FERGUS – Spur Innovation is kicking off a public relations campaign in earnest this month, insisting a data centre on its Gartshore Street property is the right move.

The Waterloo-based company wants to turn a 25-acre brownfield at 865 Gartshore Street in Fergus, once home to the Wolverine Tube copper tubing plant, into a data centre campus with a potential vertical farm, closed-loop cooling system and battery-based energy storage.

“We are working through what that would actually involve; we are in the planning phase,” Spur Innovation CEO Sharif Virani reiterated in an email to the Advertiser, adding no plans have been filed with Centre Wellington.

Township council implemented a year-long moratorium on data centres on Aug. 24 to ensure policy can keep up with data centres, a new type of industrial use in the municipality.

However, that’s not stopping the company from meeting with the township and knocking on doors.

Virani observed the Aug. 24 council meeting in person, and said Spur has offered Centre Wellington information to “make their policy review easier and more accurate,” but has not received a “substantive response” on its offer.

Township spokesperson Kendra Martin said staff are meeting with Spur “from an economic development perspective” to discuss the company’s plans.

In the coming weeks, Spur representatives will visit homes and businesses near the Gartshore brownfield, Virani said.

“Not to persuade anyone, just so that nobody can say we never came."

The company has opened a dedicated feedback email address, hellofergus@spuric.com, which goes directly to Virani.

The company is also hosting a Sept. 19 town hall at its Waterloo site, the former BlackBerry/RIM Park campus, open to anyone with questions about Spur’s Fergus vision.

“We are engaging directly with residents and local stakeholders to understand their concerns and, just as importantly, the exact questions they want answered,” Virani said.

He also said he has registered to speak at a Sept. 28 council meeting.

Described as an AI-first company, Spur was founded in 2025 by Krishan (Kapley) Judge, an entrepreneur working in real estate, tech and crypto.

Although Spur doesn’t have a commercially operating data centre, one is being built out at the former Blackberry headquarters, now the Spur Innovation Centre.

According to Virani, Spur runs its own machines in an unfinished facility using freely available Chinese AI models Kimi and Qwen, with free use of Spur’s hardware given to upstarts and students.

Virani, Spur’s public face, previously told the Advertiser the Gartshore property in Fergus, owned by Judge, was being considered for a data centre, but cautioned at the time it was still early days and plans were in an “evaluation stage.”

“What has changed is the seriousness of the work behind it,” Virani said more recently.

During a Guelph visit last month, Premier Doug Ford announced a so-called data centre playbook (in a public commenting stage until Sept. 12) that would determine which data centre projects get to hook up to the province’s power grid.

Virani said the draft framework “gave the whole sector something to design against,” but said it wasn’t a turning point for Spur’s “conceptual” Fergus plans.

“We are still in the planning phase and we are iterating on it more or less weekly,” Virani said.

As Spur hones its vision, Carolyn Sharp is opposing it.

Sharp’s Change.org petition demanding action on data centre development has grown weekly, approaching nearly 2,000 signatures as of this week.

The petition calls on the township to undertake impact studies, implement policy, guarantee early public consultations, require developers to disclose impacts of the centres, bar shifting costs onto taxpayers, bar NDAs and push for a provincial-federal framework.

“There’s a lot of concern about the impact that these data centres have when they are built in communities close to where people live,” Sharp told the Advertiser by phone.

An Elora resident of 27 years, Sharp described herself as a passionate community member who believes local politicians prioritize developers over residents.

“A lot of us are feeling completely unheard by this current council,” Sharp said, adding her petition is aimed at getting politicians to appreciate the degree of resistance in the community.

“It is election season; at least it’s being talked about,” she added, noting current councillors and council hopefuls have since seized onto the issue.

Concerned residents, Virani said, “are asking the questions any reasonable person would.”

“I do not think anyone opposing this is doing anything other than looking out for the place they live,” he added.

Virani argued a local data centre would turn a contaminated industrial site into something usable, drive the larger economy and keep Canada’s data in Canadian hands.

AI requires computing power, or processing muscle, and where that power sits will determine whose economy grows, Virani continued, comparing domestic computing power to shipping Canadian energy around the globe.

“Compute is the same trade in a different form, except this time we can build the facilities here, run them on some of the cleanest and most efficient power on Earth, and serve the rest of the world from Canadian soil rather than renting the capability back from somebody else,” he said.

There are good and bad actors behind data centres, Virani said, echoing comments made by councillor Jennifer Adams at an Aug. 24 meeting.

“All we are asking for is the chance to show which one we are,” he said.

Virani wouldn’t speak to the potential impacts of a data centre, saying it would be premature while the project is still being planned and before he has concrete figures he’s willing to stand behind.

“Water, energy and noise are the three that matter most here and they are the three we are working through now,” Virani said.

When Woolwich residents head to the polls on October 26, they will have plenty of boxes to tick. There are four candidates vying to replace outgoing Mayor Sandy Shantz, five for the Ward 1’s two council spots, two for Ward 2, and four for Ward 3 and its two seats.

Pretty soon, mayoral election signs will begin proliferating around the township, and three of the names should be familiar to those tracking the developments so far: newcomer businessman Chane Ballantyne has thrown in his hat alongside incumbent councillors Evan Burgess and Eric Schwindt.

The final wildcard is Glen Fern of St. Jacobs, who submitted his papers by the August 21 deadline but has yet to kick off any visible campaign.

Eric Schwindt, Chane Ballantyne and Evan Burgess are in the running to become Woolwich’s next mayor. A fourth candidate, Glen Fern, has yet to kick off his campaign. Voters go to the polls Oct. 26. [File photos]

Being a first responder can be an extraordinarily difficult job.

On top of the physical danger involved, there’s the mental burden of witnessing devastating scenes, seeing injuries and death firsthand. These experiences can be debilitating, which is why Boots on the Ground, an anonymous call-in service that provides peer support 24 hours a day, seven days a week, is so important.

That’s where seven-year-old Lochlynn Winger and her three-year-old sister Isla come in. LastSaturday, the pair were intent on raising money with a Conestogo lemonade stand, and decided to donate the proceeds to Boots on the Ground, which is where their father, Brian, works.

Two Wellesley sisters raised funds through crafts at the fall fair last Friday to support breast cancer research. 

Nine-year-old Hannah and seven-year-old Kate Thaler will be participating in CIBC Run for the Cure on October 4 at Conestoga College’s Doon Campus. 

This will be the third year the Thaler family will be walking and running the five-kilometre route. 

But this will be the first year participating without their aunt, Catelin Howald, who passed away in April from uterine cancer at the age of 36. 

The topic can no longer be avoided – artificial intelligence has now infiltrated nearly every facet of society, including the education system. Some see it as a nefarious force that enables plagiarism and cheating, while others consider it to be just the latest tool that students can utilize as part of their learning trajectory.

As Waterloo Region students prepare to head back to school, there are now widely available formalized guidelines for both the Catholic and secular streams.

Just this May, the Waterloo District School Board officially launched their GenAI Student Guidelines policy, which will give students in Grades 7 through 12 access to Google Gemini and Notebook LM. The policy states that only board-approved tools will be allowed on school accounts, and that teachers can decide whether AI can be used for assignments.

