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The City of Kitchener's newsletter.
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The city’s publication for its residents January-February 2013
Outdoor fun
When the winter weather co-
operates, being outside in the
snow and ice is a great way to
tire the kids out, and get some exercise
while having a whole lot of fun.
And it’s often free or nearly free!
“Promoting the benefits of an active
lifestyle can also create lifelong habits,”
said Denise Keelan, manager for aquatics
and athletics. “Getting outside to get some
exercise is not just a lot of fun, but also
improves the quality of life for our
residents.”
Did you know that from December
through March, more than 30 outdoor
rinks operate at schools and parks
throughout the city, with help from more
than 350 dedicated volunteers? There is
likely one in your neighbourhood. Without
generous help from community
volunteers, the rinks wouldn’t be possible.
Kelly Goodison is one. He volunteers at
the Belmont Park rink.
“We have one of the best rinks in the
city. We have lots of lights and usually two
rinks: one for hockey and the other for
skating. It helps make everyone welcome
because there are no schedules for
hockey or skating; you can just come to
the park and choose your activity,” he
said, adding he began volunteering with
the rink program when his daughter
brought a pamphlet home from school.
“Now I build the rink for all the
appreciative members of our community
and beyond. We get so many thank yous
from all ages and we always encourage
people to come out and enjoy
themselves.”
Goodison’s favourite memory about an
outdoor ice rink is when his daughter
skated for the first time.
“She was just four years old and I had
bought her a skating trainer but she
wouldn’t have anything to do with it. She
looked at me and said, ‘I want to skate like
everyone else’ and just took off on her
own. She taught herself to skate that day.”
Those memories are easy to make at
outdoor rinks around the city. Like
Goodison, rink volunteers work hard to
maintain the ice. Winter rinks are
dependent on the weather and may or
may not be open and ready for skating. If
the rink is closed, please respect it by not
skating on it until it is open.
If you would like to volunteer, please
contact the winter rink coordinator at
519-741-2200 x7389.
See www.kitchener.ca/yourkitchener for
more suggestions for outdoor fun. For
more on the city’s active indoor and
outdoor opportunities, please see
www.kitchener.ca n
So much morethan a job for summer
Dannon Vasey discovered one
application for a summer job at the
City of Kitchener turned into a whole lot
of opportunity.
Vasey, who is a youth coordinator for the
city’s youth drop-in program, started out
volunteering at a community centre
because she wanted to gain experience
working with youth.
She filled out an online application for
the city’s Hiring Now program, which hires
more than 175 young people to fill
positions as camp counsellors, youth
drop-in staff, inclusion coordinators and
playground leaders.
“I went in wanting a summer job, but it
exploded into so many other
opportunities,” she said. “I’m able to gain
knowledge and experience of how to deal
with difficult situations that you might
apply to other jobs.”
To be eligible you must be:
l 15 years of age and able to work in
Canada
l Able to provide a resume or are willing
to create one to apply
l Prepared to get a current standard
First-Aid certificate, CPR-C and current
and satisfactory police reference
checks/vulnerable sector screening as
a condition of employment
l Able to commit to the time. Jobs range
from six to 16 weeks.
Vasey said she also participates in
corporate-wide training, and gets to know
people across the corporation. In her line
of work, she is gaining first-hand
knowledge and skills that she will be able
to draw from in many areas of her life.
“Besides opportunities that came from
the connections I made at the city, the full-
time staff made me feel like part of the
team,” said Vasey. “They really invest in
your growth and achievement as a youth.”
Visit www.kitchener.ca/hiringnow to
check out the opportunities available and
apply online. n
Bring your PAL along with you
Is the cost to have a personal
support worker join you for a
swim just too expensive?
Would it be unfair to ask your
child’s aide to pay their own
way for a fun afternoon of
skating?
If you were able to have the
person who assists you join in
for a free round of golf, would
you play more often?
For many persons who need
assistance to do recreational
activities, we recognize cost can become a barrier.
The Personal Attendant for Leisure (PAL) card is a program allows people with a
disability to be accompanied by a personal attendant at no extra charge so they can
participate in designated local programs. The PAL card is accepted at city-operated
recreation and leisure programs like swimming, skating and golf in Kitchener, Waterloo,
Cambridge, Guelph and Woolwich.
