City of Waterloo

Image of a smartphone with the screen showing the contactless access app, being held b a hand on a beige background.

New smartphone app launched by City of Waterloo to make city buildings more accessible

October 15, 2024 by Cora Kuehl

The City of Waterloo is working towards creating safe accessible spaces to all their city buildings. With October being National Disability Employment Awareness Month, the city has announced the launch of an app created by Contactless Access, that allows elevators at city hall to be controlled with a smartphone. This app is available for free to staff and visitors. Mayor Dorothy McCabe says this is just one of the ways the city of Waterloo is improving buildings to make them more accessible.

The city is looking into different ways to improve access for both visitors and staff. Amy Ross, who works with the City of Waterloo as an Accessibility Advocate says things like access to city buildings and participations within the city should be available to everyone.

A modern municipal building with purple and yellow plants in front with green grass and a blue sky with clouds.

Waterloo’s READI team presents a rough draft of a plan to assess the diverse needs of the city

October 10, 2024 by Cora Kuehl

The City of Waterloo’s population continues to rise and with an increase in population comes a need for representation for diverse and cultural needs within the community. In 2021 the Reconciliation, Equity, Accessibility, Diversity and Inclusion team was created, the READI team for short.

Divya Handa, the director of the READI team says the team was created to develop a strategic plan for the City of Waterloo to implement.

The READI team presented their rough draft plan to city council in late September, Handa says the feedback from council and the community ill help further develop a final plan to be presented at the December council meeting. The next step would be to implement the plan within the city.

A trail, one section covered with snow, the other part is cleared. Railway tracks are on the left of the image and there is a stop sign and railway X signs that are white and red. there is a multistory building in the background.

Waterloo’s Snow Assist program expands as applications for the program’s 2nd year open

September 11, 2024 by Dan Kellar

The City of Waterloo has expanded the availability of their Snow Assist program for the upcoming winter to help more residents. Reflecting the city’s accessibility and inclusion efforts, Snow Assist is aimed at residents 65 years of age and older and for low-income folks with disabilities. The program will place qualifying applicants in one of three streams of service for snow removal on their properties throughout the winter.

Applications are due by the end of September and can be accessed on waterloo.ca/snow-assist. Folks who were approved for the program last winter will be automatically re-enrolled.

This show features an interview with Tiffany Smith the manager of community programming for the city, who discusses the impetus for the program, and the various streams of service available.

The city of Waterloo sign. A relic from the 1960s, the word City is italiced and sits on top of the word of' and the two sit together in a stylized box that sits atop a long vertical narrow sign that reads Waterloo vertically.

Waterloo City Council approves community-driven changes for affordable housing project

June 3, 2024 by M.P. Holmes

After gathering community input, the City of Waterloo has modified its plan to develop vacant city land near Rim Park.

Michelle Lee, an Executive Officer at the City of Waterloo, highlighted how the idea of increasing building heights from 6 storeys to 12. The push for more commercial units came from the community.

The project aims to provide over 700 homes in a sustainable, affordable neighbourhood with commercial opportunities. The city has submitted the modified plan and now waits for approval for the Minister’s Zoning Order (MZO). An MZO authorizes the Minister of Municipal Affairs to fast track zoning changes on specific pieces of land.

Financial structure and long-term affordability remain critical questions still to be resolved. Staff favour land lease models, where land remains in community ownership but is leased to developers, while Sean Campbell, the Executive Director of Union Sustainable Development Cooperative, cautioned against prioritizing land leases over other potential models, highlighting that the core objective is perpetual affordability and public benefit.

A large group of people stand around 8 people lying on the floor pretending to be dead. The people standing have hymn sheets in their hands and are singing hymns. Both groups are attending a 'hymn sing' in which they sing for peace.

Singers gather to sing hymns for peace in Waterloo and across North America

December 22, 2023 by M.P. Holmes

Over 200 people arrived at Waterloo City Hall on Tuesday December 19 to sing for peace. The Mennonite Day of Action — Hymn Sing for a Ceasefire was put on by the group Mennonite Action, a movement of Mennonites who believe they have a responsibility to speak out for peace and justice.

Sam Ramer of Mennonite Action talked about the purpose of the hymn sing, why they are focusing on Palestine, and the need for a ceasefire.

Mennonite Action’s event was not only held in Waterloo. On December 19, over two thousand people sang hymns in 42 cities and towns across North America as part of a campaign to encourage government representatives to push for a ceasefire.

A close up of long green grass on a lawn.

Waterloo resident battles the perfectly manicured lawn

December 11, 2023 by M.P. Holmes

Waterloo City is moving closer to loosening restrictions on front lawn grass, making way for increased naturalization.

After three years of responding to neighbours’ complaints about the length of her grass to bylaw, Waterloo resident Masha Kuznetsova asked Waterloo City Council on Monday night for changes to Bylaw No. 2011-123, the Lot maintenance bylaw.

She asked the city to increase grass height and to reduce the requirement for a buffer strip around a naturalized area. Staff explained they receive about 400-800 long grass complaints per season.

Also in the meeting the city’s transportation services presented new boulevard garden guidelines which will allow for increased naturalization in lawns and on boulevards throughout the City of Waterloo. In addition, the city parks department kicked off the park’s urban forest management strategy by examining rules regarding trees on private property.