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City Council Columns - Summer 2025
Hi Ward 1, hope you’re well. Summer is upon us!... I hope you can enjoy some good food and drinks on a patio, deck, or campground this summer with some friends and family. The City of Kitchener events staff have been doing an amazing job ensuring we have lots of fun things to do if you’re interested! Here are a few highlights for this year (ordered by date) - 1. 58th Annual Multicultural Festival on June 21-22nd- Victoria Park where you can enjoy great performances and amazing food! 2. Also on June 21st is Neighbours Day, check out the city’s website to see who’s hosting an event in your community. I try to make it to most of these in Ward 1, so if you see me, please say hi! 3. Canada Day, July 1st of course! Since WWII, there hasn’t been a better time to celebrate the greatness of our country. There will be musical performances and fireworks at City Hall. 4. Cruising on King on July 11th - The classic car show returns featuring vintage automobiles, musical performances, and a parade that takes over King Street. 5. Rib Fest on July 19-20th- with craft beer, ribs, music, and fun for the little ones in Victoria Park. 6. Wayback Festival on July 25-26th- A free rock concert in downtown Kitchener featuring nostalgic tunes and an energetic crowd.
Well that pretty much fills this space and I haven’t even got out of July! There are many more great events like Bluesfest, Kidspark, Caribana, Pickleballpalooza etc. coming in August. Check out kitchener.ca/events for more. I hope to see you there!
In 2027, we’ll enhance stormwater infrastructure and improve the features in Prospect Park. Our staff and I are looking for your input, with the goal to renew the park and make your experience better. You’re invited to drop in between 5-8pm on June 18 at Franklin School to share your thoughts and learn more from our staff and consultants. A light meal and kid’s activities will be available. At 7pm REEP Green Solutions will do a short workshop on Taking on Climate Change in Prospect Park. You can also learn more at engagewr.ca/prospectpark and visit the virtual open house and leave comments until July 2.
Neighbours’ Day is Saturday, June 21. In Ward 2 we’ll have 14 Porch Parties with live music from local performers. Big thanks to the hosts for giving neighbours the opportunity to come together and connect to music. Grandview Church and St Luke’s Lutheran Church are holding free, fun family activities to enjoy. Find more details on my website, daveschnider.com
The 58th KW Multi Cultural Festival is back in Victoria Park on June 21 and 22. Enjoy the music and dance on the main stage, the delicious food offerings around the park and the huge marketplace. It’s a great celebration of the diverse cultures that make up our awesome community.
When you see a beautiful garden, recognize it through Kitchener in Bloom at kitchener.ca/kitchenerinbloom.ca.
If I can assist you, contact me directly or at our 24-hour contact centre, 519-741-2345 or info@kitchener.ca. Follow me on Instagram and X, @DaveSchniderKW or friend me on Facebook. Visit daveschnider.com for lots of Ward 2 and city info.
I had the pleasure of serving on the selection committee for this year’s Artist in Residence. A new public art installation will be created at the Doon Pioneer Park Community Centre. We received many impressive submissions, and after careful deliberation, the committee decided to award this creative project to Tara Cooper, a multidisciplinary artist and associate professor of fine arts at the University of Waterloo.
What truly brought Tara’s submission to life for me was the theme of a community potluck. Her proposal emphasized community engagement by involving the public in a variety of activities, including a series of five hands-on workshops where participants will share their favorite foods, family recipes, and what they would bring to a potluck.
After the workshops, a collage-like assembly of cut-out images and text will be displayed to view from the renovated patio at this community centre. I can’t think of a better concept than a potluck to underscore the power of sharing and bringing people together, one meal at a time!
This year-long residency and the resulting installation will include a $10,000 artist honorarium and a $30,000 artwork commission.
Now that the weather is warming, enjoy the splashpad at the centre, and our outdoor pools to cool off (all open by the 24th.) Visit www.kitchener.ca/pools for details.
**Coffee & Chat** Meeting you in person is important to me. I’ll be at the Doon Pioneer Park Community Centre on Saturday, June 21, from 10:00 to 11:30 AM. I look forward to connecting with you. Also reach me at 226-752-9541 or christine.michaud@kitchener.ca.
