Author: KWPeace

KWPeace is a website to link the many Peace and Social Justice organizations in Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge, and the Waterloo Region townships. KWPeace tries to provide a comprehensive calendar of events.

Proportional Representation Rally, Waterloo Town Square, 1:30pm on Sunday 14 September 2025

On Sunday September 14, there will be a non-partisan rally planned by local organizers at Waterloo Town Square (Uptown Waterloo) to show support for Proportional Representation. The rally theme is Better Late Than Never.

The rally begins at 1:30 with time to gather, and make posters to show support for PR.

Speeches at 2:00 PM will be from:

  • Aislinn Clancy (MPP for Kitchener-Centre and Deputy Leader of the Green Party of Ontario)
  • Mike Morrice (former MP for Kitchener-Centre)
  • Mike Schreiner (MPP for Guelph and leader of the Green Party of Ontario)
  • Fair Vote Canada

and others.

Now is the time to speak up! Although Justin Trudeau broke his often-repeated promise to Canadians that the 2015 election would be the last under the first-past-the-post system, there is still strong support for the idea – even among those in power. After stepping down as Liberal leader, Trudeau shared that his one regret leading up to the 2025 election was not being able to change the way we elect our governments in this country  1 . Mark Carney has also spoken positively about electoral reform and has shared openness to addressing “those more structural issues in our democracy” 2 .

We are rallying to show that Canadians from across the political spectrum have not forgotten this broken promise, and that now is the time to act. More than ever, we need a strong democracy, with elected officials who reflect the will of the people, and where every citizen’s vote counts equally. We hope that you will join us!

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out, anytime.

Thank you,

WR4PRNow Organizers

  • Heline Chow
  • Lisa Massaro
  • Stephanie Janzen-Martin

wr4prnow@gmail.com

Rally For Representation | Meet The Speakers | MC Aislinn Clancy, MPP - Kitchener Centre | Waterloo Public Square | Sunday September 14th @ 1:30pm (photo of Aislinn Clancy, a woman with short blonde hair, wearing a black sleeveless dress)

 1  — Trudeau says abandoning electoral reform is his biggest regret.
 2  — Mark Carney speaks positively about working on electoral reform.

—
Waterloo Region for Proportional Representation

Protest Rally to Demand the CRA Stop Subsidizing Genocide, CRA Offices in Kitchener, Noon on Wednesday 3 September 2025

National Week of Action | Demand the CRA stop subsidizing genocide! | September 2 - 5 ,2025 (a hand holding a bullhorn over a Palestinian flag; various organizations logos along the bottom)

In 2024, the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) revoked charity status for the Jewish National Fund and Ne’eman Foundation for violating CRA policy, but that is not enough! Canadian charities are still sending hundreds of millions of dollars per year to Israel, to fund its genocide and expansion of its settler colonial project. These charities are used as front to finance an illegal occupation, apartheid, and genocide—and the CRA allows this to continue.

Join us as part of a National Week of Action to Demand the CRA Stop Subsidizing Genocide. Actions are scheduled from coast to coast between September 2 and 5. You can join our action at lunchtime on Wednesday 3 September 2025 — we’ll be gathering outside the CRA office in downtown Kitchener to call for the CRA to ensure that not a cent of our Canadian tax dollars helps to fund a genocide.

What to bring: Signs and banners.

Parking is available nearby at Centre in the Square. All ages welcome.

Palestinian flag background with white text and graphic accents like a ripped piece of paper and a megaphone. Text reads: National Week of Action September 2-5 2025. CRA: Stop Subsidizing Genocide! Wednesday September 3 12pm 166 Frederick Street Kitchener ON

O’Canada Occasion – Amnesty International Fundraiser, KW Little Theatre, 6pm on Saturday 13 September 2025

Celebrate human rights for 2SLGBTQIA+

Skits, music, drag show, silent auction, snacks and beverages!

Tickets are $25. Send an e-transfer to groupnine9@gmail.com with the message “fundraiser ticket“. We’ll welcome you at the door!

