JOIN THE DINNER CLUB

Happy Wednesday friends,

This week marks the beginning of black history month, and winter olympics! It’s Super Bowl weekend too, I mean gotta watch it for the half-time show and the commercials at the very least if not for the teams. Just like the week, the newsletter is loaded, so hope you enjoy!

Join the Dinner Club

You wanted it, so here it is, the first Waterloo Region Dinner Club has arrived and it’ll be happening in Waterloo (voted #1, Kitchener stands 2nd with 30 less votes). It’s time to gather around the table, meet some neighbours, and discover new food spots while having a good ol’ time.

Here’s how it works:

✦︎ Take a quick quiz about your interests, food preferences, and what types of folks you are looking to meet; you know, that kinda thing.

✦︎ Get matched with five other Waterloo Region Rhythm Members based on the quiz results.

✦︎ Receive your invite the morning of the dinner and discover which restaurant in Waterloo your group will be eating at.

✦︎ Dinner time will be Thursday, February 26 at 6:15 PM. After dinner, all tables will be invited to a designated spot to keep the good times rolling. This after party is optional, and a secret, so you will know details at dinner.

The Logistics: The booking fee is 15.99 bucks per seat, you pay for your own meal at the end of dinner, and I’ll put it all together from the quiz, to matching, to the reservations, and sending reminders. All you gotta do is show up, meet some new friends, and have some fun.

P.S. This is our inaugural dinner, so if it goes well (and I think it will), we'll do these regularly, all across the region. If you have any questions there is a little chat bubble at the bottom right of the page when you sign up. See ya there!

The Hidden Treasure Beneath Our Feet

Every time you fill your water bottle, make coffee, or water your plants, you're tapping into a resource that's been working for us since 1899—when people in our region said "nope" to drinking sketchy pond water. Water capacity concerns have been the talk of the town since Dec 2025 and I went down a rabbit hole. Turns out, the history is pretty cool and we all play a role in protecting it.

Back in the late 1800s, our communities faced a choice: keep buying questionable water from Shoemaker Pond (now Lakeside Park), or innovate. In 1899, Waterloo spent $40,000 ($1.5M today) to drill three wells and build the William Street Pumping Station; still standing in Uptown Waterloo 126 years later. Berlin (now Kitchener) drilled 10 wells that same year. Galt (now Cambridge) pioneered the shift since 1895.

What they discovered was winning the geological lottery: the Waterloo Moraine, a massive underground sand and gravel filter that naturally cleans water. It's been our secret weapon ever since. Those early decisions shaped who we became. While other communities relied on rivers and lakes, we had something better. Clean groundwater helped our region grow into today's thriving tech hub. Over 100 wells still tap into it, providing about 75% of our water.

Conservation has always been part of our DNA. In 1911, just 12 years after those first wells, we had our first lawn watering ban (see details). Today, we use less water per person than any other Southern Ontario municipality.

But here's where we all come in. The moraine that's sustained us for 125+ years faces new threats. This week, snow dump in Wilmot was shut down. Why does that matter? Wilmot and Wellesley sit on the critical recharge area where 80% of the moraine's water comes from. Snow carries road salt, oil, gas, and pollutants that seep directly into our drinking water.

Salt is the biggest culprit, once in groundwater, it never leaves. Between 1998 and 2018, chloride levels in some wells jumped so high the Region now mixes water from different wells to make it drinkable. Beyond taste, salt mobilizes heavy metals like lead and arsenic from pipes into our water, creating serious health risks.

Every over-salted driveway, every improperly dumped snow pile, every industrial permit in sensitive areas, add up. We're slowly salting away the resource that made our region possible. That clean water you're drinking is filtered through hundreds of years of care. The onus is on us to build a better future!

Talk of the Town

Waterloo Region at the 2026 Winter Olympics

Our region's got some serious Olympic star power heading to Italy! Six former Kitchener Rangers are hitting the ice along with a former Rangers coach assistant coaching for Team Canada. On the curling side, Laurier grad is lead for Canada's women's team, while fellow Laurier alum is coaching Canada's men's team. And Elmira's Erin Zach and Breslau's Laura Gutauskas are working the lines as hockey officials. Pretty cool to see so many local connections competing on the world's biggest stage!

