COMMUNITY THROUGH KOLLECTIVE

At Kollective Studios, community is among their core tenants alongside creativity, choreography and just a little bit of chaos. Among Kitchener- Waterloo’s newest creative ventures, the Kollective Studios partnership introduced Kollective Kreations, a crafting space that focuses on the art of decoden. Decoden is derived from the Japanese words for decoration (deco) and phone (den). Known for its over-the-top cute designs, decoden is a DIY craft using whipped cream-inspired glue and adorablecharms to decorate items like phone cases, Polaroid frames and accessories.

Their grand opening weekend for their new venture took place over the weekend of Jan. 9 to 11, 2026. Community members came out en masse to try their hand at decoden and to support business duo Kezea Shayne Gamboa and Alex Duong.

Following up the successful launch of their dance studio Kollective Khaos on Aug. 22, 2025, the two are now offering alternative creative outlets to their dancers as well as the wider Waterloo Region audience.

As an immigrant who came to Canada from the Philippines with her family in 2017, Gamboa always found that community was a big part of her life. Being able to foster a creative community in a leadership role has been a lifelong dream of Gamboa’s, starting in high school where she choreographed dances and taught them to her classmates.

“I really want to build a community where it’s filled with different stories, different backgrounds and different types of creativity,” Gamboa said. Gamboa and Duong met in 2023, in one of Gamboa’s K-pop dance classes. They quickly became friends through the environment that Gamboa cultivated in her classes, with post-class group dinners to Korean BBQ.

Duong loved the atmosphere so much that he began encouraging Gamboa to open her own studio and further expand her ethos to more than just her own classes.

“That’s where Kollective Khaos dance comes from. We want everyone to feel like they’re part of it and that they’re not just coming for dance class. It’s a safe space and a place where you can feel empowered to be yourself or discover new parts of yourself,” Duong said. Gamboa’s ambitions were not just limited to the dance studio either; on weekends the dance studio used to sit empty, but now Saturdays and Sundays host bustling decoden workshops, allowing folks to come out and try a different kind of creativity.

“When people ask for my advice on how to get over a choreography creativity block, I always tell people to do something else. Do something else that fires up that creativity that’s not dancing,” Gamboa said. “

It really helped me a lot with my creativity blocks and then, because you’re still using your brain, it’s just not on the one thing that you’re stressing about. It’s like a different type [of creativity] and it’s making your brain happy again and allowing it to breathe,” she said.

At its core, Kollective Studios is all about community and connection. For both Gamboa and Duong, without opportunities to socialize together outside of class, they wouldn’t have some of the meaningful relationships they do now. Every month the studio holds a movie night in their space which they pair with a themed dance routine. In January, they watched Bring It On: All or Nothing and learned a routine with guest instructor Sky Pahl, Canadian Football League and National Lacrosse League cheerleader and dancer.

“[It’s] a great time, because we have like a little slumber party almost, so we get to talk to each other … we get to hang around, we get to laugh at the movie and talk about it. I think that’s a huge thing with building community, and I think we’ve had a good response,” Duong said.

Kollective Studios offers multi-week sessions and drop-in dance classes from Monday to Friday in the evenings. On weekends, Kreations runs from noon to 6 p.m. and offers a multitude of accessories for crafters to customize. The studio is moving on Feb. 8 from their current location at 275 Larch St. in Waterloo to a bigger space at 259 King St. W., Unit 203 in Kitchener.

DOG DAYS ARE HERE

On Nov. 14, 2025, I had the honour and pleasure of taking in a foster dog named Charlie. 

I did not make the choice to foster a dog lightly. As someone who grew up with a dog, I knew how much responsibility and time caring for a dog takes.  

I can now confirm that the adage of rescue dogs saving the people that take them in is true.  

Since COVID-19, this seed of loneliness was planted in me, but having Charlie around has helped me regrow my curiosity for life and the great outdoors.  

Charlie is a half German Shephard, half American Dingo. He grew up in Texas and he was left to fend for himself on the streets for about six months before being taken in by a kind lady, who contacted the Dog Rescue Society (DRS). 

The DRS is a foster-based, volunteer-run organization based in Kitchener, and their mission is to rescue, rehabilitate and re-home dogs in need, while creating a supportive community of adopters and fosters. Usually, their foster programs take about three to four months.  

For the first few weeks, he was in what is known as the decompression phase—what he needed most was a quiet, structured and safe place to be.  

I remember our first walk together was around the block outside of my apartment building. He was skittish and anxious, much like me. I felt like maybe I was in over my head, maybe it was too long since I had a dog and I was not equipped to be a good dog parent.  

But when he looked up at me with his hopeful big brown eyes on the elevator ride up to our apartment, I felt like we were in this together.  

