Just in case you missed all the signs around town and didn’t notice, it’s election season in Cambridge. On Monday, October 22, 2018 we’ll be heading to the ballot box to vote for the positions of Mayor, 2 Regional Councillors, Ward councilor and school board trustees to represent Cambridge for the next 4 years. Municipal elections are so important because they’re the representatives that have the closest impact on your day-to-day life in Cambridge. Looking for more candidate info? Check out our Questions for the Candidates . We’ll be keeping this post updated with more debates and relevant ..read more

When it comes to news about crimes happening in the community, I tend to react like a lot of us do. I am desensitized to it. It seems to be in the news all the time. I think it is happening somewhere else and to someone else and don’t think much about it. On Wednesday April 17th, a woman was shot and killed in an altercation in a parking lot in Preston. Initially I read about the incident in an online edition of the local newspaper. I was a little troubled thinking that something like this shouldn’t and doesn’t happen in Cambridge, but otherwise went about my day. Helen Schaller It wasn’t u ..read more

One topic I’ve been wanting to hit on for awhile in this blog is the ION LRT route through Preston. This is something I’ve previously come out in favour of and I still hold to that stance. Many people are upset about the idea of losing their property through the expropriation process and that I fully understand. I think anyone in the same position would be upset. There have been those that have lobbied, written the paper, shown up at Regional council and made their displeasure known to Cambridge council or anyone else who will listen. The issue at hand is that the Region of Waterloo has plann ..read more

The current scandal involving the criminal prosecution of engineering firm SNC-Lavalin Group Inc is dominating the headlines. It has caused the federal government and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau much trouble, especially in the context of an upcoming federal election. The government has lost two cabinet ministers and is being charged with political interference in a criminal case. Background The Liberal government introduced legislation to give federal prosecutors a new tool to deal with companies facing criminal prosecution. The legislation to create the process of a deferred prosecution ag ..read more

The latest chapter of the ongoing Multiplex saga has unfolded lately, with news that Morguard and the City of Cambridge were unable to come to an agreement to build the facility at the Cambridge Centre. I had heard rumours that this whole process was failing along the way, so this didn’t really come as a surprise when it was finally announced. Cambridge sports multiplex: Timeline of a troubled project 2014 – 2019 – CBC The reality of this whole arrangement was it may have sounded great on paper, but in the end the City of Cambridge was just spacer filler to a large real estate corporation. Mo ..read more

Back in 1978 an outdoor amphitheatre was built on the banks of the Grand River behind Galt Collegiate Institute and Vocational School. With 400 seats, a stage and a phenomenal view, the amphitheatre was built through support of the community, the school and grant money from the provincial government. In January 2019, the Waterloo Region District School Board stated they wanted to demolish it. This is one woman’s thoughts on the matter and why she feels it should be saved. Updates will be included in the bottom of this post.   It was a perfect fall night. The sun had gone down over golden tree ..read more

November 11th is a day Canadians take time to remember all those who fought and continue to fight for our freedoms. 2018 marks the 100th anniversary of the armistice that ended World War 1. In Cambridge you have several different opportunities to show your support. Here is a breakdown of Remembrance Day ceremonies and events broken down by community: Wreaths laid in remembrance after the 2015 ceremonies at the cenotaph in Queen’s Square Galt Remembrance Day Ceremony A Remembrance Day parade will kick off at the Royal Canadian Legion Galt Branch 121 at 9:45am (Ainslie and Veterans Way). The ..read more

This post was submitted by the Yes! Cambridge – Campaign for Ranked Ballots initiative to raise awareness for this election’s referendum question on Ranked Balloting. There has been much discussion about voting reform, on the local, provincial and federal level.  Much of the discussion has been hypothetical; what it would have looked like had (name any election) been done under any other system than First Past The Post (FPTP).  Yes, we need to discuss electoral reform because I think many people have reached the conclusion that FPTP may not reflect the voting intention of our voting populatio ..read more

Municipal leaders in Canada consider attracting young professionals to live in their cities as a key reason to keep up urban prosperity. It is a key factor in maintaining economic growth. In Cambridge, young people will become more important to the local economy as they will make up a larger proportion of the workforce. According to the 2016 census administered by Statistics Canada (the most recent data available), the proportion of the population that was entering the workforce was lower than the proportion of the population 65 and older. Population of Waterloo Region by Age Age Populat ..read more

Oh the pumpkin. It’s round and plump figure easily distinguished against other squashes by it’s bright orange colour and jovially carved faces for Halloween. Every autumn families across Cambridge go hunting for the perfect pumpkin to call their own. Perhaps they want a tall one, or a short one, a big one or a small. Maybe this year they want one that will lie on it’s side and the handle will become a nose, or they want a white and spooky one instead. Sure you can find them in the grocery stores and the big box stores, but there is nothing quite as fun as going on a hunt and bu ..read more