Category Archives: CKMS Community News

CKMS News – 2021-08-14 – Supporting Youth through the housing crisis in KW – Part 2

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Host: Sherice Alishaw

The housing crisis leads to more barriers for the marginalized individuals within our community. Residents are facing an affordable housing crisis in Waterloo region. The low income housing waitlist is almost 6 years until you are able to be offered a unit. Marginalized members of this community are struggling to find and maintain stable housing in this region. 

On this episode of CKMS News, we interview Sandy Dietrich-Bell, CEO of OneROOF a youth shelter in Kitchener. Part 2 of the interview focuses on some solutions to the housing crisis and the barriers that youth  face while trying to obtain stable housing.

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

Check out the archived versions of this program and other episodes on radiowaterloo.ca/news, and other stories commissioned under the Local Journalism Initiative at canada-info.ca

You can follow us on twitter @radiowaterloo. If you want to get in touch with comments, or ideas about stories to cover, email us at news@radiowaterloo.ca

CKMS News – 2021-08-12 – Supporting Youth through the housing crisis in KW – Part 1

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Host: Sherice Alishaw

The housing crisis leads to more barriers for the marginalized individuals within our community. Residents are facing an affordable housing crisis in Waterloo region. The low income housing waitlist is almost 6 years until you are able to be offered a unit. Marginalized members of this community are struggling to find and maintain stable housing in this region. 

On this episode of CKMS News, we interview Sandy Dietrich-Bell, CEO of OneROOF a youth shelter in Kitchener. We discuss the barriers that marginalized members of our community face while trying to obtain stable housing as well as how the community can come together for a solution to this housing crisis. 

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

Check out the archived versions of this program and other episodes on radiowaterloo.ca/news, and other stories commissioned under the Local Journalism Initiative at canada-info.ca

You can follow us on twitter @radiowaterloo. If you want to get in touch with comments, or ideas about stories to cover, email us at news@radiowaterloo.ca

CKMS News – 2021-08-11 – Impacts on housing affordability – Short term rentals and “bandit signs” in Waterloo Region

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Host: Trish Holmes

This episode of CKMS News examines the growing number of short-term rentals (e.g., AirBnB) in Waterloo Region and the impact of this on our long-term rental housing market and the need for data collection specifically targeted to gather information about the housing stock.  We talk to the Waterloo By law office and a Kitchener City Councillor about lack of regulations and the lack of data.

The episode also explores the bandit signs advertising house buying, that are illegally displayed alongside roads and high traffic areas throughout our Region. We talk to the Kitchener bylaw office about the signs and what can be done about them.


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.

Check out the archived versions of  this program and other episodes on radiowaterloo.ca/news., and other stories commissioned under the Local Journalism Initiative at canada-info.ca.

You can  follow us on twitter @RadioWaterloo. If you want to get in touch with comments, or ideas about stories to cover, email us at news@radiowaterloo.ca

CKMS News – 2021-08-09 – Working through hesitancy to bring residents together at the Waterloo Night Market

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Host: Krista Henry

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on how people live their lives. How we work, shop, conduct business and experience entertainment have been transformed. As we continue to emerge from long-periods of restrictions, organizations such as the Uptown Waterloo Business Improvement Area are trying to re-ignite the passion for coming together again for events that bring people together in a real way. Tracy Van Kalsbeek executive director of the UWBIA speaks about bringing people back to uptown.

Events are vital in the country’s economic recovery and the mental wellness of countless community members. However is there hesitancy in going back to normal with events? We explore the importance of such events and speak with Waterloo resident Sarah about comfort in participating in the community as COVID-19 restrictions ease.

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.

Check out the archived versions of this program and other episodes on radiowaterloo.ca/news., and other stories commissioned under the Local Journalism Initiative at canada-info.ca.

You can follow us on twitter @RadioWaterloo. If you want to get in touch with comments, or ideas about stories to cover, email us at news@radiowaterloo.ca.

 

CKMS NEWS – 2021-08-09 – In Conversation with Fitsum Areguy on finding a rhythm as a journalist during the COVID-19 pandemic

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Host: Shalaka Jadhav

Fitsum Areguy is a Black activist and writer who grew up in Kitchener. He draws on years of experience as a community worker and advocate for youth rights and disability justice. Voted Waterloo Region’s ‘Best Local Writer’ in 2020, he has published in Canadian Dimension, The Waterloo Region Record, Briarpatch Magazine, The Community Edition, and Korea Expose. His interests focus on human rights, misuses of power, and community development, connecting local stories to provincial, national, and global issues through reporting and analysis.  Fitsum is also the co-founder and project director of Textile, a literary publication and writing mentorship program, where Fitsum and I work together.  

