All posts by News

The CKMS Newsroom works to provide a deeper analysis of the issues that affect our communities, than that which the mainstream news sources provide. Read the most current stories at CKMS Community News. Contact the newsroom at news@radiowaterloo.ca

CKMS News – 2020-07-10 – Overdose Prevention Day – An Interview with John Stone

Host: Julian Ichim

On today’s show we will examine the importance of overdose prevention day which is June 30th. This year the issue pushed is the issue of Safe supply.

Today’s show we will talk with Jon Stone about overdose prevention and safe supply.

Jon Stone was active in all three tent cities in Kitchener over the last three years as well as the unsanctioned safe injection site. Last years Tent City practiced Safe Supply by distributing safe narcotics to addicts so that they can be safe using and participating. He is also part of Revolutionary Student Movement.

Download audio: https://storage.radiowaterloo.ca/2020-07-10-CKMSNews-OverdosePreventionDay-JohnStone.mp3

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This program is a part of the “Local Journalism Initiative” grant program and is funded by the Community Radio Fund of Canada, the Government of Canada, and the CKMS Newsroom.

CKMS News – 2020-06-25 – Bootstraps and Basic Income – An Interview with Hugh Segal


Host: Ivan Angelovski

With the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) program introduced to help people who lost their jobs due to COVID-19, a lot of people started to talk about whether Canada would need such a program if there was already a Universal Basic Income in place for people getting exactly into that situation.

Radio Waterloo recently published a story on Kitchener council’s initiative to urge the provincial and federal government to start talking about universal basic income (https://radiowaterloo.ca/ckms-news-2020-06-04/). In that story we aired a short excerpt from the interview with Hugh Segal, former senator who designed the Ontario Basic Income Pilot Project and who recently published a book called Bootstraps Need Boots, One Tory’s Lonely Fight to End Poverty in Canada.

Now we’re airing the entire interview with Mr. Segal explaining the thought process behind the Pilot, the benefits of universal basic income, and why he feels lonely in his fight to end poverty in this country.

Download audio: https://storage.radiowaterloo.ca/2020-06-25-CKMSNews-UBIAndBootstraps-AnInterviewWithHughSegal.mp3
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This program is a part of the “Local Journalism Initiative” grant program and is funded by the Community Radio Fund of Canada, the Government of Canada, and the CKMS Newsroom.

CKMS News – 2020-06-06 – Black Lives Matter KW Solidarity March

Host: Ivan Angelovski

On June 3rd 2020, 11,000 people gathered in Kitchener for the KW Solidarity March for Black Lives Matter. Demonstrators demanded justice for for Regis Korchinski-Paquet, George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Tony McDade, and so many other Black and Indigenous people killed by police in Canada, the US, and around the world. The demonstrators also demanded a defunding of the regional police force and an end to police officers in schools and “community policing” programs.

In this episode, you’ll hear the voices of Black people who marched, speaking about being Black in Canada.

You’ll also hear from, Selam Debs, Funke Oba from African Canadian Association, Fanis Juma, from Black Lives Matter KW, Laura Mae Lindo, MPP for Kitchener Center, Lannois Carrol-Woolery of The Caribbean Canadian Association of Waterloo Region and Ruth Cameron from The AIDS Committee of Cambridge, Kitchener, Waterloo and Area, who spoke at the rally.

Download Audio: https://radiowaterloo.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/2020-06-05-CKMSNews-BLMDemoJune3-BlackInCanada.mp3

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This program is a part of the “Local Journalism Initiative” grant program and is funded by the Community Radio Fund of Canada, the Government of Canada, and the CKMS Newsroom.

CKMS News – 2020-06-04 -Universal Basic Income: New Support in Kitchener and Past Troubles in Canada

Host: Ivan Angelovski

On May 11 Kitchener city council endorsed a motion, proposed by councillor Bil Ioannidis, urging the provincial and federal government to start talking about universal basic income. The proposal passed with 8 to 3 which means it’s now an official document of the city of Kitchener.

Universal Basic Income in Canada has been periodically piloted since the 1960’s and the last attempt with it was in 2018, with The Ontario Basic Income Pilot during the provincial government of Kathleen Wynne.

The goal was to test whether UBI is a better way of providing social assistance to those who need it, and four thousand people from Brantford, Thunder Bay, Lindsay and Hamilton volunteered to participate in the pilot.
It didn’t end well.

