Two men charged after shooting in downtown Kitchener
Several charges have been laid on two men in connection to the late January shooting in downtown Kitchener, including aggravated assault, assault with a weapon and uttering threats to cause death or bodily harm.
#crime #charges #downtownKitchener
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/kitchener-waterloo/two-men-charged-after-shooting-in-downtown-kitchener-9.7083464?cmp=rss

QUEEN STREET COMMONS SET TO RE-OPEN

The Working Centre’s Queen Street Commons Café in downtown Kitchener is set to reopen this spring after a six-year hiatus. The cafe closed its doors in March 2020 at the start of the pandemic and has remained shuttered as the non-profit organization focused on changing priorities for the communities it serves.  

In 2024, The Working Centre began planning for the reopening, including upgrades and a layout change. Cassandra Polyzou, community tools and enterprise hub lead at The Working Centre, said that, as with any renovation, there were unexpected challenges that pushed the reopening into 2026. 

“Anyone who is working on renovating a small business knows that we all face challenges. Everyone is trying to do their best. But it has meant that the process has been slow,” she said. 

Queen Street Commons opened in 2006 as a third space for the community, regardless of income. Polyzou said the goal is to be that third space again and bring the community together. 

“The space is going to look different…We’ll be able to do things like film screenings and concerts in the space,” she said. “It’s refreshed, but it certainly still is going to feel like the Queen Street Commons that we’ve all known and loved.” 

There is no set opening date yet, but Polyzou said the cafe has two concerts scheduled in March to welcome people back to the space. 

 The Queen Street Commons is hosting The Boo Radley Project on Mar. 6, 2026 and I, the Mountain on Mar. 7, 2026. The cafe is hoping these big launch events show people the new space and what can be done with it. 

Downtown Kitchener has changed in the six years since Queen Street Commons closed. Conestoga College’s two downtown campuses opened and closed, multiple new condominium and apartment buildings have opened, and many major employers have opted to continue with remote work instead of renewing their office leases.  

There has also been a significant increase in the people experiencing homelessness across Waterloo Region, including the 100 Victoria St. encampment across from The Working Centre’s recently opened Making Home space at 97 Victoria St. Polyzou said the changes are a motivator to bring back the spirit of “radical hospitality” that Queen Street Commons was known for. 

“Queen Street Commons was always a place for everyone. Things have changed, and the need is very much there. We hear it from people all the time who say they miss this kind of space that is really a bridge across communities that brings diverse people to sit at tables beside each other and share food and coffee,” she said. 

When it opens, the cafe will continue to offer affordable and vegetarian menu items, including coffee, baked goods, and soups. Polyzou added that volunteering opportunities will also return to the cafe. 

“We know that people have missed that opportunity. It’s such a gift. Or maybe they’ll just come for a bowl of veggie chilli and a cup of coffee, and that’s great,” she said. 

Love it or hate it, this Kitchener parking garage now has a heritage designation
The Duke Street parking garage in downtown Kitchener with the green coloured spiral exit has received heritage designation. Michelle Drake, the senior heritage planner with the City of Kitchener, explains why this building is so special.

#heritage #designation #parking #Kitchener #downtownKitchener
https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/9.7045269?cmp=rss

Coffee and a DJ: Escape the daily grind with new Sunday music series in downtown Kitchener
If you’ve ever wanted to groove to music while drinking coffee, the Kitchener Downtown BIA has you covered this winter. A new weekly event starting Sunday, called Sunday Grind, is meant to put a spotlight ...
#music #event #coffee #downtownKitchener
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/kitchener-waterloo/coffee-and-a-dj-escape-the-daily-grind-with-new-sunday-music-series-in-downtown-kitchener-9.7039751?cmp=rss

Blue Rodeo keyboardist to host special concert in DTK for people experiencing homelessness
Blue Rodeo keyboardist Mike Boguski will be hosting a special concert in downtown Kitchener on Saturday for people in the community experiencing homelessness. The concert will be held at St. John's Kitchen before the band performs at Cen...
#music #charity #downtownKitchener
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/kitchener-waterloo/mike-boguski-blue-rodeo-concert-for-homeless-downtown-kitchener-9.7039811?cmp=rss

ROAMING THE REGION: EAT YOUR WAY AROUND THE WORLD IN KW

Bao. Focaccia. Biryani. Kebab. Bibimbap. Pick a cuisine from nearly any continent. You can find it here at home in Waterloo Region. More than necessary sustenance, food is an introduction, a connection, and a map that leads us down memory lane. Here’s how to travel the world at home via your tastebuds.   

North America   

Starting local, Cedar Spoon caters delicious dishes with foods native to this land and rooted in a history of care.  