Do you live in Kitchener?

Become a Music Ambassador for Neighbours Day and bring your neighbourhood together through music. City of Kitchener is organizing mini concerts and performances in May. If you're into creating connections through tunes, apply.

Canada's Most Livable

The Globe and Mail just dropped their third annual ranking of Canada's most livable cities out of 454 cities across the country. Woolwich and Wellesley are ranked 43 and 74, rest of our region is in the hundreds so we gotta do something about that. Woolwich is ranked #9 in Ontario ahead of Toronto! Check out the full rankings to see where all the cities landed.

Radiance, Ruff & Fluff

Sighting: White Tailed Deer

Sky:

Friday night (Feb 6), late evening: The moon hangs out with Spica, the brightest star in Virgo. Look for them rising together in the east around 11pm and they'll be visible all night.

Sunday evening (Feb 8), after dusk: The Winter Hexagon, a massive pattern of the brightest stars, dominates the southern sky. Jupiter's shining near the top, turning it into a squashed diamond ring. Best viewing after 8pm when it's standing upright in the south. You can't miss it.

Tuesday morning (Feb 10), before sunrise: Early risers can catch the crescent moon near Antares, the red heart of Scorpius, in the southern sky around 6am.

Room to Root

🏠 New on the market, an 1853 build

💼 54 Region of Waterloo job openings

🎗️If you are a weather enthusiast, volunteer with Community Collaborative Rain, Hail & Snow Network to track and report your local precipitation

🐶Adopt Jonesy, he wants your attention & ofcourse food!

🐈 Is your home missing a cat with movie-star looks? Adopt Fufi!

Trivia

Last week’s trivia: Wohoo 73% got it right! St. Jacobs Farmers' Market used to open just Saturdays when it first started.

Events

Featured Events

Feature your event

Sports

Kitchener Rangers vs Guelph Storm: OHL hockey action (all ages) ♿️ Fri, Feb 6, 7:00pm The Aud, Kitchener

KW Titans vs Sudbury 5: Basketball game (all ages) ♿️ Sat, Feb 7, 4:00pm The Aud, Kitchener

Super Bowl Watch Party VIP Experience: Unlimited all-you-can-eat buffet, reserved VIP seating, and exclusive giveaways (all ages) Sun, Feb 8, 3:00–11:00pm The Pub on King, Waterloo

Kitchener Rangers vs London Knights: OHL hockey action (all ages) ♿️ Tue, Feb 10, 7:00pm The Aud, Kitchener

Live Music

Thu, Feb 5

John Muirhead: Folk-rock songwriter bringing heartfelt storytelling and big hooks with special guest Addi John (all ages) ♿️ 7:30pm Maxwell's Concerts & Events, Waterloo tix

The Phil Collins Story: Immersive docu-concert tracing Collins' journey from Genesis to solo career to Academy Award-winning Disney work (all ages) ♿️ 8:00pm Centre In The Square, Kitchener tix

Sunset Sessions: Two top-secret artists from different genres in concert curated by Good Company Productions (all ages) ♿️ 7:30pm The Conrad Centre for Performing Arts, Kitchener reserve

Fri, Feb 6

Andrew McAnsh: Award-winning trumpeter and Berklee Global Jazz Institute grad brings bebop and jazz standards with exciting new arrangements (all ages) ♿️ 8:00pm The Jazz Room, Waterloo tix

Swan Lake by International Ballet Stars: Full-scale production featuring Tchaikovsky's legendary score with dancers from Italy, France, Georgia, & more (ages 3+) ♿️ 7:00pm Centre In The Square, Kitchener tix

Sat, Feb 7

Alex Dean's BARI-ed Alive: Three baritone saxophones with Hammond B3 organ, guitar, and drums playing original high-energy jazz tunes (all ages) ♿️ 8:00pm The Jazz Room, Waterloo tix

