Good Morning! Wanted to share that The Civic Hub will be running Low Income Tax Returns again this year starting 2 March 2019. Clinics are by appointment only. Our hours will be:
Monday and Wednesday – 10:00am to 8:00pm
Tuesday and Thursday – 9:00am to 5:00pm
We are also allowing drop-offs which can be completed at other times.
Please share with your contacts that the Climate Action Incentive, which all residents of Ontario are eligible to receive regardless of income, has increased this year. Amounts are as follows:
First Adult – $224
Spouse – $112
Child – $56
Family of 4 – $448
Canada Revenue Agency is helping provide volunteers to prepare the returns. I am looking for volunteers that would be interested in a receptionist type capacity, which would include booking appointments, greeting tax payers and collecting drop-off. Please share in case any of your contacts might be interested. I am looking for volunteers to cover three to four hour blocks, twice a week ideally.
New Date: Due to many other events on the 19th, the KWPeace Spring 2020 Potluck Dinner Meeting will be held on 12 March 2020 at 6:00pm in the Civic Hub
Hello again KWPeace Groups organizers! The poll has spoken and the most popular date for the KWPeace Spring 2020 Potluck Dinner Meeting is Thursday 19 12 March 2020.
It turns out the Civic Hub is very popular, and there are already two other groups using the space on that date and time (Hello, Extinction Rebellion and KW Our Time!) Hopefully we can all share the space together (and have increased participation in the potluck), but I’ve indicated on the Civic Hub booking request that our alternate date would be Thursday 12 March 2020. So, keep both dates open for the moment!
The Spring 2020 Potluck Dinner Meeting is just before the summer festival season begins. I know some groups are already busy planning their events for the summer, so this is a great time to let us all know so we’re not booking the same dates and we’re able to attend each others’ events.
PeaceWhat: KWPeace Spring 2020 Potluck Dinner Meeting When: Thursday 12 March 2020 from 6:00pm to 8:00pm Where: Civic Hub Waterloo Region Location: 23 Water Street North, Kitchener, Ontario Map
To enter the Civic Hub at the doors on Duke Street; press the buzzer for Social Development Centre Waterloo Region to summon the doorkeeper.
And although the time for the actual meeting is 6:00pm to 8:00pm, there’s setup at 5:30pm and cleanup from 8:00pm to 8:30pm. Setup and cleanup assistance is greatly appreciated!
POSTPONED: The Cross Cultures UN Day will be rescheduled for a later date
Gehan Sabry writes:
due to the current situation, I am putting the event on hold, and hoping to re-schedule as soon as the corona virus pandemic subsides, at which time we hope that you will consider attending
take care
Gehan
Open Invitation
Come join us and be part of our TWENTIETH annual commemoration of the
UNITED NATIONS INTERNATIONAL DAY for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
Saturday 21 March 2020
A full day public event noon to evening at Kitchener City Hall
Discrimination requires dialogue and education.
We do not limit the day to racism.
We invite presentations that address any forms of discrimination.
Confirmed so far:
Two international award winning special needs theatre productions coming to Kitchener
It gives me great pride to include two international theatre productions — one from Egypt and one from the Sharjah (United Arab Emirates) who include a cast of special needs individuals allowing them to flourish and share their incredible talents — the productions are internationally acclaimed, they are award winners and have been honoured by many entities including the UN, professionals in the field from Europe and many others.
(sign language and English subtitles provided)
Anti racism in education
Anti racism and Yoga meditation
KADAPUL
55 minute film followed by an interactive discussion
It is more than just a film. It is a medium and the impact of cinema that we can ascertain positive mindsets especially towards women. It deals with the real identity of women — through trials and tribulations — we still stand strong and powerful. It is a true validation to self. It is a movement of mindset — that defines beauty.
Be it Puri (Odisha) or North America — the problems and the movement is the same.
Sponsor if you can !
Your assistance in connecting me with people who wish to be involved would be greatly appreciated!
Panelist on specific topic
speaker on specific topic
Cultural, ethic, artistic presentation, visual art show, music, instrument, group dance during the evening’s Peace Concert
Showcase your talent, skill, culture
Promote your organization / business
Have an information table
There is also an opportunity to sponsor in the printed program
And so much to come… stay tuned
Please contact Gehan Sabry if you wish to be part of the day’s events: crosscultures@bellnet.ca, founder, editor, publisher of Cross Cultures Magazine
Promoting mutual respect since 1991 as well as a radio showCross Cultures on CKWR 98.5 FM, the local community radio station that has celebrated 46 years on the air !
