Happy Tuesday, Waterloo Region!
How is it September already? If you're like me, you're still trying to figure out where summer went.
Grab your coffee, or your pumpkin spice if that's you. (No judgment either way.) Let's get into it.
🌤️ This week's weather outlook:
Tue Sept 1 | Wed Sept 2 | Thu Sept 3 | Fri Sept 4 | Sat Sept 5 | Sun Sept 6 | Mon Sept 7 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
High | 29°C | 29°C | 25°C | 24°C | 23°C | 23°C | 26°C |
Low | 21°C | 18°C | 15°C | 15°C | 14°C | 13°C | 17°C |
Chance of rain | 60% (overnight, thunderstorm risk) | 80% (~5mm, strong thunderstorm risk) | 40% (~1mm, morning thunderstorm risk) | 20% | 20% | 20% | 20% |
In This Issue
Conestoga College cuts 32 more faculty positions, the latest in an ongoing pattern of layoffs.
Cambridge joins the push for clearer rules around AI data centres.
Hydro One plans a new power line to meet the region's growing electricity demand.
What residents want for McLennan and Lions Parks, plus a splash pad on the move.
What's happening in Waterloo Region this week: the last Tuesday market at St. Jacobs, Free Public Skate at Galt Arena, Endless Summer in Victoria Park, and the start of fall fair season at the Paris Fair.
Local News & City Updates
🎓 Conestoga College Cuts 32 More Faculty Positions
Conestoga College is one of the region's largest institutions, and this week it confirmed another round of cuts in what's become an ongoing pattern.
Conestoga College laid off 32 full-time faculty members this week, the latest round in a series of cuts that has removed more than 550 positions since 2025.
Interim president Norma McDonald Ewing told staff in an email that declining international student enrolment has significantly reduced demand across a number of programs. "This was not a decision made lightly, and I fully appreciate its significance," she wrote.
The college says the cuts follow a comprehensive review of its operational and financial requirements, and are necessary for long-term sustainability.
Laid-off employees will continue to work and be paid for 90 days, with their last day set for November 30.
In a statement, the college pointed to a multi-year sustainability plan and a new provincial funding model as it works to keep delivering programs that prepare students for in-demand careers.
A major local institution navigating hard changes, with real people on the other side of every one of these numbers. Details
🖥️ Cambridge Joins the Push for Clear AI Data Centre Rules
We told you a couple of issues back that Regional Council was launching its own study into what AI data centres could mean here. Now Cambridge is doing something similar, closer to home.
Cambridge Council unanimously passed a motion this week directing staff to evaluate potential future data centre locations covering land use compatibility and infrastructure readiness.
The motion also pushes the province to release its promised Data Centre Playbook, the regulatory framework Premier Doug Ford teased at a Guelph event last month.
Cambridge Mayor Jan Liggett said the goal isn't to block the businesses these centres bring, but to make sure growth comes with real regulation in place.
Cambridge is already home to Ascent TOR1, one of six data centres now operating across the region. The 54-megawatt hyperscale facility runs AI servers for both OVH Cloud and Cohere.
No new data centre proposal is currently before Cambridge council. This is a staff-direction motion, not a project approval.
Given how closely this region has tracked every drop of water capacity this summer, worth keeping an eye on. Cambridge | CTV News
⚡ Hydro One Plans New Power Line to Meet Growing Regional Demand
If data centres and new housing have you wondering where all the extra electricity is supposed to come from, Hydro One has an answer in the works.
Hydro One is proposing the Waterloo Wellington Power Line: a new transformer station in Puslinch connected by a new transmission line to the existing Preston transformer station in Cambridge.
The project responds to electricity demand expected to rise significantly across Cambridge, Kitchener, Brant, and Brantford over the next 20 years, driven by new housing, schools, hospitals, businesses, and electric vehicles.
Once complete, the line would deliver about 600 megawatts, enough electricity to serve a population roughly the size of Kitchener and Waterloo combined.
