The city’s publication for its residents
Your Kitchener is
published every other
month to keep citizens
informed on local
issues and events.
Questions or comments can be
directed to 519-741-2200 x7383 or
[email protected].
The City of Kitchener is committed to
providing accessible formats. If another
format would work better for you, please
contact the number above.
T
10 ways
to get
back
into the
groove
he kids are back in school, and everyone is
settling back into a routine. September can
feel like a new beginning – new teachers, new
classes, new opportunities for learning outside the
classroom or workplace. There are lots of ways to be
active and to develop new skills, whatever your age,
ability or interest.
INSIDE
1. Discover your inner artist, get fit, learn new
skills, get musical, get crafty – whatever strikes
your fancy, there’s likely a program offered at a
community centre near you. There is something for
every skill level and age available at centres across
the city. www.kitchener.ca/leisure
2. O
ur four indoor pools offer aquatic fitness and
sports programs for all ages, including water polo,
water yoga, and boot camp, as well as a variety of
leadership and lifeguard programs for teens.
www.kitchener.ca/pools
3. T
he Aud offers plenty of free and paid public
skating, including options for shinny. It’s a good
way to get your skating skills back up to par before
winter. www.theaud.ca/skatingschedule
4. T
he city offers free fully supervised drop-ins for
youth ages 12-17 year-round. Offering youth safe
School
zone
slowdown
T
he routine of getting our
children to school safely
can be a challenge. Every day,
pedestrians, school buses and
parents who choose to drive all
need to share the limited space
around schools. It can become very
congested.
This year, drivers will notice
something new on roads near
schools: all schools now have a
40-km speed limit.
“We want all school zones to be
safe. This reduction in speed
limit creates the expectation for
drivers to drive slower through
these zones,” said Ron Schirm,
the City of Kitchener’s supervisor
for crossing guards. “We’ve had so
few incidents in front of schools,
September-October 2016
places to have some fun with their peers and learn
new skills, the drop-ins feature sports, games,
music, arts and crafts, cooking and more!
www.kitchener.ca/youth
5. If you’re involved with a non-profit organization,
or you’re working with a group on a community
project, the city offers a variety of grants each year
to support community initiatives. For submission
dates and requirements, find out more at
www.kitchener.ca/grants.
6. Two new programs for children with disabilities are
being offered at Country Hills Community Centre,
100 Rittenhouse Rd. InMotion is an adapted multisport program for children aged 7-13, offering a
variety of sports and games in a camp-like setting.
Music to My Ears uses instruments to teach
children aged 10+ about sounds, self-expression,
communication and personal development. Both
programs start Sept. 19. Fees apply. To register,
call 519-741-2907 or online through WebREG;
you can also register in person at any community
centre or pool. www.kitchener.ca/inclusion
“Inclusion support workers run and assist with these
two programs and they are good at adapting activities
to make them inclusive for all,” said Marina Dotzert.
but even one incident is too many.
Regardless of the time of day, there
is often heavier
pedestrian activity
around schools.”
program, which promotes safe,
walkable neighbourhoods through
school travel planning.
This comprehensive
process engages the
school boards, municipal
transportation planners
and engineers, public
health, police, parents,
Schirm students and school staff.
“Even one
incident is
too many,”
With elementary
schools now often
exceeding 600
students – almost
Ron
double the average
supervisor, Through this process,
school size 20 years
ago – roadways
crossing guards the City of Kitchener
adjacent to schools
works with other local
are busy. Children
municipalities, the Region
are more likely to be struck by a
and both school boards to assess
car in areas with higher speed
barriers to active school travel, and
limits. At slower speeds, drivers
then develops and implements
have sufficient time to stop for
specific action plans for each
pedestrians and pedestrians can
school. Kitchener, as do the other
make better crossing decisions.
municipalities, have other policies
that inform the process, such as
Schools are also not built to
traffic calming, sidewalk infill policy,
accommodate the traffic demand
cycling and multi-use pathways
that occurs daily around schools
master plans, all of which prioritize
at bell times. This is not lost on
municipal transportation managers. schools and school routes.