I just wanted to let you know that the community suppers that used to be held at St Mark’s church on Wednesday evenings are now being held on Thursday evenings at Trillium Lutheran Church, 22 Willow Street, Waterloo, Ontario Map, phone 519‑886‑1880. (Trillium used be called St John’s Lutheran church.) It is fully accessible. The church is open on Thursday afternoons from 3:30 p.m. and dinner is served at 5:45 p.m. The Community Ministry Chaplain, Rev Susan Cole, is there between 3:30 and 7:00 p.m.
Bill 66 was introduced in the Ontario legislature just before the Christmas holidays. The short timeframe for discussion and consultation makes me think the legislators are trying to pass it before people have a chance to understand its effects. It is an omnibus bill, affecting dozens of different pieces of Ontario laws and regulations, many items of which are hidden behind indirect references, and all of which are to be voted on en masse. Omnibus bills tend to carry deleterious clauses which would never stand on their own, but which get passed only because of some other items in the same bill that are perceived to be more beneficial than the rest of the bill is bad.
Bob Jonkman Bill 66 delegation to Woolwich Township Council Committee of The Whole, Tuesday January 8th, 2019 Many groups joined together to provide information on Bill 66, and to make a concerted effort to bring our dissatisfaction to local municipal and provincial leaders. I made twodelegations to Woolwich Township Council urging them to pass a resolution to reject Bill 66 and to pledge that if passed, not to use this legislation to bypass the environmental regulations currently in place. Woolwich did pass a resolution, but stopped short of adding the pledge not to use it.
Bill 66 is a direct affront to the citizens of Ontario. Doug Ford made a pledge in May 2018 that the Green Belt areas would be not be subject to development. Now that Doug Ford is Premier of the Government of Ontario, I expect that pledge to be honoured.
Bill 66 affects existing laws and regulations at many Ministries, not just the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks. It detrimentally affects the protections for workers in many separate regulations, detrimentally affects the protections for children in childcare, detrimentally affects seniors and patients in long-term care, and detrimentally affects consumers protections from wireless carriers. This is not an exhaustive list.
Bill 66 detrimentally affects environmental regulations more than any other. Under Schedule 10 municipalities no longer have to follow the regulations under the Clean Water Act, Great Lakes Protection Act, Greenbelt Act, Lake Simcoe Protection Act, and the Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Act, among many others.
Ontario and its municipalities have experienced the greatest prosperity in the last ten years, without needing to circumvent the environmental protections put in place by previous Conservative and Liberal governments. Removing these protections now will pit one municipality against another — if one municipality allows development in a protected area, it creates pollution for all the downwind and downstream neighbours, both in that municipality as well as surrouding municipalities. There will be increased infrastructure costs for those municipalities that receive the extra traffic from the development, but none of the anticipated revenue. Bill 66 is not something municipalities have asked for for, nor is it something municipalities need.
Speculators may have purchased land in the currently protected areas. Just having Bill 66 on the table has affected land values. Currently permitted uses for protected areas will become unaffordable, and the pressure on local governments to bypass environmental protections will be great. I’m happy to see many municipalities have passed resolutions rejecting Bill 66.
The citizens of Ontario are clear: Bill 66, with all its recissions of existing laws, must not be passed. I hope the elected representatives in the Legislature will fulfill their mandate and represent their constituents’ demands to reject Bill 66.
It has been a year since our initial mobilization around the idea of a Civic Hub. A number of us continued meeting throughout the 2018 and worked on grants, connections and the first vision statement: A home, a landmark, accessible to everyone interested in civic and grassroots groups to showcase what is being done in the community, to allow groups to support each other, recruit, communicate and build credibility and capacity for advocacy and delivery of services to the community.
The number of small groups and organizations interested in the initiative is growing. A number of projects bringing together ethnocultural groups in Waterloo Region in 2018 testified that common, affordable space is a foundation for communication, collaboration and growth for many groups who feel isolated, under-resourced and in constant competition for supports.
However, there is little understanding of the core work that civic groups and small non-profits do in Waterloo Region.
We can learn together with other non-profit networks who want to create hubs for their sectors, such as WR Environmental Network and WR Arts Council.
Our strength is in our diversity and our common vision.
On January 21st 2019, we will gather again to share updates and brainstorm ideas about the next steps in creation of a Civic Hub.
6pm at SDC Office Map
in St John Church,
23 Water St North in Kitchener
Entrance and doorbell on Duke St.
RSVP by January 15th. Please get in touch if you need more information or have ideas/comments to share before the 21st.
Wishing you only the best to come in 2019.