With the school year approaching, Waterloo Regional Police Service is reminding students and residents to be aware of rental scams.

Rental scams occur when fraudsters post fraudulent rental advertisements for properties that are unavailable or do not exist, with the goal of convincing victims to pay deposits or other fees, police said in a release.

Fraudsters typically:

Use stolen images from legitimate rental websites.

Advertise below market rental prices to attract interest.

The Liberal Party’s trio of byelection victories this week should be understood as something larger than a routine midterm political check in. They amount to a public endorsement of the growing perception that Mark Carney is the figure Canadians trust most to navigate an increasingly volatile global economic landscape – especially the escalating trade confrontation driven by Donald Trump.

At the same time, these results serve as a pointed rebuke of Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre, whose culture-war-heavy approach continues to leave a majority of Canadians unconvinced.

The Liberals strengthened their narrow majority by now holding 173 seats with wins in Toronto, Vancouver and Chicoutimi, Quebec.

Last Sunday, a Falcon heavy rocket delivered the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope onto a direct transit trajectory to its permanent home at the Lagrange Two Point (L2) 1.5 million km. from Earth. In 100 days, it will reach its station, power up and start observing the universe.

Astronomers will use it to try to understand the nature of dark matter, which makes up most of the mass in the universe (but some say may not even exist).

It is expected to find up to 100,000 new exoplanets circling other stars, and may be able to spot ones even smaller than Mars. Current methods can only see much bigger ones.

A lot of people think that hairstylists are the only group of people good at unravelling tangles. But, trust me, those people are rank amateurs when compared to the average angler.

Over the course of a typical fishing season, the average angler will unravel approximately three to four thousand tangles in their fishing line. And it’s even worse if he or she is fishing with kids. (To be clear, when I say fishing with kids, I do not mean that the angler is using kids as bait. That is illegal in most jurisdictions.)

But I digress.

The Wellesley Applejacks posted their first win of the PJHL preseason schedule Saturday night, beating the Middlesex Stars 9-3 on the road.

They followed that with a 7-1 win when the home-and-home series moved back to Wellesley on Sunday.

“It was a great weekend for the boys,” said assistant coach Ryan Yantz.

“Now we’re getting down to the nitty gritty here of finalizing the team, so it was a lot more of our starting players that we’re going to see all season long in the lineup.

Learning to skate is like learning to ride a bike for Canadian kids given that hockey is our national obsession.

Tri-Edge Skating Club, which operates in Wellesley, Monkton and Milverton, has registrations open for kids to learn the ways of the ice.

The organization “consists of helping skaters learn to how to skate, of course, and also do figure skating out of three locations,” said head coach Trudy Field.

It’s an amalgamated club now after the three individual clubs came together last fall.

There were goals aplenty as the Elmira Sugar Kings outscored the Brantford Titans 14-5 in a home-and-home series to open the GOHL preseason schedule.

On the road August 27, the Kings emerged as 5-3 victors, following that up Sunday afternoon with a convincing 9-2 win at the WMC.

The prospects hoping to make the team acquitted themselves well, said director of hockey operations Kyle Rank. The club is down to filling a slot or two on the roster ahead of the regular season.

The Barbershop Festival is set for its third iteration later this month at Gale Presbyterian Church in Elmira.

While that type of music typically conjures images of moustachioed men in striped blazers and straw-boaters belting out old-timey tunes, it’s a different story when it comes to St. Jacobs’ Chord Spinners.

In this case, they’re all women, and stripes are decidedly optional. Instead of four members, there are a dozen or so singers, and they’re more likely to harmonize peppy pop tunes such as Here Comes the Sun.

For this event, their repertoire will include the addition of Sunny Side of the Street.

We put a lot of faith in food processors’ trustworthiness. And when it comes to the sanctity of imported honey, it appears we’re being misled.

Last week the Canadian Beekeepers Federation, representing commercial honey producers across the country, issued a stinging statement against the federal government.

It accuses Ottawa of not protecting consumers from fake honey imports. This stuff arrives in Canada in drums. From there, it gets added to sauces, to condiments like honey mustard and to sweeten baked goods. Consumers rarely, if ever, see the original goopy product. And even if they did, from its outward appearance they might not be able to pick it out from the real thing.

The noise never stops.

For people suffering from tinnitus, it could be anything from a faint ocean-like hiss to an insistent buzzing, annoying at first and excruciating for some. The condition occurs when damaged inner-ear hair cells send bogus signals to the brain, tricking the listener into hearing noises that aren’t there.

It can be caused by exposure to loud noises, excessive earwax and certain medications. But whatever the cause, it’s a daily annoyance and a drain on the mental health of those afflicted.

Now, local clinic Arnold Hearing Centres has become the first location in Waterloo Region to offer Lenire, a tinnitus treatment device that offers relief for those experiencing unwanted sound. It delivers mild pulses to the surface of the tongue, coupled with auditory stimulation, intended to drive lasting change to the patient’s brain chemistry. Patients can take the machine home with them, using it twice a day for half an hour.

Mayoral

David Alton 

Alton is a newcomer to municipal politics with a background in community planning and extensive experience in various leadership and community facilitation roles. In their platform, they promise to follow a “human rights approach to city building” if elected, taking care to ensure the rights of Kitchener residents when it comes to municipal issues such as transportation and development. 

Manikantan Nair 

Nair is a newcomer to municipal politics with a background in information technologies. In his campaign, he expresses a desire to fast-track permits for businesses looking to hire locally and upgrade their facilities, while looking to address the issues of mobility and housing by expanding express bus services in the region and requiring new developments to contain some amount of affordable housing. 

Wazhma Frogh 

Frogh is a newcomer to municipal politics with a background in women’s rights activism and international human rights law. Her campaign focuses on the development of housing and safer streets, the improvement of existing city services, the engagement of voters and Kitchener residents and the facilitation of an inclusive city for those in all walks of life.  

George Trihenea 

Trihenea is a newcomer to municipal politics with a background in business and community organisation. If elected for the 2026-2030 mayoral term, he promises to reduce traffic congestion and improve road safety at dangerous intersections, create partnerships between the city, local businesses, tech startups and artists to facilitate economic growth and to lower the existing barriers for developing townhouses and multiplexes. 

Berry Vrbanovic 

Vrbanovic is the incumbent mayor of Kitchener who has served the position since 2014. He has yet to release a policy platform for 2026, but in previous council terms he has championed the building of bike lanes and the expansion of the city’s transportation network. 
 
Cindy Ward 

Ward is a newcomer to municipal politics with a background in social psychology and entrepreneurship. Ward’s platform lists eight priorities including safe neighbourhoods, water security, cultural programming, food sharing and economic growth.  

Ward 1

Elizabeth Bate 

Bate is a newcomer to municipal politics and is seeking election as the city councillor for Kitchener Ward 1. Bate has a background in journalism and her platform focuses on communication, effective use of tax dollars and affordable housing. If elected, Bate has pledged to take a pay cut and return 10 per cent of her salary to taxpayers.  

