Charities benefit during Oktoberfest

Mother and daughter share a book in front of “FLUX,’ the new public art piece
at the recently renovated Kitchener Library Central Branch
The city’s publication for its residents
September-October 2014
Working the election
A
fter the voter cards are delivered
and the campaigning is done,
a municipal election – or any
election for that matter – just happens,
right? Did you know it takes about 450
people to work at polling stations on
municipal Election Day?
election; for instance, there are voters’
identities to verify, votes to count, and
now that voting is electronic, there is
technology involved. Multiply that by 74
polling locations, and you soon realize
the election process just can’t be done
without the help of citizens.”
It’s one way to take your civic duty a
step further and actually participate in
democracy in action, beyond your vote.
The city provides training on the
legislation, the tabulation and electronic
strike-off equipment, and provides
reference materials to citizens who are
working at the polling locations.
“We rely heavily on our citizens at
polling locations to ensure the election
process unfolds as it should,” said
Christine Tarling, city clerk. “We simply
don’t have enough staff to manage all
the pieces that make up a municipal
An election doesn’t happen without
votes, either. Election Day is Monday,
Oct. 27, from 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Advance
polls are Oct. 15-17 from 2-8 p.m.,
and Oct. 18 from 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
Accessible vote tabulators will be
available at advance voting locations,
which are as follows:
• Kitchener City Hall
• Country Hills Community Centre (C.C.)
• Doon Pioneer Park C.C.
• Forest Heights C.C.
• Stanley Park C.C.
In the 2010 election, 20-29 per cent
turned out to vote throughout the 10
wards. Compass Kitchener, a citizen
advisory committee appointed by
council, actively encourages residents
to engage in the political process.
A sub-committee on voter turnout
educates people specifically on voting.
The advisory group organizes annual
youth forums with members of Kitchener
City Council, volunteers from Compass
Kitchener, the Rotary Club of Kitchener
and students from local civics classes.
Students pitch community improvement
ideas to civic leaders, and receive
feedback from them. For My Ideal City,
Grade 5 students write reports on
community improvement ideas. Both
programs engage youth, their parents
and teachers in municipal affairs,
continued on page 3
Charities benefit
during Oktoberfest
O
ktoberfest time is almost here.
Amid all the activities that
celebrate the large German
festival, there are also events that
help raise money for charities.
Farm to table
I
t’s not often that farmers see
their hard work handled deftly by
experienced and talented chefs, but
the Kitchener Market recently brought
local farmers and chefs together for a
farmers’ dinner, and fed a few dozen
hungry and appreciative guests.
It was such a success, the market is
planning a second dinner in September.
“The connections, the collaboration,
the fun and laughter…it was a real
evening of sharing and community,”
said Kim Feere, manager of the
Kitchener Market. “The farmers were
so proud to be invited, and share some
accolades for what they do, and then
YK_SeptOct_2014_TB.indd 2
the chefs turned their hard work into
something beautiful on the plate.”
The dinner, scheduled for Monday, Sept.
29 at 6:30 p.m., is part of the market’s
Harvest Festival that runs from Sept.
18-Oct. 11. The festival celebrates the
arrival of the bountiful autumn harvest
through community-building.
The main event takes place on Saturday,
Sept. 27 beginning at 9 a.m. Come for
a book reading, make community soup,
enjoy live music on the piazza, and
workshops on fall canning and learn how
to make the perfect apple pie.
Read the full story at www.kitchener.
ca/yourkitchener or learn more about
the Harvest Festival and see the event
schedule at www.kitchenermarket.ca/
harvestfestival. n
Grillefest
Members of Kitchener City Council
celebrate the official opening
ceremonies of Oktoberfest during
Grillefest on Oct. 10 from 11 a.m. to
2 p.m. at Kitchener City Hall. Council
and city staff will grill up delicious,
traditional Oktoberfest sausage nestled
in a fresh bun and served with cookies
and an ice-cold drink to quench your
thirst, for just $5!