Fundraiser Highlights:

A silent auction including:

  • Works of art by local artists Sandee Lovas, Jackie Bradshaw, Janet Main, and Sharon Woodley
  • Gift certificate for two to attend Mysterious Players at the Aberfoyle Mill: Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre
  • Two beautiful traditionally hand crafted Persian tablecloths / wall hangings
  • Music with a human rights theme provided by local band Ironhorse and members of the Old Chestnuts Song Circle “Channeling Pete Seeger”.
  • Drag Performances featuring Quinta Sensual and Uncle Rabbit (They/Them).
  • A live auction with some tongue-in-cheek poking fun at American calls for annexation of Canada.
  • Presentations including a sharing of personal experiences of human rights issues from two of our 2SLGBTQIA+ members and an interview with Dr. Nancy R. Tapias Torrado, UW Prof of Human Rights and former Amnesty International’s Americas Regional Researcher (International Secretariat, London, UK)

Celebrating Human Rights: O'Canada Occasion When: Sat, Sept 13 6-9pm Where: KW Little Theatre 9 Princess St E, Waterloo What: Music, Skits, Speakers, Silent/Live Auctions, Drag Show, FUN! For Tickets ($25) Email: GroupNine9@gmail.com

Group Nine is the local chapter of Amnesty International Canada in the Kitchener-Waterloo area.

Group Nine meets at 7:30 pm on the first Tuesday of every month in The Fretz Seminar Room (Room 4224) at Conrad Grebel College, University of Waterloo (140 Westmount Road North, Waterloo) Map 2

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AmnestyInternationalGroup9/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amnestygroup9/

www.amnesty.ca
groupnine9@gmail.com

Urgent Meeting of WR for Palestine, 6pm on Tuesday 5 August 2025

🚨
For two years Canada has lied about their arms trade with Israel- and now we have the proof.

Join us on Tuesday, 5 August 2025 at 6:00pm for a critical community meeting to plan our next steps. Register now via link in bio.

This is your chance to get informed, get organized and take action. This is our chance to demand a two-ways arms embargo on Israel once and for all.

Arms Embargo Now Urgent Community Meeting The time to act is now. For two years Canada lied about sending weapons to Israel -- now we have the proof. Join us to get informed, get organized and to take action. Tues, Aug 5th @ 6:00 Register for Location Link in Bio Palestinian Youth Movement Neighbour

Stop Starving Gaza — KW Emergency Protest at Waterloo Public Square at 6pm on Thursday 24 July 2025

Gaza is being starved to death!

The past few months have pushed our people to the edge — children are dying from hunger and dehydration, families are being wiped out under siege and bombing, and exterminated by a lack of food, water and medical care. This is a murderous genocide, and starvation has become an intentional weapon used by Israel. This inhumanity must be stopped through world protests and actions, we will honour our responsibility to bring this to an end.

JOIN US on Thursday 24 July 2025 at 6:00pm in Waterloo Public Square to demand an immediate lift of the siege! 🇵🇸

Palestinian Youth Movement KW Emergency Protest Stop Starving Gaza Now! Thursday July 24 6:00pm Waterloo Public Square 75 King St S, Waterloo , ON N2J 1P2 (background photo of aid workers carry boxes)

Organizers:

Palestine Day: The Land Remains, Carl Zehr Square (Kitchener City Hall), 1pm Sunday 13 July 2025

KW Palestine Festival Presents 4th Annual Palestine Day The Land Remains July 13 2025 1PM - 9PM Carl Zehr Square (200 King St, W, Kitchener, ON) Vendors | Food | Games | Performances | Prizes | Palestine Exhibition (photo of children flying kites, one coloured like the Palestinian flag; the perspective is from under the ground through vegetation. There are logos for Palestinian Youth Movement and Sporas at the top of the page)

Supported by:

Rally against Bill 5, Waterloo Public Square, 6pm on Monday 23 June 2023

What: Rally against Ontario Bill 5
When: 6:00pm on Monday 23 June 2025
Where: Waterloo Public Square
Location: 75 King Street South, Waterloo, Ontario Map

Teresa Cornwell of the Ontario Greens in Kitchener Centre writes:

On June 23rd at 6:00 PM, community members are rallying at Waterloo Public Square to say NO to Bill 5. Union leaders, Indigenous activists, students, and people of conscience are coming together — and Greens are showing up.

This rally is about more than just saying no.

It’s about getting ready to organize.

