camp counselor and a staff director at a camp. And I learned a lot about leadership and leading through example by leading other people.

I was naturally drawn to leadership. From there, I have always just raised my hand when it became opportunities. I like to take risks, and I am a little bit bossy and a little bit opinionated. So, it made it easy to take leadership roles. I think that the biggest call for me to leadership is the inspiration and just the value I get out of seeing other people succeed. I really see other people’s success as my own success.

Tell us about some of the highlights in your career so far

This is a tough one because I don’t really collect awards per se. I am looking more at how my team does. So, I have worked with a number of teams where we have been nominated for CEO Awards of Excellence in the retirement space when I worked in insurance.

I worked with teams who delivered beautiful websites on time or advisors’ tools that we used in the financial industry. And I think from there, I took that out to Fo’Cheezy in a way that I wanted us to be recognized for what we were doing. So, when we were so honored to be nominated for awards with the Chamber, I really put my heart and soul into that into sharing our story and what sets us apart. And not because we wanted to win Employer of the Year or Small Business of the Year, but also because we wanted our staff to be recognized for what they do. We really put staff first because if we put our staff first then our customers come first.

How did you and Sandor feel about winning the Employer of the Year Award at the 2025 Chamber’s Small Business Awards

I think for Sandor, it was a very emotional reward for him. He has put his heart and soul into Fo’Cheezy. I was lucky to join it while the bus was already moving if you will. But for him, he has put his heart and soul into it. He has run cafes; he has worked at Fo’Cheezy 364 days a year. He is tried and failed and all those different things. And that is all part of it.

But he felt a certain pride when the community recognized that Fo’Cheezy is a leader in space. And I think for me, it felt like a good coming home, because it was very easy for me to write about why Fo’Cheezy was a great business, because I did not start the business. If I had to write about why Fo’Cheezy is a great business from my own perspective, it is easy, but not about myself per se.

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

Some of the challenges I face as a business leader are that I do not always like to follow rules. I do not color inside the lines. All those cliches, the square peg in a round hole. Working for corporate was difficult for me. I did not always want to have a boss.

So, running my own company is perfectly ideal with Sandor as a partner, because we’re both really strong in our own sets of skills, and we can kind of stay in our own lane and do what works. And we got that as advice from other couples who run their own businesses together. Other challenges I face as a leader, aside from having a hard time following orders from other people, are just learning quickly enough. That makes it difficult sometimes, especially when you run your own business. You must learn about bylaws. You must learn about accounting. You must learn how do you deal with difficult staff members. How do you scale and grow? So, we are hoping to have a franchise soon. That is a whole different world for me that we are stepping into a new space. So, we have to learn all the legal aspects of that.

And while it is exciting and it’s easy to learn because you are consuming all of this information at a rapid pace. So that can be a challenge.

Can you tell us more about franchising?

We are such a franchise as of May this year, and we are expanding our territory with this franchise. I can tell you the person is someone who we know and absolutely adore, who has been working with Sandor for over 12 years. So, she knows Fo’Cheezy inside and out, and she is a good food trucker. So, it will be great to see her do her thing.

We will support her in the business side, but she has all the passion all looked after. So, we are really excited about where she’s going to take it.

If you could go back in time, is there anything you’d do differently?

If I was going to do things differently in my career, I would have stopped running at the corporate wall. I really tried to be a corporate person for years and years. And I think that trying to be a corporate person for somebody with my personality and character is difficult. I find that when I can manage my own hours and do my own things, it’s much easier.

So, I’m open about the fact that I have bipolar disorder, which means that I have good days and bad days. And working at a desk job nine to five, because working remotely was not an option necessarily when I was in corporate, can be very difficult. When you have a bad day and you have to go to the office, you have got a mask, you’ve got to push down what you’re feeling and that kind of stuff.

Now I can have a bad day, work from home, get things done. And as soon as I’m feeling better, I can jump back into things.

How is your mental health journey going now?

Things are great.

I mean, when you have bipolar disorder, you kind of have the choice to manage it in your own way with sleep and diet and those things. So, I do a combination of both. And for the most part, it’s good.

