dan kellar
Waterloo, ON – On March 3rd, the City of Waterloo voted to delay implementing inclusionary zoning bylaws which would have required developers to include some affordable units in any new condominium projects in areas around major transit stations. The new by-law, which was approved in June 2024 would have gone into force at the end of March and the decision to delay implementation follows a similar decision in December of last year by Kitchener’s council.
City staff presented a report to council which argued that tariffs from America, the federal government’s restrictions on international students and immigrants, fluctuating interest rates, and the low resale price of condos, are all creating uncertainties in the building market.
This show features audio from the council meeting and an interview with Lynn Intini, an eviction prevention and tenant organising worker at the Social development Centre of Waterloo Region. Intini discusses inclusionary zoning, the focus on investment driven developments, housing needs vs housing demand, and non-market solutions to the housing crisis.
March is here and spring is springing! Playing some indie tunes to reflect the warming weather and longer days (though that cold is still sticking around for now). Check out this episode for the usual mix of genres and moods, whatever best fits your evening!
Michael Darcy gives a Live, On-Air, In-Studio performance, and Bob talks with Michael and Sue Nally of the Irish Real Life Festival about the history of the festival, Irish history, how the festival is organized, Irish dancing, Michael’s musical background, and other details of the festival.
Sue Nally introduces us to the Irish Real Life Festival, giving a bit of the festival’s history, and why an Irish festival is needed in Waterloo Region. There’s literature, music, film, and even Irish cuisine. A festival gives people a chance to learn. Sue runs down some of the delicacies in Irish cuisine. Every year there’s a dinner, with a portion of the proceeds going charity. This year the dinner is at the Boathouse with Matt Weidinger. Sue tells us about the venues, including the Registry Theatre, the Conrad Centre, the KW Art Gallery. It’s difficult to capture a country’s culture in a few days. And it’s necessary to leave things out.
8m20s
This year the festival focuses on “Joy”. The world is a challenging place right now; the Irish history has some dark moments. So this year they want to celebrate to show they’ve come through these dark times. They’re trying to build a way for people new to the Region to come out, and for anyone to learn about Irish history. Or just to hang out an have a chat.
10m04s
Talking to Michael Darcy about his background. Michael is a full-time musician, has been playing for about 20 years, and lived in Canada for 15. When Sue brought Darcy to the festival she discovered that a cousin was a good friend of Michael’s — Michael says Ireland is a small country, about five million people, but Ontario is bigger. You can get from one side of Ireland to the other in about three or four hours. When Michael arrived in Canada he wasn’t writing many songs, just playing the standards. People always request the same four or five songs, and Michael is tired of playing them. So Michael is now writing his own songs, including the opening number, Wild West Clare.
Michael tells us about playing The Mickey Dam. Sue tells us how she picks the musical acts. She points out that the original songs written by Michael are Irish music. She balances out the traditional with the co ntemporary, and the fusion of how the music has changed.
20m29s
Giving the date and times of the festival: Saturday, March 8th to Monday March 17th. Bob asks about the “Céilí” (or “Cèilidh” in Scottish); Sue explains it’s an Irish folk dance, the origins of square dancing. There are céilithe for the public on the 8th and 15th of March. Sue talks about the music and the mechanics of dancing. Michael doesn’t play many céilithe, but his bandmates do. Michael grew up playing accordion.
27m37s
Michael plays a short piece that might be used at a céilí, and explains the tuning he uses. A brief discussion on types of banjos. Talking about different styles of Irish music. There is Irish rap! The festival doesn’t prescribe the playlists, but let the performers choose what they want to play. And there will be music lessons on traditional Irish instruments like the tin whistle and the bodhrán.
33m42s
Bob sees the need for an Irish Folk Club. Sue says there’s an Open Mic night at the Registry Theatre on Wednesday 5 March 2025, and it’s hosted by Michael. A great opportunity to play in a listening room rather than a pub. A quick rundown of Michael’s upcoming gigs.
36m46s
Michael introduces the next song. It needs some explanations of “Irish-isms”. A “jumper” is a sweater, “jumper goalposts” are sweaters put down on the ground for playing football. And “Lynn Row” was an Irish soap opera on TV on Sunday nights.
Sue tells us how she got involved with the Irish Real Life Festival — when she and friends were looking for something to do they found there was nothing out there. So she said “Let’s put something on!” And also to counteract the bad reputation that March 17th has around the universities. The 17th is not as important date as people think.
44m43s
Bob and Sue go over the web site and upcoming events, and have a look at the social media sites. Talking admission and tickets: Culture shouldn’t only be for the well-off, so many events are free or Pay-What-You-Can. There are funds and grants, some from Ireland, to help offset the costs. Planning for next year? After a little break! Finding venues and acts for next year. Not even Toronto has a 10 day Irish festival! Bob encourages Sue and Michael to start an Irish show on CKMS-FM.
54m33s
Michael Darcy plays out, while Bob gives the credits.