As the pandemic has impacted workers across every and any industry, we talked about the importance of upholding the complexity of local stories, finding a rhythm as a journalist during the pandemic, and of course, the launch of InsideWaterloo, an independent media initiative publishing investigative and personal stories of identity and belonging not otherwise covered by traditional media in Waterloo Region.

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.

Check out the archived versions of  this program and other episodes on radiowaterloo.ca/news., and other stories commissioned under the Local Journalism Initiative at canada-info.ca.

You can  follow us on twitter @RadioWaterloo. If you want to get in touch with comments, or ideas about stories to cover, email us at news@radiowaterloo.ca.

Music for this episode was courtesy of Dylan Prowse.

CKMS News -2021-08-05 – Impacts of COVID-19 on women in the workforce

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Host: Krista Henry

Recent numbers released fromStatistics Canada indicated that 1.5 million women in Canada lost their jobs during the first 2 months of the pandemic. This led to unemployment rates as high as 20% among women, compared to13% among their male counterparts. 

The YWCA Canada has since developed a Feminist Recovery Plan which emphasizes that women’s rights and gender equity could see the biggest rollback if left unchecked. 

Rosalind Gunn, Director of Marketing and Communications of the YWCA Cambridge and Jennifer Gordon, Director of Advocacy at YW Kitchener-Waterloo discuss the impacts of the global pandemic their organizations have seen on women in the workplace in the Waterloo region.

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.

Check out the archived versions of this program and other episodes on radiowaterloo.ca/news., and other stories commissioned under the Local Journalism Initiative at canada-info.ca.

You can follow us on twitter @RadioWaterloo. If you want to get in touch with comments, or ideas about stories to cover, email us at news@radiowaterloo.ca.

CKMS News -2021-08-02 – Expanding operations at Bingemans

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Host: Namish Modi

This piece features an interview with president of Bingemans in Kitchener, Mark Bingeman. This piece is a follow-up to our interview with Explore Waterloo Region CEO Minto Schneider from last week. 

In our discussion with Bingeman, we discuss how the pandemic has affected Bingemans, one of the biggest hospitality organizations in Waterloo region. Bingemans has several types of facilities including banquet halls, water park, arcade, bowling alley and much more. 

As of July 16, Bingemans was allowed to open many more of its indoor facilities as Ontario moved into Step 3 of its reopening plan. 

Bingeman is happy that the company is bringing back staff who may have been laid off during COVID while he expects bigger events like Oktoberfest to come back in Fall, in a modified, covid friendly form. 


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.

Check out the archived versions of  this program and other episodes on radiowaterloo.ca/news., and other stories commissioned under the Local Journalism Initiative at canada-info.ca.

You can  follow us on twitter @RadioWaterloo. If you want to get in touch with comments, or ideas about stories to cover, email us at news@radiowaterloo.ca

CKMS News – 2021-07-31 – Relationships in the Age of COVID

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Host: Krista Henry

How do couples cope with the stressful events of the COVID-19 pandemic? How will singles embark on dating as we emerge from months of lockdown measures? Waterloo region based clinical psycho- therapist, Janine Fisher to talk about the effects COVID-19 has had on clients in her community. 

Fisher gives helpful advice for couples and singles on how to move forward as we embark on another phase of the new normal.

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.

Check out the archived versions of this program and other episodes on radiowaterloo.ca/news., and other stories commissioned under the Local Journalism Initiative at canada-info.ca.

You can follow us on twitter @RadioWaterloo. If you want to get in touch with comments, or ideas about stories to cover, email us at news@radiowaterloo.ca.

CKMS News – 2021-07-30 – Local non-profits adapt to continue serving the community

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Host: Krista Henry

COVID-19 has impacted billions of lives around the globe since March of last year. During these unprecedented times, the role of non-profit organizations has been key in combating the impact on our most vulnerable populations. As businesses grappled with adapting services, so too did local non profits.

