COMMUNITY EDITION COMMUNITY.THECORD.CA
DECEMBER 2012
Fight night in KitcheneR See Page 12
INSIDE Waterloo Animated Film Fest gears up See Page 19
The undefinable Diamond Rings comes to Waterloo See Page 17
VOLUME 1, ISSUE 2
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THE CORD : COMMUNITY EDITION
DECEMBER 2012
75 University Ave. W Waterloo, ON N2L 3C5 519-884-0710 x3564 Volume 1, Issue #2 Next issue: December 6, 2012 Advertising All advertising inquiries should be directed to Angela Endicott at 519-884-0710 x3560 angela.taylor@wlusp.com CONTRIBUTORS Associate Editor H.G. Watson hwatson@thecord.ca
Photography Manager Nick Lachance nlachance@thecord.ca
Publisher Bryn Ossington Bryn.ossington@wlusp.com
Photography Manager Kate Turner kturner@thecord.ca
Editor-in-Chief Justin Fauteux jfauteux@thecord.ca
Copy Editor Erin O’Neil
Creative Designer Taylor Gayowsky Taylor.gayowsky@wlusp.com
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Rebecca Allison Carly Basch Carrie Debrone Amy Grief Andrea Hall Adele Palmquist Cristina Rucchetta Justin Smirlies WLUSP administration
4 News 9 Urban Exploring 10 Community Conversations 12 Friday night’s all right for fighting: Inside K-W’s amateur Muay Thai boxing scene
17 Arts 22 Reviews 23 Monthly Events
President Executive Director Advertising Manager Treasurer Vice-Chair Director Director Corporate Secretary Distribution Manager Web Developer
Emily Frost Bryn Ossington Angela Endicott Tom Paddock Jon Pryce Kayla Darrach Joseph McNinch-Pazzano Allie Hincks Angela Endicott Adam Lazzarato
The Cord Community Edition is the monthly magazine version of the Cord, the official student newspaper of the Wilfrid Laurier University community. Started in 2012, The Cord Community Edition is an editorially independent newspaper published by Wilfrid Laurier University Student Publications, Waterloo, a corporation without share capital. WLUSP is governed by its board of directors. Opinions expressed within The Cord Community Edition are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the editorial board, The Cord, WLUSP, WLU or CanWeb Printing Inc. All content appearing in The Cord Community Edition bears the copyright expressly of their creator(s) and may not be used without written consent. The Cord Community Edition is created using Macintosh computers running Mac OS X 10.5 using Adobe Creative Suite 4. Canon cameras are used for principal photography. The Cord Community Edition has been a proud member of the Ontario Press Council since 2012. Any unsatisfied complaints can be sent to the council at info@ontpress.com. The Cord Community Edition circulates monthly. Normal circulation is 33,000 and enjoys a readership of over 60,000. Cord Community Edition subscription rates are $20.00 per term for addresses within Canada. The Cord Community Edition has been a proud member of the Canadian University Press (CUP) since 2012. Campus Plus is The Cord’s national advertising agency. Preamble to The Cord Constitution The Cord Community Edition will keep faith with its readers by presenting news and expressions of opinions comprehensively, accurately and fairly. The Cord believes in a balanced and impartial presentation of all relevant facts in a news report, and of all substantial opinions in a matter of controversy. The staff of The Cord shall uphold all commonly held ethical conventions of journalism. When an error of omission or of commission has occurred, that error shall be acknowledged promptly. When statements are made that are critical of an individual, or an organization, we shall give those affected the opportunity to reply at the earliest time possible. Ethical journalism requires impartiality, and consequently conflicts of interest and the appearance of conflicts of interest will be avoided by all staff. The only limits of any newspaper are those of the world around it, and so The Cord will attempt to cover its world with a special focus on the community of Kitchener-Waterloo. Ultimately, The Cord Community Edition will be bound by neither philosophy nor geography in its mandate. The Cord has an obligation to foster freedom of the press and freedom of speech. This obligation is best fulfilled when debate and dissent are encouraged, both in the internal workings of the paper, and through The Cord’s contact with the community. The Cord will always attempt to do what is right, with fear of neither repercussions, nor retaliation. The purpose of community press is to act as an agent of social awareness, and so shall conduct the affairs of our magazine.
THE CORD : COMMUNITY EDITION
DECEMBER 2012
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EDITOR’S NOTE There’s a lot of learning curves in life; growing up, discovering yourself, getting that job you always wanted and falling in love. Then there’s the learning curve that comes with the business that has one of the steepest curves of all: magazine publishing. We’ve been listening to what you want out of the Cord Community Edition. After meeting with so many great community members, a couple things became clear. People told us they wanted a resource where they could find out what’s going on in their city. Waterloovians want to get involved in the arts, but a lot of them don’t know what’s going on. Others want more in-depth features. They want The Cord to explore the places they can’t go. We listened to a lot of your feedback and made some changes. This issue features an expanded arts and culture section, including reviews and more events listings. We’re also profiling more artists, but we’re not making the distinction between those who live here and those that are just stopping by. In this issue we have interviews with touring musician Diamond Rings and local jazz artists the Jason White Trio. We’ve also increased the amount of news stories and worked hard to make sure they’re diverse. In this effort we’re lucky to have the assistance of Helen Hall and Carrie Debrone, the editors of the Kitchener Citizen West and East respectively. Through our partnership, we exchange stories to ensure that you are getting the best and most through coverage of K-W. This curve isn’t finished; not by a long shot. We’re still listening, and we can’t wait to hear what you think. HG Watson is the Associate Editor of The Cord Community Edition. She can be reached at hwatson@thecord.ca.
FEaTURED CONTRIBUTORS JUSTIN NICK
LACHANCE Originally hailing from the Maritimes, Nick Lachance is in his fifth year working for The Cord, four of which, he’s spent as a member of the editorial board. A well-rounded photojournalist, Nick has shot everything from protests, to elections, to sports. Nick has also been on multiple battlefield tours in Europe and last year, he co-authored a First World War battlefield guide called Canadian Battlefields, 1915-18.
SMIRLIES
As a frequent contributor to The Cord, Wilfrid Laurier University’s student paper, and a resident of Waterloo for little over three years, I’ve taken an invested interest in our community and its future. Waterloo is a quickly developing city, and to witness that development — along with its own share of challenges — has been enlightening. For now, this is my home and there’s still so much more I want to learn.
REBECCA ALLISON I have always enjoyed art and its creation. I was excited to see the Clay and Glass Gallery for the first time, being new to Waterloo. It was fascinating to see the process and pieces created through the use of technology. To see the detail and thought put into each piece was breathtaking.
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THE CORD : COMMUNITY EDITION
DECEMBER 2012
NEWS
WELFARE STATE OF MIND Cuts to Ontario Works hit users hard hg watson associate editor
M
aking the decision to go on social assistance is a difficult one for many people to make. But an increasing number of people affected by tough economic times are turning to an overburdened social support system that may not have the resources to support them. Dave* graduated from a well-regarded university in southern Ontario. After graduation, he found himself struggling to find employment. “[Social assistance] was definitely a last resort,” he says. “I had to work myself up to doing that. It was only when other people who were on the system told me ‘don’t get kicked out of your apartment!’” Anecdotally, he could count of a number of other people like him — young and educated at the undergraduate level — who are scraping by on Ontario Works or via savings. Getting a sense of who actually needs Ontario Works isn’t easy given the sheer number of people who access the program on a monthly basis. “I think it’s generally difficult to categorize it, especially in this economic turmoil,” says Ian Stumpf, an organizer with Poverty Makes Us Sick, an advocacy group based in Waterloo Region. He estimates that about 17,000 people in the area use social assistance every month. Across Ontario, a total of 472,160 people benefitted from Ontario Works in September alone; a further 419,750 accessed Ontario Disability Support Payments. But a look into who is actually receiving social assistance uncovers some interesting, and troubling, trends. Based on statistics provided to the Cord Community Edition by the Ministry of Community and Social Services, the amount of women — especially young women — accessing Ontario Works far outpaces men. In September 2012, 44,659 women aged 25 to 34 were on the Ontario Works caseload. In the same age range, only 31,018 men were — a difference of about 13,000 people. The CCE wasn’t able to procure further statistics by press time, but Sandy Mangat, a media representative from the Ministry, told us that these numbers were about average.