To learn more and apply for your 2013 PAL card, please visit www.kitchener.ca/pal or
contact City of Kitchener inclusion services at 519-741-2200 x7228. n
“They really invest inyour growth and
achievement as ayouth.”
– Dannon Vasey,
youth co-ordinator
Your Kitchener is published every other month to keep our
citizens informed on local issues and
events. If you have questions or comments,
please contact us by phone at
519-741-2383 or by email at
The City of Kitchener is committed to providing accessible formats and
communication supports for persons with disabilities. If another format would
work better for you, please contact the inclusion coordinator, City of
Kitchener/City of Waterloo, at 519-741-2200 x7226.
When Bob Egan heard that the
City of Kitchener wanted to
“create” a music scene, his
cynical side stepped forward.
He went into a meeting with Silvia Di
Donato, the city’s manager of arts and
culture, “ready to set her straight on how
these things work,” he said.
He came out of the meeting a big
supporter of the city’s Music Works, an
initiative of the city’s economic
development division to support, facilitate
and accelerate the local music business
cluster, through a consultative process,
specifically nurturing an environment for
community success.
Music was identified as a key element in
the arts and culture cluster initiative,
confirmed by council in 2011 as part of
the Kitchener economic development
strategy 2011 (KEDS). The initiative built
on efforts already happening in the region,
including Communitech’s arts and digital
media peer-to-peer network series and
The Hub’s musical performance space,
regularly used by the large number of
technology workers who play musical
instruments.
Music Works: The Strategy Sessions
took the form of a day-long symposium
and consultation at the Hacienda. A
second session took place a few months
later at the Victoria Park pavilion.
“A city can’t create a music scene. A
city’s role is to facilitate the existing music
scene, to clear roadblocks and hurdles,
and to help navigate,” said Egan, a multi-
instrumentalist who plays with Blue Rodeo
and owns Bob’s
Guitar Service
repair shop.
“And its role is
to motivate. I’ve
had so many
people come to
me wanting to
harness this
energy that the city has unleashed. To that
end, the city has already achieved its goal
of bringing people together.”
“There were a lot of things that just
started to happen. The energy moved out
into the community,” said Di Donato.
“When you ask people questions about
what they’d like to see, and they run with
them, the leadership comes from the
grassroots. They really do want to take the
lead.”
Among the recommendations to come
out of the first Music Works session with
local musicians and other stakeholders
were to create a music working group,
based on the model of the public art
working group, which is an advisory
committee, and hold a music industry
conference. Di Donato and Egan agree
that the city’s role is not to create
something out of nothing.
“Facilitation and consultation are a great
way to leverage the community’s desire.
We as the city can’t afford to program
everything anymore,” said Di Donato. “Our
way of mobilizing has always been
grassroots networking.”
“There is a scene here. Once you scratch
below the surface, there is a lot
happening,” said Egan, who moved to
Kitchener seven years ago “for the real
estate.”
“I’ve always been a civic booster,
wherever I lived,” he said. “I’m an
observer. I noticed the streets being torn
up, heard the buzz about the Lang
Tannery, new condominiums, the
sidewalks being redone. I saw the city was
working at it. I thought, ‘They have a plan.
They have a very smart plan.’ I’m proud to
live here. They’re doing it right.”n
Athletic Award nominations
Each year the city recognizes and
celebrates the accomplishments of
many of this city’s and country’s finest
amateur athletes, and the coaches
who have inspired and motivated
them to excellence.
The awards ceremony will be held
March 5 to celebrate Kitchener
athletes who have achieved a
provincial, national or international
championship.
All nominations must be completed
online by Friday, Jan. 18, 2013. For
criteria and more information, see
www.kitchener.ca/AthleticAwards n
Free swims on Saturdays in January
and February at Cameron Heights
Pool.
Enjoy a free public swim at Cameron
Heights Pool Saturdays from 6-7:30
p.m., for January and February only.
Get to know your downtown pool on
Jan. 19, 26 and Feb. 2, 9, 26, 24.