For the first few days we were on a strict structured routine of waking up at the same time, eating at the same time and walking at the same time during the day. It was a way to introduce structure to Charlie’s life, especially since his life was turned so completely upside down. The more time has passed the more Charlie’s personality has manifested. He is a confident dog who takes life in stride. Though doubtless he feared me when we first met, he was nothing but cordial to me. He is curious, playful and full of energy for life. All things that a depressed human like me lack sometimes.  

Since the start, we’ve settled into a similar but less rigid routine. Due to some difficulties with mental health issues, having another reason to get out of bed and get some exercise has been a lifesaver. I’m happy I got to help Charlie, and he in turn has helped me quite a lot.  

Charlie is currently up for adoption. If you are interested, check out his profile and others on the DRS website at  thedogrescuesociety.net. 

SHOW LOVE, EVEN ON A BUDGET

Money can be tight sometimes, especially in this economy, making gifts difficult to organize. 

My family also has two birthdays in December, so I am no stranger to trying to scrimp and save to make sure I can show my loved ones how much I care. 

While overconsumption and inflation run rampant, there seems to be a rise in people wanting to make their own gifts. Here’s a list of cheap and homemade gift ideas I turn to every year. Hopefully they also help you to spread the love this holiday season.   

Needle Felting  

This craft uses specifically designed notched needles to form wool into different shapes and designs. The notches tangle the wool fibres and cause them to interlock to form firm structures. This versatile craft is perfect for those on a budget.   

I started needle-felting with the help of a friend over a year ago, and it has turned into a fun hobby that also helps me make fun gifts for friends.   

You can find Ontario roving wool at Flying Squirrel for 15 cents per bundle. And the needles can be purchased online starting at $1.50. You can easily find free patterns online as well.   

Happy felting!   

Crochet and Knitting  

Crocheting and knitting is part of the needlecraft family in which you use a hook to create fabric from loops of yarn. Both can be used to make anything from a blanket to a sweater.   

While this is not a hobby I have participated in yet, I know plenty of people who use fibre arts for gift giving. You can purchase a ball of yarn at Flying Squirrel starting at $2.99.   

Painting  

Who doesn’t love a hand-painted piece of art? Check out any dollar store and stock up on paper, paint and paintbrushes without breaking the bank.   

Something I like to do is called zen-tangles. To create a zen-tangle, paint a simple shape like a triangle or a square in one colour. The point is to be intentional about each line.

It can be very calm and makes for a beautiful piece of artwork. Cutting up the print and making unique cards out of them is sure to brighten up anyone’s holiday.   

Baked goods  

Use the holidays as a way to expand your hobbies or practice tried and true ones. For me, baking is one hobby I like to use when the holidays come rolling in.  

I like baking Filipino treats for my loved ones during the holidays to show them my appreciation. Making food like puto or biko is a fun way to be creative while also putting in a lot of care into the gift. Puto, a steamed rice cake, is very inexpensive to make and requires ingredients you would already have in the pantry like flour and sugar.  

DONATIONS FOR 100 VIC FOR THE WINTER

Winter is here and residents at 100 Victoria St. North (100Vic) need supplies to get them through the season. Going into the harshest weather of the year, residents need the support of their community now more than ever. Here are a list of things residents need and details on how to donate.   

Urgently  

• Four person tents  

• Tarps  

• Wooden pallets  

• Sleeping bags  

• Blankets  

• Hygiene products  

Needed daily   

• Water  

• Juice  

• Single serve snacks (granola bars)  

• Home cooked meals  

• Clothes  

• Hats  

• Nail clippers and files  

• Pest repellent  

Amazon Wishlist 

• Glad black garbage bags  

• Rubbermaid 6-pack heavy duty durable totes  

• 8-liter plastic storage boxes  

• Evian natural spring water, 12 bottles  

• 36 Pack AAA batteries  

• 48 Pack AA batteries  

• Polarized sunglasses   

• Banana Boat sunscreen  

• Butane refill  

• Sunheavy duty double-sided dust barriers  

• Rain tarps  

• Paracord bracelet rope   

• Awning repair tape  

• Permanent all-weather duct tape  

How to drop off donations  

There is a parking lot adjacent to the encampment. Once at the encampment, the donation table is near the Sandbag House in the middle of camp. There will be a Fight-Back member on-site near the donation table.   

Other options for drop-offs  

Donations can be dropped off at the encampment at any time. For large or heavy donations, reach out to [email protected] to arrange a drop-off. If you are unable to make it to the encampment, pick-ups can be arranged for donations. 

