Family identifies man killed in 'senseless assault' in uptown Waterloo Monday
The family of a man killed in an assault in uptown Waterloo on Monday has identified him as 62-year-old Brian Donovan.
#crime #death #Waterloo #UptownWaterloo
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/kitchener-waterloo/family-identifies-man-killed-in-senseless-assault-in-uptown-waterloo-monday-9.7088344?cmp=rss

Kate’s 5 fun things to do this weekend in and around Waterloo region: Jan. 23 to 25
Winter lovers will get a chance to celebrate all things snow and ice at Winterloo in uptown Waterloo, plus there's a seed giveaway, music, a craft whiskey festival and a family event to celebrate nature in Guelph.
#weekend #events #winter #Waterlooregion #uptownWaterloo #Guelph
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/kitchener-waterloo/kate-five-fun-things-waterloo-region-guelph-january-23-24-25-9.7056941?cmp=rss

#BikeNite A8: Not this week's pictures; I took these the week before last. Please don't kick me out of BikeNite.

At the #UpTownWaterloo parking garage in #WaterlooRegion, Ontario.

@ascentale
@bikenite @oheso

We're moving back to Waterloo next month 😂, so I've been looking for fedi accounts to follow. Searching for "Waterloo Mastodon" was a surprise though due to a large number of articles about mastodons roaming the area back the the day. 🐘

I've followed @WaterlooEvents , @ourwaterloopark , and @communityedition . Oh, and @cardamomaddict .

Any other interesting ones I should check out?

#UptownWaterloo #waterloo #waterloopubliclibrary #waterlooregion #kwawesome

I've pointed my (soon to be) local library at @kagihq 's new Kagi for Libraries program. Seems like an excellent opportunity to run a pilot of search without misleading ads and AI slop.

Hopefully they (the Waterloo Public Library) can get on fedi soon, too.

#waterloopubliclibrary #uptownwaterloo #wpl

NOWHERE TO GO: THE PUBLIC WASHROOM SHORTAGE IN KITCHENER WATERLOO

In a region known for innovation and growth, one necessity remains elusive: a place to go when nature calls. For residents, tourists and the city’s most vulnerable, the search for a public washroom in Kitchener-Waterloo can feel like a scavenger hunt—one with no prize at the end. 

Despite being home to over half a million people, Kitchener-Waterloo has very few public washrooms. In 2024, the City of Waterloo unveiled a stand-alone public toilet: the Uptown Loo. Installed on a traffic island at the south end of Uptown Waterloo, the facility has all the bells and whistles— it is self-cleaning, accessible and secure. But it is also a stark reminder of how far the region still must go. 

The Uptown Loo was a step forward, but it remains the only one of its kind. According to municipal records, there are no public bathrooms in the region that are open 24 hours a day, year-round. Even the Uptown Loo closes at night. The few round-the-clock options are seasonal porta-potties at sports fields—hardly a solution for a growing urban population. And while private businesses once filled the gap, many have now locked their doors to non-customers, citing safety and maintenance concerns. 

This shortage is more than civic oversight—it is a public health and human rights issue: for people experiencing homelessness, those with medical conditions, parents with young children and members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. The lack of accessible washrooms can mean indignity, discomfort and danger. For those with disabilities or chronic illnesses, the lack of accessible facilities can be a barrier to participating in public life altogether. 

Historically, public bathrooms have been fraught with social tension. In Canada, moral panics around gay sex led to the closure of many public facilities. These closures were often justified under the guise of public safety, but they disproportionately targeted marginalized communities. The legacy of that era still lingers in how cities design and manage public spaces today. 

“Public spaces reflect our values,” Troy Glover, a professor in the Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies at the University of Waterloo, said. “If we truly want public spaces to work for all people, we have to start by asking who they’re currently designed to exclude.” 

In Kitchener-Waterloo, the answer is clear. The people arguably most in need of public facilities—those experiencing homelessness, people who use drugs and members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community—are often the ones left out of the conversation. And when they are included, it is usually in the context of risk management rather than rights. 

