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 at memberships@greaterkwchamber.com 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.

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The Fearless Female we’re featuring for the month of November is Lianne J. Armstrong, Partner and Senior Construction and Commercial Litigator at Lerners LLP.

Lianne is a senior construction and commercial litigator who helps businesses resolve complex disputes involving contracts, projects, facilities and operational risk. With deep manufacturing and construction industry experience, she provides practical, strategic advice focused on protecting business interests, minimizing disruption and reaching cost-effective resolutions.

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

Please Introduce Yourself

My name is Leanne Armstrong. I am a partner at the law firm of Lerners, and I am a construction lawyer. As I said, I work at Lerners. We have four offices. We have Kitchener, London, Toronto, and Strathroy. It has been around since 1929, and was started by Lerner’s, and we have now grown obviously significantly since that time, and we do, we’re pretty much full service, and as I say, I head up the construction law department.

What inspired you to choose this career path?

Following the career path, I really think it was, my father probably likely saying, oh, you argue a lot. You really should be a lawyer, but that was just kind of, you know, getting me thinking about it, but then it really was an area that you could look to helping other people, solving their problems, and so that it really was a focus, and then construction, I just really like the industry. I like the people that operate within the industry. I find that they are different in the sense of, although it is litigation, it’s not very, it’s not as adversarial as other areas of the law, because the goal is to keep a construction project moving, and that means working together somewhat cooperatively within an adversarial process.

Tell us more about your professional and educational background

I went to Queens, we’re actually coming up next weekend on our 30-year reunion, so I’ve always done commercial litigations, commercial litigation, companies resolving disputes or litigating disputes, but probably about 15 years ago, I began doing it almost exclusively doing construction law, and this is a path that I’ve really enjoyed, and I’m going down, and I definitely wouldn’t change it. I love the construction law.

Largest milestone right now is that, or my favourite, is that I am currently the chair of the London and District Construction Association. I had decided some time ago that I wanted to focus on the industry as a whole, and how can we make the actual construction industry, whether it’s looking at political issues or looking at local issues, so I started on the association quite some years ago, and this is my year that I am chair.

If you could go back in time, is there anything you would have done differently?

I think it’s as a woman, I think we look at it from being a woman, a woman that’s working in the construction industry, it is going into male-dominated spaces. I think when I first started, I really saw it being, well, these are the men’s events, and these are the women’s events, and saying, well, no, let’s change that, and so just showing up and not worrying about, maybe you and the couple of women you bring are the only women there, and that’s okay, and since that time that I started showing up, I definitely think that other women look around and say, oh, it’s okay too, these aren’t male events, or female’s events, that we are welcome at all of them, and just kind of entering that space, which might not be comfortable at first.

I think as women, we’re not always as confident as we should be, and if I did it again, I definitely would just lean into that, and not be second-guessing, and going with more with instinct and self-confidence, and say, I know my stuff, I’m just going to not second-guess, and just a confident piece that I see, that I know that I struggle with, but I see much more because I see other young women struggling with it.

I also am an adjunct professor at Western, I’m doing that probably five, six, seven years. I teach civil litigation, and I still see it with the younger law students as well, and I just wish I could tell all of them, have confidence, and just go out there, and challenge yourself, and just follow whatever you set out to do.

Well, the one thing I have done that I think is differently than as other lawyers, is I’ve really, as I say, really looked at the industry. So, if I’m going to go to a conference, it’s not necessarily going to be a legal conference, I want to go and find out about the construction industry, what are people doing, what are people being challenged by, and I really think that’s been, that’s helped, not just helped me in my career, but it made me love my career, because now I have friends, I, you know, within the industry, where I have barbecues, or I go to their weddings, or birthday parties, and it’s just makes, you know, it’s wonderful having your clients also be your friends as well.

How do you define success?

Success is, I think, really enjoying your job, and just focusing on doing the best job you can, being the best at whatever it is, it can be anything. For me, it’s, I want, you know, I want to be a construction lawyer. At one point, I was just a litigator, I was resolving disputes, and then I thought, you know what, I feel like my clients, I have a unique perspective in that I could also do the drafting of contracts at the very beginning, and so I set out, and I say, okay, I’m going to do that. I take all the courses, I, you know, I learn that area of the trade, and it’s just been enjoyable, just kind of focusing on what are your clients’ needs, and, you know, pursuing that.

The main thing is being client-centered. I think that is, and I think that is learners as a whole, I mean, we really set out, all of us set out to do, be the best in whatever area we practice in, and be very client-centered, so every client knows that their problem is very unique, is I put special care into how do we resolve this for you, and also, for me at least, I always tell my clients, you know, this is no longer your problem, this is my problem, you just let it go, and they can trust that I’m going to, you know, really take care in making sure that things are done as smoothly as possible, so just being client-focused, I think, is important.

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

I think the advantages are, is that it’s a smaller community, you’re going to be running into people all the time, and building relationships. I think that, like I did very beginning of my career, I did practice in Toronto, and it’s very different. You’re not able to build relationships like you are here, and especially within the construction industry. I would say, when you look at litigation, often it’s because people are entering into agreements with parties that they don’t know well, they haven’t worked with before, and from the other side, the other contracting party might not be as concerned about resolving all disputes, because, well, we might not work with them again, but when you work in a region like Waterloo, whether it’s in construction or within law, you have these relationships that you want to have throughout your career, so you really put focus into building them.

What advice would you give to other aspiring women entrepreneurs and professionals?

I have been doing this for a long time, and I have seen women come and go, fantastic lawyers who had difficulty, whether it’s fitting in or balancing work and home life. My goal is to pave a path for other women behind me. I do have two children, my children are now university aged, and I want people to say, look at me, and say, look at, she did it, I can do it as well, and I can enjoy doing it. I just think that it is a difficult career, but I want to show women that it is definitely doable and enjoyable at the same time.

I would say the most important thing is find a mentor. Women are always wanting to help other women, and they have to recognize that. Just reach out, look at somebody who has a career like you want, reach out and say, hey, can we grab a coffee, get together with that person. I have had women that do that, and I continue throughout the path of their career, always, they know, they can call me at any time, ask for any advice, if they’re having any issues, I’m going to be there, and I know that other women are the same way. Just don’t be shy about it, look for a mentor.

I think it’s just a different time in my career. My children are now off, both of them are in university, so I am looking to put more time into more charitable work, and looking at how I can give back more. It’s very, you go through a time when you do, before your children, you’re so involved in everything, and then when your children are younger, you feel you’re being pulled in so many different directions that you really do focus on the family and the career. But now, I’m entering a whole new phase, so I’m excited about it, and seeing where it takes me.

Where can listeners learn more about you and contact you directly?

Check out our website, it’s lerners.ca, and if anyone just ever wants to reach out to me and chat about things, please do. I’m always looking to meet other women, and find out what they’re up to, and how they’re succeeding in whatever careers they’re having, so I welcome to have a chat with anybody.

The post Scotiabank November Fearless Female – Lianne J. Armstrong appeared first on Greater KW Chamber of Commerce.

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Organization: Family and Children’s Services of the Regional Municipality of Waterloo Foundation operating as FACS Foundation

Position: Volunteer Board Member (HR, Real Estate, Manufacturing, Construction and Associated Industries, Consulting, Investment or Technology experience)

Job Description: As a Board Director for FACS Foundation, you will provide the strategic vision to scale innovative prevention programs and transform how our community meets growing needs and empowers children, youth, and their families to thrive. Since 1991, FACS Foundation has raised funds for programs that prevent child abuse and neglect and keep children with their families in their communities. The Foundation helps to address the root causes of harm, which have profound effects on family welfare and our community. The Foundation funds programs and services delivered by Family & Children’s Services of the Waterloo Region, grassroots organizations, and other community partners focused on early intervention and prevention for the safety and well-being of children, youth, and families.

The Foundation Board is recruiting several new members with HR, Real Estate, Manufacturing, Construction and Associated Industries, Consulting, Investment or Technology experience. Applicants should have a minimum five years of Board experience along with ideally one year of Board leadership experience (e.g. Chair of Board, Vice-Chair of Board, Treasurer or Chair of Committee). We are seeking a Board composition that reflects the diversity of our community and represents the populations served by FACS.

We are committed to anti-racism, equity, and inclusion, and we encourage individuals of diverse age, gender, sexual orientation or are from the First Nation, Inuit, Metis or Black community to self-identify and apply. In addition to diverse lived experiences, we are looking for differing perspectives and skills to govern that support an ever-changing environment focused on creating innovation and excellence. Change-makers with an entrepreneurial mindset who can help transform our vision to purposeful action are welcome to apply.

The Board of Directors provides governance oversight and leadership to the operations and performance of the Foundation, based on its charitable purposes. This is a voluntary position with on average one Board meeting and one Committee meeting per month. Time commitment of approximately 4 – 6 hours per month. Directors serve a three-year term, renewable twice for up to nine years. Board members discharge a fiduciary duty related to the position of trust and obligation to act in good faith to uphold the best interests of FACS Foundation as a Board.

FACS Foundation Board members play an important advocacy role on behalf of our region and are called upon to raise funds and support decisions that serve the best interests of our community.

If you are interested in being helping children, youth and families thrive in Waterloo Region, please send your resume and cover letter to Jaya.James@facsfoundation.org by December 1, 2026.

*We appreciate all interest, however, only applicants chosen for an interview will be contacted*

The post Family and Children’s Services Foundation appeared first on Capacity Canada.