Through Hydro One's Equity Partnership Model, First Nation partners will have the opportunity to take a 50% equity ownership stake in the transmission line portion of the project.
Four possible transmission routes are still under review, and Hydro One is holding public open houses before narrowing them down.
Open houses: Tuesday, September 15, 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., Hespeler Memorial Arena (the Gallery), 640 Ellis Road, Cambridge, and Thursday, September 17, 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., Puslinch Community Centre (Archie MacRobbie Hall), 23 Brock Road S, Aberfoyle.
A preferred route is expected to be chosen by mid-2027, with the line energized by 2032.
One more piece of the puzzle as the region works out how to keep the lights on for everyone who's coming. Wellington Advertiser | Hydro One project page
💦 What Residents Want for McLennan and Lions Parks, Plus a Splash Pad on the Move
The City of Kitchener just shared what it heard from residents on the future of two of the city's best-used parks, and there's already one concrete change coming sooner than the rest.
The city connected with 380 residents and collected more than 1,700 comments between May and July on the long-term future of McLennan and Lions Parks.
Residents want both parks to stay recreation-focused, with strong support for existing amenities like the playgrounds, trails, sports fields, bike park, skate park, and Lions Arena, plus more shade, better washrooms, and improved accessibility.
That feedback will help shape draft concepts guiding investment in both parks over the next ten years.
Separately, and sooner: the splash pad at McLennan Park is being retired because the ground beneath it has been sinking faster and more unevenly than expected, causing drainage and safety issues.
A new splash pad is being built at Lions Park instead, near Country Hills Community Centre, with dedicated toddler, intermediate, and active play zones. The city expects to close the McLennan splash pad at the end of this season and open the new one in time for 2027.
The outdoor skating rink at Country Hills Community Centre will stay exactly where it is.
If your family frequents the McLennan splash pad, keep an eye out for updates as the city transitions to the new Lions Park location. What we heard | Splash pad project page | Final design
🏛️ Regional Council Unanimously Opposes One Person Holding Both Mayor and Chair Roles
However this eventually shakes out at Queen's Park, our own council wanted to go on record early, and together.
Regional Council voted unanimously on August 26 to oppose one person serving as both a city mayor and regional chair, on a motion from Councillor Doug Craig.
The motion responds to Ontario's Better Regional Governance Act, which moves Waterloo Region to a provincially-appointed regional chair after this fall's election. The province hasn't said whether a sitting mayor could also be appointed chair.
Councillors argued combining the roles would concentrate too much power in one person and make it harder for the chair to fairly represent all seven municipalities.
Waterloo Mayor Dorothy McCabe said the opposition is being felt province-wide, with AMO calling on the province to reverse the legislation.
The resolution is being forwarded to the premier, the minister of municipal affairs and housing, local MPPs, and area municipalities.
A unanimous council vote is rare. This one came together fast. CBC News | CityNews Kitchener
🏗️ Road Report
Ira Needles Blvd resurfacing (Kitchener/Waterloo). A major resurfacing project between Yellow Birch Dr and Erb St W is running through October. During the day, 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., two-way traffic is maintained with one lane open in each direction. Overnight, 9 p.m. to 6 a.m., the road may be fully closed for paving, though not every night. Closures are moving through the corridor in stages:
Now through Sept 7: Highway 7/8 to Victoria St S, Kitchener
Sept 8-18: University Ave W to Highland Rd W, Waterloo
Sept 16-25: The Boardwalk to Erb St W, Waterloo
NEW: Fischer-Hallman Rd at New Dundee Rd (Kitchener). Closed to through traffic, Tuesday, September 8 to Friday, November 6, for road reconstruction. Access to businesses and residences is maintained, and pedestrian traffic is kept moving around the work zone. Details
🚌 A reminder: GRT moves to its fall service schedule Monday, September 7, with route and timing updates region-wide.