I definitely still have bad days. I think a lot of people, if they’re honest about their mental health, have bad days from time to time. I think we’re living in tough times and it’s hard to always be up and perfect and going.

It’s something that I am open about because I think people, it disarms them and it opens them up and it allows them to be human in their own experience and their lived experiences with me. So even when it comes to my staff, for example, when they have bad days or if someone’s suffering from depression or is wondering what they’re going to do with their life, because not everyone who works with us is working obviously on a food truck for the rest of their lives. So they’re coming up against some tough questions.

It makes me more compassionate. It makes me more empathetic, understanding, and approachable, I think.

What methods and strategies have you used to grow your business?

That’s a great question for me because I always look at what I’m doing as part of a greater community of expertise.

So, what I try to do is lean on the right people, lean on the experts and then get out of their way and let them do the thing at which they are best. So, we get help with our social media from somebody who loves food and does a beautiful job. We lean on organizations like the Chamber and mentors and even people like Lisa (Lisa McDonald, Sales Rep for the KW Chamber), who are there with all the next opportunities.

They see things that we do not necessarily see because we are heads down in work. So that has helped me both personally and professionally. I think that the Chamber has helped us professionally be seen more as an actual company, as an organization that is offering value as opposed to just a one-off food truck that nobody is really paying attention to.

But the truth is that food trucks are a real thing. They are huge and they are happening. And in other cities, they are everywhere. There are food truck parks. It’s kind of the golden age of food trucks and the food is fantastic. It is a lot of mom-and-pop shops.

So, you are really supporting locals when you’re supporting food trucks. So, it’s nice to see that we’ve gotten help from the Chamber and other groups.

How do you define success?

Personally, I define success by seeing how I’m impacting others. It’s really that simple for me. If I’m not leaving the world a better place than when I started, I’m not interested in that success. Sandor and I are on a good balance because he is a very balanced person in terms of growth and financial and those kinds of things.

He’s very driven to be successful and be sustainable. And for me, I like to be a little bit on the softer side and look at things like how we are impacting the community, the lives of our people who work for us and those kinds of things. And that’s why we’ve done things like introducing benefits to our staff who’ve never had access to benefits before a lot of them.

We support their mental health in many ways through counseling and professional development and other things like that. And we know we’re successful at the end of the day because we have a good team that’s like a family and they stick together even outside of work. And that makes us really happy.

What core values have you integrated into Fo’Cheezy?

The core values that guide me as a leader are really around honesty and integrity. I think it is important for us, especially in times like these and as business owners, to be honest with each other, with the customer, with the staff, with the team itself and that integrity. So, for example, we may get asked to do what we call a gig and something better may come along shortly after.

We will always stick with the first thing we were asked to do. And if we gave our word, we will be there. That is a huge thing for us. It’s not always the easiest thing. It’s not always the best thing in terms of our financials down the road, but our integrity ensures that if we say we are going to be somewhere and we are going to do something, we do it. And we ask the same of our staff.

Tell us about your breast cancer survival journey

One interesting thing about me that I’m also very open about is that I am a breast cancer survivor. I was diagnosed when I was in university at 29 years old, which was quite devastating at the time. I was a single woman living in Halifax and I was surprised to say the least, but it’s been in its own strange way, a gift because it has taught me resilience. And it’s also taught me that sometimes you do not need to learn some of the hard lessons. Life is hard enough. You don’t need to get cancer to learn those lessons, but it’s helped me understand other people and helps them see light through their own illness.

I think a lot of us are living with different things and carrying different weight. And it’s really, it’s been one of the gifts of my life in an odd way.

What strategies do you use to recruit talent and build teams?

For us, building a strong team means investing in people early and often. And we invest in them by getting them their first aid qualifications. We invest in them by training them extensively, cross-training them. We like to see them work with us over a period of years.

So, for example, we will invest in someone who’s a high school student and has never had a job and they’ll learn how to do different things on the truck. So, they’ll learn customer service. They’ll learn team management, team playing, and how to clean. They’ll learn all these different things and then they’ll learn first aid. They’ll eventually learn how to drive the truck if they want to, those kinds of things. We have helped people financially.