CKMS Community Connections Hour One airs on CKMS-FM 102.7 on Monday from 11:00am to Noon, and Hour Two airs alternate Fridays from 3:00pm to 4:00pm.
dan kellar
Wilmot Township, ON – A new group of concerned residents has formed to support the farmers in Wilmot township whose lands are being targeted by the regional government for an undisclosed industrial project. Since the Wilmot Civic Action Network (WilmotCAN) formed in December 2024, members have been raising awareness about the land grab and demanding accountability from local politicians.
Beyond delegating to municipal councils, and confronting provincial politicians at public events, the group has also co-ordinated the creation of two mini-documentaries about the issue. A third video in the “Unearthed” series is in production.
This show features an interview with John Jordan, a founding member of WilmotCAN and a direct neighbour of the land targeted for purchase by the regional government. Jordan spoke to CKMS News about the Wilmot Civic Action Network, the mini-documentary series they are producing, and the lack of transparency around the project.
CKMS News reached out to Kitchener-Conestoga MPP Mike Harris Jr and Regional chairperson Karen Redman for comments about claims made in the videos and at council meetings, but did not receive a response.
dan kellar Waterloo, ON – As Waterloo works to incorporate reconciliation, equity, accessibility, diversity, and inclusion, the launch of the Get READI plan in mid-February will now guide all city divisions as they plan and provide programs and services for the community.
While announcing the launch, mayor Dorothy McCabe said that the work the city does must reflect the growing size and diversity of the city’s population. The city has been working towards this goal since 2017 to address historical systemic denial of equity.
This show features an interview with Divya Handa, the director of reconciliation, equity, accessibility, diversity and inclusion at the city of Waterloo. Handa discusses the Get READI plan including the genesis and origin of the city’s work, the cooperation needed in drafting the plan, how implementation will happen, and addresses some of the critiques of DEI that have been raised.
dan kellar
Kitchener, ON – Municipalities across the region have launched an updated EngageWR webpage that they say will provide an even more accessible way for residents to provide feedback and engage with local government undertakings.
Currently there are hundreds of undertakings listed on EngageWR across 10 categories in the 7 municipalities.
The webpage remains engagewr.ca and existing users will be able to login with their current accounts, but residents can expect small changes on the website along with an increase in personalisation and notification options and even more interactive feedback tools. One big addition is that for the first time residents will be able to comment on projects and initiatives from Wellesley Township alongside those from Cambridge, Kitchener, Waterloo, Wilmot, Woolwich, and the Regional government.
This show features an interview with Deb Bergy, the manager of community engagement with the Region of Waterloo. Bergy speaks about the improvements to the online engagement platform.
Powering through the technical issues to bring you another episode of Through the Static! Whether you’re going for a night walk in the nice cool air, winding down with a cup of tea, or just starting your night, we’ve got music, stories, and vibes for you!
dan kellar
Waterloo, ON – The second progress report on Waterloo’s Speed Management Plan was presented to city council on Monday, and in most cases, drivers are slowing down. The report looked at the data gathered before and after new speed limits were posted on neighbourhood streets across most wards in the city. Limits were reduced to 40km/h in most places and to 30km/h in school zones and ward 7, the area around uptown.
Across the affected areas, city staff found an average reduction in driver speed to be around 5km/h, which according to a 2012 report form Ontario Coroners office would amount to fewer deaths and less severe injuries in the case of a crash with another vehicle or someone not in a car. City staff told CKMS News that the number of crashes and other incidents has reduced since the speed reductions initiative commenced.
This show features an interview with Jenny Renaud, the manager of transport engineering at the City of Waterloo.
For Meet The Candidate all 31 candidates in Waterloo Region were invited to participate, but only 13 accepted the invitation. Some candidates tactfully declined, but most just ignored our requests. So, for this last episode of Meet The Candidate on Tuesday 25 February 2025, Martin de Groot and Bob Jonkman discuss the Ontario provincial election campaign of 2025.
Martin de Groot is the host and producer of Home Range: Promenade which airs on CKMS-FM every Monday at 6:00pm.
Bob Jonkman is one of the hosts of CKMS Community Connections, every Monday at 11:00am and alternate Fridays at 3:00pm.
Time
Topic
1m010s
The beginning: Calling an early election. Why? Not for the reasons provided; a provincial premier has no role in international relations. The short campaign time was probably deliberate. Discussing the media coverage of the parties — even though the NDP is the official opposition, the media tends to go to the Liberals for comment, even though they don’t even have enough members in the legislature to form an official party. One of the reasons for calling an early provincial election (in February!) may be the looming federal election.
6m40s
Politics has become polarized, started in the Mike Harris years (1990s), maybe as early as the Mulroney/Reagan/Thatcher era (late 1970s). Up until that time it was the Liberals that took Republican ideas from the US; now it’s the Conservatives taking those ideas. Bob runs down the different candidates running in Waterloo Region. The smaller parties are largely invisible; because of the short campaign time and the time of year (and even the mood of the country) they haven’t been able to get in gear. Along with so few candidates, Bob fears there will be low voter turnout. There are people who don’t even know there’s an election on. Voter turnout at the last election was around 40%, it will probably be lower this time. Martin points out that these aren’t provincial campaigns, but local campaigns just in our own constituency; each is a decision in itself.