TAYLOR GAYOWSKY CREATIVE DESIGNER
The number of single people and sole parents on welfare has, however, jumped up. Between September 2010 and September 2012 there was a 6.6 per cent increase in the number of single people taking advantage of the service. It doesn’t sound like a huge leap, but keep in mind this percentage increase represents 9,166 more Ontario Works cases in the span of 48 months. It’s as if the entire undergraduate population of Wilfrid Laurier’s faculty of arts signed up. With the number of single people on Ontario Works high, and the amount of young people currently unemployed or under-employed, it’s not hard to make the assumption that this is quickly becoming a resource for people who may not have been there in the past. “One time I was going to social assistance, and on the way I ran into two friends who had been on it,” says Dave. “As I was leaving, I ran into two more friends on their way to sign up.” With the October unemployment rate in Waterloo Region at 6.1 per cent, people are still continuing to access social assistance in high numbers. “Being one of the larger centres [in Ontario] we have a high concentration,” says Stumpf. The burden on Kitchener-Waterloo to provide services has just become heavier, thanks to a decision from the province to cut the community start-up and maintenance budget, a source of funding that assists people who find themselves needing new
goods for work or home. “Cuts to the CSUMB [Community Startup and Maintenance Benefit] are going to especially affect young adults and women fleeing violence in the home,” says Stumpf. With housing prices continuing to rise in the region, he predicts that Waterloo homeless shelters will continue to be stretched to their breaking point. “[The] CSUMB has kept people in housing many, many times in our experience,” says Sharon Twilley, executive director of Waterloo Region Community Legal Services. Because qualifying for Ontario Works requires that you be absolutely destitute, Twilley worries that people will suffer without having any kind of cushion to support them. “If people have had an unexpected expense they have no leeway in savings. Something really small, like buying winter boots, can put people between buying boots and paying the rent.” Her office finds itself dealing with clients who have to fight these kinds of battles with Ontario Works. With Kitchener-Waterloo now forced into footing more of the bill for social assistance, and more people signing up, it’s difficult for them to meet the rising need. “It comes very unexpectedly that the province would transfer this amount of responsibility,” says Stumpf. “David Dirks [director, employment and income support for Waterloo Region] has been fairly open that they will struggle to meet those
needs.” Some municipalities have even refused to take on the added costs. Dave’s story ended on a happy note. He was able to find employment in his field of choice and suspend his social assistance. But his frustration with the system remains. He recalls trying to get in touch with his Ontario Works caseworker to tell her he was employed. “I couldn’t get in touch with her and her phone message actually said not to leave a message,” he says. “Ontario Works can’t really provide a support that users would need to get back into the workforce.” A new review of social assistance in Ontario released recently made a number of recommendations for repairing the system, including merging Ontario Disability Support and Ontario Works. Twilley sees some helpful perspectives in the report but has some concerns about whether they’ll actually be enforced. “The recommendations fit together. It’s like a jigsaw puzzle — if you just pick a few pieces out of the puzzle, the ones that you like, and go ahead with that without taking into account their impact when the other recommendations get ignored, it may make things worse.” She’s seen past reports simply ignored by other provincial governments. It leaves more and more people seeking financial help from the government in a precarious position. *Name has been changed to protect the identity of interviewee.
THE CORD : COMMUNITY EDITION
DECEMBER 2012
THE NEWS LINE
Searching...
Last hurrah for riM? Research in Motion has announced the release of their new operating system, BB10, and has begun testing with certain wireless providers. After difficult times, RIM hopes that this new system will be what drags them out of the downward spiral they’ve been in.
Kate tuRneR FILE PhOTO
Best. Judge. Ever. A woman in Cleveland was caught on camera driving on the sidewalk to avoid a school bus that was dropping off children. As punishment, 32-year-old Shena Hardin had her license suspended for 30 days, was ordered to pay $250 in court costs and, most importantly, she was ordered to stand at an intersection wearing a sign that says, “Only an idiot drives on the sidewalk to avoid a school bus.” A round of applause to the judge who dealt with this case.
...for Photographers Writers
obama re-elected After a close race, Barack Obama took the cake and was re-elected for a second term as President of the United States. Thanks to California and Ohio it looks like we have avoided the apocalypse and the world can rest easy once again. JaMES O’MaLLEy/CREaTIVE COMMONS
canada’s funny money Apparently Canada has started using play money as currency. Not only are our bills colourful, but now they’re plastic too. The new polymer $20 bills entered circulation on Nov. 7. These new bills have been tested to see if they’ll be able to tough it out in the extreme Canadian summers and winters. After boiling them in water, freezing them in dry ice and crumpling them into oblivion, the notes were still in good shape. It is estimated that these notes will last up to 2.5 times longer than paper bills.
no nHL? no problem. rangers giving K-W all the hockey it needs With the NHL lockout dragging on, the OHL is the main hockey event in town this season, especially if you’re a Kitchener Rangers fan. The Rangers are celebrating their 50th anniversary this year, and they’re doing so in second place in their division and third place in their conference. Good luck to all the young whippersnappers with the rest of their season!
And Designers
The Cord Community Edition, connecting you to KW. You have a voice so make it heard. We are looking for anyone who loves KW that has something to share. Whether it be a story, photograph or anything you feel would fit . Share it with us! Send us an E‐mail outlining why you’re interested and some samples of your work to communityeditor@thecord.ca
CREaTIVE COMMONS
THE CORD : COMMUNITY EDITION
DECEMBER 2012
CITY OF WATERLOO | OUR COMMUNITY w2 WARD 2 COUNCILLOR
Karen Scian t: 519.747.8784 c: 519.807.7611 karen.scian@waterloo.ca
The City of Waterloo is home to some of the finest educational institutions in Canada. As a municipal government, we work very closely with our institutional
w5 WARD 5 COUNCILLOR
Mark Whaley t: 519.747.8784 c: 519.635.9436 mark.whaley@waterloo.ca
My neighbour and I had been good friends for 25 years but when her husband died she made the decision to move to Toronto to be closer to her own kids. That meant putting her house up for sale and the best offer came from
w7 WARD 7 COUNCILLOR
Melissa Durrell t: 519.747.8784 c: 226.808.6043 mellisa.durrell@waterloo.ca
Over the next couple of months Uptown
partners to create a community that we can all be proud of. Recently, I had the opportunity to accompany my son, Peter, for an open house at Laurier. This visit allowed me to see Waterloo through a different set of eyes – as a mom, considering her child’s future. While on campus, we both commented on how “normal” it felt to be at WLU, as he had attended many summer camps and sporting events as a young Golden Hawk. I will always remember the a family whose daughters were attending local universities. The girls would invite some friends to move in to help with costs. Gulp! Our quiet little cul de sac of 10 detached homes was now going to have student housing! The whole neighbourhood was in a flap. September long weekend was filled with trepidation when the sisters showed up and their two friends’ cargo vans pulled up with boxes and futons and funky lamp shades. We were being invaded! Day one had the girls unpacking, tunes drifting out of the open front door and Waterloo turns into a stunning, vibrant, winter wonderland. The ice rink in the public square will be open early December, Christmas carolers will be singing and you are invited to take a free horse-drawn carriage ride. Come support our local economy by shopping in the Uptown. You may even see Santa. As the Uptown City Councillor I have
thrill of watching him win a high school football championship under the lights at University stadium. Our lives have been enriched by having Laurier in Waterloo. We toured the campus – the student life centre, residences, recreational facilities, kinesiology labs – and I kept thinking about how important our post-secondary institutions are to our community. We often focus on the negative - the bylaw issues that come with a large population of young people – and forget about the that evening saw a bunch of cars ringing the crescent as school mates showed up to welcome them back for the new semester. We went to bed thinking that we’d be kept up all night with loud music and that our driveway would be littered with broken beer bottles when we awoke.
incredible benefit of having 50,000 young, spirited, and enthusiastic citizens in Waterloo. It’s an awesome responsibility to be the home-away-from-home for so many young people and we, at the city, will continue to work hard to ensure that our students are safe, respectful of their neighbours, and benefit from living in a really wonderful community.
chairs and reading books. Needless to say the girls have become model neighbours and have yet to complain when some of my parties get a little noisy and a bottle or two tips over and breaks. They are very understanding that old folks ike me need to have a little fun every once in a while.
The sun dawned bright without any puke stains on the sidewalk. All the packing boxes were stacked neatly by the curb awaiting next day garbage pickup. And two of the girls were out on the island in the center of the cul de sac in lawn made communication a priority. Every month I send out an e-newsletter to keep residents informed. Please sign up for the newsletter at www.melissadurrell.ca. Come check out the future of Waterloo Park at a Public Information Session on Nov. 21 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Knox Presbyterian Church. The area’s plans include a series of green rooms
that house adventure playgrounds, festival space and a basketball court. Great cities don’t happen; they are created by careful planning and vision. Working together we will continue to build a community that provides the best environment possible for those who live, play, do business or work here. See you Uptown!
A Message From City of Waterloo Mayor Brenda Halloran ... As the winter season gets into full swing, it’s a great time to bundle up and head outdoors. We’re fortunate in Waterloo to have a wealth of winter recreational opportunities available to us, whether you enjoy cross-country skiing, skating, snowshoeing and more. Remember to mark your calendars for the K-W Santa Claus Parade. This year it’s on Nov. 17 beginning at 11 a.m. on King Street. Arrive early and bring hot chocolate to keep warm! On Nov. 22, I will be hosting a wine and cheese fundraiser from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. in support of the Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery. This event will feature an exhibition I personally curated entitled “From Isolation to Inclusivity” and focuses on the importance of belonging in your community. For tickets and details visit www.kwag.ca.
