waterloo region

The front door of a building that includes, above it, a very large work of Indigenous collage art that depicts five heron-like birds in a pond situated among rolling hills in a yellow landscape, three trees and a blue sky with wispy clouds.

Kitchener’s Willow River Centre celebrates National Indigenous Month and calls for more substantial action

June 20, 2024 by M.P. Holmes

The Willow River Centre in Kitchener is advocating for more meaningful support for Indigenous people and culture instead of what they characterize as routine performative gestures from municipalities and organizations.

The Center, which serves Indigenous, racialized, Two Spirit, and LGBTQ youth, is hosting Summer Solstice Saturday on June 22nd to celebrate National Indigenous Peoples Month. The Willow River Centre co-directors Amy Smoke and Bangishimo said that their past efforts on the day have often resulted in overwork and stress.

“It’s been so many years now since the TRC calls to actions came out and still to this day for a lot of organizations and spaces, we’re still considering an afterthought where, where we get emails like the week of before June and these organizations and corporations are looking for somebody to sing and dance for them,” Bangishimo told CKMS News.

The Summer Solstice Saturday will be held on Saturday, June 22nd at the Kitchener Farmer’s Market from 8 a.m. until 2 p.m.

A photo of cars travelling at high speed on a city street at night.

Local Residents Challenge Waterloo Region on Noise Data

June 17, 2024 by M.P. Holmes

The recent expansion of Highland Road West in Kitchener has increased noise pollution, significantly impacting residents who live along the road between Ira Needles Boulevard and Fisher Hallman Road.

Residents raised concerns about noise pollution and how it is measured at the Regional Council Planning and Works Committee meeting in early June.

Despite residents’ complaints and self-initiated noise-blocking measures, Regional staff insist the levels in this area do not exceed thresholds. Staff have said they will continue to rely on theoretical models that predict noise levels and that live noise tests are not routine due to precedent, policy and budget constraints. The residents, on the other hand, argue that the models are flawed and real-time noise data and live noise studies would provide a more accurate reflection of the situation.

Regional Councillors asked questions of both sides, eventually agreeing to draw up a motion to conduct live measurements in the impacted neighbourhood, with further discussions planned for the next Regional Council meeting.

A picture of a small hospital in Kitchener/Waterloo. The building is a low rise, approximately 6-8 stories. The back part of the building is red brick with rows of windows. The front is white and grey with large windows across the front. The name "Grand River Hospital" is on the front of the building.

Waterloo Region Health Coalition Calls for Public Vote on Health Care Privatization

June 5, 2024 by M.P. Holmes

Waterloo Region Health Coalition has called for the Ontario government to hold a public vote on healthcare privatization in Ontario.

Jim Stewart of the Health Care Advocacy Group criticized the government’s privatization agenda, and the lack of clear communication both during the 2022 election and since, arguing privatization lacks public support and undermines the public system.

The Ontario Health Coalition highlights significant underfunding of public hospitals by the Ford administration, leading to increased wait times and operational challenges.

While Kitchener Conestoga MPP Mike Harris, Jr. defended the government’s health care spending (but provided no citations for his claims), Kitchener Centre MPP Aislinn Clancy argued the government has been underfunding the system, ultimately increasing the costs for taxpayers and creating a two-tier system.

A young girl on a doctor's table receives a bandaid over the spot where she was vaccinated.

Waterloo Region Board of Health finds success updating school immunization records

May 28, 2024 by M.P. Holmes

As Regional schools prepare for their final month of the school year, the Waterloo Region Department of Public Health reported to Council on May 23 that over 37,000 immunization records have been updated for school students since January, preventing student suspensions.

Dr. Hsiu-Li Wang, the Chief Medical Officer of Health for the region, provided an update on the enforcement of the Immunization of School Pupils Act. While Dr Wang discussed the suspension of some students due to their outdated records, she also noted the Region’s high compliance rate, particularly for measles immunization, with no local cases reported.

A full compliance report will be provided in the fall.

