Today is June 8 2017. What’s new in Kitchener Waterloo?
Oh! Doughnuts.
The roomful of entrepreneurs was more interested in the free doughnuts and coffee than anything Couture had to say. Those were Communitech’s humble beginnings just twenty short years ago.
Build it and they will come
Downtown Kitchener is experimenting with turning its lanes and alleyways into art exhibits and patios this summer.
Slow down, you drive too fast
Eye-catching and brightly coloured crosswalks are proving to slow traffic in a couple of kitchener neighbourhoods. Other pop-up measures are being planned with grants available for neighbourhood traffic calming measures.
Young man, I was once in your shoes
I hope the internet doesn’t get ahold of this. The local YWCA is looking at new logos in an effort of rebranding itself.
Seven sidewalk patio districts
Just in time for Summer, the City of Waterloo has introduced the idea of patios and patio districts. Yes! Sitting around outside just got better.
Sprucing up Northdale
The city of Waterloo is tearing down old houses on Hemlock, Hickory and Sunset streets and putting in parks. Parks on streets named after trees; who’d of thought? The neighbourhood with all of the purpose built student apartments is densely populated.
A lane for Lincoln
Although the residents of Lincoln Road apposed the bike lanes in favour of street parking, New bike lanes are coming for a section of Lincoln Road between Weber and Mayfield.
Porch popularity
Part of Kitchener’s neighbourhood strategy is a new zoning bylaw allowing for bigger porches and smaller driveways and garages. The car is dead. Long live the lounge chair.
Kitchener residents pick park upgrades
Parks made sense because they’re assets that people care about, they’re in the neighbourhood, they’re things that we get feedback about.
On the books
To save money last year, the Harper Branch of the Waterloo Public Library stayed closes on Fridays. Now, due to an unexpected retirement of a senior staff member, funds have been freed up. My question is, how do you generate a $300,000 deficit in the first place? My second question is, just how much was this senior staff member’s salary?
Always entertaining
Blackberry’s share price is up 60% in recent weeks. The company dominates the infotainment software market for vehicles. Infotainment? Does this mean I can binge watch Better call Saul as I crawl into Mississauga?
Leaked news
Kitchener wastewater projects to receive $3.4 million. The city of Waterloo will be receiving $657,504 to install a water leak detection system.
Cold turkey
Somebody stole 200 frozen turkey pot pies from a church in Ingersoll. The local constabulary is busy solving for pie.
Slow down, you trot too fast
In the olden days in Waterloo, you weren’t allowed to ring bells, blow horns, shout in public spaces, have privies, pig sties or slaughterhouses. Bathing in public between sunrise and sunset was prohibited, as was driving any conveyance faster than a trotting pace. The past must have been so noisy, stinky, liberal and too fast to have needed such bylaws. Ah yeah.
Don’t be alarmed
Waterloo firemen will be visiting more than 4000 homes over the next few months asking homeowner about their smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors. They may interrupt your dinner, but last time they gave me a free battery!
Staying alive with a little help from my friends
So far this year there have been over 30 opioid related fatalities in Waterloo Region, that is more than all of 2016. To help curb the alarming number of overdose deaths council was presented with the idea of creating a safe injection site in Waterloo Region.
That will be 20 Kin please
Kik CEO talks about Kin, a blockchain cryptocurrency
