Ken Roche Ken Roche, Cambridge candidate for Mayor, spoke with Bob Jonkman on Tuesday 20 October 2026 about the issues for the 2026 municipal election.
The views expressed in this program are not necessarily those of the Radio Waterloo Board of Directors, volunteers, sponsors, or advertisers.
All Regional Council candidates, including Mayoralty candidates in Waterloo Region were invited by e-mail, the candidate’s online contact form, or on social media. Some have declined to participate, others have not responded.
Jeff Donkersgoed Jeff Donkersgoed, Cambridge candidate for Ward 1, spoke with Bob Jonkman on Monday 12 October 2026 about the issues for the 2026 municipal election.
The views expressed in this program are not necessarily those of the Radio Waterloo Board of Directors, volunteers, sponsors, or advertisers.
All Regional Council candidates, including Mayoralty candidates in Waterloo Region were invited by e-mail, the candidate’s online contact form, or on social media. Some have declined to participate, others have not responded.
George Fiddick George Fiddick, Cambridge candidate for Ward 8, spoke with Bob Jonkman on Tuesday 6 October 2026 about the issues for the 2026 municipal election.
The views expressed in this program are not necessarily those of the Radio Waterloo Board of Directors, volunteers, sponsors, or advertisers.
All Regional Council candidates, including Mayoralty candidates in Waterloo Region were invited by e-mail, the candidate’s online contact form, or on social media. Some have declined to participate, others have not responded.
Bryan Causarano-Bolton Bryan Causarano-Bolton, Cambridge candidate for Regional Council, spoke with Bob Jonkman on 30 September 2026 about the issues for the 2026 municipal election.
The views expressed in this program are not necessarily those of the Radio Waterloo Board of Directors, volunteers, sponsors, or advertisers.
All Regional Council candidates, including Mayoralty candidates in Waterloo Region were invited by e-mail, the candidate’s online contact form, or on social media. Some have declined to participate, others have not responded.
Cambridge, ON – Saint Luke’s Place has officially broken ground on a new six-story, 192-bed long-term care home in Cambridge.
The groundbreaking ceremony was held Friday at the organization’s location on Franklin Boulevard, bringing together local officials, community leaders, project partners and residents to mark the start of construction.
“The demand for long-term care is only gonna grow,” said CEO David Bakker. “This will help more families and more residents access the care they need much closer to home.”
Bakker added that the new building will feature updated infection-control designs and expanded holistic care, addressing the growing demand for senior support across the region.
The new home is expected to expand long-term care capacity in a community facing growing demand for senior care. According to Ontario Ministry of Long-Term Care data, Saint Luke’s Place currently has 408 people on its long-term care waiting list.
Local MPP Jess Dixon underscored the importance of securing provincial backing, noting, “Our need to provide homes for people as they age is only growing.”
The redevelopment will replace the existing 114-bed facility and add 78 new beds to help ease local waitlists, with construction expected to take about four years and finish in 2030.
by: Shalaka Jadhav
CAMBRIDGE, ON – Hosted at the University of Waterloo Cambridge Architecture Campus, “A Room of One’s Home” is an exhibition curated by Bianca Weeko Martin, and brings together the work of six Waterloo Architecture graduates and alumni whose research reflects on relationships between architecture, diaspora, memory, and cultural knowledge.
Employing drawings, publications, artifacts, and architectural research, the exhibition invites visitors into rooms where, through architectural inquiry, “home” can be understood as an evolving relationship across generations.
The exhibition and its artists covers several regions:
Ricardo Espinoza, the Caribbean Sea;
Hyjnid (Nidi) Metaj, Albania;
Angeline Reyes, the Philippines;
Giulia Simonetta, Italy;
Zaven Titizian, Syria/Lebanon, and;
Hiba Hasan Zubairi, the Indus River Basin.
Today I’m speaking with Bianca Weeko Martin, curator of “A Room of One’s Home.”
Bianca Weeko Martin is a writer and researcher weaving together architectural practice with theory and personal narrative. She is the author of the “Architectural Guide: Manila” and writes about art, space, and the Filipino diaspora for cultural institutions and publications. She recently made the 2026 CBC Nonfiction Prize longlist for her work “Tita Tallulah”.
“A Room of One’s Home” is on until October 1, 2026. Join Bianca to celebrate the exhibition closing, on September 24, between 5-8pm at the Riverside Gallery. At the closing, exhibiting artist Ricardo Espinoza will be leading a fabric transfer workshop.
This program is a part of the Local Journalism Initiative and is funded by the Community Radio Fund of Canada, Heritage Canada, and the CKMS Newsroom.
You can access archived versions of this program at radiowaterloo.ca/news, and listen to all the Local Journalism Initiative content at frequencynews.ca
If you want to get in touch with comments, or ideas about stories to cover, email us at news@radiowaterloo.ca
The theme music on today’s show was “Polyvinyl” by Anemoia, courtesy of the Free Music Archive, under the Creative Commons Attribution License. You can find it at the Free Music Archive—freemusicarchive.org
Waterloo, ON – The Terry Fox Run returns this Sunday for its 46th year, as the Terry Fox Foundation continues to support cancer research across Canada.