We’ve helped people on our team, got off to school and came back and supported them in their hours and that kind of stuff.

Does Fo’Cheezy set up shop anywhere?

Fo’Cheezy doesn’t set up shop anywhere. What we do is operate mobile 100%. So, we do a lot of corporate stuff for the winter. We do some Christmas markets at this time of year and maybe a couple of times we’ll go to a few of the food truck spots that are set aside specifically for us by the train station in Waterloo, for example, or there’s one just over here on Auto Street. So, that we may set up as a very ad hoc pop-up sort of situation.

But our drivers are amazing. Our staff are amazing in the way that they can drive the food truck and get through different weather situations. One of our favorite customers is in Listowel. And so sometimes we drive there in the snow with this giant food truck, which is like a wind tunnel, causes like a wind tunnel on the highway. It can be quite something. We drive to different areas with the food trucks, but mostly we stay within the region.

What are some of the advantages of setting up your business in Waterloo Region?

To me, the advantages of working and leading in Waterloo region are really about the amazing economy, the diversity of the population. We love being a part of all the festivals and the cultural events that go on. We love the student population.

That is fantastic for us. We are at college, at universities. It gives us access to an influx of clients where we would not necessarily have. So, we will be at the university in the winter where we would sort of be sitting at home quietly because the students are still coming out. Or does it give us access to staff during a time when we really need them, which is in the summertime, right? From mid-April to the end of September. So, for us, Waterloo Region is our home. It’s where we both grew up. We both went away and did other things, came back and just found our place again. And because the area is growing and it’s so interesting a place to be, we are excited to be here and raise our family here.

What inspires you?

I think I’m inspired by my family in so many ways because they are probably at the crux of everything that I do. Fo’Cheezy family is inspiring to me. My more intimate family and family that I’ve sort of created through friends and other things also inspire me.

I have three great kids. So, I have two boys, one eleven and one 13. And then I just had a baby this summer. So, she is three months old. And really, it is about seeing who they’re going to be and how positively they’re going to impact the world. Sandor is my second marriage. And I really believe getting married and having children is an act of hope. So, it is an easy time to be negative about the world and feel like things are not going to work out, but we choose to hope, and we sort of stay inspired by that. I must tell you; it is very easy to feel giddy about grilled cheese.

Like if you are serving grilled cheese, you’re serving people at a time when they’re with their families and those are our number one customers is family. So, we like to sort of stay focused on that.

What advice would you give to other women who are aspiring to get into a leadership role, or start a business?

I think for women, it’s hard because you’re told that you have to be a people pleaser. It is not popular to be terribly articulate or assertive. And I think, especially in the food space, it can still be that Chef Ramsay, old school kitchen mentality. So, my advice for people who want to do something like food trucking, for example, is to really stick with it and have confidence and lean on other people.

So, some of my favorite food truckers are strong women and they’re leading the way by running their own businesses on their own and really breaking the mold.

Other industries other than food trucking, my advice to women is really to stick together, to lean on each other, to use the resources on LinkedIn and in mentorship groups that are available to you, be in spaces where it’s safe to be a woman and to hear from other women what it’s like. I think to have your friend group is really important. That will, you know, your ride or die. I think you can have those in business as well. Someone who will tell you and hold you accountable if you need to check yourself or try taking another risk and it’s okay, they are there if you fail.

The queen fixing your crown, as it were. I think that is really important to find those people because positions of leadership can be very lonely. Positions of leadership can be a space, especially as a woman where if you are leading diverse teams, you can make unpopular decisions and you can go home at the end of the day depleted and second guessing yourself.

But if you have that crowd who will support you and say, you know, you’ve done the right thing and even when you haven’t done the right thing, I see where you were coming from, try again tomorrow, it’s okay. Those things are important to have women in your space.

What are your future goals and aspirations?

Our goals and aspirations for Fo’Cheeezy and for my career are really about seeing other people have the opportunity to work for themselves.

