We’re pleased to share the recording of our recent webinar, Flee From Parsimony: Escaping the Boundary Condition Paradox in Groundwater Modelling. This session, presented by Dr. Michael Callaghan, Senior Applications Engineer at Aquanty Inc., explores how integrated hydrologic modelling can address the growing complexity of modern groundwater management challenges.

The webinar examines the limitations of traditional groundwater models that rely on prescribed recharge zones and boundary conditions—approaches that can struggle to represent dynamic processes such as climate variability, surface water–groundwater (SW-GW) interactions, and contaminant transport. Using HydroGeoSphere, the session demonstrates how fully coupled surface–subsurface modelling avoids these constraints by treating recharge and system responses as emergent outcomes of physical processes, rather than fixed inputs.

Key Highlights:

• Understand the “boundary condition paradox” and its implications for groundwater modelling.

• Learn why prescribed recharge approaches may fall short under changing climate conditions.

• Explore how fully integrated surface–subsurface modelling improves process representation.

• See how HydroGeoSphere enables more reliable predictions for complex water management questions.

This session is especially valuable for hydrologists, consultants, regulators, and water resource professionals seeking modelling approaches that can support more comprehensive and defensible decision-making.

Watch the recording now to discover how integrated hydrologic modelling helps move beyond simplified assumptions and supports more robust groundwater analysis.

Watch The Recording

♦

They are back in action for the summer of 2026: here is a story about a local farm and farm stand that I wrote last year. It’s good to have their produce available again this summer.

Amid the 100 acres of farm in Saint-Pascal-Baylon, a few minutes outside Rockland, I see and hear a group of farmhands pounding stakes into the ground for a trellis system on which will grow cucamelons.

Also, known as “mouse melons,” the grape-sized fruits look like tiny, cute watermelons and are one of dozens of crops growing at Jardin Boulay Garden, owned by Mary Lynn Boulay.

The work of pounding the stakes is certainly not cute in the blasting sun of the day, however. Atop the ladder, Olivia Romeo wields a heavy maul with sister Sophia Romeo and Jardin Boulay Garden co-farmer Stephane Berube – Boulay’s husband – holding the ladder steady.

What is perhaps unique about the Romeo sisters, who live a only a country-lane or two away from the farm, is that they love the work of farming, though they have real no real interest in becoming farmers: Olivia, 21, is a university psychology student, while Sophia, 22, works at an area grocery store.

Young farm hands working the land
The pair, who have worked the farm for several years, simply love tending to the fields and crops and helping grow food that the community eats. I admire their work ethic in the blasting sun and humidity.

“I like working hard. It’s rewarding,” Olivia says, with Sophia agreeing. “And at the stand selling, there’s the social aspect and getting to see different people from the community. It’s good relationships.”

With small family farms being consolidated into larger corporate entities and with fewer kids wanting to take over the family business of agriculture, it’s encouraging to see young people like the Romeos – essentially Gen Zs – caring about how their food grows and where it comes from.

For her part, Boulay stresses the importance of her farmhands for helping the farm tend the fields and sell the resulting produce at their market stand at the corner of Laurier and Giroux streets in downtown Rockland starting again in a couple of weeks.

“They are very good workers. They’re out here working hard and giving it their all. I depend on them,” Boulay says.

The farm grows blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, broccoli, kale, tomatoes and just started cherries.

Standing over a field of green spiky leaves, Boulay hands me a fresh garlic scape from a hardneck garlic plant: I snap off a piece and the aroma of garlic released is immediate.

“I’ll be cutting them this weekend,” she says. “All the energy and water then leaves the scapes and goes to the garlic bulbs.”

Near the house, a handful of apple trees will produce the popular Honeycrisp and the venerable McIntosh, among other varieties.

A few metres from the greenhouse, where the season’s crops get their start as tiny sprouts in little plastic trays, is a peach tree with small cucamelon-sized peaches just starting to appear.

“I plant them, water them and transplant them. After that, I have to rely on Mother Nature,” says Boulay.

No farmers means no food
It’s likely that even few customers who shop farmers’ markets and market stands – and know they are buying produce from the farmer – recognize at least somewhat the difficulties and essential hard work in hot conditions that farmers face.

“Most people when they come up to the stand, you know, don’t really know everything that’s gone into what vegetables or fruits we’ve grown,” says Boulay.

Her message, therefore, is a very simple one: support farmers because without them there would be no food.

Check out my latest post Gen Z farmhands work Jardin Boulay Garden from AndrewCoppolino.com.

Written By:
Colleen James, Executive in Residence, Capacity Canada, Regional Councillor for the City of Kitchener and champion for inclusive, community-driven leadership and Scott Williams (he/him), Executive in Residence, Capacity Canada, nonprofit professional, community volunteer, and advocate for inclusive and thriving communities

Over the last year, we had the privilege of facilitating Capacity Canada’s first Equity in Leadership Peer Circle.

When we launched the program, we knew there was a need. We had heard from nonprofit leaders who often felt isolated in their roles and who were navigating the additional realities that can come with being part of Black, Indigenous, racialized, 2SLGBTQIA+, and leaders with disabilities from underrepresented communities. We hoped the Peer Circle would provide a place to learn, connect, and support one another. What we did not fully anticipate was just how meaningful those connections would become.

The need for spaces like the Equity in Leadership Peer Circle is reflected in broader research across Ontario’s nonprofit sector. A 2023 report from CivicAction and Toronto Metropolitan University’s Diversity Institute found that racialized people occupy just 18.2% of nonprofit

leadership roles in Ontario, while Indigenous Peoples represent only 1.6% of nonprofit leaders. The same study found that nearly one-third of racialized leaders and more than 40% of 2SLGBTQ+ leaders reported feeling the need to hide part of their identity in order to fit in at work. These findings highlight why leadership development cannot be separated from belonging, psychological safety, and community.

Our Peer Circle brought together leaders from across Waterloo Region for monthly conversations about some of the most important and challenging aspects of nonprofit leadership. Over ten months, participants explored burnout, advocacy, collaboration, reconciliation and decolonization, navigating systems, financial sustainability, racism and sexism, vicarious trauma, and psychological safety. Guest speakers shared insights and resources, while participants spent time learning from one another through honest conversation and reflection.

As facilitators, we entered sessions with a plan, but some of the most powerful moments emerged from the wisdom, vulnerability, and generosity that participants brought into the room.

At the end of the cohort, we invited participants to reflect on their experience. Their responses reminded us why spaces like this matter.

One participant described the group as “a collective deep breath for 3 hours once a month.”

They wrote:

“We were able to have honest, authentic conversations in a way that felt very natural, and I think that came from everyone being so deeply in need of spaces like this. It’s been incredibly grounding and supportive, and I’m genuinely sad that this particular cohort is coming to an end.”

Another participant highlighted the value of peer connection, describing the group as:

“A place to safely vent. A chance to be vulnerable instead of on.”

Others spoke simply about the opportunity to share openly, freely, and without fear of judgment. One participant told us that the Peer Circle had helped them “survive and thrive” through their first year as an Executive Director.

That theme surfaced throughout the feedback. Participants consistently pointed to trust, psychological safety, and authentic relationships as some of the most valuable aspects of the experience. One participant reflected that trust was not something that could be guaranteed, but something that group members actively built together. They credited the group’s Brave Space Agreement, shared accountability, and thoughtful facilitation with helping create the conditions where honest conversations could happen.

The feedback also confirmed that the Circle’s impact extended beyond any single session topic. While participants identified financial sustainability, reconciliation and decolonization, burnout, advocacy, collaboration, racism and sexism, and other leadership challenges as particularly valuable discussions, what stood out most was the importance of having a community of peers who understood the realities they were facing.