Housing & Real Estate
Real Estate Snapshot
Cornerstone's August figures should be ready for our next issue.
🛠️ Home Tip of the Week
If you're doing any fall garden cleanup, watch for hammerhead worms, a new invasive species recently found in Cambridge. They run 5-10 cm long with a dark stripe and a distinctive crescent-shaped head. Don't pull one apart, since it can regenerate from broken pieces. Bag and freeze it, or drop it in ethanol, and report sightings through EDDMapS. Details
Sports
🏒 Rangers Kick Off a Big September
Preseason is here, and so is the Fan Fest and Summer Showcase weekend fans have been waiting on since the Memorial Cup banner went up.
The Rangers opened their preseason with a 3-2 win over the Sarnia Sting on Sunday, August 30, at the Aud. Haeden Ellis opened the scoring.
Preseason Summer Showcase schedule:
Friday, Sept 4, 7 p.m.: Kitchener vs. Oshawa @ the Aud
Saturday, Sept 5, 4 p.m.: Saginaw vs. Erie @ the Aud
Sunday, Sept 6, 2 p.m.: Kitchener vs. Erie @ the Aud
Sunday, Sept 6, 6 p.m.: Saginaw vs. Oshawa @ the Aud
Monday, Sept 7, 2 p.m.: Kitchener vs. Saginaw @ Woolwich Memorial Centre, Elmira
The four Aud games are $5 at the door. The Woolwich game is a separately-ticketed $15 general admission, first come, first served, with Rangers Authentics and Rangers Reach pop-ups and the championship trophies on display.
Fan Fest, presented by Longo's, runs Sunday, September 6, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., in Parking Lot A at the Aud. Free admission, with player autographs, a BBQ, inflatables, and the Memorial Cup and J. Ross Robertson Cup on hand for photos. Proceeds support Make-A-Wish Canada through Rangers Reach.
The Team Store is open for the Sept 4 and Sept 6 games only, and closes for the rest of the off-season, reopening for regular hours Friday, September 18.
The regular season opens Friday, September 18.
Five games, one fan fest, and a season that's already off to a strong start. Details | 50/50 tickets | Woolwich game tickets
📻 Rangers Find a New Radio Home
Following the closure of 570 NewsRadio earlier this summer, the Rangers needed a new local radio partner. They've found one.
FM 985 and The Grand @ 101 will carry Rangers games for the 2026-27 season, taking over as the team's local radio home.
Beyond the FM 985 broadcast, fans can also listen through the station's website, smart speakers, or the RadioPlayer Canada and iHeartRadio apps.
The partnership also includes a weekly Friday Coaches Show, player and coach interviews, and Fan Fest coverage.
On-air broadcast talent is still being finalized.
One more piece settled before puck drop. Details
Registrations & Tryouts
Waterloo United Soccer — 2026-27 tryout registration now open. Details
Cambridge Youth Soccer — 2026-27 indoor recreational fall and winter season registration now open.
Kitchener Minor Hockey — House league registration open for 2026-27, including a new U10-U18 Advanced House League program. Details
Kitchener and Waterloo general recreation program registration windows remain open. Check with your local municipality for specific availability.
This Week in Tech
🚦 Kitchener Company's Tech Lets Your Car Talk to Traffic Lights
Anyone who's ever gunned it for a yellow light or crawled up to a red for no reason will get why this one matters.
Kitchener-based Miovision is rolling out vehicle-to-everything (V2X) technology that sends real-time traffic signal data straight to a connected vehicle's dashboard.
The system shows drivers a countdown to the next green light, suggests a speed that could help them catch a string of green lights, and offers guidance through the "dilemma zone," that uncertain stretch where a driver has to judge whether to brake or keep going.
Rather than altering the traffic lights themselves, the system reads data directly from existing signals and relays it to vehicles over cellular networks.
