One article in today's K-W Record (front page) written by Bill Jackson discusses the refusal to give the former Trinity United Church in Elmira a building permit and the other on page 3. by Bill Doucet is an article in which local M.P.P. Aislinn Clancy is asking the Ontario Minister of Environment to stop issuing industrial and commercial water taking permits. In particular she is not happy with local gravel pits putting in applications for large water taking permits. 

For me this is an easy choice. We've got more gravel pits than we need and more pits are simply to reduce distance and costs to transport aggregate to building sites, cement and asphalt facilities. In other words to boost aggregate producers profits which isn't necessarily on it's face a bad thing. I however vote in favour of  water permits going to the new housing being developed on the former Church property on Arthur St. in Elmira.

Now here's a twist.  Elmira supposedly is legally mandated to have our Uniroyal Chemical contaminated ground water rehabilitated and restored by 2028.  If that were to occur (it won't) then I dare say that Woolwich could have pretty much gone ahead with OUR water and given the new housing development the building permit they require for construction this summer. Maybe a little more support and citizen involvement over the years/decades would have lit a fire under all the guilty/recalcitrant local buggers including politicians who have gone along deferentially with the go through the motions status quo for so long.

First of all I'm late posting this because of human error at the Township. A staff person simply forgot to put the link to their You Tube video on the Township's website (look for "Council Calendar") after uploading the meeting to You Tube . That said I'm going to grudgingly, unhappily and with an overall lack of grace thank a Woolwich councillor whom I have many times in the past sharply criticized environmentally.  Nathan Cadeau when informed by me promptly fixed the matter. Thank you Nathan.

Hmm O.K. that wasn't as painful as I thought it would be. Maybe that's because I view my environmental criticism as factual but not personal. We were advised by Lanxess (Hadley) about the results of some bench scale remediation testing. Now I believe she was talking about aerobic (with oxygen) and anaerobic (without oxygen) use of either bacteria or possibly amendments to soils that hopefully stimulate the bacteria to degrade NDMA and or chlorobenzene. The aerobic degradation was much better than the anaerobic degradation for chlorobenzene. For NDMA however the degradation both ways was much less than that for chlorobenzene. This testing will continue halfway through 2026.

Public consultation was discussed for the upcoming 2028 instrument whatever it's name such as Control Order or Certificate of Approval etc.  This of course is the new instrument post the mandated (but failed) groundwater cleanup deadline of 2028. A rose by any other name smells as sweet and another pile of horse manure from the MECP (Min. of Environment) will be equally as useless as all the rest. 

Mayor Shantz suggested that the current Waterloo Region water quantity crisis may be conflated with Elmira's water quality crisis involving NDMA, chlorobenzene, dioxins and so much more. Personally I believe that the two crises are interconnected. If she and the other guilty parties had done their jobs one or two decades ago our aquifers could have been in much better shape by now. She also would like to know if there is a better place to discharge the treated groundwater under Elmira to other than the Canagagigue Creek. Look out folks still contaminated water is looking for a home near you.

Hadley Stamm (Lanxess) made a reasonably dumb statement when she suggested that the treated groundwater being discharged to the Creek was at drinking water standards. Well Lou Almeida (GHD) swooped in and rescued her from that . Clearly Lanxess are more about PR and appearances as Hadley is the point person constantly interrupting and talking over Lou. Lou is a middle aged male of average appearance who has a ton of local Elmira experience versus Hadley's five minutes or so. One of these days Lou just might snap and non affectionately tell Hadley to "Shut the *#ck up !" Hope springs eternal.

Karl Belan of the Region of Waterloo made it clear that the Region were not interested in further treating discharged ground water to bring it up to drinking water standards. There was also discussion about the stigma of drinking former Uniroyal chemically contaminated water. 

I was pleased to see that TRAC are flexible enough to shift gears somewhat in mid stream and discuss the current Waterloo Region alleged quantity crisis. I say alleged because although not yet fully proven it sure looks like we are in water supply (quantity) trouble plus quantity IS related to quality. When you have a number of wellfields shut down due to contamination as we do then certainly water quality is affecting quantity. Well E10 at the south end of Elmira is being looked at although I find it odd that the well shed or housing has been removed. Yes the pipe is sticking out of the ground is there but why expose it unnecessarily? Also I have heard recently that the Region are looking elsewhere near Elmira for more water.  Well that should be interesting as we see them attempt to pump uncontaminated water from the same aquifer(s). In fact buddy (?) Nathan Cadeau actually suggested that the Region could drill somewhere else in the aquifer and have clean water. Well, well, well.

Hadley got into an interesting conversation with Karl (Region) when she appeared to say simultaneously that the Region Do/Don't intentionally pump drinking water from contaminated aquifers elsewhere than Elmira.  Maybe Lanxess would care to clean up the treated groundwater further for use as drinking water??? Eric Hodgins (former Region hydroG) maybe pointedly commented that the Ontario Safe Drinking Water Act does have provisions for fines and jail for violators. Hmm.