I think that giving people a leg up by working with them to franchise as opposed to other franchises where the price of admission is so high and so difficult. Because we are the type of people we are, we’re supportive. Sandor helps other food truckers all the time, whether it be somebody needs to borrow something or somebody’s having a technical problem, wants to know about a festival, should they go, how their square point of sale system could work, all of that kind of stuff.

We support our whole community. So, I’d like to see us do that franchise opportunity where we can help people who are small business owners really have the opportunity to get out there and not work for somebody else.

Another key area that we’re hoping to work on this year is to expand our geography and geographical impact. So right now, we really are in the Kitchener-Waterloo region, some Guelph, some Cambridge, a little bit in Woodstock, but we like to further out what we’re doing. And that is really for us, spreading out on a geographic front is really about sustainability. So, if it is slower sometimes in July and August, September/May and June are our busiest months.

So, in July and August, what we have been doing is driving out to Lake Huron, Port Elgin, Southampton, and some of those places and getting to know there at their festivals, which are great. And with everyone staying in Ontario more this summer than ever, we found that we had great success by just making a little bit of a further drive.

Where can viewers find out more about you and your business?

I am always available for a coffee or a glass of wine, and you can just reach me through Focheezy.ca. And I’m also on LinkedIn. I love to help people do things that take a step towards their dreams. I have also worked with people who make transitions in life, going from say corporate to a food truck was a huge step, right? So, I have a friend recently who just lost his job and what I have done is tried to help him and coach him on how to rethink his own personal brand so that he can get hired outside of his scope.

*This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

The post Fearless Female (December): Sandra Hepditch appeared first on Greater KW Chamber of Commerce.

♦Many people don’t realize how widespread chronic hunger is among children in our community. Even short periods without food—like weekends or school breaks—can have lasting impacts on a child’s development, learning, and emotional well-being.

Food4Kids Waterloo Region bridges this critical gap by providing nutritious food packages during weekends, holidays, and summer breaks—times when school meal programs aren’t available. When children are fed, they’re ready to learn, grow, and thrive. They feel supported, knowing someone cares.

Two years ago, the organization’s Board of Directors turned to Capacity Canada for help in recruiting new leadership. Together, we placed an interim leader and supported the search for a new Executive Director.♦ Earlier this year, Faune Lang stepped into that role, and with renewed vision and strategic support, the organization launched a bold plan to double the number of children served in Waterloo Region within three years.

“Together, we navigated the challenges of philanthropy and leadership with resilience and integrity. Capacity Canada’s knowledge and passion have inspired creative, strategic thinking that strengthens our mission; helping children and youth thrive. We are deeply grateful for the meaningful capacity they’ve built within our organization”.

– Faune Lang, Executive Director

• $30 provides a child with meals and snacks for a week
• $120 supports them for a month
• $1,400 ensures they’re nourished all summer long

Your gift today helps ensure no child in our community goes hungry. Thank you for making a difference.

The post Help Nourish Hope for Children in Waterloo Region  appeared first on Capacity Canada.

The damage is done thank you very much Waterloo Region Record and the NATIONAL NEWSMEDIA COUNCIL (NNMC).  The K-W Record story was published on November 15, 2025, nearly six weeks ago.  Absolutely zero of my complaints have been addressed much less even discussed by either the Record or the National NewsMedia Council. There has mostly been deafening silence from the Record who apparently would rather be known as insular and non-responsive to accurate technical corrections than be known as a human based organization who are not perfect but who do properly address complaints or clarifications of their work. Obviously my sympathy and concern for the fragile state of community newspapers is waning rapidly. 

The NNMC to date have been of zero assistance. They have not sent me any correspondence requesting the Record to step up and fulfill their public interest mandate in the community. They have shown me absolutely zero leadership or control of the situation. They have given me absolutely no indication that they are pushing the Record to at least discuss my complaints/clarifications with them. Nearly six weeks later and the public are still blissfully unaware of the inaccuracies and errors in the November 15/25 article by Terry Pender titled " The long cleanup of Elmira's water contamination crisis".

It appears that both the Record and the NNMC do not give a crap about honesty or accuracy just like the guilty parties supplying the Record with self-serving, false information. Shame on all of them. 

