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Happy Wednesday and CANADA Day friends,
Grateful to call this beautiful country home and be part of this awesome neighbourhood! In case you’re still looking for things to do today (Jul 1), I had shared a bunch last week 🙂 have a beautiful day with friends and family. Some rhythm highlights of the region and more to plan the week ahead, enjoy!
with love,
your friendly neighbourhood goose 🦆
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NO WATER, NO BUILD
Two weeks ago I got into the region's water crunch, and promised to keep you posted with updates.
Are we building again?
You may have seen headlines (CTV, The Record) that development could restart this fall. Before you worry about that 3% cushion, here's the real story. The Region isn't spending our emergency buffer. Its new Interim Risk Management Framework (approved June 8) only allows building to resume as new water comes online: a temporary filtration system at the Mannheim plant adding 300 litres per second by mid-2027, plus another 80 from Greenbrook repairs. Until those run, they're bridging with a little extra pumping from Wilmot. Cautious and conditional.
We're not the only ones sweating it: Guelph just admitted its own shortage and released a grim report on the years ahead.
The protections are getting teeth.
The Region held its first workshop on the new Well Interference Committee, building permanent protections for rural well owners (August 12 is when they become permanent). Two safeguards I didn't flag last time: the extra Wilmot draw shuts off automatically once the new filtration is running, and any future water the Region takes now legally requires private-well impact checks, paying to connect affected neighbours to municipal water, and deep replacement wells at the Region's expense.
Want to help in 30 seconds?
A new one-click letter asks the province to give the Waterloo Moraine the same protection as the Greenbelt, so our water source can't be signed away.
REGION'S RADAR (ICYMI)
A Conestoga graduate is splashing colour and identity across the region, with artist Brannon Moore-Goldsmith bringing Pride-themed public artwork to spaces throughout Waterloo Region. Read
Public Health's neighbourhood bus is back on Cambridge roads for the summer, rolling out easy, walk-up access to vaccines and other health services at stops across the city through the fall. Read
Conestoga is bringing the 2026 Ontario Summer Games to town, hosting karate and table tennis at its Student Recreation Centre as athletes, coaches, and spectators descend on the region this summer. Read
ROLL OUT ROOTS
Work: multiple roles open, Green for Life
Volunteer: Ray of Hope
House of the week: c1898 century home made for winding down
Adopt a pet: Not a bear but Teddy wants to cozy up to you :)
AT HOME IN THE REGION
Cheryl sent this over and I was hooked before I even found my own sign. She matched all 12 zodiac signs to a Waterloo Region neighbourhood, and the accuracy is honestly delightful. Stuck on this:
Gemini → Uptown Waterloo. Two universities, patios everywhere, and an energy that never quite winds down. Exactly where a Gemini wants to be.
Did Cheryl match your neighbourhood?
RIDDLE ME
Last week’s trivia: 78% got it right, some nostalgia and a fun alternative 🙂
An iconic summer swimming spots is in Elora, a spring-fed conservation area just north of Waterloo Region. What was this site originally used for before it filled with water?
RIFFS & RIBS
We love live music, and food, and the outdoors 🙂 This week’s breakdown of live music performances at eateries is below (click image).
ROAM & RAZZLE
Because there is so much to explore every-single-day.
Mood Yellow Gallery opens its workshop area for a weekly evening of making and mingling. Carry your current work in progress; sketching, painting, stitching, any medium is welcome, settle in with coffee and tea while you create alongside other makers. It's a low-key studio night rather than a class. Limited capacity.
Got an event coming up? Submit it and it could show up right here.