The new 40 km/h school zones
support the Region of Waterloo’s
Active & Safe Routes to School
To read the report on reduced
speed limits, go to
www.kitchener.ca and search
“Report INS-16-051.” n
7. N
eed to host a party or book a meeting? Why not
hold it at one of our community centres or golf
courses? Call the community centre or golf course
where you’d like to meet to check for availability.
www.kitchener.ca/facilityrentals
OUTSIDE
8. Fall is a great time to discover nature in our city.
Learn about the trails, natural areas and urban
forests right here in the city! The Huron Natural
Area offers lots of programs for free in the fall,
including:
• Tales and Trails discovery walks;
• Family and Friends nature walk;
• Recharge in Nature walks for adults.
• Find out more at www.kitchener.ca/knap
9. While it’s still easy to be outside, why not sneak
in a few more golf games before the courses close?
Both the Doon and Rockway courses remain open
throughout October, weather permitting. Book online at
www.kitchenergolf.ca/teetimes
10. For all programming and support for programs,
check out the latest Leisure guide in print and digital
form at www.kitchener.ca/leisure. n
Be a good park
neighbour
O
W
ne of the most significant issues negatively
changing our natural areas, aside from invasive
species, is encroachment.
hile you may not be familiar with the term,
examples of it are common and often seem
harmless. Some examples include:
• Raking and dumping your leaves over the fence
onto a city trail, park or natural area.
• Adding a garden just beyond your property line.
• Piling wood or construction debris on city
property behind your shed.
• Even cutting grass behind your property, if that
area has been identified as an environmentally
significant area (EPA) can negatively impact our
environment.
These examples of encroachment are actually illegal
because of the negative impacts they can have. Piles
of debris and gardens can attract small animals and
rodents, introduce new invasive species to parklands
and leak elements like phosphorous and nitrogen
from fertilizers, detergents or pet waste.
For more on encroachment, go to
www.kitchener.ca/housingandproperty. n
Play a role in Kitchener’s future
Kitchener’s advisory committees
and boards are an important way
for citizens to become involved
with helping to shape our city.
Recruitment is underway in
September for appointments
to take effect in December.
Interested in becoming involved?
Please visit www.kitchener.ca/
citizencommittees for all the
information you need. n
Filsinger naturalization wins award
The City of Kitchener and Stantec,
the consultants who worked
with the city’s stormwater unit
on the innovative Filsinger Park
naturalization project, were
presented with a Diamond Design
and Construction Award: Creek
Restoration Award of Merit from
the Consulting Engineers of Ontario
at their annual general meeting in
June.
Once a concrete channel flushing
silt down to Victoria Park Lake,
the creek through the park is now
a meandering stream constructed
from wood debris from ice and
wind storms. Find out more at
www.kitchener.ca/filsinger. n
Trees and a healthy city
What is
U
the urban
rban forests are
forests for people. They
are a dynamic green
infrastructure that provides
cities and municipalities with
environmental, economic
and social benefits, including
cooling, easing pollution,
decreasing stormwater
runoff, improving health and
wellbeing, and increasing
property values.
That’s why the City of
Kitchener wants to make
sure our urban forest is
sustainable, healthy and
provides the most benefits
while minimizing the costs
and risks to the community.
The city is in the early stages
of developing a sustainable
urban forest plan, and on Oct.
24, staff will provide detailed
information to council and the
community about our urban
forest, including:
• the city’s tree canopy;
• its street and park
trees;
the ways to measure this.
The greatest benefits come
from the largest and biggest
trees.
• natural areas;
• k ey issues and
challenges facing
our urban forest (i.e.
existing and required
maintenance levels,
climate change, the
private urban forest,
etc.).
A recent study of Kitchener
shows our city has 26 per
cent tree canopy; 56 per cent
of this is on private land,
and the canopy cover varies
across the city.
Staff will also present the first
draft strategy and policy to
start a community discussion
that will continue until the
spring of 2017, when council
will consider the strategy for
approval.
The benefits communities
receive from the urban forest
are directly related to health
and number of trees there are
in the city. Determining how
much tree canopy there is –
how much area of the city,
when viewed from the air, is
covered by trees – is one of
Along with community
engagement and stewardship,
a sustainable urban forest
program must also consider
other key issues, such as:
• planting trees correctly;
• watering new trees;
• pruning trees
throughout their life
cycle to reduce costs
and increase resiliency
to extreme weather,
and
• protecting trees.
Learn more about this project
and stay informed at
www.kitchener.ca/trees. n
forest?
All trees, planted and
naturally occurring, in an
urban area:
• a key component
of the city’s green
infrastructure.
The urban forest
includes:
• Trees on public
lands;
• Trees on private
lands.
