Happy Tuesday, Waterloo Region!
Can you believe it's already August 18? Feels like summer just started, and here we are closing in on Labour Day. By the time our next newsletter lands, a Waterloo dragon boat team we told you about a few weeks back will already be racing in France. We're wishing the Dragonflyers safe travels and strong paddling, and if you want to catch up on their story or send them off with some support, their GoFundMe is right here. Grab your coffee, your tea, whatever gets you going in the morning, and let's get into it.
🌤️ This week's weather outlook:
Tue Aug 18 | Wed Aug 19 | Thu Aug 20 | Fri Aug 21 | Sat Aug 22 | Sun Aug 23 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
High | 26°C | 24°C | 23°C | 23°C | 23°C | 22°C |
Low | 18°C | 12°C | 12°C | 15°C | 15°C | 14°C |
Chance of rain | 40% (evening), 70% (overnight) | 70% (AM shower) | 20% | 20% | 80% (~5mm) | 60% (~5mm) |
In This Issue
What Regional Council actually signed off on for AI data centres.
Updates on the region's water capacity.
A new policy could change what happens when your well runs dry.
A new Kitchener store is betting on 80 local vendors, all under one roof.
Cambridge is getting its first new co-op housing community in over 30 years.
What's happening in Waterloo Region this week: Day of Play takes over Waterloo Park, the Preston Music Festival rolls into Cambridge, The Tragically Hip: A National Celebration replay in the Gaslight District, and Last Blast of Summer wraps things up with fireworks in Ayr.
Local News & City Updates
🎪 Caribana Ignite Won't Happen This Year
If you had a costume half-picked out or were just planning to wander down for the parade, you're not alone in feeling the letdown. The festival, originally set for Aug 20-23 and launched in 2024, isn't happening this year.
The City of Kitchener and Caribana Arts Group announced the cancellation in a joint statement Tuesday, August 11.
Organizers cited "recent organizational changes" and the time needed to plan the event properly.
Caribana Ignite drew roughly 18,000 people in 2025, its second year.
Steve Roth, Manager of Special Events, said the pause will let the organization strengthen its foundation, and that they remain committed to bringing the celebration back.
Kitchener's special events manager said the city supports taking the time needed, and both sides are exploring possibilities for the 2027 season and beyond, though nothing is confirmed yet.
Consider the plans on pause, not cancelled for good. Statement here.
🖥️ Regional Council Signs Off on a Closer Look at AI Data Centres
We told you last issue that Councillor Colleen James wanted a proper study of what AI data centres could mean for the region. Council agreed.
The motion passed unanimously at Regional Council this week, directing staff to prepare an information report on data centres' economic, infrastructure and environmental impacts, including water use.
The report is expected back to Council in early 2027. Commissioner of planning and development Rod Regier told Council to temper expectations on scope, given staff time and resources.
New context since last issue: the region is already home to six data centres, not just the one in Cambridge we told you about. That Cambridge site, the hyperscale Ascent TOR1 facility, recently expanded to a 54-megawatt operation housing OVH Cloud and Cohere AI servers.
Two days after the vote, Premier Doug Ford announced a new provincial data centre framework in Guelph, which would only approve centres that cover the full cost of their electricity and use closed-loop water systems.
Waterloo's own council separately asked staff back in June for a similar overview of local zoning rules.
Given how closely this region has tracked every drop of water capacity this summer, this is a thread worth watching. More from CambridgeToday
💧 A Month of Real Progress on the Mannheim Water Squeeze
After a summer of watching this region's water math get tighter, the Region posted a run of updates on August 14 that actually point the other way.
The Region has executed one water capacity transfer agreement, with a second in progress, moving committed capacity from unbuilt lots or blocks to draft-approved subdivisions. Moving quickly on these is expected to let more than 350 homes proceed immediately.
Months of work in the Mannheim Service Area have produced an additional 30 litres per second (L/s) of capacity, now being assigned to Area Municipalities for new development and for Forward Looking Servicing Agreements.