Another great community event is the Mayor’s Movie Morning fundraiser, which will be held on Dec. 1 at the Conestoga Mall Galaxy Theatre. This year the morning movie will benefit Movember for men’s health and will be the grand finale for this group’s fundraising season. Join me from 9 a.m. to noon for the movie, door prizes and snacks. Tickets are available by contacting my office at 519.747.8558. And last but not least, mark your calendar for the New Year’s Levee on Jan. 6, 2013 at RIM Park. Thousands of people attend this event every year; there is free food (while quantities last), free skating, clowns, face painting, entertaining and more. I am pleased to announce that we will be unveiling the new City of Waterloo website at this event. More details will follow but please make sure you join us!
Visit us online and join in the conversation at P. 519.886.1550
E. communications@waterloo.ca
/citywaterloo
TTY. 1.866.786.3941
www.waterloo.ca
THE CORD : COMMUNITY EDITION
DECEMBER 2012
ELECTRIC AVENUE
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Grand River CarShare gets a little greener PhOTO COURTESy OF GRaND RIVER CaR ShaRE
Grand River CarShare’s Matthew Piggott and Kitchener councillor Berry Vrbanvoic check out the co-op’s first electric vehicle. anDRea haLL KITChENER CITIZEN
D
on’t let the coming snowflakes fool you — Waterloo Region is getting greener.
Grand River CarShare recently added an electric car to its fleet of shared vehicles. It’s a perfect fit for the co-operative, which promotes a sustainable transportation system. But executive director Dave Steffler says there were obstacles. “At this point in time, the infrastructure is still in its infancy,” he said. “In order to get this vehicle in place we had to have a charging station installed.”
Steffler gives a lot of credit to the Region of Waterloo for the new addition. Not only did the Region install the charging station at its administration building, but the co-op purchased the Mitsubishi i-MiEV in part with a $15,000-grant from the Region’s Community Environmental Fund. The car officially launched Oct. 17, and Steffler says it’s been used every day since. Of course by now, the co-op is used to success. Grand River CarShare began in 1998, based on a model that had already gained popularity in Europe. Members reserve a vehicle just when they need one – insurance and gas included in the rate.
It fosters what Steffler calls a conservation ethic. “When you own a vehicle and it’s sitting in the driveway, it’s easy to use because it’s there,” he said. “When you’re paying per use you’re much more aware of how much it’s costing you.”
the opportunity. “It’s another way to promote healthier means of transportation.”
The idea took off — the co-op now has 23 vehicles and 700 members between its Grand River and Hamilton branches.
It’s currently evaluating interest in Niagara Region, Elmira and Cambridge, and Steffler says they’ve had inquiries from London and Peterborough.
“You can rent per hour, which is very convenient for me, and it’s cheaper than owning a car,” said CarShare member Suzie Nunes. She said the co-op fills in the gap when she needs to get somewhere in a hurry, or out of reach of public transit. Nunes hasn’t had a chance to take out the co-op’s i-MiEV, but is looking forward to
As its Waterloo Region fleet grows, Grand River CarShare is also looking to expand its market across Southern Ontario.
“It’s still a fairly new concept to a lot of people, but our hope is that with time it’s going to become the social norm.” For more information visit the website at communitycarshare.ca.
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THE CORD : COMMUNITY EDITION
DECEMBER 2012
WASTE NOT, WANT NOT Justin sMiRLies CCE CONTRIBUTOR
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he Region of Waterloo is conducting a major facelift of their waste management plan, a process that hasn’t been completed since 1986. “We’re looking at the future of waste collection and diversion, what we’re picking up in front of people’s homes and what we’re doing with it, as well as what we’re doing with the left over garbage at the back end, so the disposal side of things,” explained Cari Howard, project manager for the Region’s waste management division. The current landfill off of Erb Street in Waterloo is reaching capacity and is, according to Howard, going to close in about 20 years. Howard noted that it would have been closed by now if it wasn’t for the updates that were required to the plan every five years, such as the blue box and green bin programs. “We’ve been saying that there has been 20 years left in the landfill for about the last 20 years. But through things like the blue box program and the green bin program we’ve been able to extend the life of the landfill,” she said. To be proactive about the region’s new waste management master plan, the teams involved in constructing the new framework have gone to the public to look for input. Public consultations and online surveys — one of which just closed on Nov. 9 — have been conducted to allow residents to have their say. “We started [the plan] in March of this year, and we’ll going to [regional] council with a recommendation in the fall of 2013,” continued Howard. “So what we’ve done so far is look at all the numbers so we know what we’re receiving from residents, what we’re receiving from commercial consumers. We’ve also looked at some of the population projections with
PhOTO COURTESy REGION OF WaTERLOO
The site of Waterloo Region’s landfill. Its been under stress as the area population grows.
our planning department for the Region of Waterloo.” The recommendations that the teams come up with will be dissected by the regional council and they will choose what they want to have implemented. From there, the plan will be approved and waste management can move forward with their recommendations. But the closure of the landfill isn’t the only concern when it comes to the new plan. “The current waste plan is unsustainable,” said Matthew Day, program manager of the Regional Carbon Initiative at Sustainable Waterloo Region, who also sits on one of the two steering committees for the waste management master plan. “There is an unlimited amount of waste that residents can put on the side of the road and that has to change.”
Both Howard and Day noted that initiatives such as garbage limits, bi-weekly garbage pick-ups and new waste disposal technologies have been discussed as potential recommendations for the new master plan. A new landfill site will have to be discussed as well. “We’re looking at all those possible options, whether it’s trying to find another landfill, or building a piece of technology,” she added. “Some municipalities are working with different alternate technologies. The Region of Durham is in the process of just building an ‘energy –from-waste’ facility so they heat all the garbage that comes through.” For Day, however, the plan needs more focus on smaller private businesses. “One of the larger limitations with any regional master plan for waste is that it only controls and is only mandated to target residential waste,” he explained.
“Businesses don’t have the infrastructure to implement any of their recycling or compost plans.” Businesses are generally forced to hire a recycling company, but if they don’t produce enough waste or they don’t have the funds to do so, they’ll throw recyclable materials such as cardboard and metals in the garbage. According to Howard, reception of the ideas being thrown around for the new master plan has been “positive,” and they plan on hosting another public consultation in February or March 2013. The current landfill is undergoing plans to become “passive recreation,” and the forest nearby will grow onto the closed landfill. “We haven’t made any decisions yet, [but] we’re really looking to get people’s thoughts and opinions,” Howard said. For more information and ways to get involved, visit regionofwaterloo.ca/waste.
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THE CORD : COMMUNITY EDITION
DECEMBER 2012
URBAN EXPLORING
9
HOME AWAY FROM HOME Shawerma Plus brings homestyle Syrian cooking to Waterloo
nicK Lachance PhOTOGRaPhy MaNaGER
Baraat Khudier serves up some shawerma at the restaurant she co-owns with her husband. They opened just last month. aMY gRieF CCE CONTRIBUTOR
T
university prior to immigrating to Canada six years ago.
ucked away in a strip plaza on King Street across from the Wilfrid Laurier University campus is an odd assortment of local businesses.. Apart from Quizno’s, the plaza remains franchise-free, enabling a community of independent restaurants to thrive.
Opening their doors for the first time on Oct. 1, Shawerma Plus has already become popular with students, professors and community members alike. The Khudeirs hope to provide a healthier alternative to fast food restaurants.
The strip’s newest tenant, Shawerma Plus, serves up authentic Middle Eastern cuisine prepared fresh, in front of your eyes.
“Before we opened the restaurant, we made a study for all of the area, we discovered that everywhere here is fast food; no homemade dishes, no healthy food!” said Baraat.
“When we designed this, we designed it open concept for the customer to see, smell; why should it be hidden?” said co-owner Baraat Khudeir. She owns the business along with her husband, Asem. Originally from Syria, the husband and wife team behind the restaurant moved to Kitchener after their son was accepted to the University of Waterloo one year ago. Asem was an instructor at a Syrian
Shawerma Plus offers homemade Mediterranean dishes on Mondays and Thursdays. Everything is prepared in house, and these meals have become so popular that they’re thinking of expanding the homemade menu to other days of the week. Daily menu items include both chicken and veal shawerma, falafel and a variety of Middle Eastern salads and side dishes.