Indigenous owner Chef Destiny Moser also helps busy individuals and families with weekly meal delivery and in-home personal chef services through her other company, FoodZen.   

For award-winning pie previously featured on the Food Network’s show You Gotta Eat Here, visit Anna Mae’s in Millbank. What started in 1978 as a home business to support her family through a tough time has grown into a well-established and beloved community restaurant. Under new owners, they continue to serve hearty home-cooked meals.    

For a comforting contemporary take on Canadian cuisine, head to Crazy Canuck in St. Jacobs or Downtown Kitchener. Their poutine is made with locally-grown potatoes and topped with the classic Québecois cheese curds or more creative choices like Halifax-style Donair sauce.  

Central & South America   

Cambridge’s The Mule serves up tacos and tequilas in a bold and colourful atmosphere. 

A great spot for lunch, dinner or late-night drinks, the menu is 100 per cent gluten- and peanut-free. Their mocktail menu is equally as enticing as their margaritas.    

El Salvador and Peru are within walking distance in Downtown Kitchener. Mi Tienda Latina is the ideal place to stock your pantry with staples from all over South America, like Argentinian mate.  

Grocery shopping may work up your appetite. Order sit-in favourites like sopa de frijoles con costilla or pupusas and pastellitos. Quench your thirst with a sweet and spicy mangonada.   

La Guanaquita is a Salvadorian and Mexican restaurant overlooking King St. W. where the servers genuinely make you feel at home.  

Close your eyes, point to the extensive menu, and be satisfied with any meal you select.  

Europe   

La Lola Tapas Bar delivers a memorable experience time and again. Spanish sangria makes everything better, as does sharing a pitcher of it with someone special. With an intimate seating area, it’s the perfect date night spot.    

For casual Balkan fare, Jasna’s European Meat and Deli is a crowd favourite. The cevapi are a go-to for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. As the colder months approach, their hearty goulash, cabbage rolls, and pasulj will warm you from the inside out.   

Africa   

Mo’s Kitchen in Preston serves Nigerian dishes from morning to night. Chef-owner Modupe Atoe has been cooking with her mother since she was nine years old.  

With rave reviews for the classic Jollof Rice, plantain, abula, soups and a very friendly staff, this is a must try.   

A longtime local staple, excellent vegetarian option, and gluten-friendly establishment is Muya Restaurant on Highland Rd. in Kitchener.  

The Pick 5 Combo dish welcomes you to try five vegetarian side options. There are plenty of tantalizing choices for the meat eaters too such as Lamb Tibs. 

Asia   

The newly opened family-run Fry N’ Chicken across from the Kitchener Market has everything from Korean Corn Dogs to Korean Hot Spicy Yangnyeom Chicken to spicy Korean rice cakes (teokbokki).  

This addictive food joint will keep you coming back for more.    

Bao Sandwich Bar in Waterloo’s university district makes you work with its parking situation, however the effort is worth it. Clear your calendar, don sweatpants, and prepare to be wowed.  

Start with the Seoul Beef, Crackle Belly, and Korean Garlic Chicken. Thank me later.   

Family-run Mom’s Hmong Sausages are made with local meat and served with traditional Hmong salsa and red sticky rice.  

Order them online on their website or pick up in store at New City Supermarket.   

Some of the spiciest food in Waterloo Region can be found at Kismet Restaurant in the University Plaza. A Bangladeshi food spot open for two decades, this is where you go to test your tastebuds’ strength.    

To Wrap It Up   

This is a small sample of the array of cuisines available in Waterloo Region. Choose the unfamiliar. Embrace curiosity and remain courteous. Eat family style, multiplying the opportunity to taste new dishes. Repeat these steps however often suits your budget and schedule. Enjoy! 

#africa #annaMae #bangladeshi #cedarSpoon #centralAndSouthAmerica #ChampaKitchen #ChefDestinyMoser #crazyCanuck #DowntownKitchener #Europe #fryNChicken #laCremaPervuvianRestaurant #laLolaTapasBar #laQuanaquita #moSKitchen #newCitySupermarket #northAmerica #taraMcandrew #tastebuds #universityPlaza

WATERLOO REGION COMMUNITY RALLIES FOR WILLOW RIVER CENTRE

Downtown Kitchener’s Willow River Centre (WRC), an Indigiqueer led community center, and the brick-and-mortar base for Land Back Camp, was recently in imminent danger of closing.   

After receiving less grant money than anticipated, the WRC’s budget could no longer sustain their rent. For an organization whose mission is largely to provide a safe space for marginalized people, this issue presented a very formidable challenge.  