Repair work continues at the historic Greenbrook Water Treatment Plant in Kitchener: new chemical storage tanks are coming, the iron and manganese removal filters and GAC (granular activated carbon) tanks are being rehabilitated, and reservoirs and chambers are being drained, cleaned and inspected. Once complete, the renewed equipment is expected to restore up to 80 L/s.
The first side stream treatment container has arrived on site, after the concrete pad supporting it was poured and cured. Crews are now connecting it to the Mannheim plant with electrical and piping work. Once operational, it's expected to add another 20 L/s.
Add it up, and it's the clearest sign yet that this summer's capacity crunch is starting to ease. More from Region of Waterloo Water Capacity News
💧 A New Well Interference Policy Gets Its First Public Airing
If your water comes from a private well, this is the policy meant to protect you when regional pumping goes wrong, and councillors just got their first real look at how it might change.
In-person drop-in public information and consultation session Date/Time: Thursday, August 20, 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. Location: Cafeteria, 150 Frederick St., Kitchener (park on Level P2 or enter via the side door near Ahrens St., the main entrance is affected by construction)
The review is focused specifically on how the region handles claims and appeals: how concerns get assessed, how decisions get made, and what happens once interference is confirmed.
Regional staff presented a draft overhaul of the well interference complaint policy to councillors Wednesday, August 12, built with input from municipal reps, a third-party consultant, and the resident group Citizens for Safe Groundwater.
The draft drops the current $4,000 compensation cap in favour of case-by-case reimbursement based on actual repair costs.
It also shifts the burden of proof: if a resident reports interference, it's now on the Region to show its pumping isn't the cause.
A proposed five-member Well Interference Appeals Committee, made up of regional councillors, drew pushback Wednesday, several noted none of them rely on well water themselves. It’s suggested that a resident sit on the committee for perspective.
New complaints would get emergency water as an interim measure while a consultant investigates.
The draft policy returns to Regional Council for a vote September 9.
Worth watching if you're one of the households relying on a private well while the region works through its water capacity squeeze. More from CityNews Kitchener | Region of Waterloo Water Capacity News
🛍️ A New Kitchener Store Is Betting on 80 Local Vendors Under One Roof
If you've ever bought something handmade online and wondered whether a real person actually made it, this one's for you.
The Local opened Saturday, August 15, at Fairview Park Mall in Kitchener, bringing together about 80 Canadian vendors in one store.
More than 30 of those vendors are from Waterloo Region; the rest expanded from the owners' existing London location.
Co-owners Lorenz and Rizzy Manaig opened their first store last year at London's White Oaks Mall, then a second in Port Stanley, before bringing the concept to Kitchener.
Every vendor goes through an application process, submitting progress photos and videos to prove their goods are actually handmade.
Vendors keep 100 percent of their profits under the store's rent-based model.
Local names on the shelves include Catherine Young of Backyard Honey Company in Wellesley, Dami Rodrigo of Ceylon Selects, and Niclin McNeice of Nic Da Stick Creations.
🏗️ Road Report
NEW: Belmont Ave W, Spadina Rd W to Perth Rd (Kitchener). Closes today, Tuesday, August 18, for approximately four weeks, reopening around Friday, September 11. Part of the Queen's Blvd reconstruction project. No through access on Belmont; access to WRHN Queens hospital is maintained from Westmount Rd.
NEW: Courtland Ave E, Borden Ave S to Palmer Ave (Kitchener). Closed Monday, August 17 through Friday, September 18 for site servicing. Closed to through traffic, open to businesses and residences. Detour via Borden, Charles, Queen and Benton.
NEW: Krug St, Samuel St to East Ave (Kitchener). Closing on or about Wednesday, August 19 for approximately 10 to 12 weeks of gas utility work.