Warmest Holiday Regards,
Aleksandra Petrovic
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Executive Director
Social Development Centre Waterloo Region
23 Water St. North, Kitchener ON, N2H 5A4
(entrance and doorbell on Duke Street)
Phone: 519-579-3800
Although Waterloo Region is a rich community, many members of our community are financially strained during the holiday season. (And for the rest of the year, too.)
2013 Poverty Myth Busters for Waterloo Region (page 3) Download the PDF
That’s why the Green Party supports raising the minimum wage to a living wage, and implementing a Guaranteed Livable Income (universal basic income set at 10% above LICO). You can find out more about Basic Income from our friends at Basic Income Waterloo.
Unfortunately that’s not going to happen until we start electing more Greens. In the meantime, people are living in poverty and Christmas is coming.
The following is a list of free Waterloo Region Christmas Dinner options for people in need. If you (or anyone you know) is in need of a good dinner over the holidays, please share. (And if you’re able I imagine these organizations would welcome volunteers.)
I’m not sure who originated this list (I received as a paper handout), but most of the dinner locations listed here are for the City of Kitchener. If you know of any others in the rest of the region– Cambridge, Waterloo or the Townships, please share and I’ll add them to the list.
Stirling Avenue Mennonite Church – Regular Saturday Supper
open 5:00pm-8:00pm – Supper served 5:30-7:30pm
57 Stirling Avenue North, Kitchener
Sunday, December 16th, 2018
KCI Christmas Dinner
10:45am – 1:30pm
787 King Street W., Kitchener (enter off King Street)
Tickets available at St. John’s Kitchen or St Mark’s Church
(Limited tickets available last week of November and first week of December)
Thursday December 20th, 2018
St. John’s Kitchen – Festive Dinner 11:30am to 1:00pm
97 Victoria Street North, Kitchener
Friday December 21st, 2018
St. John’s Kitchen – Regular Hours 11:30am to 1:00pm
97 Victoria Street North, Kitchener
Saturday December 22nd, 2018
Stirling Avenue Mennonite Church – Regular Saturday Supper – open 5:00pm-8:00pm Supper served 5:30-7:30pm
57 Stirling Avenue North, Kitchener
Sunday December 23rd, 2018
Caper’s Sports Bar – Christmas Dinner Noon – 3:00pm
1 Queen Street North, Kitchener
*Toy and Clothing giveaway
Monday December 24th, 2018
St. John’s Kitchen – Festive Dinner 11:30am to 1:00pm
Meal by St Vincent de Paul
97 Victoria Street North, Kitchener
Ray of Hope – Festive Dinner 7:00pm-8:30pm
659 King Street East, (Back Door) Kitchener
Tuesday December 25th, 2018
St. John’s Kitchen – Christmas Dinner by Friends of St John’s Kitchen 11:30am to 1:00pm
97 Victoria Street North, Kitchener
Ray of Hope – Regular Dinner 7:00pm-8:30pm
659 King Street East, (Back Door) Kitchener
Wednesday, December 26th, 2018
First United Church Christmas Buffet 11:30am-1pm
16 William Street, Waterloo
Thursday, December 27th, 2018
St. John’s Kitchen – Festive Dinner 11:30am to 1:00pm
97 Victoria Street North, Kitchener
Friday, December 28th, 2018
St. John’s Kitchen – Festive Dinner 11:30am to 1:00pm
97 Victoria Street North, Kitchener
Saturday, December 29th, 2018
Stirling Avenue Mennonite Church – Regular Saturday Supper
open 5:00pm-8:00pm – Supper served 5:30-7:30pm
57 Stirling Avenue North, Kitchener
Sunday December 30th, 2018
Ray of Hope – Lunch Noon-1:30pm
659 King Street East, (Back Door) Kitchener
Monday, December 31, 2018
St. John’s Kitchen – Regular Hours 11:30am to 1:00pm
97 Victoria Street North, Kitchener
Tuesday, January 1st, 2018
St. John’s Kitchen CLOSED
Wednesday, January 2nd, 2018
St. John’s Kitchen – Regular Hours 11:30am to 1:00pm
97 Victoria Street North, Kitchener
Good Morning! Wanted to share that The Civic Hub will be running Low Income Tax Returns again this year starting 2 March 2019. Clinics are by appointment only. Our hours will be:
Creative Commons — Attribution-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic license.
Hello again KWPeace Groups organizers! 
Alliance Against Poverty
@Eleanor70001
See the pictures from Perspectives On Peace — Where’s the Peace & Justice? Canada’s New Foreign and Defence Policies
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