CKMS News spoke to the Food Bank of Waterloo Region and the Wilmot Family Resource Centre to learn more about how they adapted, lessons learned and key takeaways moving forward.

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.

Check out the archived versions of this program and other episodes on radiowaterloo.ca/news., and other stories commissioned under the Local Journalism Initiative at canada-info.ca.

You can follow us on twitter @RadioWaterloo. If you want to get in touch with comments, or ideas about stories to cover, email us at news@radiowaterloo.ca.

 

CKMS News – 2021-07-30 – The Kitchener-Waterloo Multicultural Centre announces new location

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Host: Krista Henry

After 15 years on King Street West in Kitchener’s downtown core, the Kitchener-Waterloo Multicultural Centre announced its new location. The 54-year old organization will be moving to 715 Fischer-Hallman Road after construction is completed.

The Kitchener-Waterloo Multicultural Centre – known to many for its annual festival in Victoria Park – provides a wide variety of services for new immigrants to the community and operates an interpretation and translation business that saw service volumes rise to nearly 20,000 service requests last year.

We spoke to COO of the Multicultural Centre, Lucia Harrison to learn more about their relocation and what the organisation has been up to recently.

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.

Check out the archived versions of this program and other episodes on radiowaterloo.ca/news., and other stories commissioned under the Local Journalism Initiative at canada-info.ca.

You can follow us on twitter @RadioWaterloo. If you want to get in touch with comments, or ideas about stories to cover, email us at news@radiowaterloo.ca

 

CKMS News – 2021-07-19 – Cambridge’s Baitul Mosque hatefully ransacked

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Host: Namish Modi

This piece features interviews with Baitul Mosque volunteer Nabeel Rana, Cambridge mayor Kathryn McGarry and Coalition of Muslim Women KW President Sarah Shafiq. 

The mosque in the Galt area of Cambridge was severely vandalized this week in an act of hate, and Rana estimates the damage at about $15,000 to $20,000. 

The vandalism is under investigation by the Waterloo Regional Police.

The Cambridge community has come together to support the mosque while the vandalism comes off the heels of the murder of four members of a Muslim family in London last month.

Radio Waterloo published a piece on the incident in London a few weeks ago, as well.

Update: 1 man has been arrested so far in connection to this incident.


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.

Check out the archived versions of  this program and other episodes on radiowaterloo.ca/news., and other stories commissioned under the Local Journalism Initiative at canada-info.ca.

You can  follow us on twitter @RadioWaterloo. If you want to get in touch with comments, or ideas about stories to cover, email us at news@radiowaterloo.ca

CKMS News – 2021-07-15 – Impacts on tourism from COVID19 and the start of recovery in Waterloo Region

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Host: Namish Modi

This piece features an interview with Explore Waterloo Region CEO Minto Schneider. In the interview, we touch on how hard the tourism sector has been affected throughout the past 17 months and the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Several hospitality and tourism places, like museums and theme parks haven’t been fully open for two summers now. Schneider discusses the importance of Step 3 in Ontario, which begins on July 16, as well as touches on just how important health and safety protocols continue to be. 

Schneider doesn’t have an estimate on financial losses over the last year due to COVID, but imagines it is very high. 

Many businesses were initially upset about Waterloo Region being held in step two of Ontario’s reopening, but further understood the reasoning. The region was held back in the province’s reopening because of a number of Delta variant virus cases in the area. 


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.

Check out the archived versions of  this program and other episodes on radiowaterloo.ca/news., and other stories commissioned under the Local Journalism Initiative at canada-info.ca.

You can  follow us on twitter @RadioWaterloo. If you want to get in touch with comments, or ideas about stories to cover, email us at news@radiowaterloo.ca

CKMS NEWS – 2021-07-09 – On the Myth of Revitalized Urban Spaces: Considering the Case of Goudies Lane

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Host: Shalaka Jadhav

Robyn (Burns) Moran and Lisbeth A. Berbary are academic workers in the Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies at the University of Waterloo.  In early 2021, they published their article “Placemaking as Unmaking: Settler Colonialism, Gentrification, and the Myth of “Revitalized” Urban Spaces”, taking up the example of Goudies Lane, a corridor in downtown Kitchener which stretches from Queen Street North to Ontario Street. 

