The Upside (January 2025)
Let's focus on good things happening in and around Waterloo Region
What better way to start off a new year than with some good news. Here are some of the positive stories that have caught my attention recently.
The KidsAbility Centre for Child Development accessible playground is open to the community on evenings and weekends when it is not being used for KidsAbility programs.
The playground offers a number of accessible features including broad ramps, a cushioned surface to support walkers and wheelchairs, and wheelchair-accessible swings.
“It has play zones to support social interaction, physical activity and imaginative play. It has slides that cater to children of different abilities. It has vibrant colours and a board to help children who don’t use words communicate.”
While this story is not from Waterloo Region, perhaps it could be, if we follow BC’s lead.
“British Columbia’s $500 million Rental Protection Fund helps non-profit housing providers purchase and maintain older housing stock to protect renters from skyrocketing rents and displacement.”
A stroke is a time-sensitive medical emergency, however, the odds for a complete recovery are improving because now “surgeons can suck the clots out of tiny blood vessels deep inside brains, thanks to the latest technology developed by Kitchener-based Vena Medical.”
Vena Medical, founded by two University of Waterloo mechanical engineering grads, developed the Balloon Distal Access Catheter. “It’s a tiny balloon that can be inflated at the end of a catheter to momentarily stop the flow of blood pushing against a clot. As soon as the balloon is in place, the surgeon attaches a syringe to the catheter and sucks the clot out of the brain.”
I was an avid reader of the Babysitters Club books as a kid. It’s nice to see a 21st century version of that filling a local community need.
The Grandma Babysitting Club, whose slogan is “When the going gets tough, Grandmas get going”, provides child care on short notice in a family’s home for $20/hour. They operate in Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge, Guelph and St. Jacobs. With over 10,000 children on the wait list for child care in Waterloo Region last month, there is a pressing need for a variety of child care options.
Congratulations to Indwell on celebrating 50 years of creating affordable housing and community in southwestern Ontario. Learn more about their work in this ‘Stories of Hope and Homes’ video.
A new Indigenous spirit garden opened this past fall in Toronto to honour residential school survivors. It’s part of the City’s response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada's Call to Action 82, which calls for governments to install a residential schools monument in each capital city to honour survivors and all the children who did not come home.
The garden offers offers dedicated places for contemplation, celebration and ceremonies. Elements that represent First Nation, Métis and Inuit cultures surround a large limestone turtle and include a teaching lodge, a silver voyageur canoe and an inukshuk made out of granite. “Visitors to the garden can learn not only about the abuse suffered by residential school survivors and intergenerational trauma, but also about the culture and history of Indigenous peoples who live in Toronto and its surrounding area.”
A recent update from The Essentials Fund says, “because of your generosity, we granted over $57,000 to 19 local non-profit organizations who provide vital services, programming, and support to our most vulnerable community members.” This year’s recipients of the unrestricted grants include: Adventure4Change, Community Justice Initiatives, Porchlight Counselling and Addiction Services, Sanguen Health Centre, Sexual Assault Support Centre, and SHOW (Supportive Housing of Waterloo).
The Sexual Assault Support centre says, “The Essentials Fund has been transformative in our ability to wrap survivors of human trafficking and sexual exploitation in our community's care. Unlike traditional funding, which often comes with rigid restrictions, this grant allows us to respond swiftly and effectively to the unique and diverse needs of each survivor. Whether it’s covering transportation costs to safety, warm winter gear, or basic supplies for starting over, this flexibility is life changing.”
When the Region decided to close the five child care centres it operated, one of the goals was to reduce systemic barriers in accessing child care. As part of that work, the region’s first Indigenous-led child care centre is expected to open this year in Cambridge and it will offer culturally responsive programming for (up to 65) infants and children to age four. While spaces are open to children across Waterloo Region, Indigenous children will be prioritized.
“The building at 30 Christopher Dr. is a former regional child care site that’s currently unoccupied and will require only minor renovations to bring it into compliance with Child Care and Early Years Act, a report to council says.”
The child care centre will incorporate knowledge keepers with the goal of creating a family atmosphere that’s structured differently than a classroom or typical daycare. Drumming will be incorporated into programming and there are plans to establish an outdoor space for sacred fires and ceremonies throughout the year.
Upcoming Events:
Old Goat Books is hosting Pop-up Book Shop Volume III on January 18th (12-6pm) as they restore their location after last year’s fire.
Have Your Say:
The City of Kitchener is looking for feedback on the draft community values. “These reflect what we heard from residents this past fall through our in-person and online engagement. The community values will shape emerging directions for our new Official Plan.” This survey will take 5 minutes to fill out and closes January 31, 2025.
As always, thanks for reading!
Thank you, Melissa!