THU, JUL 02
Nature: Remove invasive Himalayan Balsam and flowering rush from floodplain habitat at rare, with species ID and removal training provided (all ages) 10am, Cambridge info
Dance: Salsa dancing with dance lessons, live performances, and music in Waterloo Public Square (all ages) 6pm, Waterloo info
Concert: The Kitchener Musical Society Band marks its 150th anniversary on Roos Island, so pack a picnic and a lawn chair (all ages) 7pm, Kitchener info
Concert: Duende and Juneyt play the front lawn of Castle Kilbride, weather permitting (all ages) 7pm, Baden info
Market: Uptown Waterloo's night market fills the Main Library's lower lot with local makers, food, and live music (all ages) 7pm, Waterloo info
FRI, JUL 03
Market: Shop local vendors along the Lower Main Street Promenade in downtown Cambridge (all ages) 6pm, Cambridge info
Dance: Urban Cowboy leads a line dancing night at Four Fathers' IV Loft, with lessons from 7 to 9 then open dancing until midnight (all ages) 6:30pm, Cambridge tix
Concert: Two surprise artists from different genres play Vogelsang Green, so bring lawn chairs and blankets for a 7:30 start (all ages) 7pm, Kitchener info
Dance: Salsa, bachata, and merengue with a dance lesson at 7 then social dancing, plus an outdoor bar by The Civil (all ages) 7pm, Kitchener info
Active: A round-robin cornhole tournament at Wave Maker with random partners and points tracked (all ages) 7pm, Cambridge info
Comedy: Hamilton comic Jason Allen headlines Rusty Nail Comedy (all ages) 7:30pm, Kitchener tix
SAT, JUL 04
Party: An 80s, 90s, and 2000s club night with confetti and still gets you home by 10pm (19+) 4pm, Waterloo tix
Dance: Outdoor salsa, bachata, and merengue dancing in Downtown Hespeler for all skill levels (all ages) 6pm, Cambridge info
Com-prov Show: TriCity Improv's biggest show of the year runs an all-ages matinee and an edgier evening of unscripted comedy from the region's top troupes at The Registry (all ages) 1pm or 7pm, Kitchener tix
Comedy: World-touring comedian Ashwyn Singh brings a new stand-up set to The Jazz Room (all ages) 7pm, Waterloo tix
Social: A DJ spins poolside while you swim under the stars at Big Splash, with all 13 slides, the wave pool, and splash pad open (all ages) 7:30pm, Kitchener tix
SUN, JUL 05
Tour: A costumed guide tours the 1936 Trip and Vogue Voyages fashion exhibits at Castle Kilbride, then you craft a fascinator or bow tie (all ages) 10am, Baden tix
Dance: Urban Cowboy line dancing meets live music from Jessie T and the Bucking Broncos in the District Square (all ages) 11:30am, Cambridge info
Exhibit: KWAG's Gardeners-in-Residence explore disrupted ecological cycles and climate uncertainty in the Sculpture Garden (all ages) 1pm, Kitchener info
Theatre: Drayton's Tony-winning dance spectacular follows Peggy Sawyer's rise to Broadway stardom (all ages) 7:30pm, Cambridge tix
Concert: The Waterloo Concert Band's summer series presents the Galt Kilties at the Eby Farm Barnshell in Waterloo Park (all ages) 7pm, Waterloo info
MON, JUL 06
Concert: The Waterloo Concert Band plays old favourites and new selections in open-air Waterloo Public Square (all ages) 7pm, Waterloo info
Concert: Award-winning vocalist and Laurier music student Eryn Simoes plays the Roos Island series, so bring a picnic and a lawn chair (all ages) 7pm, Kitchener info
TUE, JUL 07
Family Fun: Live kid-friendly music, balloon twisting, face painting, and splash-pad play in Carl Zehr Square (all ages) 4pm, Kitchener info
Dance: Local groups lead a K-POP dance session for all skill levels in Waterloo Public Square (all ages) 7pm, Waterloo info
Workshop: A drop-in improv jam in a judgment-free zone, try it or just watch, ages 13+ (all ages) 7pm, Waterloo info
Dance: Line dancing night with a KYnamics dance lesson from 8 to 9 then dancing till 11 (all ages) 8pm, Cambridge tix
Comedy: Stand-up open mic with regional amateur comics hosted by Otis Morris at Revive Karaoke (19+) 8pm, Waterloo info
WED, JUL 08
Fitness: Beginner-friendly outdoor yoga led by experienced teachers in Civic Centre Park, bring a mat or use the grass (all ages) 5:30pm, Kitchener info
Nature: Hands-on land restoration with Tekanónhkwa, planting trees, tending gardens, and learning alongside knowledge keepers and Elders (all ages) 6:30pm, Kitchener info
Concert: Live music beneath the willow trees in downtown Ayr, bring a lawn chair or blanket (all ages) 7pm, Ayr info
Concert: Newfoundland fiddle traditions meet Django-style gypsy swing from Duane Andrews and the Hot Club of Conception Bay at The Village Social (all ages) 8pm, Cambridge tix
Family Fun: Bring your teddy, a blanket, and a water bottle for a picnic with a provided snack, pre-registration required (all ages) 10:30am, Wellesley info
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