In this episode, we talk with councillor Bil Ioannidis, who proposed the motion, Jessie Golem and Jodi Dean, UBI pilot participants from Hamilton, and Hugh Segal, a conservative political strategist, former senator, former Chief of Staff to Ontario Premier Bill Davis and later to Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney who designed the pilot.

Download audio: https://storage.radiowaterloo.ca/CKMSnews-2020-06-04-UBISupportsAndIssues-1.mp3

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This program is a part of the “Local Journalism Initiative” grant program and is funded by the Community Radio Fund of Canada, the Government of Canada, and the CKMS Newsroom.

CKMS News – 2020-05-31 – Impacts of COVID on poor folks and people who use drugs.

Host: Julian Ichim

This show will examine the impact of the corona virus on homeless people and drug users. This show will be the first of three shows examining this problem from different perspectives.

Today’s show we will talk to two street activists about the impact the corona virus has on poor people and drug users.

Ivan Stoicovic is a local organizer who has been organizing for more than 30 years in Kitchener, Toronto, and Kingston. His activism ranges from Tent Cities, to stopping the war in Yugoslavia in 1998 and he has been very vocal on the issues of poverty and homelessness working with groups ranging from OCAP, KCAP, Kitchener Tent city Coordinating committee and other anti poverty organizations to anti imperialist groups such as the Kitchener Canada Cuba Friendship organization to the Hugo Chavez Peoples Defense Brigade.

Following Ivan, we will hear from Jonathan Stone who has helped organize the last three tent cities in Kitchener and is also a member of the Revolutionary student Movement.

In both of these interviews the impact of the corona virus on poor people and drug users is discussed from the perspective of organisers impacted people.

My next episode will share some experiences and perspectives from health care workers, and in the third part of this miniseries we will hear from drug users.

Download show: https://radiowaterloo.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/2020-05-31-CKMSNews-COVIDImpactsOnPovertyAndDrugUsers.mp3

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This program is a part of the “Local Journalism Initiative” grant program and is funded by the Community Radio Fund of Canada, the Government of Canada, and the CKMS Newsroom.

CKMS News – 2020-05-26 – How Shelters are Coping with COVID19

Host: Lashaina Blair-White, @Lashainablair_w on Twitter

With the Centers for Disease Control and every news outlet, companies and some of your favourite celebrities encouraging you to stay home and practice social distancing in order to flatten the curve, I can’t help but wonder about those who aren’t so lucky. What about those who have no home to isolate in?

In this episode of CKMS News we will be exploring how volunteers, organizers and other essential workers at our local shelters are coping during this pandemic. I will speak to Elizabeth Clarke, the CEO of YW Kitchener Waterloo on what it’s like running a 24-hour shelter in the midst of a pandemic. She talks about the challenges she and her colleges as well as forging a new path made necessary by the pandemic.

I will also speak to Suzi Gursoy, a homeless activist in the Waterloo Region. Her outspokenness for the rights and wellbeing of the homeless community is not just her passion but also a reflection of her past. For many years Gursoy went without a permanent home. In this episode, she talks about her concerns for the homeless community and what challenges they face due to the lack of help, systems, and facilities.

For more information about YW Kitchener Waterloo, visit their website: https://ywkw.ca/

Download Audio: https://radiowaterloo.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/2020-05-20-CKMSNews-HowAreSheltersCoping.mp3

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This program is a part of the “Local Journalism Initiative” grant program and is funded by the Community Radio Fund of Canada, the Government of Canada, and the CKMS Newsroom.

CKMS News – 2020-05-25 – Increasing Housing Affordability by Increasing Housing Density: An Interview with WR YIMBY

Host: Trish Holmes

Waterloo Region Yes In My Backyard (WR YIMBY) is advocating to increase housing density and in doing so they hope to increase affordable housing supply in Waterloo Region.

WR YIMBY co-founder Martin Asling speaks to us about the principles that drive YIMBY’s advocacy, the affordable housing and housing density challenges specific to Waterloo Region and how the response to the current COVID-19 crisis has demonstrated that solutions can be found.