Ninety percent of traffic signals in Kitchener and the Region of Waterloo are already connected to the system.
Miovision's V2X technology covers more than 70,000 intersections across eight countries, and is being built into production Volkswagen Group vehicles, with Audi as the launch customer.
For large commercial trucks especially, the advance warning matters. "Imagine you have 80,000 lbs under you. You cannot simply stop," said Thomas Bauer, Miovision's vice-president of V2X.
For now, it's only in new Audi and Volkswagen models, with an app version in the works to bring it to more drivers over time. 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. Thursdays, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Saturdays, 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., year-round. Today, Tuesday, September 1, is the last Tuesday market of the season, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Free to browse. Details
👨👩👧 Farmyard Follies – St. Jacobs Farmers' Market, 878 Weber St., St. Jacobs. Free kids' programming, Tuesday and Thursday mornings, 10 to 11 a.m. Details
🧺 Kitchener Market Breezeway outdoor market – 300 King St. E, Kitchener. Saturdays, 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., while the main building remains closed for fire recovery. Free to browse. Details
🧺 Cambridge Farmers' Market – 40 Dickson St., Cambridge. Saturdays, 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., year-round. Free to browse. Details
This Week (Sept 1-7)
🧺 St. Jacobs Last Tuesday Summer Market – 878 Weber St., St. Jacobs. Today, Tuesday, September 1, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Free. Last Tuesday market of the season. Details
🎵 Roos Island Music Series: Dave Ward – Rotary Bandstand, Victoria Park, Kitchener. Wednesday, September 2, 6:30 p.m. Free. A summer-long series spotlighting emerging local musicians; this week features Waterloo-based folk-rock artist Dave Ward. Bring a lawn chair. Details
📚 Bal Khabra Author Talk – Kitchener Public Library, 85 Queen St. N. Thursday, September 3, doors 6:30 p.m., talk 7 to 8 p.m. Free, registration required. Romance novelist Bal Khabra talks about her newest release, Embrace, with host Kayleigh Platz, followed by audience questions and a signing. Details
😂 D.J. Demers Live in Kitchener – The Registry Theatre, 122 Frederick St. Kitchener. Thursday, September 3, 7 p.m., doors 6:30 p.m. 16+. The Tonight Show and Conan-featured comedian performs live for one night only. Tickets
🎵 Concerts at the Castle: Season Finale – Castle Kilbride, 60 Snyder's Road West, Baden. Thursday, September 3, 7 to 8 p.m. Admission by donation. Featuring Dolinar, Dosman, and Dunn. Bring a lawn chair. Weather permitting. Details
🏒 Rangers Preseason Summer Showcase – The Aud and Woolwich Memorial Centre. September 4-7. See Sports for full schedule and pricing. Tickets
🏒 Rangers Fan Fest, presented by Longo's – The Aud. Sunday, September 6, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Free. See Sports for full details. Details
⛸️ Free Public Skate – Galt Arena, 98 Shade St, Cambridge. Sunday, September 6, 10:30 a.m. to noon. Free, all ages. Details
🎵 Endless Summer – Victoria Park, Kitchener. Saturday, September 5, 2 to 11 p.m. Free. An all-day outdoor concert headlined by Mother Mother, with Valley, Boy Golden, DJ Joanna Magik, SHEBAD, and Meteor Heist rounding out the lineup. Food trucks and a licensed bar on site (19+ to purchase alcohol). Details
🎵 An Evening with Celtic Thunder – Raffi Armenian Theatre, Centre In The Square, Kitchener. Saturday, September 5, 8 p.m. The Irish and Scottish vocal group performs their most beloved songs in an intimate evening. Tickets
👨👩👧 Summer Fun Fair – Cedar Creek Community Church, 2042 Dumfries Rd, Cambridge. Saturday, September 5, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Free. Family activities including bouncy castles, face painting, games, and music, with BBQ and treats available by donation. Details