One of the most contentious issues surrounding public bathrooms today is their association with drug use. There is a widespread perception that public washrooms will become hotspots for drug consumption, leading to overdoses and safety concerns. While this fear is not entirely unfounded, it is often exaggerated and used to justify inaction. 

According to the Region of Waterloo’s Drug Overdose and Poisoning Dashboard, approximately 12 per cent of paramedic calls for overdoses or poisonings occur in public indoor spaces. However, the data lacks specificity—there is no breakdown of what types of spaces these are, and the Region has declined to provide further clarification despite multiple requests.  

Geoff Bardwell, a faculty member at the School of Public Health Sciences at University of Waterloo and a member of the Waterloo Region Drug Action Team, notes that he is unaware of any research on the frequency of drug usage in public washrooms vs. other locations in the Region. 

This lack of data makes it difficult to have an informed public debate. It also reinforces harmful stereotypes about who uses public bathrooms and why. The need for accessible, safe washrooms is universal. Everyone, at some point needs to go.  

“I think, in short, people need to be able to use washrooms,” Bardwell said.  

“[W]e should not be making decisions about washroom access under assumptions that bad things will happen in them,” he said. 

There are solutions. Cities around the world have implemented innovative bathroom strategies, from Portland’s “Portland Loo” to Tokyo’s transparent public toilets that turn opaque when occupied. These designs prioritize safety, cleanliness and accessibility—proving that public bathrooms don’t have to be dirty, dangerous or stigmatized. 

In Waterloo, the Uptown Loo is a promising start. It features a braille map, an adult change table, grab bars and a system that alerts an attendant if the door remains locked for more than 20 minutes. Its walls are coated with graffiti-proof material, and it includes an emergency button for users in distress.  

But officials with the City of Waterloo have confirmed that they have no plans to provide any more facilities like the Uptown Loo, citing costs and security as the primary factors in that decision.  

The City of Kitchener has also confirmed that they have no plans to create any more public washrooms. 

As Kitchener-Waterloo continues to grow, the need for inclusive infrastructure becomes more urgent. Public bathrooms are not a luxury—they are a cornerstone of a functional, compassionate city. Without them, we send a clear message about who is welcome and who is not. 

So the next time you’re out in Kitchener-Waterloo and nature calls, ask yourself: where can you go? And more importantly, who can’t? 

#2SLGBTQIA_ #bathrooms #drugConsumptions #Drugs #FionaMcAlister #GeoffBardwell #kitchenerWaterloo #poisoningDashboard #publicDebate #publicWashroomShortage #Region #uptown #uptownLoo #uptownWaterloo #washrooms #WaterlooRegionDrugAction #waterloosDrugOverdose

WATERLOO REGION’S BEST PATIOS SUMMER 2024

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

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

hey KW friends! the uptown waterloo night markets are back every thursday evening through july and august in the lower parking lot of the WPL main branch. come check out some great local vendors, including a rotation of local authors!

https://uptownwaterloobia.com/night-market/
#WaterlooRegion #UptownWaterloo #Waterloo #KWAwesome #WatReg #ExploreWR #Kitchener #KitchenerWaterloo #SupportLocal @WaterlooEvents

WORDS WORTH BOOKS CELEBRATES 40TH ANNIVERSARY

https://communityedition.ca/words-worth-books-celebrates-40th-anniversary/

#AlexKinsella #Anniversary #Books #ChuckErion #DavidWorsley #independentBookstore #JoanDidion #KatarinaWex #localBusiness #localBusinesses #MandyBrouse #smallBusiness #TheWhiteAlbum #TikTok #TriciaSiemens #uptown #uptownWaterloo #waterloo #waterlooRegion #WordsWorthBooks

i love the part where the *one day* i need dry weather is the one wet day of the entire week. 🙃

local friends, if you could help spread the word fast and often that bookfest has been moved from saturday to sunday this weekend, i would much appreciate it. same place and time, different day.

