LOVE IS EVERYWHERE

Happy Wednesday friends,

This is such a beautiful calendar month, 4 complete weeks, Sun to Sat, just perfect! My fellow symmetry lovers know how this feels 🙂. This week is all about love, family and Lunar New Year, hope you enjoy it.

HOMEGROWN CLUB THAT MADE OLYMPIC HISTORY

Right now, as the 2026 Winter Games unfold, we're cheering for the 206 Canadian athletes proudly wearing the maple leaf. Every four years, the world gathers to watch the very best compete: athletes who've trained for decades for this moment. It's elite. It's inspiring. It's big.

But here's something you might not know. Waterloo Region once sent its own hometown hockey club to the Olympics. In the 1950s, the Kitchener-Waterloo Dutchmen were a local club playing out of the Aud. They worked regular jobs. Practiced at night. Played for pride. Then they won the Allan Cup in 1955 (Canada's top amateur hockey championship) and earned the right to represent the country at the Winter Olympics. In 1956, they went to Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, and came home with bronze.

This wasn't a corporate backed program. The community helped support the journey. It was neighbours backing neighbours. How cool is that!

They went to 1960 Olympics and they brought home silver. To this day, the Dutchmen remain the last true self-contained club team to represent Canada at the Olympics and the only one to do it twice before Canada created a formal national team system in 1963.

It feels almost impossible now. In an era of centralized training and national programs, the idea that a hometown club could rise up and skate for an entire country sounds like folklore.

So as we cheer on Team Canada in 2026, it's worth remembering something. Olympic greatness starts at the local rink. Sometimes it's built after work. Sometimes a community believes in its team so fiercely... the world has no choice but to notice. Two Olympics. Two medals. One unforgettable Waterloo Region legacy.

DINNER CLUB

Speaking of community, the first Waterloo Region Dinner Club in Waterloo is filling up fast. We already have over 50 folks who have signed up to make some new friends, meet some neighbours, and have some fun. I’ll keep the logistics down below for anyone who may have missed how it all works. SIGN UPS CLOSE ON TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 24th AT 6:15PM.

✦︎ 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 on Thursday, February 26th 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, so if you’re in a food coma, you can go home and sleep it off.

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.

DATE NIGHT DINING

Romance isn't about the place. It's about the people. My aunt once told me about a young unsheltered couple who'd sleep in her bank's ATM vestibule and quietly leave each morning before staff arrived. One Valentine's Day, my aunt got there early and found the young woman still asleep. Next to her? A muffin and a single rose. Love shows up everywhere, even in the hardest moments.

So if you're lucky enough to have a warm table and good company this Valentine's Day, maybe it's worth celebrating. Here are five of the top 100 most romantic restaurants in Canada (according to OpenTable), from our region:

Cambridge Mill, Cambridge

Charcoal Steak House, Kitchener

Golf's Steak House & Seafood, Kitchener

Solé Restaurant, Waterloo

Wildcraft, Waterloo

LOVE LETTERS

Love is in the air, so, I designed you some top-tier love letters to send through the snow and cold to your special people. Hop on it and send it to them! More on insta & facebook.

REPORT

Sighting: White-breasted Nuthatch

Sky: Friday, Feb 13

Look up at the night sky around 8pm or 9pm and find Orion the Hunter in the southern sky! It’s the constellation with three bright stars in a row that make the belt. If you look just below the belt, you'll see what looks like a fuzzy star, but it's actually the Orion Nebula, a giant cloud in space where new stars form! Grab binoculars if possible, or a small telescope and you'll see this glowing cloud about 1,350 light years away from us.

ROOTED IN THE REGION

💼 WRHN listed a bunch of new jobs & Kinbridge is employing youth and young adults who face barriers to employment.

🧑‍🎨 If you are an artist, apply to be part of 2026 Cambridge Celebration of Arts, or Lumen 2026. Musicians can apply to be considered for live events this summer.

🏠 Fully updated interiors, this charming brick house was originally built in 1881

🎗️Volunteer at Canadian Blood Services or donate blood (this gives you a chance at winning flight tickets!)

🐶 Walk-in adoption specials for adult dogs on February 14th: Five year old Carlos is small, but has a big heart full of love! Five year old Oslo is shy, but super affectionate and won’t leave your side!

TRIVIA

Last week’s trivia: Was easy :) 94% got it right!

EVENTS

Featured Events

Feature your event

Valentine's Experiences

Fri, Feb 13

Valentine's Day After Dark Sweetheart Stroll (13+) ♿️ tix

The Hangout All Abilities Speed Dating: (all ages) ♿️ tix

Galentine's Drag Night: (19+) ♿️ tix

Galentine's Day Sip & Stretch:(all ages) ♿️ tix

Galentine's Day Line Dance Party:(all ages) ♿️ tix

Sat, Feb 14

Valentine's Day Crafternoons: (all ages) ♿️ tix

Crafty Cupid Market: 30+ handmade, vintage, baked goods, and queer vendors plus photo booth, 18+ bingo, drag performances, wine glass painting, and raffle for $300 gift basket (all ages) ♿️ 12:00–5:00pm Victoria Park Pavilion, Kitchener

I choo choo Choose You: speed dating (ages 38-52) ♿️ tix

Valentine's Murder Mystery Dinner Show: (19+) tix

I choo choo Choose You: speed dating (ages 28-40) ♿️ tix

Family & Friends Concert:(all ages) ♿️ tix

Year of the Girl Comedy Show: (19+) tix

Crazy Little Thing Called Love theatre (all ages) ♿️ tix

Sun, Feb 15

Sweethearts & Sweets workshop (18+) ♿️ tix

Family Day Fun

City of Waterloo Family Day: (all ages) ♿️ details

Family Day Messy Makers: ♿️ details

Family Day Fun at North Dumfries Community Complex, Ayr details

Family Day at Kitchener Market: (all ages) ♿️ details

Family Day Fun at Wilmot Recreation Complex:(all ages) ♿️ details

KW Titans vs Columbus Wizards: Family Day Fan Fest game interactive games and activities (all ages) ♿️ tix

Family Day Pet Fest: (all ages) ♿️ details

Family Day at KWAG:(all ages) ♿️ details

Family Day Board-om: details

Other Activities

Lavender Fizz Comedy Open Mic: 2SLGBTQIA+, Women & Non-binary comedy open mic hosted by Sarah Thompson, pay what you can (all ages) ♿️ Thu Feb 12, 7:00–9:00pm TWB Brewing, Kitchener

JJ Grey & Mofro perform: southern soul powerhouse brings his first self-produced album in eight years (all ages) ♿️ tix

Don't Tell Comedy: Secret location stand-up show (18+) ♿️ tix

Rusty Nail Comedy: Stand-up featuring headliner Niles Seguin (19+) ♿️ tix

GOWAN: Scottish-born Canadian rock icon and current Styx frontman performs (all ages) ♿️ tix

Halfway There: Norm Foster's heartwarming comedy theatre (all ages) ♿️ tix

Great Backyard Bird Count: Easy morning of bird watching and counting at Victoria/Willow River Park; download eBird and Merlin apps beforehand, bring binoculars and camera (all ages) ♿️ Mon, Feb 16, 9:30–11:00am Victoria Park Pavilion, Kitchener

Meander: 19-minute show experiencing the world's largest permanent living architecture sculpture that reacts to movements with sounds, light, and movements of its own (all ages) ♿️ Wed, Feb 18, 7:30pm Tapestry Hall, Cambridge