Haile Kiflai 

Kiflai is a newcomer to municipal politics and is seeking election as the city councillor for Kitchener Ward 1. He has yet to release a policy platform for 2026. 

Scott Davey 

Davey is the incumbent city councillor for Kitchener Ward 1 who has served the position since 2010. He has yet to release a policy platform for 2026. 

Zahid Mian Mahmood 

Mahmood is a newcomer to municipal politics and is seeking election as the city councillor for Kitchener Ward 1. He has yet to release a policy platform for 2026. 

Ward 2

Soran Ibrahim 

Ibrahim is a newcomer to municipal politics and is seeking election as the city councillor for Kitchener Ward 2. He has yet to release a policy platform for 2026. 

Derrick Rabethge 

Rabethge is a newcomer to municipal politics and is seeking election as the city councillor for Kitchener Ward 2. He has yet to release a policy platform for 2026. 

Dave Schnider 

Schnider is the incumbent city councillor for Kitchener Ward 2 who has served the position since 2014. Schnider’s policy platform is focused on affordability, inclusivity and economic development. 

Ward 3

Shawn Bradshaw 

Bradshaw is a newcomer to municipal politics and is seeking election as the city councillor for Kitchener Ward 3. He has yet to release a policy platform for 2026. 

Joanne Delaney-Fraser 

Delaney-Fraser is a newcomer to municipal politics and is seeking election as the city councillor for Kitchener Ward 3. In the past, she has served as the president of CUPE Local 2512 and now promises to bring affordability and transparency to Kitchener city council if elected. She has yet to release a policy platform for 2026. 

Jason Deneault 

Deneault is the incumbent city councillor for Kitchener Ward 3 who has served the position since 2022. In his 2026 campaign, he promises to ensure the affordability and accessibility of city programs, re-evaluate certain bylaws so that they are in keeping with modern Kitchener and fight to ensure the betterment of public services. 

Lurdes Jordao 

Jordao is a newcomer to municipal politics and is seeking election as the city councillor for Kitchener Ward 3. He has yet to release a policy platform for 2026. 

Ismail Mohamed 

Mohamed is a newcomer to municipal politics and is seeking election as the city councillor for Kitchener Ward 3. If elected for the 2026-2030 term, he promises to implement traffic calming on residential through-streets, greater accountability measures for landlords and increased tenants’ rights, a volunteer snow-shovelling force to aid seniors and low-mobility residents and a wider range of community programs to address gaps in language and technology proficiency. 

Matt Parker 

Parker is a newcomer to municipal politics with a background in technology and is seeking election as the city councillor for Kitchener Ward 3. If elected, he promises to advocate for fiscal responsibility in the city’s budget, ensuring the efficiency of city services and that maintenance of existing infrastructure is prioritised.  

Ward 4

Anant Jain 

Jain is a newcomer to municipal politics and is seeking election as the city councillor for Kitchener Ward 4. He has yet to release a policy platform for 2026. 

Ibraheem Kappaya 

Kappaya is a newcomer to municipal politics currently studying at Wilfred Laurier University. In his policy platform, he lists desires to bring improvements to municipal snow clearing services, to refurbish and repair the worsening roads in Kitchener Ward 4, to subsidize bus passes for youth under 22 and seniors over 65 and to bring urban renewal to Kitchener in the form of green spaces and infrastructure developments. 

Christine Michaud 

Michaud is the incumbent city councillor for Kitchener Ward 4 who has served the position since 2018. She has yet to release a policy platform for 2026. 

Vikki Poirier 

Poirier is a newcomer to municipal politics with an extensive background in labour unions and the Waterloo Regional Labour Council. She has yet to release a policy platform for 2026. 

Harry Scanlan 

Scanlan is a newcomer to municipal politics and is seeking election as the city councillor for Kitchener Ward 4. He lists implementing safer streets, improving communication between government and citizens and the betterment of public transportation as priorities to his campaign. 

Ward 5

Nate Bahlbi 

Bahlbi is a newcomer to municipal politics and is seeking election as the city councillor for Kitchener Ward 5. He has yet to release a policy platform for 2026. 

Dimple Birdee 

Birdee is a newcomer to municipal politics with a background in immigration consultancy. Her core areas of concern are road safety, community engagement, growth and housing and the preservation of local businesses. 

Muhammad Miqdad Hudda 

Hudda is a newcomer to municipal politics and is seeking election as the city councillor for Kitchener Ward 5. He has yet to release a policy platform for 2026. 

Jon Massimi 

Massimi is a newcomer to municipal politics with a background in community leadership. He lists the transparency of city council, the implementation of road safety measures, the development of new housing and the funding of grassroots organizations as core priorities for his campaign. 

Navjot Sandhu 

Sandhu is a newcomer to municipal politics and is seeking election as the city councillor for Kitchener Ward 5. He has yet to release a policy platform for 2026. 

Rich Peers 

Peers is a newcomer to municipal politics who has previously served on the Downtown Advisory Committee and Huron Community Association. His desires for Kitchener Ward 5 include sidewalks and streets with greater safety measures, greater transit connectivity and less reliance on cars, as well as well-preserved trails and natural spaces. If elected, he promises to advocate for fiscal responsibility in the budget and allocation of taxpayer dollars, and to ensure infrastructure in Ward 5 keeps up with development and growth. 

Sumit Sehli 

Sehli is a newcomer to municipal politics with a background in finance. If elected as the councillor for Kitchener Ward 5, he promises to advocate to keep property taxes affordable and to provide high-quality public services to his constituents. 

Fitz Vanderpool 

Vanderpool is a newcomer to municipal politics with a background in sport and entrepreneurship. He promises to keep tax increases low and in keeping with residents’ income, develop infrastructure alongside new neighbourhoods and increase safety for kids travelling in their neighbourhoods. 

Tracey Weiler 

Weiler is a former school board trustee now seeking election as the city councillor for Kitchener Ward 5. In her campaign, she expresses a desire to develop a variety of attainable housing options for the ward alongside upgrades to transportation, infrastructure, and traffic safety measures. As a member of council, she would push for moderate tax increases done with consideration for the average household budget. 

Ward 6

Amber Louise Culley 

Culley is a newcomer to municipal politics with a background in political science. She has yet to release a policy platform for 2026. 

Paul Singh 

Singh is the incumbent city councillor for Kitchener Ward 6 who has served the position since 2010. He has yet to release a policy platform for 2026. 

Brooklin Wallis 

Wallis is a newcomer to Kitchener City Council with prior experience running in the 2022 municipal election. In her 2026 platform, she advocates for affordable housing via the funding of and investment in housing co-operatives and the improvement of urban living via the creation of pedestrian and cycle-friendly infrastructure and she promises to be a voice in council for marginalized groups and climate activists. 

Ward 7

Richie Nanan 

Nanan is a newcomer to municipal politics and is seeking election as the city councillor for Kitchener Ward 7. He has yet to release a policy platform for 2026. 

Bil Ioannidis 

Ioannidis is the incumbent city councillor for Kitchener Ward 7 who has served the position since 2010. Iooannidis’ platform touches on housing affordability, sustainability and economic development.  