Spectrum set for a busy Pride 2024 in Waterloo, new rainbow crosswalk on the way

May 27, 2024 by Dan Kellar

Spectrum, an organization that serves local 2SLGBTQIA+ people, has a busy Pride 2024 season ahead, including the unveiling of a new rainbow crosswalk.

“Kicking things off” on May 31, Spectrum’s Executive Director Scott Williams will join Waterloo Mayor Dorothy McCabe and others to launch the crosswalk officially in uptown.

“We need to be very visible in order to remind people that we have always been here and will always be here,” Williams told CKMS on the importance of projects like the crosswalk.

The organization is also planning many initiatives including participation in Tri-Pride Summerfest on June 1, Pride Ride on June 7, and Spectrum’s third annual gala on June 13.

This CKMS show features an interview with Scott Williams on Spectrum’s activities, Pride 2024, and the new rainbow crosswalk. Williams also speaks about ongoing effects and efforts related to the June 28, 2023 hate-motivated attack in a gender studies classroom at the University of Waterloo.

The image of a new crosswalk on a city street

Pedestrian collisions adding up in Waterloo Region

May 8, 2024 by M.P. Holmes

A recent hit-and-run incident in North Waterloo is the third such occurrence in Waterloo Region since the beginning of 2024. Thus far, in 2024 alone, the WRPS has publicly reported 22 pedestrian-related collisions locally. Various factors contribute to these incidents, including distracted drivers and distracted pedestrians.

The impacts of being hit by a car can be serious and the increased size of vehicles can contribute to more severe injuries. While attempts to increase driver accountability have so far failed at Queen’s Park, police have trained their focus on preventative measures and awareness to improve road safety.

The show features an interview with Waterloo Regional Police Services staff sergeant Scott Griffiths and insights from Janice Jim, the chair of the City of Waterloo Active Transportation Committee and vice president of CycleWR.

an empty bench faces the a downtown lake, the ground is covered with snow and although the lake has snow on it, large circles of warmer areas expose warmer areas in the lake. There is a lone park bench in the lower left corner.

After a mild winter, get ready for a hot summer in the city

April 25, 2024 by M.P. Holmes

The weather last winter in Waterloo Region was mild and unstable, just as predicted. This variable weather is expected to continue into a hot, dry summer with potential serious repercussions on our community.

These predictions follow an unusual year of weather, complicated by global weather disturbances, including El Niño. According to the University of Waterloo weather station, the winter snowfall amount as of the end of March was at less than half of the average of the typical season.

Milder winter temperatures are causing other concerns as well. With the U. S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported that in 2023 24, the ice cover on the Great Lakes reached a record low of less than 3 percent ice cover basin wide.

Dr. Annabella Bonata, research associate and manager of the Intact Center for Climate Adaptation at the University of Waterloo explains the dynamics responsible for our changing weather patterns, emphasizing the potential consequences and highlighting the need for adaptation.

A photo of a police service cruiser parked on a road and the sidewalk in front of a "No Stopping" sign. The motto "People Helping People" is visible on the trunk, along with the car's designation 656-N.

Lawyer contracted by Waterloo Police Services let go as a result of charges in Thunder Bay

April 19, 2024 by Dan Kellar

On April 9th 2024, former internal legal counsel for the Thunder Bay police, Holly Walbourne was arrested by the OPP and charged for actions which they say took place while she was still working for the police force in the northern Ontario city.

There is a connection to Waterloo Region in this story — Walbourne was retained by the Waterloo Region Police Services for her legal services in May 2023. That contract has now been discontinued as of April 12th. Police spokesperson Cherri Greeno wrote to CKMS News that the contract termination was “as a result of allegations that are currently before the courts”.

Waterloo Regional Police did not answer questions about the nature of Walbourne’s work with the force, or if they were aware of the OPP investigation of Walboune when they retained her services.

This show features an interview with Patrick Watson, an assistant professor of criminology at the University of Toronto, who researches policing and police oversight. He explains how communication works between police forces, and why the hiring of Walbourne may have happened despite the issues in Thunder Bay.