Everything is priced approximately 50 cents lower than their competition in order to further attract customers. One of the only area restaurants serving Turkish coffee, the restaurant lives up to its name of offering more than just shawerma. The restaurant itself is bright and relatively spacious. With plenty of seating room, including lounge section with couches and a stereo, Shawerma Plus is ideal for both takeout and eating in. A large TV showcases sporting events from around the world, and the owners encourage patrons to linger by offering free Wi-Fi. As everything is made to order, the food takes a little bit longer to prepare. However, it’s well worth the wait. When a regular customer stopped in to order three falafels, Asem said, “He knows that it takes five to ten minutes. We will not fry until the customer is in. I don’t prepare it and keep it to cool down and heat it up for the customer.” Providing exemplary service, Baraat was
eager to demonstrate how she prepares everything to suit her customers’ tastes. Taking me behind the counter to make the tabouleh, she threw together onions, cucumbers, tomatoes and bulgur. She dressed the salad with high-quality olive oil and lemon juice. Just when I thought she was finished she said, “I ask my customers to taste it. If [you] like more lemon, I put more lemon.” Shawerma Plus’ commitment to quality food and a friendly environment shines through in everything they do. A grand opening event, held on Nov. 1, brought community members out to taste a buffet of their food. Baraat and Asem mingled with guests and served up fresh shawerma pitas table-side. It’s a testament to the family-like community they’re trying to create in the midst of a stripmall right beside Wilfrid Laurier. Shawerma Plus is located at 220 King St., N., it’s open: Sunday-Thursday, 11 a.m. to midnight, Friday-Saturday 11 a.m. to 3 a.m.
nicK Lachance PhOTOGRaPhy MaNaGER
Locals enjoy the family style servings. The owners of Shawerma Plus pride themselves on their home cooking.
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THE CORD : COMMUNITY EDITION
DECEMBER 2012
COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS W/KW HABILITATION
It’s an exciting time for local support agency KW Habilitation. After almost five years of planning and campaigning for a brand new building, they are inching closer to starting the project. The proposed building will include a café and several brand new resources for the many people who make use of KW Habilitation’s services. Associate Editor HG Watson sat down with Ann Bilodeau, executive director of KW Habilitation services to chat about how to get people living the good life.
HGW: Tell me a little bit about the campaign to get a new building for KW Habilitation. AB: The history in this building goes back to the early seventies. If you look at the field of developmental services in the early seventies, it’s very different than it is today. It was very much a model of the office in the front and the people we support in the back doing the light industry in the community. It used to be called a sheltered workshop for a lack of a better word, which is not the word today. Thank goodness the field has really shifted over the years. 2007 was when we started this whole adventure. That was for several reasons. One, it’s an old factory and an old factory is not okay anymore for adults who have a developmental disability. Two, the building is falling apart and when you start looking at costs of what it would cost to improve it, getting it up to code it was going to be a couple million dollars. HGW: Will the new building make it easier for the people coming to participate in programs at KW Habilitation? AB: They come to participate in activi-
ties that they choose to do in their life so it’s very different. Adults that have a developmental disability have many options today, so they would come here to participate in what is valued to their day. Certainly there is a list of things that they can do — they can go to Zumba class and participate in that, and we have the studio, which is right out back.
and strong employment program where over 160 adults are in community working at minimum wage or better. We’ve moved a long way baby!
The day in the life of a person who has a developmental disability is very different today. The way we look at it is that we’re participating as an organization in helping people have a good life. If you look at what… habilitation means, it’s not rehabilitation. It’s not a broken arm that can be rehabbed. It’s habilitation, which means good life. We look at it as supporting a good life and building a good life depending on where the participants are at.
HGW: Who will run the new café that you’re putting in the centre?
HGW: Your contribution to the community isn’t limited to assisting people with developmental disabilities. AB: The reality is we employ over 600 people and have almost 30 homes in K-W. We also have one of the largest preschool programs in Waterloo Region… we have certainly a very strong youth program
Strong citizenship is also something we believe in. Many of the people we support are involved in traditional volunteer in the community.
AB: We’ll be doing it all. We have a couple of cool ideas there we get really excited about it because we truly believe that the day in the life of a person can change drastically from coming in. HGW: When does construction start on the new building? Shovel in ground will be the end of February 2013. Initial plans are for three floors; first floor is all about the people we support. The main thing about this building is that it will be welcoming for anyone. If you’re interested in supporting KW Habilitation’s AchieveAbility campaign, visit kwhab.ca/donate/achievability/
Photos courtesy Kw habilitiation
The proposed new building would feature recreation areas and a cafe open to all.
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DECEMBER 2012
NEW HOME ICE
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re-DEVELOPMENT 117 King St, Kitchener
caRRie DeBRone KITChENER CITIZEN
After $12 million in renovations, the Aud is close to welcoming visitors.
caRRie DeBRone KITChENER CITIZEN EDITOR
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f you haven’t already had the chance to visit the expanded Kitchener Auditorium you will be able to see the changes in the New Year when an open house, official grand opening and public tours will be offered. “Its been a long road and I know it’s been a very long road for the players,” said Steve Bienkowski, chief operating officer and governor of the Kitchener Rangers, as he lead a media tour of the expansion project on Oct. 18. The $12-million Aud expansion project, which added 968 new seats to the facility and raised its seating capacity to about 7,500, met all its construction deadlines. The expansion provides a third-level concourse, a fourth-level media room and loft-style suites, concessions, washrooms and renovated team space, including dressing rooms, player services, offices and retail area. The Kitchener Rangers funded the expansion — a move made possible by a repayable loan from the City of Kitchener based on a 15-year repayment schedule. The newly-completed renovation is a scaled-back, less-costly version of the original Kitchener Rangers proposal tabled in 2010, which sought approval from city council for a 3,500-seat expansion that would have cost about $65 million. Underground water pipes were installed in stage one, with stage two completing the connection of the new water source and relocating the Ranger’s offices, dressing room and medical facilities to 35 Sportsworld Drive so the expansion could continue. Stage three involved the demolition of the Rangers’ office, dressing room and medical facilities and removal of the outside sidewalk in front of the Rangers’ office
to make way for new foundation and column work. Removal of the press boxes and prep work for the installation of the structural steel to support the new roof continued. Stage four work began, April 11 as cranes were erected to prepare for the initial raising and installation of rink-length steel truss framework for the expansion that would be completed in several weeks. Interior work on the Rangers offices and medical facilities continued and framing for the three-level addition began. The first level now houses the concourse that supports the new seating area and concessions. The second level is the ‘Legends’ level with five private suites, NHL, CHL and Media Lounge and the Rangers executive boardroom. Stage five saw significant changes to both the seating expansion and the interior dressing room area. The flooring of the new concourse level was installed to accommodate the concessions and washrooms for the new seating area. The erection of trusses for the new roof over the expansion allowed completion of electrical wiring, drywall and other interior fixtures. In stage six, the new arena roof was completed on schedule and the Aud was closed to the public on July 23 to allow inside construction to continue and the elevator shaft to be completed. The last construction stage included the milestone event of removing the old roof over the arena. Stucco work began on the Ottawa Street side and inside the seating area was prepared, ready for seat installation midSeptember and the floors were sealed. Stairs were poured and railings for the upper levels constructed. The dressing room and business operations areas neared completion, with furniture and equipment installed in October. In the arena, ice making began in mid-October.
hg watson aSSOCIaTE EDITOR
The Simpson Block, a designated historic site, is almost ready to for a fresh start Justin FauteuX EDITOR-IN-ChIEF
What did it use to be? From its red-brick façade to its factory warehouse windows, 117 King St. provides a glimpse into a time when Kitchener was still known as Berlin. Built in 1895, the four-storey building that sits in the heart of downtown Kitchener. 117 King St. bears the name “The Simpson Block” in honour of William Simpson, who had the building constructed as a furniture store and warehouse. Over the years, the Simpson block was owned by the Mennonite Publishing company, before Tri-City Music, coffee store Matter of Taste and The Bead Boutique moved into the bottom two floors, with the top floors only being used for storage. What’s happening? Last summer a Toronto development company paid just over $1 million for the building with plans of converting it into office space. Of the three existing businesses, only Matter of Taste stuck around. That was where Joseph Bogdan and his architecture firm Bogdan, Newman and Caranci came in. “The idea is to revive and revitalize the building both internally and on the King Street façade, recognizing its heritage aspects, but at the same time bringing it up to the 21st century,” said Bogdan. Bogdan emphasized that maintaining the historical elements of the building will
play a large role in 117 King’s re-development. “You have to look at a lot of the basic elements of the historical building. You have to look at the scale and keep in context with the rest of the street.” Who’s moving in? When it’s completed, the Simpson block will be home to multiple new tenants, the highest profile being the CBC. The building will serve as the new KitchenerWaterloo broadcast centre for CBC Radio. Susan Marjetti, managing director of CBC for the Ontario Region said the location would be ideal because it would put the CBC “in the middle of the action.” When will it be finished? According to Bogdan, the project is in it’s “final stages” which is cause for further excitement for local fans of the CBC. It appears the public broadcaster is all but ready to set up shop. While there is no set date, a CBC press release said the new K-W station would begin broadcasting “this winter.” Considering CBC has already posted jobs for the K-W station, it’s likely to be sooner rather than later. The building’s other tenants will include an office as well as technology and marketing firms. According to Bogdan, the retail storefront on the ground floor will remain. Whenever the new 117 King does open, it will be the latest example of a re-vitalized industrial building Kitchener has become known for. “Downtown Kitchener has a real wealth of these early 20th century factory buildings,” said Bogdan. “They’re very adaptable and I think it’s right not to knock them all down.”