For us, that may be the most important lesson from this pilot. Leadership development is not only about acquiring new knowledge or skills. It is also about belonging. Leaders need opportunities to connect with others who understand their experiences, challenge their thinking, celebrate their successes, and support them through difficult moments.

The Equity in Leadership Peer Circle was designed as a learning opportunity. It became something more. It became a community.

We are deeply grateful to every participant who trusted us, trusted one another, and helped shape this first cohort. Their openness, honesty, and generosity created something special. As one participant put it, they came to rely on the Circle more than they ever expected.

The first cohort may be finished, but the need for spaces like this remains clear. We look forward to continuing the conversation and supporting the next generation of Equity in Leadership Peer Circle participants.

If you are interested in being part of the second cohort beginning September 2026, please complete this expression of interest form and we’ll be in touch soon!

Written by:

Colleen James, Executive in Residence, Capacity Canada

♦

Colleen James is the Regional Councillor for the City of Kitchener and founder of Divonify Incorporated, bringing more than 15 years of experience in municipal government and equity-focused leadership. An award-winning consultant and community advocate, she is committed to building inclusive communities through collaboration, accountability, and meaningful action.

email: colleen@capacitycanada.ca

Scott Williams, Executive in Residence, Capacity Canada

♦Scott Williams (he/him) is a nonprofit leader and community advocate with more than 20 years of experience advancing mental health and 2SLGBTQIA+ inclusion through leadership, volunteerism, and community engagement. Most recently, he served as Executive Director of Spectrum Waterloo Region’s Rainbow Community Space and continues to support Waterloo Region through volunteer leadership and community initiatives.

email: scottwilliams@capacitycanada.ca

The post When Leaders Need Community Too: The Equity in Leadership Peer Circle appeared first on Capacity Canada.

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This is based upon multiple lines of evidence. Unfortunately it's also based upon multiple lies by the Region over the years. Also multiple deceptions. Lies, bragging and puffery do not produce healthy, clean water. The Region of Waterloo based upon their own self congratulatory back patting seem to think otherwise.

Looking at lists of wells and wellfields throughout the Region I find it disheartening to see the following words after too many listed wells namely: Standby, Disconnected, Purge, Abandoned. Also looking at the Number of Significant Threat Activities and the Number of  Properties with Significant Threats as listed in the Grand River Source Protection Area 2025 is downright scary.  Looking at the various listed threats including Nitrates, TCE, Chemicals, DNAPLS, Pathogens, Salt, Chloride  etc. does not build confidence. Another issue I find strange is that despite off and on warnings of water shortages and for example water rationing for lawns, again far too many wells throughout the Region are NOT pumping anywhere near their stated capacities and alleged abilities. Why is that?

I also am aware of the disinterest in soil and groundwater remediation to the point of denial of known facts by our authorities if it will reduce costs and enhance development and building. Growth apparently is never to be stymied or stalled either by lack of water or excess of contaminants. Workarounds, engineering "solutions", natural attenuation or whatever verbal manipulations are required to promote progress and growth at all costs, always wins out. This game is not sustainable and we, our children and following generations will be the big losers.

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New Data Reveals a Growing Gap Between Infrastructure Progress and Support for People

The Business and Economic Support Team of Waterloo Region (BESTWR) today released the second update to the Vision 1 Million Scorecard, a tool tracking Waterloo Region’s readiness to grow to one million residents. One year since its launch, the update offers reason for both confidence and concern.

On physical infrastructure, the region is making some progress. Housing starts have reached 32 percent of the 10-year target of 70,000 homes. The King-Victoria Transit Hub is 60 percent through detailed design. The LRT expansion to Cambridge has submitted funding applications. Highway 7 is advancing through engineering approvals. A side-stream filtration system to temporarily relieve the Mannheim water supply constraint is now being installed, with capacity expected by mid-2027 – though the region’s housing targets remain at risk until a long-term water solution is confirmed, given a development freeze that lasted over six months.

“The systems that move people, shelter them, and connect them to opportunity are being built,” said Ian McLean, President & CEO of the Greater Kitchener Waterloo Chamber of Commerce and Chair of BESTWR. “But the Scorecard also makes clear that building infrastructure is not enough. The metrics that measure how people are actually faring tell a more urgent and concerning story.”

The Scorecard also flags four investments to watch closely over the next six months: the new regional hospital, which remains without a funding commitment; housing, where the long-term water solution remains unresolved; the Waterloo Region Megasite; and Two-Way-All-Day GO, which requires additional weekday and weekend service to reach the promise of All-Day service.

On people-centred metrics, the picture is more troubling. Chronic homelessness stands at over 1,000 individuals. Mental health eligibility assessments average over 130 days. Physician retirements are outpacing new entrants to family medicine, putting an estimated 100,000 residents at risk of losing their family doctor. Ontario continues to provide the lowest per-student post-secondary funding in Canada. And the regional unemployment rate has trended upward to 9.1 percent as of April 2026.

“The findings from this second update reinforce that growing communities must invest in people and services alongside physical infrastructure,” said Dr. Leia Minaker, Director of the Future Cities Institute and Professor in the Faculty of Environment at the University of Waterloo. “Investment decisions are challenging and require thoughtful tradeoffs to be made. The scorecard compiles useful data to support community decision-making and action in these complex areas.”

The Scorecard is a living document designed not to assign blame, but to align effort, inform advocacy, and focus attention where action is most needed for those living here now and for those who will join our region in the coming years. Community members are encouraged to explore the full findings at bestwr.org.

The Scorecard represents a collaborative effort among BESTWR’s five member organizations: the Greater Kitchener Waterloo Chamber of Commerce, Communitech, the Cambridge Chamber of Commerce, Explore Waterloo Region, and the Waterloo Region Economic Development Corporation.

About BestWR

The Business and Economic Support Team of Waterloo Region (BestWR) is comprised of five leading business organizations working as partners for economic prosperity and community needs. Currently chaired by the Greater Kitchener Waterloo Chamber of Commerce, BestWR includes: Communitech, the Cambridge Chamber of Commerce, Explore Waterloo Region, and the Waterloo Region Economic Development Corporation.

About Future Cities Institute

The Future Cities Institute founded by CAIVAN at the University of Waterloo conducts research, builds tools, and trains future city builders with a focus on data-driven decision making. The institute brings together global thinkers, industry leaders, and researchers to tackle urban challenges across housing, transportation, infrastructure, and beyond, supporting healthy, prosperous cities built for the future.

MEDIA & GENERAL INQUIRIES CONTACT

Ian McLean, Chair of BestWR

IMcLean@greaterkwchamber.com  | 519.897.1029

The post BESTWR Releases Second Update to Vision 1 Million Scorecard appeared first on Greater KW Chamber of Commerce.

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The residential solar sector has run into a major speed bump. Over the last few years, a historic wave of bankruptcies, liquidations, and abrupt market exits has swept the industry. From massive national giants like SunPower (which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2024), Titan Solar Power, and Freedom Forever, to regional players like ADT Solar and Pink Energy, roughly 100 solar installers have shut their doors since 2023.

If you are currently managing an orphaned solar system, you are likely experiencing the frustrating fallout: vanished customer support, voided workmanship warranties, and dead apps. When your installer folds, their proprietary servers go offline, leaving you completely in the dark.

If your solar company is suddenly bankrupt, independent solar monitoring is your way out. You don’t have to rely on a defunct company’s software to know what’s happening on your roof. By installing a universal, third-party system like the EYEDRO-HOME solar monitor, you can bypass your old installer, reclaim your data, and protect your clean energy investment.