Trees on city lands
include:
• Street trees;
• Trees in active
parkland;
• Trees in natural
areas.
Tax and utilities
bills one click
away
Rent a facility
Getting married or have a special
occasion coming up?
You can get your marriage
licence at city hall, and the City of
Kitchener also has 17 locations
where you can hold your wedding or
host your reception.
Many locations also offer excellent
settings for your pictures to help
make your day flow smoothly. You
are sure to find a place that is just
the right size and suits your budget.
www.kitchener.ca/facilityrentals n
Click here to view your utility or tax bill. That’s how easy
it will be when the City of Kitchener launches its tax and
utility e-billing portal in October.
The new service keeps accounts and bills organized
in one easy-to-use location AND delivers an email
notification directly to your inbox when your Kitchener
Utilities and/or property tax bill is ready to view.
Customers can use the portal to:
• V
iew bills anywhere, anytime from a desktop or
tablet;
• T rack utility consumption month over month and
year over year;
• Receive customer service support online;
• Submit meter readings;
• Download, save and print a paper copy of their bill;
• Manage account settings.
Let us know if you’re interested in tax and utility
e-billing. Visit www.kitchener.ca/billingchanges and add
your name to the signup sheet. We’ll send you more
information when the service is accepting registrations in
fall 2016.
BACKYARD CHICKENS -- Following the consultation about
chickens in backyards, staff is reviewing the feedback heard
through the initial public meeting and online survey, as well as
compiling the research conducted as part of the study. There
are two public meetings – Sept. 27 at 7 p.m. at Country Hills
Community Centre and Oct. 3 at 1 p.m. at The Aud – to provide
an update and receive final comments from the public before a
recommendation is presented to council later this year. For details
on the meeting date, time and location, select the Chicken Bylaw
Consultation topic at www.engagekitchener.ca
Planning around
rapid transit stations
B
uilding an innovative, caring and
vibrant Kitchener means that all
the pieces involved in planning
our neighbourhoods and commercial,
mixed use and employment areas have
to fit seamlessly together.
any new transit projects; they have been
kickstarted here by light rapid transit
(LRT).
There are a number of pieces that
contribute to city planning; one current
project that incorporates many of those
elements is the work staff is doing
planning around rapid transit stations (or
PARTS).
Consultation with the public around
planning for PARTS Central, which
involves six ION stops, is complete, and
implementation of recommendations
around things such as land use, urban
design and development will begin
shortly. Through the implementation,
there will be further opportunities for
public input within the next year.
Station area plans are geographic-based
master plans that focuses on creating
interesting spaces in which people
can congregate or connect, as well as
supporting transit-friendly development
and stability in the station areas. While
the province requires these plans for
Planning around the Midtown and
Rockway rapid transit stations is
currently underway. Two public meetings
are scheduled for Sept. 29, and will
provide the public with an opportunity to
review and comment on the options for
the station areas.
These options are based on the
feedback provided through the online
survey, the first public meeting and
directly to the project manager, and
the Existing Conditions, Issues and
Opportunities Report (ECIOR – available
online for review).
The feedback received at the Sept. 29
public meetings will be used to develop
the most preferred scenario, which will
be presented at another public meeting
in spring 2017. For more information and project
updates, see www.kitchener.ca/parts.
Central and Vanier neighbourhoods
Residential intensification in established
neighbourhoods study (RIENS) focuses
on developing a clear and fair process
for approving development projects,
specifically dealing with established
neighbourhoods.
Breastfeeding in our facilities
Mothers are welcome to
breastfeed their children in our
facilities anytime, anywhere. We
work with a community-driven
group of people who advocate
for breastfeeding awareness,
to support quality of life for our
citizens and our commitment
to diversity, as we embrace
opportunities to build an
inclusive community.
www.kitchener.ca/breastfeeding n
There will be a public meeting to get
feedback on the recommended later this
fall.
Watch the project webpage for details
www.kitchener.ca/riens
Read about all the other factors that
are considered when planning our
communities, online at
www.kitchener.ca/yourkitchener. n
Making the most of
rainwater
A
dam Morell holds out a large
organic tomato, grown in
his garden on Tecumseh Drive in
Kitchener. The garden is framed with
beautiful hibiscus, and while the beans
have been cleared out already, the
tomatoes, beets and carrots await
harvest.