♦It's been noted elsewhere that the flip of the clocks from saving to standard time and back has become a lot easier these days. Our computers, our phones, and our watches make the switch automatically in the middle of the night. In my house, only four clocks need to be manually changed, and three of them are in my kitchen (my stove and microwave, pictured above, and a battery-operated wall clock behind me). For a brief moment on Sunday morning, my kitchen enters into its own timezone, like Arizona. My car also needs a switch, but that just requires a few taps on the screen into the settings to turn off (or turn on) the Daylight Saving switch).

Which, I guess makes it strange that the switch between Daylight Saving (Summer) Time and Standard (Winter) Time is becoming increasingly unpopular.

Because it is. Over the past twenty years, I've heard the complaints increase. I've heard news reports talk about the rise in car accidents following time changes. I've heard people complain about the sudden loss of light in November. Politicians have been promising an end to the time changes for a while and, recently, have kept their word in many jurisdictions. Today, all of Canada west of the 90th meridian (including northwestern Ontario, but not including Nunavut) has officially backed out of the change, with BC, Alberta, Manitoba, and northwestern Ontario choosing permanent Daylight Saving Time.

And I support this. I've been finding the time change increasingly annoying and unnecessary as the years go on. I am living for the moment when the Ontario government flips the switch on the change that it's already passed into law: to stop the time change once Quebec and New York State agree to stop the time change as well. But I'm uncertain why I support this so strongly, other than to complain about the annoyance of adjusting my (four) clocks, and the sudden onset of early sunsets and dark evenings.

But proponents of stopping the spring-forward/fall-back ritual are split between those who want to settle on Daylight Saving Time (me) and those who want Standard Time. Standard time has become increasingly beleaguered, as the change-over dates have been pushed back later in fall and earlier in spring. There is some institutional pressure for keeping to Daylight Saving Time, but Standard Time still has its proponents, citing their fears of sending their kids to school in darkness.

Well, I did offer a possible compromise: instead of flipping our clocks an hour forward or back, flip it just a half-hour instead, and live with that time change as the new standard time for the whole year. Winter evenings don't begin quite so late, and it isn't quite so dark when the kids go to school in the morning. And, for once, our easternmost province would get its revenge, starting all their shows at noon, instead of, as the CBC radio announcer would long intone, "12:30 in Newfoundland".

But that appears to be off the table.

I don't know why we feel so strongly about this, but we do, and I think it's right that we should proceed to end the seasonal time change throughout Canada. I hope the United States does it as well. I would prefer we stick to Daylight Saving Time because the sudden evening sunsets come November always throw me for a loop. It's just awful seeing the dark of midnight at 6 p.m.

Yes, this may mean that we're sending our kids to school in darkness, but this brings up another question: why the heck are we sending our kids to school so bloody early? Studies have shown that teenagers are hard-wired to sleep in, and starting school later in the day improves academic performance among high school students. Anecdotally, the worst time for non-violent property crimes (vandalism, etc) comes between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m., when we have a large group of students sitting around unsupervised. If we end school times closer to 5 p.m., this window vanishes, and we know most teenagers won't get up early to commit minor misdemeanours.

For the Lord's sake, some high schools in the U.S. have start times of 7:00 a.m.! What in the heck are they thinking?

Maybe if we didn't live our lives so beholden to our clocks; if we had a bit more flexibility on when the day starts, we wouldn't be so flummoxed each time the clocks change, and we wouldn't feel so bad about late winter sunrises or early winter sunsets. In my opinion, the first step is to stop the silly spring-forward/fall-back merry-go-round, but the second step is to be a bit more flexible about when our days actually start.

 Jeff Merriman,  Dwighte Este, Steve Martindale, Wilf Ruland, Steve Quigley,  Allan Deal, plus a whole bunch of General Managers of Uniroyal Chemical such as David Ash and successor companies. Now here's the rub; the fact is that I really would be hard pressed to confront any of them and initiate the verbal beatdown that most of them deserve. That said O.K. if they started up with their old bullcrap and lies for whatever reason yes I would respond strongly and harshly. Otherwise no and that may be simply a function of age. I'm now 77 years old and frankly just because I have a better understanding and knowledge of the corporate mindset behind blatant lying and deception perhaps I also have a better understanding of the people involved. They are not all unredeemable pieces of excrement. Probably some of them might actually be good family men. Others I am told have done serious and significant volunteer work. For them their personal lives are entirely separate from their business/corporate lives. Most especially if they are employees whose every public word had better be pro company or else; they have little choice if they wish to keep putting a roof over their family's heads and or pay for their university educations.

All that said there are a few that I have nothing but contempt for based upon their unrepentant and damaging lies to the public interest and to the people of Elmira, not to mention the environment. The vast majority of lying has been to further the interests and the assets of corporate polluters whether or not direct health harm resulted to nearby residents. There are also some for whom I might actually have some liking and respect for. That would include Steve Martindale of the Ontario Min. of Environment (M.O.E.). Yes it is possible that that is based more upon his personality and general friendliness versus anything he may have done in the public interest. Wilf Ruland is one whom I have trouble fathoming. He inserted himself into an internal CPAC squabble initiated by Susan B. and Pat McLean towards me that I did not even see coming back in 2007. He spoke to CPAC while I was still a formal member, behind my back, and gave CPAC an ultimatum namely him or me. Now I thought that I had zero argument or disagreement with Wilf at that time but clearly Susan and Pat had put him up to that ultimatum that I didn't even know about. That readers is how much damage a couple of sneaky, manipulative back stabbers can do to any group of people. Dwighte Este (Uniroyal) always behaved in a professional manner but clearly he was never prepared to speak either out of turn or honestly if it hindered his employer's interests. My biggest surprise was when he showed up at Susan Bryant's house to help fix her lawnmower. Yes you heard that right. She had phoned him first and then me when he couldn't make it right away, maybe around 2003 (??). Take that any way you want but it shocked me.

Steve Quigley and Allan Deal both of Conestoga Rovers (CRA) were unrepentant client driven #*+%heads in my opinion. I know that sounds harsh but you never sat across the table from them for a period of decades. Steve was the brains of the two hence he was in charge of CRA's pro corporate, anti environment efforts for the first many years with Allan Deal disappearing for years, licking his wounds perhaps. Allan Deal is back and misdirecting and misleading TRAC on a number of fronts including Varnicolor Chemical's alleged lack of chlorobenzene contribution to the Elmira Aquifers. While categorically denying Varnicolor's chlorobenzene contributions several years after Dr. Neil Thompson (U. of Waterloo) stated unequivocally that approximately 1,900 kg. of chlorobenzene was deposited into Elmira's Aquifers in excess of Uniroyal's contributions; Mr. Deal offered zero comment on who has done so.  Then less than a year later Jesse Wright of Arcadis on behalf of Lanxess Canada showed up and casually announced the news and showed a map of four or five unnamed business locations along First St. who had handled chlorobenzene, extraordinarily close to Varnicolor's former Union & First St. toxic waste site. 

Once again can you really blame me for being blunt and rude at times in describing the behaviour of these corporate butts? 

If it's a mark of character based upon one's enemies, opponents or just general ill wishers then I guess I must be a character. I can name a few well known twits who stupidly have thrown stones my way, disparaged me and or lied about me. That would include Bill Strauss, Todd Cowan, Sandy Shantz, Severin Argenton, Mark Bauman, several M.O.E. officers and other assorted figures of ill repute. Ill repute not based upon electoral results - hey Donald Trump has been elected twice- three times if you believe him- but based upon my measuring stick. 

When Severin died and before Bill followed suit he (Mr. Kowalchuk) had a letter published most likely in either the Woolwich Observer or the Elmira Independent extolling the virtues of Mr. Argenton. While I am hard pressed to suggest that Bill lied I was at the time somewhat surprised by his courage in doing what he did considering Mr. Argenton's rather immense fall from grace. In hindsight and based upon the facts and decisions of various individuals and authorities I feel completely safe in suggesting that Mr. Argenton, former owner of Varnicolor Chemical, was one of the truly great liars of Woolwich Township. Now the fact is that after Bill Kowalchuk's own fall from grace as Woolwich CAO, he was hired by Severin both to increase his company's market but also to serve if you will as the company's liaison with government agencies attempting to dispose of toxic goods. Perhaps astute readers might read between the lines and see just a tiny glimpse of where my attitudes towards corruption in  government come from.

Severin was a keen promoter of himself and his company as being environmental stewards of the first order. He also was not averse to throwing shade (hmm) upon anyone who criticized him or suggested that his operations were anything short of legal, pristine and environmentally sound. A local contractor he had hired for a small digging job ("Digger" Dave Holmes ) ran afoul of Mr. Argenton when Mr. Holmes stood up in a public meeting and suggested that the Varnicolor Chemical site on Union St. was badly contaminated with solvents. Mr. Holmes was on site when a hole he was digging began filling up not with groundwater but with odorous and discoloured solvents floating on the water table. He was told to refill the hole and take off. He did so but I believe also advised the Ontario Ministry of Environment (M.O.E.) of what he had seen and smelled. I was working at Varnicolor Chemical at the time and was also advised as to the discovery. Mr. Argenton's public response to Mr. Holmes words at the public meeting was that Mr. Holmes "...was full of shi*".  

I could go on and on including his initial public bragging that the only charges laid by the M.O.E. against him were paper charges and not pollution charges. This was incredibly stupid of him and refocused my and others opposition to both him and the M.O.E.'s mishandling of the case. Lo and behold after the M.O.E.'s initial coverup on his behalf and later reluctance to lay serious charges they finally did. Severin was convicted and went to jail for a few months but still got a huge break. He was never convicted or sentenced for actually contributing to the destruction of the Elmira Aquifers  as we now know that he did along with Uniroyal Chemical, Nutrite and still other miscreants.      