12m20s
Campaign advertising: Bob has seen only mainstream party advertising, none at all for the small parties. Bob and Martin see only online ads, neither watch broadcast TV. There was no election advertising submitted to Radio Waterloo. Martin asks about candidate response to Meet The Candidates. About half the candidates came on the air. There were 24 available timeslots, 13 candidates came out. Bob expresses surprise at some of the candidates that declined. Having candidates on air, unstructured, gives a better idea of what the candidate is like outside their campaign. Martin asks if this turnout was typical, but it was the first time Bob has run Meet The Candidate. All the episodes were recorded, and candidates are free to re-use the material under a CC-BY license.
19m10s
Has there been a lot of negative advertising? Martin says yes. The positive advertising has been limited to the leaders saying “I’m your leader, I will save you”, but that’s still somewhat misleading. Martin has met some canvassers at the door, the Liberals twice (and he met the candidate herself). But it takes more than knocking on doors; things like Civic Tech (https://waterlooregionvotes.org). Martin says an election is a collective decision-making process, he want to be aligned with the plurality of his neighbours. He wants more input into this process, so people should join parties. It’s dangerous to pay attention to the little jingles in mass media and then to base your vote on that. But people can get away with being complacent because we have pretty good governance in Canada. We haven’t adjusted our system since the start of our electoral system, so it’s not reflecting the way people vote. Our system is more adaptive than, say, the US voting system, but in practice we still have the adversarial “debates” in parliament and the provincial legislature, and a terrible First-Past-The-Post voting system. As a result, the current Ontario government was elected to a majority of seats with only about 18% of the votes from eligible voters.
27m15s
Talking about Cooperate For Canada, who were on CKMS Community Connection on Monday 24 February. Martin says their idea is reactive, because it relies on dubious polling data. Cooperate For Canada looks to be more of a federal system, they didn’t really have time to react for this provincial election. Martin tends to vote with the plurality anyway, so he had no trouble signing their pledge. Martin wishes there was a better way to have a deliberative process, that there were other kinds of political organizations instead of running candidates and being a political party in the traditional sense. Martin cares about the Arts and Heritage, which doesn’t even make it to the political spectrum. If people who cared about climate, housing, health care, education, &c made an effort to come up with a consensus, then we’d get somewhere. Voting against the Conservatives based on polling data is dropping out of the system, you’re not even trying. Bob want to vote for the candidate who will best represent him; if Cooperate For Canada was successful and candidates drop out, it reduces the choice available to voters and so reduces the effectiveness of democracy. Bob also points out that the polling data is unreliable, he doesn’t speak to pollsters and other people are known to lie. And the polling data includes data from people who don’t vote, and aren’t even eligible to vote. The election on 27 February 2025 is the only poll that counts.
37m05s
Martin points out a difference between him and Bob: Bob wants voting to be private and secret; Martin wants voting to be a collective, consensus making effort. We’ve lost consensus-making with our adversarial electoral system. It’s as though we’ve ritualized civil war with elections, and that’s not healthy for society. Elections are a way to quiet down the revolutionary impulse. It used to be, that the differences between parties was fairly minor. But today there is a broad gap. Treating the Conservatives as one pole and having all others going against them gives them too much credit and credibility. This is not just campaigning but their actions while in government. Martin saw this when Mike Harris Sr. was premier.
39m52s
It is difficult to make a choice, since so many right-wing candidates aren’t coming out to debates, interviews, all-candidate meetings. Yet they’re still leading in the polls. Are people voting for the party leader? The party itself? They certainly can’t be voting for the local candidate, since they haven’t been there. Martin attributes it to the republican idea of “the lying press”, so those candidates just stay away, thinking they’re not going to get a fair shake. That may be true, especially from people who care about the environment, health care, &c. Should there be a rule that candidates have to be available to the voters? You can’t pass that kind of law, but it should be made socially unacceptable. Candidates who don’t want to meet their constituents should not the representative for those constituents. Bob wouldn’t sit down for a beer with a person who’s been hiding during the campaign. Maybe having a beer with a friend is an analogue for elections.
43m47a
What happens now? It’s only two days to the election. Advance polls were short, only three days and at remote locations. Precipitation is expected the night before election day. Martin predicts the voter turnout will be lower than in 2022, and thinks the Conservatives will return with a larger majority than ever. Waterloo Region has one Green MPP, one NDP MPP, and three Conservative MPPs, and Martin thinks it will be the same after the election. Martin expected things would change for Wilmot, what with the land assembly issues, but it looks like that won’t change things.
47m30s
Martin tells Bob that the Green Party candidate in Kitchener — Conestoga has endorsed the NDP candidate. Bob wonders how that will go over with the Green Party head office; it’s unlikely the Green Party approves of this. Martin would like to see not a Green Party, but a Green Movement. With a movement, you could get consensus, get people to become candidates. There may be something like that, in Green WR. Martin and Bob talk about the Grand River Watershed as a natural boundary and focus point for the community.