All proceeds are donated to the Food
Bank of Waterloo Region. Non-perishable
and canned goods will also be received
with appreciation at this event.
Festhallen
The Aud and Queensmount Arena
become Karlsberghaus Festhalle and
Altes Muenchen Haus respectively
during Oktoberfest. Karlsberghaus
features the award-winning Saxons as
its house band. Run by the Kiwanis
Club of Twin Cities at The Aud, it is
a volunteer-operated festhalle that
infuses money back into the community
through many charities. Canada’s
Polka King, Walter Ostanek, makes
Altes Muenchen Haus his home
during Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest.
Altes Muenchen Haus, located at
Queensmount Arena, is run by the
Kitchener Lions Club. n
Your Kitchener is published every other
month to keep citizens informed on local
issues and events. Questions or comments
can be directed to 519-741-2345 ext. 7383
or [email protected]. The City of
Kitchener is committed to providing accessible
formats. If another format would work better for
you, please contact the number above.
2014-09-05 3:10 PM
Kitchener Rangers. Get ready for
the Kitchener Rangers’ 2014-15
Ontario Hockey League season! Find
the exhibition games schedule and
home-game schedule at www.theaud.
ca. The Rangers take on the Owen
Sound Attack in their home opener
on Friday, Sept. 26 at 7:30 p.m. n
Knitters’ Fair. The Kitchener-Waterloo
Knitters’ Fair is one of the largest
all-knitting events in Canada, and
it comes to The Aud on Saturday,
Sept. 13 from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30
p.m. This year’s fair features about
70 vendors offering the latest in
knitting products. Imagine 35,000
square feet dedicated to the craft
of knitting, offering an incredible
display of a diverse variety of yarns
in an explosion of colour, knitting
books, patterns, and accessories.
Visit www.kwknittersguild.ca for
more information. n
The 92nd annual German Shepherd
Dog Show. The German Shepherd
Dog Club of Canada will host its
National Specialty Show at The
Aud Sept. 19-20. This is a large
conformation and obedience show,
and includes agility and rally, with
between 200-300 German shepherds
entered from all over Canada, the
USA, Bermuda and Germany.
www.gsdcc.homestead.com. n
Potential sparks the arts
A
rt markets in the summer, large wall
murals in back alleys, festivals, night
events that explore the arts in both
summer and winter . . . this is the stuff of
Kitchener’s art scene. It’s exciting, it’s a
bit offbeat, it’s innovative, and it’s coming
into its own.
Eric Rumble has two words for it:
brimming adaptability.
Rumble is editor-in-chief for Alternatives
Journal, the locally grown but nationally
known environmental magazine that
backed Night\Shift, an art event that
took over downtown Kitchener for
one night last November. Night\Shift
brought local artists together, NuitBlanche style, presenting more than
30 installations and performances in
20 locations. The event successfully
brought subcultures everything from
fine arts, indie music, environmentalism
and more together in one event. A
second Night\Shift is planned for
Saturday, Nov. 1.
T
The Russell Peters Almost Famous
World Tour. After setting attendance
records around the world with his
Notorious World Tour in 2012,
comedian Russell Peters launches
his new Almost Famous World Tour
across Canada this fall – making a
stop at The Aud on Wednesday, Oct.
8 at 8 p.m. Tickets can be purchased
at www.theaud.ca, by phone at
519-578-1570 or 1-800-265-8977,
and in person at The Aud and The
Centre in the Square box offices. n
YK_SeptOct_2014_TB.indd 3
The city aids community partners to
ensure successful events, including
offering a tool called “Event in a Box,”
which encourages community event
organizers to contact city staff for
advice, resources and services.