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Mountainoak’s two-year-old Farmstead cheese is similar to Parmigiano-Reggiano in terms of texture — there’s those incredibly satisfying “cheese crystals” (tyrosine, a natural phenomenon that takes place in Parms and Gouda cheeses and others).

Based in New Hamburg, Mountainoak’s Farmstead, among other of its cheeses, has won awards at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair and the British Empire Cheese Competition.

Overall, their cheeses continue to be winners.

The Mountainoak Cheese website notes that the cheese has hints of butterscotch and caramel. I’ve found that all of their cheeses — made of Holstein milk from their farm — are superlative, and are a great local option that we can take advantage of.

Especially when we want to support local food businesses.

For more information about Mountainoak Cheese, click here.

[Banner image/Mountainoak Cheese]

Check out my latest post Cheese profile: Mountainoak Farmstead from AndrewCoppolino.com.

When we talk about housing at KW Habilitation, we’re actually talking about two different, but equally important, areas of our work: Inclusive Living and affordable housing. While both are connected to having a place to call home, they serve different purposes.

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For people who receive Inclusive Living supports, home is about much more than having a roof overhead. It’s about choice, comfort, relationships and having support that reflects what matters to them.

KW Habilitation works alongside adults with developmental disabilities in a variety of living arrangements, providing individualized supports based on their needs, preferences and goals.

That might mean support with everyday routines, making decisions, maintaining relationships, exploring interests or participating in the community. No two people are exactly alike, and neither is the support they receive.

KW Habilitation is also involved in creating affordable housing opportunities in Waterloo Region. This work responds to a different community need: access to housing that people can afford.

While Inclusive Living focuses on individualized supports, affordable housing focuses on the availability of housing itself. The two can sometimes intersect, but they aren’t the same thing. By investing in affordable housing, KW Habilitation is helping address one of the most significant challenges facing people and families across our community.

Whether we’re working alongside someone to make their own choices at home or helping create more affordable places to live, both areas of our work reflect a shared belief: everyone deserves a place where they feel safe, valued and connected.

And that’s an important part of building a community where everyone belongs.

The post More Than A Place To Live appeared first on KW Habilitation.

This list was quickly off the top of my head. I suspect that with some quiet time and fullsome thought I could increase it dramatically. Hmm now an idea has just come to me. Maybe a once a week special here whereby I do a "Spotlight on Liars" column. You know I could expand it to include more than just polluters, bureaucrats, consultants and Ministry of Environment (M.O.E./MECP) senior staff and employees. Some dandy names from the past come to mind already just by suggesting the M.O.E. such as Ireland, Robinson, Papenhuzen, Trebilcock, Wong. Oops I've slipped off topic. I was going to suggest political figures as well. Oh man this is just way too easy. How about Strauss, Shantz, Cadeau, Seiling, Cowan, Bauman there are just so many! Hmm in one case I almost feel sorry for Mr. Cowan. True he could be the butt of the old joke "How do you know if so and so is lying?" The answer: "His lips are moving.". Why do I feel sorry for him? Because most of the liars I am calling out are for environmental lies related to the Elmira Water Crisis. Mr. Cowan mostly lied about everything with the focus on his innate and inherent superiority. To the best of my knowledge he did not lie to save Uniroyal/Chemtura money or to protect reputations of people lying to minimize the local contamination and reduce Uniroyal and successors financial liability.   

Today's focus is on Gorgeous George Karlos of the M.O.E.. In all the modesty I can muster I must admit that I added the "Gorgeous" to the front of his name. In one sense I have to admire his boldness and brashness. Most of the liars above lied about things such as the far off 2028 remediation deadline or about who is responsible for which contamination whether ammonia, benzene, toluene, PCBs, xylenes, styrene, chlorinated solvents etc. all pollutants with multiple sources. Not Gorgeous George. No Siree! He looked CPAC in the eye back in early 2014 and loudly proclaimed that in response to a question from the floor he had walked Uniroyal/Chemtura's south-east property line and nearby areas looking for a peculiar surface feature that showed up on a recent Conestoga Rovers (CRA) map. Many of us had seen that feature and wondered about it but the first person who asked was a citizen sitting in the gallery, not a CPAC member. 

Now keep in mind this was the CPAC with Dr. Dan Holt as Chair, Vivienne, Sebastian, Ron, Graham as CPAC members and Richard, Henry and I as a sub-committee of CPAC, known as SWAT (Soil, Water, Air, Team). Geez did that name (SWAT) ever piss off Chemtura! It was the first that I realized that often the biggest liars are the most thin skinned of individuals. Later public consultation after Sandy Shantz became Mayor refused to allow questions from the audience even going through the Chair. Our CPAC did and this was but one case where it paid off. The surface feature looked like a smooth curve starting on the Uniroyal property to the west and running over to the next door (east) Stroh property where it bent 90 degrees to the south . 

George Karlos of the M.O.E. categorically stated he had walked this entire area and that there absolutely was no pathway or anything else that could possibly indicate any kind of path or travel route or conduit for contaminants to leave the Uniroyal site, cross over to the Stroh property and disperse or migrate from there. Gorgeous George lied like a dog!  In May 2014 I had been requested to scout out filming locations for a Documentary by I believe the C.B.C. .  I phoned Ron Stroh the current owner of the Stroh property and farm and asked for permission both for me and the C.B.C. to access his property and do some filming. He gave me that permission with a couple of conditions.  

My visit to the site was absolutely shocking. Keep in mind by this point I had been studying reports, text and maps of the entire area for about twenty-four years (1989-2014)! What I found was a large, frikken running waterway within five to ten metres of the Uniroyal/Chemtura property line running parallel with it for at least 125 metres due south on the Stroh property where it then bent to the east briefly before turning due south again and running southwards towards the Canagagigue Creek. Holy crap but later examination showed that it jogged around the Martin family's private in ground swimming pond and indeed did discharge into the Canagagigue Creek. 

Gorgeous George to the best of my knowledge has never set foot or shown his lying face in Elmira since. Good riddance to bad, lying rubbish.

• What: NAZA, A Window into Systems of Mass Killing
• Presented by: Waterloo Region Friends of Palestine ♦
• When: 4:15pm on Sunday 1 November 2026 (doors open 3:45pm)
• Where: Princess Original Cinema (sorry, this cinema has steep stairs and is NOT accessible)
• Location: 6 Princess Street West, Waterloo Map
• Extra Showings: 1:50pm on Saturday 31 October 2026; 6:50pm on Wednesday 4 November 2026
• Tickets: princesscinemas.com/movie/naza
• Phone: +1‑519‑884‑5112 (Princess Cinema office)
• Contact: wrfriendsofpalestine@gmail.com

From Irene O’Toole:

Dear Waterloo Region Friends of Palestine,

♦24 interviews in silhouette on Tel Aviv rooftops

NAZA exposes the surveillance and AI systems enabling the mass killing of civilians in Gaza’s genocide.

NAZA is a documentary by the Israeli co-directors of the Oscar-winning No Other Land. It premiered at the Venice Film Festival in September and won the Special Jury Prize.

It is a bone-chilling indictment of Israel’s military and its use of technology to systematically commit genocide against civilians in Gaza. It is based on interviews with 24 Israeli intelligence officers, many from notorious military units. They were filmed at night on Tel Aviv rooftops with their faces and voices disguised.

“Naza”  is Israel’s military slang for collateral damage: the number of civilians expected to be killed in a tank or air strike. The military developed an AI system called “Lavender”  to identify 37,000 Palestinians as suspects belonging to Hamas, and officers were pre-approved to kill up to 20 innocent civilians, often an entire family, for a low-ranking suspect and many 100’s when the target was a senior commander.  More than 500 deaths required high-level approval.

Using Israeli technology to hack into cellphone cameras and microphones they were able to spy on everyone in Gaza with a phone, including children. One targeting strategy was called “Where’s Daddy?”  and alerted officers when a marked man entered his home, so that he could be bombed along with his family. Officers describe watching entire families going about their normal lives before striking.

The interviewees describe the work as a routine job done on screens, “like a video game” and “You understand that the objective is to destroy.”

NAZA puts the people who worked inside that system on camera. The filmmakers have been accused in Israel of treason and attacking the State of Israel. Netanyahu proposed stripping their citizenship for defaming IDF soldiers. Crowds have gathered chanting “death penalty to the traitors.”

The film’s conclusion is unmistakable: the mass killing of Palestinian civilians in Gaza was not a tragic by-product of war but a premeditated and calculated crime of commission.

2026 | UK, USA | Abraham & Szor | 80 min | Hebrew, Arabic, English with subtitles

Official Trailer

The film is followed by conversation / Q&A with Robert Massoud, founder of Zatoun, fair trade olive oil from Palestine.

Awards and reviews:

Jury Special Prize at 83rd Venice International Film Festival

“There are things I can’t talk about, one interviewee reluctantly notes, suggesting there are true horrors that can’t be spoken of aloud. What is said during these conversations is still enough to make you scream and weep.”  ROLLING STONE
“The spare, focused style of Naza has a grim, artful beauty, all in service of the subject matter. The results are impossible to shake.”  NEW YORK MAGAZINE
“As a work of cinema, it is exemplary. As a work of journalism, it is inarguable. As a document, it is an indictment.” TIME OUT

Review from NPR
Review from rogerebert.com
Review from Variety

Articles & Interviews:

Why ‘NAZA’ terrifies Israel’s liberal elite
‘Lavender’: The AI machine directing Israel’s bombing spree in Gaza (from +972 magazine April 2024)
How do human beings explain taking part in genocide? NAZA provides a chilling look
‘They know the house they are bombing is full of children’

Don’t miss this important film and conversation following.  Please share with family and friends.

