• What: Protest rally against Centra Industries ♦
• When: 6:00pm on Friday 20 June 2025
• Where: Centra Industries
• Location: 24 Cherry Blossom Road, Cambridge, Ontario Map
• Website: Arms Embargo Now Rally! (@palestinesolidaritykw on Instagram)

♦

Supported by:

• PYM: Palestinian Youth Movement
• NFPWR: Neighbours for Palestine: Waterloo Region
• Palestinian Solidarity KW (@palestinesolidaritykw) | Instagram
• KW Palestine (@kwpalestine) | Instagram
• PYM Toronto (@pymtoronto) | Instagram

Open Source Application for Advanced LLM Engineering: interact, train, fine-tune, and evaluate large language models on your own computer.

TypeScript 3.4k Updated Jun 19

We’re excited to welcome Jasmine Zhang as the new Community Data Liaison for the Measurement for Change (M4C) Belonging Project! Over the next 12 months, Jasmine will work closely with the M4C team to support community programs across Waterloo Region in collecting program-level data using our validated belonging surveys. She will also provide a more tailored support to help program staff customize or select additional survey questions that reflect their unique program needs.

Jasmine is a third-year Ph.D. Candidate in Clinical Psychology at the University of Waterloo. Her research examines the impacts of digital media use on the well-being of children, youth, and parents and caregivers. She has also completed clinical training in providing psychological assessment and intervention services for children, youth, and adults from various locations in Ontario. Prior to beginning doctoral studies, Jasmine received her Bachelor of Science (Honours Psychology, Neuroscience and Behaviour), from McMaster University in 2020 and her Master of Arts (Clinical Psychology) from the University of Waterloo in 2022.

This support is currently available at no cost to CYPT members through our grant funding—so if your organization is interested in connecting to receive data collection support, please don’t hesitate to reach out to the CYPT team!

The post Meet the Measurement 4 Change Data Liaison, Jasmine Zhang! appeared first on Children and Youth Planning Table.

The most powerful and modular diffusion model GUI, api and backend with a graph/nodes interface.

Python 80.1k 1 issue needs help Updated Jun 19

Official PyTorch Implementation of "Scalable Diffusion Models with Transformers"

Python 7.4k Updated May 31, 2024

Darknet/YOLO object detection framework

C++ 538 Updated Jun 15

Marking up images for use with Darknet.

C++ 209 Updated May 19

The Canadian Society of Decorative Arts/Cercle canadien des arts décoratifs (CSDA/CCAD) Board of Directors is looking for a volunteer Treasurer for a 2-year term of office on the Board of Directors which can be renewed for a total of three terms.  This is a working board. The position will start after the September 11th CSDA/CCAD Annual Members’ Meeting.

The Society was established in 1981 and does not have an office. Most meetings of the volunteer Board and its committees happen remotely monthly. Feel free to visit our website for information about the Society at:  www.csda-ccad.org.

The Treasurer, if one is to be appointed, or that person’s designate, shall be responsible for the care and custody of the funds and securities of the Corporation and shall ensure the keeping of full and accurate accounts of all assets, liabilities, receipts and disbursements of the Corporation in books belonging to the Corporation.

• The Treasurer, or the person’s designate, shall be responsible for the overseeing of deposit of all monies, securities and other valuable effects in the name and to the credit of the Corporation in such chartered bank or trust company or, in the case of securities (investments), with such registered dealer in securities as may be designated by the Board.
• The Treasurer is responsible to work with Committee Chairs to develop an annual budget.
• The Treasurer reports the financial position of the organization monthly to the Board.
• The Treasurer attends the Governance Committee meetings to update the Executives of any financial concerns.
• The Treasurer will be a signing officer.
• The Treasurer will be versed in the QuickBooks accounting program.
• The Treasurer is responsible to oversee and approve CRA filings (bi-annual HST Rebate Tax and annual Charity returns) as well as financials for grant applications (Canada Council for the Arts).
• The Treasurer will prepare annual financial reports.
• The Treasurer shall Chair the Finance Committee which should meets monthly (or as necessary) to review the revenues and expenses with the contract Administrator and Bookkeeper.
• The Treasurer shall have such other duties and powers as the Board may specify.