The Foundation surpassed $1 billion raised for cancer research in February. This year, about four million Canadians are expected to take part in runs across 600 communities, including Kitchener, Waterloo and Cambridge.
Terry Fox’s niece Jessie Alder says her uncle’s story and message continue to resonate with Canadians and people around the world. She also points to the progress being made through the Marathon of Hope Cancer Centers Network, which aims to expand access to precision medicine across Canada.
Terry Fox Foundation COO Martha McClew says the organization funds research through a rigorous peer-review process, with only a small percentage of submitted projects receiving funding. She also highlights the Foundation’s cancer research biobank, which contains cancer cells from 16,000 Canadians and is helping researchers share data and better understand how patients respond to treatments.
Alder and McClew also reflect on what Terry Fox’s legacy could look like if a cure for cancer is eventually found, and why the Terry Fox Run remains important as both a fundraiser and a community event.
The Terry Fox Run takes place Sunday, September 20 at 9 a.m. For more information, visit run.terryfox.ca.
Cambridge, ON– The Cambridge Fire Department is preparing to welcome residents to its annual Open House on September 12 at Fire Station 1 on Bishop Street.
The event will give residents a chance to meet firefighters, tour the station, explore emergency equipment and learn about fire and life safety. This year’s event will also feature a live side-by-side burn demonstration showing the impact of residential fire sprinkler systems.
In an interview with CKMS News, Chief Fire Prevention Officer Eric Yates discussed the importance of working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, home escape plans and safe battery charging. He also highlighted lithium-ion batteries as one of the department’s growing fire safety concerns.
The interview also covers recent fire loss trends in Cambridge, wildfire preparedness and what residents can do to reduce fire risks at home and outdoors.
Waterloo, ON – Waterloo Region Council is pushing back against a new provincial governance model that could allow one person to serve as both Mayor and Regional Chair.
Cambridge Regional Councillor Doug Craig introduced the motion, warning that combining the two roles could create conflicts of interest and concentrate too much executive power in one person under Ontario’s Strong Mayor and Strong Chair systems.
Waterloo Mayor Dorothy McCabe backed the motion, calling the combination of Strong Mayor and Strong Chair powers “a recipe for disaster.” She also argued that Strong Mayor powers have not necessarily accelerated housing approvals.
Craig and McCabe also criticized Ontario’s decision to appoint the next Regional Chair rather than have the position filled through an election.
Waterloo Region residents have directly elected their Regional Chair since 1997. Under the province’s new governance rules, Ontario will appoint the next Chair following the 2026 municipal election.
Regional Council passed Craig’s motion unanimously. The resolution will now go to the Premier of Ontario, the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, local MPPs, area municipalities and other affected regional municipalities.
Kitchener, ON — Waterloo Region Council has unanimously passed a motion to study the potential impacts of future data centre development in the Region, following concerns raised by residents about water use, electricity demand and infrastructure.
Regional Councillor Colleen James brought the motion during Tuesday’s Sustainability, Infrastructure and Development Committee meeting. It directs Regional staff to examine the economic, environmental, infrastructure and fiscal implications of data centres, as well as community safeguards and best practices in other jurisdictions.
The council approved the motion with two amendments, including additional consideration of source water protection and impacts on traditional lands. Regional staff will report their findings back to Council by the first quarter of 2027.
The discussion comes as the rapid growth of artificial intelligence drives demand for larger and more energy-intensive data centres across Canada and beyond.
Waterloo Region already hosts data centres, including Ascent’s facility in Cambridge. James says the motion is not intended to approve or reject any specific project, but to help the Region understand how future facilities could affect its infrastructure and environment.
Residents who spoke at the meeting raised particular concerns about water consumption and the Region’s reliance on groundwater.
James says the goal is to gather information now so future councils can make informed decisions about data centre development.
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 play the fife, an 18th-century military instrument similar to a flute, for waiting passengers.
MacDonnell has been playing the fife for 36 years, after first learning the instrument while working at Toronto’s Historic Fort York. What started as a job requirement became a lifelong passion for traditional fife and folk music.
Over the past two decades as a GRT driver in Cambridge, MacDonnell has continued using music as a way to manage the stress of the job and connect with the public. Passengers have often responded positively, with some applauding his performances and sharing their appreciation.
In this CKMS News interview, MacDonnell discusses the history of the fife, how he became a bus driver, and why sharing a brief moment of happiness through music remains meaningful to him.
by: Shalaka Jadhav
CAMBRIDGE, ON – 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, including at the site of the festival.
In this segment, I’ll be in conversation with Elwood Jimmy, Indigenous Programs Curator at Musagetes, who highlights how Indigenous knowledge systems and ways of relating to the land inform the approach to programming the festival, and how the festival being sited at rare Charitable Research Reserve has helped shape the experience of the festival over the last three years.