For Night\Shift, and Rumble, who
hadn’t really done a lot of festival
production or installation/performance
curation, city staff helped get the
project off the ground. Rumble said
that city staff like Hilary Abel, downtown
marketing and program coordinator,
and Emily Robson, arts and culture
coordinator, are “champions of the
open-minded, experimental and
offbeat personality that downtown
Kitchener is establishing for itself,
which in turn makes the core more
accessible, attractive and full of
fabulous surprises.”
They were enthusiastic about Night\
Shift from the beginning, he adds.
“They anticipated and identified
potential problems and how to
overcome them; they contributed great
ideas to the curation process and
found ways to make space available
for strange and sometimes challenging
programming,” Rumble said, adding
their support was invaluable.
For more on Kitchener’s events, go
to www.kitchenerevents.ca or www.
downtownkitchener.ca. n
Margaret Avenue bridge design
OK for GO service
he new Margaret Avenue bridge will
serve the needs of enhanced GO Train
service, and may even accommodate a
third track at its current width, Metrolinx and
GO Transit recently confirmed with city staff.
The Word on the Street. The Word
on the Street is an annual one-day
national book and magazine family
festival celebrating literacy and the
written arts, on Saturday, Sept. 20
from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Promoting
literacy with free performances
and hands-on activities, it’s a day
jam-packed with author readings
and talks, poetry, playwrights,
music and children’s activities in
locations throughout the downtown.
To volunteer, email volunteer@
kitchener.ca or call 519-741-2200
x7564. www.kitchenerevents.ca n
“The core and its culture contain
so much potential for reinvention,
embedded imagination and creative
community-building, and there seems to
be room for almost anyone to carve out
a little niche within that physical and
social landscape with their energies
and ideas,” said Rumble. “Without the
City of Kitchener’s enthusiasm, insights
and incredible support, Night\Shift
would not have been created.”
“We’ve had several conversations
with Metrolinx and GO, and the current
rail configuration appears to be
sufficient,” said Rod Regier, executive
director of economic development for
the city. “GO also indicated recently
that a two-track bridge could
accommodate three tracks.”
Two-way, all-day GO train service
between Kitchener and Toronto is
a local and provincial priority. The
province committed to improved
passenger rail service between
Kitchener and Toronto in its July 14
budget – amounting to an investment
of about $600 million.
The bridge closed in June 2013.
Initial design work proceeded on the
premise that the rebuilt bridge would
span the existing two rail tracks. In
June 2014, council directed city staff
to investigate building a longer bridge
to accommodate three tracks and
Just sayin’
consideration. Responding to citizen
input and improving the city’s overall
quality of life are keys to the process.
hank you, Kitchener! People
from all areas of the city, about
1,400 in total, responded to our
Your Kitchener, Your Say campaign,
exploring themes that emerged from the
2013 Environics survey. Now the initial
consultation is done and the summarized
results will be presented to council in
September for discussion and direction.
In November 2013, Environics
surveyed more than 1,000 residents,
who said:
T
After the municipal election Oct. 27, city
council sets specific goals for the next
four years, taking budget factors into
•the quality of life in Kitchener is
good;
•they get good value for their tax
dollars;
options for funding, given the provincial
announcements.
The province has also committed
to finalizing the business case and
environmental assessment for a
high-speed rail line for the LondonKitchener-Toronto corridor. However, GO
Transit’s plan for expanding two-way, allday passenger service doesn’t currently
include allowing for high-speed rail, but
may mean less investment is needed
when high-speed rail is implemented.
For more on the bridge, please go
to www.kitchener.ca, search words
“Margaret Ave bridge.” n
•accountability, the economy, the
environment and transportation
should be top priorities for the next
four years.
Next year, there will be opportunities
to continue the dialogue as the city
works towards the next strategic plan.
For more on Your Kitchener, Your Say,
go to www.kitchener.ca/yoursay n
•they would support a tax increase
at the rate of inflation to maintain
services, and;
2014-09-05 3:10 PM
Society changes, cemeteries adjust
I
nfluenced by an ever-changing and
increasingly diverse society, rituals and
observances around death have changed.