50m30s
Discussions on the levels of government: Municipal, Regional, Provincial, and Federal. Martin says the relations between those levels of government is a mess, and is the number one issue, more so than electoral reform. But Martin is not an amalgamationist at all. Martin sees the difference between the city cores and the suburbs; Bob adds to that the very different rural areas in Waterloo Region. Bob doesn’t want yet another artificial divide between rural and urban voters. Speaking of geographic boundaries, Martin wonders why we don’t have gerrymandering in Canada. Similar to the Electoral Boundary Commission, Martin would like to see an Electoral Reform Commission based on that model.
55m40s
Goodbyes, acknowledgements, and a suggestion for a regular political show on CKMS.
Meet The Candidate: James Schulz, Libertarian candidate for WaterlooJames Schulz, Libertarian candidate for Waterloo came into the CKMS-FM studio for Meet The Candidate on Monday, 24 February 2025 to talk to the voters. Party: Ontario Libertarian Party Website: https://libertarian.on.ca/candidates/james-schulz Email: stephyandjamess@gmail.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61572958871961 https://www.facebook.com/james.schulz.79 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/james.schulz.79/ Threads: https://www.threads.net/@james.schulz.79 See all episodes. Podcast Download: meet-the-candidate-james-schulz-libertarian-candidate-for-waterloo.mp3, 14 MBytes. Subscribe to the podcast! Video YouTube: Meet … Continue reading Meet The Candidate: James Schulz, Libertarian candidate for Waterloo→
Meet The Candidate: Aislinn Clancy, Green Party candidate for Kitchener CentreAislinn Clancy, Green Party candidate for Kitchener Centre came into the CKMS-FM studio for Meet The Candidate on Monday 24 February 2025 to talk to the voters. Party: Green Party of Ontario Website: https://www.voteclancy.ca/ https://gpo.ca/candidate/aislinn-clancy/ Email: voteclancy@gpo.ca Aislinn.Clancy@gmail.com Phone: +1-226-505-6571 Twitter(X): https://x.com/AislinnClancyKC https://x.com/aislinn_clancy Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AislinnClancyKC/ https://www.facebook.com/voteclancy2023/ https://www.facebook.com/aislinn.clancy Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aislinnclancykc/ https://www.instagram.com/aislinnclancy/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/aislinnclancy LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aislinn-clancy-2b4bb51b8/ Reddit: … Continue reading Meet The Candidate: Aislinn Clancy, Green Party candidate for Kitchener Centre→
Meet The Candidate: Colleen James, Liberal candidate for Kitchener CentreColleen James, Liberal candidate for Kitchener Centre, came to the CKMS-FM studio on Friday 21 February 2025 to talk to the voters. Party: Ontario Liberal Party Website: https://colleen-james.ca https://colleenjames.ontarioliberal.ca/ Email: hello@colleen-james.ca ColleenJames@ontarioliberal.ca Phone: +1-519-342-6509 +1-519-500-8220 Twitter(X): https://x.com/_colleenjames Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/colleenjames4mpp https://www.facebook.com/people/Colleen-James-Political-Candidate-Region-of-Waterloo/100079580328645 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colleenjames4mpp/ https://www.instagram.com/councillorcolleen LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/colleenjames01/ Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/colleenjames.bsky.social Threads: https://www.threads.net/@councillorcolleen See all episodes. Podcast Download: meet-the-candidate-colleen-james-liberal-candidate-for-kitchener-centre.mp3, … Continue reading Meet The Candidate: Colleen James, Liberal candidate for Kitchener Centre→
Meet The Candidate: Christopher Nuhn, independent candidate for Kitchener CentreChristopher Nuhn, independent candidate for Kitchener Centre, talks to the voters. Party: Independent Website: https://wearethechange.ca/ https://votemate.org/c/11176?riding=2068 Email: votechrisnuhn@gmail.com chrisnuhn@gmail.com Phone: +1-226-600-6292 +1-519-804-5424 Twitter(X): https://x.com/eastmanblues Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61573140781416 https://www.facebook.com/christopher.nuhn YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@chrisnuhn6669 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-nuhn-6a5821328/ See all episodes. Podcast Download: meet-the-candidate-christopher-nuhn-independent-candidate-for-kitchener-centre.mp3, 22 MBytes. Subscribe to the podcast! Video YouTube: Meet The Candidate: Christopher Nuhn, independent candidate for Kitchener Centre … Continue reading Meet The Candidate: Christopher Nuhn, independent candidate for Kitchener Centre→
Meet The Candidate: Catherine Fife, NDP candidate for WaterlooCatherine Fife, NDP candidate for Waterloo, came into the CKMS-FM studio to talk to voters on Thursday 20 February 2025. Party: New Democratic Party of Ontario Website: https://catherinefife.ontariondp.ca/ Email: catherine.fife@ontariondp.ca Phone: +1-519-746-3025 Twitter(X): https://x.com/CFifeKW Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/catherinefifeNDP Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/waterloompp/ https://www.instagram.com/cfifekw/ https://www.instagram.com/catherinefife/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CatherineFifeKW https://www.youtube.com/@CFifeKW LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherine-fife/ Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/waterloompp.bsky.social Threads: https://www.threads.net/@waterloompp Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catherine_Fife See all episodes. Podcast … Continue reading Meet The Candidate: Catherine Fife, NDP candidate for Waterloo→
Meet The Candidate: Brooklin Wallis, NDP candidate for Kitchener CentreBrooklin Wallis, NDP candidate for Kitchener Centre, came into the CKMS-FM studio to talk to voters on Wednesday 19 February 2025. She was accompanied by her campaign manager, Alex Loop. Party: New Democratic Party of Ontario Website: http://votebrooklin.ca https://brooklinwallis.ca/ https://brooklinwallis.ontariondp.ca/ Email: brooklin.wallis@ontariondp.ca Phone: +1-416-591-8637 Twitter(X): https://x.com/BrooklinWR Facebook: https://facebook.com/brooklinwr Instagram: https://instagram.com/brooklinwr YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BrooklinWallis LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brooklinwr/ Reddit: … Continue reading Meet The Candidate: Brooklin Wallis, NDP candidate for Kitchener Centre→