Also, see you at Kitchener Market for Walk with Palestine this Saturday 11am.

In solidarity and peace,
Irene

I’m on vacation this week, so I dipped into my archives to bring back a few points from past newsletters that especially resonated with the Better Allies community. Thanks to everyone who’s shared what’s been helpful. I appreciate hearing from each of you.

Let’s dive in.

In 7 Pieces of Bad Career Advice Women Should Ignore, authors Cindy Gallop and Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic list popular suggestions they believe we need to leave behind. One is to find a mentor.

They wrote,

“Women don’t need mentors. Women need what men get all the time — someone prepared to go out on a limb for them. A champion is someone who, behind closed doors, slams their fist on the boardroom table and says, ‘If there’s only room for one bonus in the budget, it’s going to Jane, not John.’ In other words, a champion is a committed sponsor who has the agency to influence people at the top and will use it to help you, someone who will be your loyal brand ambassador and push for you to get ahead — even if it means jeopardizing their reputation by disrupting the status quo.”

Now it’s your turn. Think about who you champion and sponsor. If they tend to be “like you” or remind you of your younger self, consider developing relationships with a more diverse group of coworkers. Get to know their work, strengths, and career goals. And start being their loyal brand ambassador.

Sponsor 5 Ally Actions and put your brand or business in front of 40,000 caring individuals in business, healthcare, education, and non-profits.

Or, say thanks to Karen and buy her a coffee ☕.

Let’s face it: Not all assignments are created equal. Some are high-profile and can be rocket-booster fuel for a career. Others may be necessary but go unnoticed.

In the Harvard Business Review article How to Equitably Assign High-Profile Work by Rachel M. Korn, Asma Ghani, and Joan C. Williams, I learned that limited access to high-profile work significantly drives employee attrition. (I wasn’t surprised.) The authors also highlighted a stark contrast in access, with 81–85% of white men reporting fair access to career-boosting assignments, compared to about 50% of women of color. For Black women, this figure drops even further to 43%.

The authors emphasize the importance of interrupting bias when assigning high-profile work. This is a crucial step all managers should understand and commit to. As they wrote, “After all, what’s the point of recruiting the best talent if you can’t retain it?”

The next time you need someone to stand in for you on an initiative or take on a high-profile assignment, reflect on your selection criteria. Do you tend to give high-profile work to certain people or certain types of people?

Then, consider what it would take to expand that pool. You might need to expand your network if you know only a few people with the skills you value for these plum assignments. Or figure out how more people outside your normal go-to list can learn more of those skills.

“I can’t give away my privilege. I’ve got it whether I want it or not. What I can do is use my privilege to create change.” — Debbie Irving, in Waking Up White

At its core, privilege is a set of unearned benefits given to people who fit into a specific social group. Due to our race, gender, sexual orientation and identity, financial situation, age, abilities, religion, and more, we have greater or lesser access to resources and social power.

Yet here’s the thing: Privilege is often invisible to those who have it. This means that people can get defensive when someone mentions their privilege.

Having one’s privilege pointed out might feel like the equivalent of being told that one is lazy or lucky — or that one’s life has been easy. Many people (myself included) are quick to respond that they’ve worked hard or had their fair share of difficulties in getting where they are today.

But doing so ignores that privilege is simply a system of advantages granted to all people in a given group.

I encourage you to pause and take a moment to understand your own privilege, reflecting on the benefits or obstacles you face at work. Download my free list of “50 Potential Privileges in the Workplace.” I have a one-page version and a two-page, large-print version.

As you review the list, please note any items that surprise you. Then, consider how not having those privileges might impact how someone experiences your workplace.

“Help: I am scared of saying the wrong thing!”

If that sounds like you, here’s some advice Brooklyn Norton of Mildon, an Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) consultancy shared with me a few years ago.

We are all going to get it wrong! A little secret: even the EDI ‘experts’ get it wrong, too. However, just like a muscle that we want to grow, we are going to have to practice saying:

• “I see how what I said could have been interpreted that way. I’m going to be more aware of my language going forward.”
• “Thanks for bringing that to my awareness. I am glad you’ve told me; I didn’t know, and I now know.”
• “Wow, I never thought of that. Would you mind sharing more with me about it?”

Which phrase will you use the next time you make a mistake on your journey to be a better ally?

(By the way, I hear from many of you that you appreciate when I share that subscribers disagree with me or when I’ve realized I’ve gotten something wrong. That someone who writes a newsletter on allyship is also still learning makes the topic more approachable. I promise to keep doing this!)

In 2024, I started asking all of you to send me examples of actions you’ve taken after reading my newsletter, hearing me speak, or diving into one or more of my books. Here’s the very first one I spotlighted:

“Thanks to your virtual fireside chat, and reinforced by your newsletter, I think about allyship in multiple contexts. Is there a silent voice I can invite to a conversation? Is there someone being spoken over who I can help give voice to? Is there someone’s idea who deserves credit where I can make sure they get the deserved credit? Each of these are small steps, but in totality, they make a difference.” — Todd Shechter

If you’ve taken a step towards being a better ally, please reply to this email and tell me about it. And mention 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

100% written by me. I use AI for researching a personal archive of my books and past newsletters, and for light editing.

Copyright © 2026 Karen Catlin. All rights reserved.

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

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

Be Someone’s Loyal Brand Ambassador, 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.

The Ontario Government released their 2026 Fall Economic Statement (FES) yesterday entitled A Plan to Protect Ontario. This marks the second FES in a row and fourth straight fiscal document, including the 2025 and 2026 provincial budgets, to use this title. Tariffs and the Canada-US relationship also repeated as the Ford government’s primary focal point, with Minister of Finance Peter Bethlenfalvy calling on the need to build a more resilient and self-reliant Ontario economy for the future.

While FES 2026 divides its key initiatives under two official pillars; Fortifying Ontario’s Industrial Base and Build Ontario for Growth, an underlaying theme of Restoring Trust and Accountability can be found throughout the document. The provincial government’s plan to balance the budget has also been delayed until at least 2029-30, the same fiscal year of the next provincial election.

Key Figures:

• Ontario’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is projected to grow 0.5% in 2026 and by 1.5% in 2027.
• Ontario’s 2026 GDP growth is down from the 0.9% projection in FES 2025.
• The projected deficit for 2026-27 has risen to $16.9 billion, up $3.1 billion (22.5%) originally projected in Budget 2026 back in March.
• Ontario’s current net-debt to GDP ratio is forecast to be 37.4%, originally forecasted at 37.7% in the 2026 budget.

Protect Ontario: Fortify Ontario’s Industrial Base

Ontario has responded to the ongoing tariff and trade with the US with $30 billion in tariff relief since April 2025 and introduced measures to protect jobs, reinforce domestic supply chains, and prioritize Ontario businesses through public procurement. While new initiatives such as the Canada-Ontario action plan are expected to further support critical industries in Ontario and across the country, FES 2026 largely focuses on a continuation of programs rather than offering any net-new affordability or cost saving measures.

Specific Highlights:

• $8.7 billion for the new Canada-Ontario action plan which aims to further reinforce domestic supply-chains and capabilities in highly tariff-impacted industries such as steel, auto, and critical minerals.
• Advancing the province’s Buy Ontario agenda through the promotion of bulk purchases and priority for Ontario and Canadian suppliers for government procurements.
• Further supporting employment transition supports through Protect Ontario Workers Employment Response (POWER) Centres which has supported over 27,000 Ontarians who have lost their jobs due to tariff related impacts.
• Highlighting the $30 billion in tariff relief and support Ontario has provided workers and businesses since April 2025 through programs such as the Ontario Trade Together Fund (OTTF), the Protect Ontario Financing Program (POFP), and the Trade-Impacted Community Program (TICP).

Protect Ontario: Build Ontario for Growth

Amid ongoing trade uncertainty and heightened global competition, the provincial government continues to focus on positioning Ontario as a leading destination for investment, innovation, and job creation. These initiatives aim to enhance economic self-reliance, create new opportunities for Ontario businesses and workers, and support Ontario’s long-term economic growth and security.

Specific Highlights:

• Providing an estimated $8 billion over the next five years in income tax relief for businesses across Ontario through the Ontario Competitiveness Tax Cut.
• This follows the federal government’s announcement to allow for companies to write off 100% of certain assets such as fibre optic cables and machinery and is expected to bring Ontario’s marginal effective tax rate to 3.6%.
• Expanded eligibility for the Ontario Research and Development Tax Credit and Ontario Innovation Tax Credits which is estimated to provide and additional $50 million over the next three years to support Ontario businesses lower the cost of R&D.
• Outlining the $12.5 billion in savings Ontarian’s have realised through cutting the gas and fuel tax, lowering the cost of transit fares through the One Fare program, and removing tolls, among other initiatives.
• Supporting more housing startups and housing enabling-infrastructure by investing $8.8 billion over the next decade into the Canada-Ontario Partnership to Build.
• This investment also includes the HST rebate announced in Budget 2026 for eligible buyers of new homes as well as supporting investments that will allow municipalities to reduce development charges.
• Echoing the Ontario’s plan to build by investing over $210 billion into major infrastructure projects over the next ten years including:
  • $31 billion for new and existing highway projects.
  • $63 billion for public transit.
  • $6.4 billion to build and upgrade 58,000 long-term care beds.
  • $30 billion to build new schools and childcare spaces.
  • $5.5 billion to support critical repairs and upgrades to postsecondary institutions.
  • $64 billion to support more than 50 hospital projects.
• The promise to develop an AI Industrial Strategy focused on commercialisation, business adoption, and workforce development.
• Signaling Ontario’s intention to issue a Security and Resilience Bond to boost investment and strengthen Ontario’s defence supply chain.
• Ontario would be the first province in Canada establish a bond of this kind.