And, Kitchener Cemeteries has also had to
adjust its approach to dealing with families
and individuals experiencing death. As
our society has changed, so too has the
make-up of our cemeteries.
“Thirty years ago, the cemetery was
divided into two sections: Catholic and
Protestant,” said Trisha Bradshaw,
supervisor of cemeteries. “Kitchener
Cemeteries has adapted to the different
cultures in our community by creating
sections that reflect the uniqueness of
the different faiths and rituals.”
Some segments of the Western culture
avoid death, placing less value on
cemetery burial or cemetery visits, she
said, adding that in other cultures,
it is sign of great respect to place a
monument and visit the grave.
“Some non-western cultures keep many
of their long-standing burial traditions,
whereas Western societies are modifying
their traditions,” Bradshaw said. “As
Kitchener becomes more diverse, it has
been a learning curve for us at Kitchener
Cemeteries to understand what is
needed for each culture.”
Within some religions, Bradshaw said,
it is important to bring offerings of fresh
food. Some throw money into the grave,
while others place a stone on the base
of the monument as a sign that there
have been visitors at that person’s grave.
The number of families who have
a religious affiliation is decreasing,
Bradshaw adds. Younger generations,
who sometimes don’t find value in the
funeral process, spend less, causing a
shift in the market. Cremation is also
on the rise and now contributes to more
than 50 per cent of all interments, she
said, which means providing flexibility in
the types of services and final resting
places is essential.
“This flexibility can be a good thing, but
the loss of some of our burial traditions
has had a negative effect on people’s
ability to effectively deal with their
loss and to move through their grief,”
Bradshaw said.
The Aud & Arenas skating schedule.
Lace up your skates for the ice
season and take advantage of
a variety of programs in the City
of Kitchener’s arenas. Programs
include paid public skating and adult
shinny hockey, special public skating
events, and free community skating
presented by Josslin Insurance. Visit
www.kitchener.ca/skatingschedule
or call 519-741-2699 for more
information. n
To read the full story and for
examples of burial traditions within
some religions, please see www.
kitchener.ca/yourkitchener. For more
on Kitchener Cemeteries, see www.
kitchenercemeteries.ca n
The value of neighbourhoods
M
arie Morneau’s vision for her
Kingsdale neighbourhood last
year won her an audience with
Mayor Carl Zehr at Kingsdale Community
Centre. As winner of the Mayor’s Challenge,
Morneau answered the Festival of
Neighbourhoods’ call to “Tell us what
your neighbourhood means to you.”
On a single sheet of paper, she told
of her affection for Kingsdale. After
winning, she submitted an entire album
of pictures and commentary about her
neighbourhood.
“It was an honour to win. It put
Kingsdale on the map in a different
way,” said Morneau.
The Mayor’s Challenge creates a forum
for residents to tell their stories, in
whatever way it takes to tell them.
•Building a stronger sense of
belonging and connection between
residents and their neighbourhoods
to increase civic pride in the
community.
The winner takes the mayor on a tour
of their neighbourhood with as many
friends and family as they like.
Healthy and connected communities
are what Festival of Neighbourhoods is
all about. And, as the City of Kitchener
develops its neighbourhood strategy,
the focus is also on:
•Helping residents contribute to
planning, building, sustaining
and supporting safe and thriving
neighbourhoods, based on each
area’s unique character and needs.
Learning to lead
N
icole Gatchene’s report card
often said “needs to show more
leadership” or “needs to be
a leader”. But what the report card
didn’t do was tell her how.
“Leadership isn’t something you can
learn from sitting in a desk doing
paper work or hosting pep rallies,”
Gatchene said. “That was my dilemma; I had the potential to be a
leader but, at 17 years old, I didn’t
know what being a leader really
looked like.”
That was until she joined Kitchener
Youth Action Council (KYAC), a
volunteer group of youth who take
action to make sure youth voices
are heard.