Nikki Rollick 

Rollick is a newcomer to municipal politics with a background in mathematics and social justice. If elected as city councillor for Kitchener Ward 7, she would advocate for the establishment of a Highland West neighbourhood association and the revitalization of the Forest Heights neighbourhood association. She would also work towards the improvement of local parks and the betterment of existing traffic calming measures.  

Ward 8

Wendy Creighton 

Creighton is a newcomer to municipal politics and is seeking election as the city councillor for Kitchener Ward 8. Creighton is listed as an employee at the office of Kitchener Centre MP Kelly DeRidder. She has yet to release a policy platform for 2026. 

Margaret Johnston 

Johnston is the incumbent city councillor for Kitchener Ward 8 who has served the position since 2018. In her platform, she emphasizes a need for road safety across all demographics and the need to work with tech startups to ensure economic development. She also expresses a desire for equity and accessibility considerations when it comes to municipal issues. 

Carly Pettinger 

Pettinger is a newcomer to municipal politics and is seeking election as the city councillor for Kitchener Ward 8. If elected, she would advocate for safer streets and increased development in Ward 8, as well as the creation of green spaces and community hubs. 

Philip Molto 

Molto is a newcomer to municipal politics and is seeking election as the city councillor for Kitchener Ward 8. He has yet to release a policy platform for 2026. 

Ward 9

Mohamed Askalany 

Askalany is a newcomer to municipal politics and is seeking election as the city councillor for Kitchener Ward 9. He has yet to release a policy platform for 2026. Askalany is currently listed as a constituency assistant at the office of Kitchener Centre MP Kelly DeRidder. 

Debbie Chapman 

Chapman is the incumbent city councillor for Kitchener Ward 9 who has served the position since 2018. She is an advocate for the 15-minute city model of urban planning, and promises to prioritize sustainability, affordability and the use of renewable energy sources in city planning decisions. 

Tim Willcox 

Willcox is a newcomer to municipal politics and is seeking election as the city councillor for Kitchener Ward 9. He has yet to release a policy platform for 2026. 

Ward 10

Everton Dixon 

Dixon is a newcomer to municipal politics and is seeking election as the city councillor for Kitchener Ward 10. His platform is focused on affordable rent and housing. He backs a municipal action plan that protects Kitchener’s water, farmland and energy.  

Sam Nabi 

Nabi is a newcomer to municipal politics with a background in urban planning and small business ownership. If elected, he promises to bring about tenant protections, an increase in housing supply and variety and an increase in green spaces and renewable energy usage in downtown Kitchener. 

Stephanie Stretch 

Stretch is the incumbent city councillor for Kitchener Ward 10 who has served the position since 2024. If re-elected, she pledges to be a voice on council who will see that Kitchener’s supply of affordable housing goes up while keeping costs to the average household low. She also advocates for mental health and addiction services to be available downtown and for the revitalization of aging urban green space areas. 

Peter Piluk 

Piluk is a newcomer to municipal politics with a background in business and technology who promises to be a fresh perspective on the council. In his policy platform, he puts great emphasis on delivering economic growth to the city, supporting local business and enhancing the cultural output of Kitchener. 

Aalaa Rehman 

Rehman is a newcomer to municipal politics currently studying Biomedical Engineering at the University of Guelph while residing in Kitchener Ward 10. She has yet to release a policy platform for 2026 but boasts a credible history in anti-racist activism. 

Growing up, becoming a Certified Medical Aesthetician was not on long-time Waterloo Region resident Jennifer Thibault’s radar. Today, Thibault is the owner of Indulgence Studio and has over 20 years of experience specialising in gender affirming care for 2SLGBTQ+ folks in Waterloo region and beyond. 

After high school, Thibault graduated with a love of auto mechanics and wanted to be a mechanic. In the late 90s, students needed a mentor in their chosen trade before entering college, and Thibault had a challenging time finding someone to take her on. Amid this search, she was struggling with excessive hormonal hair growth and severe acne, and a doctor recommended she try electrolysis.  

“[W]hen I was in there, I would get emotional, and some techs did not know what to do with that, but I did have one and she just got it, she understood me.  When I would go to her, she [would say], ‘You ask so many questions, I really think you might enjoy working in the industry’,” Thibault said. 

After that experience, Thibault decided to do a different trade and applied to Gina’s College of Advanced Aesthetics that summer. After college, she worked three years at a spa under a doctor’s supervision before she knew she wanted to open her own business. Indulgence Studio first opened in 2006 in the back room of a hair salon on King St. N. To afford the associated costs, which totalled $100,000 for equipment, she sold her townhouse and put all her energy into starting her business.  

In 2009, Thibault moved into her business’ current location at 279 Weber St. N. and dedicated herself to her clientele there ever since. 70 per cent of Thibault’s clients identify as queer or trans or struggle with medical diagnoses such as PMOS (Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome) that cause excessive, difficult to manage hair growth. 

Her dedication to helping anyone who passes her way is clear through her philosophy of care.  

“Your comfort is our gold standard. Every person who walks through our door deserves to feel seen, heard and respected,” she said. 
 
Thibault offers trauma-informed care through her own personal experience and research, including 20 years of providing a safe space for trans folks on their gender affirmation journey, training with Rainbow Health Ontario, learning from therapists and collaborating with Spectrum, Waterloo Region’s rainbow community space, to sit on support groups to get a deeper understanding of the needs of trans folks during their transition. 

She has also collaborated with Delana Thompson, a doctor from SHORE’s Gender Affirming Clinic, to help Thompson test out the 20 per cent prescription-strength numbing cream that she developed for patients undergoing the physical and emotional toll of electrolysis and laser hair removal.  

“Prior to [Dr. Thompson’s creation], the industry standard was a five per cent numbing cream. But now that it’s four times stronger, it’s really reduced the amount of pain and emotional toll clients experience. Before the pain was really intense, so that has changed our industry truly,” Thibault said. 

During the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Thibault worked hard with Public Health and her lawyers to stay open as an essential service for trans folks experiencing dysphoria, which, left untreated, could be potentially deadly.  

“I needed to help people, but I was worried I could lose my licence, and then I wouldn’t be able to help anyone. But everybody kind of pulled together to make it happen, so I could service people as an emergency,” Thibault said. 

Permanent hair removal for trans women is medically necessary per the World Professional Association for Transgender Health, Standards of Care Version 8.  

“Jennifer is the preferred provider of this service in the area. I trusted her with my own hair removal as well as that of my patients. Facial hair removal has improved my life and been critical in my transition in a way only comparable to gender affirming hormone therapy or bottom surgery,” Thompson said. 

Thibault’s continued dedication to her clients and providing a safe space for all led to her developing a free 80-page client guidebook to educate folks and help them find technicians in their area who can offer them the gender affirming care they need.  

She’s also developed a course to train other technicians on how to offer trauma-informed care and services for folks that are transitioning, with input from Spectrum and SHORE’s Gender Affirming Clinic as well as Out of the Box Counselling to ensure the needs of neurodivergent folks are also documented.  

“It’s a community effort; I lean on a lot of other people to make this happen. I feel very honoured that folks drive two to three hours to come see me, but I also feel that there should be more places that can offer this type of service. My goal with my course is to be a bridge to share this knowledge,” Thibault said. 