NEW: Park St, Wood St to Gildner St (Kitchener). Closes Monday, August 24 for approximately two weeks, reopening around Friday, September 4. Gas work on behalf of Kitchener Utilities. No through traffic; local access maintained to properties on Park St. Contact: Steven Ryder, 519-783-8968.
NEW: Bloomingdale Rd N at Sawmill Rd (Woolwich). Fully closed, no access, from Monday, August 24 through Wednesday, September 30.
Courtland Ave E's earlier closure between Benton St and Peter St (Aug 11–14) has reopened as scheduled.
Special announcement: Ira Needles Blvd, Yellow Birch Dr to Erb St W. Under construction on or about August 17 through September 25 for nighttime paving. Two-way traffic maintained daytime (6 a.m. to 9 p.m.), one lane each direction. Overnight (9 p.m. to 6 a.m.), the road fully closes for paving, though not necessarily every night. During overnight closures, detour via regional roads: Fischer-Hallman Rd, Erb St W, University Ave, Victoria St and Highland Rd.
Housing & Real Estate
🏘️ Cambridge Is Getting Its First New Co-op Housing Community in Over 30 Years
If below-market rent feels increasingly hard to find around here, this is one project actually adding some.
The Region of Waterloo and the Central Ontario Co-operative Housing Federation (COCHF) are moving forward with 101 new homes at 30 Lauris Avenue, offered below market rent in a five-storey building that would operate as a co-operative.
It's the region's first new co-operative housing community in more than 30 years.
The building's design was shaped by community feedback. Final approvals are underway, with construction tentatively set to begin fall 2026 once permits are in place.
The project is part of the Region's Building Better Futures strategy, which aims to increase and preserve up to 3,500 affordable homes by the end of 2029.
Neighbourhood information meeting Date/Time: Thursday, August 20, 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. Location: Gymnasium, St. Anne Catholic Elementary School, 127 Elgin St. N., Cambridge Format: Drop-in, no registration, no formal presentation. Regional staff and COCHF representatives will be on hand to answer questions, with a children's activity and frozen treats for families.
Worth a stop if you live nearby and want to know what construction will mean for your street. Region of Waterloo release | More at EngageWR
Real Estate Snapshot - Waterloo Region, July 2026
Indicator | July 2026 | Year-over-year |
|---|---|---|
Home sales | 582 | Down 10.0% |
Average price | $706,240 | Down 3.8% |
New listings | 1,167 | Down 14.3% |
Months of supply | 3.9 | Down 4.9% |
Days on market | 33 | Up 3.1% |
Source: Cornerstone Association of REALTORS®, as of August 5, 2026.
What the numbers tell us: July was a quiet month. Sales slowed both from June and from a year ago, and fewer new listings came onto the market too, even though buyers still had more homes to choose from than is typical for this time of year. Prices eased slightly across the board, with Kitchener seeing the steepest year-over-year sales drop of the three cities.
By city:
City | Sales (YoY) | Avg. price (YoY) | New listings (YoY) | Months supply (YoY) | Days on market (YoY) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Kitchener | 244 (down 15.9%) | $677,423 (down 3.7%) | 510 (down 17.9%) | 3.9 (down 4.9%) | 31 (up 3.3%) |
Waterloo | 130 (down 6.5%) | $737,043 (down 2.3%) | 258 (down 16.2%) | 4.4 (down 10.2%) | 39 (up 2.6%) |
Cambridge | 142 (down 9.6%) | $670,068 (down 7.8%) | 294 (down 6.1%) | 3.6 (up 2.9%) | 32 (up 6.7%) |
🛠️ Home Tip of the Week
Fall feels far off, but the colder months arrive faster than we'd like, and a weekend spent on caulking now can save you real grief once an Ontario winter sets in.
Why it matters:
Blocks drafts, keeping cold air from sneaking in.
Saves on heating, so your furnace isn't working overtime.
Keeps water out of small cracks before our freeze-thaw cycles make them worse.
Stops pests looking for a warm way inside.
