Community – Spoke

Hardwood takeaways: Austin Ernst-Finnie’s rookie year coaching

Austin Ernst-Finnie giving a postgame interview, following a 67-57 road win over the Forest Heights Collegiate Institute senior basketball team on January 13, 2025. Photo by Anashe Mapuranga/Spoke Online. Austin Ernst-Finnie giving a postgame interview, following a 67-57 road win over the Forest Heights Collegiate Institute senior basketball team on January 13, 2025. Photo by Anashe Mapuranga/Spoke Online. Coming into his first season coaching the Huron Heights senior basketball boys’ … Continued

VIDEO: Conestoga College celebrates grand opening of new Creative Industries hub

Following months of preparation, Conestoga College held the grand opening for their new Creative Industries (CI) hub. The facility is home to classrooms, lounge areas, workspaces, and the Conestoga College Digital TV network (CCDTV). The investment comes at a time when other post-secondary institutions in the province are slashing Creative Industries programs. As Spoke Online’s Rowen Fisler finds out, Conestoga president Dr. John Tibbits and other important figures in the … Continued

VIDEO: Cambridge grows green with Bee City Seedy Saturday’s return

Cambridge was buzzing with excitement as Bee City Seedy Saturday returned on March 8, 2025, bringing together gardeners, environmentalists, and pollinator advocates for a day of seed swapping, sustainability, and community action at the rare ECO Centre and Slit Barn. The event, held from 10 a.m. to noon at 768 Blair Rd., featured a seed swap, educational displays, and community booths focused on sustainability and pollinator conservation. Attendees exchanged seeds … Continued

Bringing history back to life with restoration of Lower Doon Mill Ruins in 2025

A piece of Kitchener’s history is set to be brought back to life, as plans to restore the crumbling Lower Doon Mill ruins were unveiled at a Heritage Kitchener Committee meeting on Jan. 7. An engineering report presented to the committee outlined the critical need to stabilize the crumbling Lower Doon Mill ruins, which meet criteria for historical and contextual significance. “You can kind of see the irregular property just … Continued

Black athletes within the Waterloo Region

A basketball on the Huskies logo of the Huron Heights Secondary School’s school basketball court, taken on Monday November 25, 2024. Photo by Anashe Mapuranga/Spoke Online Growing up, Nyasha Mombeshara tried a variety of sports before sticking to basketball. Mombeshara’s hardwood experience first began when her mother Lorraine signed her up for house league basketball in Lowell, Massachusetts in 2005. After that experience, a love for the game that would … Continued

From clippers to confidence: A place to become

The sound of clippers hums softly in the air, a familiar rhythm as each haircut becomes a quiet act of self-creation. Beneath the warm glow of vintage lights, identities are shaped as gently as the hair falling to the floor, with each snip revealing more of the person beneath. In this space, it’s not just hair being cut – it’s the barriers, fears, and weight of judgment, left behind in … Continued

How skating brings Waterloo students and families together during winter isolation

As winter sets in, a season known for its isolation, Waterloo’s families and students find warmth in an unexpected place: on the rink. “I probably hadn’t skated for like 20 years,” said John, a father skating with his son at Kitchener City Hall rink. John spent his early adult years building his career, which kept him away from skating and some family activities. However, last year, his son, who is … Continued

The leadership and perceptive knowledge of Scott Miller

Scott Miller in his WCDSB office, located on 51 Ardelt Ave, Kitchener. Photo by WRDSB. When Scott Miller decided he’d pursue a career in education, he did so believing it to be a good opportunity to make a difference in the lives of youths and students. Miller wanted to find ways for students to “encounter success and be successful with the belief that once you find success and once you’re … Continued

It’s moving day with the most Elite Services

Hilton Nyamayaro while on the job Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024. Photo by Anashe Mapuranga/Spoke Online When Hilton Nyamayaro founded his company Elite Moving Services Inc., he saw it as an opportunity to have time for himself, his family and travel. “I figured the best way to do this was to have a business that can run by itself and be able to fund my adventures and my lifestyle. And give … Continued

VIDEO: Kitchener’s historic Boathouse officially reopens

Photo by Rowen Fisler/Spoke Online Following a five-year hiatus, The Boathouse, a restaurant and live music venue in Kitchener’s Victoria Park, has reopened its doors to locals. Under new leadership, the venue has been transformed through a number of renovations to modernize and maximize the space while maintaining its historic significance to Kitchener. As Spoke Online reporter Rowen Fisler finds out, city officials and The Boathouse’s new owners are hopeful … Continued

Million-dollar boost for Conestoga College’s Women in Skilled Trades program

Photos provided by Suzanne Moyer/Conestoga College Conestoga College has acquired over a million dollars in funding from the government of Ontario for the college’s Women in Skilled Trades (WIST) program. The college was one of 25 programs province-wide to receive funding through the Women’s Economic Security Program, an Ontario government initiative created with the purpose of helping provide women with career training opportunities and ensuring a path to a job … Continued

VIDEO: Ninth Kitchener Comic Con gives local niche communities a place to call home

Photo by Rowen Fisler/Spoke Online Following a four year hiatus, Kitchener Comic Con has returned, hoping to give the community the same enjoyment and camaraderie it did before the pandemic. The event, which was held at Kitchener City Hall, gave locals in the community a chance to connect with like-minded people, allowing them to have a place where they could feel safe, welcomed, and appreciated for who they are. The … Continued

FEATURE: Local barbershop brings a new blend of self-care and relaxation to Waterloo Region

Photos by Rowen Fisler/Spoke Online (Pictured left to right) Barber Pole & Co. signage sitting above the main entrance of the barbershop, in Cambridge, Ont., with Antoine El Khoury standing outside his own dream business, Barber Pole & Co., on Oct. 26, 2024. Sixteen years ago, Antoine (Tony) El Khoury left his home country of Lebanon for Canada with only $3,000 to his name, looking for an opportunity. Having grown … Continued

Hate crimes surge 94 per cent in Waterloo Region, police say

Hate-motivated crimes in the Waterloo Region increased by 94 per cent last year, according to new data released by the Waterloo Regional Police Service (WRPS). These crimes have significantly increased in the region over the past few years.

Category: Community