There was much discussion about a survey from Lanxess to determine local interest in these issues. Frankly I think that all Lanxess want to do is quietly get the heck out of the aquifer remediation business as soon as possible and that means keeping everything on the downlow. 

I am seeing which way the wind is blowing and it's all about winding this thing up gracefully and looking good spending the least amount of money possible. Thank you Region of Waterloo for putting water back in the spotlight. 

By Luisa D’Amato, Reporter
Luisa D’Amato is a Waterloo Region Record reporter and columnist. She writes on issues affecting day to day life in the area. She can be reached at ldamato@therecord.com.

Monday, March 2, 2026

On Thursday, Kitchener’s Centre in the Square will pass a major milestone.

The internationally renowned dance production — created by two Canadian artists, choreographer Guillaume Côté and stage director Robert Lepage — “The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark” will be presented at this theatre.

The production itself will be fascinating. The story is told through movement, music, light and shadows. In this portrayal of Shakespeare’s masterpiece, known chiefly for its words, not a word will be spoken.

The Centre quotes the author Margaret Atwood’s words of praise for the production as “gripping, intensely athletic, and visually enchanting.”

Thursday’s performance also represents a pivotal moment for the Centre, says its executive director, Eric Lariviere.

Only two and a half years ago, the 2,000-seat performing arts centre abruptly lost its biggest tenant when the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony ceased operations and cancelled its 2023-24 season due to crushing financial troubles.

Before then, the symphony concerts had mostly taken place at the Centre. The building had even been constructed for the symphony.

But when the orchestra stopped performing, the Centre suddenly lost a third of its business.

The Centre’s strategy after that was “very business-focused. You need the revenue, so you open up for rentals,” said Lariviere.

Along with the tribute bands and variety shows that came in, there was also room for outreach. The Centre offered more diverse art forms, including tabla music, fado singing, tango and Japanese cinema.

Lariviere offered rental of the Studio (a smaller performance space within the facility) for $80 a night to community organizations. He also welcomed rentals for high school graduations and dance competitions as a way to make the building part of a special time in someone’s life.

(Full disclosure: I’m the part-time executive director of the Grand Philharmonic Choir, which rents the Centre for three concerts a year.)

This strategy has been working well. And now, Lariviere says, it’s time to “elevate the work that we bring here, and bring the best touring Canadian theatre or global productions that are available.”

That’s what this reimagination of “Hamlet” represents.

The dance production premiered in 2024 in Toronto. It sold out for multiple performances in Toronto and Montreal, and is now on a secondary tour including Ottawa, Toronto, Kitchener and Vancouver.

Lariviere says Waterloo Region deserves “great life experiences for its population. We’re a university town, we’re a high-technology town, we’re a business town … We’re at the door of Stratford.”

For him, this performance represents “the best work that you can see in Canada and from around the world.”

Lariviere thinks people will travel 150 kilometres to see this show, and he has invited leaders in the artistic community to attend as well.

“How many of the great theatre directors’ works have we seen in this house in the past 10 years?” he asks.

“Hamlet” is “the kind of thing you only see in big cities. We have the big-city infrastructure here.”

So we do.

I’ve often thought of Centre in the Square as a sleeping giant. Under the leadership of Raffi Armenian, former artistic director of the symphony orchestra, the hall opened in 1980 with one of the finest acoustic environments in North America. And Armenian also made sure it was equipped to host the largest and most technically challenging of operas, Wagner’s epic Ring Cycle.

All this happened in a medium-sized city like Kitchener, because there were enough people here who felt we deserved the very best. Decades later, it is thrilling to still feel that spirit.

Luisa D’Amato is a Waterloo Region Record columnist. Reach her by email at ldamato@therecord.com.

Read the original article at The Record

The Board of Directors of Waterloo Regional Health Network (WRHN) is seeking dedicated individuals to join our  skills-based team in providing oversight and governance leadership. We are looking for community-minded people who are inspired by our future – outstanding care that’s personalized, seamless, and reimagined.

A significant part of that future is Waterloo Region’s New Hospital. Waterloo Region is one of the fastest-growing communities in Canada. Team members, doctors, and volunteers at WRHN provide excellent patient care, but the community has outgrown our aging buildings. It is time to build a healthcare system that meets the needs of local communities, now and in the future.

This year, our Board recruitment priorities are:

• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
• Insight on the political environment in which Ontario hospitals deliver care
• Governance in Large Scale Facility Development
• Futuristic foresight, trend analysis

WRHN and its Board have a strong relationship with the Waterloo Regional Health Network Foundation (WRHNF). You can learn more about the WRHNF on their website, below.

Directors/committee members should have familiarity of the social, economic and political characteristics of the Region of Waterloo and the broader catchment areas including Wellington and Grey/Bruce counties.