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THE CORD : COMMUNITY EDITION
DECEMBER 2012
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FRIDAY NIGHT’S ALRIGHT FOR FIGHTING Inside K-W’s amateur Muay Thai boxing scene
Words by HG Watson Photos by Nick Lachance
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t’s a dark and rainy November evening. In downtown Kitchener, people scramble to hop on buses to escape the bone-chilling cold. Yet inside Elements nightclub — usually the home of drunken debauchery — a hot and slightly tipsy crowd is cheering on two young fighters circling each other in a ring set up where you would normally find people dancing. “Kick his ass!” one woman screams from the crowd. The fighters in question are several years below the legal drinking age. The one in red shorts lands a quick punch and the crowd responds with huge cheers. This is not UFC, nor is it the crowd you would imagine going to a fight. Welcome to the world of amateur Muay Thai boxing in Ontario. A week before the fight at Elements, a group of advanced and intermediate students are hard at work preparing for their fights at TKO Fighting Arts gym, a large open space gym tucked into a nondescript strip mall in Kitchener. Their trainer, Chris Greig (who is also TKO’s co-owner), leads the class through what seems like an endless number of pushups, burpees and sit-ups. Soon the mixed group of men and women switch to shadow-boxing, grunting their way past invisible opponents. “Always stay two, three, four steps ahead,” Greig calls out. “Think about what your opponent is going to do and respond to that.” “It’s getting pretty good [here],” Greig says. “CASK Kickboxing [the national organizing body of Muay Thai events] model themselves after world organizations for world tournaments.” Muay Thai has been a part of Grieg’s world for a long time. As an amateur boxer, he’s twice won national championships and picked up a bronze medal for Canada at the amateur world championships. Gazing out at all the TKO members he coaches and trains, Greig talks about the transition he now faces in his career. “Basically right now my fighting career is kind of winding down.” He’s beginning to see himself as coach first. “It’s more about training the guys and bringing them up through the system and creating provincial and national champions.”
THE CORD : COMMUNITY EDITION
Several contenders for those titles are training at TKO this very night. There’s Dragon Markovic, a tall fighter who Grieg counts as one of his best up-andcomers; he has won every one of his six past fights. Justin Holden, meanwhile, has been training for three years and has dabbled a little in several fighting sports. At 28, he worries about making the transition to pro before he gets too old. “It’s a young man’s sport so if I want to make the jump I have to make it soon.” Sonia Hernandez-Bernas is another fighter with a lot of potential. Her path to boxing came for a simple reason. “I did it purely out of vanity reasons because I hate running,” she laughs. “[But] I got to know a little bit more about the culture and art aspect of Muay Thai. After learning a bit more it made me want to pursue some amateur fighting and train harder.” Hernandez-Bernas is very passionate about what she considers the more artistic side of Muay Thai. “You have to move a certain way. There’s technique involved, same as anything like painting or drawing or dancing even and those are all considered art forms.” In Thailand, the home of Muay Thai, there is a legend about a man who was so skilled, he won the favour of an enemy king. Nai Khanomtom was captured by the king of Burma in the mid-18th century. There, he was selected to participate in a boxing competition against Burmese fighters to see which fighting style was dominant. Nai Khanomtom went on to defeat ten fighters without even taking a break. The king said in reaction, “Every part of the Thai is blessed with venom. Even his bare hands…” While there is some argument about the truth of the legend, it’s certainly a truth that Muay Thai is an important part of Thai culture. Today, Muay Thai — the art of the eight limbs, so called because each appendage can become a weapon — is as formalized a sport in Thailand as boxing is in North America. Originally developed by the military (much the same as Jujitsu or Karate) it eventually became a spectator sport with a great deal of ritual around it. New
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fighters are often blessed (a tradition Greig keeps alive at TKO) and boxers bow to the four corners of the ring before each fight.
Thailand and doesn’t know anything about Muay Thai or the culture, yet he has a Thai flag hanging in his gym.”
The rise in popularity of UFC in Canada and the U.S. has brought more attention to Muay Thai, somewhat ironically, however, as Muay Thai is actually different than UFC (Mixed Martial Arts does use elements of it but Muay Thai differs in that the fighters remain standing and don’t wrestle). Many of its practitioners are quick to emphasize the ‘art’ aspect of martial arts, noting that it’s as much about technique and practice as any dance. They’re also protective of the sport’s heritage. “It’s frustrating for me as a Muay Thai practitioner,” says Greig of people who assume UFC and Muay Thai are one and the same. “There’s a lot of gyms opening up. The guy’s never even had one single fight, never even been to
Like traditional boxing, Muay Thai is scored on a points system. Fighters get points for landing punches, but style and technique count a lot too. “[The judges] are looking for the most devastating technique,” says Grieg. “You could be hitting a person lightly all around but the person who thows the most efficient devastating blow of the round would win because they did the most damage.” As the class at TKO winds down, the fighters chat to each other about upcoming bouts.
Photos: Page 12-13: A TKO Fighting Arts boxer takes the impact from a blow delivered from her opponent. Page 14: One fighter is knocked back by a punch. At this level, boxers are training 12 times a week. Page 15 top: Trainer and TKO gym co-owner Chris Greig talks to one of his boxers between rounds. Page 15 bottom: The vocal crowd at Elements reacts to a punch. Page 16: Sonia Hernandez-Bernas is triumphant after her first amateur fighting win.
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You can tell people are trying to keep their mind off the fight night at Elements on Friday, but it’s difficult. Some have only fought outside the gym in one or two fights. “My last fight was about three years ago,” says Jonathan Evans, a market analyst at RIM. He doesn’t get as much time as he likes to fight but still loves coming to TKO. “It’s a family, it really is,” he smiles. “I would hang out with these people even if we weren’t kicking the crap out of each other.” Come Friday night at Elements, kicking the crap out of each other is all anyone can think about. Evans looses his bout. But even in defeat he’s quick to give his opponent a hug at the end of the match. He goes straight from the ring to the bar, smiling broadly; obviously still high on getting to fight in front of cheering fans. “The best part of the whole night was the energy from everyone who came,” says Hernandez-Bernas. She was triumphant in her battle. A confident fighter, it was easy to see how methodical she is in approaching the fight. Each knee or fist thrown has purpose. It’s very much, as Hernandez-Bernas puts it, a dance. “It was my first win,” she says. “I was ecstatic.” Markovic was also successful in his fight (unfortunately Holden’s fight was can-
THE CORD : COMMUNITY EDITION
celed). There’s a lot of buzz watching Markovic as he pummels the other fighter. It’s now seven-straight wins for him. Greig is a constant presence during the fights. He’s in the shadows of the ring watching the fighters; he’s at their side when the bell goes, offering words of encouragement before they re-enter the fray; and he’s in the dressing room, putting the boxers through their final paces before they meet their opponent. It’s representative of the attitude he brings to TKO. “Everyone is here to help each other get better,” he says. It’s what his whole role is now centred around and what he wants the feeling at TKO gym to be. By the end of the night about 500 people have filtered in to see the fights. As people are drawn to Muay Thai for whatever reason — UFC, family and friends, a love of blood sport — the sport has gotten bigger. With the professionalization of the amateur Muay Thai fighting circuit, its practitioners are hoping for bigger and better things including eventually getting the sport included in the Olympic stage. So like Nai Khanomtom, the man with venom in his fists, Muay Thai boxers will get to prove themselves to be the best, with the eyes of the world upon them.
THE CORD : COMMUNITY EDITION
DECEMBER 2012
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ARTS AND CULTURE BEYOND DEFINITION Diamond Rings brings his genre-bending sound to K-W hg watson aSSOCIaTE EDITOR
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t’s extremely difficult to slot Diamond Rings into a musical box. He calls himself a pop star, yet on his new album, Free Dimensional, he raps and plays electric guitar.
His fashion sense mixes glam with the jerseys and ball caps of the Toronto sports teams he grew up idolizing. He cut his teeth with indie rock band The D’Ubervilles but now draws comparisons to David Bowie. If you ask Diamond Rings – real name John O’Regan — the answer to who he is and what he’s about, it’s simple. “It’s about creating my own world and inviting everyone else to share it with me for a moment in time.” The 27-year-old musician has been creating his own moments since releasing the first Diamond Rings singles in 2009. Since then he’s drawn attention from the likes of Pitchfork and Exclaim and recently appeared as the musical guest on Late Night with David Letterman. “You work up to these things,” notes O’Regan. “[But] I’m not going to lie, it’s not often you’re tuning your guitar and David Letterman is standing 10 ft. to your left.” The Letterman gig, and everything that has come since, is something O’Regan has been working towards his entire musical career. “Everything that I’ve done as a musician and an artist, right down to playing coffee shops in the suburbs when I was 18 has all gone into making me who I am now.” Diamond Rings has always had a lot of fun playing with people’s expectations when it comes to his music. Free Dimensional, the artist’s sophomore full-length album, is almost a contradiction in terms. While definitely a pop album, the lyrics continue his complex exploration of identity that he started in 2009.