Jamie Lichty (he/they) discovered his first special interest very young, when his parents introduced them to their first board game, The Secret Door, around age three.  

Lichty fell in love with board games, and, decades later, this love spawned their business venture, Please Play Again, a queer and trans-owned business, where he buys, sells and repairs used board games and puzzles.  

“I was having trouble finding a job and was frustrated because I was trying to save up to start this business and I couldn’t even find a job to support myself at all. And then I asked myself, ‘Why do I need to start with a store front?’ So, I went to Goodwill and picked up some board games,” Lichty said. 

He first started selling games on the marketplace section on Board Game Geek (BGG), before deciding to do their first in-person market three months later, during an open house at his mom’s studio SeeingSquared in Elmira. 

“My mum’s really into puzzles and so when I told her what I was doing, she wanted to know whether I’d include puzzles. I was a little hesitant but then my mum offered to check puzzles for me and I said okay,” Lichty said.  

Lichty came well prepared for that first market with around 100 games and puzzles repaired, checked for completeness and prepared for sale. The business quickly grew, and now Lichty’s done more than ten markets and sold puzzles online, shipping them as far as Germany, Sweden and Argentina.  

One of the things Lichty quickly learned was that, when it came to puzzles, customers were a little mistrusting when told all the pieces were there. Lichty said that despite offering reassurance, some customers did not trust that the puzzles were complete as described.  

“From that experience, I came up with the idea of taking photos of the completed puzzles that I post on my website alongside the box, and I can show customers at markets,” Lichty said.  

As the inventory grew, the number of puzzles Lichty had on hand quickly outgrew the number his mum was able to test for him. They then began reaching out to community members at events like Spectrum’s game night or their Spectrum on the Spectrum night, a community group for autistic queer and trans folks, looking for volunteers to test puzzles for free. In exchange, the testers get to build a new puzzle. 

Environmentalism is also one of the core tenants of Lichty’s business. Whenever board games or puzzles finds their way into Lichty’s care, he finds ways to repair them. This includes doing box repairs with book tape, repairing worn puzzle pieces with paint touch-ups or glue on lifting corners, replacing missing plastic pieces by 3D printing new ones and replacing missing tokens by reprinting and laminating them.  

Another core tenant for Lichty is accessibility. Lichty believes that gaming and puzzling should be inclusive for everybody, and, as a result, he has started updating listings on his site, sourced from the Meeple Like Us project website, to include information for those with colour blindness or accessibility needs, whether they be visual, physical, cognitive, emotional, communication, socioeconomic or a mix of the above.  

“I wanted to learn more about accessibility stuff because I’m autistic. I know some people have different accessibility needs, and so, anytime a customer needs something swapped out to make it accessible, we are happy to do that for free. If I can make it so more people can enjoy the same game, I’m here for it,” Lichty said. 

“It is my personal belief that there is a board game out there for everyone. People who don’t like board games just haven’t found the right one yet. [I]f someone is curious, I’d love to help them find a game they’d enjoy, and, if I don’t have it in stock, I’ll do my best to track it down for them,” Lichty said. 

The shade from the tree canopy in Kiwanis Park provided much-appreciated relief from the heat on my morning walk with dancer and choreographer Tara Butler. The crunch of gravel under our feet and the buzz of cicadas formed the soundtrack in the green space that Butler sees as an artistic playground. 

“I feel like there’s a story along this trail, and I don’t exactly know what it is,” Butler said. “This park invites many different people from different walks of life.” 

Butler sees the potential for the park to be animated through dance and storytelling. She envisions a collaborative event that celebrates the river, the trees and the grasshoppers along the trail and invites audience members to see the space differently. She has begun to explore these ideas through a collaboration with Waterlution where she combined dance and tech to create site-specific GPS-activated performance. 

Dance found Butler early; at three years old, she took classes in tap, jazz and acro, but her love for ballet came later. A friend from soccer asked Butler to join her at an audition for the National Ballet School (NBS) in their preparatory junior division when she was nine and, despite not having a background in ballet, Butler was accepted, although her friend was not. 

“The friendship lasted, and my friend ended up on the Canadian women’s soccer team,” Butler said. 

At ten years old, Butler was accepted into the full-time program at NBS and completed the rest of her schooling at that institution while also honing her dance skills, practicing three to five hours every day. 

“I feel really grateful that I was able to focus my energy on something I felt so passionate about,” Butler said. “I knew I was in the right place to get the training that I needed to make a career out of [dance].” 

It was the combination of the precision and imagination of the classical form of ballet that appealed to Butler. She also cited her first teacher, Laurel Toto, as being extremely influential in igniting her love of the art form. 

Butler began dancing professionally before she graduated high school. When Butler was in grade 12, the National Ballet of Canada needed a dancer for the corps de ballet in their run of the Nutcracker, and Butler’s teachers recommended her for the job. Butler’s talent for picking up choreography allowed her to learn her parts quickly. 

“I wasn’t the best dancer in my class, but I was definitely one of the fastest, and I could retain information,” Butler said. “I think I had a special performance quality…so artistically [my dancing] was interesting.” 

After graduating, Butler apprenticed with The National Ballet of Canada, where she honed her skills through performance, but she found working with such a big company overwhelming and she struggled with disordered eating. 

“I felt very self-conscious and I wasn’t really able to work as hard as I would have liked,” Butler said. “I don’t think I ever presented my best self.” 

Butler was able to find a healthier balance by working at the smaller Alberta Ballet company out of Calgary for two years. From there, she joined Ballet Jörgen in Toronto and was hired for the first time as a principal soloist. She danced with that company for 16 years and enjoyed a highly collaborative working relationship with Bengt Jörgen, the founder and artistic director. Their version of Romeo and Juliet toured the country and even took Butler overseas, where she guest danced with Hong Kong Ballet. 

“We also did a lot of contemporary work…all these amazing Canadian choreographers that we had the opportunity to work with and create new work,” Butler said. “I think that’s where my excitement for choreography [came from].” 

At 36, Butler retired from professional ballet and turned her focus towards family. She and her husband moved from Toronto to Kitchener to raise their children in a smaller community. While Butler feels embraced and supported by Kitchener, it was a hard decision to leave the artistic community she was part of in Toronto. 

When she first moved to Kitchener, her focus was on being a mom, but Butler soon felt the call of her artistic side. 

“Over the last five years, I’ve dove headfirst into my creativity, my dance projects and choreography and performing too,” Butler said. “I didn’t know that in my late forties, early fifties I’d be performing as much as I am.” 

Butler formed Dust and Soul Dance in 2021 and presented an evening of original work as part of Dance Takes Berlin, subsequently winning a Waterloo Region Arts Award for the piece. She has been working for the past four years on choreographing and developing It Falls With The Rain, a work featuring five dancers that explore the hidden journey of plastic in our waterways. The piece will have its world premiere October 16 and 17 at the Registry Theatre. 

In addition to performing and choreographing, Butler also teaches dance and is the Company Director for Guelph Youth Dance where she has the chance to mentor young performers. 