Please send in your expression of interest with a CV and cover letter to our Chair, Susan Golets at susan@csda-ccad.org by August 1, 2025.

The post CSDA/CCAD appeared first on Capacity Canada.

One community member with first hand knowledge of the Stroh farm, swamp, Drain etc. recently died. There are many others however who are still with us. Generally speaking they are keeping their heads down to avoid being shot - figuratively not literally I hope. Speaking from experience I can advise that there are consequences in this town for speaking out. For speaking the truth. Most especially for speaking truth to power. The big players have an exaggerated view of their own superiority and influence. Yes they have run local politics forever and not in anybody's interests but their own.

Some of these community members may honestly think that by now the Stroh swamp and accompanying Uniroyal chemicals are ancient history. In one sense they are correct. Sights and odours of a repugnant nature generally seem long gone. The bad old days as late as 1998-2000 in which the Duke St. rowdies took up arms (figuratively again) against horrible overnight emissions from Uniroyal/Crompton are gone.  The Creek (Canagagigue) no longer runs in different colours depending upon which products Uniroyal are producing.  Downstream cattle as far as I know are not dying as they did back in 1965 (Leander Martin's). 

Our drinking water has sort of been restored via a pipeline from Waterloo to Elmira.  Uniroyal/Lanxess are no longer front page news. Yes they are still fabricating feel good stories and pretending that chemical companies no longer kill people either directly or indirectly. Tell that to the residents of Elmira who passed on prematurely due to alleged natural causes. Tell that to any Stroh family members who lived for decades next to that chemical swamp and paid the price. Does any amount of money properly compensate for ill health and a shortened life? Will these knowledgeable community members step up and speak out in time ? 

♦In Season: Dial Up Your Veggie Box
Tuesday, July 8
6:00 PM – 8:30 PM
$100
Relish Cooking Studio – 70 Victoria St N Unit B, Kitchener

Who doesn’t love a bountiful harvest of seasonal vegetables?  Fresh from local farms and picked just for you — even better!  Our chef will teach you to navigate any veggie haul by adding just the right proteins and grains. With minimal effort you’ll be making delightful meals that are healthy and quick. Tonight’s vegetables are supplied by Our Farm, an organic acreage affiliated with KW Habilitation. For information on the Our Farm Veggie Box Subscription click here.

Click here for more info

♦The Moose Movie Nights
Sunday, June 29
7:00 PM – 11:00 PM
FREE
Moose Winooski’s – 20 Heldman Rd. Kitchener

Presented by Moose Winooski’s – every long weekend Sunday this summer – outdoor movies on the big screen. This Sunday they will be showing “Paddington In Peru”. There are free hotdogs and popcorn for the first 100 people. Bring your own lawn chair. The movie will start playing at sundown around 9:00 pm.

Click here for more info

♦Adult Craft Night
Wednesday, June 25
7:00 PM – 8:00 PM
FREE – Registration Required
Central Library – 85 Queen St. N, Kitchener

Come relax, socialize, and unleash your creativity with us! Whether you’re a crafting pro or a beginner, this is the perfect opportunity to try something new and meet like-minded friends. We’ll provide all the materials—just bring your enthusiasm and a smile!

Click here for more info

♦♦♦

Karaoke Pub Night♦
Tuesday, June 24
6:00 PM – 7:00 PM
$45
Edelweiss Tavern – 600 Doon Village Rd. Kitchener

We’re going back to Edelweiss Tavern for this exciting karaoke night! Bring your friends and family and sing the night away at Edelweiss Tavern, where you can buy drinks of your choice, including near-beers! Snacks will be provided!

Click here for more info

Inner Strength
Thursday, June 26
2:00 PM – 3:00 PM
FREE
Health Caring KW – 44 Francis St. S, Kitchener

This program teaches the practice of self-compassion—treating yourself with kindness, fairness, and acceptance, especially in the face of mistakes or imperfections. Through mindfulness, self-care, and challenging negative thoughts, participants learn to replace self-judgment with understanding and support.