Most legacy solar monitoring systems are tied directly to proprietary installer software or specific inverter networks. When those companies go belly-up, your app goes dark.

Eyedro operates on a completely independent model. The residential model, EYEDRO-HOME (as well as Eyedro 3-phase models) uses non-invasive, split-core current sensors that clip directly onto the electrical mains and solar feeds inside your breaker panel.

How it works: Because it measures the raw electrical current traveling through your wires, Eyedro doesn’t care who installed your panels, what brand of inverter you have, or whether your original installer’s servers are active. It communicates directly with your home Wi-Fi or Ethernet and beams real-time data straight to the independent MyEyedro cloud portal.

 

While your installer’s workmanship warranty is likely gone, your physical equipment (panels and inverters from brands like Enphase, SolarEdge, Tesla, or Q CELLS) is almost certainly still covered by the manufacturer’s 10 – 25 year warranty

But there’s a catch: You can’t file a manufacturer warranty claim if you don’t know something is broken.

If a microinverter fails or a panel goes offline, you might lose 10% to 20% of your production without realizing it. Eyedro provides high-resolution, real-time data and customizable alerts. If your solar output drops unexpectedly on a cloudless afternoon, Eyedro will let you know immediately. You can then contact a local independent solar technician to process the manufacturer’s warranty claim before you lose hundreds of dollars in lost generation.

Without an active monitoring app, you have no way to balance your energy production with your household consumption.

The MyEyedro cloud features a color-coded Net Graph that clearly contrasts your solar generation against your home’s real-time electricity demand. This allows you to:

• See exactly when you are overproducing and sending power back to the grid.

• Ensure your local utility company is accurately crediting you for net metering.

• Shift high-energy chores (like running the dryer or charging an EV) to peak solar production hours to maximize your savings.

You don’t need to pay an arm and a leg to rewire your system or replace expensive, proprietary inverters. An Eyedro monitor is installed at your electrical panel without modifying your existing solar hardware. Once configured, you are immediately back in the driver’s seat with a clean, responsive interface accessible from any smartphone, tablet, or web browser.

Your installer may have left you in the lurch, but your solar panels are still on your roof, ready to generate clean energy for decades to come. Don’t let corporate bankruptcies turn your premium solar system into an unmonitored mystery.

Equip your home with an Eyedro Solar Energy Monitor and guarantee your long-term energy independence.

Ready to restore visibility to your home’s solar output? Explore Eyedro’s Home Solar Energy Management solutions today.

Contact Eyedro Sales for more information.

♦

The Central Student Association (CSA) is the undergraduate student association at the University of Guelph. We advocate on behalf of our membership, representing their collective interests on a diverse range of issues such as public transit, housing, student rights and the accessibility of education. In addition, we offer numerous services and programs such as the Bullring, universal bus pass, health and dental plan, Bike Centre, Clubs, Student FoodBank, SafeWalk, Student Help and Advocacy Centre, printing, and promotional services.

The CSA Board of Directors works within the CSA’s welfare, image, and mandate, to defend and protect the rights and interests of students. Directors have a huge influence across campus and beyond, making decisions that affect the quality and type of services, events and campaigns offered by the CSA as a not-for-profit corporation. Between General Membership Meetings, the Board of Directors is the highest decision-making body of the organization. Directors also help to shape and build the student movement within these board meetings. The Board of Directors is made up of a four-person Executive, two at-large members elected per college, and representatives appointed from college governments and campus organizations, totalling to a maximum of 35 individuals. As a result, the Board of Directors meetings include passionate discussions about student issues from members with diverse backgrounds, and it is the role of the Chair to ensure the meetings flow efficiently with decorum.

The Board Chair serves as an external chair, not as a member of the Board of Directors. The primary duty of this position is to uphold the CSA’s Rules of Order and Robert’s Rules of Order in order to allow for democratic decisions to be determined by the Board of Directors. The Board Chair must work in an unbiased manner with utmost neutrality to ensure equity among all Board members in acknowledgment of the mandated diverse demographic of the Board. By extension, the Chair must be mindful in ensuring all Board members are given all available options when they inquire about parliamentary procedure. As a staff member, the Board Chair must uphold and support the CSA’s Mandate and Approach and work towards the overall success of the CSA.

Board Meetings are generally held alternating Wednesday evenings, and are typically 1.5 to 2.5 hours in length, though may extend to 5 hours on rare occasions. In addition to the scheduled Board Meetings, the Board Chair is expected to chair the CSA’s Annual General Meeting, General Members’ Meeting, and Emergency Board Meetings.

Start Date: May 1, 2026- Total of at least 20 meetings per fiscal year (May 1 to April 30)

Honoraium: $50.00 per hour, rounded up to the nearest quarter hour – starting from pre-meeting – Minimum three hours paid for all regularly scheduled board meetings and training dates

Executive Supervisor: CSA President

Immediate supervisor: Policy and Transition Coordinator

• Required to complete the following online training modules:
  • Workplace Health & Safety
  • Anti-Oppression
  • Accessible Service Provision
  • Sexual and Gender Based Violence Awareness
• Additional training may be required at the request of the President
• Opportunity to shadow up to two Board of Director meetings
• Required to receive 5 hours of one-on-one training from the out-going Board Chair

• Primary responsibility will be to chair/facilitate Board of Directors meetings, emergency Board meetings, and members meetings using Robert’s Rules of Order and CSA Rules of Order
• Review board packages prior to meetings
• Make all necessary inquiries and complete research to ensure you are prepared as possible for discussion at Board meetings
• Attend meetings on an as needed basis before Board of Directors meetings and members meetings to go over upcoming items with the Policy & Transition Coordinator
• Conducts Board meetings in an efficient, effective, and focused manner and ensure adequate time to consider complex issues
• Establish a safe and inclusive environment that seeks and embraces diverse perspectives, independent thinking, and active participation
• Be mindful of the diverse identities represented on the Board and facilitate discussion in a way that creates space for voices most affected by the issues being considered.
• Formulate rulings of the chair when an issue arises which is not explicitly stated in the CSA bylaws and/or policies, while also adhering to Robert’s Rules of Order
• Demonstrate an understanding of University of Guelph student issues as well as an understanding of the workings of the Central Student Association, including Bylaws and Policies
• Sign minutes of the Board of Directors once they have been approved by the Board
• Lead the training of Board members on CSA Rules of Order and Robert’s Rules each semester
• Ensure the Board is made aware of and upholds CSA bylaws and policies pertinent to meeting discussions in conjunction with the Policy & Transition Coordinator
• Act as a resource for Directors with respect to all questions of process and motion writing
• Receive evaluation from Board members to incorporate feedback into your work annually

• Knowledge of Robert’s Rules of Order
• Highly effective communicator and skilled facilitator
• Experience chairing large meetings
• Arbitration, tact, diplomacy, and impartiality
• Reliable and flexible to emergency meetings held on short notice
• Strong understanding of, and commitment to diversity, and inclusion
• General knowledge of the CSA and how it runs
• Experience with student governance, not-for-profit boards, or similar organizational structures is an asset
• Familiarity with the Ontario Not-for-Profit Corporations Act (ONCA) and relevant case law, particularly as it applies to not-for-profit governance and board procedure, is a strong asset

Resumes and Cover letters should be submitted online through the CSA application process found at www.csaonline.ca/jobs

For a complete copy of the CSA Hiring Policy, visit csaonline.ca/about/bylaws-policies. The CSA hiring policy is found in Appendix C of the Policy Manual, Section 4.0.

The CSA is committed to employment equity and to the creation of a working environment that is welcoming for all applicants. We particularly encourage applications from women, Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, racialized people, international students, and members of Queer communities.

