CKMS Community News

News from the local communities in Waterloo Region: Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge, Wellesley, Wilmot, Woolwich, and North Dumfries. This a Local Journalism Initiative show.

CKMS Community News airs on CKMS-FM on Mondays and Thursdays from 10:30am-11:00am. Full Monday to Thursday coverage will start soon.

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And you can email news@radiowaterloo.ca to get in touch with comments or ideas about stories to cover.

Recent Episodes

Three volunteers wearing hairnets and aprons stand behind a metal and glass serving counter at St. John's Kitchen in Kitchener, preparing to serve meals to community members in need. From left to right: a woman in a colorful pattern shirt and orange apron, a young man in a blue t-shirt and black apron wearing blue disposable gloves, and a woman with glasses in a green apron. They are smiling at the camera. On display inside the counter glass are plates of cupcakes and donuts, alongside stacked paper cups, with a commercial kitchen set in the background.

CKMS News -2026-08-08- St. John’s Kitchen Opens Around the Clock as Homelessness Crisis Deepens in Waterloo Region CKMS News – 2026-08-08 – St. John’s Kitchen Opens Around the Clock as Homelessness Crisis Deepens in Waterloo Region Eren Yoruk Kitchener, ON — St. John’s Kitchen in Kitchener has permanently expanded its services to operate around the clock, responding to growing demand from people experiencing homelessness in Waterloo Region. The kitchen, operated by The Working … Continue reading →

Kitchener City Council members lined up outdoors, getting ready to throw bags at the cornhole competition during the King Street Unplugged opening. From left to right: Stephanie Stretch (Ward 10), Paul Singh (Ward 6), Scott Davey (Ward 1), Mayor Berry Vrbanovic, Debbie Chapman (Ward 9), and Jason Deneault (Ward 3). The photograph shows the council members holding their cornhole bags, set against the background of a downtown stone building.

CKMS News -2026-07-28- Kitchener ‘Unplugs’ King Street with First Week-long Pedestrian Event CKMS News -2026-07-28- Kitchener ‘Unplugs’ King Street with First Week-long Pedestrian Event Eren Yoruk Kitchener, ON — For the first time, King Street in downtown Kitchener has been transformed into a week-long pedestrian-only space as the City launches King Street Unplugged, a pilot project aimed at creating a more people-focused downtown. Running from July 26 … Continue reading →

5 people are in a greenhouse working with garden m aterials. 4 are youth with one older looking person.

CKMS News -2026-07-27- Youth food markets serving fresh local produce at the neighbourhood level CKMS News -2026-07-27- Youth food markets serving fresh local produce at the neighbourhood level by: dan kellar Waterloo, ON – Throughout the summer, youth in Waterloo region will be organizing weekly fresh produce markets with vegetables grown at 6 communities gardens and sourced from several local farms. Dozens of youth, aged 14-19 are participating in … Continue reading →

Close-up portrait of Tracy Macdonnell on the right side of the frame, playing a tin whistle with his eyes closed. In the background to the left, a GRT bus is parked at the Cambridge Centre bus station. MacDonnell is wearing a GRT uniform shirt and baseball cap.

CKMS News -2026-07-24- Tuning into Transit: The Story Behind Cambridge’s Fife-Playing Bus Driver CKMS News -2026-07-24- Tuning into Transit: The Story Behind Cambridge’s Fife-Playing Bus Driver Eren Yoruk Cambridge, ON – A Cambridge bus driver is bringing a piece of history to local transit terminals through his passion for music. Tracy MacDonnell, a Grand River Transit (GRT) operator, uses his route breaks to step off the bus and … Continue reading →

A white poster with the text "Rights of the city townhall series" at the top and "Right to Housing" in the middle, and "Learn more at DavidAlton.org" and "Vote David Alton Mayor" at the bottom. On the right a picture of a smiling David Alton in a purple toque, pink jacket, yellow and purple shirts. Yellow earings adorn the sides of bearded face.

CKMS News -2026-07-23- Community town-hall discussion to guide David Alton’s mayoral run CKMS News -2026-07-23- Community town-hall discussion to guide David Alton’s mayoral run by: dan kellar Kitchener ON – Ahead of the official municipal campaign period, community builder, housing advocate, and mayoral candidate David Alton has started hosting a series of community townhalls which will focus on how to ensure that all residents share the same rights … Continue reading →

CKMS News-2026-07-23-Third Annual Long Dash Festival Celebrates the Creative Intersections between Art & Science at rare Charitable Research Reserve in Cambridge, Ontario The Long Dash Festival is a free, two-day event running between July 25 and 26, exploring the creative intersections between art and science. Hosted at rare Charitable Research Reserve in Cambridge, Ontario, and co-presented by Musagetes, the festival takes its name from the Long Dash Skipper, a brown and orange butterfly found in grassy habitats, … Continue reading →

CKMS News -2026-01-27- Water woes in Waterloo Region CKMS News -2026-01-27- Water woes in Waterloo Region dan kellar Kitchener, ON – After several years in a row that the aquifers in Waterloo Region have been drawn down more than they have recharged, the municipal government has announced serious water capacity issues and have put a stop fully approving any new developments which require … Continue reading →

CKMS News -2026-01-14- One Million Neighbours WR launches their Neighbourhood services map CKMS News -2026-01-14- One Million Neighbours launches their Neighbourhood services map dan kellar Kitchener, ON – A new tool for assessing how levels of various services differ between neighbourhoods across Waterloo Region has launched by the One Million Neighbours WR coalition. The first version of its Neighbourhood Services Map ranks each neighbourhood for access levels … Continue reading →

A cardboard sign held by demonstrators reads 'No more WRPS responding to Mental Health Calls. Police Violence Kills and Harms KW' at the demonstration on February 23 against the fatal police shooting of Nicholas Nembhard, a 31-year-old black man who was in the midst of a mental health crisis

CKMS News -2025-12-15- Police budget push-back as cops ask for another 20 million a year and a new building CKMS News -2025-12-15- Police budget push-back as cops ask for another 20 million a year and a new building. dan kellar Kitchener, ON – As the Waterloo regional police ask for another $20,000,000 dollars to be added to their yearly budget, in addition to $173,000,000 for a new “communications centre”, residents and even some regional councillors … Continue reading →

A picture of a room with three cozy black recliners and a flat-screen TV on the off-white wall. The floor is dark luxury vinyl click together flooring.

CKMS News – 2025-12-07- As homelessness increases, a new overnight warming centre offers more than “heads in beds” CKMS News – 2025-12-07- As homelessness increases, a new overnight warming centre offers more than “heads in beds” dan kellar Kitchener, ON – A new space for folks to escape from the cold and receive food and social supports has opened in Kitchener as cold winter weather has set early in Waterloo Region. Thresholds Homes … Continue reading →

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