“I think the only way to really learn your craft is by doing it, so say yes to projects,” Butler said. “Follow your instincts, work with other people, create your own projects, and go see as much [art] as you can.” 

Butler is already thinking ahead to what comes after the world premiere of her piece. She plans to choreograph a solo work using props and costume pieces from It Falls With The Rain, but in a piece with comedic potential. And she continues to look for opportunities to collaborate with other artists in her chosen city. 

“I feel like I’ve created my little circle of friends [in Kitchener-Waterloo],” Butler said. “And that’s really what home is.” 

For Kassandra Ahlin and Mason Tikl, the new owners of Frederick Lanes, the bowling alley was more than a casual date night spot. 

“It’s such a diverse community of so many different types of people,” Tikl, a musician and film composer, said. “Everyone comes in and just feels like part of the club.” 

For Ahlin, a registered nurse who moved to Kitchener five years ago, Frederick Lanes has been a go-to spot to meet new people.  

“This has been the place that I’ve made the most friends, and what hopefully will be long-term friendships, because people show up week after week after week, and all those […] frequent encounters [are] what build those deep relationships,” Ahlin said. 

The bowling alley was previously owned by U.S.-based Lucky Strike Entertainment and run by AMF Bowling Co., who announced the decision to close the iconic local institution in May 2026. When the KW couple got the news that the bowling alley would be closing, they scrambled to try and find a way to save their beloved home away from home. 

“If something feels like an injustice, we want to prevent it from happening or undo it in some way or another,” Tikl said.  

Initially, the duo started a petition to try to fight back against the decision. They assumed the petition would not make much of an impact but aimed to muster local support and go from there. 

“We got quite a bit of support,” Tikl said.  

After the success of the petition, Tikl could see a way forward. It was clear that the community was there to support Frederick Lanes.  

Tikl decided to take matters into his own hands and headed directly to the establishment with an offer to buy assets. 

“They had already begun tearing stuff out—luckily, not the lanes yet, but that was supposed to be done within days,” Tikl said. 

“I found the one head corporate guy who was here, and he passed along the message. Within a couple hours, I got a phone call, and … then we realized something is possible here.”  

Tikl and Ahlin succeeded in preserving their home away from home.  

Tikl views this business venture as a problem that had to be solved and partly blames his own impulse control.  

“Somebody commented and said, ‘you are the savior of bowling in Kitchener,’ and I was like, ‘I’m more just a guy with poor impulse control, [and] that could just happen to work out well for people this time’.” 

For Lisa Jansen, the general manager of Frederick Lanes, having Ahlin and Tikl take over the has been nothing short of a godsend. When she first learned the bowling alley might be closing, she was devastated. 

“I’m 47, so I have been working here for 25 years. I spent over half of my life in this bowling alley. It was such an emotional hit,” Jansen said. “I didn’t want to see this end.” 

Jansen jumped at the opportunity to come back as the general manager, and she could immediately tell that things were on the right track. 

The new Frederick Lanes has been open since July and continues to run. The team described their last weekend as the busiest summer weekend ever, and they have no plans to slow down. 

A brand-new pro shop will also be opening at Frederick Lanes, alongside a new bar menu with weekly specials and student discounts.  

Vegetarian options and a craft beer menu are also available at the newly opened Frederick Lanes.  

Sept. 26, 2026, will mark the five-year anniversary of Pinch Cabaret, Waterloo Region’s wacky and explosive monthly variety show. The cabaret will take place at Button Factory Arts in Waterloo, and the lineup will include a large dance ensemble, musical puppets, dramatic theater, improvised electronic and bass clarinet music and a poetic anatomy lesson. If that sounds like a strange mix, then you clearly aren’t familiar with Pinch! Past lineups include poets, songwriters, clowns, puppeteers, pole dancers, drag creatures and even physicists. 

“The promise and the ambition is that each show is different,” Ben Gorodetsky, Pinch’s host and founder, said. “The line up never repeats.” 

Gorodetsky threw together the first Pinch Cabaret in 2021, after moving to Kitchener from New York City. In the depth of pandemic lockdowns, Gorodetsky was faced with existential panic, loneliness and hunger for an artistic community. for an artistic community. 

“My world didn’t exist right then. There was no musical theater, there was no comedy, there was no art that I was allowed to engage with. We were all watching Zoom shows and it was hellish,” Gorodetsky said. 

After a year of thinking, preparing and being encouraged by his wife, Gorodetsky realized that the only way for him to grow roots in KW was to form a community and produce a show. He reached out to a few local performers, and Pinch #1 was organized. To comply with social distancing guidelines, the show was held in the backyard of The Branches yoga studio. 

Since that first show in 2021, Pinch has produced one unique show every month, excluding summers. This monthly momentum has been a key factor in the show’s ethos. 

“Rather than it being an annual festival or an irregular series, having it every month means people make more work, audiences get hungry and stay hungry for seeing new work,” Gorodetsky said.  

“I have this insatiable desire to always be making something new, and I think you can stimulate that insatiable desire in others.” 

If Pinch’s goal since 2021 has been to stimulate art in the community, it has certainly seen success. To meet the overflow of demand for the cabaret, Gorodetsky also produces other monthly events such as the Together We’re Boisterous Comedy Show and the summer open mic series, Show and Tell. These events routinely sell out, and the wait to perform is months long. 

“I was struggling to fill bills and now we’re booked to May 2027,” Gorodetsky said. 

Fortunately for local artists, however, that 10-month wait is the only barrier to entry. Pinch’s central operating principle is one word: Yes. Anyone can apply; anyone can perform, and to date, five years on, no one has ever been turned down.  

“The only prerequisite is that you want to perform. You want to be on stage, you want to be seen, and the only response is ‘yes,’” Gorodetsky said. 

Keeping Pinch’s slightly lonesome origins in mind, this open ended, chaos-inviting approach makes perfect sense. Pinch’s openness serves artists and audiences alike. It is designed to introduce people to new ways of making art and pockets of their community they did not know existed. 

“Each act does ten minutes, and they get to share a bill with people who they normally would not encounter,” Gorodetsky said. “This blows [artistic pockets] open in a way that I think is awesome because it shows audiences what’s out there in our community, who’s making work right now, here.” 

In the words of Gorodetsky’s mentor Gerry Morita, Pinch exists to “turn on the freak magnet and see who shows up.” 

Contemporary Art Forum Kitchener and Area (CAFKA) is celebrating its 25th anniversary this autumn with an assortment of events, workshops and talks. 

On Sept. 12, 2026, CAFKA is presenting an interactive workshop as part of CreekFest ’26 with the artist Bianca Daniela Nachtman, titled Down by the Creek: Reflect, Receive, Return. 

Two popular artworks from CAFKA exhibition history are being reconstructed. The first, Telephone Booth, by David Jensenius, is being shown at Saint Anne’s Church in Little Portugal, Toronto. The second, ARENA, by Benoît Maubrey—a small amphitheatre of 320 recycled loudspeakers where anyone can connect and play their chosen audio—is being reconstructed in Carl Zehr Square as part of Ontario Culture Days.  

2024 Kitchener artist-in-residence Ellie Anglin is working on a zine that highlights work from across CAFKA’s 25 years. A panel on censorship and free speech in art is being planned.  