In accordance with the Ontario Not-for-Profit Corporations Act and the WRHN Corporate By-law, any person belonging to one or more of the following categories will not qualify to be appointed or elected as a director or committee member:

• is under eighteen (18) years old;
• has been found under the Substitute Decisions Act, 1992 or under the Mental Health Act to be
• incapable of managing property;
• has been found to be incapable by any court in Canada or elsewhere;
• has the status of a bankrupt; or
• is an “ineligible individual” as defined in the Income Tax Act (Canada) or any regulations made under it.

Directors/committee members are expected to commit the time required to perform board and committee duties.

Directors are assigned to at least one committee of the board. Non-director committee members are usually each assigned to one committee of the board. Assignments are made based on the skills and competencies of the individuals and the skills required by each committee.

The typical time commitment of a director is between 10 and 15 hours per month, spread out to an average of a few hours per week. Total time commitment depends on the number of committees a director is on. The typical time commitment of a non-director committee member is five to six hours per month, six months per year. (See Meeting Schedule below.)

Directors and committee members must:

• attend at least 75 per cent of all applicable meetings;
• fulfill the governance requirements and responsibilities, for example, preparing for and attending board and committee meetings, upholding their fiduciary obligation to the hospital, and working cooperatively and respectfully with other directors;
• comply with the Public Hospitals Act and other legislation governing the corporation, it’s By-laws, policies, and all other applicable rules; and
• sign a declaration upon appointment and annually thereafter to confirm their agreement to adhering to their fiduciary duties, and board and corporate policies.

Successful candidates will be required to attend orientation sessions in the summer or September of 2026.
Board and committee me.

Board and committee meeting schedules for 2026 are to be determined. Board and committee meetings are typically held between September and June. The Board typically meets six times per year, on the first Tuesday of the month from 3 to 6 p.m. Committees typically meet on Tuesdays or Wednesdays six times per year from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. More meetings and/or educational sessions may be scheduled as required.

The Board and its committees are accountable for the achievement of WRHN’s future, purpose, values and strategic directions , in accordance with good governance practices, policies and processes, and in manners that support sound and ethical decision making. In addition, the Board and its committees are accountable to all interested parties for acting consistently with its Articles, By-laws, applicable legislation, and the common law as it governs the hospital.

All committees carry out their respective mandates by providing strategic guidance on organizational plans and strategic initiatives that support their mandates, setting goals and objectives, monitoring results, and satisfying themselves that management has appropriate resources, policies, practices and risk management measures in place to implement such plans and initiatives.

All expressions of interest are confidential and all complete applications received by Sunday, March 15, 11:59 p.m. will be considered by the interview panel. To learn more, or to obtain an application package, please contact Catherine Heal, Manager, Enterprise Risk, Policy Management & Governance by e-mail at board@wrhn.ca or vist Board Position information here.

The post Waterloo Regional Health Network appeared first on Capacity Canada.

♦

KITCHENER - The Kitchener Panthers are proud to announce the signing of catcher Cam Bauer.

The 22-year-old is heading into his first full season in the CBL after appearing in just one game in 2025, the season opener against Toronto on May 11.

He was listed as a call up in 2025, while playing for the Waterloo Tigers 22U program.

Elsewhere, Bauer is a graduate of the 18U Voyageurs program in his hometown of Sudbury.

He has spent the last couple seasons collegiately with the University of Waterloo (OUA).

"Cam provides us with depth at the catching position, which is an area I wanted to add to this offseason," said general manager Shanif Hirani.

"He's still very young and showed his ability to handle himself behind the plate last season catching a whole new staff."

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

CAM BAUER

• Bats/Pitches: R/R
• Hometown: Sudbury, ON
• Birthdate: October 1, 2004
• Pronunciation: Cam b-OWW-urr

I must say that it is a pleasure reading almost every day about the Region of Waterloo's incompetence and negligence regarding our mutual water systems.  Today I will be mentioning the hot air and absolute stupid comments from M.P.P. Mike Harris regarding the Region's water crisis as well as more first hand evidence from rural citizens living on the west side of Kitchener whom I may carefully compare to frogs in a pot of slowly, increasingly hotter water. No offence is meant by this metaphor. 

Mike Harris Jr. Jr.'s comments are published in great detail in this week's Woolwich Observer newspaper. The residents and citizens knowledge has been passed on to the public both in today's K-W Record by Terry Pender and in previous days and is straightforward and clear. Some of Mr. Harris Jr. Jr.'s asinine comments include "These infrastructure challenges are not a reason for critical infrastructure builds or housing projects to stall,". He also suggested that "  We expect the Region to continue to provide clear updates on how additional capacity will be delivered and timelines for when it is brought online." Clearly Mr. Harris Jr. Jr. isn't worried about how much water is left in our aquifers. Maybe he will reassure us by stating that God is a Progressive Conservative who would never let our aquifers run dry.

