Tag Archives: downtown kitchener

CKMS Community News, Newsroom

Public is supportive of new Benton/Frederick Street bike corridor despite concerns

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MP Holmes
Kitchener, ON

Region of Waterloo community members expressed strong support for new bike lanes on Benton and Frederick streets at the Region of Waterloo’s Sustainability, Infrastructure and Development Committee meeting on August 14, 2024.

Despite concerns about emergency vehicle access and pedestrian safety, the proposal to reduce car lanes and add bike lanes received broad support. The project’s first phase will include painted bike lanes. Phase 2 includes long-term plans for physically separated lanes to be completed by 2031.

Even with these phased-in plans, community members asked council to forgo Phase 1 and immediately start with separate bike lanes. They highlighted the benefits of safer, physically separated cycling paths connecting major areas in Kitchener. However, the delegates also discussed concerns about service vehicle access and suggestions for immediate safety improvements like precast concrete barriers.

CKMS Community News, Newsroom

CKMS News -2024-07-26- From celebration to commemoration, KW’s Palestinian festival shifts focus to solidarity

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2024-07-26- From celebration to commemoration, KW’s Palestinian festival shifts focus to solidarity.

dan kellar
Kitchener, ON – Due to the “urgent” situation in Gaza, organizers of this year’s Palestine Festival in Kitchener have made the theme “Solidarity: the World Stands with Palestine”, shifting the focus from one of celebration to commemoration.  

CKMS News spoke with Suhaila Salah, a co-founder of Sporas Scattered, who along with the local chapter of the Palestinian Youth Movement is organizing the 3rd annual Palestine festival with the name  Palestinian Solidarity Day.  While speaking about the shift in the festivals’ theme Salah explained, “It is not a day of mourning, it is a day to come together. We are going to commemorate.” she added,  “We still want to celebrate life”.

The Palestinian festival will take place on Sunday July 28th in the public square at Kitchener city hall from 1-9pm and features what organizers call a “packed schedule of entertainment, activities, education, and trivia games” with all donations going to support relief efforts in Gaza.

A statement CKMS News received from Global Affairs Canada about accountability for the violence Israel is inflicting in Palestine is also included in this piece.