The Council Round-Up (June 2025)
A snapshot of what's happening in council chambers around Waterloo Region
Settle in - this is a long one, but I hope you’ll find some helpful information on what’s been happening with local councils recently.
The Region of Waterloo announced earlier this year that municipal speed cameras are an effective way of slowing drivers down, noting that “the number of motorists complying with the speed limit has increased by 63% when there’s a speed camera.”
The program started back in 2021, and is now expanding and evolving in 2025.
The pilot phase of the program saw speed cameras moved around to different school zones on a rotating basis. Now, speed camera installations remain at fixed locations “to ensure a consistent and effective approach to impact changes in driver behaviour.”
The region also notes that since February 2025, “there’s a new, user-friendly way to pay or dispute tickets issued by Municipal Speed Cameras” handled through the Region’s Administrative Penalties Program (APP).
While some folks call this a ‘cash grab’ and believe that the Region is trying to trick people into a ticket, you can see exactly where all regional speed cameras are located (or planned) via this interactive map of municipal speed cameras across Waterloo Region. Plus, revenue from the program is used to support safety improvements for all road users.
However, not all of Regional Council are supportive of the increasing number of speed cameras in the region. Councillors Berry Vrbanovic, Pam Wolf, Natahsa Salonen, Sandy Shantz and Sue Foxton all voted against a resolution to implement more community safety zones.
Now I don’t often agree with Councillor Doug Craig, but I can’t argue with him here when he says, “There’s always going to be concerns about it being labelled as a cash grab, but it really is about safety in the community.” Councillor Chantal Huinink says, “I just want to remind everyone that the money we receive from the speed cameras can only go to road safety programs and also that fighting for the right to speed…without repercussions makes me very sad.”
Both Kitchener and Regional Council have received a ‘D’ grade from the C.D. Howe Institute for “the unclear presentation and explanation of (municipal) spending to councillors and residents.”
After threat of imminent closure of downtown Kitchener’s THEMUSEUM last year, it seems that THEMUSEUM has been thrown a lifeline (for now) from the City of Kitchener.
Both Waterloo and Kitchener have new rules about the sale and use of fireworks. Kitchener set time limits under which fireworks can be set off on specified dates and will also ban the sale of fireworks within the City (the ban starts in 2026). Waterloo has reduced the number of days fireworks are permitted to only the day of the holiday. Waterloo will also ban the sale of fireworks starting in 2026.
Updates from Kitchener Council:
“The City of Kitchener will place traffic calming measures at 18 hot spots, including six schools, as part of its Vision Zero road safety initiative.” The Vision Zero Strategy has resulted in a 15 per cent reduction in speeds on residential roads.
Kitchener received the Ontario Public Works Association 2024 Project of the Year Award in Environmental Sustainability for its Montgomery Creek Restoration project. “The Montgomery Creek project demonstrates how communities can address climate change impacts by improving flood resiliency, enhancing green spaces and fostering community engagement and environmental stewardship.”
Kitchener now has an official bird and it’s this cutie - the Dark Eyed Junco. Thanks to Bird Friendly City Kitchener for helping us to learn about and support our local feathery friends.
Kitchener Council approved the Growing Together East policy in hopes of seeing more than 35,000 new homes built in the areas served by Block Line, Fairway and Sportsworld ion stations. Mayor Vrbanovic says, “this plan involves redeveloping large commercial sites, protecting natural ecology, creating a mix of housing types and building as many as 1,700 affordable housing units.”
Kitchener recently approved its Parks Strategic Plan. The plan “outlines 50 recommendations aimed at fostering inclusion, improving connectivity, planning for long-term sustainability, and ensuring responsive park spaces.”
As part of the Parks Plan, Kitchener will see “more splash pads, new dog parks and off-leash areas, and new community gardens.”
Kitchener parking fines have not increased since 2008 and staff are recommending that most fines increase by $10 per offence. That would still leave Kitchener parking fines lower than the other area municipalities.