Click here for more info

NYO Concert
Friday, June 27
1:30 PM – 3:30 PM
FREE – Registration Required
Maureen Forester Recital Hall – 75 University Ave W, Waterloo

The National Youth Orchestra of Canada (NYO Canada) is bringing its Big Little Concert Series to Kitchener-Waterloo this summer. From June 21 to July 11, audiences can enjoy free, live classical performances at Wilfrid Laurier University’s Maureen Forrester Recital Hall, featuring Canada’s most gifted young musicians in an intimate space.

Click here for more info

Be Gay, Do Crafts: Queer Crafternoon
Saturday, June 28
2:00 PM – 4:00 PM
FREE
Kwartzlab – 145 Bedford Rd. Kitchener (2nd Floor)

Join us for a casual afternoon of 2SLGBTQ+ pride-themed crafts and community-building! We will have supplies and seasonal craft ideas prepared that you can drop in and create, or bring your own project to work on in queer company. This is a drop-in event, come and stay as long as you’d like.

Click here for more info

Pride Patio Party
Saturday, June 28
1:00 PM – 5:00 PM
FREE Admission
TWB Brewing Co. – 300 Mill St. Kitchener

Join us for our annual celebration of love, inclusion, and community – and help support SPECTRUM while you’re at it! Try our new limited edition Pride Beer: Sunshine & Rainbows. Enjoy live music from Eric Jackson and the Willow River Band. Delicious eats from Nibble & Nosh and The Lord of the Tacos. Let’s raise a glass to Pride and party with purpose!

Click here for more info

♦

♦A group of volunteers from KW Habilitation’s Project Volunteer were at Tri-Pride’s Summerfest on Saturday June 7th. The Tri-Pride festival is an annual celebration with performers, vendor booths, food trucks and fun activities.

Volunteers Jacquie and Mirandah were at the Kidszone information desk. They handed out drinks, snacks, stickers and other fun rainbow themed items. They let parents know about the important yellow wristbands to write their phone number on and put on their child’s wrist. That way any child does that becomes lost could easily be reunited with the right adults. Jacquie said her favourite thing about volunteering was getting to talk to different people.

Volunteers Simon, Felipe and Sarah made sure to let kids know about the fun activities like the dance party, puppet show, crafts table or the obstacle course. They also refilled the water misters and bubble wants, chased after any stray balls and made sure the kids had what they needed to enjoy Summerfest.

The group had attended a training in the week prior to the festival. There, they learned about different kinds of privilege, oppression, and restorative justice. The Tri-Pride committee aims to create inclusive and accessible events for the 2SLGBTQIA+ community in the Region of Waterloo. They are also committed to fairness, justice and to uplifting the voices of equity-deserving populations including Black, Indigenous, and People of Global Majority (BIPGM). These important topics were likely on the minds on many attendees of Summerfest. It was a fun-filled day of celebrating diversity and strengthening community.

Click here to learn more about Tri-Pride

The post June 18, 2025: What’s Happening in Your Neighbourhood? appeared first on KW Habilitation.

MyEyedro Highlights Plugin

The MyEyedro Highlights plugin gives you a quick snapshot of your hourly usage for the day, current utility rate, plus minimum and maximum demand, current demand and more!

There are direct links from the MyEyedro cloud pages to the MyEyedro user guide for help on any of the Configuration menu items.

♦

• View real-time demand
• Review rolling 4 week consumption average for time of day
• Customize demand gauge by percentage and color

In the MyEyedro power Highlights plugin first select the Display Group that you wish to view.

Toggle between cost and consumption data.

Hover over the orange line on the hourly graph to view rolling 4 week average data for a particular hour. View hourly data in the bar graph. Customize the color bands used by the Current Demand gauge. By default, colors on the gauge represent demand from 0% (green) to 100% (red) in 20% increments. View current and projected cost for the month and the current day.

Unlock advanced alerts, asset intelligence, asset profiles, advanced reports, RETScreen integration, and more with a MyEyedro Pro license.

For detailed Eyedro product specifications, installation and MyEyedro cloud software information please refer to the following Eyedro manuals and Support menu:

MyEyedro Cloud Software Manual

Eyedro Home Products Guide

Eyedro Business Products Guide

Eyedro Technical Support

The post MyEyedro Highlights Plugin appeared first on Eyedro.

