April 9, 2012
Last week, Council adopted a new Official Plan, which will guide our community’s development over the next two decades.
Much has changed in our City since the last time we adopted an official plan in 1988: we have grown out to our borders, we have prioritized our natural environment, our economy has transitioned, our post-secondary institutions have expanded, and our core has grown vibrant.
In our new Official Plan, we will focus on growing up rather than out, allowing for mixed use buildings across our core and in our nodes and corridors, supporting more complete neighbourhoods. We will demand a more accessible City as we develop, and our transportation system will be planned with all modes in mind: pedestrian, cycling, transit, and automotive.
With a few tweaks to some specific sites and broadening language around community gardens and temporary farmers markets, Council was unanimous in its endorsement.
Now the plan goes to the Region of Waterloo, who is the approval authority, though they will need time to take their decision as their own plan is under appeal. Long before they approve the plan, the Northdale Land Use and Community Improvement Plan process will have concluded with associated amendments to both the current and new Official Plan filed with the Region.
January 29, 2012
The city has begun its work on our community’s new culture plan, which is looking at culture not through what buildings we have to house institutions but how we as a community express ourselves, in all of its different forms.
This weekend in Waterloo has been true to the diversity of expression and culture we have to celebrate.
Lion approaches our table, taking an offering for good luck, at the Chinese New Year Gala
On Saturday,I had the privilege of bringing greetings to a COCCC gala celebrating the Chinese New Year. The year of the dragon was ushered in with a traditional Lion’s dance and a visit from the God of Fortune, followed by an endless parade of talened expression through traditional music and dance. Thank you to Romy Yee for the invitation.
Reading 'If you give a Moose a Muffin' to families at Family Literacy Day
On Sunday morning, I was pleased to be the first reader for Family Literacy Day activities at Conestoga Mall as part of Project READ. Reading ‘If you give a Moose a Muffin’ to an assemblege of families with young children, it occured to me how much we have structured our formal correspondence through the written word requiring a particular form of literacy to engage with it, but we have still held fast to an oral storytelling component as part of these efforts of expression. Thank you to Anne Ramsay and Lorri Sauve for the invitation and the opportunity.
Ann Roberts speaking to a large crowd at Knox, across the street from the gallery she helped found
Finally, I was thrilled to hear from Ann Roberts, as she related her 50 year retrospective through her ceramic and other works, before touring her exhibit in the gallery she helped found, the Canadian Clay and Glass Gallery. We have certainly blessed to have her works challenging us to rethink what we see before us displayed again with such dynamic prominence given her lasting local and international impact.
We are blessed through this grand diversity of expression that comprises culture in our community, and I am looking forward to hearing more from the community through our consultation process in the culture plan. We are certainly more blessed with culture than any of us individually know.