In an effort mainly organized by the Palestinian Youth Movement, a banquet and fundraiser were organized in a short time.  

“We had nothing to do with it, either…We just gave them our social media passwords, and they ran with it,” Bangishimo, co-founder of the centre said.  

With 200 tickets sold, 12 community sponsors, 86 donated raffle items, a meal provided by nine local businesses and plenty of volunteers, the fundraiser brought in over $27,000. The WRC was able to stay alive.  

“It was the most on point organizing I’ve ever seen,” Amy Smoke, the WRC’s other co-founder, said.  

The fundraiser was a triumph for the centre and the region at large.   

 A large portion of the WRC’s funding comes from the Upstream Fund, a fund created in 2022 to support community organizations and build a more harmonious and happier Waterloo Region.  

Upstream draws its money from the regional budget and aims to prioritize groups that service underrepresented, racialized, or marginalized people.  

Initially, the Community Edition reported in the June issue that the WRC’s funding issues were caused by Upstream extending their eligibility beyond Indigenous and Black organizations. With a greater pool of people to compete for funds, less money overall could be distributed to each individual group.  

This however, has proven to be untrue. While many of Upstream’s recipients are and have been Black and Indigenous, they have never been exclusively so. Furthermore, Upstream is not currently providing funds to more people than before. Their records consistently show cohorts numbering between 30 and 40 members each year since they started.   

According to the WRC’s grant writer, Robyn Schwarz, hard times are coming for nonprofits across the board. With a conservative government, whose mandate is to cut taxes, money for publicly funded services is drying up.  

“[The majority of Regional Council] wants a five per cent increase, but that’s actually a cut, because in order to keep current services where they are, we need about 12 per cent,” Schwarz said.  

Schwarz said nonprofits are particularly affected because Ontario’s provincial government and Canada’s federal government currently prioritize business support over social services.  

With only a five per cent tax increase (less than half of what Schwarz predicts is needed) nonprofits are the first to lose funding. Upstream gets cut, and by extension, so does the WRC.  

“Basically, the thing to blame is that we’re under a government right now that doesn’t want to tax things and doesn’t want to fund the nonprofit sector,” Schwarz said.  

Regardless of government funding, a substantial portion of the community wants to support organizations like the WRC, and that support was felt by Smoke and Bangishimo.  

“We were wrapped in care, and it was really lovely to be held by other people,” Smoke said.  

Despite the economic instability and the challenges of working as a nonprofit under a conservative government, the WRC is committed to keep working.  

“We’re still grant writing, still getting funds to continue doing what we need to do. Regardless of what happens in a brick and mortar, Land Back is a movement. We’re not going anywhere,” Smoke said. 

#AmySmoke #Bangishimo #BangishimoJohnston #blackAndIndigenous #ChristoffLeRoux #DowntownKitchener #Indigiqueer #landbackCamp #localActivism #PalestinianYouthMovement #RobynSchwarz #upstream #willowRiverCenter #wrc #ZackMason

THE COMMUNITY EDTION GUIDE TO BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT AREAS

From the Uptown Waterloo Business Improvement Area (BIA) to the Downtown Cambridge BIA and everywhere in between, BIAs support business communities in city cores with networking and events that bring more people to dine, drink and shop.   

The BIA concept started on Bloor St. W. in Toronto. As foot traffic shifted to suburban malls in the late 1960s, shopkeepers banded together and convinced City Hall and Queen’s Park to let every business contribute to streetscape upgrades and joint promotions. Their experiment became the Bloor West Village BIA in 1970, a model soon copied across Ontario and around the world.  

Since then, BIAs have spread across the province. Today, there are over 300 BIAs in Ontario and more than 500 across Canada. The Uptown Waterloo BIA was the second to be incorporated in 1972.   

Waterloo Region now has eight BIAs, each anchoring its own main street with a distinct mix of shops, streetscape touches and marquee events. Here is a snapshot of who they are, where they sit and what they do.  

Uptown Waterloo BIA  

With King St. S. at its core, the Uptown Waterloo BIA represents businesses from Avondale Ave. to Willow St., and Union St. to Elgin St. The Uptown Waterloo BIA runs several events throughout the year, including Winterloo, the LUMEN Festival and nighttime art markets throughout the summer.    

Downtown Kitchener BIA   

The Downtown Kitchener BIA is the largest of the local BIAs and is bounded by Victoria St. on the west, Cedar St. on the east, Joseph St. to the south and Weber and Duke St. to the north. Its events include Palette x Palate, Día de Los Muertos, Sunset Sessions and more.  