Restoring Trust & Accountability

Despite a growing deficit and overall spending, Ontario echoed its commitment to being prudent fiscal managers and continue to find ways to make government programs more efficient by removing red tape. As part of this commitment, the Ontario government plans to crack down on waste, abuse, and fraud while improving investments into public services that keep Ontarian’s safe and prosperous.

Specific Highlights:

• A commitment to review funding for priority programs and eliminate wasteful spending and fraud.
• Echoing Ontario’s investment of $32.5 million for expanded border enforcement capacity to provide police with tools to detect and deter cross-border crime.
• New upcoming measures to enhance enforcement of illegal cannabis in Ontario.
• Supporting businesses across Ontario by reviewing all 375 business-facing permits across the province.
• Streamlining eligibility for the Ontario Computer Animation and Special Effects (OCASE) Tax Credit to just include film and television producers.
• Moving forward with the development of new Digital credentials to enhance privacy and security and provide better convenience for Ontarians.

The post Key Highlights of the Ontario Fall Economic Statement appeared first on Greater KW Chamber of Commerce.

Starring Colin Firth and Emily Blunt. My wife and I watched this movie a week ago. It was all Hollywood yet it was different. The basic plot was the old Area 51, possibly in Arizona, U.S.A. Allegedly Americans had been lied to by their political leaders for decades about extraterrestrials. Quite frankly I think that we are all mature enough to know that both our as well as U.S. governments have been lying to their citizens about lots of things for decades if not centuries. Extraterrestrials? Eh maybe or maybe not. That is neither my cup of tea nor my area of expertise.

Groundwater and the Elmira Water Crisis are. Yesterday's Blog here was titled "The Truth Is The First Step In Addressing Elmira's Aquifers & Creek". Then at the very end of yesterday's Blog posting I stated that the only way for citizens to receive the truth about the likelihood or not of any successful local remediation was by the removal of the guilty parties. All of them as listed yesterday. That means we citizens standing up and telling the MECP, Lanxess, Woolwich Twn., RMOW, TRAC and the media to take a hike. Telling them bluntly in no uncertain terms to back off and to **ck off. Occasionally strong language is necessary to convince the particularly obtuse among us. Aside from the sheer joy of citizens reestablishing who is boss and who is employee you can't tell me that you've never wanted to put our various governments and politicians on the defensive for a change. There is strength in numbers and whether it takes another catastrophe or disaster to initiate change or simply people being fed up, it will happen. 

Approximately in 2018 Lanxess confirmed what we on CPAC in May/June 2012 had told Chemtura, Conestoga Rovers and Woolwich Township. We told them that there was no way that they were going to have the Elmira Aquifers cleaned up by 2028.  Six months later Chemtura (formerly Uniroyal) publicly admitted that without major pumping upgrades to the extent of TRIPLING the pumping and treating of our groundwater that failure was inevitable. Of course they didn't even come close to increasing pumping by that amount yet it took another change of corporate ownership plus six more years for that TRUTH to come out. 

Those six parties had lied to us the public for about twenty-five years with knowingly false promises of aquifer restoration. They sold this crap by lying and minimizing the extent of the contamination laterally, vertically and by the presence of DNAPLS, Dioxins, DDT, PAHs and more. 2028 as a legitimate cleanup date was immediately impossible without full and truthful disclosure of all relevant cleanup factors to the public. That did not happen and here we are.  Do these twits deserve a second chance based upon their new promises, their new truths and all their old lies and deceptions. I think not!

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Firstly do we address both at once or one at a time? Right now we have a sort of unanimous understanding of the facts. Unfortunately the unanimity comes from the guiltiest parties (MECP, Lanxess), the less guilty parties (Woolwich Twn., RMOW), and the least guilty parties (TRAC, media). Unanimity however certainly does not equate truth anymore than a majority does. Remember Hitler actually won an election to initially gain power in Germany. The yoyo to the south of us, Mr. Trump, has been elected twice, three times if you believe his drivel. 

Based upon the knowledge and facts that I have and the current control and direction of those listed above I would say that the chances of either Elmira's drinking waters being restored to drinking water standards or the downstream Canagagigue Creek having the bulk of DDT, dioxins, mercury and PCBs removed is likely nil. The parties above all believe in blatantly lying to the public as they have for the last 37 years. Despite it now being public knowledge that Uniroyal, Crompton, Chemtura, M.O.E., MECP have been lying about restoring Elmira's drinking water aquifers by 2028, where is the outrage? Why are local residents and citizens not attending public TRAC meetings and screaming at all those lying bustards? 

Currently these parties are pointing TRAC in the direction of some alleged enhanced bioremediation of chlorobenzene. This should buy them at least another three or four years while they come up with their next red herring. If magic bullets won't work then perhaps lazer beams bounced off of satellites using special technology is next. I hear tell that if Trump annexes Canada as the 51st state he will immediately clean our Creek and groundwater the following weekend. You heard it here first!

Tell us the truth! If 10 billion dollars and ten years is required then spit it out. If the cost is too high then tell us if natural attenuation may take another 150 years. Of course who are informed citizens going to believe? Certainly absolutely zero of the swine who have been lying to us have any credibility left. How about religious leaders, scientists, famous environmentalists; who will be both most informed and most honest? This is what becomes of our elected leaders lying to us for so long on so many matters. I expect that the truth will only come to us after all the guilty parties are removed from the remediation equation.  

♦

Following All Hallows’ Eve (October 31, “Halloween”), November 1 and 2 mark important days for people in Mexico, the Philippines and many other countries that have a strong Roman Catholic influence.

Known as dias de los muertos – “days of the dead” – the dates are both a solemn and festive occasion to celebrate loved ones who have died. And food plays an important role.

All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day are important dates in these cultures and are recognized with trips to cemeteries where chocolate and sugar skulls are presented and nibbled on as gifts to the dearly departed. Beverages such as tequila are also offered.

Smaller skulls are offered to deceased children, while larger and more intricate and decoratively elaborate skulls represent adults. In good pastry and candy fashion, the designs are usually not too scary, but maintain a lighter and sometimes humorous tone.

Of course, such a celebration is an ancient one that dates to pre-Columbian times (before Christopher Columbus’s arrival in North America). Thousands of years ago, rituals that observed and celebrated the dead were part of these ancient cultures.

Today in Mexico, the festival is a public holiday, though North American culture is more reluctant to spend much time acknowledging the deceased.

We have a good selection of Mexican, Central American, Salvadoran and Filipino restaurants whose cultures share with us similar foods. So if you don’t want to visit a cemetery, you can enjoy pupusas, tamales, chicharron, enchiladas and other traditional dishes.

Check out my latest post Food for “Days of the Dead” from AndrewCoppolino.com.

Join our team in the role of Member Engagement, Lifecycle & Experience!

About Us

The Greater Kitchener Waterloo Chamber of Commerce (GKWCC) provides strong, continued service to over 1700 members in one of Canada’s marquee pioneering and entrepreneurial business communities. For the past 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.

About the Role

The GKWCC is seeking an Member Engagement, Lifecycle & Experience role who is the owner of the member lifecycle experience. The role is around onboarding, activation, ongoing engagement, expansion, leadership development, retention, advocacy, referrals, personalization, revenue support, and lifecycle metrics.

With the guidance of the COO, coordinate and execute at a high level to perform the following tasks:

Member-Focused Tasks

• Design and manage the full member lifecycle experience from onboarding to renewal
• Lead the new member onboarding journey after the sale
• Ensure new members understand how to access Chamber value early
• Recommend first events, programs, introductions, and opportunities for new members
• Help new members become active within the first 30–90 days
• Identify member goals and connect them to relevant Chamber services, events, peer groups, committees, and contacts
• Build relationships with members beyond the primary contact
• Encourage members to add additional employees or department contacts to their profile
• Support contact expansion within member companies
• Monitor member engagement and identify members who may be inactive or at risk
• Conduct re-engagement outreach with inactive or low-engagement members
• Reinforce Chamber value before renewal periods
• Support retention conversations by helping members understand the value they have received
• Identify opportunities for members to participate more deeply in Chamber activities
• Connect members to committees, roundtables, Peer2Peer groups, speaking opportunities, sponsorship discussions, or leadership pathways
• Identify high-engagement members who may become ambassadors, referral sources, committee members, or future leaders
• Encourage member referrals, testimonials, case studies, and advocacy participation
• Support member recognition and success story opportunities
• Provide personalized recommendations based on member interests, industry, size, engagement level, and goals
• Ensure members feel welcomed, connected, supported, and valued throughout their membership

Operational Tasks

• Develop and maintain the member lifecycle framework
• Create onboarding workflows, checklists, scripts, and timelines
• Coordinate onboarding touchpoints with Sales, Membership Operations, Events, and Marketing
• Define engagement stages such as onboarding, activation, ongoing engagement, retention, renewal, and advocacy
• Work with Analytics to define engagement indicators, lifecycle KPIs, and at-risk member triggers
• Review engagement dashboards and member activity reports
• Use CRM/AMS (customer relationship management / association management system) data to identify inactive members, single-contact members, high-potential members, and renewal-risk members
• Maintain engagement tracking notes in the AMS/CRM
• Coordinate re-engagement campaigns with Membership Operations, Marketing, and Analytics
• Provide input into segmentation models and engagement quadrants
• Help design member communication journeys for onboarding, activation, retention, and renewal support
• Track progress against engagement KPIs, including activation rate, time to first event, repeat participation, contact expansion, and re-engagement rate
• Provide leadership with updates on member engagement trends, risks, and opportunities
• Support campaign planning by identifying member groups needing targeted outreach
• Coordinate with Membership Operations to ensure member records are updated after engagement activity
• Coordinate with Analytics to evaluate whether engagement efforts are improving participation and retention
• Coordinate with Finance on members with renewal or overdue concerns where value reinforcement may help
• Coordinate with Events to align programming with member interests and lifecycle needs
• Coordinate with Sales on handoff from new member sale to onboarding
• Coordinate with Marketing on testimonials, success stories, referrals, and member communications
• Support committee and leadership pipeline tracking
• Maintain process documentation for engagement workflows
• Recommend improvements to the member experience based on feedback, behaviour, and data
• Support AMS/CRM implementation by defining lifecycle, engagement, segmentation, and relationship-management requirements
• Identify opportunities to use automation or AI to improve onboarding, engagement tracking, and member follow-up

Other Duties as Assigned 

As you would expect, the chamber is unpredictable and requires you to adapt to many different situations. As such, there are always “other duties” that come up unexpectedly that you should be prepared for.