 

The references Martin mentions:

Conor Dougherty –  Golden Gates: Fighting for Housing in America (2020) https://www.penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/585765/golden-gates-by-conor-dougherty/9780525560210

Richard Rothstein – The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America (2017) https://www.epi.org/publication/the-color-of-law-a-forgotten-history-of-how-our-government-segregated-america/

WR YIMBY Facebook page  https://www.facebook.com/Waterloo-Region-Yes-in-My-Backyard-2256614188002363/about/

download audio: https://radiowaterloo.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/YIMBY-CKMS-interview-May25–1.mp3

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This program is a part of the “Local Journalism Initiative” grant program and is funded by the Community Radio Fund of Canada, the Government of Canada, and the CKMS Newsroom.

CKMS News – 2020-05-14 – Bank Garnishes Government Assistance to Local Anti-Poverty Advocate

Host: Ivan Angelovski

Listen Here:

After receiving her social assistance last month, Regan Sunshine Brussé (@ReganBrusse), a local advocate for the poor, and currently unemployed single mother of three, looked into her bank account, to find it almost empty. Scotiabank, garnisheed the only funds she and her kids had left to handle the pandemic.

“Technically they’re in the right to be doing what they’re doing, according to our current laws.” Brussé said. After being contacted about the issue Scotia bank did return the funds to Regan’s account.

On this episode of CKMS News, we discuss impacts of COVID-19 on people who are on social assistance or otherwise have a low monthly income. We also speak about what banks and the various levels of government are doing to ease these impacts.

Along with Regan Sunshine Brussé, we speak with Laura Mae Lindo, the Kitchener Centre representative in provincial parliament and Lea Caragata, a professor of social policy at Wilfrid Laurier University.

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This program is a part of the “Local Journalism Initiative” grant program and is funded by the Community Radio Fund of Canada, the Government of Canada, and the CKMS Newsroom.

CKMS News – 2020-04-27 – Tent City for Immediate COVID-19 Response

Episode Host: Julian Ichim
Listen here: CKMS News – 2020-04-27 – Tent City for Immediate COVID-19 Response

On Today’ s show we feature a report back from the April 15th 2020 community organizing meeting in Kitchener to address the Coronavirus pandemic in respect to the homeless population, and implement immediate measures to mitigate the impacts. The meeting was held at the LOT 42 events and conference campus, and among other things, concluded with the announcement of the establishment of a tent city on the LOT 42 property.

We then speak with Nadine Green, Heather Majaury, and Ron Doyle, about the Lot lot 42 site which will be used to house people, as well as run programs that help poor people. The site includes a tent city in the court yard as well as a building with washrooms sports facilities a movie room and common area.

Nadine Green was a downtown store owner who used her store as a place to house homeless people as well as provide them with employment until the city and other forces forced her to shut down. As a result of this resistance was built and Heather Majaury came on board as an indigenous activist who found common cause with Nadine in terms of the plight of homeless people. This collaboration touched the heart of Landlord Ron Doyle who donated his property, lot 42 for Nadine, Heather and other like minded activists to use to solve the housing crisis.

Ron Doyle did this unprecedented move of donating his land as a result of the fact that the city is not doing enough around the, housing crisis and with the outbreak of Covid 19 homeless people more then ever need a place to go and if the city will not provide this space Ron took it upon himself to provide the space.

For more information on the Tent City, including ways to support it, you can visit the websites: mymothernamedmesunshine.ca/ or civichubwr.org/unsheltered-campaign/

Or on social media on twitter @UnshelteredC and on facebook and instagram at unsheltered.campaign

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This program is a part of the “Local Journalism Initiative” grant program and is funded by the Community Radio Fund of Canada, the Government of Canada, and the CKMS Newsroom.

The CKMS newsroom is seeking freelance journalists for new program

The five positions for journalists have been filled. We thank all those who applied, and welcome our new journalists to Radio Waterloo. We’re accepting applications for the entire duration of this project; send your resume and a brief cover letter to dan@radiowaterloo.ca for future consideration.

Organisation Name: CKMS – 102.7 FM – Radio Waterloo

Job Title: Freelance journalist

Description:

The CKMS community newsroom is looking for several freelance journalists to produce local content. The program is funded with a grant from the Community Radio Fund of Canada until March 31 2021.

The focus of the work is here in Waterloo Region and will investigate and help explain the intersections of homelessness and displacement, poverty and mental health, and the war on drugs and safer consumption initiatives.