This swim is being offered in
cooperation with ‘Active Kitchener’ to
provide activities that support the
health of our community. As this is a
limited time offer, regular swim
admission rates will apply starting
March 2. To ensure safety, children
must be supervised at all times. n
February is Black History Month
Celebrate Black History Month at
Kitchener City Hall on Friday, Feb. 1
between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Come for
the food or come for the
entertainment; the whole community
is welcome.
www.tapestrycelebrations.ca n
Lunar New Year
2013 is the Year of the Snake.
Come celebrate the Lunar New Year
at Kitchener City Hall on Feb. 8 from
11 a.m. – 2 p.m. Events will be held
throughout the weekend at
themuseum and Kitchener Market.
www.kitchenerdowntown.com n
Making music work
The Aud gets anew look, insideand online
The Aud’s website is getting a facelift!
Visit the City of Kitchener’s new Aud
microsite at www.theaud.ca.
The site offers a sleeker, more modern
look; improved navigation, and better
integration of tools, such as the calendar
and news features, with the city’s
corporate site, www.kitchener.ca
After you’ve navigated the new microsite,
why not come down to the real site and
get a tour of the new and improved Aud
building?
The Aud is celebrating its renovation by
holding an open house on Wednesday,
Feb. 13 from 4:30-6 p.m.
There will be tours of the newly
renovated facility, including the Kitchener
Rangers’ dressing room. Refreshments
and snacks will also be available.
Watch for other City of Kitchener
websites relaunching throughout 2013:
l kitchenercemeteries.ca;
l kitchenergolf.ca;
l kitchenermarket.ca
l kitchenerutilities.ca
l downtownkitchener.ca
The sites will be ugraded to improve
their backend systems, integrate better
with the corporate site and improve
navigation. n
The former Patrick Doherty Arena at
72 Wilson Avenue is not only a
recently designed and renovated
community centre, it also just achieved
Leadership in Energy and Environmental
Design (LEED) gold rating.
“The gold designation signals a job well
done on the part of the city and all the
community partners who worked on
setting the standard for this community
centre,” said Peggy Forrest, the city’s
construction project manager. “Kitchener
is part of a select group of Canadian
communities as one of few municipalities
to set a LEED gold standard as a basis for
constructing all future municipal buildings
larger than 5,332 square feet.”
The designation affirms scores in
several categories:
l Sustainable sites
l Energy and atmosphere
l Water efficiency
l Material and resources
l Indoor environmental quality
l Innovation and design process.
Recycled content was an important part
of the construction process for the
community centre, which opened last
year.
The centre has five program rooms, and
a large gymnasium with an adjoining
commercial kitchen and bar area, which
are available for rental.
Forrest notes 15 per cent of materials
used in the construction of the facility
were recycled, and 94 per cent of
construction waste was diverted from the
landfill. Low VOC-emitting adhesives,
sealants, paints, and carpet were also
used, and 29 per cent of materials came
from local sources. Water efficiency
measures resulted in a 40 per cent
reduction in water use.
A white roof on the 16,500-square-foot
facility reflects the heat instead of
absorbing it, and bicycle racks and change
rooms were also included in the
construction to encourage other forms of
transportation.
The city worked with WalterFedy on the
architecture, engineering and sustainable
features of the building. Nith Valley
Construction, contractors; Seawood,
commissioning, and GSP Group,
landscape architects also worked on the
project.
Meeting a minimum sustainable
standard contributes to lower demand for
large-scale infrastructure such as waste-
transfer facilities, water supply and
treatment infrastructure and related
development and operational costs.
It also contributes towards reduction in
transportation development and
maintenance and increased economic
performance of transit systems.
For more on this story, see
www.kitchener.ca/yourkitchener n
Gold for Patrick Doherty Arena
The City of Kitchener operates
family-friendly facilities and
supports breastfeeding mothers.
Credit: Dean Landry
Looking for a space for a
meeting or special occasion?
We have a space for everything.
Rent one of our rooms.
Whether you want to rent space
for a birthday party, a meeting,
cultural event, stag and doe or
even a wedding, the city offers
number of options to make your
event or function memorable.
All city facilities are smoke-free,
breastfeeding-friendly, and
operate under a municipal
alcohol policy to reduce potential
problems related to alcohol
consumption.
Most facilities are fully
wheelchair-accessible. See
www.kitchener.ca/facility rentals
for more information. n
What’s cooking?