Where to check:
Outside edges of window and door frames.
Siding joints, where different exterior walls meet.
Spots where wires or pipes enter the house.
Bathrooms and kitchens too, look for gaps or mould around tubs and sinks.
Not all caulk is the same, though. You'll find acrylic latex, silicone, siliconized acrylic, and urethane on the shelf, and each is suited to different jobs. Some are made for interior use, others for exterior. Some are paintable, some aren't. Some handle wet spots like bathrooms better than others.
This is a job most homeowners can tackle with a caulking gun and an afternoon. Not sure which one you need? Tell your local hardware store what you're working on and they'll point you to the right tube. If it's not your thing at all, a local handyman can usually knock it out in an hour or two.
Sports
⚾ Kitchener Panthers
Upcoming schedule:
Date | Opponent | Location |
|---|---|---|
Thursday, Aug 20, 7:05pm | vs. Welland Jackfish | Jack Couch Park |
Sunday, Aug 23, 2:05pm | vs. Chatham-Kent Barnstormers | Jack Couch Park |
Thursday, Aug 27, 7:05pm | vs. London Majors | Jack Couch Park |
🍧 Aug 23 is also Freezie Day at the Panthers game, kids 18 and under get a free freezie.
🏒 Kitchener Rangers
🎟️ Individual game tickets for the 2026-27 season go on sale Monday, August 24 at 10:00 a.m., online, by phone at 519-578-1570, or in person at the Aud Box Office (Mon–Fri, 10am–1pm that week) or the Centre In The Square Box Office (Mon–Fri, 10am–5pm; Sat, 10am–2pm).
Registrations & Tryouts
A wave of fall registration opens this week:
Kitchener: fall program registration for Active Kitchener opens today, Tuesday, August 18, for residents.
Waterloo: Active Living programs open today, Tuesday, August 18 for residents, and Friday, August 21 for non-residents.
Cambridge: residents can register starting Wednesday, August 19; everyone else starting Wednesday, August 26.
Don't see your township or program listed? Check with your local municipality or rec department directly, fall registration windows are opening across the region this week.
🏓 Registration is open for Downtown Paddle Palooza, the city's annual pickleball tournament and fundraiser, Tuesday, August 25, at Carl Zehr Square and King Street. Tournament divisions include Men's and Ladies' Doubles (50+ and 18+), Mixed Doubles, and a new Adult/Youth Doubles category, six teams per division, $50 per team. Only one team member needs to register. Proceeds support the city's Every Kid Counts program. Full details
What's Happening
⚠️ Reminder: Ticket scams are active. Buy tickets only from official sources. Never e-transfer a stranger for tickets.
Looking for events not on the big calendars? Your local Optimist Club runs community programs, fundraisers, and events year-round. Find your nearest chapter at optimist.org.
Please Note: Events are subject to change, postponement, or cancellation due to weather or other unforeseen circumstances. Check the event's own page before heading out.
Standing Farmers' Markets
🧺 St. Jacobs Farmers' Market – 878 Weber St., St. Jacobs. Fresh produce, meats, baked goods, crafts and a flea market from around 300 vendors. Recurring Thursdays, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Saturdays, 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., year-round, plus Tuesdays, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., now through September 1. Free to browse, bring cash for some vendors.
👨👩👧 Farmyard Follies – St. Jacobs Farmers' Market, 878 Weber St., St. Jacobs. Free kids' programming with storytelling and themed crafts. Recurring Tuesday and Thursday mornings, 10 to 11 a.m., through the summer. Free. This week's storytime: Cinderella, Tuesday, August 18. Details
🧺 Kitchener Market Breezeway outdoor market – 300 King St. E, Kitchener. Local farmers, makers and vendors in the outdoor Breezeway while the main building remains closed for fire recovery. Recurring Saturdays, 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Free to browse.
🧺 Cambridge Farmers' Market – 40 Dickson St., Cambridge. Meats, baked goods, produce and crafts from local vendors. Recurring Saturdays, 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., year-round. Free to browse.