Nestled among the rows is a black
tube riddled with nodes that allow
water to drip through. The most
remarkable thing about Morell’s
irrigation system is that it uses only
rainwater. Even more remarkable is
the fact that all the water he uses – in
his garden and his house – comes
from rainwater collected in two large
cisterns with a combined cubic volume
of 55,000 litres capacity.
“A rain barrel is a toy, in my opinion,”
says the nearly 93-year-old. “I don’t
use any city water.”
Morell is a man ahead of his time. He
installed his cisterns in the 1980s.
As the City of Kitchener implements
recommendations from its stormwater
master plan in the coming years,
cisterns are one option among many
that contribute to a sustainable
infrastructure and, ultimately, protect
our water sources. But it will take
efforts by private property owners to
make the biggest difference.
“Through the master plan, we’ve
discovered 75 per cent of the city has
no stormwater controls whatsoever,”
says Nick Gollan, manager of the city’s
stormwater utility. “Every action taken
by business and residents contributes
to solving this problem, along with the
work undertaken and forecast to be
completed by the city.”
Morell’s system of distillers, cisterns,
pumps and irrigation is considered
stormwater best management
practice, and he is currently getting a
45 per cent credit on the stormwater
charges on his utility bill.
“It’s not about the money, it’s about
what you can do for the environment,”
says Morell. “You can’t take (the
money) with you. The rain comes down
from the heavens for free.”
For more on the city’s stormwater
master plan, go to www.kitchener.ca/
stormwatermasterplan n
What local
government
does for you
O
f all the tiers of government the
average Canadian citizen engages
with in their lifetime, municipal
government is the one that affects dayto-day living the most.
In Waterloo Region, there are services
offered by the city, such as community
centres and arenas, snow clearing and
leaf collection, and there are regional
services, such as police, transit and
garbage collection.
Whatever way you look at it, municipal
government plays an important role in
our lives.
Local Government Week takes place Oct.
16-22. As your municipal government,
the City of Kitchener responsibly
manages and invests the tax dollars
you pay in order to meet the needs of
the community and make sure strategic
priorities are addressed.
As we head into the 2017 budget
process at the City of Kitchener, there
will be opportunities not just to learn
about the role local government plays
in your life, but to engage with decisionmakers, as council attempts to balance
offering valued services and programs to
residents, making strategic investments
in community priorities, and keeping
property taxes at a reasonable rate.
Find out more about the budget process
at www.kitchener.ca/aboutbudgets n
Grillefest ist wunderbar!
Grillefest is back on Oct. 7 from
11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Kitchener
City Hall!
Celebrate the official opening
ceremonies of Oktoberfest
with members of Kitchener City
Council and city staff as they
grill up a delicious, traditional
Oktoberfest sausage in a fresh
bun and served with cookies and
cold drink, all for just $5!
All proceeds will be donated
to the Food Bank of Waterloo
Region. A huge thank you to our
sponsors: Pillers Meats, Grain
Harvest Breadhouse, Colonial
Cookies, Flanagan Foods, Zehrs
and Civilian Printing for making
this possible!
www.kitchener.ca/grillefest n
Only rain in the drain
Emptying your pool water into
the storm sewer, or dumping
cooking oil, paint, softener
salt, gasoline, oil or glycol,
dog excrement or any other
substance into a catch basin
is considered a spill and
would have to be addressed
accordingly by the Ministry of
the Environment and the Region
of Waterloo. Catch basins link
into drainage systems and,
ultimately, to our natural areas
such as creeks, lakes and
wetlands. Remember, only rain
in the drain. www.kitchener.ca/
stormwater n
Learn how a city was pushed to the edge during the First World War to the point of changing
its name from Berlin to Kitchener through a controversial and high tension referendum.
Connect with us.
Waterloo Region Museum
10 Huron Road, Kitchener
519-748-1914 TTY: 519- 575-4608
www.waterlooregionmuseum.com
Worry-free
rental water
heaters
5.05” x 5.875”
Do you know an organization or group that
makes the world a cleaner, healthier place and
encourages environmental solutions?
5.05” x 5.875”
When you rent with Kitchener Utilities,
you get local and reliable service.
Discover Kitchener Utilities.
Your locally owned utility you can trust!
The Community Environment Improvement Grant is accepting
applications to help support environmental projects in Kitchener.
Learn more and apply by visiting www.kitchener.ca/CEIG
For further information call 519-741-2426
or email [email protected]
Grant application deadline is Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2016 at 11:59 p.m.
519-741-2626
www.kitchenerutilities.ca