Welcome to the 16th edition of Neighbours helping Neighbours, a bi-weekly newsletter from the neighbourhoods team, with a focus on good news stories, important community updates and an ever growing list of support resources.
We hope the content in these enewsletters has been helpful over the past four months. For July onward we will are shifting to bi-weekly distribution.
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Hey Neighbour! Block Connector program update
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In May, the neighbourhoods team put out a call for residents to become Block Connectors. Challenge accepted! We've received applications from neighbours across the city wanting to develop more relationships with people living nearby.
Following orientation the 35 Block Connectors will begin reaching out to neighbours in the next several weeks. Future enewsletters will share stories of the connections.
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A message from KW Library of Things
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KWLOT remains closed until further notice, for the health and safety of our members, staff and volunteers. This decision was made based on direction from Extend-A-Family Waterloo Region. However, we are looking to improve our curbside pickup and drop-off process. Currently, we have been rotating between pickups one week and drop-offs the next so that sanitized items do not come in contact with items that have been out in the community. We are excited to announce that we now have a process in place that avoids this concern and allows us to streamline the process into one day for both. This means we will be offering both curbside pickup and drop-off weekly!
Every Thursday between 5:00 pm and 7:00 pm, we will have orders ready for pickup at our Moore St. entrance and will be able to take item returns at the parking lot door, at the back of the building.
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Leashes for dogs in public spaces
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Summer weather has arrived and many neighbours are outside making use of local trails, parks, and greenspaces. As a good neighbour, remember to respect other users by following COVID-19 and park regulations.
Dogs visiting any of these spaces should remain on-leash at all times. Waterloo has a leash-free dog park located in Betchel Park off the Bridge St. entrance. Dogs off-leash in other parks or on trails can result in a fine. If you witness off leash activity, you can contact Municipal Enforcement at 519-747-8785 or the Humane Society at 519-745-5615.
Happy walking, running, rolling, riding, or relaxing on your next park visit!
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Does your project require a building permit? Mistakes can be expensive and cause delays.
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The City of Waterloo Building Standards team can help you obtain a permit to build safely. Contact us before you begin your project via
email or phone 519-747-8712.
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Crossing Guard recruitment
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While it’s unclear what the upcoming school year will look like, we are preparing now to make sure our students can get to school safely. If you like to be outdoors and like the flexibility of part-time work, please apply to be a crossing guard! Apply online at
waterloo.ca/employment
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Janet Hoffman is the City of Waterloo Senior of the Year
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Janet Hoffman has been described as a “freelance volunteer.” She is not limited by organization or role, but contributes where help is needed. Her contributions are holistic and collaborative: she recognizes what is required and sets about with others to make it happen.
Janet has been a regular volunteer with the Sunnydale Community Centre, a House of Friendship neighbourhood program, since 2007. Her weekly Coffee and Conversation meeting for the women of the community, many of whom are new to Canada, has become a mainstay of community support. Janet always supplies the coffee and home-baked treats, and her quiet and unassuming leadership has made her a friend and mentor to many of the women who attend. She has become the sister, mother or grandmother to those who left relatives in their native countries to move to Canada.
Janet has become, as the nominator said, a “fierce advocate” to help newly arrived residents in Canada access resources and services to ensure the health and well-being of their families. When needs are identified in the community – food, clothes, babysitting, household items – Janet recruits support and assists those who require it.
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Gratitude Garden
The
UpTown Waterloo BIA
is launching another gratitude initiative in
#uptownwaterloo
! ‘Uptown Rocks’ is your chance to take part in a massive display of love and support to front line workers and everyone facing the challenges of COVID-19.
Here’s how to get involved:
- Find a perfect rock, grab your paint and craft materials and while at home, decorate some beautiful works of art with words of encouragement and inspiration.
- Take a photo of your rock, share on social media and tag us @uptownwaterloo.
- While physically distancing and following safety precautions, bring your rock to a participating drop-off location in Uptown (list to come).
- In August, the Uptown BIA will create a giant heart out of everyone's painted rocks in the Waterloo Public Square for a photo we can all share and continue to spread the love! J
Stay tuned for more details soon and let the rock painting begin!
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At home gardening tips from the Waterloo Horticultural Society
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Waterloo Horticultural Society President, Brenda Stericker, shares Victory Gardens were vegetable gardens grown by Canadians during the First and Second World War. The Canadian government encouraged citizens to plant vegetables in residential yards for personal use. While this program began as a way to make trucks and rail available to move war supplies rather than food, victory gardens became a symbol of patriotism and support for the war.
The gardens also provided families with food that was in short supply. The Ontario government distributed instructional pamphlets on how to grow victory gardens that included a list of suggested vegetables such as: beans, beets, cabbage, peas, potatoes, radishes, spinach and tomatoes.
The coronavirus pandemic has produced a surge in home gardening and modern day victory gardens. Like the wartime gardeners, today’s gardeners are concerned about the supply of fresh vegetables. It is also a way to focus on something other than the global crisis.
Stay tuned for the at home gardening tips in the next edition!
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Coordinated COVID-19 Response Newsletter - June 26
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These weekly newsletters keep everyone informed about
the coordinated response to the evolving COVID-19 situation. The Region, area municipalities and local community partners are meeting regularly to make sure pandemic response efforts
are coordinated and aligned.
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Stay tuned for the next edition of Waterloo Neighbourhoods.
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Waterloo Neighbourhoods is published throughout the year to keep residents informed about the good things happening in neighbourhoods across Waterloo. If you have any questions or comments, please call 519-747-8515 or email
communications@waterloo.ca
. If you’re reading Waterloo Neighbourhoods as a non-subscriber, visit our subscription page to
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The City of Waterloo is committed to providing accessible formats and communications support for persons with disabilities. If another format would work better for you, please let us know by calling 519-747-8515 or by emailing us at
communications@waterloo.ca
.
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