“KYAC doesn’t teach you how to
become a leader, it makes you
into one,” she says, adding while
on the council, she helped plan
events, contacted local businesses
continued from page 1
Working the
election
providing insight into what matters
most to young adults in the community.
“I feel very strongly that the municipal
order of government is where you
see real impact on your day-to-day
life,” said Tarling, noting voters aren’t
simply electing a city council. “They’re
electing representatives at the Region
YK_SeptOct_2014_TB.indd 4
for donations, and participated in
subgroups on specific issues.
KYAC members also represent youth
at community events, address city
council and Grade 10 civics students,
as well as plan an informal forum to
discuss social issues, and present
Pride Prom for LGTBQ youth.
KYAC meets every Thursday from
6 - 7:30 p.m. at the Downtown
Community Centre, 35 Weber St. W.
Regular meetings run Sept. 25
through to June 11.
“The most rewarding thing about
KYAC is the friends it’s given me,”
she said. “I might have said seeing
events I’d imagined come to life, but
the truth is, none of that could have
happened without my fellow KYAC
members who I am now happy to
call my friends.”
For more information, please go to
www.kitchener.ca/kyac. n
of Waterloo and the school boards, as
well as the City of Kitchener.”
Regional government responsibilities
include museums, transit and
transportation, waste management,
public health, water regulation and
police. City responsibilities include
utilities, snow removal and leaf
pick-up, community centres and the fire
department, among many others.
To read the full story, visit www.
kitchener.ca/yourkitchener. To learn
more about working at a polling station,
•Helping municipal staff focus
on building safe and thriving
neighbourhoods as the basis for a
healthy community.
The city is engaging community groups
and residents to define the objectives,
scope, process and governance for
developing the strategy. You can help
start the conversation by completing
an online survey at www.kitchener.ca,
search words “neighbourhood strategy.”
Contest details and submission form
for the Mayor’s Challenge can be found
at www.kitchener.ca/fon. n
This mix is
attracting
W
hat attracts a young and
innovative workforce to find a
niche in downtown Kitchener?
Unique, vibrant experiences. Big-city
amenities. A sense of community.
And if the mix is right, that workforce
will stay. “I have the ability to walk
to everything I need…but I also have
access to most of the amenities
available in a bigger city,” said
Cody Wright, who moved to a condo
downtown just over a year ago.
“Ultimately, I’m here because of work;
that work gives me the opportunity to
live downtown and a two-minute walking
commute!”
Something’s cooking at the
Kitchener Market. There’s always
something fun happening at the
Kitchener Market. Free events take
place on Saturdays. For details, visit
www.kitchenermarket.ca/events.
Take a tour of the market with
Chef D every second Saturday.
Discover your love for cooking at
the market! Classes take place
Wednesdays, 6:30-8:30 p.m.,
unless otherwise indicated:
• On a Roll - Sushi Part 2: Sept. 16
• Harvest-time canning with
Bernardin: Sept. 18 (cost: $2)
• Paris in the fall: Sept. 24
• Wine Art: Sept. 23
• Freezer meals: Sept. 30
• Cook like a top chef: Oct. 7
• Soups and stews: Oct. 8
• Cooking with beer: Oct. 15
• Wine Art: Oct. 21
• Tasty Thai: Oct. 22
Free pre-planning seminars Delayed
preplanning results in increased
future costs. Investing today results
in savings tomorrow. Let us show
you how to save your family time and
money; join Kitchener Cemeteries
at Williamsburg Cemetery for
informational seminars on:
• Thursday, Sept. 25, 5:30-7 p.m.
• Wednesday, Oct. 8, noon-1:30 p.m.
For more information and to RSVP,
visit www.kitchenercemeteries.ca/
preplanning n
What keeps him here? “I really enjoy
the constantly evolving start-up culture
here,” he said. “It’s also great to have
trails so close to downtown.”
