Tag Archives: democracy

CKMS Community News, Newsroom, Shows

CKMS News – 2026-10-10- The Canadian Dream and the municipal election

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CKMS News – 2026-10-10- The Canadian Dream and the municipal election

by: dan kellar
Kitchener, ON – While folks are still deciding who to support in the municipal election on October 26th a coalition of actors and advocates will use theatre to drive democratic participation.  There will be a performance of “The Canadian Dream”, followed by a meet and greet for candidates from Kitchener’s ward 9, regional council,  and mayoral races.

The free event is taking place on Friday October 16th at 6:30 pm in the Pavillion in Willow River Park, and is being co-hosted by local theatre troupe Outta Work Actors, the Social Developement Centre of Waterloo Region, the Festival of Neighbourhoods, and Indigenous Creatives United.

The play itself is an “interactive performance that bridges real lived experiences of homelessness in Kitchener with community civic participation.”, and was developed over the past several years by the Outta Work Actors through the Kaleidoscope Two Minute Play Laboratory. 

Following the performance, a non-partisan all-candidates meet and greet will allow residents a chance to discuss the performance and speak with candidates with “curiosity and dialogue rather than adversarial debate”.

This show features an interview with Heather Majaury, the artistic director of Outta Work Actors, and collaborator with the Social Development Centre of Waterloo Region.  For more about the event, the play, and the Outta Work Actors, visit https://outtaworkactors.com.

CKMS Community News, Newsroom, Shows

CKMS News -2026-10-02- Uptown Waterloo neighbourhood associations engaging neighbours through all candidates meetings

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CKMS News -2026-10-02- Uptown Waterloo neighbourhood associations engaging neighbours through all candidate meetings

by: dan kellar
Waterloo, ON –

As the municipal election heats up, a coalition of neighbourhood associations have teamed up to host two all candidate meetings for their electoral wards. According to a press release from the group, a goal of the events is to engage neighbours because “the people elected to local and regional office make decisions that directly affect our daily lives”

In a press release, Ann Liebau of the Uptown West Neighbourhood Association said “You don’t have to be a political junkie to care about your neighbourhood. If you care about your street, your park, your library, your water, you have a stake in this election. Rather than complaining about City Hall later, it’s far more productive to show up now and ask the candidates what they’re going to do.”

The first meeting, on Sunday October 4 from 6-8 pm, will focus on the five candidates seeking to become Mayor of Waterloo. The second meeting, on Wednesday October 7 from 7-9 pm, has two parts: first the seven candidates vying for Waterloo’s two seats on Regional Council, then the two people who want to represent Uptown Ward 7 on Waterloo City Council.  Both events are happening in the Community Pavilion at the Waterloo Memorial Recreation Complex.

This show features an interview with Daisy Arseneault , the chair of the Uptown North neighbourhood Association.

For more information or to submit questions in advance, email allcandidateswr@gmail.com

CKMS Community News, Newsroom, Shows

CKMS News -2026-09-21- Grassroots group launches municipal election information hub through a “passion for local democracy”

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CKMS News – 2026-09-21-Grassroots group launches municipal election information hub through a “passion for local democracy”

– dan kellar
Waterloo, ON – As municipal elections are starting to heat up across the province, a new local organisation is promoting local democracy by helping to inform and educate Waterloo Region residents on all aspects of the vote.

This show features an interview with Alex Latta, a professor at Wilfrid Laurier University and a spokesperson for VisionWR who told CKMS News “We really believe in local democracy and holding politicians to account… and [we want] others in our communities to feel empowered to participate.”

Since starting their work last year, the group has hosted open meetings, run workshops, created toolkits,  developed the vision statements, and has now launched the 2026 regional and municipal elections candidate and voter engagement hub.

According to a recent press release “VisionWR, is a new grassroots volunteer organization dedicated to promoting education, dialogue, and debate on the issues that will shape our shared future: climate change, housing, transportation, water, biodiversity, food security, well being and local democracy.”

To explore the  2026 regional and municipal elections candidate and voter engagement hub, visit VisionWR.org

CKMS Community News, Newsroom, Shows

CKMS News 2025-11-05- MPP Catherine Fife elected chairperson of the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians

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CKMS News -2025-11-05- MPP Fife elected chairperson of the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians

dan kellar
Waterloo – Becoming the first Canadian to hold the role, Waterloo NDP MPP Catherine Fife was elected to lead the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians (CWP) at the organization’s conference in early October. Fife becomes the 8th chairperson in the organization’s history.

According to the group’s website, the CWP is the network of women members of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association’s Parliaments and Legislatures and is a means of” building the capacity of women elected to Parliament to be more effective in their roles”.  Fife notes that it is a “huge responsibility” but adds that “this is the kind of work that also gives me energy”.

MPP Fife says she hopes to focus her efforts around access to education, democratic engagement, human rights and climate change.

The CWP over 3,000 Women Parliamentarians, in over 180 Commonwealth national and sub-national Parliaments, .

This show features an interview with MPP Fife, who is excited to take on the role which she says is “a great opportunity to learn, and take things to the next level.”

CKMS Community News, Newsroom, Shows

CKMS News -2025-04-25- More Strong Mayor Powers Granted In Waterloo Region

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CKMS News -2025-04-25- More Strong Mayor Powers Granted In Waterloo Region

dan kellar
Waterloo Region, ON – On May 1st, mayors of 169 small and medium sized municipalities will be granted Strong Mayor Powers by the provincial government, giving them new abilities to direct hirings, enact by-laws, and set their budgets with less democratic participation by city councillors or the public. Since 2023, 47 other mayors have been granted the new status.

The conservative government says that the powers will help municipalities deliver on provincial priorities like building homes and infrastructure.  However, data from the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation  shows that housing starts were down 33% in January and February compared to the same months in 2024, leading critics, including the Green Party to question the effectiveness of the Strong Mayor strategy.

This show starts with an interview with MPP Clancy and moves onto interviews with the Mayor of Wilmot Township Natasha Salonen, and Mayor Sandy Shantz of Woolwich Township, who are both about to be granted the Strong Mayor Powers.  Also included is a statement CKMS News received from Waterloo Mayor Dorothy McCabe.

CKMS Community News, Newsroom, Shows

CKMS News -2025-02-19- Non-partisan pre-election forum to focus on building local community power

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CKMS News -2025-02-19- Non-partisan pre-election forum to focus on building local community power

dan kellar
Kitchener, ON – Ahead of the provincial election and in the midst of several overlapping social, environmental, and economic crises, the Social Development Centre of Waterloo Region is hosting the first in a series of community discussions centered on building local community power. 

The first event, called Cutting Through the Noise: A Forum for Building Community Power, is happening on Friday February 21st. Describing the impetus to organise the event’s webpage reads “history has shown us that social change is possible”.

David Alton, the facilitator of the event told CKMS News “I don’t want any political party to think they just get the vote of people in waterloo region, they have to earn it”

This show features an interview with David Alton, the lived expertise program facilitator at the Social Development Centre of Waterloo Region, and the facilitator of this first event which runs from 7-9pm on Friday, February 21 St John the Evangelist Anglican Church, on Duke St in downtown Kitchener.