To the NNMC : your failure to address my complaint either in a timely fashion or at all is to your shame. Feel free to abuse due process by using this Blog posting as your excuse to now pretend that gosh/golly you were just about to jump in with both feet but this Blog posting has violated your own internal excuses/bullsh*t  and gives you reasons to do what you've been doing all along which is a big fat, slow nothing. Thank you for wasting my time.

Maybe I've approached this the wrong way. Yes I tried with this new Council to get them on the right track early. We had a group meeting at Dr. Dan Holt's the first January after they were elected in October 2022. I held a Hydrogeology 101 course for them at the Township offices back in 2023 and I did see some genuine interest and willingness to learn from a couple of councillors. Since then however it's clear to me that they've been shown a path to avoid trouble, discord, dissent and frankly massive work. 

I was speaking with an educated individual recently who described a work situation in which incompetence and getting along to go along were the norm.  The leaders and bosses were out of their depth and totally reliant upon others to do the actual work. These bosses then attended meetings and patted each other on the backs for alleged good work and improvements. Meanwhile those in the trenches could clearly see gaps in programs and procedures but could not convince their "superiors" to make the necessary changes. Routines and practices while not well understood by the bosses were however entrenched.  If there had not been a disaster or crisis so far then their attitude was don't make any significant changes. 

Is this the same mentality as is prevalent in Elmira around the groundwater cleanup? Here it's even worse as the so called bosses have financial skin in the game. Until or unless there is massive unrest by local citizens then Lanxess Canada are going to stick to the tried ,true and failed cleanup that's been ongoing for almost thirty years. The failures are not only from making bad cleanup decisions thirty plus years ago but also from poor implementation of those decisions. In other words the corporate successors to Uniroyal Chemical have never maintained the pumping regimens that they sold to the other stakeholders as adequate to do the job. Hence failure was obvious to those of us who weren't playing the game just to get along and go along.

Unfortunately the mantra here by local politicians is that magically speaking nicely and being nice will make up for obvious remediation flaws and failures. It has not and never will. But everyone involved are friends and getting along well don't you know. People continue getting cancers and other ailments exacerbated by local toxins but heaven forbid any harsh words are thrown at anybody no matter how egregious the lack of cleanup provocation.

♦

KITCHENER - Time to mark your calendars.

The Canadian Baseball League's 2026 schedule has been released, with each team playing 48 games. That means each team will play each other six times throughout the summer.

For the Kitchener Panthers, Thursday and Sunday remain the typical home game day, with a couple key exceptions.

As well, the game times for all Thursday games have been moved back to 7 p.m. All Sunday home games will be at 2:05 p.m.

But there are three other home games on unusual days of the week.

Firstly, there are two Friday night games on June 12 (against Toronto) and July 3 (against Brantford). Secondly, there is a special Wednesday afternoon game because for the first time in a number of years, the Panthers will host a game on Canada Day when the Guelph Royals come to town.

The Panthers will open the season the same way it did in 2025, on the road in Toronto for Mother's Day on May 10. Kitchener will then visit Hamilton on Friday, May 15.

Kitchener's home opener is Sunday, May 17 at 2 p.m. against the Chatham-Kent Barnstormers.

CLICK HERE to see the full schedule

Are you passionate about working with Toronto communities to reduce emissions from single-family homes? Do you want to help guide the growth of an exciting organization dedicated to driving real climate action?

Toronto Home Energy Network (THE Network), formerly known as Toronto Home Retrofits, is looking for dedicated volunteers to join our Board of Directors.

THE Network is a grassroots, volunteer-driven organization dedicated to reducing carbon emissions from Toronto’s homes. Launched in 2023 by the leadership team behind the Pocket Change Project, we use a proven approach, collaborating with community groups across Toronto and a network of partners to increase awareness and provide homeowners with peer support and expert personalized assistance as they plan and implement their home’s decarbonization.

THE Network is addressing a critical need in the market. With single-family homes causing nearly one-fifth of Toronto’s emissions, electrifying these homes is essential to achieving the city’s goal of net-zero community-wide emissions by 2040.  However, awareness of heat pumps remains low, and even homeowners motivated to eliminate their emissions face conflicting information and other obstacles. We focus on removing these barriers by sharing experience and information within communities and from experts. We are currently working actively with six Partner Communities to develop their own Pocket Change-like home decarbonization initiatives and are experiencing a high level of interest from both additional communities and homeowners.