For full story, visit www.kitchener.ca/
yourkitchener n
find out who is running or check to
make sure you’re on the voters’ list go
to www.kitchener.ca/election. n
OCTOBER 27, 2014
A pet’s death The loss of a pet can
trigger unexpected feelings. We can
help. Join Kitchener Cemeteries
for a free pet loss workshop
with facilitator Dianne Bauer on
Wednesday, Sept. 24, 5:30-8:30
p.m. in the Williamsburg Dedication
Centre. Space is limited, please
RSVP to 519-741-2880.
www.kitchenercemeteries.ca/petloss n
2014-09-05 3:10 PM
Reduce your risk of leaks and floods at home this fall!
6 Tips to be RAIN-Smart:
•
Check and clear storm drains –Check and clear the storm drain closest to your house
on a regular basis to prevent your street from flooding during major rain and snow melts.
If major debris is caught in the storm drain, please call the City’s Corporate Contact
Centre at 519-741-2345.
•
Monitor downspouts – Be sure that all downspout extensions are free of debris, are
properly attached, and reach a minimum of 2.4 meters (8 feet) away from your foundation
to prevent water from making its way into your basement.
•
Store rain barrels – By the end of October remove and store rain barrels in order to
revent cracking during the winter. Re-attach all downspouts. (Refer to downspout
tips above).
•
Find out where the water goes – Big rainfall, or snow-melt, can cause water to pool or
head toward your home’s foundation. To avoid this, walk around your property during heavy
rainfall, and look to see where the water pools. Identify where repairs to eavestroughs,
downspouts and re-grading are needed to direct water away from your home.
•
Test sump pump – Check to be sure your sump pump is in working order. During heavy
rain falls, listen to be sure the sump pump comes on regularly. It is recommended
to keep a back-up power source (battery) in case of a prolonged power outage, or
to consider having a second sump pump in case of emergency.
•
Prep the basement – Be sure basement storage and electronics are kept up on shelves
and off the floor in case a flood occurs.
Learn more about how to soak up rain on your property and how to get stormwater credits
for taking action by visiting reepgreen.ca/rain or by calling 519-744-9799 ext. 4.
Give them a PARTY they’ll
REMEMBER!
Choose The Marketplace for your event and we’ll take
the stress out of planning. From a basic room rental
to fully customized packages, the Kitchener Market
is your partner in creating an event they’ll cherish.
The Marketplace is a 2,000 sq. ft. room located in
the heart of the market with a full-sized commercial kitchen perfect for hosting a variety of events.
For more information and to view our photo gallery,
visit www.kitchenermarket.ca/rentals or call 519-741-2287.
reep
Green Solutions
Get paid to upgrade
Receive up to $650* when you replace your old central heating †
and cooling system with a new energy-efficient model.
Plus
Receive an additional $250** on-bill credit from
Kitchener Utilities when you upgrade your furnace.
Visit naturalcomforts.ca for complete program
information and eligibility details.
Subject to additional terms and conditions found at saveonenergy.ca. *Incentives are available for installation of eligible equipment
completed between Jan. 1, 2014 and Dec. 31, 2014, and must be submitted no later than Feb. 1, 2015. Equipment must be purchased
from and installed by a participating contractor. †Replacement furnaces must be high-efficiency models with an electronically
commutated motor (ECM). Funded by the Ontario Power Authority and offered by Kitchener-Wilmot Hydro Inc. OM Official Mark of the
Ontario Power Authority. Used under licence.
**Subject to additional terms and conditions found at naturalcomforts.ca. On-bill credit is only available until Feb. 28, 2015 or until
funding is depleted. Credit is only available to registered owners of a residential Kitchener property. Eligible equipment must be
purchased and installed by an Authorized Dealer. Rebate is only valid when upgrading a conventional or mid-efficiency furnace to a
high-efficiency unit with an electronically commutated motor (ECM).
YK_SeptOct_2014_TB.indd 1
2014-09-05 3:10 PM