DIAMOND RINGS photo courtesy Norman Wong/ Indoor Recess
On the lead single from Free Dimensional, “I’m Just Me,” he sings, “I was too afraid to love, afraid of my body or anybody thinking of what I thought of. Now I’m growing older I’m getting bolder, confident in my own skin.” It’s a bold declaration of growing into oneself, which in many ways reflects his own time evolving his act. “At the outset it was doing whatever I could do to be as radically different and to defy expectations as possible,” O’Regan says. ‘Once it became clear Diamond Rings was going to become a going concern and something I was going to be doing as a career I really started to want to find ways to streamline the look to match the sound.” O’Regan’s sound and style have garnered him a great deal of attention. Both could be called genre-bending and even in their creation the two mirror one another. “I record and write in my room or in the tour van. It’s where a lot of our ideas and contests are generated.” His style is a mix of DIY, created with the help of his cousin, Lisa Howard — “the glasses I wear on the album cover Lisa put together with black frames and pieces of mirror ball we picked up in Chinatown [Toronto]” — and high-end designers like the ones who create his signature leather jackets. It’s an attitude that has carried forward from O’Regan’s early days in Toronto’s music scene. “I was fortunate early on that I had a lot of help within my own community — those early videos didn’t make themselves!” Most of his crew came for free. “All those people contributed to a lot of that early work and did it for nothing other than the satisfaction of being part of something that was unique and fun and exciting.” Now that fame and opportunity are knocking at O’Regan’s door, he’s become careful
in monitoring how his work is presented. “Options aren’t necessarily a good thing. I think a lot of fantastic and amazing art work is born our of necessity and options can perhaps be one of the worst things for an artist.” Control is therefore paramount in his career path going forward. “Now for me it’s about being incredibly selective,” he says. “I don’t want to find myself in the scenario where I’m in a room with someone because someone else thought it would be a good idea because they had a hit song out last month.” After touring for almost two years, O’Regan isn’t slowing down – literally or figuratively. He writes from wherever he finds himself — “Trains I find especially nice” — as he keeps searching for new ways to express his musical identity. There’s no downtime or breaks while he recharges his creative batteries. “Sometimes that’s a bit exhausting,” he laughs, “but nowhere near as exhausting as staring out the window.” Diamond Rings plays at Starlight Lounge Dec. 1 wsg. Gold & Youth. $15 ADV, Doors @ 8 p.m.
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THE CORD : COMMUNITY EDITION
DECEMBER 2012
THREE OF A KIND
kate turner photo manager
The Jason White Trio performing at the Jazz Room in Waterloo. ali connerty cce contributor
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ast month, the Jason White Trio led a packed Jazz Room, located in Uptown Waterloo in the Huether Hotel, on a journey through experimental music, re-arranged classic jazz pieces and some Nietzsche. Playing three one-hour sets, each had a different theme that exposed the attentive audience to a diversity of jazz-influenced music. “Whatever show I play, whoever’s in the audience, there’s something for everyone,” explained Jason White, front man and piano player of the trio. White does the arranging and writing of all the music. Accompanying him are Montreal-based Paul van Dyk on bass and Joe Ryan on drums. The trio all have a strong background in jazz but “we happen to be jazz musicians who play other stuff,” White said. “We’re pretty much thoroughly based [in Waterloo],” White explained. “Gigs in Toronto aren’t generally all that attractive [and] audiences aren’t necessarily that appreciative.” As compared to Toronto where, White explains, “half the audience is listening and half the audience is chatting away,” the Jazz Room hosted an attentive and respectful audience throughout all three sets. “We can break the silence and its this big moment where everybody is going on this journey together,” White added. A mixture of all walks of life, the Jazz Room accommodated individuals and large groups for the event. Children, students, established professionals and an older crowd all gathered to support this local artist. White later explained that “we set an attendance record at the Jazz Room for the third set.” An accomplishment White was both slightly surprised and pleased with. “We had the busiest night of the season,” he said. Baffling pieces such as “Usher David Lam was a no show” with actor Andy Houston speaking the aforementioned title had the audience confused more than anything.
Using altering emphasis on the phrase, it explored the importance of emphasis on meaning in conversation. Other experimental pieces included the premiere of the “intergalactic” tune “Tyson.” Using pre-recordings of a Mike Tyson interview and live improvisation from all members of the trio they captivated the room with their fearlessness to experiment with sound and technology. A beautiful, minimalist piece, “Opening” from Philip Glass’s Glassworks was both emotional and beloved by the audience. During the final set, White applauded the audience for their attentive ears and open minds: “Five years ago I would have thought that banging my fist on the piano would have gotten crickets. Thank you everyone.” After staggering applause, the trio created an impromptu encore with Motown improvisation and cover of the Isley Brothers. As each musician in the trio jammed out in a solo, the others were supportive and complementary, really showcasing the positive chemistry this group has. White explores the limits of creativity in music by posing the question “How outside the box are you allowed to think?” He draws innovation from other musicians and how they are pushing boundaries. “Seeing a person light a saxophone on fire kind of makes me pounding my fists on the piano seem very palatable,” said White. An influential member of the community, and graduate of Wilfrid Laurier University, White explained the merits of being involved with the Kitchener-Waterloo region. “When you’re in a place like Waterloo, you can incubate and really grow as an artist. But then when you go from that into a really large pond, there are opportunities that don’t exist here, like meeting an agent,” he said. The trio are exploring opportunities that go beyond the boundaries of Southern Ontario. “Once we’re finished an actual studio album, it would be really nice to be able to tour with that album,” White said. The Jason White trio play The Maureen Farrester Recital Hall Nov. 15 at noon.
THE CORD : COMMUNITY EDITION
DECEMBER 2012
A LIFE ANIMATED
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WFAC sets out to show animation is a medium, not a genre
Photo courtesy waterloo festival for animated film
In Les Jour Des Corneilles, a Canadian financed animated feature, a young boy finds himself torn between his enchanted forest and the real world.
hg watson associate editor
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nimation has come a long way since Mickey Mouse captained a steamboat in Walt Disney’s famous short Steamboat Willy. It’s a malleable art form that can be used to make kids laugh (Toy Story) or make adults cry (Toy Story 3). Over three days in November, the Waterloo Festival for Animated Film will show off the whole scope of the animated film medium, playing movies from right across the globe. In 2002 WFAC was just a few University of Waterloo students getting together to watch Japanese anime films. Ten years later, curator and founder Joseph Chen finds himself dealing with several international premieres and playing host to world-renowned animators and directors. “It has always been to try and show the diversity of the storytelling and the diversity of the visual arts,” says Chen. “[It’s about the] ambition of the single animator who struck out there to do their own film, all the way to the studios who create these [films] across all the countries.” Chen is eager for audiences to appreciate the variety of films that exist in the animation community. “It’s a medium and not a genre,” he points out, noting that anything from drama to comedy to documentary has appeared in animated form. “In terms of media production today, 22 per cent is strictly based animation. We don’t even count visual effects.” For this year’s festival, Chen has gathered together an array of films that really demonstrate how diverse the animated film world is. “For us this is an opportunity to bring stuff here so audiences in Waterloo Region can discover films for ourselves.” WFAC is an unusual stop on the animated film festival circuit as it allows
audiences to actually enjoy screenings as opposed to smaller fests that focus more on the industry side of animation. “It is all about the fact that a very humble group of artists out there trying to tell the story in exactly the way they want to,” says Chen. “This is a beautiful form [for it].” Chen helped us preview just a few of the films that will be gracing the screen at WFAC this year. HELLS Japan, 2008 Rated R Director: Yamakawa Yoshiki “This is an anime film that is not an anime film at all,” says Chen of Hells, a film in which a blue-haired heroine finds herself in the school from literal hell after getting into an accident on her way to junior high. The film was mired with production problems for several years but is finally making its way into the festival circuit. Hells’ trailer gives shades of the fast-paced German thriller Run Lola Run. “It’s all about frenetic motion,” laughs Chen. (Thursday Nov. 15, Chrysalids Theatre, 9 p.m.) BABLEDOM United Kingdom, 2012 Rated AA Director: Paul Bush Attention urban dwellers: this one’s for you. Babledom is a highly experimental film made up of composite shots of cities all over the world as a way of exploring urbanism. “It’s an intellectual’s look at cities and urbanization,” notes Chen. (Friday Nov. 16, Chrysalids Theatre, 11:00 a.m.) CRULIC – THE PATH TO BEYOND Romania, 2011 Rated AA Director: Anca Damian