Their work on Goudies Lane came out of Robyn’s dissertation research, where Robyn foregrounded her interest in anti-gentrification with support from her supervisor, Lisbeth, in thinking through the related theory and methodology.  Particularly during the pandemic, when public spaces have seen increased use, they have also seen increased surveillance as a consequence of placemaking: so how public are these public spaces? 

Together, Robyn and Lisbeth talk through the growing tensions between public space, public memory, and how colonialism engages at those intersections by walking through their methods, findings, and presenting key reflections.  

Read Robyn (Burns) Moran and Lisbeth A. Berbary’s Placemaking as Unmaking: Settler Colonialism, Gentrification, and the Myth of “Revitalized” Urban Spaces

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.

Check out the archived versions of  this program and other episodes on radiowaterloo.ca/news., and other stories commissioned under the Local Journalism Initiative at canada-info.ca.

You can  follow us on twitter @RadioWaterloo. If you want to get in touch with comments, or ideas about stories to cover, email us at news@radiowaterloo.ca.

Music for this episode was courtesy of Dylan Prowse.

CKMS News – 2021-07-08 – Final recommendations for controversial Prime Ministers’ path project in Baden

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Host: Namish Modi

This piece features an interview with Guy Freedman, president of the First People’s Group, who consulted on the Prime Minister’s Path in Baden. The interview took place on July 5. 

The group released its recommendations on June 30 in preparation for a Special Council meeting for the Township of Wilmot on July 5, 2021.

The first People’s Group advises removal and cancellation of the whole PM’s Path in Baden, including all existing statues which lie behind the administration building. The final decision will be up to the council. 

Over the past couple months, The First People’s Group has engaged the public in terms of the future of the Path. There was a large response to the engagement with 461 responses in the community engagement forum. The future of the path became further in question following the discovery of unmarked graves of children all over Canada.


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.

Check out the archived versions of  this program and other episodes on radiowaterloo.ca/news., and other stories commissioned under the Local Journalism Initiative at canada-info.ca.

You can  follow us on twitter @RadioWaterloo. If you want to get in touch with comments, or ideas about stories to cover, email us at news@radiowaterloo.ca

CKMS News -2021-07-02- Waterloo Region Weekly Roundup

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Host: Melissa Bowman

Today’s Waterloo Region Weekly Roundup episode focuses on the June 22nd Region of Waterloo council meeting. This was a rather full agenda as it was the last council meeting prior to the summer break.

Topics discussed at this meeting included the Climate Action Plan, several housing projects, and an update regarding the Region’s child care plan since closing the 5 regionally owned centres last year. There’s also a discussion regarding plans for the Charles Street terminal redevelopment and ReallocateWR’s proposal for an Indigenous Community Hub on that land.

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.

Check out the archived versions of  this program and other episodes on radiowaterloo.ca/news., and other stories commissioned under the Local Journalism Initiative at canada-info.ca.

You can  follow us on twitter @RadioWaterloo. If you want to get in touch with comments, or ideas about stories to cover, email us at news@radiowaterloo.ca

CKMS News – 2021-06-27 – Ongoing anti-racism work in Baden

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Host: Namish Modi

This piece features an interview with Township of Wilmot council member Cheryl Gordijk.

Gordijk speaks about the anti-racism rally which took place in Wilmot in early May, as well as the presence of hateful posters plastered around the township recently. After this interview, the person who was allegedly responsible for the posters was ruled out for charges by Waterloo Regional Police.

Gordijk also talks to CKMS about hate-motivated issues in Wilmot over the last year. Mayor Les Armstrong shared a White Lives matter post on Facebook in 2020, hate graffiti was seen in Baden, while the SJAM statue has been a strong source of contention.

The interview took place on June 4 2021. 


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.

Check out the archived versions of  this program and other episodes on radiowaterloo.ca/news., and other stories commissioned under the Local Journalism Initiative at canada-info.ca.

You can  follow us on twitter @RadioWaterloo. If you want to get in touch with comments, or ideas about stories to cover, email us at news@radiowaterloo.ca

CKMS News – 2021-06-26 – Sarah Shafiq of the Coalition of Muslim Women KW on combating anti-Muslim hate.

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Host: Namish Modi

This piece features an interview with Coalition of Muslim Women KW director of programming and services Sarah Shafiq. The interview was on June 22, a little more than two weeks after the murder of four members of a Muslim family in London.