Meet The Candidate: Marjorie Knight, NDP candidate in CambridgeMarjorie Knight, NDP candidate for Cambridge, came into the CKMS-FM studio to talk to voters on Wednesday 19 February 2025. Party: New Democratic Party of Ontario Website: https://marjorieknight.ontariondp.ca/ https://cambridge.ontariopc.ca/ Email: marjorie.knight@ontariondp.ca Phone: +1-226-473-1001 Twitter(X): https://x.com/knightmjaknight Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarjorieKnightCambridge Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/knightmja2021/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marjorie-knight-579864304/ See all episodes. Podcast Download: meet-the-candidate-marjorie-knight-ndp-candidate-for-cambridge.mp3, 22 MBytes. Subscribe to the podcast! Video YouTube: … Continue reading Meet The Candidate: Marjorie Knight, NDP candidate in Cambridge→
Meet The Candidate: Jeff Donkersgoed, candidate for Kitchener South — HespelerJeff Donkersgoed, NDP candidate for Kitchener South — Hespeler, came into the CKMS-FM studio on Tuesday 18 February 2025 to talk to the voters. Party: New Democratic Party of Ontario Website: https://jeffdonkersgoed.ontariondp.ca/ Email: jeff.donkersgoed@ontariondp.ca Phone: +1-416-591-8637 Twitter(X): https://x.com/jjdonkersgoed Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61572122113473 https://www.facebook.com/jeff.donkersgoed.5 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/donkersgoedjeff/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-donkersgoed-9bb5731b6/ Threads: https://www.threads.net/@donkersgoedjeff See all episodes. Podcast Download: meet-the-candidate-jeff-donkersgoed-ndp-candidate-for-kitchener-south-hespeler.mp3, 22 MBytes. … Continue reading Meet The Candidate: Jeff Donkersgoed, candidate for Kitchener South — Hespeler→
Meet The Candidate: Jodi Szimanski, NDP candidate for Kitchener — ConestogaJodi Szimanski, NDP candidate for Kitchener — Conestoga, came into the CKMS-FM studio on Tuesday 18 February 2025 to speak to the voters. Party: New Democratic Party of Ontario Website: https://jodiszimanski.ontariondp.ca/ Email: jodi.szimanski@ontariondp.ca Phone: +1-226-476-2063 Twitter(X): https://x.com/JodiSz Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jodiszimanskindpcandidate Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jodiszimanski LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jodiszimanski/ Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/jodisz.bsky.social Threads: https://www.threads.net/@jodiszi See all episodes. Podcast Download: meet-the-candidate-jodi-szimanski-ndp-candidate-for-kitchener-conestoga.mp3, 22 MBytes. … Continue reading Meet The Candidate: Jodi Szimanski, NDP candidate for Kitchener — Conestoga→
Meet The Candidate: Shefaza Esmail, Green Party candidate for WaterlooShefaza Esmail, the Green Party candidate for Waterloo, came into the CKMS-FM studio on Friday 14 February 2025 to speak to the voters. She was joined by Jessica Riley, Green Party candidate for Kitchener South — Hespeler. Party: Green Party of Ontario Website: https://www.shefaza.ca/ https://gpo.ca/candidate/shefaza-esmail/ Email: shefazaesmail@gpo.ca Twitter(X): https://x.com/shefazae Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shefaza.esmail Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shefazaforwaterloo/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shefaza-esmail-56b64031/ … Continue reading Meet The Candidate: Shefaza Esmail, Green Party candidate for Waterloo→
Meet The Candidate: Clayton Moore, Liberal Party candidate for WaterlooClayton Moore, the Liberal Party candidate for Waterloo, came into the CKMS-FM studio on Wednesday 12 February 2025 to speak to the voters. Party: Ontario Liberal Party Website: https://voteclayton.ca/ Email: info@voteclayton.ca Phone: +1-519-513-1062 Twitter(X): https://x.com/_ClaytonM Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Clayton-Moore/61571460842068/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/voteforclayton/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@itsClaytonMoore Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/clayton-moore.bsky.social See all episodes. Podcast Download: meet-the-candidate-clayton-moore-liberal-party-candidate-for-waterloo.mp3, 22 MBytes. Subscribe to the podcast! … Continue reading Meet The Candidate: Clayton Moore, Liberal Party candidate for Waterloo→
Meet The Candidate: Rob Deutschmann, Liberal Party candidate for CambridgeRob Deutschmann, the Liberal Party candidate for Cambridge, came into the CKMS-FM studio on Tuesday 11 February 2025 to speak to the voters. Party: Ontario Liberal Party Website: https://www.robformpp.ca/ Email: info@robformpp.ca Phone: +1-548-889-5719 Twitter(X): https://x.com/Rob_for_MPP https://x.com/robdeutschmann Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/robert.deutschmann.75 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rob_deutschmann/ https://www.instagram.com/robdeutschmann/ LinkedIn: https://ca.linkedin.com/in/robdeutschmann Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/wrtownhalls.bsky.social Threads: https://www.threads.net/@robdeutschmann See all episodes. Podcast Download: meet-the-candidate-rob-deutschmann-liberal-party-candidate-for-cambridge.mp3, 24 MBytes. … Continue reading Meet The Candidate: Rob Deutschmann, Liberal Party candidate for Cambridge→
Meet The Candidate – 2025 Provincial ElectionMeet The Candidate brings the candidates from Waterloo Region into the studio to present their party platform, the local issues they’ll tackle, the reasons they’re running, and maybe a personal glimpse into their life outside of politics. This is not an interview show, this is just the candidate, speaking directly to you, the voter. The … Continue reading Meet The Candidate – 2025 Provincial Election→
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.
