Tag Archives: region of waterloo

CKMS Community News, Newsroom

Federal government announces $25 million for affordable housing builds, repairs in Waterloo Region

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MP Holmes
Kitchener, ON

The federal government has announced over $96 million in contributions and loans aimed at affordable housing across South Central Ontario, including Waterloo Region.

Locally, the funding amounts to $25 million which will help create 336 new affordable homes and repair more than 7,300 homes in the region.

The announcement was made at an affordable housing construction site in Kitchener on Thursday. The event was attended by political representatives, including Kitchener Mayor Berry Vrbanovic, Regional Coun. Colleen James, and the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development of Canada Jenna Sudds, who made the announcement on behalf of Sean Fraser, Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities.

Key local projects that will receive this funding, include the revitalization project at 82 Wilson Ave., St. Mark’s Place in Kitchener and the Beaver Creek Housing Cooperative in Waterloo.

The federal government has also introduced a “frequent builder” status to streamline funding applications for experienced builders.

CKMS has more on the story.

CKMS Community News, Newsroom, Shows

Waterloo Region gets to the heart of residents’ noise complaints — using a smartphone app

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MP Holmes
Kitchener, ON

Waterloo Region residents have been vindicated by a simple phone app after a complicated computer noise model failed to recognize real-life noise.

Staff used a phone app to assess the noise and determined that vehicles with modified mufflers are to blame.

At a Waterloo Region Council meeting in early June, Kitchener residents living near Highland Road West, raised concerns about noise following the expansion of Highland Road. At that time, Council requested information and staff presented their findings at the Regional Council meeting on June 19.

Doug Spooner, the Acting Commissioner of Transportation Services for the Region, reported back to Council, explaining he went to the impacted neighbourhood and tested the noise with an app on his phone.

Spooner discovered excessive noise caused by disruptive peak noises generated by vehicles with modified mufflers or exhausts and recommended regulatory measures.

CKMS Community News, Newsroom, Shows

CKMS News -2024-06-20- Pay-what-you-can food market working with community gardens for fresh produce

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CKMS News -2024-06-20- Pay-what-you-can community food market working with community gardens for fresh produce.

dan kellar

Kitchener, ON – An initiative from Community Healthcaring Kitchener Waterloo has resulted in the region’s first consistent pay-what-you-can food market. Stemming from the organization’s integrated strategy around supportive health care, the market is a part of the Community Health and Wellness program, which also includes a weekly breakfast club, cooking skill-shares, and other capacity and community building activities.

While the market has been stocking its shelves since January through donations and the Second Harvest food rescue app, as the growing season blooms, the project is teaming up with community gardens to bring in more fresh produce.  

Located in the organization’s office at 44 Frances St. in Kitchener, the market is open to everyone from 9-5 Monday through Thursday, and Friday 8-4.

This show features an interview with Megan Vander Hoek, a food program worker at Community Healthcaring Kitchener-Waterloo, discussing the pay-what-you-can food market and the organization’s efforts to support healthier communities through food.  

CKMS Community News, Newsroom

Local Residents Challenge Waterloo Region on Noise Data

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The recent expansion of Highland Road West in Kitchener has increased noise pollution, significantly impacting residents who live along the road between Ira Needles Boulevard and Fisher Hallman Road.

Residents raised concerns about noise pollution and how it is measured at the Regional Council Planning and Works Committee meeting in early June.

Despite residents’ complaints and self-initiated noise-blocking measures, Regional staff insist the levels in this area do not exceed thresholds. Staff have said they will continue to rely on theoretical models that predict noise levels and that live noise tests are not routine due to precedent, policy and budget constraints. The residents, on the other hand, argue that the models are flawed and real-time noise data and live noise studies would provide a more accurate reflection of the situation.

Regional Councillors asked questions of both sides, eventually agreeing to draw up a motion to conduct live measurements in the impacted neighbourhood, with further discussions planned for the next Regional Council meeting.

CKMS Community News, Newsroom

Waterloo Region Board of Health finds success updating school immunization records

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MP Holmes
Kitchener, ON

 

As Regional schools prepare for their final month of the school year, the Waterloo Region Department of Public Health reported to Council on May 23 that over 37,000 immunization records have been updated for school students since January, preventing student suspensions.

Dr. Hsiu-Li Wang, the Chief Medical Officer of Health for the region, provided an update on the enforcement of the Immunization of School Pupils Act. While Dr Wang discussed the suspension of some students due to their outdated records, she also noted the Region’s high compliance rate, particularly for measles immunization, with no local cases reported.

A full compliance report will be provided in the fall.

CKMS Community News, Newsroom, Shows

CKMS News -2024-04-12- Public Health orders student suspensions over vaccinations records while facilitating adherence to immunization rules

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CKMS News -2024-04-14- Public Health orders student suspensions over vaccinations records while facilitating adherence to immunization rules

by: dan kellar

Waterloo – Nearly 7,000 secondary school students in Waterloo Region have been told they will be suspended on May 1st for having out-of-date vaccination records.  The order, from Region of Waterloo public health was announced on April 8th and follows the suspension of 2969 elementary school students on March 27th for the same issue.

The suspensions are allowed under the Immunization of School Pupils Act which, as the Waterloo Region District School Board told CKMS News “requires families and caregivers to ensure that their children receive specific vaccinations.” Students without a medical or ideological exemption must be up to date on up to 9 vaccines. COVID Immunization is not on the required vaccine list.

David Aoki, the Director of Infectious Disease and Chief Nursing Officer for Region of Waterloo Public Health spoke with CKMS News about the seemingly high number of suspensions, and how students and families can get suspensions lifted.