It was determined that the motivation for the attack, by 20-year-old white man Nathaniel Veltman, was hate-motivated.

Shafiq discusses the mission of the coalition, as well as what the organization has done to support the nine-year-old boy who lost the rest of his immediate family.

Shafiq also touches on the importance of allyship and what non-Muslims can do to help combat islamophobia.


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.

Check out the archived versions of  this program and other episodes on radiowaterloo.ca/news., and other stories commissioned under the Local Journalism Initiative at canada-info.ca.

You can  follow us on twitter @RadioWaterloo. If you want to get in touch with comments, or ideas about stories to cover, email us at news@radiowaterloo.ca

CKMS News -2021-06-25- Pride in Waterloo Region – An interview with Spectrum’s Cait Glasson

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Host: Namish Modi

This piece features an interview with Spectrum of Waterloo Region president Cait Glasson.

Spectrum is Waterloo Region’s first rainbow LGBTQ community space.

Glasson discusses Waterloo Region and the actions that have been taken around the community to recognize Pride Month in June.

The interview took place June 22. 

Glasson says there is more work to be done, but positive strides have been made of late, including the Waterloo Region Catholic District School Board raising the Pride flag for the first time. 


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.

Check out the archived versions of  this program and other episodes on radiowaterloo.ca/news., and other stories commissioned under the Local Journalism Initiative at canada-info.ca.

You can  follow us on twitter @RadioWaterloo. If you want to get in touch with comments, or ideas about stories to cover, email us at news@radiowaterloo.ca

CKMS News -2021-06-21- Overt and systemic racism in the region

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Host: Sherice Alishaw

With the increase in awareness about acts of racism and racist structures resulting from the Black Lives Matters and Defund The Police movements, there have been many opportunities for people and institutions to learn and adapt their behaviour, but are our communities actually learning the lesson? Racism and racial profiling are still rampant within our communities highlighted again in a recent incident which saw the unlawful arrest of a Black Cambridge woman after police mistook her for another person. 

In this episode, we speak with Jeneka Johnson, a member of our community who suffered racial profiling at the hands of a potential landlord. We discussed her story and what had transpired the day she tried to inquire about an apartment in the Kitchener Waterloo area. We also have an open discussion about ways you can promote equality within your community. 

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

Check out the archived versions of  this program and other episodes on radiowaterloo.ca/news., and other stories commissioned under the Local Journalism Initiative at canada-info.ca.

You can  follow us on twitter @RadioWaterloo. If you want to get in touch with comments, or ideas about stories to cover, email us at news@radiowaterloo.ca

CKMS News – 2021-06-15 – Waterloo Region Weekly Roundup – A Better Tent City update

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Host: Melissa Bowman

Today’s Waterloo Region Weekly Roundup episode focuses on two weeks of discussions at Woolwich council regarding the possibility of A Better Tent City moving to a new proposed location on Spitzig Rd.

A Better Tent City is the community of residents currently housed in tiny homes at Lot 42 in Kitchener. They must find a new home by June 20th and have found a willing landlord through the Hamilton Diocese with their land on Spitzig Rd. Tune in to hear more about the proposal, thoughts from residents who support this and those who oppose it, and also the discussion among councillors.

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.

Check out the archived versions of  this program and other episodes on radiowaterloo.ca/news., and other stories commissioned under the Local Journalism Initiative at canada-info.ca.

You can  follow us on twitter @RadioWaterloo. If you want to get in touch with comments, or ideas about stories to cover, email us at news@radiowaterloo.ca

CKMS News -2021-06-14- Small business adapting during COVID restrictions

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Host: Namish Modi

This piece features interviews from early June with two small business owners in the Waterloo Region.

Bon Apatreat bakery owner Chantelle Villeneuve and The Branches  (formerly Queen Street Yoga) owner/director Leena Miller Cressman. Each of the businesses has adapted during a very tough time.

Villeneuve was forced to close her storefront in 2020, but developed a brand new website and delivered treats herself for the past few months. Bon Apatreat will be opening its new storefront location in the Driftwood Plaza in Kitchener. 

Queen Street Yoga, which has run online classes since the onset of the pandemic, rebranded and is now called The Branches. They plan to run outdoor classes, in their new location when permitted.

Villeneuve and Cressman discuss the challenges and tribulations of running businesses during COVID-19. 


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.