THE Network is in an active growth phase, expanding our Partner Communities across Toronto while building organizational capacity. Our three-person staff team works in close collaboration with a dedicated volunteer base to advance home electrification through neighbour-to-neighbour organizing. We have secured support from Toronto Hydro and The Atmospheric Fund, funders who recognize the effectiveness of community-driven approaches to climate action.  We have applied for charitable status to expand our future funding options.

While climate goals drive our work, we maintain strong community connections and find ways to keep our volunteers and partners engaged and motivated. The coming years will be a critical period for THE Network as we refine our operational foundation and expand the partnership networks to have a meaningful impact on Toronto’s transition to sustainable home heating and energy efficiency.

We are seeking three at-large members to expand our current five-member Board for a greater range of skills, diversity of background, and resilience of the team. We welcome applications from candidates who:

• Are committed to THE Network’s mission of reducing home carbon emissions
• Are residents of Toronto or have strong ties to the Toronto community
• Have prior non-profit and/or board experience (preferred but not required)
• Can work well independently while collaborating extensively with our team
• Strengthen THE Network’s ability to partner with diverse communities across Toronto
• Bring skills to the group such as governance, fundraising, marketing, community organizing, volunteer management, and/or residential heat pump/HVAC market knowledge

The Board meets in person (virtual provided if needed) each month at a time that suits the group. Board terms are three years, with the option to renew for a second consecutive term. In addition to attending Board meetings and occasional events, members are expected to contribute to Board business through officer roles or committee work. Board members are also encouraged, though not required, to take part in THE Network’s community activities.

Toronto Home Energy Network is committed to fostering a diverse, equitable and inclusive culture in all areas of our organization. We believe the best way to fulfill our mission and vision is to honour the diverse situations, experiences, perspectives and ideas of our employees, volunteers, homeowners and their communities, donors, suppliers and other supporters. We aim to create a sense of belonging among all of our stakeholders through equitable and inclusive values, practices and policies.

We encourage applications from individuals of all backgrounds and lived experiences.

If the opportunity to contribute to THE Network’s success by contributing your time, enthusiasm, and expertise appeals to you, please apply by sending a resume and cover letter describing your interest to HR@thenetwork.to by January 7, 2026.

If you’re interested but not ready to take on these board positions, we would still like to hear from you!  Please apply and indicate that you are interested in participating as a volunteer.

We thank all candidates for their interest, though we will contact only those selected for an interview.

The post Toronto Home Energy Network Board of Directors appeared first on Capacity Canada.

The Greater Kitchener-Waterloo Chamber of Commerce (GKWCC) provides strong, continued service to over 1500 members in one of Canada’s marquee pioneering and entrepreneurial business communities. For nearly 140 years, dating back to the Chamber’s founding as the Berlin Board of Trade, we have expanded into one of the largest and most innovative Chambers in Canada by focusing on the needs of all our members, big and small. For more information, please visit GreaterKWChamber.com.

The GKWCC is seeking an Events Coordinator who is responsible for organizing their own portfolio of events within the Chamber’s annual event calendar, supporting volunteer committees, executing day-to-day administrative tasks of the Events Department, and working alongside a team to deliver successful, high caliber events and positive guest experiences.

The Events Coordinator will work collaboratively with an Events Supervisor (hereby known as ‘Supervisor’), who will provide daily guidance to the Coordinator. Both the Coordinator and Supervisor receive direct oversight from the Director, Community Engagement & Strategic Programs (hereby known as ‘Director’).

Event Planning – Under the guidance of the Events Supervisor and Director, coordinate and execute high quality events that fall within your event portfolio. You will also assist the Events Supervisor with the coordination and execution of their event portfolio (typically Signature/Premier events).

