#berry-vrbanovic — Public Fediverse posts

KITCHENER GETS NEW ARTS LEADERS

The City of Kitchener’s arts and entertainment department has added two local arts leaders to its team to support the launch of the recently announced Kitchener LIVE destination marketing brand. Green Light Arts’ co-founder and managing director Carin Lowerison will be taking on the role of Manager of Arts and Entertainment Venues and music industry veteran Will Muir will become the city’s Music Officer.  

Kitchener LIVE was first announced at Mayor Berry Vrbanovic’s State of the City address on Oct. 21, 2025 at Centre in the Square. In his address, Vrbanovic said Kitchener LIVE will be a centralized platform for residents to discover events, purchase tickets, and learn how to host an event at a city-owned facility.   

The new brand is a small part of the city’s growing Arts and Entertainment Department. Led by Director of Arts and Entertainment Jeremy Dueck, the department includes three divisions: Arts and Creative Industries, Special Events and Arts and Entertainment Venues.  

Arts and Creative Industries is managed by Andrea Hallam and includes calls for public arts, the 44 Gaukel Creative Workspace, and the city’s film and music offices. Special Events is led by Steve Roth and includes the city’s Canada Day celebration, Way Back Festival, and the Christkindl Market. Music Officer Will Muir will work with the Special Events team to integrate local talent into events like the Roos Island Music Series.  

Lowerison will lead the third division as the Manager of Arts and Entertainment Venues which oversees the Conrad Centre for the Performing Arts, the Victoria Park Pavilion, the City Hall Rotunda and Carl Zehr Square.   

The Arts and Entertainment Venues team is also responsible for the Kitchener LIVE platform. Dueck said the platform’s vision of “Your City. Your Stage.” is designed to help audiences and artists connect across all of the city’s venues, from Centre in the Square and The Aud to Roos Island and Carl Zehr Square. Kitchener LIVE will also include information on public art calls that are coming up and camp opportunities at THEMUSEUM and Centre in the Square.  

“How many times have you talked to people and they say they didn’t know that an event or concert was happening? We think all these events are common knowledge, but it’s not. Our community is growing so quickly that even for the people who’ve been here for a long time, they may not always know what’s happening,” Dueck said.  

For audiences, Kitchener LIVE will be the brand for its existing KW Tickets website and will include events at all city-owned venues and spaces. The new platform will also include information and tools for event hosts and producers to help book venue space.  

“There’s never been an easy entry point if you want to organize an event in one of the major event spaces. That’s what Kitchener LIVE will introduce,” he added.  

In addition to Kitchener LIVE, Dueck said the new department structure will help improve communication across the city’s owned and operated venues.   

“When the Mayor and Council created this division, one of the visions they had was, we need our venues to talk more. Now we meet monthly where we can share what’s coming up. Through those conversations, we get more insight as to what the other venues are doing,” Dueck said.  

While the new platform helps guide the public and event organizers, Dueck said the overarching goal is to present a cohesive brand to potential event hosts. The new structure can potentially help the city to attract major destination events, such as national award shows.  

“Down the road, if we’re trying to attract a major destination event, the Canadian Country Music Awards or the Junos, if we’re trying to go after an event brand, Kitchener LIVE helps us package and present our experience in the arts and entertainment scene here in Kitchener,” he said.  

THE BOATHOUSE IS BACK WITH A SPLASH

On Nov. 22, 2024, the Boathouse in Willow River Park welcomed an excited crowd of fans and local leaders to celebrate the venue’s grand opening.  

The restaurant and live music venue has undergone extensive remodeling and expansion since its lease was awarded to Walkinshaw Holdings, a group of local entrepreneurs, in 2022.   

During his remarks, Berry Vrbanovic, mayor of Kitchener, mentioned the musical acts who have performed at the Boathouse, including Steve Strongman, The Sheepdogs, Paul McCloud, Shannon Lynn and Mel Brown.   

“They transformed the Boathouse into a venue that promises to bring us together in ways that are both fresh and familiar, as a vibrant restaurant and a live music destination, and it’s been awesome to watch and appreciate it,” Vrbanovic said.  

The completely remodeled venue includes 2,800 square feet of dining and entertainment space and a 5,000 square foot patio that extends partially over the lake at Willow River Park. The Boathouse had a soft opening earlier in the week.  

James Barr, a partner of Walkinshaw Holdings, said it was an opportunity to celebrate with friends and family who have supported the team over the last two years.  

“We finally had the chance to sit back and enjoy. The food was great. The staff was super passionate and conscientious. Everyone seems to have this sense of ownership,” Barr said.   

The Boathouse was originally a two-storey structure built in 1929. A fire in 1967 caused significant damage, but the city was able to save the ground floor and replace the second story with a roof.   

Its time as a music venue began in the 1990s with a series of operators, including Cindy Ward and Kevin Doyle. Barr said their team received feedback and suggestions from Boathouse fans across different generations.  

“There’s definitely a lot of folks from around town who have been here through the eras of the Boathouse, and we got some good feedback. People have been surprised at the food and the decor,” Barr said. “It’s definitely a big change from what it was before.”  

The Boathouse has partnered with Good Co. Productions and Farm League Brewing to program its lineup of musicians and bands that will soon take the Boathouse stage.  

Amit Mehta, co-founder and partner at Good Co. Productions, said the team has put a lot of attention and thought into how music will return to the Boathouse.   

“It’s a really core part of Kitchener culture when it comes to music. We’re trying to make it a very flexible space so that it can showcase every genre possible,” Mehta said.  

“But it’s really all about having a bit of a blank canvas that folks can grow into,” he said. 

The Boathouse can accommodate up to 100 to 120 people for live shows. Mehta added that the venue’s patio space is also set up for concerts in the summer.  

While the Boathouse team prepares for the first live shows, Barr said he and his partners are enjoying seeing longtime and first-time Boathouse patrons come into the space. He added that they know expectations are high and are excited to bring something new to the community.  

“With spaces that have been in the community for a long time, there’s always going to be a kind of nostalgia for how it used to be—and maybe it should still be that way,” Barr said. 

#AmitMehta #BerryVrbanovic #boathouse #CindyWard #FarmLeagueBrewing #FineDining #GoodCoProductions #JamesBarr #KevinDoyle #LiveMusic #localMusic #localMusicVenue #TheBoathouse #VictoriaPark #WalkinshawHoldings #WillowRiverPark

"Last night & over the past week,

"Kitchener City Hall & Carl Zehr square

"Were lit green to commemorate the National Day of Remembrance of the Quebec City Mosque Attack and taking Action Against Islamophobia.

"We must never forget the victims & their families."

— Berry Vrbanovic, Mayor of Kitchener, Ontario

| #BerryVrbanovic #CityOfKitchener #Kitchener #KitchenerON #cdnmuni #cdnpoli #Ontario #Canada #January29 #Islamophobia #OurLondonFamily #GreenSquareCampaign🟩​

"Today, all of us in the City of Kitchener join residents across Canada 🇨🇦 in the National Day of Remembrance of the Quebec City Mosque Attack and taking action Against Islamophobia.

"Read my full statement here: https://www.kitchener.ca/en/news/mayor-s-statement-on-the-national-day-of-remembrance-of-the-quebec-city-mosque-attack.aspx

— Berry Vrbanovic, Mayor of Kitchener, Ontario

| #BerryVrbanovic #CityOfKitchener #Kitchener #KitchenerON #Ontario #January29 #Islamophobia #OurLondonFamily