Check out the archived versions of  this program and other episodes on radiowaterloo.ca/news., and other stories commissioned under the Local Journalism Initiative at canada-info.ca.

You can  follow us on twitter @RadioWaterloo. If you want to get in touch with comments, or ideas about stories to cover, email us at news@radiowaterloo.ca

CKMS News – 2021-06-10 – Discussing mental health and the pandemic

Host: Sherice Alishaw

During this global pandemic, stress levels in our communities has risen. Many Individuals in the community that are already struggling with their mental health, are now having a hard time coping with the added stress and anxiety. 

On this episode of CKMS News, we interview a community member, Kelly Maeve, who is diagnosed with Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (C-PTSD) and discuss how the pandemic has affected our mental health.

Kelly also speaks about some of the strategies she has employed as the pandemic has progressed.

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

Check out the archived versions of  this program and other episodes on radiowaterloo.ca/news., and other stories commissioned under the Local Journalism Initiative at canada-info.ca.

You can  follow us on twitter @RadioWaterloo. If you want to get in touch with comments, or ideas about stories to cover, email us at news@radiowaterloo.ca

CKMS News – 2021-06-09 – Speaking with Mike Schreiner about outdoor access equity, borders, and vaccine rollout in Ontario

Host: Namish Modi

In this piece, we spoke to Ontario Green Party leader Mike Schreiner about the importance of outdoor spaces amid COVID-19. This piece is a follow-up to our outdoor play piece from last week, featuring the importance of minor sport and outdoor play.

Schreiner, an MPP in Guelph, argues that campsites should be open, and should have been open all the time. He says that if people are allowed to travel to cottages, families should be able to travel to campsites and pitch a tent. 

Schreiner says that the Ontario Government hasn’t listened to advice from the science table in terms of their restrictions. 

In addition, the piece involves topics such as the country’s borders, as well as the national and provincial vaccine rollout. 


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.

Check out the archived versions of  this program and other episodes on radiowaterloo.ca/news., and other stories commissioned under the Local Journalism Initiative at canada-info.ca.

You can  follow us on twitter @RadioWaterloo. If you want to get in touch with comments, or ideas about stories to cover, email us at news@radiowaterloo.ca

CKMS News – 2021-06-03 – Community engagement process on prime ministers statue project

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Host: Namish Modi

This piece features an interview on May 26, with Guy Freedman, president of the First People’s Group, an Indigenous advisory firm based out of Ottawa.

The First People’s Group is in the midst of conducting a community engagement process in regards to the Prime Ministers Path in Baden and steps forward.

Debate around the need for the path began when the Sir John A. Macdonald statue was painted red in June 2020. The painting off a heated debate within the community of whether the statue should remain. After much deliberation, Wilmot council temporarily  removed the SJAM statue later in 2020.

Earlier in 2021, council hired the First People’s Group to conduct a consultation process and conduct community engagement for the path. 

“These are Wilmot recommendations,” said Freedman, highlighting the need for community engagement on the future of the path.

The community engagement process launched earlier in May. The next official update from the First People’s Group is on June 5 while people can input their opinions right now on the Township of Wilmot website.

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.

Check out the archived versions of  this program and other episodes on radiowaterloo.ca/news., and other stories commissioned under the Local Journalism Initiative at canada-info.ca.

You can  follow us on twitter @RadioWaterloo. If you want to get in touch with comments, or ideas about stories to cover, email us at news@radiowaterloo.ca

CKMS News – 2021-06-03 – The 519 Community Collective gifted a large donation and a permanent kitchen space

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Host: Trish Holmes

The 519 Community Collective, an example of mutual aid that this show examined back in March, has been gifted $15,000 worth of a fridge and freezer from Shopify.

In addition the Collective has been invited to set up kitchen at the Immanuel Pentecostal Church, giving them a dedicated work space, storage facilities, and out of Julie Savatsky’s kitchen.

In this edition of CKMS News, I talk to Julie Sawatsky of the 519 Community Collective and Pastor David Wilkinson of Immanuel Pentecostal Church.

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.

Check out the archived versions of  this program and other episodes on radiowaterloo.ca/news., and other stories commissioned under the Local Journalism Initiative at canada-info.ca.

You can  follow us on twitter @RadioWaterloo. If you want to get in touch with comments, or ideas about stories to cover, email us at news@radiowaterloo.ca