🎪 Paris Fair (just outside the Region) – Paris Fairgrounds, 139 Silver St., Paris. Wednesday, September 2 to Monday, September 7. The 168th annual fair features livestock shows, a demolition derby, midway rides, and concerts headlined by Chris Lane (Saturday) and Brett Kissel with Lindsay Ell (Sunday), included with general admission. Details
🎭 Vogue Visits: Castle Kilbride Costume Tours – 60 Snyder's Road West, Baden. Saturday, September 5 and Sunday, September 6, 10 a.m. or 1 p.m. $8.25 adult, $5.25 child, $25 family, in advance. A costumed guided tour through Vogue Voyages, a look at 1912-1939 travel fashion, followed by a craft making your own fascinator or bow tie. Details
🏊 George Hancock Pool 75th Anniversary Celebration – 115 Glenmorris St, Cambridge. Thursday, September 3, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. or 2:30 to 4 p.m. Free. Swims, games, birthday cake, and lemonade to mark 75 years of one of Cambridge's favourite gathering spots. Details
Coming Up This Month
🏟️ The Aud's 75th Anniversary Open House – Kitchener Memorial Auditorium, 400 East Ave. Wednesday, September 9, 5 to 8 p.m. Free, no registration. Details
🥫 After the Harvest: Preserving Your Food at Home – Woolwich Memorial Centre, 24 Snyder Ave S, Elmira. Thursday, September 10, 7 to 8:30 p.m. Free, drop in. Learn canning, freezing, fermenting, seed saving, and other ways to stretch your food dollar after the harvest. Details
🚴 KWAG Art in Motion Cycling Fundraiser – Self-guided trail through Kitchener and Waterloo, starting from the Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery. Now through October 31. $70 individual/team, $300 corporate. Marking KWAG's 70th year, follow an interactive map to 20 "discoveries" tied to works from the gallery's collection; proceeds support keeping exhibitions and programs barrier-free. Details
🚒 Cambridge Fire Department Open House – Station 1, 1625 Bishop St N, Cambridge. Saturday, September 12, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Free. Firefighters will be on hand for station tours, truck and equipment demos, and safety activities for kids, all tied to Test Your Smoke Alarm Day. Details
🎪 Cambridge Fall Fair – Dickson Park, Cambridge. September 10-13. Details
🏐 Bingemans Fall Beach Volleyball Tournament – Big Splash, Bingemans, Kitchener. Saturday, September 12, all day. All ages. Details
🃏 Open Air Antique Fair – St. Jacobs Farmers' Market, 878 Weber St., St. Jacobs. Sunday, September 13, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Details
🎵 Punk Rock Flea Market KW – Kitchener Market, 300 King St. E, Kitchener. Sunday, September 13, noon to 5 p.m. All ages. Under new organizers this year, and at the Kitchener Market for the first time for better accessibility, with music, art, local vendors, and an '80s-inspired photo booth. Details
💻 Waterloo Tech Week – Various venues across Waterloo. Kickoff event September 11, followed by six days of programming, September 12-17. A decentralized series of independently hosted talks, demos, panels, and meetups. Details
💻 Aero Expo 2026 – Catalyst 137, 137 Glasgow St., Kitchener. Wednesday, September 16, 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. Free. Part of Waterloo Tech Week: a new industry showcase for the region's aerospace, aviation, and dual-use tech sector, presented by AeroWR with the Accelerator Centre. Details
🎭 Royal Medieval Faire – Waterloo Park West, entrance off Westmount Rd. Saturday, September 19, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Cash only. The 29th annual faire brings storytelling, swordplay, games, vendors, music, and dancing to the park for the whole family. Details
✨ Lumen – Uptown Waterloo, from Silver Lake to Waterloo City Hall. Saturday, September 19, 6 to 11 p.m. Free and family-friendly. More than 30 light, art, and tech installations transform uptown for one night; draws over 40,000 people most years. Details
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!