Barbara Schumacher and Kae Elgie come into the studio to talk about Cooperate For Canada, vote splitting, approaching party leaders, riding associations, and candidates to combine their efforts, and making information available to voters to vote strategically.
Barbara Schumacher tells us about Cooperate For Canada, she is a co-founder with Isaiah Ritzmann; the concern was the rising prominence of federal right-wing politics. By March of 2024 there was a rumour of an early provincial election, so the group changed focus to that.
4m35s
Vote splitting is causing the wave of conservative electoral success with only 30% to 45% voter support, so the majority of voters voted against the conservatives, those being the Liberals, NDP, and Greens. But the centre-left parties are all pretty similar, the differences don’t matter all that much. How do we repesent the values of the centre left? We have to bring together the centre-left parties, to stop them splitting the vote. But having a proportional representation voting system is a better solution, overall. Barbara explains that our values aren’t represented, and the First Past The Post voting system only works in a two-party system, so they want to bring the parties together.
9m15s
Kae tells us how they are bringing the votes together. They’re using polling data from Canada 338They’re looking at ridings where the conservative candidate is in the lead, but the second-place party is close, and looking to merge the vote by asking the third and fourth place candidate to drop out. They’ve approached the party leaders, the riding associations, and the candidates.
12m15s
All of the Liberal, NDP, and Greens have electoral reform and proportional representation in their platforms. Even though some of these parties have promised an end to FPTP they’ve rescinded their promise once they’re elected. But if the Conservatives get elected we won’t get proportional representation for sure.
14m12s
Talking about coalition governments. “Coalition” has been a dirty word among Canadian voters, but Barbara and Kae are both hopeful. They see no way to address issues like the climate crisis any other way. These issues have to be addressed now, next election is too late. The current Conservative government is not looking after the people. Kae and Barbara believe there is enough coherence between the parties that they can form an effective coalition or a confidence agreement. They’ve been pleasantly surprised by the support they’ve received so far.
Cooperate For Canada has not been trying to get all the parties to cooperate; they’ve been accused of being a partisan group for being against the Conservatives. But if the Conservatives had progressive policies Cooperate For Canada wouldn’t be against them. It’s not just climate, but also health, education, safe consumption sites, homelessness, and using the Notwithstanding Clause to get their way.
27m57s
They’ve spoken to party leaders, riding associations, and candidates. They’ve not just asked candidates to withdraw, but to cooperate when they’re elected. All candidates they’ve spoken to have agreed. They’ll probably be doing this again in a federal election. But they haven’t targetted all ridings, not doing the “safe seat” ridings for Conservatives. Now their focus has shifted to the voters themselves. Encouraging voters to work with candidates not necessarily in their ridings to get the candidates in precarious ridings elected. They’ve had information tables at all-candidate meetings, they’re active on social media, they’re engaging writers to write Op-Eds in newspapers. Other organizations like Divest Waterloo and the Civic Hub have sent information about Cooperate For Canada. Grand River Watershed is one chapter of Cooperate for Canada.
34m34s
Bob remembers similar strategic voting campaigns, but saw no difference in the results in the voting results. Kae and Barbara agree that it’s a difficult process. Bob suggests infiltrating the Progressive Conservative party with progressive-minded people to influence their policies; Barbara sees that as a long-term strategy and there’s no time for that. Campaigning for proportional representation is happening at the same time, by many of the same people. In places with proportional representation politicians don’t attack each other, something that Canadians are really asking for. Barbara sees a need for a Cooperative Movement, not just to change the voting system but to address all the issues like climate, health, education. Parties tend to ratchet their policies to the right, it takes a new party on the left to make a change. Could the Greens be that party? Barb says people don’t vote Green because they think the Greens can’t win; a self-fulfilling prophesy.