About You

Member Lifecycle Mindset

The applicant needs to understand that engagement is not a single event or campaign; it is a full member journey. They should bring the ability to guide members from onboarding through activation, deeper participation, renewal, referrals, and leadership opportunities.

Systems Design and Personalized Member Engagement This role requires strong systems design ability to build and execute repeatable engagement programs serving 1,500 members. The successful candidate must design practical workflows, member segmentation, CRM/AMS processes, automation, and follow-up systems that deliver measurable results. They must also connect one-on-one with individual members, understand their goals, and provide tailored support and introductions, using sound judgment to identify when personal outreach will have the greatest impact.

Relationship-Building Strength This person must be a strong connector who can build trust with members, understand their goals, and help them find value in the Chamber. They should be comfortable reaching out, listening, making introductions, and strengthening relationships over time.

Strategic Engagement Thinking The applicant should bring the ability to think beyond attendance numbers and focus on meaningful participation. They need to understand how to move members from passive to active, from active to invested, and from invested to advocates, ambassadors, or leaders.

Retention and Value Focus The role requires someone who understands that retention is built through ongoing value. The applicant should be able to identify at-risk or inactive members, reinforce the value of membership, and support renewal conversations before members disengage.

Strong Communication Skills The applicant must communicate clearly, professionally, and persuasively with members, staff, volunteers, and leadership. They should be able to write strong follow-up messages, lead welcome conversations, explain member benefits, and present engagement opportunities in a compelling way.

Data-Informed Decision Making This person does not need to be the data analyst, but they must be comfortable using data to guide action. They should be able to interpret engagement reports, identify patterns, understand member behaviour, and use dashboards or CRM information to prioritize outreach.

Program and Experience Design The applicant should bring the ability to design practical member journeys, onboarding processes, engagement pathways, and re-engagement campaigns. They need to think in terms of member experience, not just individual tasks or isolated programs.

Collaboration Across Teams The Engagement role will work closely with Membership Operations, Analytics, Sales, Events, Marketing, Finance, and senior leadership. The applicant needs to bring a collaborative mindset and the ability to coordinate across departments without duplicating or taking over other roles.

Initiative and Follow-Through This role needs someone who can proactively identify opportunities and act on them. The applicant should bring strong follow-through, persistence, and the ability to move members from interest to action through timely, consistent, and thoughtful engagement.

Professional Judgment and Diplomacy The applicant will often be dealing with members who are inactive, uncertain about value, considering cancellation, or ready for deeper involvement. They need to bring sound judgment, discretion, tact, and the ability to handle sensitive conversations with professionalism.

Growth and Revenue Awareness The applicant should understand that engagement supports growth. They should be able to identify opportunities for referrals, testimonials, additional contacts, sponsorship interest, event participation, committee involvement, and other ways members can deepen their relationship with the Chamber.

Adaptability and Continuous Improvement The applicant should be comfortable working in a changing environment where systems, data, processes, and member expectations continue to evolve. They should bring a willingness to test, learn, improve, and help build a stronger member experience model over time.

Application Process

To Apply: Please send your application to hr@greaterkwchamber.com. When applying, please provide a resume, and a cover letter.

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 2026.

The Specifics

Hours of Work: Monday – Friday, 8:30am – 4:30pm, with a 30-minute paid lunch for a total of 37.5 hours each week. Hybrid work model with 2 days a week in the office. (subject to change)

Compensation: $45,000 – $65,000 annually, plus benefits. Placement within the range and the position level will reflect the successful candidate’s relevant experience, qualifications and demonstrated skills.

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
• Monthly mental wellness half-day Friday (subject to change)
• Hybrid work model. (subject to change)
• Professional Development opportunities.
• Parking included.

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 hr@greaterkwchamber.com.

The post Job Posting: Member Engagement, Lifecycle & Experience Role appeared first on Greater KW Chamber of Commerce.

♦

On October 24, 550 supporters, community leaders, volunteers, partners, staff, and friends gathered at Bingemans Marshall Hall for Friendship Dinner 2026.

Together, we celebrated an extraordinary moment in House of Friendship’s history: the upcoming opening of Cedar Village, the official introduction of Friendship Village as a connected housing campus, and the announcement of Phase 2, which will bring 70 new affordable housing apartments to Waterloo Region.

Throughout the evening, the message that everyone deserves a place to belong remained at the heart of every story shared from the stage.

Board Chair Alan Uffelmann reflected on a year of momentum for House of Friendship and the collective effort that has brought Friendship Village to life.

He reminded guests that home is much more than a building. It is stability, dignity, and community. While Friendship Village represents a remarkable achievement, it is also a reminder that the work of addressing homelessness and housing insecurity in Waterloo Region continues.

The evening celebrated what is possible when a community comes together with a shared commitment to creating pathways toward health, housing, and belonging.

♦

In her first Friendship Dinner as CEO, Jennifer Scott shared her own journey to leadership and reflected on the importance of connection, compassion, and community.

Jennifer spoke about the importance of creating environments where people feel safe, valued, and welcomed. Drawing inspiration from House of Friendship’s beginnings in 1939, when three women welcomed men experiencing homelessness in for a warm meal, she reminded guests that the organization’s work has always been rooted in the simple act of helping people belong.

Today, that same spirit continues through programs in housing, food insecurity, addiction challenges, and neighbourhood supports through 40 locations in Waterloo Region.

Jennifer highlighted the growing housing crisis in Waterloo Region and the urgent need for innovative solutions that support not only housing, but healing, connection, and long-term stability.

That vision is at the heart of Friendship Village.

One of the most exciting moments of the evening was the public introduction of Cedar Village, House of Friendship’s newest supportive housing building that will soon welcome 100 residents home.

Guests also learned that Cedar Village is part of something larger.

For the first time, House of Friendship shared the vision of Friendship Village as the name of the entire housing campus, bringing together:

• Cedar Village
• Charles Village
• Eby Village

♦

Together, these buildings create a connected housing continuum that supports people as they move toward greater stability and independence.

Unlike traditional housing systems that often require people to leave behind their support networks as their needs change, Friendship Village is intentionally designed to keep residents connected to their community, relationships, and supports throughout their journey.

It is a model that recognizes belonging is part of healing.

♦

Guests also heard from Jen McGuire, Cedar Village Program Development Manager, whose keynote address brought the vision of supportive housing to life through stories of resilience, courage, and hope.

Drawing on more than a decade of experience working alongside participants, Jen challenged the audience to rethink what success looks like.

Success is not one-size-fits-all.

For some people, success may mean reconnecting with family. For others, it may mean learning a new skill, building confidence, improving their health, or taking a first step toward independence.

Take a look to hear directly from participants:

At Cedar Village, residents will receive individualized support through five key program areas:

• Community & Connection
• Housing Stability & Life Skills
• Health & Wellness
• Identity & Inclusion
• Purpose & Meaning

These supports will help residents pursue goals that matter to them while building a future grounded in stability, dignity, and hope.

Jennifer Scott also shared exciting news from the Welcome Home: Friendship Village campaign.

Thanks to the generosity of donors, community groups, businesses, and supporters across the region, all 100 apartments at Cedar Village have been fully furnished.

When residents move in, they won’t walk into empty units. They will walk into homes that have been thoughtfully prepared by a community that believes everyone deserves a place to belong.

While the opening of Cedar Village represents a major milestone, guests also received a glimpse into the future.

Jennifer announced that Cedar Village is only Phase 1 of Friendship Village.

Once residents move into the new Cedar Village building, the current Charles Village building will be redeveloped as Phase 2 of the campus. In its place, House of Friendship plans to build 70 new affordable housing apartments, significantly expanding affordable housing opportunities in Waterloo Region.

♦

Friendship Village is not the finish line, it is the next step in House of Friendship’s ongoing commitment to creating innovative housing solutions that help people move from crisis toward stability, belonging, and independence.

Friendship Dinner 2026 was a celebration of community.

We are deeply grateful to our volunteers, sponsors, donors, elected officials, community partners, planning committee members, and guests who joined us for this special evening.

We extend special thanks to our Presenting Sponsor, the RBJ Schlegel Family Foundation, and to all of our Transform, Inspire, Hope, and In-Kind sponsors whose generosity helped make the evening possible.