Two longtime local residents of Wilmot Township have spoken of their personal experiences with the falling water table for decades. This has included sinking multiple new wells and going deeper for the water that they need. The Waterloo Moraine is an incredible resource and it certainly appears that it has been abused and taken for granted by our authorities. 

There are two options. Firstly serious investigation into the groundwater levels throughout the Waterloo Moraine. Maybe the data is already available. Secondly if the water levels are better than expected and that we've been led to believe, then  I would question what was the motive for this scare, this alleged crisis.  Are our provincial and regional authorities so corrupt that they would attempt to manufacture a crisis in order to promote a multi billion dollar pipeline from Lake Erie to here? Somebodies will make millions of dollars profits on any such pipeline that we the taxpayers will pay for. 

So if there is a legitimate water supply crisis than our regional councillors (and some staff ?) need to get the boot and quickly for incompetence and negligence. If the crisis is a fake then some of the above along with provincial politicians need some long term rest and relaxation in a provincial institution (i.e. jail).

Well, well, well the mud is starting to fly. Today's K-W Record has a story by Terry Pender titled "Regional councillor wants probe into water crisis".  Reporter Luisa D'Amato apparently also attended last Wednesday's Waterloo Region council meeting and spoke about it in her Opinion piece titled "For some of us, the water crisis has already arrived". The good news is that both reporters picked up on the same strange occurrences at that council meeting.

The biggest and baddest is the announcement that both the public and regional councillors have been misled factually regarding water taking from Wilmot Township.  I was aware of the 1980 agreement between the Region and Wilmot Township that the township's water would not be unilaterally diverted by the Region towards other parts of the Region in particular to the tri cities. That appeared to be changed when the mayor of Wilmot, Ms. Salonen recently gave agreement in principle for the Region to take 30 litres per second from her township for use in the water short areas of K-W and Woolwich. That agreement appears to need to be ratified by her council (Wilmot) as well. Last Wednesday's regional council meeting had a major revelation. In fact the Region indeed did divert Wilmot water to the cities six or seven years ago and it's been ongoing! Nicely done Region of Waterloo. You've now admitted to lying to the public, Wilmot Township and presumably to most of your own regional councillors. WOW !!!

That betrayal and worse will take decades to live down if ever. Meanwhile councillor Doug Craig wants an independent probe into the causes of the water supply crisis. He's not the only one but skeptic that I am I have to ask is this for real or simple politics? Mr. Craig has also appropriately condemned the use of Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs). What I am left wondering and unclear from both these articles is whether regional staff actually were going to divert and pump an additional 30 litres per second to K-W and Woolwich or were they simply gilding the lily about the diversion they did back in 2019 ?

One other major point. To date I have only seen reporter Luisa D'Amato twice reference wells being taken offline due to contamination.  That is a huge element to the alleged Quantity only (i.e. Supply) problems in our water systems.  Do not most reasonable people understand that shut down wells due to industrial contamination in Elmira and Kitchener affect the Supply of water available? Then there is the reality that there are also operating wells in both Waterloo and Cambridge with toxic trichloroethylene (TCE) in them that are still operating thanks to dilution and mixing with the rest of the water supply. Can that go on forever? 

Whether self-serving or not Doug Craig's asking the right questions as did councillor Joe Gowing recently. Councillor Huinink just got added to my regular e-mail list due to her published skepticism about agreeing to allocating water for growth at this time. Meanwhile Melissa Durell, Mr. Puopolo and other self-serving developers and builders can go suck on a raw egg at least until both the public and the Region really know where we stand on water supply.  

♦

Seeing that we are well into Lent …

The myth goes that on April 24, 1671, a Friday, maître d’hotel Francois Vatel ran himself through with a sword when he learned the fish delivery would be late for a huge party of 6,000 being thrown for Louis II de Bourbon, Prince de Condé, at Château Chantilly.  

While the tradition of eating fish on Fridays remains a serious one in our food culture – and not just during Lent and Good Friday – swords do not currently come into play. So enjoy Fish Friday!

Check out my latest post Friday fish fry from AndrewCoppolino.com.

Is it still legal to host a women-only networking event in the US?

Last week, the US government sued a regional Coca-Cola bottler for sex discrimination after it hosted a company-sponsored trip open only to women. According to the lawsuit, male employees were excluded from attending an event featuring speakers who discussed navigating a male-dominated industry, balancing work and personal life, and other topics.

The case reflects increasing legal scrutiny of identity-based programming.

David Glasgow, co-founder of the Meltzer Center for Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging at NYU School of Law, which tracks anti-DEI litigation, offers a helpful reframe:

“Shift from cohorts to content.”

In other words, instead of limiting participation strictly to identity, open programs to anyone committed to the program’s purpose.

This doesn’t mean abandoning support for marginalized, overlooked, and often underestimated groups. It means designing programs so they build inclusion and withstand scrutiny.