Hello Ward 5! I hope you’re enjoying a safe and sunny summer! It’s a wonderful time to connect with neighbours, explore our trails, and enjoy everything our community has to offer.
Big news: The first concepts for the Dundee Secondary Plan are now available. This outlines how a new, complete community of up to 34,000 people and jobs could take shape in southwest Kitchener over the coming decades. The plan includes parks, roads, schools, natural areas, and an urban centre. Public feedback is key—please visit the Dundee Plan Engage Page to share your thoughts before Friday, June 27.
June is Recreation and Participation Month, and our parks and trails are ready for you. Council recently approved several updates through the Places Parks Master Plan—including more splashpads, improvements to Grand River access points, and new pilot off-leash dog parks.
We’re also moving forward with key city strategies, like implementing Route 1 of the Active Transportation Network (from the Boardwalk to Downtown) and major park upgrades across the city, including Chandler Mowat and Upper Canada Park.
Finally, our Municipal Newcomers Strategy is underway—helping ensure Kitchener is a welcoming, inclusive city for everyone.
Wishing you a fun and safe summer—see you in the ward!
As your City Councillor, I’m thrilled to share positive news about enhancing our beautiful parks while providing meaningful ways for our community to commemorate loved ones and celebrate special moments.
For a long time, Kitchener’s informal park dedication program, while valued, faced operational challenges. Recognizing the need for a more streamlined, transparent, and sustainable approach, I brought forward a Notice of Motion on October 16, 2023. My goal was to direct City staff to develop a new program that is efficient, accessible, and aligns with our city’s commitment to sustainability and responsible resource management.
I’m delighted to report that City Council has now approved this revised Park Tree and Bench Dedication program. This new program is designed to be cost-neutral and addresses past inefficiencies. Key highlights include our flexible Memorial Forest program, offering an environmentally focused tribute with donations starting at a proposed $50 and online donor recognition, supporting our urban forest targets. For benches, options include leasing a plaque on an existing bench for a proposed $600 (10-year term) or donating a new bench for $6,500 (20-year term). Importantly, new bench locations will be strategically chosen from pre-identified areas, and the city will retain ownership of all assets for better long-term management.
This updated program enhances Kitchener’s parks and natural spaces. I am proud to have championed this review and am grateful for the support of my council colleagues in approving this improved program for our community.
Hi Ward 7! I’d like to give you an update regarding Westheights Pond.
The City of Kitchener remains committed to science-driven environmental management in its ongoing work to protect Westheights Pond and the surrounding natural area. Recent studies were conducted to assess the pond’s health, ensuring decisions are based on ecological evidence rather than opinions or memories of how the pond once appeared.
Recent studies show the pond is functioning as expected for an urban natural space. Wildlife—including birds, mammals, fish, insects, and chimney crayfish—is thriving, even with challenges like invasive species and human impact.
Moving forward, the city has a thoughtful plan in place to keep improving the space. They’ll be tackling invasive species, restoring the nearby forest, increasing and adding biodiversity and creating new habitats for turtles, birds, and pollinators with nest boxes and meadow habitats. These are intentional actions we can take to improve Westheights Natural Area as a whole.
Studies showed there’s no need for dredging right now, but they’ll check back in 5–10 years to reassess. While community input included plenty of strong feelings about the pond, the focus is on keeping the natural area healthy and adaptable as the city (and climate) continue to change.
For more updates, visit the Engage Kitchener page: engagewr.ca/westheightspark
Hello Ward 8, hope you are enjoying the good, sunny weather...finally!
Spring and Summer are busy in Kitchener! Coming up on June 21st is Neighbour’s Day! We have 11 performances happening across the Ward that day. Neighbour’s Day is an awesome opportunity to meet your neighbours, old acquaintances and new, and to listen to some great music!
Summer Fest is happening at the Victoria Hills Community Centre on June 28th from 5-9pm. Activities include: Outdoor Movie Night- starting at dusk, VHNA artisanal market, Bouncy Castle, Facepainting and balloon animals, and refreshments.
The City of Kitchener has launched an online Love Local pop-up apparel and souvenir shop to highlight area businesses and minimize the impact of tariffs. The shop will be open until July 1st, but orders for Canada Day should be placed by June 16th. To order yours, visit: LoveLocalShop.ca.