#100Vic #100VictoriaSt #AdrianQuijano #amazonWishList #batteries #donations #ductTape #encampment #fightBack #FightBackWR #FightbackKW #fourPersonTents #KatWex #supplies #YIMBY

ODD DUCK WINE & PROVISIONS GETS MICHELIN RECOMMENDATION 

On Sept. 19, 2025, Kitchener’s Odd Duck Wine & Provisions was added to the Michelin Guide as a recommended restaurant to visit. Odd Duck aims to be a welcoming space without tip culture that focuses on people and providing unique dining experiences.   

The team shows careful attention to detail in their menus and wine pairings. Still, the Michelin recommendation came as a pleasant surprise.   

“We haven’t cared about fitting into a box. So, we’re just gonna keep doing our thing. We’re glad they noticed. That’s really cool, but that doesn’t change our approach,” Wes Klassen, owner and sommelier of Odd Duck, said.   

Klassen wanted Odd Duck to be different from other restaurant environments. He wanted a place that encouraged kitchen team members to be creative and actively participate in creating the menu.   

“The foundation of thinking about Odd Duck came from, is how do we create a space that is a brave place for people to exist as they are, and ironically thinking about this in the pandemic, not be masking all the time, right? They’re able to be themselves,” Klassen said.   

In 2020, Klassen started Purple Teeth Wine Consulting, a business that strove to make wine education accessible. Just before he was about to launch wine events, everything was shut down due to COVID-19.  

“In the very beginning, we focused on wanting to build an environment that was just unapologetically inclusive,” Rob Corrigan, Odd Duck’s co-founder, partner and director of operations, said.  

Stuck at home, Klassen began thinking about how to make the restaurant business more ethical. He wanted to do a lot of listening and unlearning with other individuals in hospitality to create a better work environment.   

“It’s an experience. And we also know that we won’t be for everybody, in terms of people who want that mass kind of consumption. We’re more of a place you go to explore flavor,” Klassen said.   

Odd Duck is driven to do things differently from restaurant chains. Every week the Odd Duck team meet and discuss changes to the menu. Whether it’s a new wine or new dish, talking about flavors is something that involves all kitchen, bar and server staff.   

“We want to hear from staff. Doesn’t matter if you’re a sous chef or a head chef or someone just starting as a server. We want everyone to contribute ideas when creating our menus,” Corrigan said.  

Sitting down and enjoying a meal at Odd Duck means being greeted with genuine hospitality from the staff. This authenticity is attributed to the staff feeling like a welcome and heard part of the team, according to Corrigan.   

“Whether it’s ingredients from a local farmer or whether it’s a wine from a biodynamic or an Indigenous producer, we want to be able to bring our guests on that journey and transport them to that place or that environment,” Corrigan said. 

#AdrianQuijano #COVID19 #KatWex #kitchener #localRestaurant #michelinGuide #MichelinRecommendation #OddDuck #oddDuckWineAndProvisions #purpleTeethWineCounsulting #robCorrigan #waterloo #wesKlassen

50 YEARS OF THE ST. JACOB’S MARKET

For over 50 years, the St. Jacobs Market has been a community staple in the Waterloo region.  

What started as a livestock exchange in 1975 eventually amalgamated into the St. Jacobs Market.   

Joanna Loebach, general manager of St. Jacobs Market District, said the market grew from family members of those participating in the livestock exchange swapping or selling their produce.   

“It sort of evolved to become known to people in the area that on sale days, that was a good time to come and actually buy produce from some of the wives or the children of the farmers,” Loebach said.  

“From that origin, they set up concrete bunkers…that was the first evolution to actually formalize this into something that the public could attend,” she said.  

Seven years later, the first building was built on the market property to accommodate for year-round sales. As more farmers and vendors joined, the attraction to the market grew amongst the community. In the early 90s, the market became a tourist attraction for those looking for authentic maple syrup to be sold there.  

From there, the Village of St. Jacobs began to grow along with the additions of the outlet and antique mall in the surrounding areas of the market.  

Loebach said now, more than ever, the farm-to-table movement has become increasingly more popular.   

“There was a big movement to being more aware about what you were putting into your body and the practices that were behind growing your produce,” Loebach said.  

“I think that’s something that has made the farmers market experience just so much more desirable. You get to know who you’re buying from, you’re way more guaranteed about freshness than you are at a grocery store and you’re also getting insider information about how to best serve it or how to store it,” Loebach said.  

While the spirit of the market has remained the same, the market has also evolved to mirror the change in demographics and evolution of needs and buying habits.   

“There’s always something new here,” Loebach said.   

“It keeps it fresh, but it also keeps us being able to adapt to the changing demographics within KW and what the local population is looking for…the market is able to keep pace with that so that it never feels antiquated,” she said.   