Most importantly, thank you to everyone who continues to believe in a Waterloo Region where everyone can belong and thrive.

Because of your support, more people will soon walk through the doors of Cedar Village and hear two words that can change everything:

Welcome Home.

♦ View our event photo album: www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1531478632337867&type=3

♦ Watch program videos:

• House of Friendship: A Place to Belong
• The Path Forward
• Friendship Village

♦ Watch the full presentation recording: www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDvSBEXHF1_M

Learn more about Friendship Village: houseoffriendship.org/friendshipvillage/

The post Friendship Dinner 2026: Welcome Home appeared first on House Of Friendship.

Kitchener, ON – On Wednesday, October 27,2026, the Greater Kitchener Waterloo Chamber of Commerce hosted the 2026 Small Business Awards, presented by BDC. More than 60 small businesses were nominated across 8 award categories, which culminated in an exceptional celebration during BDC Small Business Week.

Mike Farwell hosted the evening’s celebrations with nearly 200 guests, including business owners, dignitaries, and community leaders. The event was hosted at 2 local venues, with the Reception at THEMUSEUM, followed by the Formal Awards Show at Conrad Centre for the Performing Arts.

Small Businesses were not only recognized across the award categories but were also featured as Event Partners. Small businesses like The Dessert Artist, The Lord of the Tacos, Fo’Cheezy Food Trucks, Meal In A Jar, Caudle’s Catch Seafood provided food to guests throughout the evening. The Awards themselves were also handmade by a local artist, at Blown Away Glass Studio.

The evening’s final award presentation, for the “Exceptional Small Business of the Year Award”, was presented to Food4Kids Waterloo Region. This award is unique, as it’s open to public voting – showcasing the incredible impact that the business has in the community, and the respect they have from their customers and peers.

The event was presented by BDC during BDC Small Business Week – a celebration of entrepreneurship that BDC has organized for 45 years.

Service Excellence Award      

Winner: FoodZen

FoodZen is an Indigenous-owned personal chef and meal service based in Cambridge, Ontario, serving the broader Waterloo Region. The company specializes in weekly pre-made meal deliveries, in-home personal chef services, and interactive culinary workshops that emphasize fresh, locally sourced, and seasonal ingredients. With a commitment to Indigenous food sovereignty and holistic nutrition, FoodZen provides healthy, minimally processed meals tailored to various dietary preferences, while also offering artisanal spice blends and cook-along kits through its retail line, Rooted Path.

Family Business of the Year Award    

Winner: Shuh Orchards

Shuh Orchards is a fourth-generation family farm located just north of Waterloo Region in West Montrose. Spanning 50 acres with tens of thousands of modern trellis-system apple trees, the farm specializes in growing popular varieties like Honeycrisp, Gala, and Ambrosia. Operating a vibrant seasonal agritourism destination open through the late summer and fall harvest, Shuh Orchards offers pick-your-own apples, tractor-drawn wagon rides, a corn maze, an interactive petting zoo featuring farm animals, and roadside fruit sales.

Event Impact Award

Winner: Hospice Waterloo Region

Hospice Waterloo Region is a community-based, charitable organization located at 100 Solstice Way in Waterloo that provides compassionate comfort, care, and support to individuals and families impacted by life-threatening illnesses or grief. Offering comprehensive in-home and facility-based programs alongside the residential Cook Family Residence, the organization delivers professional palliative support and bereavement counseling entirely free of charge to patients and their loved ones.

Skilled Trades Award

Winner: Cross Heating & Air Conditioning Ltd.

Cross Heating & Air Conditioning Ltd. is a local HVAC contractor providing residential and commercial heating, cooling, and indoor air quality services across the Waterloo Region and surrounding communities. Operating locally from Waterloo and Kitchener, the company specializes in the installation, repair, and maintenance of furnaces, air conditioners, heat pumps, and water heaters, while also offering custom ductwork, maintenance plans, and emergency repair options.

Employer of the Year Award

Winner: Centre For Mutual Wellbeing For Racialized Communities

The Centre for Mutual Wellbeing (formerly known as the Coalition of Muslim Women of Kitchener-Waterloo) is a non-profit organization based in Kitchener that provides culturally responsive support, advocacy, and programming for racialized communities across the Waterloo Region. The organization focuses heavily on empowering racialized women and youth, offering specialized services that address gender-based violence, anti-Islamophobia, and racism, alongside operating transitional housing programs like Dar-al-Aman and community bridge-building initiatives.

Professional of the Year Award

Winner: Shriaa Sheth (Accelerator Centre)

Shriaa Sheth is the Events Manager at the Accelerator Centre, where she helps entrepreneurs across the Waterloo Region build and grow technology companies by transforming events into a structured, measurable function that connects founders with mentors, investors, partners, and peers. In less than two years, she expanded event delivery past target goals, increased founder attendance to over 51% through data-driven programming, and streamlined operations using monday.com templates and automations. Beyond her core role, she led the growth of Battle of the Bands – Tech Edition to raise funds for the Canadian Mental Health Association Waterloo Wellington and established a regional peer group uniting event professionals across Communitech, Velocity, MIX, Catalyst Commons, SPUR Innovation, and the AC. With a lifelong passion for event planning that began at age 16 and a background running her own South Asian cultural events business and earning her MBA, she was promoted this fall to Events Manager in recognition of her impact on the regional startup ecosystem.

Entrepreneur of the Year Award       

Winner: Ravenwood Tabletop

Ravenwood Tabletop is a premier tabletop social club and immersive gaming space located at 28 Weber Street West in Downtown Kitchener. The venue specializes in tabletop role-playing games (TTRPGs) like Dungeons & Dragons, offering private, highly customizable gaming rooms equipped with adjustable lighting and sound. Alongside self-led and hosted campaign adventures, they provide learn-to-play sessions, youth programs and camps, artisan miniature-painting workshops, and a specialized pro shop for gaming supplies.

Exceptional Small Business of the Year Award         

Winner: Food4Kids Waterloo Region

Food4Kids Waterloo Region is dedicated to setting the standard for exceptional service in addressing childhood hunger in Waterloo Region. Founded in 2016, the organization has grown from delivering just 17 food packages to now supporting over 1,300 children each week, providing three meals a day and snacks during weekends and school breaks.

Food4Kids Waterloo Region is driven by a small but mighty team of just five staff members, supported by a dedicated network of volunteers. Their work is hands-on and multi-faceted: fundraising, organizing events, coordinating with schools and social workers, advocating for children in need, and delivering food directly to homes and backpacks.

Through their tireless efforts, Food4Kids Waterloo Region exemplifies service excellence, operational efficiency, and an unwavering commitment to one of the most vulnerable members of our community.

The winner of this category was determined solely on public voting, acknowledging the devotion that they have to their customers, and the appreciation their customers have for them.

The post 3rd Annual Small Business Awards Highlight Achievements of the Local Business Community appeared first on Greater KW Chamber of Commerce.

Short answer: look for a marketing strategist who starts with your business, not your channels: someone who asks about your customers, numbers and sales process before recommending tactics, has experience with companies like yours, and can show how their past strategies turned into results. Be wary of anyone who leads with a channel, a guarantee or a template.

"Marketing strategist" is one of the loosest titles in business. It can mean a senior leader who reshapes how a company grows, or someone who mostly schedules social posts. Here's how to tell the difference before you sign anything.

A strategist decides what to do and why, before anyone decides how. In practice that means:

• Defining who your best customers are and why they buy

• Clarifying your positioning: what you're known for and why you win

• Choosing the few channels and offers worth investing in, and the ones to stop

• Setting goals and metrics tied to revenue

• Making sure the team, freelancers or agency execute against the plan

1. They ask before they answer. In the first conversation, a good strategist asks more questions than they answer: about your customers, margins, sales cycle and what's been tried before.

2. Relevant experience. They've worked with businesses at your stage and in your model. SaaS, eCommerce and service businesses need different playbooks.

3. Proof, not adjectives. Ask for specific examples: what the situation was, what they changed and what happened. Anonymized is fine; vague isn't.

4. Channel-agnostic thinking. If every problem looks like a paid social problem (or an SEO problem, or a content problem), you're talking to a specialist, not a strategist.

5. Comfort with numbers. They should talk easily about customer acquisition cost, conversion rates, lifetime value and pipeline.

6. A bias toward execution. A strategy that never leaves the slide deck is worth very little. Ask how they make sure the plan actually happens.

7. Honesty. The best strategists will tell you when something isn't worth doing, including hiring them.

• Guaranteed results. Nobody can promise rankings, leads or revenue numbers before understanding your business.

• A template plan. If the proposal could have been written for any company, it was.

• All tactics, no priorities. A long list of things to do is not a strategy. Strategy is choosing.

• No interest in sales. Marketing that ignores how deals actually close rarely moves revenue.

• Vanity metrics. Followers, impressions and "engagement" without a link to pipeline or sales.

These overlap, so it helps to be clear about what you're buying:

• A marketing strategist or consultant usually delivers a plan or advice, often for a defined project.

• An agency executes in specific channels and is accountable for its deliverables.

• A fractional CMO owns your marketing function part-time: strategy, leadership and results.

If you need a plan, a strategist may be enough. If you need someone accountable for making the plan work over time, look at a fractional CMO. For a sense of the investment, see how much a fractional CMO costs in Canada.

1. What would you need to know about our business before making recommendations?

2. Walk me through a strategy you built that didn't work. What did you learn?

3. How do you decide which channels to prioritize?

4. What will we have at the end of the first 30, 60 and 90 days?

5. How will we measure whether this is working?

Do I need a strategist if I already have an agency? Often, yes. Agencies execute well inside their scope, but someone still needs to own the overall plan.