Official inference repo for FLUX.1 models

Python 22.5k Updated Jun 5

Generative Models by Stability AI

Python 26k Updated May 20

Plus the irony is not lost on me that Uniroyal kicked our butts from the inside. They had APTE under control from very early on. I suppose it's debatable as to whether there were some good intentions in the beginning which simply went awry after enough compromises and private deals were made . It's even possible that to this very day Susan Bryant still hopes to see at least a token amount of cleanup at a "hot spot" or two. I do kind of wonder however what the former APTE coordinators are thinking now when they realize the wasted opportunities that their group has had. APTE actually had serious influence for the first few years but as soon as the coordinators backed away and let first Susan and Sylvia run the show followed in 2000 by Susan and Pat; then the jig was up.  Here we are in 2025 and the drinking water is no where near being restored to drinking water standards for either NDMA or chlorobenzene not to mention all the other chemical toxins that got "scoped".  Plus the cleanup of the Creek hasn't even been started. Same with any cleanup of the former Uniroyal site itself.

APTE of course are not the only reason that Uniroyal prevailed. Inherently guilty and corrupt governance really sank the ship. The Ministry of Environment was only initiated by our provincial government as a public pleasing, vote getting attempt by politicians and their lobbyists to convince the public that their government gave a hoot about the environment. Perhaps as the mounting costs of Climate Change, polluted air and water rise governments are beginning to see the light. The trouble is their financial backers still want to make more money. They think that they can take it with them when they die. They think that their money will immunize them from cancers and other diseases that are a direct result of the air we breathe, the food we eat and the water we drink.

KITCHENER - The Panthers find themselves on a three-game losing skid, and three games they'd like to just put in the rear view mirror.

After Thursday's home loss to Welland, Kitchener found themselves on the wrong end of two losses in London and Brantford and were outscored 20-2 in those two games.

In London, the Majors scored five runs in the first as part of an 8-1 win Friday night.

Evan Elliott gave up eight runs off 12 hits in six innings in the loss. Kitchener's lone run came in the second inning, an RBI single from Trent Lawson.

Kitchener would get 10 hits on the night, including seven off of London starter Travis Keys, but were unsuccessful in cashing them in.

In Brantford, the Red Sox put nine on the board in the seventh as part of a 12-1 decision.

Yadian Martinez recorded nine strikeouts in six innings and gave up three runs.

But Kitchener had trouble on offense, recording just six hits and scored its lone run in the eighth.

Kitchener is on the road Wednesday in Toronto, before they host Hamilton Thursday night at 7:30 p.m.

GET YOUR TICKETS NOW and #PackTheJack this summer!

The post Bouldering 101 – Waterloo appeared first on Grand River Rocks Climbing Gym.

Embarking on a career in software engineering straight out of college is exhilarating and… kind of daunting. As a young professional, the transition from classroom theory to real-world application is a journey filled with invaluable lessons and undoubtedly mistakes.

I’ve gathered a few key learnings that have shaped my approach to software development and professional growth. In this blog, I’d like to share these insights with fellow new grads and aspiring engineers, hoping they can serve as a guide and a source of encouragement.

It is as simple as it sounds. Whenever you come across a problem, do not jump to conclusions and try to over-engineer your approach. Sometimes, the easiest approach is the most optimal one.

This point is critical, especially if you are processing or coding an intermediate piece. Your code does not end with just outputs. It ends when you bridge the gaps and cover all edge cases between the other pieces of code that surround your feature.

Often, as young grads, you are subjected to new tools and technologies that you may be hearing about for the very first time. Despite of what kind of tool or technology you are working with, the internet has a wealth of resources on how to use them. Read the docs carefully and bookmark essential points.

As silly as it sounds, there are a lot of errors that will repeat themselves and you cannot expect yourself to remember to solutions to all of them; nor can you expect yourself to waste precious time solving the same problems over and over again. Log all the errors you run into. All you will have to do is a simple Ctrl F ;)

Most of the time, there are Discord, Slack or other forums where developers of frameworks and services are available, and it is beneficial to resolve issues.

Another tip along similar lines is to follow GitHub repos of the tech stack you are working with.

This is valid if you are working in a volatile field like machine learning, where there is a better model is released every other week. Stay up to date on jargon used and the latest trends in your field.