Candidates do not have to commit for the entire term of the project, we will be accepting applications throughout the program’s timeline to ensure flexibility.

We’re looking for dynamic journalists who care about local journalism and local issues.  

Duties and responsibilities:

  • Produce 20-30 minute edited audio pieces for broadcast with interview and analysis focusing on the intersections of homelessness and displacement, poverty and mental health, and the war on drugs and safer consumption initiatives.
  • Set up and undertake interviews for assigned or approved pieces.
  • Pitching ideas for pieces.
  • Use audio editing software to produce the piece.
  • Write up descriptions of the produced pieces for use on the CKMS website.
  • Upload the completed work to the appropriate servers.

Qualifications:

  • Ability to critically assess potential news stories and interviews ethically and efficiently.
  • Journalism training/experience and documentary production experience are assets.
  • Self-motivated and willing to initiate and complete projects.
  • Experience with audio editing software is an asset
  • Familiarity with website and social media platforms are assets.
  • Familiarity with issues of homelessness, poverty, and drug use are assets.

Compensation: Each assigned 20-30 minute audio piece will be compensated at the rate of 250$. A successful applicant can expect 1-3 assignments each month.

Closing date: The program starts immediately upon a successful application. We will be accepting applications for the entirety of the program. 

How to Apply: send resume/CV and a brief cover letter to – dan@radiowaterloo.ca

AW@L Radio – 2018-11-23 – Support CUPW, Support the Workers, Reject Neoliberalism!

Practicing their neoliberal ideology, the federal liberal government of Justin Trudeau introduced legislation to end the postal worker strike, as Doug Ford’s conservatives also attacked workers rights with bill 47 in Ontario. Also, who will stop police budgets?

listen here: https://archive.org/download/Awlradio-2018-11-23-supportCUPW/awlradio-2018-11-23-supportCUPW.mp3

Delivering Community Power!

From: Grand River Community News

AW@L Radio – 2018-09-21 – Callout to counter PEGIDA on Oct13 and Know Your Fashy Symbols!

A callout to counter the PEGIDA demo in London on October 13th, a mention of an article “regarding lindsay shepherd”, and a new visual guide to alt-right and fascist symbols.

Listen to the podcast here: https://archive.org/download/Awl-radio-2018-09-21-antipegidacallout-guidetofashSymbols/aw%40l-radio-2018-09-21-antipegidacallout-guidetofashSymbols.mp3

From:: Grand River Community News

AW@L Radio – 2018-09-07 – Undercover Outed in Hamilton, #PrisonStrike2018, and Why environmental justice activists should fight fascists.

An infiltrator is outed in the Hamilton activist scene and environmental justice organisers are urged to join and expand the fight against fascists forces at home and abroad. Also some #PrisonStrike and #PrisonRadio audio.

From:: Grand River Community News

Listen to the podcast here: AW@L Radio – 2018-09-07

Smash Fascism!
Smash Fascism!

AW@L Radio 2018-06-01 – Conservative Corruption, and Harm Reduction Voting (for the NDP)

with a provincial election in ontario on june 7th, this AW@L Radio highlights the corruption, bigotry, ignorance, and malice represented in the candidates for the conservative party. AW@L Radio, dan kellar, also advocates for voting for the NDP as a harm reduction measure, to keep the dangerous policies of the conservatives and liberals out of power, and make life a little easier for everyone (but the rich).

From:: Grand River Community News

AW@L Radio – 2018-05-11 – Resisting Racists and Free Speech Warriors (again…)

as anti-racists plan to counter a far-right march in Quebec, anti-racists in Ontario challenge racist academic francis widdowson as she was hosted by the “laurier society for open inquiry”. also the canadian anti-hate network (CAN) has launched and will work to track far-right movements.

listen here: https://archive.org/download/Awlradio-2018-05-11/aw%40lradio-2018-05-11.mp3

From:: Grand River Community News

AW@L Radio – 2018-05-04

this quick edit of an episode of AW@L Radio has an update of the ongoing issue of the students organising under the group name “laurier society of open inquiry” (LSOI), who keep trying to host and platform speakers who support/are or racist, white nationalist, and/or anti-Indigenous rights under the shield of “free speech”. also an update on the shameful canadian government efforts to block more asylum seekers from entering canada.

From:: Grand River Community News