@stephaniefritz.bsky.social
Always trying to find the right words. Urbanist. Working towards a future with a person-centric, person-scaled Waterloo Region. 🍁 Class of 2026 - Planning MA (University of Waterloo)
We haven't had any significant snowfall in a couple days, and yet this is the state of the bus stop behind Kitchener City Hall. That's nearly a foot to step down off the snow onto the LRT tracks, since there's a huge snowbank parked exactly where people are meant to walk.
I hear that!! We desperately need to see a huge improvement in how GRT clears snow from bus stops. I just don't want to do any urban mountain climbing while we wait for them to sort that out.
Thank you! I've taken to clearing my closest bus stops myself because it feels like we can go an entire week before GRT comes by to clear them, and that's so unacceptable when we're getting frequent substantial snowfalls.
Seasonal level boarding!
Honestly though, I've almost turned my ankle a few times stepping into a snowbank, only to have my foot partially over the curb, and my heel goes one way and my toes another. It's even worse trying to get myself AND my 5-year-old through a snowbank and onto/out of a bus.
This is not safe. People are slipping and falling. @colleenjames.bsky.social @mattjrodrigues.bsky.social
I appreciate the sidewalk is cleared but there has been ongoing issues where windrows make boarding inaccessible and are also not cleared multiples days after.
🚏University Ave @ UW/Seagram
Much easier to say "a pound of butter" instead of "454 grams of butter"
Wish I'd taken the "before" photo for this one. It takes less than 10 minutes to dig through a snowbank, but it's a huge benefit to your community and neighbours to help clear a bus stop or the snowbanks that collect at street corners.
Adopt your local bus stop today to keep it cleared and happy!
"Fietsvlonders" are mobile bike platforms designed to turn a car parking spot into urban bike parking. They’re modular, moveable, and cheap, making it easy to test better use of public space. When car storage gets swapped for bikes, entire streets start to feel different.
Birdwatching makes me incredibly happy. I have a couple feeders in the yard, we planted a few small trees to improve the environment around the house, and I keep the Merlin app on my phone so I can find out who is singing around me. I also got a chickadee tattooed on my arm last year. 🐦🪺
There's weirdly nothing at ground level, and I think that's what icks me about it
News for Waterloo Region transit nerds: the ION route now displays with the Transit layer on Google Maps!
A groundbreaking new study found that the surge in SUVs from 1995 to 2019 reduced Minnesota's highway lane capacity by 9.5%.
Less lane capacity --> More congestion
Me, in CityLab 🧵
There's a historical village thats probably twice+ the size of Doon Village about the Acadiens, located on the east side of NB. It was honestly a stellar visit when we went about 6 years ago. villagehistoriqueacadien.com
Even in Quebec! I travel to Montreal sometimes, and the IGA grocery store near my usual hotel has a bottle-return spot. Their street garbage cans have a special spot to put your empty containers so that others can come by and collect them to make a buck, a way they support their homeless population
Quiet vibes waiting for the train
Carney: Canada never ever will be part of America in any way, shape, or form. We didn’t ask for this fight, but Canadians are always ready when someone else drops the gloves.
I've heard this is what happened to Russian liquor after the invasion of Ukraine. The LCBO pulled everything, waited to see what would happen, and then returned the product to the sellers when it was apparent that things were not getting better anytime soon. We may see the same thing happen here.
We're talking about making Canada competitive in a more hostile landscape? We need to get serious about building infrastructure and not wasting money like this.
Use the form at the bottom of this article to submit any locally-made products you know about for Waterloo Region!
This is fantastic, thank you for spearheading this in Waterloo Region!
The “cover” of today’s Globe & Mail, Canada’s national newspaper. #StrongAndFree
Trudeau: He has said repeatedly, what he wants is to see a total collapse of the Canadian economy. Because that will make it easier to annex us. First of all, that's never going to happen. We will never be the 51st state.
If you do it, keep us updated on your progress! Maybe ask friends what they hear in your accent that sounds 'off' to them? I have an Irish friend and we used to play that game when she was newly emigrated here, where I'd say something and she'd repeat it a bunch of times until she nailed it.
'Zed,' not 'zee.'
Also make sure you're using the ungodly mix of British and American spellings we've adopted! Put that British 'u' into colour and neighbour! End 'centre' and 'theatre' with -re and not -er!
Also this: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadia...
We will be there for Canadian workers.
Kitchener LCBO clearing out all the American product and taking the signs off too. Went in tonight and staff were rolling full carts of bottles off the floor. Bought myself some Canadian whisky and wine 🇨🇦
Hold the line.
Back our leaders.
Guard our traditions.
Protect our sovereignty.
Back those who defend us.
Never say sorry.
Elbows up. Let’s do this.
🇨🇦
Oh I'm a UW student, they're definitely hearing from me
I'm in Kitchener, I'll write to them and the region. Thanks!
Do you have a list of local entities in Waterloo Region who are still actively using it that you're targeting? I'd love to join your letter-writing campaign!