Here are a few ways to do that:

• Broaden the invitation while protecting the focus. E.g., “Career Strategies for Women: For women and allies committed to advancing equity.”
• Open employee resource groups to all. Encourage allies to listen, learn, and support.
• Use purpose-driven applications. E.g., For mentoring or development programs aimed at advancing underrepresented talent, ask applicants to share how their lived experiences or challenges connect to the program’s goals.

Share this action on Instagram, LinkedIn, or YouTube.

What do you do when the insensitive joke comes from the most powerful person in the room?

Earlier this month, Marc Benioff was on stage at an internal event and thanked international employees for traveling to the United States. He then asked them to stand.

While they were still standing, he joked that agents from US Immigration and Customs Enforcement were in the building to keep tabs on them.

As reported by 404 Media, one employee said, “The room groaned. We couldn’t believe he said that.”

His comments trivialized real fear, not only for employees visiting from outside the US, but also for anyone concerned about their personal safety, their families, and their communities.

If I’d been there, I hope I would have had the courage to say something like, “Marc, I bet you’re trying to lighten the mood, but jokes about immigration enforcement feel scary to some of us.”

Or, “I love a good joke, but that wasn’t funny.”

Think of one simple sentence you could use the next time someone in power makes a joke at someone else’s expense. And practice it so you’re ready.

A subscriber recently asked if I’d ever covered ways to support religiously observant Jewish people who practice Shabbat or follow a kosher diet.

I hadn’t. And I’m grateful for the nudge.

As you may know, Shabbat is a weekly day of rest and spiritual renewal that begins at sundown on Friday and ends after dark on Saturday. During that time, many observant Jewish people refrain from work and from using electronics.

I’ve learned that observance isn’t one-size-fits-all, during Shabbat and at other times. For example, some people avoid elevators during Shabbat because they use electricity; others don’t. Some keep strictly kosher, meaning food must be prepared in a kosher kitchen that maintains strict separation between meat and dairy products, utensils, and surfaces. Others might follow a kosher diet, where they don’t eat pork or shellfish, or don’t mix meat and dairy. Some people observe one day of a multi-day Jewish holiday, while others observe it in full.

The key takeaway: don’t assume. Ask with curiosity and respect.

If someone shares that they’re observant, invite them to tell you what support would be helpful.

Here are some practical ways to start:

• Plan meetings with Shabbat in mind. Avoid scheduling mandatory meetings late on Fridays, especially in winter when sundown comes early.
• Don’t require work during Shabbat. Saturday deadlines, events, or required online activity can unintentionally exclude observant colleagues.
• Avoid scheduling events during Jewish High Holidays.
• Respect dietary needs by asking people about any restrictions in advance.

And if you follow a different faith tradition, I’d love to learn from you. Reply and share what meaningful support looks like for you.

This one might feel uncomfortable.

As we wrap up Black History Month, I invite you to reflect on where you’ve fallen short.

Reflect on times you weren’t inclusive. For example, when you “forgot” to invite a Black coworker to a meeting or an after-work social gathering. The time you interrupted a Black colleague, and didn’t circle back so they could finish their thought. The performance calibration where you stayed silent rather than advocating for a Black employee’s contributions. When you didn’t apologize for mixing up the names of two Black coworkers. (More on that last one in #5 below.)

And ask yourself: What will I do differently next time?

Credit to Lionel Lee, the former head of diversity engagement at Zillow, who shared this suggestion during a Black History Month webinar in 2021

This week’s spotlight on an ally action from the Better Allies community is from a subscriber I’ll call Bill. It’s a reminder that accountability can build trust, not destroy it.

During a group meeting, Bill accidentally called Jasmine, a Black woman coworker who wasn’t on the call, by the name Aisha, another Black colleague who was there. He corrected himself within seconds, but noticed what looked like disappointment flash across Aisha’s face.

The internal spiral kicked in immediately.

“Did my mistake have to do with race or gender? Or was it just because I’d been talking with Aisha moments before? I’m terrible with names generally, but is that an excuse I’m hiding behind?”

After talking it through with his therapist, Bill decided to reach out. Not to over-explain or justify, but to acknowledge what happened. Because even if someone didn’t notice, being seen and respected still matters.

He scheduled a brief call with Aisha and said:

“Two weeks ago, I mixed up your name with Jasmine’s. I don’t know exactly why, but I know how discouraging it can be when people confuse those who share a gender and race. I’m working on it. My apologies.”

Aisha told Bill she hadn’t noticed in the moment, but she truly appreciated him reaching out. Later, Aisha sent him a Slack message thanking him again:

“We need more people like you in the world.”

Bill told me,

“What I feared would create distance actually built trust. I’m so glad I took the extra step — it resulted in creating a closer bond rather than weakening one.”

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

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

Karen Catlin (she/her), Author of the Better Allies® book series
pronounced KAIR-en KAT-lin, click to hear my name

Copyright © 2026 Karen Catlin. All rights reserved.