The Central Student Association welcomes and encourages applications from people with disabilities. Accommodations are available on request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the selection process. To arrange accommodations please contact lclarke@uoguelph.ca

New hires who require an Accommodation Plan must request a meeting with Lee Anne Clarke, the Business Manager and member of the CSA HR Support Team, prior to the hire date specified in the employment contract. This meeting will be confidential and specific to the individual’s needs.

The post The Central Student Association appeared first on Capacity Canada.

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Among numerous reference sources I've been reading is the RMOW (Regional Municipality of Waterloo) April 8, 2026 staff report to councillors titled "Wilmot Centre Aquifer Assessment". Hoo boy but it is quite the document.  The Region are arguing both in this report and at the Regional Council level that all is fine at the Wilmot Centre Wellfield.

Here's the rub. They are also advising that between past lower rainfall AND higher pumping rates the aquifer level has dropped three to four metres in elevation. Now perhaps on a municipal wellfield level that is not an unusual situation. Perhaps it is. Regardless if you have a private drilled well that extends 32 metres below ground surface for example and the aquifer level drops from 29.5 mbgs  (metres below ground surface) to 32.5 mbgs then guess what? You're sucking air instead of water. Prior to the aquifer's lowered elevation you had 2.5 metres or over eight feet of water level above your wellscreen (intake). 

Other issues that do not add credibility to the Region's position include their admission that certain groundwater elevation triggers have been crossed at the Wilmot Centre Wellfield already just as they have been crossed at the Mannheim West Wellfield. Then however the Region states "Crossing the trigger levels at Wilmot Centre does not mean that adverse impacts are anticipated at nearby private wells in the natural environment. This is a fundamental difference from trigger levels established under the Mannheim Well Field PTTW." (i.e. Permit To Take Water) .

Other problems with the Region's staff report include Table 1 on page 4 & 5. This Table purports to show pumping levels at three wellfields in Wilmot namely the Erb St. Wellfield, the Mannheim West Wellfield and the Wilmot Centre Wellfield. Clearly there has been increased pumping at the Wilmot Centre Wellfield from 2019/20 until 2025 compared to 1980. Also on page 8 the Region confirm that some of this increased pumping was to make up for decreased water pumping and problems at FOUR Kitchener Wellfields namely Strange St., Parkway, William St., and Greenbrook. Finally I find it peculiar that Table 1 does not include the Mannheim East Wellfield immediately beside but just over the Wilmot boundary from the Mannheim West Wellfield. Perhaps it is the incredible number of wells and total amounts of nearby pumping that is causing likely well interference issues with private wells.

Add to this in the report the Region's immodest attitude is characterized by their self admitted incredible, world class, superior professional and astute management of everything wet in Waterloo Region and you begin to suspect that they've been taking lessons from trash talking MMA fighters prior to losing a major fight (Conor McGregor anybody?). Somewhat like Donald Trump it's almost as if the Region are looking over their shoulder cringing at the expected upcoming disaster but bragging to give themselves courage, or as my father used to say they are whistling by the graveyard to hide their fear.

I mean one could call it exactly what it is which is corruption. That word however is too coarse for our refined, polished and smooth operators. They are O.K. however with "unwashed masses", lower classes, ne'er do wells,  homeless etc. for all those beneath their high station in life. Supposedly making a buck is a social good according to many. Yes "trickle down" economics is popular especially among the well to do. The theory is that all economic activity from building submarines to widgets helps everybody. The rising tide lifts all boats theory. Naysayers of course suggest that what is "trickling down" may not be of much quality or good. Some even suggest that it is merely the rich peeing on the poor and giving them their refuse, their wastes etc. One example might be the ABTC or A Better Tent City. Geez I hope I've got the right name and location here but my understanding is that the ABTC is situated almost beside the Erb St. Landfill. Lucky them. Not only do they get most likely a plumbing hookup to the nearest water system/wellfield which is the Erb St. Wellfield and it's direct hydrogeologic connection to the contamination plume beneath the dump BUT they also get, depending on the prevailing winds, to enjoy the odours of everybody else's garbage. 

Just try calling the police for illegal dumping on private property albeit with a shared aquifer beneath it. Just try to get a Crown Prosecutor to lay criminal charges for off-site toxic chemical odours leaving an industrial site. There are direct connections between TCE, vinyl chloride, NDMA, benzene and many other volatile organic compounds (VOCs) routinely leaving industrial sites and serious to fatal diseases. Thousands of people die every year just in Ontario from air pollution. Where are the manslaughter or murder charges especially for repeat offenders?

It is our politicians who write our laws including the exceptions and loopholes. How many loopholes do you see for owners of semi detached homes, townhouses or lower cost housing who accidentally spill a couple of gallons of gasoline ?  However if you are a corporation or business person the rules suddenly change and you are given opportunity after opportunity to either mend your ways or at least hide them better. How often do you see serious polluters sent to jail? Severin Argenton (Varnicolor Chemical) in Elmira was one of the extraordinarily few. He was sentenced to eight months in jail after the Ontario Ministry of Environment refused to abide by their own initial Control Order and investigate deeper soils and aquifers on his property. Hence it was twenty-five years AFTER he served his eight month sentence (or part of it) and had passed on before Uniroyal/Lanxess and the Ontario MECP admitted publicly that he had indeed contaminated the Elmira Municipal drinking water aquifers with half a dozen chlorinated solvents. That folks is justice when polluters, politicians and justice system members (eg. Robert Reilly) all socialize together at Westmount Golf Club and other non-public venues.

Every time I write, refactor, or merge code, I expect something to break.

I don’t stare at the screen when something eventually goes wrong, thinking, “I’m a terrible developer.”

Instead, I think, “Interesting. What did I miss?” or “Which part didn’t work exactly?”

What do I do when I get an error?

Sometimes the mistakes are very simple, like overlooked typos or faulty conditions.

Annoying, but generally easy to fix.

Sometimes they are complicated. Maybe not even reproducible and occasionally occurring.

There can be thousands of ways to cause an error.

The important thing is, my brain doesn’t immediately jump to “I’m a terrible engineer” when something breaks.

I take a breath and do what developers do:

• Look at the error/logs
• Compare the recent changes
• Retracing steps
• Form a hypothesis
• Test the hypothesis
• Repeat till it works
• If all else fails, ask for help

This process has not yet failed me. The profession is built on this.

We anticipate problems, which is exactly why debugging exists.

I’ve noticed something interesting: I often don’t apply the same logic to my own life that I use in coding. When I fail to accomplish something or feel like I’m not performing well, I tend to engage in self-blame. I often assume it’s my own shortcomings or lack of motivation, rather than taking the time to analyze the situation and understand what went wrong.

Somewhere between my coding environment and my everyday life, I seem to have forgotten the methodical approach I rely on to solve problems. What happened to that structured plan I use to address challenges?

Well… when the code breaks, I don’t feel like I am broken. The problem exists outside of me. It is something I can observe, understand, and work on. But when something goes wrong in my own life, that distance disappears.

I realized I saw difficult moments as evidence that something was wrong on my part. A missed goal felt like proof that I wasn’t disciplined enough.

I was skipping the part where I investigate. I was skipping the questions that help me understand the root cause.

“What was the main issue?”

“What can I try differently next time?”

The same curiosity that helps me solve problems every day tends to disappear when the problem is my own.

Maybe that’s because our lives are much harder to debug than our code. There is no clear error message indicating where and what went wrong. Emotions, memories, fears, and expectations are all intertwined in the situation. However, I realized that the same process may still be applicable.

Here are my takeaways:

• I will try not to judge myself before understanding the problem.
• I will remind myself that, as a human being, it is okay to make mistakes.
• I am not gonna assume that the only culprit is me.
• I am not gonna treat every mistake as a reflection of who I am.