The Marketplace at the Kitchener
Market is undergoing a few
improvements this winter including a
new roof on the state-of-the-art
kitchen. Join us in the spring for a fun
and exciting series of cooking classes!
For Kitchener Market updates,
including class information, please
send an email to
[email protected] with
‘Kitchener Market updates’ in the
subject field to sign up.
Come visit the cooking stage,
sponsored by the Kitchener Market,
at the Total Women Show Feb. 9-10,
10 a.m. to 5 p.m., at Bingeman’s.
www.totalwomanshow.ca n
Hockey Town
Hockey Town once again skates into
Kitchener City Hall on Saturday,
March 9 from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m.
The event features memorabilia
displays, special guest stars, and
sport-specific educational
opportunities and, of course, the little
kids playing for the annual Mayor’s
Cup! www.kitchener.ca/hockeytown n
Application deadline approaches for
retroactive stormwater credits
Applications for retroactive
stormwater credits must be made by
March 1, 2013.
If you are approved to receive
stormwater credits, the credit will
appear against the stormwater
portion of your regular utility bill.
Property owners who have installed
a best management practice (BMP)
are eligible to apply for a retroactive
credit to the date that the BMP was
installed or Jan. 1, 2011, whichever is
the most recent.n
Making art out of garbage is
Susan Coolen’s goal. Her photo-
based project, the Litter-Arti
Project, emerges from debris found in
the local urban environment and
includes such items as factory
remnants, water bottles, hubcaps, paper
coffee trays, drinking straws and more.
She scans, photographs, draws and
explores the garbage with computer
media, including video and computer
animation.
A local photographer, Coolen is the City
of Kitchener’s 2013 artist-in-residence.
“I am most interested in the artistic
abstractions created by ordering, making
patterns and playing with new graphic
interpretations of these found objects,”
said Coolen. “My artistic quest is to take
these throw-away materials and transform
them into new modern and contemporary
imagery that is colourful, playful, a
curiosity and inspiring.”
Coolen anticipates her large-scale
graphic work being suitable for billboards,
bus stops, buses, as posters, and as
animated video projections in windows
and on buildings such as the Kitchener
City Hall Sky Gallery, on the Cube at the
top of the Berlin Tower.
“My art practice revolves around the
constant activity of scavenging. I gather
the found detritus of daily life and of urban
and rural nature, which I organize and
photograph on a continuous basis,” she
said. “All of my imagery is underlined by
interests in the museum, collections, the
history of photography, culture readings
and more. Recent works explores links
between nature, visual language, graphic
form, pattern and organization, returning
me to my early background as a graphic
designer.”
Coolen also plans to produce a smaller
series of printed works for presentation in
the gallery environment, accompanied by
a final overview art video of the project.
She plans to offer several opportunities for
community engagement and interaction
with her art, including an exhibition of 50
Ways to Leave Your Litter, documenting
the Litter-Arti Project in the Berlin Tower
ARTspace in city hall in September and
October, and a full exhibit in the Rotunda
Gallery at city hall in December.
Coolen was born in Halifax, NS, and
graduated with a bachelor of design from
the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design.
She has a bachelor of fine arts in
photography from Concordia University
and a master of fine arts in photography
at Columbia College, Chicago. She has
exhibited her art across Canada, the USA
and Europe. For more information on the
artist-in-residence, please see
www.kitchener.ca/AIR n
Bridge closedfor repairs
The historic pedestrian bridge in
Victoria Park linking Jubilee
Drive to Roos Island will be closed
for repairs for about four weeks
starting Jan. 7. The repairs involve
replacing the horizontal guardrails on
both sides of the bridge to meet
modern safety standards. n
Read the words “strategic planning”
and eyes glaze over. What is it
exactly? How does it affect you as an
individual?
Strategic planning is a process of
identifying where the City of Kitchener
wants to be as an organization and
making sure the resources are in place to
get there.
To do this, we need to know where we
are today and what steps we need to take
to get us to our goal.
In short, the City of Kitchener Strategic
Plan: 2011-2014 is our city’s blueprint
for our future. The plan is the single,
comprehensive strategy that guides and
aligns the city’s work and spending with
the community’s priorities and vision for
its future.
So, now you know what it is, how does it
affect you as a citizen?