Here are a few newsletters I would suggest subscribing to:

1. TLDR — A highly popular daily digest of top stories in tech, startups, programming, and information security.
2. The Download (MIT Tech Review) — A free weekday briefing on tech trends, AI breakthroughs, and research summaries
3. Hacker Newsletter — A weekly “curation of curations” from Hacker News. It covers news in programming, startups, and tech.

Very, very important. Question every step of the process. Be 100% clear on why you are doing what. Software engineering is all about pattern recognition 80% of the time. Questioning the process will help you deal with similar situations in the future.

Do not pass on opportunities if you can help it. Constantly up-skill yourself. You will come across problems that you have no idea how to start solving. As far as possible, try to solve them yourself. Ask for help as a last resort.

I’m sure the list goes on and on, but that is all I have for now. I hope these tips cover the essence of your early days in tech. It’s okay to feel overwhelmed by the sheer extent of knowledge. But remember, engineering is a journey and not a destination. Happy journey!

I’m sure the list goes on and on, but that is all I have for now. I hope these tips cover the essence of your early days in tech. It’s okay to feel overwhelmed by the sheer extent of knowledge. Remember, engineering is a journey and not a destination.

Happy journey!

Lessons from My Early Days in Software Engineering was originally published in Code Like A Girl on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Real estate investing isn’t just for big cities like Toronto or Vancouver. Kitchener-Waterloo has become a standout destination for local investors looking to grow long-term wealth. With two major universities, a college, a thriving tech sector, and a rapidly growing population, Waterloo Region offers plenty of opportunity to start and scale a real estate investment portfolio right here at home.

Whether you’re just getting started or looking to expand, here’s how you can strategically build your real estate investment portfolio in Kitchener-Waterloo.

One of the most accessible ways to get started is by house hacking. Buying a duplex, triplex, or single-family home with a legal secondary suite, allowing you to live in one unit while renting out the other(s), helps offset your mortgage and build equity.

Local Example:
In neighbourhoods like Stanley Park or Forest Hill, investors have found success with bungalows that already have, or can be converted into, legal basement suites. These areas offer quiet streets, good schools, and steady tenant demand.

Pro tip: Look for properties close to LRT stations or public transit routes, which tend to attract long-term renters.

Kitchener-Waterloo is home to Wilfrid Laurier University, the University of Waterloo, and Conestoga College campuses. This creates steady demand for student housing year-round.

Local Example:
Properties in Northdale or around Columbia Street are prime student rental zones. Investors often purchase detached homes and convert them into multi-bedroom student rentals, sometimes with five or more rooms per property.

Just be sure to follow city zoning and licensing requirements. Waterloo, in particular, has a rental licensing program that governs student accommodations.

Flipping isn’t just about buying low and selling high; it’s about identifying properties that can benefit from strategic updates. Cosmetic renovations like flooring, kitchens, or energy-efficient upgrades can significantly increase a property’s value and rental income.

Local Example:
Properites that haven’t been updated, for example a semi-detached home in Downtown Kitchener could benefit from a modest renovation and reconfiguration of its floor plan into two units. The buyer could then refinanced and reinvested in a second property.

As your portfolio grows, consider moving into small multi-residential buildings or purpose-built duplexes. These offer better economies of scale and consistent cash flow.

Local Example:
In the Idlewood or Lakeshore North areas, newer duplexes with separate utilities and private entrances are often attractive to young professionals and families. These properties typically see low vacancy rates and higher-quality tenants.

Building a real estate portfolio requires a strong team. Work with a local REALTOR® who understands investment strategy, a mortgage broker familiar with rental financing, and a property manager if you plan to scale.

You’ll also want to stay on top of Kitchener-Waterloo’s zoning updates, vacancy trends, and development plans, especially with major growth around the LRT corridor and upcoming projects like the Innovation District.

Building a real estate investment portfolio in Kitchener-Waterloo doesn’t require millions of dollars or decades of experience. With careful planning, local knowledge, and a long-term mindset, you can turn one property into a foundation for financial freedom.

Want help identifying the right investment property? Our team specializes in guiding local buyers through smart real estate investments tailored to Kitchener-Waterloo’s unique market. Contact us today!