Software engineering has taught me that problems are not failures. They are invitations to investigate.

The next time something in my life isn’t working, I want to stop asking:

“What’s wrong with me?”

And start asking the question I have asked countless times while debugging code:

“Where should I start looking?”

Software Engineering Taught Me a Better Way to Fail was originally published in Code Like A Girl on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Working with threads always feels hazardous to me.

Non-determinism limits how much we can exercise with simple tests. Stress tests can shake out some bugs, but they’re slow and potentially flaky. I don’t like flaky tests.

So I have a few concurrency patterns that I trust, and I use ’em a lot. AtomicReference is one of them. It’s got a lot of concurrency power and a easy-enough API. I can make sense of programs that use AtomicReference.

The drawback of AtomicReference is that I usually need a while loop to update it. The atomic compareAndSet() function returns false if my thread loses a race and must retry. After writing a whole bunch of these tricky loops yesterday, I factored out a helper testAndSet() function in order to split difficult business logic from difficult concurrency code.

In one situation, my code sets a state variable to Canceled, but only if the current state is cancelable. It must also tell the task it has been canceled.

private val state = AtomicReference<State>(State.Idle)

override fun cancel() {
  while (true) {
    val previous = state.get()
    if (previous is State.Running || previous == State.Idle) {
      if (!state.compareAndSet(previous, State.Canceled)) {
        continue // Lost a race.
      }
      (previous as? State.Running)
        ?.callback
        ?.onFailure(this, IOException("canceled"))
    }
    return
  }
}

That loop really complicates this code! And it’s an ugly loop, with a return break out at the bottom.

Here’s the cleaned up version that uses testAndSet():

override fun cancel() {
  val previous = state.testAndSet(
    condition = { it is State.Running || it == State.Idle },
    newValue = State.Canceled,
  )
  (previous as? State.Running)
    ?.callback
    ?.onFailure(this, IOException("canceled"))
}

Getting the signature for this was difficult! Once I realized that the function should return the previous value (and not a Boolean), everything snapped into place.

The testAndSet() code is a tad bit fancy ’cause I’m using tailrec instead of a conventional loop.

/**
 * Updates this reference to [newValue] if the previous value matches
 * [condition].
 *
 * It is possible that a [condition] is invoked multiple times in a
 * single call to this function. This will occur if this state object
 * is updated between fetching previous value and replacing it.
 *
 * Returns the previous value. This will always be the replaced value
 * if the value was updated.
 */
internal tailrec fun <T> AtomicReference<T>.testAndSet(
  newValue: T,
  condition: (T) -> Boolean,
): T {
  val previous = get()
  if (!condition(previous)) return previous
  if (compareAndSet(previous, newValue)) return previous
  return testAndSet(newValue, condition) // Lost a race, retry.
}

I’m particularly proud of how this small function successfully separates business logic and concurrency logic.

Programming. It’s fun.

Most Core Web Vitals audits follow the same checklist. Compress the hero image. Preload the LCP element. Fix the ad slot that shifts layout. Trim the JavaScript bundle. All of that matters, and none of it touches the one element that loads on literally every page of your store: the mega menu.

That’s the part that gets skipped, and it’s also the part with the highest compounding cost. A slow hero image only hurts the homepage. A bloated mega menu hurts every product page, every category page, every blog post, every checkout step where it’s still rendered. If your navigation is heavy, you’re not paying that cost once. You’re paying it on every single pageview.

Nobody thinks of navigation as a performance risk because it doesn’t feel like “content.” It’s not a banner, it’s not a slider, it’s not a video embed. It’s just the menu. It’s been there since the site launched, nobody touches it, and so nobody audits it.

But look at what a typical mega menu actually contains: a full category tree, sometimes with product thumbnails, static blocks, promotional banners, icons for every top-level item, and JavaScript to handle hover states, flyouts, and mobile toggles. On a Magento 2 store with fifteen or twenty top-level categories and subcategories nested three levels deep, that’s a lot of DOM.

And because it renders on every page, whatever weight it carries gets added to every single Core Web Vitals measurement Google takes for your site. A homepage with a heavy hero image is one problem. A site-wide navigation element with bloated markup is a problem multiplied by every URL Google crawls.

Google’s official Core Web Vitals guidelines set three thresholds you need to hit for at least 75% of real user visits: Largest Contentful Paint under 2.5 seconds, Cumulative Layout Shift under 0.1, and Interaction to Next Paint under 200 milliseconds. Here’s where a mega menu tends to fail each one.

This is the most common one, and it’s almost always self-inflicted. Flyout panels that push page content down when they open. Menu icons or thumbnails loading without reserved width and height, so the browser doesn’t know how much space to leave. Custom fonts for menu labels loading late and swapping in, which reflows every menu item at once. Any of these can quietly tank your CLS score, and because the menu is present on every page, the shift happens on every page too.

The mega menu itself is rarely the LCP element, but it can delay it anyway. If the menu’s HTML and CSS block rendering, or if its JavaScript has to execute before the browser can finish parsing the page, your actual LCP element (usually a product image or hero banner) ends up waiting in line behind navigation code that the user doesn’t even need yet.

This is the one most stores never think to check, and it’s also becoming the hardest metric to pass. Recent field data puts INP as the most commonly failed Core Web Vital across the web, largely because fixing it requires rethinking JavaScript architecture rather than just compressing an image. A mega menu with dozens of hover and click listeners attached to a deeply nested DOM tree is exactly the kind of thing that produces laggy taps on mobile, especially on mid-range phones where most of your real traffic actually happens.

You don’t need anything exotic. Open Chrome DevTools, go to the Performance tab, and record a page load with the mega menu open. Look at how much of the layout thrashing and paint time is attributable to the nav versus everything else on the page.

Then run PageSpeed Insights on a handful of representative pages, not just the homepage. Look at the “Avoid large layout shifts” and “Reduce JavaScript execution time” flags specifically, and check whether the elements called out belong to the menu or to page content.

Finally, check your DOM node count. If a huge share of it comes from the navigation markup rather than the actual product or content on the page, that’s your signal. A menu that renders 40 categories with icons and thumbnails can easily add hundreds of nodes to every page on your site before a single product shows up.

Render the menu server-side, not via late JavaScript injection. If the menu HTML has to be built client-side after the page loads, you’re adding delay and shift risk to every page. Server-rendered markup, filled in before the browser starts painting, avoids both problems.

Reserve space for flyout panels. Give dropdown and mega panels fixed dimensions in CSS so they don’t push content when they open. This alone eliminates a large share of menu-related CLS.

Lazy-load anything below the immediate visual priority. Category thumbnails inside a mega menu don’t need to load with the same urgency as your hero image. Defer them.

Reduce DOM depth. Flatten unnecessary nested wrappers around menu items. Every extra div and list layer adds parse and layout cost that repeats on every page.

Debounce hover and click handlers. On a menu with many nested interactions, unthrottled event listeners are a common source of slow INP on mobile.

If you’re running Magento 2 and evaluating mega menu extensions, this is the part of the spec sheet that usually gets ignored in favor of “how many layout styles does it offer.”

The performance-relevant questions matter more:

• Does it render server-side or does it depend on heavy client-side JavaScript?
• Does it reserve space for images and flyouts by default, or does that fall on you to configure?
• Is it built to work with full-page caching like Varnish, so the menu doesn’t become the one uncached element slowing every request?

MageDelight’s Mega Menu extension for Magento 2 is one example built with these constraints in mind. It’s Varnish-cache compatible out of the box, supports a drill-down style specifically for stores with deep category hierarchies (which keeps the DOM lighter than rendering every subcategory at once), and ships Hyvä-ready, which matters if you’re already prioritizing frontend performance on a modern Magento theme.