Downtown Cambridge BIA  

Main, Water and Ainslie streets shape Galt’s heritage grid between Concession St. and Park Hill Rd. Summer events include Latin Music on Main and Friday Night Twilight Markets. In the spring, the Downtown Cambridge BIA is a partner in Cambridge Wedding Week, one of the region’s largest wedding events.   

Preston Towne Centre BIA   

King Street runs the length of the Preston Towne Centre BIA from Waterloo St. to Dolph St., with Central Park as its green heart. Wednesday Preston Towne Market (June-Sept.) anchors the summer, and the autumn Preston Lantern Project lights up the park after dusk.  

Hespeler Village BIA   

Queen St. hugs the Speed River between Guelph Ave. and Tannery St., backed by converted mill buildings. #WalkQueen closes the street to cars every weekend throughout the summer, and the Friday-night Hespeler Village Market features a mix of produce, artisans and live music.    

Downtown Elmira BIA   

Arthur St. and Church St. frame this small-town core, with most storefronts grouped around the Gore Park intersection. The Elmira Maple Syrup Festival draws tens of thousands each April, and the self-guided Elmira Art Walk exhibits murals and sculptures throughout the year.    

St. Jacob’s Village BIA   

The St. Jacobs Village BIA follows King St. N. and Front St. between Cedar St. and Henry St. Tourists and locals alike flock to the twinkling St. Jacobs Sparkles nights in November and return for the village-wide Sidewalk Sale every June.   

Belmont Village BIA  

The unofficial BIA of midtown, the Belmont Village BIA runs down Belmont Ave. from Union Boulevard to Glasgow St. The Belmont Village Bestival turns the street into a two-day art-and-music fair each September, and A Holly Jolly Village decks the avenue for holiday shopping in late November.  

From St. Jacobs’ Sparkles nights to Uptown’s light-art takeover, every BIA shares the same goal: to turn a quick errand into a reason to linger.   

#AlexKinsella #belmontVillageBia #BIA #bloorStreetWest #downtownCambridge #downtownCambridgeBia #downtownElmira #DowntownKitchener #hespelerVillage #Ontario #PrestonTowneCentre #queensPark #stJacobsVillageBia #uptownWaterlooBusinessImprovementArea #WalkQueen #waterlooRegion

Eastwood Collegiate's Combo No. 5 performs at Make The Season Kind show
Students from Eastwood Collegiate Institute in Kitchener who make up the jazz sextet Combo No. 5 performed on Dec. 6 during CBC K-W's Make The Season Kind show at TheMuseum in downtown Kitchener. Watch their performances.
#music #performance #event #Kitchener #downtownKitchener
https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/9.6598391?cmp=rss

I, the Mountain performs at Make The Season Kind show
Local band I, the Mountain performed at CBC K-W's Make The Season Kind show on Dec. 6 at TheMuseum in downtown Kitchener. Both of their sets can be viewed in this video.
#music #performance #event #Kitchener #downtownKitchener
https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/9.6594846?cmp=rss

WATERLOO REGION’S BEST PATIOS SUMMER 2024

https://communityedition.ca/22638-2/

#BabylonSistersWineBar #ChampaKitchen #DowntownKitchener #EbyStreetBodega #GrandSurfBar #LaLola #LoloanLobbyBar #Patios #TasteOfSeoul #TWBCooperativeBrewing #uptownWaterloo #waterlooRegion

The humble beginnings on the adventurers guild in #downtownkitchener #dtk #kichener #ontario #canada #dnd #pathfinder #BoardGames #dice #retrogaming #pretzelpizza #pretzel #bretzel #spielen #spielerclub

2 new highrise towers approved for downtown Kitchener by council
Kitchener council approved a number of housing developments on Monday night, including two new highrise buildings for the city’s downtown core.
#globalnews #Canada #Politics #BrammStreetKItchener #downtownKitchener
https://globalnews.ca/news/9985904/kitchener-downtown-highrise-victoria-charles-street/

2 new highrise towers approved for downtown Kitchener by council
Kitchener council approved a number of housing developments on Monday night, including two new highrise buildings for the city’s downtown core.
#globalnews #Canada #Politics #BrammStreetKItchener #downtownKitchener
https://globalnews.ca/news/9985904/kitchener-downtown-highrise-victoria-charles-street/

Hey, my community garden made the news!

https://kitchener.citynews.ca/2023/08/30/frustration-growing-for-community-gardeners-after-recent-vandalism/

...not for good reasons though. Wish this would stop happening every year. Glad we're finally getting some coverage of it though; you'd think after the arson last year there would've been at least some attention.

#CommunityGarden #ComeUnityRoots #DowntownKitchener #DTK @waterlooregion #plantstodon #GardenersOfMastodon #gardening #vandalism