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

communications@kitchener.ca.

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

info@kitchenermarket.ca 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

Yvonne.WesterveldCardoso@kitchener.ca

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 info@kitchenermarket.ca

with ‘Kitchener Market updates’

in the subject field to sign up!

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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