#WaterlooRegion #WaterlooPublicSquare #UptownWaterloo #Waterloo #KWAwesome #WatReg #ExploreWR #Kitchener #KitchenerWaterloo @WaterlooEvents

https://kwwritersalliance.com/bookfest-2024/

KW friends! Bookfest is back and happening this Saturday! Come find your next summer read from dozens of local authors with books across genres, including fiction and non-fiction with offerings for children, teens and adults! There's something for everyone.

https://kwwritersalliance.com/bookfest-2024/
#WaterlooRegion #WaterlooPublicSquare #UptownWaterloo #Waterloo #KWAwesome #WatReg #ExploreWR #Kitchener #KitchenerWaterloo @WaterlooEvents

if you're in or near waterloo region (or will be on may 25th) pls come to this huge local author book fair i've put a brain melting amount of work into organizing. *dozens* of local authors across genres. it'll be rad.

https://kwwritersalliance.com/bookfest-2024/
#WaterlooRegion #WaterlooPublicSquare #UptownWaterloo #Waterloo #KWAwesome #WatReg #ExploreWR #Kitchener #KitchenerWaterloo

@johannab
Copying @waterlooregion while that still seems to work...

> Argh. #waterloo #uptownWaterloo - missing a BeatsBuds+ earbuds case (charger) somewhere between the Huether and Willis Way station! Flinging this out in a faint hope hail mary that someone found one.

Waterloo pushes Winterloo Festival back until Feb. 17
Originally scheduled to take place from noon until 5 p.m. on Saturday, the festival has been pushed back until Feb. 17.
#globalnews #Canada #Kitchener-Waterloo #UptownWaterloo #Winterloo
https://globalnews.ca/news/10253329/waterloo-pushes-winterloo-festival-back-feb-17/

Woman spots camera pointed at window of her home in Waterloo
A woman in the Uptown area of Waterloo reported seeing a camera lens pointed at her window over the weekend, according to Waterloo Regional Police.
#globalnews #Crime #KitchenerWaterloonews #UptownWaterloo #WaterlooRegionalPolice
https://globalnews.ca/news/10146090/woman-camera-window-waterloo/

THIS WEEKEND! I'll be at a holiday market in The Shops in Uptown Waterloo selling books along with other fantastic local authors and dozens of local artisans. Support local and find great handmade gifts for the holidays!

Friday the 1st, 6pm-10pm
Saturday the 2nd, 10am-4pm

#fantasy #Bookstadon #WaterlooEvents #uptownwaterloo #KWAwesome #CuratedKW #holidaymarket #localartist #shoplocalkw

Police release image of 2 men in connection with fatal Waterloo stabbing
Waterloo regional police are looking to speak with these men in connection to a fatal stabbing in the Uptown area on September 22.
#globalnews #Crime #UptownWaterloo #Waterloofatalstabbing #Waterloohomicide
https://globalnews.ca/news/10018405/waterloo-fatal-stabbing/

hello local friends! this is my final outdoor market of the year. the event is rain or shine in the waterloo city hall parking lot. tons of great vendors, including me and some other fabulous local authors!

#kitchenerwaterloo #uptownwaterloo #waterlooregion #kwawesome #oktoberfest #supportlocal

Hello book lovers in and near #WaterlooRegion, TOMORROW I'm running an event featuring 70ish local authors and storytellers. We're hoping for a big turnout, please help spread the word! See you there!

#KWAwesome #WatReg #exploreWR #KitchenerWaterloo #Waterloo #UptownWaterloo

@WaterlooEvents

Hello book lovers in and near #WaterlooRegion, next weekend I'm running an event featuring 70ish local authors and storytellers. We're hoping for a big turnout, please help spread the word!
#KWAwesome #WatReg #exploreWR #KitchenerWaterloo #Waterloo #UptownWaterloo