In recent years, “wellness” has expanded far beyond yoga and green smoothies. It’s now influencing how we design and live in our homes. For homeowners and buyers, wellness design is more than just a trend. It’s a thoughtful approach to creating a space that supports mental clarity, physical health, and emotional well-being.

Whether you’re planning a renovation, buying a new home, or simply refreshing your current space, here’s how to incorporate wellness design into your home environment.

Exposure to natural light supports your circadian rhythm, improves mood, and even boosts productivity. In Kitchener-Waterloo homes, especially during the shorter fall and winter days, maximizing daylight is key.

Wellness Tip:
Arrange furniture to face windows and use light-filtering curtains. Consider adding mirrors to reflect light into darker corners of your home. If you’re house hunting, look for layouts with large south-facing windows or skylights.

Clutter can lead to feelings of stress and overwhelm. Wellness design encourages intentional organization that promotes calm and focus.

Wellness Tip:
Incorporate smart storage solutions. Think built-in shelving, entryway storage benches, or dual-purpose furniture. In smaller Kitchener-Waterloo condos or townhomes, vertical storage and minimalist design can go a long way in creating a tranquil space.

With so many of us working or learning from home, it’s easy for screens to dominate every room. Creating intentional tech-free spaces can help support mental and emotional rest.

Wellness Tip:
Set up a reading nook, meditation corner, or outdoor patio space where phones and laptops aren’t welcome. Bedrooms, in particular, should be screen-light to encourage better sleep.

From flooring to furniture, the materials we surround ourselves with affect air quality and overall health. Wellness design favours natural, low-VOC (volatile organic compound) and non-toxic options.

Wellness Tip:
Look for paints, flooring, and furnishings that are certified green or eco-friendly. Local shops and markets in Kitchener-Waterloo often carry sustainable décor pieces and reclaimed materials that add both character and wellness to your home.

Biophilic design is the practice of incorporating natural elements indoors. It has been shown to reduce stress and enhance well-being. Plants, natural textures, and organic shapes all play a part.

Wellness Tip:
Add indoor plants like snake plants, pothos, or peace lilies to your home. Use natural wood finishes, linen fabrics, and earthy tones to connect your interior to the outdoors. Bonus: Kitchener-Waterloo’s many local garden centres offer beautiful, locally grown plant options.

Clean air and water are foundational to wellness. With the changing seasons in Waterloo Region, it’s important to ensure your home stays healthy year-round.

Wellness Tip:
Invest in air purifiers (especially during allergy season), update HVAC filters regularly, and consider adding a water filtration system. Homes with good ventilation and updated systems can make a big difference—something to keep in mind if you’re shopping the Kitchener-Waterloo real estate market.

Wellness Starts at Home

Whether you’re already settled in your forever home or searching for the right space in Kitchener-Waterloo, incorporating wellness design can create a more peaceful, healthy, and balanced lifestyle. And the best part? It doesn’t require a full renovation. Small changes, when made with intention, can have a big impact.

Looking for a home that supports your wellness goals? We’re here to help you find a space where you can truly thrive. Contact us today!

Read more: Healthy living at home: tips for a balanced lifestyle in 2025

OR IS IT POSSIBLE that they are simply hiding them somewhere? It becomes oh so tempting when you are in charge of the process to take liberties with that same process. Pat McLean did it when she was Chair of CPAC. Sandy has done it as Mayor. An addition here and maybe an improper omission there sort of tilts things in your favour as long as nobody calls you on it. While I'm calling Mayor Shantz, current Chair Nathan Cadeau and even former Chair Tiffany Svensson on it. My critiques have been sent far and wide including to the TRAC Chair and TRAC members. If they aren't already so acknowledged then hop to it !

Meanwhile the same crap continues with the pump and treat systems both on and off-site. On-site was supposed to by GHD 's claims to maintain 4.7 litres per second on -site pumping rates . It isn't happening with PW5 done and finished and new well PW6 still barely pumping at only 1 litre per second during the month of May 2025. Meanwhile the monthly Progress Report states that "Lanxess is establishing a Target pumping rate for PW6." Really? The old well had an established pumping rate of 1.8 litres per second so why wouldn't it's replacement be the same or higher? The reason appears to be that this is just one more opportunity to reduce costs and reduce alleged hydraulic containment.