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

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

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

Shift From Cohorts to Content, 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.

Here’s where you can find a Dubleve Wands vendor booth in 2026. We’re looking forward to serving our community again for another year of wonderful Ontario markets. We’re adding more events than ever before. Huzzah!
Information will be updated on this page as it becomes confirmed.

Note that I’m only listing the hours our booth will be in operation. Many of these festivals have other events such as education days, or Friday Night opening ceremonies, or the Ontario Pirate Festival’s Captain’s Keg. Follow the links provided to check out all of the festivities available to you at each festival.

Saturday, May 16th—10:00am-5:00pm
Sunday, May 17th—10:00am-5:00pm

2275 Dorchester Rd
Fireman’s Park
Niagara Falls, ON L2J 4L

More times and dates for this festival can be found here: www.facebook.com/NiagaraRenaissanceFaire/
www.eventbrite.ca/e/niagara-renaissance-faire-tickets-1482305629039

Saturday, May 24th—10:00am-6:00pm
Sunday, May 25th—10:00am-6:00pm

630 Trinity Rd S
Ancaster Fairgrounds
Jerseyville, ON L0R 1R0

More times and dates for this festival can be found here: wentworth.medievalfaire.ca/

Saturday, June 20th—10:00am-6:00pm
Sunday, June 21st—10:00am-6:00pm

1000 Murray Ross Pkwy
The Village at Black Creek
Toronto, ON M3J 2P3

More times and dates for this festival can be found here: faires.ca/blackcreek/

Saturday, August 1st—11:00am-6:00pm
Sunday, August 2nd—11:00am-6:00pm
Monday, August 3rd—11:00am-6:00pm

7391 Marden Rd
Marden Park
Guelph ON N1H 6J2

More times and dates for this festival can be found here: www.thepiratefestival.com/

Saturday, September 26th—10:00am-6:00pm
Sunday, September 27th—10:00am-6:00pm

21737 Fairview Rd
Thorndale Fairgrounds
Thorndale, ON N0M 2P0

More times and dates for this festival can be found here: oxfordrenfest.com/

DISCRIMINATORY NOT TO INCLUDE ELMIRA'S NDMA WATER INTO THE MIX

If Kitchener and Cambridge are allowed to put their trichloroethylene (and more) contaminated water into the big regional Integrated Urban System (IUS) drinking water pot then why not Elmira as well? Lanxess Canada have been moaning and groaning for the last couple of years about wastefulness as they dump somewhat treated groundwater into the Canagagigue Creek. If the Region are seriously planning on using retread wells (Woolner, Pompeii, Greenbrook & Parkway Wellfields)  with long histories of contamination then how dare you discriminate against our fine, Mennonite, contaminated water. Is our chlorobenzene, NDMA and maybe even dioxin contaminated water not good enough for you? Who knows, the state of knowledge whether toxicity or health related is so limited that maybe the various contaminants might cancel each other out.

I see two possibilities here. We could develop a two tier water system whereby our politicians, developers, builders and real estate folks are serviced from the industrially uncontaminated wells and the rest of us can drink from the leftover, retreaded and refurbished chemically enhanced wells. Hmm maybe we might want to include doctors, hospital staff and  police in the favoured status, unenhanced wells. Certainly we shouldn't charge the unsophisticated masses a premium for the extra additives that they will receive.

The other plan is to begin deporting older, useless retired citizens like me who are no longer contributing to the general good. Now by "deporting" I only mean to kick them out of Waterloo Region in order to make room for all the vibrant, hard working newcomers that Doug Ford and the Region are set on.  Just think of the advantages. Bringing in an additional 300,000 people by 2051 is a piece of cake if no upgrades are needed to our wastewater treatment systems (sewage treatment plants), our hospitals and health care and our drinking water systems. Furthermore if you squeeze your eyes, just so, you can see that we might actually be increasing the lifespans of our older, more health challenged citizens by not making them drink our NDMA, dioxin, chlorobenzene, trichloroethylene, benzene etc. mostly low level contaminated water. Talk about a Win-Win !

Non Disclosure Agreements (NDAs) are not everybodies cup of tea. There will be shouts of hooliganism, lying, non-transparency and non-accountability but that happens every time when elites (smarter/richer)  focus on who really matters which is them not us. For progress to happen you can't let the majority (non elite masses) run the show and it is so much easier to control them by keeping them in the dark. Hence the huge advantages to NDAs keeping difficult information from the uninformed public who wouldn't understand it anyways.  Or as Jeff MacIntyre (builder) stated in today's Record article titled "Region pushes NDAs for water talks";  he likes NDAs because he doesn't want to sit by the door like a Golden Retriever (the public) waiting for a report. Right on Mr. MacIntyre !

P.S. Just because Elmira water isn't good enough for us right now doesn't mean it's not good enough if a little diluted for the rest of the Region of Waterloo. Afterall wouldn't you drink a really fine wine from a jug just because someone peed in it the night before, emptied it and then filled it with a vintage beverage for you?   