There are way too many activities happening in July and August to list here, but you can find them at: kitchener.ca/events.
Remember with school out, kids will be playing outside, let’s watch for them and slow down. Speeding doesn’t get you there faster – it saves less than a minute of time for an average errand. That’s not worth someone’s life. Find out more about what we’re doing to make our roads safer at: Kitchener.ca/visionzero
Over the past six years I have heard residents express concerns about the way the city conducts community engagement. These are people who care about their city and want to be involved at an early stage of the process. An example in Ward 9, where a lot of new development has happened, are complaints from people about online ‘neighbourhood information meetings’ (NIMs). Prior to COVID these meetings were held in person at a community centre or central location where people would gather to hear a staff presentation followed by a Q&A period.
Understandably, this changed when COVID hit and like many meetings, NIMs went virtual. For over two years now, most, if not all city-conducted meetings are in person with the option to attend virtually. NIMs, though, have never returned to the in-person format. This creates difficulty for those without access to a computer or who lack experience or confidence to participate in online meetings. A hybrid format is far more inclusive and engaging. If you share these views or have other observations or suggestions on how the city might improve community engagement, please take the time to answer the survey at https://www.engagewr.ca/AtTheTable, or attend one of the listed events. Your input does matter to me!
On a different note, there has been a lot of pushback from municipalities and residents across the province who oppose Bills 5 and 6. Objections have been expressed against such things as ‘special economic zones’, changes to the endangered species laws and the criminalization of the homeless (as found in Bill 6). These Bills need to be stopped.
Hi Ward 10!
You’re Invited to a Great Summer in Downtown Kitchener!
Summer is here, and you’re officially invited to enjoy everything happening in our vibrant downtown! The patios are open, the fountain at City Hall is flowing, and there’s a full calendar of free events to check out — including an exciting Canada Day celebration. Visit downtownkitchener.ca for all the events details.
Save the Date: Saturday, June 14 | 3:00–11:00 PM
Join us for a celebration of the best things in life — art, music, food, patios, and summer energy! We’re hoping for sunny skies, but this event will happen rain or shine.
Neighbours Day: Saturday, June 21
Ward 10 is hosting 18 different neighbourhood events for Neighbours Day. It’s a great chance to get outside, connect with your community, and enjoy some local fun.
Friday Night Concerts
Every Friday night, there’s live music at Vogelsang Green starting at 7:30 PM. If you haven’t been yet, make this the summer you check it out — it’s always a great time!
Park Improvements in Ward 10
We’re making exciting updates to several local parks this summer, including Hibner, Breithaupt, Major, Arnold, and Ash Parks. Montgomery Park is also getting some upgrades! These changes are part of our work to bring the Parks Master Plan to life and create more connected, welcoming spaces for everyone.
Wishing you a safe, fun, and sunny summer in Ward 10! To stay up to date, visit my website or sign up for my newsletter. And remember — don’t hesitate to reach out. I’m always happy to help when I can.
Mayor Berry Vrbanovic's column will return.
Happy June folks,
I think we can all say we’ve had enough rain for a bit. The upside is I’m looking forward to walking around the community to nominate addresses for Kitchener in Bloom. If you see any gardens that need to be recognized, please head to kitchener.ca/kitchener-in-bloom for info and to nominate.
I just returned from attending the annual Federation of Canadian Municipalities conference in Ottawa. It was great to hear about exciting work and challenging issues that affect our municipalities across the country. Some great stories were shared about innovative ways being used to address homelessness and affordable housing needs. But, we can’t do this alone, we need the provincial and federal governments to play their role. Please reach out to your locally elected MPP or MP and ask them what their government is doing to find a solution.
Summer is almost here to usher in great events downtown and across the city that will represent the wonderful multicultural fabric of our community through music, food, and more. Neighbours’ Day falls on June 21. I look forward to saying hi to residents, and to meet the Ward 3 porch party hosts and bands, to thank them for their contribution to making Kitchener a great city to live in.
This June, take time to celebrate Pride Month, National Indigenous History Month, and Parks and Recreation Month. I encourage you to visit @triPrideCommunityAssocation for ways to connect and celebrate; enjoy books, films and art created by Indigenous people; and try exploring a new local trail or park, or have an outdoor picnic and enjoy nature.