Should a strategist have industry experience? Experience with your business model and stage matters more than your exact industry.

How long before strategy shows results? Early wins often come from fixing what's broken in the first few months; compounding results take longer.

If you're trying to figure out what kind of marketing help you need, book a strategy call. I'll tell you what I'd do in your seat.

The post Halloween appeared first on Grand River Rocks Climbing Gym.

A few weeks ago, I went to the cinema with my partner to watch the brand-new movie, Spider-Man: Brand New Day.

We were both excited to see it. Well, to be honest, my partner was way more excited than I was. He’s a real Spider-Man fan. You know, the kind who actually owns a Spider-Man hoodie. 🕷️

As for me? I wasn’t expecting that much.

But by the end of the movie, I had to admit it was worth every minute. Even the slight back pain from sitting in that cinema chair for almost three hours🍿

For sure, you start wondering what Spider-Man, the cinema chair, and my back pain have to do with our SQL.

Fair enough, and somehow you caught me. I wanna cry out a bit of my back pain 😅 BUT while I was thinking about that movie night, I realized that a cinema hall is actually a pretty good place to explain one of SQL’s simplest-looking, but pretty overlooked, differences COUNT(*) vs COUNT(COLUMN).

Somehow, the pain was worth it and helped me shoot 2 rabbits with one bullet: I enjoyed the movies, and the analogy for this article jumped out in my mind. 🐇🐇 (no bunny was hurt while writing this article 😉)

Now back to the good part 😁

Imagine you’re the manager of the cinema where the movie is going to be screened, and while you sell the ticket for the movie, someone asks you 2 simple questions:

→ How many seats are there in the cinema hall where the film will be shown?

AND

→ How many seats have already been booked?

It’s all about the same cinema, same seats, and yet 2 different questions, and how you already guessed we will use COUNT() to answer both of them.

Before going deeper, you, as the manager of the cinema, must know your cinema hall, and for that, before answering these 2 question, let’s take a look at the hall:

As you can see, your system shows you what seats were booked and how many are available for future movie fans. All these details are found in your database in a table called cinema_hall_1_seats that have the following structure and data:

So, as we can see, we have the seat_id and ticket_id that was assigned to the seat. Keep in mind the ticket_idcolumn because they will help us do the trick 😋

Let’s take our seats and inviteCOUNT(*) on the stage 👏 . As we saw above, our table has a seat_id column that contains, as you guessed (somehow I heard you say out loud, do not ask further 😂), the identifier of each seat of this hall.

But, let’s not go deeper with the uniques and identifiers because it’s not our scope for now (if you’re really curious, you can read more about it 👉here👈).

Going back to our business, it’s time to answer our first question:

How many seats are there in the cinema hall where the film will be shown?

Nothing is easier than this, because our COUNT(*) is present tonight to help us.

SELECT COUNT(*) AS total_seats
FROM cinema_hall_1_seats;

The result?

15 seats! (At least in our little scenario, cuz’ I doubt there’s a cinema hall that small😂)

Did it matter whether those seats were booked or not?

Not at all! And that’s because COUNT(*) counts every row in your table, regardless of its state (booked or not).

So as long as the seat is in a row in that table, it gets its moment in the spotlight when the counting begins 🎥

But wait… what if our cinema manager doesn’t care about the total number of seats?

What if they only want to know how many seats have already been booked?

Well, that’s another question to answer to. 👀

That’s the most interesting part for a manager, ‘cuz money talks after all. So, for this, somehow we have to change our tactic, but not our main actor, the COUNT() .

What column tells us that a seat is booked? That’s right, the one we promised to keep in mind, ticket_id .

SELECT COUNT(ticket_id) AS booked_seats
FROM cinema_hall_1_seats;

As we saw above, our ticket_id column also contains NULL values, but what do you think? Will COUNT(ticket_id) count those NULL values, or will it simply ignore them?

It will ignore them completely! 😎 That’s the beauty of: it counts only the values that are not NULL.

The result?

As you already thought, it is 8 seats that have a ticket associated with them, so COUNT(ticket_id) returns 8.

Did it matter that we have NULLs in our columns?

Of course not! And that’s because COUNT(column_name) it counts every not null values in the column that you specified.

So, let’s have a short recap of what we have learned for our little Spider-Man movie night️🕷️

Remember: SQL doesn’t know that you’re counting cinema seats or booked tickets. It only goes after what you’ve asked it to count.

Now I’m sure that the next time you see COUNT(*) or COUNT(column_name)you won't have to wonder what you're actually counting. 😉

Below is the script with the data I used for the examples above:

CREATE TABLE cinema_hall_1_seats (
    seat_id INT PRIMARY KEY,
    seat_number VARCHAR(5),
    ticket_id VARCHAR(10)
);

INSERT INTO cinema_hall_1_seats
    (seat_id, seat_number, ticket_id)
VALUES
    (1,  'A1', 'T001'),
    (2,  'A2', 'T002'),
    (3,  'A3', NULL),
    (4,  'A4', 'T003'),
    (5,  'A5', NULL),
    (6,  'B1', 'T004'),
    (7,  'B2', NULL),
    (8,  'B3', 'T005'),
    (9,  'B4', NULL),
    (10, 'B5', NULL),
    (11, 'C1', 'T006'),
    (12, 'C2', 'T007'),
    (13, 'C3', NULL),
    (14, 'C4', NULL),
    (15, 'C5', 'T008');

P.S: I used Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio as my IDE 😄

So…Until next time, happy querying! 🧑 💻💓

🍿 Our data journey doesn’t end today,
There’s always more to learn along the way!

Explore more data stories on Medium and see what you might find,
And if you enjoy my articles, buy me a coffee — that’s incredibly kind! ☕

Thanks for stopping by and reading along,
Until next time, data friends — keep curiosity by your side! 💛

COUNT(*) vs COUNT(column): What Are You Actually Counting? was originally published in Code Like A Girl on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

♦

In the wide world of flatbreads — Persian, Indian, Salvadoran — surely the focaccia is among the tastiest, especially with its rosemary accenting.

The pizza-like dough, thick and airy, gets a good dose of olive oil and salt that settle into rows of finger-made depressions before it gets baked.

Liguria, whose coast is the Italian Riviera in the northwest of the country, is a strong contender for where the bread originated; it’s also a place where pizza might be also called focaccia.

This now artisanal and “crafted” bread was once considered quite humble and has been described as one of “the nourishing basic dishes of a poor and isolated population.” But that is harsh.

It might be classified as a “hearth cake” — the word focaccia likely deriving from the Latin word “focus” or “hearth.”

It’s likely related to the wonderful fougasse of Provencal. Try it with whipped ricotta.

Check out my latest post Focaccia: fun to say; great to eat from AndrewCoppolino.com.

We’re celebrating our Club’s 70th anniversary this season and what better way to celebrate than to get our members and past members together to curl!

We’re planning:

• Two draws with three six-end games each
• Lunch, dinner, prizes, and entertainment
• Those who aren’t curling will be able to join us for dinner and entertainment
• Register as a pair with a preference for front-end or back-end positions – you and your partner will be randomly teamed up with another pair each game – we’ll find you a partner if you register as an individual

We welcome past members to join in the fun! Come on out to curl with us, get to know some of our new members and reminisce with some of our more experienced ones. Past members can sign up with a current member or as an individual and we'll pair them up with a current member. 

The deadline for registering is Thursday, November 5.

 In today's K-W Record reporter Luisa D'Amato suggests that incumbents have a serious advantage, that being name recognition. Generally speaking both I and history agree with her.  Luisa suggests that the reason why every Mayor but one in Waterloo Region got the boot was that voters are unhappy. I agree with that as well but I wish to expand upon it. I do not have a very high opinion of our citizens political awareness. Generally speaking I find them uninformed both generally as to who and how government interacts with each other political body to deliver various services. Specifically I also find that citizens really have no idea who their own councillors are much less who their neighbours councillors are. For example I expect that at best 1% of Waterloo Region citizens and residents could name all sixteen (including the Chair) regional councillors prior to Monday's election. Now while I have a reason to have memorized all sixteen of those names please, please do not ask me to name councillors names for example of the Townships (Wilmot, Wellesley, North Dumfries) other than my own (Woolwich). That said I do indeed know the names of all the Mayors of each Township and city (Waterloo, Kitchener, Cambridge) because all the mayors are also regional councillors. Since approximately last December and the start of the Waterloo Region Water Crisis I have been sending all sixteen councillors (including Chair K. Redman) my Blog posts from this Blog (Elmira Advocate) five or six times per week and have thus memorized all the names and e-mail addresses. I understand how easy it would be to do group e-mailing but where's the fun or mental exercise in that?

Getting back to unhappy voters and name recognition I suggest that what has occurred is that unhappy voters did recognize their own mayor's name and that person became the scapegoat for all the ills making voters unhappy. Maybe they blame the one at the top (i.e. mayor) and only vote against them and consciously or not spare most of the rest of the municipal councillors. Conversely they might not even recognize the names of the other councillors on the ballot and revert back to unconsciously voting for the name that rings a bell (hence name recognition). 

Removing most of the incumbent mayors from regional council is a good thing but what a damning indictment that voters did not clean out many of the others who are responsible along with the Chair (Redman) for the disasters in Wilmot (770 acre removed as farmland, well interference due to increased regional pumping) and the overall Water Crisis in the Region that despite falsehoods and inaccuracies has not even begun to find new water sources to replace all the contaminated wells both by industry (TCE, benzene, NDMA etc.) and by agriculture (nitrates).