None of that replaces a proper audit of your specific implementation, but it’s a reasonable baseline to start from instead of retrofitting performance onto a menu that was never built with it in mind.

Core Web Vitals work usually starts and ends with images and third-party scripts, because those are the obvious, visible culprits. The mega menu doesn’t get the same attention because it feels static and permanent. But static doesn’t mean free. It renders on every page, it often carries more DOM weight than people realize, and on mobile it’s frequently the source of the laggy taps that show up in INP data without anyone tracing them back to navigation.

If you haven’t checked your mega menu’s contribution to CLS, LCP, and INP specifically, that’s worth doing before your next round of image compression. It’s the one element on your site that never takes a day off.

Here are answers to a few common questions about mega menus and Core Web Vitals.

Every page it renders on, which for most stores means the whole site. That’s what makes it different from a homepage banner: the performance cost compounds across every URL Google measures.

Flyout panels and dropdowns that don’t have reserved dimensions, so they push page content when they open. Fixed-size CSS containers solve most of this.

Yes. If its markup or JavaScript blocks rendering, it can delay the actual LCP element (usually a hero image or product photo) even without being the LCP element itself.

Generally yes, since it comes down to JavaScript execution and event handling rather than image compression or CSS dimensions. Debouncing hover and click listeners and reducing DOM depth are the most direct fixes.

Not necessarily. Start by auditing your current setup with DevTools and PageSpeed Insights. If the extension itself renders client-side, doesn’t reserve space for flyouts, or isn’t cache-compatible, that’s when switching becomes worth considering.

Source: developers.google.com/search/docs/appearance/core-web-vitals — Google Search Central, Core Web Vitals thresholds

Core Web Vitals and Mega Menus: The Navigation Element Nobody Optimizes was originally published in Code Like A Girl on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

In our previous article, The Transactional Outbox, we built a rock-solid, Postgres-backed staging area. We guaranteed that high-throughput analytical data from BigQuery safely reaches Google Pub/Sub without a single dropped event.

But what about our downstream microservices?

Network flickers… consumer crashes… transient ACK timeouts… What happens next?

Imagine you spin up a GKE worker or a Cloud Run service that does the following:

• Listen to a Pub/Sub subscription
• Pull a message
• Execute the business logic (e.g., update database state, hit a payment gateway)
• Acknowledge the broker (broker.Acknowledge())

If the network blips after your business logic completes but before the delivery confirmation reaches Google Pub/Sub, the broker will redeliver that exact same message to another pod in your GKE cluster. Your database gets hit again—and this time, it's a duplicate.

If forgetting to process a message means you forgot to charge a client $50k, processing it twice means you just double-billed them. Try explaining to your compliance team that it wasn’t corporate fraud, it was just a “highly available network retry”.

Instead of blindly trusting the network, we make the database the ultimate arbiter of truth. We introduce a simple inbox table with a unique constraint on the message ID.

Instead of a fragile, multi-step process, we execute a single, atomic database transaction:

1. The Gatekeeper (Deduplication): The worker pulls a payload from the broker and attempts to insert the unique message_id into the Postgres inbox table.
2. The Execution (Business Logic): If the insert succeeds, it means this is a brand new message. We execute the business logic in the same transaction, commit, and then tell the broker that the message was successfully processed. If the insert fails (because the ID already exists), we skip the business logic entirely and simply notify the broker we are done to prevent further retries.

By pushing the deduplication logic down to Postgres, we eliminate race conditions across our entire GKE cluster. We wrap the deduplication and the business state changes in a single transaction.

// 1. Begin a single atomic database transaction
tx, err := db.Begin()
if err != nil {
    return err
}
// ALWAYS defer a rollback to prevent connection leaks if the function returns early.
// If tx.Commit() succeeds later, this becomes a safe no-op.
defer tx.Rollback() 

// 2. Attempt to insert the message ID. 
res, err := tx.Exec(`
    INSERT INTO transactional_inbox (message_id, created_at)
    VALUES ($1, NOW())
    ON CONFLICT (message_id) DO NOTHING;
`, msg.ID) // Don't forget to pass the actual msg.ID variable here!

// 3. CHECK THE ERROR before touching `res`
if err != nil {
    return err 
}

rowsAffected, err := res.RowsAffected()
if err != nil {
    return err // Handle potential driver errors
}

// 4. If rowsAffected is 0, another pod already processed this.
if rowsAffected == 0 {
    // We can explicitly rollback early, or let the defer handle it.
    // We still acknowledge the broker to stop redeliveries.
    broker.Acknowledge(msg.ID) 
    return nil
}

// 5. Execute your core business logic within the SAME transaction
// err = executeBusinessLogic(tx)
// if err != nil {
//     return err // The defer will safely roll this back
// }

// 6. Commit the transaction and safely acknowledge the broker
if err := tx.Commit(); err != nil {
    return err
}

broker.Acknowledge(msg.ID)
return nil

I often hear developers argue: “Why add database overhead? Just use an in-memory cache like Redis for deduplication!”

Here is the reality:

Caches get evicted; ledgers are forever.

If your Redis cluster restarts, or a key expires too early, your line of defense vanishes. Idempotency isn’t just a fancy backend buzzword — it is the firewall protecting your revenue.

Imagine your service processes finances. When the monthly financial reconciliation report runs, your CFO does not care about transient network partitions or broker availability limits. They only care that the ledger balances. By anchoring your deduplication to the exact same ACID-compliant database that holds your financial state, you guarantee that a message is only ever applied once and the client is billed correctly.

The Redelivery Trap: Building a Safe Transactional Inbox for Google Pub/Sub was originally published in Code Like A Girl on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Dear Readers,

I still remember my first week as an intern — sitting at a desk that wasn’t quite mine yet, unsure whether to ask questions or just quietly figure things out.

Ugly Truth — Nobody hands you a manual for how to be liked, trusted, or remembered in those first few months.

Looking back, the interns who stood out weren’t the loudest or the most brilliant; they were the ones who understood something subtle: that trust is built in small, unglamorous moments, long before anyone hands you the big project. This is what I wish someone had told me back then.

In my pursuit to help and share my experience, I present 5 ways, unglamorous but impactful little ways, to win over your internship boss.

Arrive on time, ideally before your boss does, and don’t be the first one out the door either. This isn’t about clocking hours; it’s about signaling that you take the role seriously before you’ve had the chance to prove it any other way.

Example: An intern who’s at their desk five minutes early, every day, without being told to, quietly tells the team something no resume line can: I’m reliable. Compare that to an intern who’s brilliant but always ten minutes late; the talent gets remembered, but so does the lateness.

Takeaway: Consistency is a form of communication. Before your boss knows what you’re capable of, they’ll notice whether you’re dependable.

How you present yourself shapes how seriously people take you, often before you’ve said a word. This isn’t about expensive clothes — it’s about reading the room and matching it.

Example: Walking into a client-facing meeting in the same hoodie you wore to a casual team lunch sends a mismatched signal, even if your work is excellent. Dressing one notch sharper than the room, rather than blending in with it, tends to leave a better impression.

Takeaway: Your appearance is often the first data point people use to judge your judgment. Make sure it says what you want it to.

Check your ego at the door. Ask questions without fear of looking inexperienced — because you are inexperienced, and pretending otherwise is far more obvious to your boss than you think.

Example: An intern who says, “I’m not sure I understand this feedback; can you show me an example?” builds more trust than one who nods along and delivers the same mistake twice. Bosses remember who took correction well far more than who never needed it.

