#kitchenerwaterloo — Public Fediverse posts

📅LAST CALL to sign up for this month’s meeting! 🌟 FEATURED SPEAKER: @[email protected]  📅 When: May 12 at 7:00 PM ET (Speaker at 7:30 PM) ✅ Members: Check your email for meeting details  #KWKnittersGuild #MayMonthlyMeeting #MonthlySpeaker #AllWelcome #KnittingCommunity #KitchenerWaterloo

WELCOME TO OUR QRIB

Willow River Centre and Spectrum’s Black, Racialized and Indigenous Queers (BRIQ) House are co-organizing a series of events called QRIB (Queer, Racialized, Indigenous and Black) community hangouts to help foster a safer community for self-identifying queer, racialized, Indigenous and Black individuals. 

The two organizations started hosting these hangouts last year from Aug. 9 to Dec 13. Initially focused on karaoke, the hangouts have since evolved to include other community-focused activities like bonfires and discussion circles. 

The name “QRIB” is a play on words for the word crib and was chosen to evoke a sense of home or gathering space. The Willow-River Centre, an event venue based in Kitchener, played a key role by offering a space designed for the Indigenous and racialized queer population, incorporating culturally specific elements, local art and non-hierarchical, healing-focused community values, instead of clinical or colonial support models. 

“They bring a sense of safety for a lot of Indigenous and queer people locally,” Karla Gomez, a facilitator of the QRIB hangout, said.  

Spectrum provides funding and support, including food and resources at hangouts. Though the organization wasn’t initially inclusive, recent leadership changes made it more committed to reconciliation and community prioritization.  

“The hangouts are non-hierarchical, free, and community-led, fostering healing and connection in ways that feel safe and liberating to those involved,” Roni Noodle, a director of the QRIB hangouts, said. 

Noodle also explained how QRIB is unique in Kitchener-Waterloo, and no other local spaces offer the same intersectional support for 2SLGBTQIA+ and racialized individuals. Noodle described BRIQ House as another supportive space for Indigenous and queer people in the area but noted it holds a different relationship with the community compared to Willow River Centre. Although Spectrum started hosting QRIB hangouts to create a more inclusive space, it’s not a space designed for racialized, Black and Indigenous individuals. Even though they’re attempting to change, they decided a partnership with Willow River Centre will help them. 

“It’s a space where you don’t need to translate your soul. It’s designed with you in mind,” Roni said.  

They said that people from within the racialized or queer community are not always comfortable in public spaces and they do not feel acknowledged or seen, but this is a space where those individuals can feel comfort and express themselves more freely. 

Noodle explained that last year’s QRIB hangouts went very well. However, Spectrum’s director changed earlier this year and the two organizations were not sure if they had funding for the hangouts this year. However, the new director was very supportive of the events. 

“Events like this are too important to the community for us not to prioritize funding for it,” Gomez said.  

She said events such as the QRIB hangout need to exist, saying that Spectrum continues to show commitment to supporting these hangouts, by applying for funding for racialized Indigenous Queers. 

These events have had a successful turnout so far, with returning participants and new individuals joining the hangout, these events also address local issues revolving around the racialized, queer, and Indigenous communities such as peer support, food insecurity, loneliness, and isolation.

#2SLGBTQIA_ #Black #colonialSupportModel #FoodInsecurity #healingFocused #Indigenous #Isolation #karlaGomez #KitchenerWaterloo #LocalArt #loneliness #PeerSupport #qrib #queer #racialized #RoniNoodle #SafeSpace #SangjunHan #Spectrum #WillowRiverCentre

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

Stelliform will be at DreadCon! Grab books and merch at the market and pitch your eco-horror wip at our pitch session! Grab your ticket today at www.dreadconcan.com

#books #bookstodon #bookfair #dreadcon #ontario #ontarioevents #toronto #torontoevents #kitchenerwaterloo

#riskassessment #kitchenerwaterloo #highrise #insurancebureauofcanada #condos with the bedrock being 51M deep under UW, Magnitude 5.0 to 5.5 The sand layer begins to liquefy Building Impact: Noticeable differential settlement and tilting. Risk of minor to moderate structural damage Magnitude 5.5 to 6.0 More extensive liquefaction and ground deformation Building Impact: Severe differential settlement, substantial tilting, high risk of structural instability and partial collapse Magnitude 6.0 to 6.5 and Above Extensive ground failure Building Impact: Severe instability, high likelihood of collapse due to loss of soil support Conclusion Given the soil profile of KW and the assumption of no deep foundations, an earthquake magnitude of around 5.5 to 6.0 is likely to cause significant instability and collapse of the buildings due to liquefaction. Magnitudes above 6.0 would almost certainly result in catastrophic outcomes for the buildings, with 90%+ of high-rises collapsing. 1% chance every year such a earthquake

#riskassessment #kitchenerwaterloo #highrise #insurancebureauofcanada #condos with the bedrock being 51M deep under UW, Magnitude 5.0 to 5.5 The sand layer begins to liquefy Building Impact: Noticeable differential settlement and tilting. Risk of minor to moderate structural damage Magnitude 5.5 to 6.0 More extensive liquefaction and ground deformation Building Impact: Severe differential settlement, substantial tilting, high risk of structural instability and partial collapse Magnitude 6.0 to 6.5 and Above Extensive ground failure Building Impact: Severe instability, high likelihood of collapse due to loss of soil support Conclusion Given the soil profile of KW and the assumption of no deep foundations, an earthquake magnitude of around 5.5 to 6.0 is likely to cause significant instability and collapse of the buildings due to liquefaction. Magnitudes above 6.0 would almost certainly result in catastrophic outcomes for the buildings, with 90%+ of high-rises collapsing. 1% chance every year such a earthquake

'There was no writing on the wall': K-W Symphony violinist reacts to cancellation of season

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/kitchener-waterloo/kitchener-waterloo-symphony-kws-orchestra-1.6970605

@waterlooregion #WaterlooRegion #KitchenerWaterloo #CBCKW #KWS #Waterloo #Kitchener