• Execute virtual, hybrid, and/or live events.
• Book and coordinate all venue logistics (physical venue spaces and/or virtual event platform).
• Assist in booking keynote speakers and panelists, providing them with full event details, and content direction.
• Determine event agendas and write event scripts.
• Provide direction for event promotional materials, and update website with all event details and registration.
• Liaise with all vendors and suppliers needed to successfully execute event (i.e. – production, décor, food & beverage, entertainment, etc.), which may include confirming event needs, contract review, and/or negotiation.
• Greet and assist all event attendees including dignitaries, VIP’s, and/or high-profile guests.
• Compile and send out all pre, during, and post event communication to attendees, speakers, exhibitors, sponsors, and any other key stakeholders.
• Prioritize the health and safety of all guests, staff/volunteers, and vendors.
• Create event wrap-up reports, debriefs, and thank you emails.
• Submit invoices for processing.

Sales & Sponsorship. Work with the Sponsorship and Sales Teams to successfully generate revenue, while exceeding their expectations.

• Build and manage relationships with partners and event attendees to help generate leads for Sales/Sponsorship.
• Identify future sponsorship opportunities for existing events.
• Introduce new ways to incorporate and support members in our event programs.
• Generate event ticket sales among members and future members.
• Make monthly membership retention calls.

Volunteer Committees – Assist in leading and supporting volunteer committees (4-6 total). Volunteer Committees are made of dedicated Chamber Members who help plan events.

• Schedule and attend all committee meetings.
• Prepare agendas and minutes pre/post meetings and respond to any communication from volunteers outside of scheduled meetings.
• Assist in recruiting and retaining volunteers on committees.
• Update Committee mandates annually, and ensure all members receive, understand, and agree to the policies.
• Support volunteer appreciation initiatives.

Administrative Tasks. To ensure the department runs smoothly, day-to-day administrative tasks will need to be performed.

• Reply to event-related email & phone inquiries in a timely manner.
• Update internal event calendar.
• Update internal tracking documents and budgets, as required.
• Provide general support to Supervisor & Director, as required.

Other Duties as Assigned – As you would expect, the Events Industry is unpredictable and requires you to adapt to many different situations at a moment’s notice. As such, there are always “other duties” that come up unexpectedly that you should be prepared for.

• Top-notch organization: You love lists, colour coding, and calendar invites. You can meet deadlines and achieve outcomes even when there are numerous other priorities and distractions. You’re extremely attentive, thorough, adaptable, and focus on the little details.
• Experience in a fast-paced environment: You are willing to tackle projects independently and push through until the job is done. You’re an exceptional multi-tasker, and a self-starter with the ability to take initiative and ownership of your responsibilities.
• Excellent communicator: You keep everyone informed and can do so efficiently, effectively, and professionally – in written and verbal. You’re also empathetic and enthusiastic and feel comfortable socializing with people you may not know. You’re excited at the opportunity to expand your network and build relationships within the community.
• Thrive under pressure: You stay calm, approachable, and in control during stressful situations, by focusing on the solution, not the problem. As this is a customer-facing role you may face some negative feedback and criticisms.
• Leader, not a follower: You’re innovative and think outside the box. You enjoy pushing the limit (creatively), and set trends, not just follow them.
• Tech Savvy: You are comfortable adapting to new forms of technology and using various platforms (social media, video communications, virtual events, etc.). You are also proficient in Microsoft Office.
• Support Local: You make regular trips to the corner bakery, participate in #KWAwesome community groups on social media, and generally enjoy supporting Waterloo Region business owners.
• Helpful, but not required: Experience in photography, videography, video editing, live productions, graphic design, project management, and/or public speaking.

If this sounds like you, or what you’re striving to obtain, then please apply. We look forward to learning more about you and what you could bring to this role.

To Apply: Please send your application to Carolyn Marsh, Director, Community Engagement & Strategic Programs at cmarsh@greaterkwchamber.com. When applying, please provide a resume, and either a cover letter or 60-second self-introduction video.

Next Steps: We thank all those who apply, however, only those candidates who are selected to move forward in the application process will be contacted. The posting will remain open until the position is filled. The start date for the successful candidate is flexible, but preferably they will start in early-mid January 2026.

Position Type: Full time, Permanent.