Killer Whale Tank Celebrates the Hip: High-energy, heartfelt night honouring The Tragically Hip with Canada's poets, riffs, and road stories (all ages) ♿️ 6:30pm Block Three Brewing, St. Jacobs tix

Victor Fournelle-Blain (viola) & Meagan Milatz (piano): Music for viola and piano featuring Schubert, Schumann, Kodály, and Rebecca Clarke (all ages) ♿️ 7:00pm Keffer Memorial Chapel, Waterloo tix

Sun, Feb 8

Kiwanis Music Education Fundraiser: Award-winning fiddler Shane Guse & Friends plus talented KW Kiwanis Music Festival student performers with silent auction (all ages) ♿️ 12:30pm The Jazz Room, Waterloo tix

Once Upon A Time: Peter and the Wolf brought to life with narration, music, and dance by Carousel Dance Centre (all ages) ♿️ 3:00pm Knox Presbyterian Church, Waterloo tix

The Sunday Grind: Local DJ Ice Pink spinning live sets at Matter of Taste Coffee Bar (all ages) ♿️ 11:00am–2:00pm Matter of Taste Coffee Bar, 115 King St W, Kitchener

Other Activities

Fri, Feb 6

Heated Rivalry Watch Party: Binge the series together with buzzy vibes, open bar, games, and LGBTQ+ affirming space (all ages) ♿️ 6:00pm Whoopsie Daisy Drinks, Kitchener

Fri, Feb 6-8

Lupercalia: Spooky Valentine's market for lovers, loners, heartbroken, and hopeless romantics with witchy + alt vendors, tarot readings, tattoos, and ritual activities (all ages) ♿️ Feb 6, 4:00–10:00pm, & Feb 7, 12:00–5:00pm, 44 Gaukel St, Kitchener

Rusty Nail Comedy with Chris Locke: Stand-up comedy featuring one of Canada's best headliners from "Run the Burbs" and "What We Do in the Shadows" (19+) ♿️ Feb 6 & 7, 8:00pm TWH Social, Kitchener tix

WYRD SISTERS: Cambridge Community Players present Terry Pratchett's tale (all ages) ♿️ Feb 6, 7, 8, 7:30pm Cambridge Arts Theatre tix

Sat, Feb 7

Mayor's Levee: One City, One Team: Winter Olympic-themed activities, live entertainment, face painting, crafts, and photo booth (all ages) ♿️ 11:00am–2:00pm Civic Square & Cambridge City Hall, 50 Dickson St, Cambridge

Valentine's Savoury Bread Workshop: Hands-on bread making with fresh yeast and delicious cheeses plus tour of Historic Haus (ages 16+) ♿️ 1:00–4:00pm Schneider Haus National Historic Site, Kitchener tix

Together We're Boisterous Comedy Show: Beat the February blues with stand-up, sketch comedy, and improv featuring Pinch (19+) ♿️ 7:00pm TWB Brewing, Kitchener tix

Sun, Feb 8

TRUTH IN FICTION — Improv Workshop: Use real-life experiences to shape improv choices and collaborative storytelling (some improv experience recommended) ♿️ 12:00pm Visitor Information Centre, Waterloo tix

Mon, Feb 9

Stained Glass Painting Workshop — Champagne Glasses: Paint two champagne flutes using stained-glass techniques with floral designs (no experience needed) ♿️ 7:00pm Ernie's Roadhouse, Cambridge tix

Tue, Feb 10

Valentine's Music Jam: Social afternoon with homemade desserts and music jam guitar players at Ted Wake 50+ Centre (50+) ♿️ 2:00pm Johnson Centre, Cambridge tix

Wed, Feb 11

Skate Night Date Night: Skate to tunes spun live by DJ King Kadeem with treats from Hissing Goose Coffee Roasters food truck (all ages) ♿️ 6:00–8:00pm Waterloo Public Square

Liked this a little? Share the love with your neighbours, send them this link to join 💌

See you next Wednesday! Until then, keep riding the region’s rhythm!

with love,

Your Neighbourly Goose | Waterloo Region Rhythm 🦆