Supabase clients for use in server-side rendering frameworks.

TypeScript 183 Updated Mar 2

The Humane Society is renovating and expanding. Presently some staff are working out of trailers. Their project is stalled because they need a four inch water pipe and fire suppression and the City of Kitchener will not move permits forward because of the Region of Waterloo’s freeze on development due to water capacity problems. The freeze isn’t just effecting new development.

How did we get here? In 2003, the Region of Waterloo created The Countryside Line around Waterloo Region. It was to support local food and agriculture as Waterloo Region and our part of Ontario are paving over prime agriculture land. It was also to protect our water that comes 80 percent from aquifers. It has worked well for over 20 years.

Suddenly, the Provincial government breached the line by saying over 700 acres in Wilmot must be put aside for industrial development. We don’t know what that development will be but data centers and automobile manufacturing use a lot of water. Kitchener opened land in the south west for suburban development. Some of that land is moraines which filter rain and water. Once those areas are paved over, it is harder for water to fill up the aquifers. The Region is not short of land for housing, but all of the empty land within the countryside line is already bought up by developers.

Over many years, there has been talk of a pipe to Lake Erie. It is extremely expensive and would need the help of other levels of government to build. There are also ways to move water from Cambridge to Kitchener and Waterloo but those methods will also be expensive. Any savings from our new garbage pickup may be going to improving water capacity. We can also expect an increase in water and sewage rates which are comparatively cheap compared to other places at the moment. The Region is looking at various ways to solve the problem but many solutions are years away.

The good news for the Humane Society is that Regional staff are going to work with them on a solution. This snowy winter is also good news. The recent melt was slow, then we had more precipitation. The weather is filling up the aquifers. Aquifers are a renewable resource if used wisely.

The Region had a plan, the Countryside Line, that was working, then the province decided on growth and took planning away from the Region. That growth is not sustainable. By highlighting the problems of water capacity, the Region is sending a message to the province that unbridled growth is not sustainable

www.cbc.ca/news/canada/kitchener-waterloo/kw-humane-society-region-of-waterloo-water-capacity-constraint-preliminary-solutions-9.7065433

Open Letter against the breaching of the Countryside Line: www.holdthelinewr.org/open-letter

Waterloo real estate has always been expensive, something I was vaguely aware of even before I was in the business. Not long after I began selling I noticed that Guelph real estate was priced very similarly to Waterloo, and that both cities were considerably more expensive than Kitchener and Cambridge.

Over the years the ‘Waterloo premium,’ as I called it, would wax and wane month over month. I can recall seeing it a few times close right up relative to Kitchener, but more often than not Waterloo prices would be at least 100k higher. I sell in Guelph too, and prices there always seemed quite high. Conversely there were deals galore in Cambridge and Kitchener, something many of my buyers were also cognizant of.

But why the price disparity? I know these cities. I recently moved back to Guelph, having lived in the royal city previously, and my parents are from there too. But I’ve spent most of my life living in Kitchener and then Waterloo. While I haven’t ever lived in Cambridge, I certainly know it well enough. The four are all great places to live.

I decided to do a deep dive using historic data. I wanted a clean study though, so I focused on the most popular market segment, single family detached. I didn’t want the problematic apt condo segment muddying the waters, especially with what is going on with student accommodation in Waterloo. Inventory levels for detached are healthy and represent a neutral or balanced market.

Chatting with my data scientist girlfriend, the subject of standard deviation came up. She mentioned that the standard deviation for each city might vary significantly due to where outliers are sitting relative to the mean. I argued that we can’t know if this is the case without delving into the figures on a month over month basis, or even over a shorter time frame. Here are a couple hypothetical cities A & B both averaging one million dollar sale prices, but having drastically different standard deviations.

In my data set, if the deviations vary city by city, they do so in a way that doesn’t appear to impact the averages longer term. The MLS sale price data consistently ranks Waterloo, Guelph, Kitchener and Cambridge highest to lowest over the last 5 years straight. I don’t think this is a coincidence so what other factors are accounting for this? Is it lifestyle, commuting, income, employment, education, or something else?

Income is certainly a factor but isn’t enough to explain the $170,000 gap in prices between Waterloo and Cambridge seen in 2025. Household income is only $14,000 apart, at $122,000 and $108,000 respectively. Guelph and Kitchener came in at $119,000 and $110,000, again, not a substantial gap. There must be other things to consider.

Fundamentally, with regard to tech and education Waterloo is a very different place than any of the other three. It has two universities, Laurier and the University of Waterloo with UW being world renowned for stem education, particularly for engineering and computer science. The city hosts the Perimeter Institute as well as Open Text, Shopify and Blackberry. Almost all of Canada’s major insurers have head offices in Waterloo.