On Sept. 16, CAFKA will host a party in celebration of their anniversary at Willow River Park Pavilion from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. CAFKA director Julie Hall elaborated that the event would involve food, refreshments and all things CAFKA. 

“We might do an astrological chart of CAFKA, have birthday cake. I’m trying to put together little gifts for people that have been CAFKA contributors over the years,” Hall said. 

Over the past 25 years, CAFKA has represented over 350 artists and collectives, and displayed over 500 individual installations. 

Hall explained how CAFKA first developed out of a mid-1990s Kitchener art project. 

“CAFKA grew out of this City of Kitchener project led by and founded by local artists called Artworks, where City Hall became this site for both artistic creation and connecting with the community,” Hall said. 

“It was basically an ‘artist at work’ type of thing, an open studio using public space.” 

The first official CAFKA exhibition followed in 2001. 

Hall described what changed in the Canadian arts world in the quarter-century since CAFKA began. It is difficult for local cultural events to stand out and as the media landscape has become overwhelmed, local culture can often become obscured. 

“It’s like we’re oversaturated, but we feel like we have nothing to do. There’s so much going on, but we can’t find out about it […] We’re inundated with global information, but reading a local paper, knowing about the events happening around you locally, is harder to do somehow,” Hall said. 

Funding has also become more precarious in the past few years, as foundations have become less welcoming to unsolicited applicants and government arts funding has stagnated. 

“We need to do more with less every year, which feels impossible when your free resources are eroding,”  

Development for the CAFKA.27 biennial is well underway. The biennial’s theme is ‘Counter Current’, drawing upon water imagery and “what it means to move against cultural tides.”  

Hall stressed how this theme relates to the KW region. 

“Water is on the mind as the community expands, and our water resources have to be adapted, amidst this ‘one million neighbours by 2050’ thing. That’s something underlying the theme,” Hall said.   

CAFKA.27 will open on June 5, 2027. Hall was pleased to note this coincides with the opening of the Liverpool and Helsinki art biennials. 

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Live music events bring people together, but the use of amplifiers and lights can make these events inaccessible for people living with sensory-related conditions. It was a challenge that Cam Kochut experienced first-hand. Kochut has chronic migraines and said he would often have to leave an event early or not attend at all. After speaking with his partner, Kochut launched the Excavator Arts Collective in 2023 to host sensory-accessible events like open mic nights and art workshops. 

“I was unable to go to music events without getting a migraine because of the lights and sound that are often unnecessarily amplified. We hosted an acoustic open mic [in 2019] to see if that would work, and it did—but then the pandemic hit,” Kochut said. 

After taking a break, Kochut launched the Excavator Arts Collective along with co-founder Athena Katinas. The first event was an open mic night where Kochut met Daniel Thompson-Blum, who joined the collective as a facilitator.  

“It was at one of the very first ones where I met Daniel. We swapped contacts and met up again where he said he wanted to do a drawing club,” Kochut said. 

That initial drawing event led to Goodlines, the collective’s bi-weekly sketching and art group at the Waterloo Visitor Information Center at 10 Father David Bauer Dr. The event regularly brings out 10 to 20 people. 

“For the first half hour or so, we have what’s called “Fuck Around and Find Out” time. It’s a warm-up before we get into the theme of the night. Sometimes it’s collage or figure drawing or live sketching. It’s really varied,” Kochut said. 

The non-profit organization receives funding from the Laurier Students’ Public Interest Research Group (LSPIRG), which helped fund the first open mic in 2019. In addition to the LSPIRG funding, the Excavator Arts Collective accepts donations on a pay-what-you-can model for its events. 

“[LSPRIG has] been a really wonderful partner to help us provide supplies if [participants] don’t have access to sketchbooks,” he said. 

All the collective’s events are held at the Waterloo Visitor Information Centre, and Kochut eventually hopes to find a permanent space for the organization.  

“It’d be great to have a space we can offer people to host events, people who don’t necessarily have the funding to do so. I would like to really make a properly sensory-friendly space with sound dampening too,” he said. 

The events are open to everyone, but Kochut said many of the attendees are on the autism spectrum and many are 2SLGBTQIA+.  

“They kind of self-select, and that’s who we end up with, which I think is also where we sit as facilitators,” Kochut said. 

Kochut is a Laurier graduate and said many of the event attendees are fellow Laurier students. He added that more people are discovering Goodlines and the collective’s open mic series QT Open Mic through social media and word of mouth. 

“Someone will try it out by themselves first, and then the next time they usually bring two or three friends, which I think is really exciting because that means they enjoyed it enough to connect their friends to it,” Kochut said. 

The organization’s name comes from Kochut’s partner Danni, who is an avid birder. They searched through birding terminology and landed on “excavator.”  

“There are birds who build nests and birds who dig holes—they carve out a space for their homes. That’s what we’re trying to do here. We’re trying to carve out our own space,” Kochut said. 

CENTRE WELLINGTON – Grand River Conservation Authority (GRCA) officials have spotted blue-green algae in Belwood Lake and are urging users to take precautions.

"The presence of a suspected small blue-green algae bloom has been observed near the boat launch at the Belwood Lake Conservation Area reservoir," stated a Sept. 1 press release from the GRCA.

Blue-green algae is discovered pretty much every summer at Belwood Lake, Conestogo Lake and/or Guelph Lake, as hot weather creates conditions for it to grow in large bodies of water.

"There is permanent signage at these locations advising visitors of the potential for blue-green algae blooms and precautions that should be taken," the GRCA stated.

Officials say Belwood Lake visitors, recreational users and cottagers should take the following precautions:

• keep children and pets away from the algae;
• avoid contact with the algae;
• don’t eat fish from the lake;
• don’t use the water for drinking or any other purpose;
• boating is allowed, where permitted, but boaters and recreational users should avoid touching the algae; and
• don’t swim in areas “where you see scum, or it is accumulating along the shoreline.”

The GRCA has informed officials with the environment ministry and Wellington Dufferin Guelph Public Health, the press release stated.

Anyone with health-related questions can contact public health.

“Blue-green algae thrive on nutrients from fields and lawns that find their way into local waterways and reservoirs during heavy rainfall and spring melts and cause their populations to grow rapidly, forming blooms or scum on the surface of the water,” states the GRCA release.

“Some varieties of blue-green algae can produce toxins that are harmful to both people and pets.”

Officials say when blooms start to grow, “a noticeable green or brown scum will form on the surface of water bodies and the water look like green or bluish-green pea soup.

“Once blue-green algae are in full bloom, it may look like spilled ‘paint’ along the shoreline.

“A new blue-green algal bloom often smells like fresh cut grass, while an older bloom can smell like rotting garbage.”

For more information visit the GRCA website.