The results of Cooperate For Canada’s efforts in this provincial election will determine how they approach the upcoming federal election. They want to have a strong leader that can lead Canada through difficult times.
48m52s
Reviewing the Cooperate For Canada website, looking at the Ontario page. Reviewing the social media sites. People can join the movement by signing a letter on the website, or make a pledge to vote for the candidate most likely to defeat the Conservatives. Either will get people added to the C4C mailing list. There are no specific meetings or events planned for this election campaign. C4C is partnering with “Not One Seat” in Toronto, some of those volunteers have restarted their campaign in Toronto. “Music Ontario Votes” is having performances in certain ridings; after campaigning for the “unity candidate” they hold a concert.
58m07s
Thank yous, Goodbyes, and End Credits.
CKMS Community Connections Hour One airs on CKMS-FM 102.7 on Monday from 11:00am to Noon, and Hour Two airs alternate Fridays from 3:00pm to 4:00pm.
James Schulz, Libertarian candidate for Waterloo came into the CKMS-FM studio for Meet The Candidate on Monday, 24 February 2025 to talk to the voters.
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.
Aislinn Clancy, Green Party candidate for Kitchener Centre came into the CKMS-FM studio for Meet The Candidate on Monday 24 February 2025 to talk to the voters.
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.
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.
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.
Three albums released in 1976 on the menu: The Rolling Stones’ Black And Blue, Rod Stewart’s A Night On The Town and The Royal Scam, by Steely Dan. My album commentaries follow each record’s track list.
The Rolling Stones – Black And Blue
1. Hot Stuff
2. Hand Of Fate
3. Cherry Oh Baby
4. Memory Motel
5. Hey Negrita
6. Melody
7. Fool To Cry
8. Crazy Mama
One thing you can say for Black And Blue: it prompted perhaps the best, arguably funniest and most memorable rock album review ever, up there with Greil Marcus’s “what is this shit?” opening line to his Rolling Stone magazine review of Bob Dylan’s 1970 album Self Portrait.
“The heat’s off,” Lester Bangs, the noted American writer/critic who was actually a big fan of the band, wrote of Black And Blue in Creem magazine. “because it’s all over. They really don’t matter anymore or stand for anything, which is certainly lucky for both them and us. I mean, it was a heavy weight to carry for all concerned. This is the first meaningless Stones album, and thank God.”
I still chuckle every time I read it. As for the actual album, I’ve liked it since day one because it does what I love the Stones for doing – putting their own rock and roll stamp on things while they explore myriad musical styles. And Black And Blue, a largely funky, groove-based record with dashes of reggae (the Eric Donaldson cover Cherry Oh Baby) plus typical ballads like the hit single Fool To Cry and travelogue Memory Motel, collectively was unlike anything they’d done before. That was in at least some measure because the band was auditioning guitarists to replace Mick Taylor, who left after 1974’s It’s Only Rock ‘N Roll album. Among the axemen in studio during the sessions, not all of whose work wound up on the album, were Jeff Beck, Rory Gallagher, Harvey Mandel, formerly of Canned Heat – who played lead guitar on disco-funk album opener Hot Stuff – and session ace Wayne Perkins, who was once asked to join Lynyrd Skynyrd and who delivered a searing, Taylor-like solo on one of my favorites from the album, Hand Of Fate. That’s one of two ‘traditional’ or typical type Stones’ tunes on the platter, the hard rocker Crazy Mama that closes the record being the other.
Ron Wood of Jeff Beck Group and Faces fame wound up landing the guitar gig – his staccato riffing on Hey Negrita was a highlight – which in itself has been controversial among some Stones fans who are not enamoured of his playing and prefer the Taylor years. Still, ‘the new boy’ has been in the band ever since. He’s served as a buffer between Mick Jagger and Keith Richards’ periodic conflicts and his ‘Englishness’ and playing compatibility that Richards says he prefers – their much-ballyhooed ‘ancient art of weaving’ where two guitars work in unison as one rather than a distinct lead/rhythm split – won him the job.
I read somewhere once that Eric Clapton, who the Stones had considered, said to Wood “I could have had that job.” To which Wood replied “Yeah, but Eric, you gotta live with ’em.” The chemistry has worked as the Stones roll on.
Rod Stewart – A Night On The Town
Slow Side (side one of original vinyl)
1. Tonight’s The Night (Gonna Be Alright)
2. The First Cut Is The Deepest
3. Fool For You
4. The Killing Of Georgie (Part I and II)
Fast Side (side two)
5. The Ball Trap
6. Pretty Flamingo
7. Big Bayou
8. The Wild Side Of Life
9. Trade Winds
Stewart split the original vinyl album into two halves: a rock-and-roll side – aside from the album closing track Trade Winds – and a more reflective, folk-tinged side. He did the same thing for his previous album, 1975’s Atlantic Crossing. It was apparently at the suggestion of his then-girlfriend Britt Ekland, a Swedish actress, model and singer who was a Bond girl in 1974’s The Man With The Golden Gun which featured Christopher Lee of Dracula fame as the titular villain. Only difference was, on Atlantic Crossing, side one was the ‘fast side’ and side two the ‘slow side’, with Stewart flipping that script for A Night On The Town. Atlantic Crossing had marked a new chapter in Stewart’s solo career, the end of the brilliant 1969-74 period when he had concurrent careers with Faces and as a solo artist, with Faces members, particularly guitarist Ron Wood and keyboardist Ian McLagan, serving among his backing musicians.
