September 30, 2023

VIDEO: Let’s Move project empowers women through biking in Kitchener

An initiative called Let’s Move in Kitchener is building a community of women who bike around the local area for exposure, empowerment and fitness. Many women are learning to bike for the first time. The program also directs these women to other programs that assist with finding jobs, providing domestic violence aid and more.

LUNAFEST unites women across the world with film

Female filmmakers from as near as Halifax and as far as Texas will be showcased on April 23 at the 21st annual LUNAFEST – a film festival by women, for women. The proceeds will go towards supporting local women’s charities and other women in film. Since the first LUNAFEST in 2001, more than 170 filmmakers have been showcased, with 2,700 screenings nationwide. Organizations across the world can apply to host … Continued

Online classes conflict with rental rules for some Conestoga students

How would you feel if you could only cook meals in your home at specific times? This is just one of many challenges facing international students at Conestoga College. One international student who pays $500 a month, said he can’t cook meals when he wants and he was not allowed to connect to the internet. As a result, he can only cook during his online classes. He had to buy … Continued

VIDEO: The Pulao Gals combine food and hospitality to make a home away from home

Passing by the open door of The Pulao Gals, the scent of spices – like cinnamon for kofta, and cilantro for buttering naan – hangs in the air, hinting at some of the menu items that can be found within. Once you’re inside, the warm feeling you get isn’t from the oven – it’s from the kindness owners Zerka and Shahgul Mya extend.  Shahgul and Zerka, a former Conestoga culinary … Continued

VIDEO: College students who ‘forget all the rules’ about recycling could vastly improve their recycling habits

Waterloo Region has a rich history with the blue box, particularly Kitchener which started the first blue bin program. But the student population seems neither to know nor care about this. Kathleen Barsoum, coordinator of waste management in Waterloo Region, says students need to put more effort into sorting their recycling and garbage. In this video, she speaks about the history of the blue bin and youth involvement in recycling.

AUDIO: World Autism Awareness Day’s importance goes beyond April 2

World Autism Awareness Day is a day to promote inclusivity, create awareness, and listen to autistic voices about their experiences. While April 2 is the day dedicated to this, people with autism and organizations that support them believe World Autism Awareness Day should be on our minds – specifically, neurotypical minds – every day, ensuring the awareness turns into action.

VIDEO: Waterloo Region community supports Ukrainians fleeing war

The Waterloo Region community has erupted in support for Ukraine and its citizens, who have been experiencing war for more than a month. Canada recently authorized a quick, temporary pathway for Ukrainians fleeing war to live in Canada. Many in the community are getting ready for their arrival, including a local Grassroots Response to the Ukrainian Crisis and two local women who have started their own fundraiser.  

Local Facebook group brings kindness to Waterloo Region, designs crosswalk for next National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

Just one act of kindness can go a long way. It could turn a person’s day into one they will remember. Just think how you could grow that goodwill with many acts of kindness. In May 2020, during the pandemic, Sheena Merling created a Facebook group called Act of Kindness (AOK), a group designed to take initiative and do something kind for someone else. Whether it’s paying for someone’s order … Continued

Toronto Comicon brings cosplayers together once again

From Trekkies to Potterheads, fandoms of all kinds gathered to share their passion with like-minded people at Toronto Comicon, a three-day convention that ran from March 18 to March 20. After a two-year hiatus because of the pandemic, Comicon’s highly anticipated return to the Metro Toronto Convention Centre had fans big and small dressing up as their favourite characters in costumes known as cosplay. Extravagant cosplays from stormtroopers to giant … Continued