Of Arthur passed away at the Guelph General Hospital on Friday, August 28, 2026 in her 91st year. Beloved wife of Jack Whale for 66 years. Cherished mother of Nancy and Ray Hoffarth of Hanover, Susan and Doug Shaw of Arthur, Lynda Whale of Kitchener and Rod Whale and Julie Napier of Nova Scotia. Dear grandmother of John (Mackenzie), Travis, Kelli (Andrew); Ellen (Carter), Alex (Abby); Ellie Jane, Kendra, Laura, Owen, Peter. Great grandmother of Chad, Lauren and Noah. Sister-in-law of Joyce Whale, George and Marion Whale, Annie Mae and Bob Rahn, Sharon and Howard Carey and Joan Kingsbury. Fondly remembered by her nieces, nephews and friends. Predeceased by her parents Bob and Mildred Kingsbury, sister Joan and Alec McCrory, brother George Kingsbury, sister-in-law Janet and Lorne Winfield, brother-in-law Wes Whale and granddaughter Jessica Hoffarth. Ann was born on the third line of Eramosa Township and lived in Wellington County all her life. She attended school at GCVI in Guelph and Ontario Business College, where she graduated in 1953. Her first job after graduating was working in the payroll department at Armco. She left work in 1965 to raise her children full-time. She and Jack moved from Ariss to Goldstone in 1980, where Ann added animal husbandry to her job as a wife and mother. They moved to Arthur in 2001. Ann was very active in community organizations such as the Hot Dog Lady at Marden School, Women’s Institute, Wellington 4-H and the Drayton Agricultural Society. She was known far and wide for her butter tarts, pies and preserves. To honour Ann’s wishes, cremation has taken place. The family received friends at the Crawford Funeral Chapel, 243 George Street, Arthur on Wednesday, September 2, 2026 from 1:00 to 4:00 and 6:00 to 9:00. A memorial service of remembrance will be held in the Arthur United Church on Thursday, September 3, 2026 at 11:00am. Private inurnment will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers expressions of sympathy donations can be made to the Arthur United Church, Groves Memorial Hospital Foundation or the Palmerston Hospital Foundation would be appreciated by the family. An Eastern Star service was held in the Funeral Home on Wednesday at

Deveda Lois Morrill (nee Horan) passed away peacefully in her 98th year. Deveda was predeceased by her husband, M. Foster Morrill, after being married 52 years. She will be lovingly remembered by her children Brent (Julie) and Sandra, her grandchildren Andrew (Laura) and Jessica (Greg Rawson), and her great-grandchildren Madison, Peyton, and Bennett Morrill. They were her pride and joy. Deveda grew up on a dairy farm in the Eastern Townships of Quebec, between Danville and Asbestos. Her parents worked hard to raise a family of eleven children. She is predeceased by her brothers Andrew (Stella), George (Margaret), Gorden (Lucille), Carl, and Clair (Ruby), and her sisters Eileen (Roy Carson), Hazel (Garth Carson), Leola (George Kazulak), Elva (Norman Lockwood), and Murdeena (Alex Jordan). She continued to connect with her sisters-in-law Brenda and Evelyn. Predeceased by some of her 52 Horan and Morrill nieces and nephews, she will be remembered as a cheerful, caring and kind-hearted Aunt. Deveda devoted her life to working as an obstetrical nurse in her early years, to nurturing a family, to working and volunteering at the Guelph General Hospital for over 40 years. She was an active member of Trinity United Church in Guelph for over 55 years. Dedication to friendships made at both the General and Trinity lasted for many years. We are extremely thankful for the care she received at The Ellington retirement home (part of the Elliot Community) in Guelph. A visitation was held at Wall-Custance Funeral Home & Chapel (206 Norfolk St., Guelph) on Sunday, August 30 from 3pm to 5pm. An additional visitation was held on Monday, August 31 at 10:30am at Trinity United Church (400 Stevenson St. N., Guelph) before the funeral service which began at 11:30am. A reception followed. Live streaming was available for the funeral service. Interment will take place in September in Danville, Quebec. Arrangements entrusted to the Wall-Custance Funeral Home & Chapel 519-822-0051 / www.wallcustance.com. As a long-time supporter of the Guelph General Hospital and Hospice Wellington, Deveda would be pleased for any donations made in her memory to either, or to a charity of your choice. A tree will be planted in the Wall-Custance Memorial Forest at The Arboretum at the University of Guelph, with her name included on this year’s dedication plaque, near to where Foster’s plaque is located.

In Loving Memory of Tracy Coneybeare Please join us in celebrating the life of Tracy Coneybeare, who passed away peacefully on August 26, 2026, at the age of 63. Tracy was born on July 25, 1963, and called Guelph home during her early years. She was the daughter of Patricia and Joseph Fitzpatrick and sister to Coleen, Pat, and Jim. Tracy found joy in the simple things in life. She valued smiling and shining her light and love for life with everyone she met. She loved horseback riding, getting lost in a good book, relaxing on a beach with the sound of the water nearby, and cuddling with her kitties. She especially cherished spending time with her grandson, Kyren, and was so looking forward to welcoming her second grandchild. Throughout her life, Tracy worked at Imperial Tobacco for many years before eventually joining her husband, Jim, at Coneybeare Honey who were married for 32 years on July 23, 1994. She also took on various jobs throughout different seasons of her life, often finding work that fit around the things and people that mattered most to her especially her children, Amber, Amanda, and Elijah. She will be deeply missed by her family, friends, and all those who had the privilege of knowing and loving her. Come celebrate Tracy’s life with us at Grand River Community Church. Visitation was held on Wednesday, September 2, from 6:00–8:30pm, followed by a celebration of life on Thursday, September 3, at 1:00pm. Wear colour, bring your memories, and be prepared to shed a tear, share a smile, and celebrate the life she lived. If you’d like to make a donation in Tracy’s memory, donations can be made to Grand River Community Church by cash or cheque (payable to Grand River Community Church), or by e-transfer to treasurer@grcc.ca. Please include your name and address with any donation if you would like a tax receipt. To view Tracy’s memorial page and leave online condolences, please visit www.grahamgiddyfh.com.

Following a short illness, Patricia passed away peacefully, surrounded by her family at Mississauga Hospital on Sunday, August 23rd, 2026 at the age of 82. Dear sister of Leonard (late Theresa, 2024) Manion, and Mary (Ken) Mulhall. Predeceased by her beloved parents Austin (1984) and Ursula (1993) Manion, and sister Elaine (1993). Survived by her nieces and nephews: Mary Manion, John (Vicki) Manion, Leo (Nereda) Manion, Michael (Stacey) Manion, Gerald (Sheri) Mulhall, and Krystal Mulhall. A longtime member of the Catholic Women’s League and the Royal Canadian Legion, Patricia was also a dedicated crossing guard for many years. She took great pride in helping children safely on their way and was a familiar, friendly face in the community. In her spare time, she loved to dance and bowl. Visitation was held at the England Funeral Home, 294 Main Street South, Mount Forest, on Friday, August 28th from 6:00-9:00pm with prayers at 8:45pm. The Funeral Mass was celebrated at St. Mary of the Purification Roman Catholic Church, 310 Parkside Drive, Mount Forest, on Saturday, August 29th at 10:00am. Immediately following, all were invited to the church hall for refreshments and fellowship. Cremation followed and interment will take place at St. Patrick’s Cemetery, Proton. Mass offerings can be arranged through England Funeral Home or your local Catholic Church. Online condolences may be made at www.englandfuneralhome.com