Get involved

Earth Day is around the corner!

Show some love to your local park. Celebrate Earth Day by organizing or joining a community cleanup.

Ways to get involved:

• Join in on the Friends of Waterloo Park community cleanup in Waterloo Park on April 20.
• Check with your Neighbourhood Association and the community calendar to see if a cleanup is already happening in a park near you.
• Gather your friends, family, coworkers and neighbours to organize your own Earth Day Community Cleanup of your favourite park.

Learn more about getting involved with Earth Day

Nominate a Waterloo senior

You know them: caring, involved seniors who go out of their way to make a difference in the community. Maybe they’re a helpful neighbour or dedicated volunteer who supports you or your organization? Consider nominating that special 65+ resident for a Senior of the Year Award! Applications close on April 2, 2024.

Nominate a Waterloo senior

More ways to get involved

• Grade 5 students in Waterloo are invited to enter the Council for a Day contest by March 29.

• Have gardening experience and passionate about local food? Get involved and volunteer for the Nurture Summer Program.

• Give a warm Canadian welcome to newcomers and help make your neighbourhood a better place for everyone to live.

• Check out Waterloo Region APPLY, a new online tool to help non-profit organizations find information on available grant opportunities.

• Apply for the Waterloo Region Community Foundation's Community Grant by April 2.

• Volunteer as a neighbourhood block connector! Block connectors help build strong and connected communities.

• WR Grassroots Response to the Ukrainian Crisis is a volunteer-led group focused on helping displaced Ukrainians fleeing war and arriving in Waterloo Region.

Get inspired

See what's happening across Waterloo and find inspiration to make your neighbourhood a little more awesome. We can support your idea with things like grants and equipment. Interested? Just hit reply to this email.

S'more neighbourhood connections in Vista Hills

A wise neighbour once said, "You can measure the success of winter by counting how many marshmallows were eaten."

The Vista Hills Community Association came together to enjoy lots of roasted marshmallows, s'mores, games and a scavenger hunt. Thank you to the VHCA for hosting such a fun event!

Westvale neighbourhood is buzzing!

In Summer 2023, neighbours from Westvale applied to the Partners in Parks Program to add a pollinator patch to their local park. This exciting addition brings neighbours together, adds vibrancy to the park and supports native pollinators.

Learn more about the Partners in Parks program and apply for a summer project like this by March 31.

In this edition of the newsletter, we are highlighting an awesome neighbourhood volunteer.

The Uptown North Neighbourhood Association is the newest, affiliated neighbourhood association in Waterloo. With the help of dedicated neighbours, like Daisy A, the association has done some amazing things to build connections in their neighbourhood. Thank you Daisy for your leadership to foster belonging and neighbourliness in Uptown North. Initiatives like a Winter Solstice event, installation of a community message board, neighbourhood picnics and coordination of a community art project, have brought neighbours together in many ways. Thank you Daisy for all you do!

Learn more about neighbourhood associations in Waterloo by checking out the neighbourhoods website. If you are interested in volunteering with your neighbourhood association, connect with them to learn about available opportunities.

Get in the know

Plan a visit to the Waterloo Museum!

The Waterloo Museum's new exhibition " Waterloo from Above: 200 Years of Change" is on until May 31. Plan your visit today and check out how our City has grown and changed over the past two centuries. Maybe even find some information about your neighbourhood and how it's changed!

Tips for wildlife in your neighbourhood

As spring approaches, check out these helpful reminders about wildlife in your neighbourhood:

• Feeding wildlife may seem harmless, but it can have serious impacts on both wild animals and the community.
• Feeding wild animals changes their natural instincts and conditions them to expect food from people, which could increase unwanted encounters in the community.
• Feeding small animals like birds, squirrels or rabbits could attract larger wildlife and increase unwanted encounters in the community.
• Human food is not healthy for animals. Be sure to properly dispose of food and garbage at home and in parks.

Learn more about coexisting with wildlife

More things to know!

• March 30: Uptown Waterloo BIA is hosting the annual Egg hunt! Have fun while exploring the businesses of Uptown Waterloo.

• April 8: The solar eclipse. Find safety tips for viewing the eclipse.

• Recycling boxes in the Region of Waterloo will now be collected by a new provider.

• The ActiveWaterloo Guide is now available! You can also view programs on ActiveWaterloo. Sign up for our seasonal email subscription reminder and never miss a registration date!

• Planning some spring construction or renovation? Check out this helpful blog post about reducing waste when renovating.

• WOW Waterloo brings social, recreational and educational programs to seniors through a simple telephone connection. Call or email for more information: 519-579-1020 x10037, wow@waterloo.ca.

• The Ontario Seniors Community Grant Program applications are now open. This grant supports local, not-for-profit community groups and organizations to deliver programs and learning opportunities for Ontarians aged 55+.

• Check out the Rainbow Community Calendar to find details on SPECTRUM's groups and events.

• Learn more about reporting Hate Incidents or Discrimination: involving Islamophobia, Racism, Anti-Immigrant Sentiment and religion, disability, sexual orientation, or ethnicity.

• Immigration Waterloo Region shares information on community support in solidarity with Ukraine and supporting Afghan resettlement in Waterloo Region.

March Diversity Calendar

March 1: Zero Discrimination Day 

March 1: Self-harm Awareness Day 

March 8: International Women’s Day 

March 8: Maha Shivaratri 

March 10 (sundown) – April 09: Ramadan 

March 15: International Day to Combat Islamophobia 

March 17: Saint Patrick’s Day 

March 18 (sundown)-19: Nowruz/Norouz (Bahá’í/Zoroastrian/Iranian/Persian New Year) 

March 18–24: Neurodiversity Celebration Week 

March 18-April 27: Great Lent, or the Great Fast (Orthodox/Eastern) 

March 19: Spring Equinox 

March 19: Ostara/Eostre/Spring Equinox 

March 20: International Francophonie Day 

March 21: International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination 

March 21: World Down Syndrome Day 

March 21: Two-Spirit and Indigenous LGBTQQIA+ Awareness to Celebration Day 

March 22: World Water Day 

March 23 (sundown) – 24: Purim 

March 24: International Day for the Right to the Truth Concerning Gross Human Rights Violations and for the Dignity of Victims 

March 24: Palm Sunday (Western) 

March 24 (evening) – 25: Holi 

March 24-30: Holy Week (Western) 

March 25: International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade 

March 25: Feast of the Annunciation 

March 25: Khordad Sal 

March 25-27: Hola Mohalla 

March 26: Purple Day 

March 28: Holy Thursday / Maundy Thursday (Western) 

March 29: Good Friday (Western) 

March 31: International Transgender Day of Visibility 

March 31: Easter (Western) 

March 31 (sundown) – April 1: Laylat al-Qadr (Shiʿah) 

Source: Canadian Centre for Diversity & Inclusion's Diversity Calendar.

Thank you for reading this edition of Neighbours helping Neighbours, a newsletter from the neighbourhoods team, with a focus on good news stories, important community updates, and local resources.

If you have ideas for resources to share or shareable stories of kindness, please send them to: neighbourhoods@waterloo.ca

Waterloo Neighbourhoods is published throughout the year to keep residents informed about the good things happening in neighbourhoods across Waterloo. If you have any questions or comments, please call 519-747-8515 or email communications@waterloo.ca. If you’re reading Waterloo Neighbourhoods as a non-subscriber, visit our subscription page to sign up for future editions.

The City of Waterloo is committed to providing accessible formats and communications support for persons with disabilities. If another format would work better for you, please let us know by calling 519-747-8515 or by emailing us at communications@waterloo.ca.

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