Updates from Waterloo Council:
The Kraus Lands in Waterloo “will be transformed into a residential and commercial community that includes approximately 1,800 new homes, a grocery store, retail promenade, event space, public trails, green space and unique sustainability features.” Councillor Royce Bodaly noted in his newsletter, “Council also required enhanced Indigenous consultation on this property, which includes a variety of additional environmental measures, advanced ecological work and a commitment to continue to engage between the developer and six nations.”
Waterloo has achieved a “40 per cent reduction in corporate GHG emissions (from the 2010 baseline) and is well on its way to achieving the milestone of a 50 per cent reduction by 2030.”
Waterloo is developing an Arts Strategy which will “refine and expand support for artists, organizations, and creative industries in Waterloo and be presented to Council later this year.”
Waterloo’s Albert McCormick Community Centre will see some big changes as Council approved a plan to “expand the library branch, add a commercial-grade kitchen, add gender-neutral washrooms and change rooms, incorporate spiritual space for wellness and inclusion, and retrofit twin ice pads.”
The plan is estimated to cost up to $20 million, leaving Council with a $7 million funding gap. “To pay the bigger bill, city hall is considering drawing more money from fees it charges to developers of new homes.” (Whether development charges, impacting new residents only, is the best way to pay for such infrastructure is for another post!).
Read Waterloo’s Age-Friendly Action Plan 2025-2026 (PDF, beginning on page 43).
Waterloo Council has updated its noise bylaw, partially in an attempt to address noise from fireworks as well as vehicle exhaust noise.
Councillor Julie Wright recently put forth a motion which “urges the provincial government to create enforceable contractor training and provincially endorsed standard best management practices to help small businesses make the right decisions about salt.”
Waterloo will soon be home to more accessible public washrooms with new universal washrooms being built at Albert McCormick Community Centre and Waterloo City Hall.
Updates from Cambridge Council:
Cambridge Council unanimously approved the Parks Plan which “is designed to help meet increased demand by upgrading existing parks, adding new amenities and improving accessibility.”
“Residents asked for better washrooms, more splash pads and dog parks, shaded areas, and spaces for teens and older adults. Accessibility, maintenance, and safety were also common concerns.
In response, the plan recommends that all community parks eventually include one premium playground that is fully accessible, along with a washroom and splash pad.”
Municipalities should receive more funds collected from property sales according to a recently passed motion at Cambridge Council. The motion’s author, Councillor Ermeta, believes that “the current funding model is outdated and doesn’t match the growing needs of modern cities.”
The Gordon Chaplin Park will soon welcome new nature-themed features. Construction is expected to be completed this summer.
Updates from Regional Council:
The Region’s Building Better Futures plan, started in 2021, saw the Region support the creation of over 2700 affordable homes in 5 years. Building on those successes, the Region “has set a new target to create and preserve another 3,500 affordable homes in five years. Almost two thirds of the units will be dedicated to residents with very low to low yearly income.” Read the report.
In an attempt to “ensure the Waterloo Regional Police Services board reflects a diversity of perspectives”, Regional Council recently approved a plan to encourage individuals with diverse backgrounds to become WRPS board members. Read the report.
A new pedestrian and cycling underpass is a part of upcoming Transit Hub work. Council recently approved a jurisdictional land change, transferring land from Kitchener to the Region, in order for that work to proceed, which is expected to start later this year, or early next. Read the full report.
In hopes of obtaining more feedback from Cambridge and Township residents, the Region of Waterloo’s yearly budget process will now host one additional budget meeting in Cambridge and one additional meeting in the northern townships.
The Region of Waterloo has a portable rent assistance program that started in 2021, and supports 200 households. That program will expand in 2025 to serve 60 more families.
Portable rent assistance “provides a set amount of money each month to offset rent costs for qualifying households and are one way we can address the affordability gap in today’s housing market. They provide a vital safety net for low-income individuals and families, particularly racialized and marginalized groups, who are disproportionately affected by rising rental costs.”
Learn more about the Region of Waterloo’s work to support homes for all.