Crulic is an animated story about injustice and crime told from beyond the grave. The most interesting part about this film? It’s an entirely true story. “It’s a documentary about a Romanian who was arrested in Poland for stealing a judge’s wallet… even with proof that he was in Italy when his theft theoretically happened,” says Chen. In real life, Claudiu Crulic, whom the film is based on, passed away after his prolonged detention in a Krakow jail. His story is now brought to light via a unique animation process mixing actual photos and amazing watercolour-like imagery. (Friday Nov. 16, Chrysalids Theatre, 6:30 p.m.) LE JOUR DES CORNEILLES (DAY OF THE CROWS) Canada/Belgium/France/Luxembourg, 2011 Rated G Director: Jean-Christophe Dessaint “Finally a Canadian film!,” enthuses Chen. “Canada produces so many great animators and we have all these animation studios. Where are the Canadian films?” Chen hopes that cross-produced films like Le Jour des Corneilles represent a possibility for future Canadian-led animation. The movie, based on a Quebecois novel about the son of an ogre who stumbles into a normal town, is a touch magical and boasts some star power — the famed French actor Jean Reno provides some of voice work. (Saturday Nov. 17, Chrysalids Theatre, 2:45 p.m.) A LETTER TO MOMO Japan, 2011 Rated PG Director: Okiura Hiroyuki Anime fans will see shades of famed director Hiyao Miyazaki (Spirited Away) in this tale of a young girl left wondering what her father wanted to write to her in his last letter before he passed away. “It’s a slice of life piece,” says Chen. Naturally,
Momo’s life is just a little enchanted as she finds strange things happening to her in her new home by the sea. (Saturday Nov. 17, Chrysalids Theatre, 6:30 p.m.) HEART STRING MARIONETTE USA/Iceland, 2012 Rated R Director: M Dot Strange A film about a samurai marionette who has to duke it out against a warlord and an evil clown isn’t going to be your usual cup of tea. But that’s probably just how the director M Dot Strange likes it. Known for pushing boundaries in art, his films are highly experimental and unusual. “It’s his vision through and through,” says Chen. The film’s composer, Endika, will be in attendance and provide a live soundtrack for the screening, giving audiences a chance to get a truly immersive artistic experience. (Saturday November 17, Chrysalids Theatre, 11:30 p.m.) STRANGE FRAME USA, 2012 Rated R Director: G.B. Hajim “Something Waterloo does not do very well is figure out where the big divide is between art and technology,” says Chen. Strange Frame is an example to him of the cooperation of the two. “It was made in Hawaii. There is no animation studio in Hawaii. But the director thought ‘why can’t I do it here?’” The genre -bending computer animated film is about love and music, all set against a post-apocalyptic backdrop in space. (Sunday November 17, Chrysalids Theatre, 4:15 p.m.) A full schedule of WFAC films and events can be found at wfac.ca
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THE CORD : COMMUNITY EDITION
DECEMBER 2012
CROWN JEWEL
Princess Cinemas harkens back to the old days of going to the pictures By Carly Basch
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oing to the movies has always offered a therapeutic and thrilling excitement that cannot be replicated at home. Independent cinemas have had a reputation for bringing in a more artistic and culturally renowned experience to discerning audiences. However, when it comes to programming and bringing the numbers in, do independent theaters have what it takes to be successful in the age of the megaplex? Princess Cinemas, Waterloo’s only nonchain theater, gives people that old-time thrill of going to the theaters. Located in two spots, the Original Princess at 6 Princess Street West and The Princess Twin,
46 King Street North, the pair of cinemas represent the intimate feeling of what going to the movies should be about: small venue, smaller space yet quality films. However, the Princess has tough competition. With rising technologies and venues catered to bring in audience members that focus on high sales and out-of-thebox technology, large movie theatres nation wide are running small independent theatres out of business. Spectacles arise now with films that showcase 3D, or cinemas that offer current and familiar film titles that top the box office and star actors that audience members are accustomed to. But with 20 years of business under its belt, The Princess has no plans of shutting down. Run and owned by John
Tutt, The Princess has specifically paid attention to what audiences need to see and what they should see. It seems Waterloo Region audiences like what’s playing. Within the Kitchener Waterloo community there are over 6,000 members eager and willing to check out what’s playing at the theater that boasts a diverse screening calendar. However, Tutt had other goals in mind when he first opened the theatre in 1985. “When we opened, we showed cult classics over the first couple of years. It wasn’t until three years later into the late 80s that we became a first-run cinema.” Cult classic showings like The Rocky Horror Picture Show, which still runs to this day, was what initially attracted audiences. However as the years passed and audiences taste changed; so did the Princess. In 2005, Tutt expanded just slightly,
across the street, opening two new screens at The Princess Twin. So how does a small theater like The Princess consistently attract audiences? “The program is always changing,” Tutt says. “That’s the appeal, is the mixture of what’s onscreen. There’s always something for everyone at any given time.” Over recent years, The Princess has made sure their programs offer a variety of movies. They hope to continue pursuing their mandate of showcasing worldrenowned films as well as growing their film festival and live show program. The Princess has been consistent in getting Kitchener-Waterloo audiences to invest their time and appreciation in foreign and independently made films. “[The Princess] plays films that main chain cinemas do not, showing films from all over the world, films that win awards at festivals. The Princess also plays the highest percentage of Canadian films in the whole region,” says Tutt.
THE CORD : COMMUNITY EDITION
Tutt makes the pilgrimage to the Toronto International Film Festival each year to bone up on movies he’ll show at the Princess for the months to come. “I’ve been going for about 25 years. You watch 30 to 50 films over ten days and you just immerse yourself in a whole bunch of movies…that’s a good programming help and you just know what’s coming”. It’s not just about variety. Tutt ensures that the films he chooses are adding up to the sales at the box office. “The Original Princess spans over two months so every three weeks I’m pouring over every title, but for the Twin, I sit down every Monday and evaluate the numbers of how well each film did and how much longer they should be in theaters for, just like a chain cinema.” It’s not all rosy, however. Tutt has noticed a recent downturn in student attendance. “Movie going habits have become a bit more conservative,” Tutt notes, “Going to the Princess entails a little bit of a challenge and risk, so you might go see a film that’s Canadian or German or French film or maybe an American independent film that has no stars in it. It has great reviews
DECEMBER 2012
and playing all over the world but has no familiar actors playing in it. Not many students are as willing to take that type of risk and go see a film that they are not that familiar with”. Ashley Hannah, a fourth-year sociology student at Wilfrid Laurier University, echoes Tutt’s sentiments. “I was hesitant to go at first because no one I knew seemed interested or excited about checking out independent films.” After finally managing to get the courage to attend a screening of The Perks of being a Wallflower, her view changed. “I like the smaller venue. It’s more intimate and not as loud or noisy [as] in bigger theaters like The Galaxy. The Princess has more sophistication.” Despite this slight hiccup, The Princess’s involvement within the Kitchener-Waterloo community proves how entrenched they are here. “We do a lot of outreach with community groups and benefits,” Tutt says when asked about how the Princess connects with Waterloo’s community. “We host free movies in the park in the summer and we get about 1,200 people at these screenings.” This past September, The Princess hosted a fundraiser for the
KW Counselling Services and helped raise money with a secret screening of Sarah Polley’s film Stories We Tell. In December, the original Princess will be switching to digital in hopes of screening high resolution films. Many theatres that have held on to 35 mm projectors have had increasing difficulty obtaining reels as many film distribution companies make the switch to digital. For the Princess, a digital projector simply makes sense if they still want to provide the variety they’re renowned for. While the act of going to independent theaters may seem outdated, The Princess Cinemas have proven that there is still a desire to see interesting and unique movies. When you go to the Princess, you’re not just paying to see a film; you’re paying to have a cultural experience. Tutt has no plans to stop pushing forward. “We just want to keep pursuing what we have been doing and continue growing as a business. We have no plans of going anywhere and look forward to celebrating 30 years of being within the community.” For The Princess’s monthly schedule, visit princesscinemas.com.
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@cordcommunity Hoping to shop locally this holiday season? Be on the lookout for our local shopping guide in out next issue: Dec. 6.
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THE CORD : COMMUNITY EDITION
DECEMBER 2012
INSTANT ART
Tech and art merge at the Clay and Glass “Art-O-Matic” exhibit rebecca allison cce contributor
The art world has met its new and most revolutionary artist: technology. In the newest exhibition at The Clay and Glass Gallery, Art-O-Matic: Art Meets New Technologies, artists, such as Neri Oxman, Susan Shantz and Claire Brunet, portray all the form and imagination that 3D-scanning and printing can offer. While walking amongst the photos, figures and sculptures that are featured throughout the exhibit it was difficult to fathom how a machine could assist in the construction of such intricate and colourful pieces. Thankfully, the machine that did was dead centre in the exhibit. The MakerBot Replicator whirs quickly and efficiently, carving a frog figure. While watching the carriage moves across the plastic, it is difficult not to imagine the forethought required to design such a piece and program in order to make the complex sculptures displayed throughout the room.
Rebecca Allison CCE contributor
“Art-O-Matic” runs at the Clay and Glass Museum until Mar. 17, 2013.
Frogs soon jumped again into view. Shantz’s works, having been inspired by Japanese ceramics, include a crown of frogs created through 3D printing. By scanning a teapot, Shantz was able to extract only the animals and natural adornments on the teapot and design a program in order to create a ring of frogs and flowers. To see the method in which the crown was formed allows the viewer to converse with the artist and see the inner workings of not just the machinery but the mind.