Bill 5 threatens local democracy and pushes decisions even further away from communities. People are coming together to stop it—and to build what comes next.

👉 Be there.

Bring a sign. Bring a friend. Bring your voice.

Sincerely,
Teresa Cornwell
Ontario Greens in Kitchener Centre

Arms Embargo Now! Rally at Centra Industries, 6pm on Friday 20 June 2025

Indigenous Peoples Day Sunrise Ceremony at the Willow River Centre, 7am on Saturday 21 June 2025

What: Indigenous Peoples Day Sunrise Ceremony Land Back Camp (illustration of a Teepee)
When: 7:00am on Saturday 21 June 2025
Where: Willow River Centre
Location: 243 King Street East, Kitchener, Ontario Map
Website: https://www.kwmf.ca/indigenous

Sunrise Ceremony June 21 @ 7am Join Us For Food Fire Speakers Drumming Opening at Willow River Centre Sacred Fire 7am-10am Multicultural Festival 12pm (a sun on an orange sky, with logos+wordmarks of the Willow River Centre and the Kitchener-Waterloo Multicultural Centre

Sunrise Ceremony
June 21 @ 7am
Join Us For
Food Fire Speakers Drumming
Opening at Willow River Centre
Sacred Fire 7am-10am
Multicultural Festival 12pm

Rally Against Bills 5, 6, 17 at Kitchener City Hall, 11:30am on Sat. 31 May 2025

What: Rally against Bill 5, Bill 6, and Bill 17, aka Rally for People and Planet
When: 11:30am to 2:00pm on Saturday 31 May 2025 (speeches at Noon)
Where: Carl Zehr Square, Kitchener City Hall
Location: 100 King Street West, Kitchener, Ontario Map
Website 1: https://gren.ca Grand River Environmental Network | www.gren.ca
Website 2: https://environmentaldefence.ca/stop-bill-5/
Contact: Kevin Thomason – vice-chair@gren.ca

For your safety, never register for rallies, protests, or other events where civil disobedience may occur.

We need to stop Premier Ford’s Power Grab

Premier Ford promised to protect Ontario. But now that he’s been elected, he is already breaking that promise. His latest bill would give his friends special permissions to ignore laws that protect us and our environment.

No guardrails.
No accountability.

We can’t afford to let him and his cabinet get away with this.

Kevin Thomason writes:

It has been an unprecedented week as Doug Ford has tried to ram through the horrific Bill 5 while all the opposition MPPs have worked together to do everything in their power to stop it, join the Kitchener Rally Against Bill 5 on Saturday at 12:00 noon, participate in upcoming webinars and events, speak up against Bill 17’s devastating impacts on our communities, learn about the latest very disappointing Hidden Valley loss to developers in Kitchener, the Greenbelt Scandal continues with more concerning e-mails found, and more. Here’s the latest:

1) Bill 5 Pushback Grows – There are more protests, more groups speaking out. and actions against Bill 5 the “Protect Ontario By Unleashing Our Economy Act”, a dangerous attack on our rights, environment, and democracy. First Nations, environmentalists, civil liberties organizations, labour, municipalities, and even Amnesty International have come out against Bill 5.

It was fantastic to see all opposition MPPs working together to do everything they could stop the bill this past week including an impressive filibuster at the Standing Committee meeting until midnight on Wednesday night. While the Ford government is promising amendments to try to quell First Nations concerns, Indigenous Leaders say it is too little, too late and frankly the government has made only ineffective, minor, superficial amendments as “window dressing” while completely ignoring the vast majority of concerns raised by tens of thousands of concerned citizens so far.

Protests/Rallies — There have been large protests including hundreds of people in Guelph last weekend. Please plan to join the Kitchener Protest Against:

Bill 5 — Sweeping powers to fast track development, bypass environmental protections, create law-free economic zones, ignore archeology, and violate Indigenous rights.

Bill 6 — Harsher penalties for drugs and trespass targeting homelessness with punitive measures rather than support.

Bill 17 — Prohibiting needed Green Development Standards, limiting development charges, enabling new MZO’s, encouraging dangerous inexpensive water and wastewater systems.

Date/Time: Saturday, May 31st at 12:00 noon
Location: Carl Zehr Square on King Street at Kitchener City Hall