School Boards
Once again, we are fortunate to have community advocate and WRDSB parent, Lauren Weinberg here to provide an overview of recent WRDSB meetings.
On May 29, Minister of Education Paul Calandra tabled the Supporting Children and Students Act. Its changes include a requirement that school boards "work with local police services to provide them with access to school premises, permit them to participate in school programs and implement school resource officer [SRO] programs." WRDSB ended its SRO program in 2021 because a review found that it created fear and anxiety for some, especially Black, Indigenous, and racialized students.
Back in April, Kitchener Centre MPP Aislinn Clancy asked Minister Calandra to investigate the WCDSB. Clancy, a former WCDSB social worker, accused trustees opposed to equity and inclusion—particularly 2SLGBTQIA+ rights—of wasting money and abusing their power.
In May, the WRDSB and WCDSB broke ground on their new joint use elementary school in Cambridge; the WRDSB released its workforce census, and WCDSB trustees agreed to resume allowing audience members to record board meetings, which will be livestreamed starting this September.
At the WRDSB's April 16 meeting, trustees discussed updating the WRDSB's procurement policy with a pledge "to support Canadian businesses where permissible by legislation and within fiscal constraints," but trustee Scott Piatkowski asked whether their language needed to be stronger, citing a recent Ministry of Education memo restricting public-sector organizations from buying American products. Superintendent Nick Landry clarified that the WRDSB "has very few contracts with U.S. suppliers," and that it can honour its existing ones. (According to the MoE, an American supplier is considered to be a "Canadian company" if it has an office with more than 250 employees here. So, it's "Elbows up"…except for huge American corporations like Amazon?) The board decided to continue revising the policy.
At the April 23 WRDSB meeting, staff presented the Structured Literacy Multi-Year Plan. This plan responds to the Ontario Human Rights Commission's 2022 Right to Read report—which found that Ontario's educational system wasn't meeting the needs of many students, including students with disabilities—and changes in Ministry of Education policies, which now require boards to emphasize structured literacy and phonics. The board is screening all students to make sure they have achieved "reading proficiency" by Grade 2, and all students in Grades 3–8 will get an Oral Reading Fluency (ORF) diagnostic once a year. In response to a question from trustee Kathleen Woodcock, staff confirmed that school libraries can be crucial resources for young readers. Audience members at numerous board meetings this year have been wearing "Save Our School Libraries" T-shirts, calling attention to public school libraries' precarity under the Ford administration.
At the May 14 meeting, one of the Board Policies that trustees approved was 3006: "Student Trustees and Student Representation within the Board." Trustee Woodcock lamented that the WRDSB is not allowed to increase the $2500 honorarium for student trustees, which is dictated by the provincial government. Trustee Piatkowski noted that other boards with significant Indigenous populations designate an Indigenous student trustee, and asked whether WRDSB should do the same. Unfortunately, according to Stephanie Reidel, Manager of Corporate Services, the board cannot do this because it currently has no Indigenous trustees to mentor an Indigenous student trustee. (Something to think about before the 2026 municipal elections.)
Supt. Landry announced that under manager Melissa Hilton's direction, the WRDSB's Extended Day program has grown to "one of the largest licensed childcare programs in the province, serving 4,800 students." Hilton informed the board that demand for Extended Day has increased across Ontario since the introduction of the CWELCC (Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care) agreement, creating waitlists in many programs due to a shortage of ECEs. Starting this September, families with part-time care will have some new restricitons on how often they can change their children's schedules, which Hilton predicted will allow more students to access the program. Hilton also reported that WRDSB, WCDSB, and OneList staff have met regularly to determine how to avoid the technical difficulties that plagued Extended Day registration for 2024–25. This year, registration opens the week of June 16, but the opening will be staggered over four dates (organized alphabetically by school name) so the system is not overloaded.
Trustees unanimously approved increasing the Extended Day fee from $31.50 to $32.50 per day. According to Hilton, the fee is set in accordance with Ministry regulations "to ensure that the program operates on a cost-recovery basis." It only applies to students who are not eligible for CWELCC funding (i.e. kids ages 6 and up), and an arrangement with the Region of Waterloo helps families get fee subsidies if necessary.