To celebrate 50 years, the market is reflecting on their legacy vendors—some of which have been a staple at the market since the beginning—as well as some of the newer, more entrepreneurial vendors.  

Robert Foreman, owner of 100 Mile Produce, has been a vendor at the St. Jacobs Market for 25 years. Prior to that, he used to come to the market as a child to help at his father’s stall.  

For Foreman, a big piece of what makes the market so special for vendors and patrons is that connections made between the food, the farmer and the buyer.  

“Depending on which vendors you choose to shop with, you can look the person in the eye and find out exactly where that came from, when it was picked, what the variety name is—the entire history of whatever you’re purchasing,” Foreman said.   

As a life-long vendor of the market, Foreman has seen the waves of change that have shaped the evolution of the market, specifically, with regards to changing demographics.   

“I can remember years ago, a lot of Eastern European people has moved here in the early 2000’s…and they were asking us to grow certain things,” Foreman said.   

“Just because we don’t eat them or we didn’t grow them doesn’t mean we can’t do that, right? And we’ve seen that with each wave of immigration that’s come through,” he said.  

As the market continues to evolve and grow, Loebach said this next era continues to acknowledge and celebrate its roots, while finding ways to develop and meet ever-changing needs.  

“I am loving how we’re continuing to build on the successes of the farmers market but continuing to make this a spot that will continue to resonate with people over time,” she said.

#100MileProduce #easternEuropean #farmToTable #groceryStore #JoannaLoebach #KatWex #localFood #localHistory #robertForeman #SafinaJennah #StJacobS #waterlooRegion

ION EXTENSION DELAYED

The future of ION extension to the city of Cambridge remains uncertain. 

The Region of Waterloo council originally approved the Light Rail Transit (LRT) ION system in 2009. It was to be a link across Waterloo, Kitchener and Cambridge, with a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) linking Kitchener and Cambridge. 

Plans for Stage 2 ION, bringing the LRT transport system from Fairway Station in Kitchener through the urban centres of Cambridge to downtown Galt, were officially announced in June 2019, but the project has since been subject to significant delays. 

A report to Cambridge City Council in 2023, estimated the expansion cost at $4.5 billion, a number that had nearly tripled since 2021. In June 2024, Matthew O’Neil, manager of Rapid Transit Coordination at the Region of Waterloo, said he expected construction to begin in 2032, seven years later than initial estimates. 

On Apr. 3, Grand River Transit (GRT) revealed their ten-year business plan, which made no reference to Stage 2 ION expansion. 

Councillors expressed frustration with the continued ambiguity surrounding the project. On The Mike Farwell Show on 570 NewsRadio Kitchener, former Cambridge Mayor Doug Craig was asked if Cambridge is being shortchanged on transit. 

“Of course we are,” he said. “We don’t have [an] LRT, we don’t have a GO train, and we’re paying for the LRT in KW […] and we’re wondering when is ours going to come to the city of Cambridge?” 

Stage 2 ION plans were thrown into further doubt on May 9, when Cambridge Mayor Jan Liggett endorsed the notion of rapid bus transit over LRT expansion. In a Cambridge council meeting, Liggett mentioned the option was raised by Waterloo Region council staff members that day. 

“I know that’s earth-shattering news, but that was an open session of regional council today,” she said. 

Liggett went on to say that the $4.5 billion cost of LRT expansion is not a realistic prospect. 

“That’s an impossibility. We don’t have that much money in our budget in any given five-year span to put towards something like this,” she said. 

The impact of the LRT in Waterloo and Kitchener has been positive. In 2023, $429 million in new building permits were issued in land along the LRT line. A growing percentage of the region’s population are reportedly moving to locations within a 10-minute walk of an LRT stop. 

Cambridge councillors in favour of the expansion believe that it would have a significant impact on city rejuvenation.  

“The ION expansion would have a positive impact on private investment and city rejuvenation. Every report has predicted this, and we have seen firsthand how this happened for Kitchener and Waterloo along the ION Stage one1,” Pam Wolf, Cambridge city councillor, said in a statement. 

Former councillor Rob Deutschmann noted the ION expansion could attract $5-10 billion in private investments along the area, according to Cambridge Chamber of Commerce estimates. 

The Region of Waterloo council have confirmed that nothing has been finalised yet, with the Initial Business Case for Stage 2 ION to be presented to Cambridge City council in November. 

#busRapidTransit #Cambridge #cambridgeCityCouncil #CityOfCambridge #DougCraig #extension #futureOfIon #initialBusinessCase #ION #IONExtension #JanLiggett #JoshMiltonBell #KatWex #kitchener #lightRailTransit #localTransit #LRT #MatthewONeil #mikeFarwellShow #november #pamWolf #publicTransit #publicTransport #RobDeutschmann #waterloo