Hours of Work: Monday – Friday, 8:30am – 4:30pm, with a 30-minute unpaid lunch for a total of 37.5 hours each week. Evenings/early mornings will be required based on event schedule.

Travel: Hybrid work environment, with minimum 2 days per week in-office (80 Queen St. N., Kitchener), with additional travel required around Waterloo Region to event venues and/or scheduled pick-ups and deliveries of supplies and donations from partners. Mileage will be reimbursed for work-related activities.

Compensation: $37,000 – $42,000 annually, plus benefits. Compensation within this range will be based on experience & qualifications.

Benefits:

• Healthcare including dental and vision plan, as well as an EAP program, which all starts 3 months into employment.
• RRSP matching, which starts 3 months into employment.
• 2 weeks’ vacation + stat holidays + lieu time for hours earned for events.
• Monthly mental wellness half-day Friday (subject to change).
• Flexible hybrid work model.
• Professional Development opportunities.
• Parking included.

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The Greater Kitchener Waterloo Chamber of Commerce believes that everyone is free to be their true self and receive the same respect and opportunity, regardless of ethnicity, gender, culture, identity, sexual orientation, age, beliefs, language, or disability. We have an inclusive work environment that is a safe and welcoming space for all and we encourage applications from all qualified candidates. If you require accommodation at any time during the recruitment process, please email cmarsh@greaterkwchamber.com.

The post Job Posting: Events Coordinator appeared first on Greater KW Chamber of Commerce.

This includes no response to new information and data that they had virtually no idea of. Do you think that our first time Woolwich councillors have even the foggiest idea of who and what Varnicolor Chemical was? Especially the younger councillors who were barely born thirty-five years ago? I don't think so unless it's the Ministry/Lanxess lie that Varnicolor was of little environmental consequence. Quoting Stan Berger (M.O.E.) at the Environmental Appeal Board hearings "Varnicolor were a water pistol in a thunderstorm." Well that alleged "water pistol" contaminated our municipal drinking water just like Uniroyal and Nutrite did and that is now confirmed, albeit quietly, by our authorities. I have recently challenged both the Woolwich Observer and the K-W Record to publish that fact. So far nada!

Also I might add that I don't personally need a response from the guilty parties to somehow "vindicate" or validate my position and opinions. Having absolutely zero respect left for their integrity or decency why would I? Do you need validation from an ar*ehole like Donald Trump for example to make you feel better about yourself? There are many, many people whom I respect greatly and whose opinions of me I value. None of them are in positions of authority regarding the failed "cleanups" here in Elmira. God help me if unlike Susan Bryant I ever start publicly complimenting Lanxess or MECP personnel. 

The other two points I wish to clarify are the following.  Our Woolwich councillors as well as our regional councillors need to respond when citizens voluntarily provide them with information they do not have.  Far beyond courtesy is the simple requirement as a public servant to both appreciate helpful citizen input and to acknowledge it. Honest citizen engagement can help solve problems and issues. That kind of feedback is what honest politicians/brokers do. Perhaps I've just spelled out the reality of why they aren't doing so.

Lastly it is my belief that much of Varnicolor Chemical's behaviour and actions have yet to be proven conclusively and so publicized. This is based upon both my own personal experiences inside Varnicolor Chemical as well as testimony from others both thirty plus years ago and even only a decade ago. Severin Argenton illegally disposed of massive quantities of both solid and liquid toxic wastes. He can not possibly ever have had the appropriate written records showing proper disposal. Our authorities have made it a priority NOT to followup and investigate his illegal and grossly environmentally damaging misdeeds. That behaviour by the Ontario Ministry of Environment (MECP) alone should be grounds for some sort of public inquiry into their corruption. That should be followed by an investigation into the sweetheart deals with Uniroyal Chemical and corporate successors and our local governing bodies over the last decades. 

Which again may explain why councillors who profess shock and abhorence at mere rude words have had no problem looking at and then away from miscarriages, still births, cancers, possibly birth defects and a host of other diseases both caused and exacerbated by downstream Uniroyal Chemical toxins as well as the same here in Elmira from toxic doses of drinking water and air.