Takeaway: How you respond to feedback is often a better predictor of your future than the mistake that prompted it.

Don’t wait for tasks to land on your desk. Talk to your teammates, understand what they’re juggling, and when you have bandwidth, ask if you can help.

Example: Instead of refreshing your inbox while waiting for the next assignment, ask a colleague, “I noticed you’re behind on the report — want me to take a first pass at the data cleanup?” That one question can turn you from “the intern” into “someone we can actually rely on.”

Takeaway: Initiative is remembered longer than any single task. It shows you see the team’s problems as your own.

Double-check your work before it leaves your hands. A typo in a slide, a wrong number in a report, a sloppy sentence in an email — these feel minor in the moment, but they quietly shape how your judgment is evaluated.

Example: Sending a client email with the wrong date might get fixed in five seconds, but it also plants a small doubt: what else did they not check? One caught error, on the other hand, builds quiet confidence that your work doesn’t need a safety net.

Takeaway: Precision is a habit, not a talent. Bosses trust people whose work they don’t have to re-check.

None of these five habits are complicated. What makes them hard is that they ask for consistency, not a single grand gesture. An internship rarely rewards the one big moment you were waiting to shine in—it rewards the accumulation of small, steady choices that quietly tell your boss: this person can be trusted with more.

A writer is nothing without a reader. If this article helped you, share it with a friend preparing for internships or entering corporate for the first time. Nothing would make me happier :)

If you enjoyed this article, here are a few others you might like —

• You Don't Suck at Coding. You're Just Meeting a Real Codebase.
• How Senior Engineers Actually Debug (It's Not What You Think)

5 Ways To Win Over Your Internship Boss was originally published in Code Like A Girl on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

♦“Flow is an antidote to transactional reality.” – Dave Evans, on Hidden Brain with Shankar Vedantam 

(Note: This post qualifies as a “long read,” so take your time.)

I call myself a writer, but in practice, my medium is the simple state of flow.

Flow focuses on task, not outcome. Flow draws me into a sensory experience, a somatic experience that links mind and body and spirit seemingly effortlessly—how? In flow, I am wide open to the world around me, as if “I” were not bound by my edges, but a drop in an ocean.

Last week, I was mainlining episodes of Hidden Brain, the podcast by Shankar Vendantum that focuses on social science, psychology and communication. Recent episodes have been dovetailing with my interest in spiritual care. (I’m returning to school in September to start an MA in Theology, with a focus on Spiritual Care and Psychotherapy.) I’ve been jotting down notes, transcribing, and reflecting on the skills developed during thirty years, or more, of practicing the craft of writing, specifically creative writing, writing in pursuit of beauty, writing to illuminate some meaning that’s just out of reach, writing to sink into mystery.

“Flow is the experience of full and deep engagement, where time stands still.” – Dave Evans, again

From practice, I know—a simple flow state is ever-available, it is always here to step into, just waiting for me to arrive. Like a river, the flow runs alongside the distracted, anxious, needy experiences that riddle my life (aka being human!), and this river is here for me to swim in, drink from, dip my toe into, stare at, always available, so long as I am available, too.

I am not talking about heightened experiences of flow, about the “apex” flow experience. I am talking about simple flow. (Thanks for naming that distinction, Dave Evans.)

♦“Flow can occur when you’re operating in the flow channel. The flow channel [aka river?] is a place of experience where the task you are currently involved in and your skills to perform that task are in approximate balance. You’re neither over-talented, so you’re bored, nor under-talented, so you’re anxious and nervous you might fail. You’re right at the edge of your capability, which means this task is demanding your full attention.” – Dave Evans (and, here, he cited the work of Mihaly Csikszenmihalyi; see below)

I have been trying to find a name for a skill that seems to come easily, for me. I’ve called it, at times, “creating a welcoming space,” and it’s a skill that I’ve applied in different areas of my life, from running a workshop, to coaching soccer, to reading to kids, to hosting a party. Sometimes this skill gets called “leadership,” but that’s not quite accurate. It’s a directional skill that is also about ceding control. Essentially, I have become skilled, through practice, at ushering not just myself, but others, too, into simple flow moments. In these moments, we are in a flow channel—my river, their rivers, our river—and our collective capacity meets the collective task, so we neither feel anxious that we won’t be able to do the thing and also are engaged and present.

Basically, it’s directing attention toward a particular task that brings us in concert: into the same space, the same moment, so that we are part of a shared experience, which may be delightful, reflective, comforting, challenging, fun, but most importantly, is as spacious and as focused as possible.

“Each person allocates his or her limited attention either by focusing it intentionally like a beam of energy, or by diffusing it in desultory, random movements. The shape and content of life depend on how attention has been used.”  – from Flow, by Mihaly Csikszenmihalyi

In practice, “directing attention toward a particular task that brings us in concert” (I need a better phrase for this) requires a certain amount of design, while leaving space for the unknown. Elements that can be considered in advance include: the removal of barriers or friction, an understanding of constraints, and a clear articulation of the goal and the tasks that give structure to the process. That sounds super-vague, and maybe I should be inserting an example here, but the details and context really make a difference in appropriate design; I tend to boil my design down to the simplest and clearest options for communication purposes, with the fewest foreseeable barriers to participation. The limitations and practicality of my design become clarifying only when the experience is rolling. I can see what’s working, and what’s not. I can make changes as needed—though preferably not in a reactionary way; I have to be comfortable with discomfort—my own and others’. Afterward, I may suffer from doubt, need to debrief, and seek to learn from the experience and tweak my design; but in the moment, and this is pretty much no matter how the task is unrolling, I experience a spaciousness and calm that feels freeing.

I am fully inhabiting my self and I am not bound by my self.

I think others feel it too, at least some of the time. And I think that’s all that’s happening—I am in the flow, and others are there with me too.

I’ve begun reading “Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience,” by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, and I’m reflecting on the concepts of “differentiation” and “integration,” which on first glance appear oppositional. How can I be both unique and connected at once? (It’s a big Life question for me—how to be an artist, which requires ridiculous amounts of time and energy focused on the particularities of a craft, while also being an attentive and connected parent, partner, friend, daughter, sister, etc.).

To be confident within my expression of self while feeling connected across barriers and boundaries—in communion with other people, ideas, art, nature. That’s flow.

Being myself fully and being fully myself with others—this is kind of the ultimate joy in life, isn’t it?

♦“This simple truth—that the control of consciousness determines the quality of life—has been known for a long time; in fact, for as long as human records exist.” – from Flow, by Mihaly Csikszenmihalyi

You don’t have to make art to be in a flow state. What’s required is your attention. Attention is always possible, but not always available. Practice helps. Mindfulness is a starting point, meditation is good practice, but so is holding an infant and pairing your breath with theirs, so is sitting with a child who is sounding out letters on the page, so is getting up early to move your body, so is dancing, singing, walking with a friend and listening closely and learning to ask good questions, or watching the birds in your backyard till you feel like you know each one. The more you practice steering your attention toward what matters to you, the easier it becomes to inhabit liminality, to step from here to there, into the flow.

It’s so wonderful, it’s a wonderful state to inhabit, but there are so many distractions, our attention is constantly being pulled, and we only have so much to give.

How much control do we have over where our attention goes? 

“With consciousness, we can deliberately weigh what the senses tell us, and respond accordingly. … Power returns to the person when rewards are no longer relegated to outside forces…. The most important step in emancipating oneself from social controls is the ability to find rewards in the events of each moment. ” – from Flow, by Mihaly Csikszenmihalyi

Where are your inner resources? I used to say this to my kids when they were small, and bored, needy, fighting, rolling on the floor. How I wanted them to have inner resources to pull from—imagination, creativity, curiosity, resilience, playfulness of spirit. (And I think they did, and they do!) How I want that for everyone, actually, myself included. And it’s not always possible, and that’s hard sometimes. There are times when external events knock me to my knees, and my attention fades, my “psychic energy” is poured into attempting to solve the insoluble, I become confused by ugly emotions, by grief and loss and self-doubt and pain.