In this conversation, Jimmy mentions Elder Peter Schuler, Elder of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation of the Anishnaabek Peoples. His collection of literary works, “The Sound of the Homeland Drum” was launched at the ArtsEverywhere Festival in Guelph in May 2026 through the Indigenous Otherwise Program, and printed by Publication Studio Guelph, both supported by the Musagetes Foundation. Learn more at publicationstudio.biz/books/the-sound-of-the-homeland-drum/.
The Long Dash Festival is free to attend, and listeners can find the full schedule and learn more about the festival at longdashfestival.ca.
Photo Credit: Illustration by Cai Sepulis courtesy of the Long Dash Festival
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This program is a part of the Local Journalism Initiative and is funded by the Community Radio Fund of Canada, Heritage Canada, and the CKMS Newsroom.
You can access archived versions of this program at radiowaterloo.ca/news, and listen to all the Local Journalism Initiative content at frequencynews.ca
If you want to get in touch with comments, or ideas about stories to cover, email us at news@radiowaterloo.ca
The theme music on today’s show was “Polyvinyl” by Anemoia, courtesy of the Free Music Archive, under the Creative Commons Attribution License. You can find it at the Free Music Archive—freemusicarchive.org
The views expressed in this program are not necessarily those of the Radio Waterloo Board of Directors, volunteers, sponsors, or advertisers.
All candidates in Waterloo Region were invited by e-mail, the party’s online contact form, or on social media. Some have declined to participate, others have not responded.
Cricket has exploded in popularity in Waterloo Region in the last few years. So much so, staff with the cities of Cambridge, Waterloo and Kitchener are working together to create a regional cricket strategy so they can accommodate the needs of the booming cricket community.
Cricket community members have responded saying they need more space to play, indoor facilities and lighting so they can get as many players playing as possible in the area.
Radio Waterloo spoke with Giridhar Bannaravuri, the president of the Southern Ontario Cricket Association, an organization which facilitates cricket in Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge, Stratford and Guelph, as well as Lisa Collins, the manager of sport development and golf for the city of Kitchener to hear more about the upcoming strategy and the needs of the cricket community.
Excerpt from “SOCA 2024 Season _ KWC Cricket _ SOCA Gala 2024” used with permission from SOCA.
The views expressed in this program are not necessarily those of the Radio Waterloo Board of Directors, volunteers, sponsors, or advertisers.
All candidates in Waterloo Region have been invited by e-mail. Some have declined to participate, others have not responded. If you’re a candidate and have missed the e-mail, please contact Bob Jonkman at bob@radiowaterloo.ca with your preferred timeslot from the online calendar (and an alternate).
In many communities, the Christmas season is kicked off with a city tree-lighting ceremony, where a large bedecked Christmas tree is lit up for all to see – in fact, Waterloo Region’s three cities are all lighting their Christmas trees this coming Friday. But in today’s environmentally tough times, some may be wondering if cutting down 30-foot giants is the best choice for a city’s Christmas tree. Radio Waterloo takes a look.
dan kellar Cambridge, ON – A new active entertainment experience is available in Cambridge as Activate Games has opened a new location. The Winnipeg-based company, now with 26 locations across the continent, says it is the world’s first active gaming experience, which “seamlessly blends physical activity with gaming.”
Ahead of the grand opening on July 22nd, CKMS News spoke with Activate Games’ Canadian Director of Marketing and Communications, Tanya Williams who discussed Activate’s origins and operations.
Originally from Waterloo Region, Activate co-founders Adam and Meghan Scmidt said in a recent press release “This opening is more than just an expansion; it’s a heartfelt return to our hometown”.
This show also features segments from an Interview with Dr. John Edison Muñoz, an adjunct professor at the University of Waterloo, and a researcher with the school’s Games Institute. Dr. Muñoz speaks on the state of the research for Exergames and the technology’s use beyond entertainment.
Cambridge – Joined by 4 city councilors on December 19th, Cambridge mayor Jan Liggett voted against a motion to investigate the plausibility building affordable housing in raised buildings above city owned parking lots.
The motion, brought forward by ward 7 councilor Scott Hamilton was supported by all the delegates who presented at the meeting including resident Matthew Rodgers, the advocacy groups “Citizens for Cambridge”, “For the City”, and “Waterloo Region Yes In My Backyard”, and as stated by councilor Earnshaw, the Cambridge Business Improvement Association was also on board.
Despite strong support for the motion from delegates, and the voting support of councilors Kimpson, Earnshaw, Roberts, and Hamilton, the motion was ultimately defeated, wIth Mayor Liggett suggesting churches should be converting their own parking lots for housing. Before calling the vote, Liggett stated that voting “no” does not mean that a councilor is against building affordable housing.
Last week’s episode of the Waterloo Region Weekly Roundup had us hearing updates from across the region. Today’s episode has us planting ourselves in just one location – Cambridge. This is the first of a two part series that focuses on the discussion Cambridge is having on candidate locations for a potential Consumption and Treatment Services (CTS) site in Cambridge. This episode looks at the March 30th meeting which saw over 25 delegations speak to council on the issue of CTS.
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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.
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
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