Municipal government and services
affect residents every day – from road
repairs to snowplowing, community-centre
programming to swimming pools and
hockey arenas, bylaw enforcement to new
parks and playgrounds.
Residents have a personal stake in how
the city operates. Citizens told the city
what priorities it should focus on, through
a public consultation process.
So much has changed since the plan
was last updated – technology, the
economy, the diversity of our city – that
the city is obligated to update its over-
arching plan to reflect the evolution.
Strategic plans are, by their nature, filled
with long-term goals supported by short-
term actions layered on top of each other
over a number of years. A strategic plan
like this, which is based on the
community’s priorities, holds the city
accountable to deliver on those wishes.
The strategic plan is monitored and
reviewed by the community through
Compass Kitchener each term of council
to make sure the plan stays relevant.
Compass Kitchener is a committee that
creates and leads public processes to:
l determine community concerns,
l identify priorities for action, and
l monitor progress toward achieving
the community vision.
The committee also issues a report card
each term of council to monitor changes, if
any, in the community’s priorities. The
report card for this term will be posted
online.
This plan was developed by the
community for the community. The city is
making great strides in accomplishing
work that supports community’s priorities -
and city staff will keep residents in the
loop as progress continues.
For more information on the city’s
strategic plan, please see
www.kitchener.ca/strategicplan n
Kitchener’s artist in residence 2013
Planning the city’s future with community help
VICTORIA PARK PAVILION is a stately facility overlooking Victoria Park. The building
offers a multipurpose room with stage and capacity for 250.
Photography: www.aMillionWords.ca / Decorations: www.WeddingDream.net
Need to rent space?
Emerald ash borer (EAB)is now established across the city. Most of the city’s ash trees will be dead by 2017, if no action is taken.
You can save your ash trees.Protect your large, healthy ash trees by injecting them with TreeAzinTM – a natural by-product.To learn more and to find a qualified service provider, check www.bioforest.ca.Help conserve Kitchener’s tree canopy.www.kitchener.ca
Replacing PlaygroundEquipment Across the City
Breithaupt ParkFair! eld Community
Pioneer ParkPioneer Park Community
Cedarhill ParkCountry Hills Community
Prospect ParkStanley Park Community
Greengable ParkHighland West Community
Westchester ParkGrand River North Community
Knollwood ParkAuditorium Community
Westwood ParkWestmount Community
The City of Kitchener is
Please send questions or comments by
Yvonne Westerveld Cardoso519-741-2600 x4216
For more information please visit our website - � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � February 14, 2013
IT’SIT’S BBAACK!CK!
Kids Hop is back every TUESDAYBring your little one out for a super-duper fun time
featuring live concerts and magicians!
•• Tuesdays from 11 a.m. to noonTuesdays from 11 a.m. to noon ••Afterwards, be sure to stop by one of our market vendors for a
healthy and kid-friendly lunch with lots of options for adults too!
The Marketplace at the Kitchener Market
is undergoing a few improvements this
winter including a new roof. Join us
in the spring of 2013 for a fun and
exciting series of cooking classes!
For Kichener Market updates,
including class information, please
email [email protected]
with ‘Kitchener Market updates’
in the subject field to sign up!
TheTheTheeThee
isis
Cooking Classesat the
wi
ii
Cooking C kCo ngngg ClassesassClaCCCCat thet theat
The SilentKiller
TAKE ACTIONPrevent carbon monoxide poisoning in your home.
Most Ontario households have, on average,4-6 appliances that produce carbon monoxide.
Theseappliances
include:
• Furnace • Wood-burning• Gas water heater fireplaces/stoves• Gas fireplace • Gas barbecue• Gas stove • Portable generators• Gas dryer • Fuel-burning space heaters
CO Safety ChecklistHave a certified fuels technician inspect and maintain your gas oroil furnace equipment annually.
To ensure a technician is registered, call 1-877-682-TSSA (8772)for confirmation.
Check that outside furnace vents are not blocked.
Install a CO alarm (on every floor level).
Never use a fuel-burning appliance or device in an enclosed space.
TAKE ACTION COSafety.caFor Natural Gas Emergencies call 519-741-2541,for Natural Gas Appliance Service call 519-741-2529
STOP