kitchener – Clare Bonnyman

Residents move to protect Waterloo ‘heritage neighbourhood’

Residents of Mary Allen neighbourhood in Waterloo are seeking a ‘cultural heritage landscape’ study

CBC News Posted: Aug 23, 2017

heritage1 — Heritage districts, like the McGregor Albert Heritage Conservation District in Waterloo, can have very different arrangements, preserving individual houses, the whole area, or simply setting guidelines for new homes. (The City of Waterloo)

Residents in Waterloo’s Mary Allen neighbourhood are worried that historic homes in the area just behind City Hall could be demolished.

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Tent City: The voices of Kitchener’s protest camp

Young people camping in Victoria Park want a downtown drop-in centre for homeless youth

By Clare Bonnyman, Danielle Kappele, CBC News Posted: Aug 22, 2017

tent1 — Devon Roussell (left) lost his partner, house and job in one week he said, and is camping out in tent city to try and raise awareness of the struggles of homeless youth in Kitchener. He stands with a man who identified himself as Jonathan. (Flora Pan/CBC)

A tent city has been set up in Victoria Park by people who want to see a drop-in centre for homeless youth in downtown Kitchener.

The group, which is located in the back corner of the park, started small but is quickly growing, organizers said.

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Queen Street redesign to tackle laneways, green spaces

The suggested design would enhance ‘lingering spaces’ in the city

CBC News Posted: Aug 21, 2017

redesign1 — The ‘showpiece’ of the project, is Vogelsang Green, which would include an amphitheatre, green lawn, and enhanced space for performances and festivals. (City of Kitchener)

The Queen Street Placemaking plan is set to give downtown Kitchener a facelift.

“Placemaking is about turning those unutilized spaces into great memorable places for people,” said Brandon Sloan, Manager of long range and policy planning with the City of Kitchener.

The new and improved plan has four main components on Queen between Duke and Charles Streets, and will be reviewed by city council August 21, with the work planned for 2019.

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Carrying on after son’s deadly overdose: Mike Zettler’s story

5 months after his son’s death, Zettler is dedicated to raising overdose awareness

CBC News Posted: Aug 18, 2017

zettler 1 — Since his son Chris died of an overdose at 26, Mike Zettler has dedicated his time to raising awareness of drug overdose prevention in the Waterloo region. (Clare Bonnyman/CBC)

Mike Zettler’s worst nightmare came true in February 2017 when his son Chris, 26, fatally overdosed on crystal meth laced with fentanyl.

“He had his battles in life,” Zettler said. “But overall he was a wonderful young guy.”

Since the death, Zettler has dedicated his time to recovery and raising awareness of drug addiction, and hopes that sharing Chris’s story will raise the profile of Overdose Awareness Day in Waterloo Region.

This summer, there are two public events: in Cambridge August 21 and Kitchener on August 27.

//www.cbc.ca/i/caffeine/syndicate/?mediaId=1027568195577

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