The Council Round-Up (September 2024)
A snapshot of what's happening in council chambers around Waterloo Region
Region of Waterloo:
The Pollinator Roadsides project, led by Waterloo Region Nature, aims “to create habitat for pollinators along Waterloo Region roadsides by planting native plants instead of turf grass.” While this is a pilot project, “the hope is that the Region/Cities will adopt this as their on-going management of roadside verges.”
GRT is piloting new bike racks that will hold the weight of e-bikes (current racks on GRT buses can not), thanks to a local student. Trent Otterbein was part of an Innovation, Creativity and Entrepreneurship Challenge to identify ways GRT could accommodate e-bikes on bus racks. Click to learn more.
Expect to see a new automated cart system implemented by 2026 for waste collection in Waterloo Region. “The deal with Emterra Environmental will see large new carts brought in for garbage and green bin collection.” Blue bins are still being used to collect recyclable items. The new cart system is expected to improve pest control and reduce waste blowing around, while also being safer for collection workers.
Kitchener will soon welcome new cycling lanes on Benton and Frederick Streets thanks to a recent decision by Regional Council. With one lane in each direction, the new lanes (painted for now with a promise of protected, separated lanes in 2031) “will improve road safety and better connect people to nearby bike lanes and trails.” Read the full report.
As outlined in this WR Record article, in July, the Region of Waterloo had a nearly-ready corn crop plowed under on a 160 acre farm the Region recently purchased as part of the Wilmot land assembly. This is just one part of a much larger story. I have written recently about the most recent events, here.
Regional Council will be discussing a potentially contentious issue on September 25th. Conestoga Meats hopes to expand their operations at their pork processing plant in Breslau. In order to do so, they want to cut down a 14.4 hectare forest.
“This is the largest request for taking down a woodlot that I’ve seen in licensing and hearings, so you can appreciate the fact we’ve got lots of questions,” regional Chair Karen Redman told Conestoga Meats’ president Arnold Drung at a committee meeting last month. (Click to read my thread about the meeting.)
Conestoga Meats has had several expansions in the past, but all on the existing lot. In order to expand operations now, they need to build on land adjacent to the current plant, which they purchased several years ago. Conestoga Meats says the expansion would create hundreds of new jobs. They also plan to replant more than three times the acreage of trees currently on site.
However, “other delegates who appeared before the committee argued the forest can’t be replaced, with committee members — including Wellesley Mayor Joe Nowak — questioning the carbon sequestration that would be lost by cutting it down.”
The staff report outlines two options: issue a conditional “Woodland Removal Permit” to Conestoga Meats, or decline the application. Staff note that the “woodland is designated as a Core Environmental Feature (Significant Woodland) in the Regional Official Plan. Regional policies prohibit removal of, or development in, Core Environmental Features.” The report states, “environmental planning staff are unable to support the approval of this permit when considered in the context of principles of landscape ecology.”
Committee members decided to bring this issue to the whole of Regional Council at the September 25th meeting. Committee Chair Sue Foxton said, “This is not an easy issue, and it’s not just the forest. It’s the endangered species in the forest, our economy and the supply of jobs. This is such an important issue; I feel that all of council should hear the facts and be a part of the discussion.”
You can delegate at this meeting by registering here. Or, email councillors here.
This just in! “A controversial application by Conestoga Meats to clear more than 14 hectares of woodland for expansion in Breslau has been withdrawn.” More to come…
Kitchener:
Kitchener Council received an update on its Vision Zero Strategy earlier this year. The 4-year plan, implemented in 2021, aims to eliminate all severe injuries and fatalities on city streets. “Recent data indicates a declining trend in injury and fatal collisions from 2018 and 2022, with zero fatalities occurring on City streets in both 2022 and 2023.”
The City continues to build out safer streets through the Vision Zero Hot Spot improvement program, adding dozens of permanent traffic calming measures in high priority locations, reconstruction projects, and sidewalk infill. Additionally, “in partnership with the Region of Waterloo, the City will also add five automated speed enforcement cameras in various school zones.”
This past June, Kitchener opened a new outdoor cricket ground at Kiwanis Park, to help meet the demand for recreation space for the sport of cricket locally.
Cricket is one of the fastest growing sports in Canada with nearly 40,000 players and over five million cricket fans according to a 2022 Canadian survey. “Kitchener has seen exponential growth of our community’s interest in the sport of cricket, and with that we have seen a growing need for full-size cricket space to accommodate play,” said Kitchener Mayor Berry Vrbanovic .
With the installation of the Kiwanis Park cricket ground, the city is now home to four cricket grounds, including RBJ Schlegel Park, Resurrection Park, and Laurentian Park.
Waterloo:
Waterloo Council has approved a new Indoor Community Space Strategy which provides a 10 year road map for current indoor spaces with 60 recommendations as part of the Sports, Recreation and Leisure Strategy. According to ward 2 Councillor Royce Bodaly’s newsletter, “The key themes that emerged from the report were around adding amenities and diverse programming, creating more welcoming and comfortable spaces, updating aging facilities, and improving accessibility.”
While it may feel too early to discuss snow, applications for Waterloo’s assisted snow clearing program are now open (until the end of the month). “The program is a free snow removal service for eligible residents unable to clear their sidewalks and windrows left by the plow during the winter months." The program supports Waterloo residents who are 65 years and older, as well as persons with physical disabilities, who also meet an income requirement.
Cambridge:
Cambridge installed temporary, rubber speed cushions on Grand Ridge Drive and Fisher Mills Road this past July as part of a pilot project to test their effectiveness. Staff will present their findings to council next spring with details of “the speed study analysis, resident feedback, costs, and any issues that may arise with the implementation of the speed cushions during the pilot period.”
Cambridge has also introduced a new parking enforcement system that will send tickets directly via mail to the owners of illegally parked vehicles. Mailed tickets look the same as those left on vehicles and the process for paying (or challenging) the ticket is also the same.
Bylaw officers will focus on areas that pose the greatest safety concerns for pedestrians such as vehicles illegally parked where No Parking, No Stopping or Fire Route signage is posted. “Children and those with mobility issues are among the most vulnerable of road users, so we all need to do our part to keep them safe,” said Cambridge Mayor Jan Liggett.
The library system in Cambridge, known as the Idea Exchange since 2014, is soon returning to “a simpler banner of Cambridge Public Library.” It seems the ‘Idea Exchange’ name left people uncertain about what the library’s role was and “created barriers to access for residents and those new to the city.”
Upcoming events:
If you have ever wanted to know about the behind-the-scenes stories and histories of some of our Region’s most interesting buildings, then you’ll want to check out Doors Open tomorrow.
Lumen festival, a celebration of light, art, and technology, returns to Uptown Waterloo this Saturday!
Have Your Say:
Survey: Building the Future of Hospital Care, Together. St. Mary's General Hospital and Grand River Hospital are moving through the process to merge as one hospital to serve our growing communities. Information from this survey will be used by the planning teams as they design the culture and experience for the new, merged hospital.
Join a Kitchener advisory committee and provide feedback to city council. Help shape your community and play an active role in Kitchener’s decision-making! Learn more or apply at www.kitchener.ca/advisory Applications are due Sept. 27th.
Kitchener 2051 Block Party on Oct. 5th on the Gaukel Block. The Block Party features “interactive activities for all ages, along with free food and entertainment. It's also a chance to give input to shape Kitchener’s new Official Plan and other city-building initiatives around transportation, parks, and trails.”
Thanks for reading!
Thank you, Melissa, for continuing to keep us all updated on regional news in such an objective way - something that is missing in so much journalism these days. I really appreciate these summaries!!