The gallery displays the beauty of sculptures both large and small. Guillaume Lachappelle’s sculptures, though miniature in size, are expansive in both meaning and detail. The Livre is eye-catching as a novel housing a never-ending hallway full of books and information. The elaborate detail given to each shelf and book to vary in size, shape and depth brings reality to such a fantastic work of fiction. Striving to display a ‘micro-universe’ full of realism and illusion, Lachappelle uses epoxy and plaster to create stairs that lead to nowhere and a balcony standing by the mere strength of pipes and joints. The beauty of these pieces is found in how close they mirror reality and yet allow the imagination to wonder where those stairs could lead or what the hallway could hold. Brunet attempts to balance technology, humanity and nature with The Salmon Project. One of the larger of the pieces displayed, the two fish wearing the word “vulnerable” are housed in a separate room. A projector gives the illusion of the grey scales of the fish, videos of fishermen catching fish and swimming in the river. While walking around the dark room watching the smiling fishermen hoist up their fish with pride, the technology used to create the pieces became insignificant. The sculpture was art. The technology was only a new medium, like paint or clay, for the art to use and manipulate in order to open new doors and display art that can please both old and new admirers.
REVIEWS THE MASTER USA, 2012
REWORK: PHILIP GLASS REMIXED (Last Gang)
P.T. Anderson is not in the business of making easy films. His movies are challenging, jarring and sometimes a tad impersonal. But the art that makes us the most uncomfortable is often the art that makes us ask the right questions.
Philip Glass’ minimalist compositions are an obvious choice for remixing. His repetitive structures are, in a way, the Genesis, of the loop-based structure of techno. So it may come as little surprise that just in time for the American composer’s 75th birthday the hipster/scientologist reprehensive to the pop world, Beck, has assembled Rework: Philip Glass Remixed a two-disc 12-track reimagining of Glass through a contemporary lens.
The Master is as uncomfortable a film as Anderson has made. Freddie Quell (Joaquin Phoenix) is a mentally unstable drifter running from his past. He stows away on Lancaster Dodd’s (Phillip Seymour Hoffman) boat, a man who is the leader of a cult called The Cause. Anderson shoots the film so perfectly that each frame could be a beautifully captured still photograph. On its own it could seem clinically removed from the subject at hand, but in Anderson’s hands it serves to juxtapose the simmering characters, each who are at different levels of belief in The Cause. Don’t expect to walk out of The Master feeling like you have all the answers. There are no judgments to be found here. But you will likely find yourself with more than one question. -HG Watson (originally appeared in The Lance, Windsor)
This time, Beck gathered few friends to chop up and rework some 50 plus years of Glass’ material. The results are pleasantly surprising and not only respect Glass’ work, but like a textural audio biography express something about the man without words. Beck’s best move was collecting together people that not only respected Glass, but understood his processes, rhythms and subtle changes. Notable tracks include Amon Tobin’s “Warda’s Whorehouse,” Peter Broderick’s remix of “Island,” Icelandic post-ambient composer Jóhann Jóhannsson’s rework of “Protest” from the 1980 opera Satyagraha and Beck’s own “NYC: 73-78,” a beautiful 20-minute piece containing 20 pieces of Glass work from arguably his most interesting period. -Stephen Hargreaves (originally appreared in The Lance, Windsor)
THE CORD : COMMUNITY EDITION
DECEMBER 2012
MONTHLY EVENTS THIS MONTH WE’RE GOING TO.... Music The Trews (acoustic) wsg. Red Wanting Blue Canadian east-coast band The Trews find their acoustic tour taking them to the Starlight in Uptown Waterloo. Usually known for their huge, high-energy shows, the foursome is deviating from their norm to promote their new EP, … Thank You and I’m Sorry. But you won’t be sorry if you go to their concert! Starlight $25 advance, $30 at the door Wednesday, Nov. 21 & Thursday, Nov. 22 Doors @ 8pm
Community Blue Language: Exploring Na’vi, Avatar’s Native Voice Did you ever make up your own language when you were little? Of course, when you were little, you didn’t take into account all the intricacies of creating a whole new language; you just did it for fun. Well now, Paul Frommer, creator of the Na’vi language for James Cameron’s Avatar, speaks about all the intricacies of creating and developing the language for the movie. He’ll also give a short lesson in speaking like a big blue alien. CIGI Campus $10 (presentation only), $22.50 (presentation + AVATAR exhibit) Thursday Dec. 6 @ 7pm
Arts Rebecca Belmore (Big Ideas in Arts & Culture Lecture Series) Internationally renowned artist Rebecca Belmore is speaking as part of the Big Ideas & Culture Lecture Series, put on by CAFK+A (Contemporary Art Forum Kitchener + Area) and Musagetes. Much of Belmore’s work deals with history, place, identity and justice, and uses sculpture, installation, video and performance as her outlets. Kitchener City Hall Rotunda FREE Tuesday, Nov. 20 - @7pm –Compiled and written by Adele Palmquist
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MUSIC Nov. 15
The Box Tiger wsg. Will Currie and the Country French and Elos Arma Maxwell’s Music House, $7, 8:30 p.m. The Jason White Trio Maureen Forrester Recital Hall (WLU), FREE , 12 p.m. The Short Films Chryslaids Theatre , WFAC FILM FEST 2012 After Party, 6 p.m.
Nov. 16
Ryan Guay (Street Pharmacy) Maxwell’s Music House, $10, 9 p.m. Greg Prior Quartet The Jazz Room , $12, 7 p.m. SLEEP SIX Chryslaids Theatre , WFAC FILM FEST 2012 After Party, 6 p.m.
Nov. 17
DJ Whiteout Chryslaids Theatre , WFAC FILM FEST 2012 After Party, 6 p.m. Melissa Stylianou The Jazz Room , $18 , 7 p.m. Remembering Apollo wsg. Split the Skye, Sound Glyphics and Emerald Seas Maxwell’s Music House, 9 p.m. Shoshana Telner The Music Room - $30, senior $25, student $20 , 8 p.m.
Nov. 18
The Damn Truth Chryslaids Theatre , WFAC FILM
FEST 2012 After Party, 9 p.m. Lindy Jane Bond, $10, 8 p.m.
November 22
Kitchener Music Fest wsg. Crystalyne, A Yellow Field, Message, Through Motion, Ry McAllistar, Tired Eyes, The Waves and Deafen Maxwell’s Music House, $10, 7 p.m. Jeng Yi, Korean Drum Ensemble Maureen Forrester Recital Hall (WLU), FREE, 12 p.m.
Nov. 23
Ted Warren Trio wsg. Ron McClure The Jazz Room , $20, 7 p.m.
Nov. 24
Dzeko & Torres Beta, $5, 10 p.m. Rebecca Binnendyk Quintet The Jazz Room , $18, 7 p.m.
Nov. 27
Les Voix Humaines The Music Room, $30, senior $25, student $20, 8 p.m.
Nov. 28
Mother Mother Elements , 7 p.m.
Nov. 29
Radio Laurier Movember Fundraiser Concert ft. San Sebastian
Maxwell’s Music House, 8:30 p.m.
Nov. 30
Monkey Junk and Daddy Long Legs Starlight , $16 ADV, 7 p.m. Hip-Hop Producers Showcase Maxwell’s Music House, $10, 9 p.m. Xavier Rudd wsg. Good Old War Elements, 7 p.m. Edwin & Gustav: An Invitation Centre In The Square, kwsymphony. on.ca for ticket prices, 8 p.m.
Dec. 1
Diamond Rings wsg. Gold & Youth Starlight, $15 ADV, 8 p.m. DJ Ellis Dean (The Sadies) Jane Bond, 10 p.m.
Dec. 2
Sebastian Drums Beta, $5, 10 p.m. Olena Klyucharova, wsg. Marcus Scholtes The Music Room, $25, senior $20, student $15, 8 p.m.
Dec. 4
Mårten Falk The Music Room, $30, senior $25, student $20, 8 p.m.
Dec. 5
Riff Raff wsg. Dog Bus Starlight, $15 ADV, 8 p.m.
COMMUNITY NOV. 4/18, DEC. 2/16
Play With Clay The Clay and Glass, $10, 1p.m., 2:30p.m.
NOV. 17
Christmas Bake Sale and Bazaar Faith Lutheran Church, 8:30a.m.
NOV. 29
Uptown Waterloo Holiday Open House Waterloo Public Square, FREE, 4:30p.m. Wonders of Winter Waterloo Park, FREE, until Dec. 31.
James Cameron’s AVATAR: The Exhibition The Museum, themuseum.ca for admission prices, until Jan. 13. Treasures of China featuring the Dazu Rock Carvings The Museum, themuseum.ca for admission prices, until Mar. 17.
ARTS The Fall Exhibition Homer Watson Home & Gallery, $5, until Nov. 18. Maleta Stories (Marissa Largo) Robert Langen Gallery, until Dec. 8. Macbeth University of Waterloo, general $17, students/seniors $13, until Nov. 18.
NOV. 24 NOV. 15/22/29 Contemporary Art 101: Lunchtime Lecture Series
Kitchener Waterloo Art Gallery, FREE, 12p.m.
Calligraphy Presentation The Museum, see themuseum.ca for admission prices, 11a.m. The End of Season Exhibition and Christmas Sale Homer Watson Home & Gallery, $5, until Dec. 22.