A man in a climbing harness climbs up an orange and red wall in a climbing gym

Local climbing gym fights a developer and displacement

April 10, 2024 by M.P. Holmes

For the second time in as many years, Grand River Rocks, a climbing gym in Kitchener, Ontario, is fighting to stay in business due to urban development plans.

At the Kitchener City Council Planning and Strategic Initiatives Committee meeting on Monday April 8, the owners of Grand River Rocks expressed concerns over a lease they signed without knowledge of redevelopment plans. Council has been asked by the developer, the Falco group, to approve the project that would see more than 1000 new residential units on Victoria Street North, and if that approval is granted, the gym would need to relocate.

The Kitchener city councillors questioned the gym’s decisions and proposed collaborating with developers. They deferred the decision to allow more time for debate.

Two swallowtail butterflies are photographed from below while feeding on a flowering bush

Blooming roadsides restore habitats for pollinators

April 8, 2024 by M.P. Holmes

A few years ago, it was common for car windshields to be spattered with bugs after a drive in the country. According to Jennifer Leat of the Pollinator Roadsides Project, that’s not happening so much anymore. There are fewer bugs, and fewer bugs equals fewer pollinators.

A community driven project to help pollinators will be happening on Saturday April 13 to restore habitat corridors for pollinators by planting pollinator-friendly native plants along roadsides.

Backed by a grant from the Region of Waterloo’s Community Environment Fund with support from volunteers and sponsors, the Pollinator Roadside Project seeks to increase biodiversity, support pollinator conservation, reduce maintenance costs, and control water runoff. The project also hopes to set a provincial and national precedent for prioritizing sustainability in roadside plantings.

Jennifer Leat, Lead of the Pollinator Roadsides project talks to CKMS about the project and the importance of pollinators.

An ambulance on the right side of the screen is driving into a hospital loading zone, but the photographer has moved the camera while taking the photo so single lights look as though they are dragged enhancing the motion-like quality of the photograph and reinforcing the speed at which paramedics must work.

Paramedic services exceed response time targets but off-load delays remain a challenge

March 8, 2024 by M.P. Holmes

High patient volumes and staffing shortages within local hospital emergency rooms are impacting the ability of local paramedics in the Waterloo Region to respond to critical calls.

The preliminary Paramedic Services Annual Report was presented to the Community and Health Services Committee at Regional Council (item 8.2 on the regular agenda) this week reporting response statistics, off-load delay mitigation, and changes to the categorization of system alerts and patient acuity.

Although call volumes requesting paramedic help increased only by 1% in 2023, in 2022 call volumes increased by 11% over the previous year, and the paramedic service is still adjusting to these high call volumes.

While the local paramedic service exceeded all of their provincial and regional response time targets, the challenges posed by off-load delays, which happen when paramedics are held up in hospital emergency departments waiting for patients to be transferred to the care of a hospital, are a significant factor in response time.

A drawing on a two toned blue background. A hand with the index finger pointing and a drop of blood falling into a vial with the number 1. There are two other vials, labelled 2 and 3, and there is a small white block with a top shaped like half a bagel. Likely the bacterial growth kit.

ACCKWA’s HIV self-testing program at risk due to non-renewal of federal funding

March 4, 2024 by Dan Kellar

Funding for an HIV self-testing program will not be renewed by the federal government in the 2024 budget despite the positive effects touted by front-line service organizations such as the AIDS Committee of Cambridge, Kitchener, Waterloo and Area (ACCKWA). The Public Health Agency of Canada has confirmed to CKMS News that the funding will cease at the end of March.

The national program supplied self-testing kits and provided funding for workers to assist those seeking and HIV test, including guiding folks through the proper testing process. CATIE, an NGO focused on providing information to front line service providers in Canada called the HIV self-testing program “an important piece in overcoming hurdles and bridging the gaps between diagnosis and treatment”.

This show features an interview with Ruth Cameron, the executive director of ACCKWA, who discusses the importance of the HIV self-testing program and provides some impact data.