Stewart then used session players like the members of Booker T. & The MGs to great effect as he continued a run of chart-topping albums through Atlantic Crossing and the even better-selling A Night On The Town, propelled by singles like Tonight’s The Night, The First Cut Is The Deepest and The Killing Of Georgie. My favorite Stewart is his Faces-era period. But he continued releasing quality material/stuff I like through A Night On The Town and its followup, Footloose And Fancy Free but started losing steam for me with Blondes Have More Fun in 1978, although I’ll admit the disco hit single from that album, Do Ya Think I’m Sexy? is a guilty pleasure. By 1981’s Tonight I’m Yours album, though, Stewart had pretty much lost me although I do like the single Passion from his 1980 album Foolish Behaviour.
Steely Dan – The Royal Scam
1. Kid Charlemagne
2. The Caves Of Altamira
3. Don’t Take Me Alive
4. Sign In Stranger
5. The Fez
6. Green Earrings
7. Haitian Divorce
8. Everything You Did
9. The Royal Scam
I find Steely Dan to be so consistently excellent that if I had to pick a favorite album, I couldn’t. Instead, I’d employ my musical mantra: The best artist, album or song is the one you are listening to right now, in the moment, if you like it. So, today for me as far as Steely Dan goes, it’s The Royal Scam and it happens to fit with the other two albums I’m playing for this show, also released in 1976. It’s your usual Steely Dan amalgam of styles – funk, fusion, jazz rock and sophisticated grooves coupled with biting lyrics and great guitar work, particularly on songs like Don’t Take Me Alive by session man to the stars Larry Carlton, who played on three other Steely Dan albums – Katy Lied (1975), Aja (1977) and Gaucho (1980). Journalist Michael Watts, writing for British magazine Melody Maker, summed it up pretty well upon the album’s release.
“I wouldn’t wish to say whether it’s better than the other four Steely Dan records; they don’t compete with each other, they co-exist. But I will say that I’m playing it to death. And of course, the listener doesn’t have to delve into the lyrics. You can just tap your foot.”
One thing I’ve never understood, though. And it really doesn’t matter, because I own all the Steely Dan albums and nowadays, you can listen to anything you want online. But why the dark, brooding, title cut, The Royal Scam, is on no Steely Dan compilation I know of, is beyond me. It’s my favorite song on the album but, same as another personal favorite, Midnite Cruiser from the Dan’s 1972 debut Can’t Buy A Thrill, it didn’t make a compilation cut. One would think the band, or record company, would have wanted the wider exposure compilations often bring, reeling in casual consumers, at least in pre-internet times.
dan kellar
Waterloo, ON – New exhibits which explore Indigenous histories and resilience have opened at the City of Waterloo Museum. These “impactful and informative” exhibits are a “space for reflection” about the effects of colonialism “in our own backyard”.
Two of the exhibits are Killing the Indian in the Child: Generations Lost and Bi-Giwen: Coming Home – Truth-Telling from the Sixties Scoop, both created by the organisation Legacy of Hope. The Sixties Scoop refers to actions by provincial governments which intensified in the 1960’s where Indigenous children were taken from their families and communities and adopted out to primary Euro-Canadian middle class families throughout North America. The Sixties Scoop was a continuation of colonial violence, and similar to Residential Schools the goal was assimilating Indigenous children into “western society”.
The other two exhibits are Bead the Tract from the organisation Protect the Tract which is a beadwork representation of the Haldimand Tract, and graphic recordings by Mohawk artist Dakota Brant. Graphic recordings are large-scale colourful drawings with written information, which are used for translating spoken word by facilitators during community engagement.
In a press release announcing the new exhibits, the city says “these exhibitions delve into the lasting impacts of the Residential School system and the Sixties Scoop while amplifying Indigenous voices, resilience and the ongoing journey toward Reconciliation.”
This show features an interview with Jennifer Huber, the program and engagement associate with the City of Waterloo museum, which is located in Conestoga Mall on King Street North in Waterloo. Admission is Free.
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.
Jessica Riley, Green Party candidate for Kitchener South — Hespeler, came into the CKMS-FM studio to talk to voters on Thursday 20 February 2025. She was accompanied by Shefaza Esmail, Green Party candidate for Waterloo.
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.
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.
Brooklin Wallis, NDP candidate for Kitchener Centre, came into the CKMS-FM studio to talk to voters on Wednesday 19 February 2025. She was accompanied by her campaign manager, Alex Loop.
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.
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.
Subscribe to the CKMS Community Connections podcast!
See all CKMS Community Connections shows!
Creative Commons Attribution Only
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
https://cooperateforcanada.ca/