This Week (Aug 18–24)
🎪 Caribana Ignite — cancelled this year. See Local News for what organizers are saying about bringing it back.
🎵 Preston Music Festival – Central Park, Preston Cenotaph, 615 King St. E., Cambridge. Saturday, August 22, noon to 10 p.m. Free. Live music, local food and family-friendly activities, with performers including Avalon Stone, The Initials, The Advantage, Big Dan and The Jailbirds. Details
🎆 Last Blast of Summer (rescheduled fireworks) – Cowan Park, 2958 Greenfield Rd., Ayr. Saturday, August 22, 8:00 p.m. Free. North Dumfries' Canada Day fireworks, postponed by the July 1 storm, return as an evening to celebrate the season with neighbours, friends and family before summer slips away, with music, backyard games, and ice cream and cool treats. Fireworks finale around 9:30 p.m. Details
🛍️ Market and Main: One Day Vendor Market – The St. Matthews Centre, 54 Benton St., Kitchener. Saturday, August 22, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Free to browse. 100% local vendors from Kitchener, Waterloo and Cambridge, handmade goods and small brands, family-friendly drop-in. Details
🎬 The Tragically Hip: A National Celebration – The District Square, Gaslight District, 64 Grand Ave. S., Cambridge. Saturday, August 22, 7:00 p.m. Free. CBC and The Tragically Hip present a big-screen replay of the band's final Man Machine Poem concert, originally broadcast from Kingston on Aug. 20, 2016, marking a decade since that last show. Details
🎉 Day of Play – Waterloo Park, Eby Farm area, Waterloo. Saturday, August 22, noon to 5:00 p.m. Free. A full afternoon of giant lawn games, face painting, live kids' performances, and a community fair with local groups. Weather-dependent, check before heading out. Bring a blanket and sunscreen. Details
🎵 Concerts at the Castle – Castle Kilbride, Baden. Thursday, August 20, 7:00 p.m to 8:00 p.m. Admission by donation. Bring a lawn chair for live music on the front lawn. Details
🎬 Movies in the Park: Cast Away (PG-13) – Hilltop Picnic Area, Waterloo Park, Waterloo. Thursday, August 20, after sunset, arrive by 9:00 p.m. Free, all ages. Details
🎵 Sunset Sessions – Vogelsang Green (Queen/Duke St) in Downtown Kitchener. Friday, August 21, 7 to 9:30 p.m. Free. Two surprise artists, bring a lawn chair or blanket. Moves to the Kitchener Market Breezeway if it rains. Details
🚗 50th Anniversary Car Show (Just outside the Region) – Wellington County Museum and Archives, 0536 Wellington Rd. 18, Fergus. Sunday, August 23, 1 to 4 p.m. Free to view, registration by donation. Missed Moparfest this past weekend? Here's another chance to browse classic cars, trucks and bikes, with live music and food trucks on site. Details
Coming Up This Month
🏓 Downtown Paddle Palooza – Carl Zehr Square and King St. (College to Young), Kitchener. Tuesday, August 25, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Free for drop-in play and spectating, tournament entry $50/team (see Sports for registration details). Details
🎉 Sun Life Waterloo Busker Carnival – Uptown Waterloo. Thursday, August 27 to Sunday, August 30. Free. Four days, dozens of performances, an artisan market, and a grand finale to say so long to summer. Details
🚂 Waterloo Railway Exposition – Waterloo Central Railway. Saturday, August 29 and Sunday, August 30. Cost varies. Details
🏒 Kitchener Rangers pre-season opener – Kitchener Memorial Auditorium. Sunday, August 30, 2:00 p.m., vs. Sarnia. First look at the new-look bench for 2026–27. Tickets
Thanks for reading Community Loop – Waterloo Region. Have something happening in your neighbourhood that should be in next week's issue? We'd love to hear about it. See you next Tuesday!