Waterloo’s tech boom has filtered into Kitchener, with Google being the most famous example, but nevertheless Kitchener lags behind in regard to higher education. Kitchener’s Pharmacy College at King and Victoria is an offshoot of UW. While Kitchener’s Conestoga College does offer degree programs now, these represent only 10% of the academic curriculum. Cambridge had no public colleges at all until Conestoga College opened its Fountain St. Campus in 2011.

Yes, Guelph does have the University of Guelph, a highly regarded institution with a heavy focus on food, agriculture, the environment and animal health. It’s certainly a boon to the community, adding $2 billion in local GDP and 8.6 billion nationally, but hasn’t delivered the anywhere near the level of economic growth seen in Waterloo.

No doubt the presence of a university bolsters prices, but Guelph’s proximity to the GTA is another factor that mustn’t be discounted. Many commuters make the run into the GTA daily, with travel times often 30 minutes shorter than the tri-cities. I had a client who did exactly that, working in Mississauga before finally buying in Guelph. We started searching in and around her work, but the closer homes were to the GTA the more unaffordable they were. While Guelph is expensive compared to much of Waterloo Region it is far more affordable than buying in Georgetown or Milton. 

Higher education seems to be important to much of the population living in the the more expensive of the four cities, and educational level directly correlates to pricing. 65% of Waterloo’s citizenry has either a diploma or a degree from a post secondary institution. Guelph is close behind at 57% followed by Kitchener at 53%. Slightly less than half of Cambridge, at 47%, has this level of education.

In part ‘like likes like’ explains things a bit. Educated people may very well gravitate to cities that offer higher education. Income and prices seem to align with this as well. Families looking for a place to put down roots usually want what’s best for their children such as good schools. Of course, cities with booming economies driven in part by post secondary education likely offer better employment opportunities over the long term.

As I’d said earlier, all 4 cities are great places to live, but demographics and income are definitely a factor in where people choose to live. The more expensive of the lot may offer up a potential of a better future that people are willing to pay a premium for. The data is clear, 5 years worth of unchanged price rankings for the four cities is not an anomaly.

The post Waterloo and Guelph vs Kitchener and Cambridge appeared first on Andrew Shackleton.

Gosh that wasn't so difficult now was it? Your CORRECTION on page A2 with the title "Re: Councillor wants halt on new water-taking permits in Waterloo Region" was clear and concise. I certainly didn't need any thanks or applause or public adulation for doing what I've been doing here in Dogpatch (Elmira) for the last 36 years plus. My volunteer work has always been in the public interest and yes besides environmental failures that also includes picking up on mathematical failures that have gotten by reporters and editors. Based upon Record Editor Jim Poling and National Media Council Brent Jolly's pathetic mishandling of my polite and courteous request for a Correction/Retraction on the Lanxess Canada/Elmira Water Crisis story in late November 2025 written by Terry Pender; I decided this time to be a hard a*s about it. Instead of approaching initially only Terry Pender and Jim Poling and later Brent Jolly as I did last November, this time I sent out my Blog posting immediately to Woolwich Council, Waterloo Region Council, TRAC, MECP,  Lanxess, Woolwich Observer, and the K-W Record plus maybe a few more. Gosh I wonder how pissed all your developer friends were when they figured out that the Record instead of downplaying or minimizing the crisis you were actually (unintentionally probably) artificially increasing it with your sloppy mathematics. Now after that slap to the back of your heads just let me say this: WELL DONE! Your series on the Region's water crisis has been terrific so far. I am however still wondering when you are going to publish the truth about the retread wells the Region want to put back in service in order to supplement the volume of our water supply.

Today's Record article titled "Third-generation Wilmot resident has witnessed the water table drop" certainly casts doubt upon the demands and claims of developers and builders suggesting that this Region wide water crisis is an engineering problem only. I have no doubt that our friends at the University of Waterloo who have been studying groundwater recharge, discharge and elevations for decades have a good idea whether or not putting more straws into the communal milkshake will continue to lower the water levels to dangerous levels or not. Personally until I see peer accepted, proven and verified data on the Waterloo Moraine Aquifers in particular, I am very skeptical that those who have personally made tons of money through development and building are speaking for the public interest.  

K-W Record I applaud your Correction in today's newspaper. I really don't believe that your readers will hold it against Mr. Pender that he made an honest mistake. I expect that they, like myself, will be more impressed that the Record quickly acknowledged and corrected that mistake.  

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This is a special treat that you should seek out and eat when you can find it: elote.

A Central American snack food, often purchased from small mobile carts operated by street vendors called “eloteros,” the word translates to something like “tender cob.”

Usually made by slathering butter and mayonnaise on a cooked cob of corn, and often a cob cooked in its husk for added flavour, elote is enriched wonderfully by traditional ingredients such as cotija cheese, salt, lemon or lime juice and chile powder, depending on which Central American country is making it.

From any of the countries in that region, and with its variations, it’s a truly great snack.

Check out my latest post Elote street corn from AndrewCoppolino.com.