Meanwhile the off-site pumping is a  comparative whopping 71.5 l/sec  !!!  To me this is just an attempt to pull more contaminants off-site with no concern for the probable loss of hydraulic containment on site resulting in more toxic groundwater moving into the Elmira Aquifers. Is it any wonder that the guilty parties are failing to achieve their stated and mandated goal of drinking water standards by 2028?

♦

There are a variety of food delivery programs in the Ottawa area, but VegHeads is a small home-grown Rockland example that started out as a group of moms sharing the cost of feeding their families that grew.

Founder Michelle Dooley moved to Rockland about five years ago, but a career transition from schoolteacher to a home-based business sourcing fresh, healthy food wasn’t a long shot, she says.

“What actually put me through university was working for Rochon Garden (in Edwards, Ont.) from about the time I was 15 years old to 21. I helped start their strawberry field and worked at their market stall and at the farm for many years. I kind of had a feel for the business that way,” she says.

Today, over the course of Friday and Saturday, Dooley collects produce and delivers dozens of VegHeads food boxes with fruit and vegetables to customers in Rockland, Clarence Creek, Wendover, Cheney, Embrun and many more locations.

For more on this story, visit Andre Paquette Editions.

Check out my latest post VegHeads for home-delivered produce from AndrewCoppolino.com.

Overall, I liked the intent of this book, but felt its execution was weak. But I'm in the minority with this book so if you love lots of pop culture references, small-town Ireland, slooooow burn poignant moments, a titch of spice within a story that asks the question 'What if ..." as it explores friendship and loss, then this book will be your jam.  

♦

When and how to begin with BEGIN?

BEGIN is the title of my next novel. I can’t even write that sentence without attempting to delete or amend it. BEGIN is the title of the novel I’m writing. But even that sentence requires amendment. It is the title of the novel I was writing (last touched in March), and will be writing again—though I haven’t dared open the manuscript for months. I can’t let myself visit the pleasure of it in the tiny jags of time available, just right now.

I will begin writing BEGIN again this summer. Soon. 

♦

My library job ends in two weeks.

As does my time-limited stint as “producer” (hapless producer, one feels at times) of the X Page Storytelling Workshop, season 6. Season 6???! Tickets for the performance are available here—it’s called “The truth is …” and it’s playing one night only at the Registry theatre in downtown Kitchener, Wed, June 25th, 7PM. Please come for stories, for the stories are life-giving.

♦

Look for me when school’s out in two weeks. I’ll be running out the doors with the kids, slipping off my sandals, standing in the grass, and maybe then, maybe then, my writing of BEGIN will begin again.

How will I parcel out my time? What do I need to write this book?

I have a publisher—Simon & Schuster Canada. (Yes, it’s official.)

More importantly, I have an editor—the brilliant poet and novelist, Katherena Vermette.

I have a pub date—fall 2027 (though those are always tentative).

I need a few intangibles, if I’m honest.

Health, sleep, sweat, rest. Dedicated time. Ear plugs?

Relaxation, intensity, hunger, delight.

Belief. Trust. Confidence—that too, especially that. You know this, don’t you, fellow writing friends? Maybe to that, I need, too, companionship that’s quiet and reassuring, and that would like to join in collective writing and drawing exercises after breakfast, before the work of the day begins …

I imagine for myself a near-hermit’s devotion to the hours, immersion in the subject, the playful giddiness that takes over when I’m making something that feels new or powerful or unexpected, that surprises me with some unearthed truth.

I can’t wait to begin.

Because I hope, I hope to finish what I’ve started. I hope to make good on what I find in the digging. 

xo, Carrie

PS If you know of places to rent/borrow/sneak into that would make for good writing intensive spaces, please let me know!
PPS The image at the top was spotted in Chicago, which I visited a few weeks ago with one of my kids, who was presenting at their first academic conference.

What: Indigenous Peoples Day Sunrise Ceremony ♦
When: 7:00am on Saturday 21 June 2025
Where: Willow River Centre
Location: 243 King Street East, Kitchener, Ontario Map
Website: www.kwmf.ca/indigenous

♦