And then … I need reminders, I need well-worn paths that lead down to the river, or even just get me close enough to hear the water rushing past, to trust that it’s still there. I need to give myself over. Maybe it’s a kind word from a wise friend at the right moment. Often I find entry into the simple flow most easily through my body—breathing; walking; stretching; sweating at the gym. Get me out of my bicycle, and suddenly I am more alive, more open to what’s flowing.

My discipline is writing. My practice is flow.

xo, Carrie

♦On July 8, our community gathered at Beaverdale Golf Club for a very  special milestone: 30 years of Friendship Golf. 

For three decades, this event has united our community around a shared belief that everyone deserves a place to belong. A simple day on the golf course has become one of House of Friendship’s most cherished traditions, raising critical funds and awareness for men experiencing homelessness in Waterloo Region.

Thanks to your generosity, Friendship Golf 2026 raised over $66,000 in support of ShelterCare.

This incredible achievement reflects a community committed to ensuring men experiencing homelessness have access to dignity, healthcare, stability, and hope. 

To our golfers, sponsors, volunteers, silent auction donors, staff, and supporters… Thank You! 

During the luncheon program, House of Friendship CEO, Jennifer Scott, shared updates on the impact made possible through ShelterCare. 

Since opening in 2023, ShelterCare has become an innovative model of integrated shelter and healthcare, helping men access the care and support they need to stabilize and move forward. 

To date: 

• 450 men have found safe shelter through ShelterCare 

• 25% have successfully moved into housing 

• More than 10,000 primary care and mental health visits have taken place on-site 

• 58% of residents have engaged in addiction treatment and support services 

These numbers represent real people who are rebuilding their lives. They represent healthier communities. They represent hope. 

While ShelterCare receives funding to operate essential shelter services, there remains an ongoing gap between what funding covers and what people actually need to heal and move forward. 

Events like Friendship Golf help bridge that gap. 

At the Friendship Golf banquet, attendees had the opportunity to participate in a special fundraising initiative called Fund Belonging. 

Inspired by the stories shared by CEO Jennifer Scott and keynote speaker Jenny Harris, supporters rallied around five urgent ShelterCare needs: 

A Place to Belong 

• Providing safe shelter, nutritious meals, healthcare access, and wraparound supports. 

Bridging Healthcare Gaps 

• Supporting medications, diagnostic tests, eyeglasses, wound care supplies, and other essential healthcare expenses. 

Mobility Aids 

• Helping residents access wheelchairs, walkers, crutches, and other equipment that restores independence and dignity. 

Life Skills Programming 

• Building confidence and practical skills that support long-term housing stability. 

Emergency Crisis Response 

• Equipping frontline staff with training and resources needed to respond during medical and overdose crises. 

Each gift represented someone choosing to invest in another person’s recovery, health, and future. 

Fund Belonging remains open, and we invite anyone who was inspired by the stories shared at Friendship Golf to help us reach our goal. 

♦One of the most powerful moments of the day came from our keynote speaker, Jenny Harris (“Nurse Jenny”), ShelterCare’s on-site Registered Nurse. 

In an incredibly courageous and vulnerable presentation, Jenny shared her own journey through addiction and recovery, reminding everyone in the room that healing is rarely simple—and that none of us are immune to life’s challenges. 

She spoke candidly about the barriers she faced, the people who showed up for her when she needed them most, and how those experiences shape the care she provides today. 

Her story was a powerful reminder that ShelterCare is about more than services. 

It is about ensuring people are seen, known, and treated with dignity. 

As Jenny shared: “Sometimes the greatest gift we can offer is simply letting someone know you are not alone.” 

Thirty years ago, a group of caring community members had an idea. Today, that idea continues to change lives. 

As we look ahead to the future of Friendship Golf and the future of ShelterCare, we are reminded that real change happens when people come together around a shared purpose. 

Thank you for believing in this work. 

Thank you for supporting ShelterCare. 

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The last two Blog postings I have been listing some contaminated wellfields in Waterloo Region as well as some of the dirty polluters who did the deeds as well as the toxic chemicals that they either intentionally or gratuitously deposited into the soils and into our publicly owned aquifers. Today I'm filling in some missed data as well as giving my overall impressions as indicated in the title above. 

Firstly B.F.Goodrich (Epton) and Kaufman Rubber should be on the known polluter's list versus merely suspected as I posted last Friday.  Greb Shoe on Hayward Ave. (Kit.) also needs to be listed here. Regarding contaminated wellfields we also have additions as I've been rereading somewhat. The Lancaster Wellfield located near Lancaster and Guelph St. has been disconnected for many years. The source of the problem was the former Panill Veneer Co. near Louisa and St. Leger St. in Kitchener. The real culprit however was a well known local illuminary who owned the original grossly contaminated property known as the Breithaupt Tannery.

Various landfills causing off-site contamination include the Caroline St. location of a former landfill as well as the Erb St. Landfill which is located far too close to the Erb St. Wellfield. Despite cute drawings pretending that the Erb. St wells do NOT pull contaminated water from the known contaminant plume below and off-site of the landfill; that seems highly improbable. Of course the Ottawa St. Landfill has enhanced the Greenbrook Wellfield as most likely has the larger landfills in Cambridge. In Elmira we have the Bolender Landfill leaking into the Canagagigue Creek with Uniroyal stuff, the First St. Landfill leaking more into the "Gig" a little further downstream and the M1 and M2 Landfills. The second is on the Uniroyal/Lanxess property and prior to 1992 helped enrich Elmira's drinking water groundwater. Varnicolor Chemical in Elmira also deposited toxics at various Kitchener, Waterloo and Woolwich Landfills.

Back to "problematic " we have the Waterloo North Wellfield roughly near the Laurel Ck. Conservation Area with one " disconnected "well which is then described as a "flowing well". This could mean that it is a Purge or Interceptor well being used to catch the front of a sub surface contaminant plume and pump it to waste such as into a ditch or surface water body. The very contaminated William St. Wellfield (TCE) has one purge well pumping as well as one or two others removed from service. The Erb St. Wellfield has well 6A described as "problematic" and not pumping as well as W6B being on "standby". Gee all these pumping wells with provincial PTTW (Permits To Take Water) that either aren't pumping at all or are vastly under pumping what the province has permitted them. You'd almost think that we had excess water available here. The Foxborough Green Wellfield has one well "disconnected" and the New Dundee Wellfield has one well "abandoned".  All the Pompeii & Forwell Wells have been "disconnected" for decades and the Woolner river wells just downstream have been under pumping and or closed off and on. The Strasburg Wellfield has one well that is "disconnected". Likely well E7 at the south end of Elmira will continue as a Purge well in order to protect the never been used for production well yet E10 further south at Scotch Line Rd. 

It isn't just the provincial and regional refusal and failure to stop gross groundwater pollution from 1955 until 2000 that upsets me. It's the blatant lying and denial since to seriously clean up at least the worst of the contamination affecting groundwater, wildlife and human life. Nothing but excuses, drivel and puffery bragging about how technically advanced they are while poisoning everybody. For years I thought that it was misplaced loyalty to both important business people and pro business ideology but now I think that it is worse. It is a long held pie in the sky belief that Lake Erie water will allow permanent growth and expansion in order to keep the money flowing to our industrial and business class also forever. We are on a horrific death spiral and we are being led by greedy idiots.

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