Senior Manager of Planning Lauren Agar presented a staff report on Kindergarten Historical Data Trends. From 2015 to 2024, kindergarten enrollment declined 2 percent—though in 2024, 65.9 percent of local four- and five-year-olds were still enrolled in WRDSB schools. Fluctuations from year to year "track closely with the birth rate trends in Waterloo Region," said Agar. She added that WRDSB's trends are also in line with a provincial decrease in public school enrollment (encompassing all public schools—French and English, secular and Catholic) from 88.7 percent to 85.3 percent. Provincial data does not show more students choosing private schools or licensed day cares, but more are being kept "at home and other": 5.2 percent in 2022–23, up from 1.4 percent in 2017–18. Board chair Maedith Radlein commented, "It's good to see evidence that the enrollment trends in all four boards are linked to birth rates and that this is not a WRDSB problem; it is a provincial trend. And, actually, it's an international trend in public education."
At the May 23 meeting, staff spoke about student mental health, and the relationship between mental health and absenteeism. The MoE defines "absenteeism" as a pattern of missing 10 percent or more of school days (i.e. two days per month). Joanna Sipos, a WRDSB social worker/attendance counselor, told the board, "Behind attendance concerns are often deeper interconnected challenges," such as grief, poverty, or trauma. Staff explained that their two primary sources of information about WRDSB students' mental health are the Safe, Caring, and Inclusive Schools survey and the Region of Waterloo's Youth Impact Survey, though the latter is not specific to the board.
Thanks to Lauren for keeping us up-to-date on Board discussions and decisions!
Earlier this year, I shared details about The Essentials Fund, which provides much needed funds to local organizations to pay for necessities that often are not covered by formal grants. The Essentials Fund is now accepting applications from local non-profit organizations for the 2025 granting cycle. The deadline to apply is Friday, June 13th.
Keep an eye out for the new Pride bus!
Have Your Say:
A Community Improvement Plan (CIP) is “a tool designed to encourage property owners, businesses and developers to undertake projects that enhance the community.” Waterloo is looking for feedback on the program.
Provide input on what Waterloo Park should focus on over the next 25 years.
Kitchener is updating the Victoria Park Plan and staff want your input.
Cambridge is developing a Secondary Plan for the community of Preston and you can offer feedback about “how the needs of existing and future community members can be met, with the range of housing types, community facilities, and infrastructure needed for people to live, work, and play in the community.”
Upcoming Events:
This Saturday is Summerfest by tri-Pride!
Streets belong to everybody and we can celebrate that with the Open Streets Festival on June 14th in Uptown Waterloo (12-6pm). The celebration includes an art market, live performances, vendors, community booths and more!
June means local strawberry season, and what better way to enjoy your strawberries than at the House of Friendship’s annual Strawberry Social! June 17th, 2025. Registration is required.
Summer is meant for campfires and Waterloo Public Square hosts Campfire nights throughout the season! “Grab a seat around the fire or on a nearby patio and enjoy live tunes by local musicians on select Wednesdays throughout the summer.” The next Campfire is June 18th, 6-8pm.
Looking for guest contributors for Citified:
I’m looking to include more perspectives in the Citified newsletter. If you’d like to write a guest post for Citified, or contribute to a regular feature, please connect with me either in the comment section or by replying to this email. Briefly introduce yourself, indicate what you’d like to write about, and summarize how you would like to approach the story.
Well, that was a long one. If you made it this far, congrats! And, as always, thanks for reading.
Hi. This Saturday (June 7) Kitchener is hosting Bike Day in DTK from 1 - 5 pm. The main hub of activity will be on Water St. between Duke and Charles. There will be music, learn to ride program, scavenger hunt, themed bike rides, and more. Full details are at: https://www.kitchener.ca/en/news/celebrate-cycling-downtown-with-bike-day-in-dtk.aspx
Thanks for always doing such a great job of summarizing what is happening in our region, Melissa! Much appreciated!