Jane’s Walk starts today in Waterloo Region

The 8th annual Jane’s Walk is taking place in Waterloo Region this weekend.

The annual event encourages people worldwide to plan a short walk in their community that engages people in a topic, issue or place that they live.

One of the organizers for the event Juanita Metzger tells 570 News the Jane’s Walk started in 2007 in honour of Jane Jacobs. “After she passed away in 2006, a few people in Toronto thought the best way to honour her was to go on a walk in several neighbourhoods. As a urban activist Jane Jacobs felt that in order to get to know a place and feel connected – you need to get out and walk. Since 2007 it has grown to over a hundred cities and over a thousand walks being offered.”

Jane Jacobs was an American-Canadian journalist, author and activist. She was best known for her influence on urban studies.

The walks will take place starting Friday May 2nd and will run till Sunday May 4th. Every year different areas are advertised as volunteers lead the walks and tell a story about their neighbourhood.

A complete list of all the walks happening in the region this weekend are listed below:

Kitchener – Friday May 2nd

5:30 PM – Queen Street Culture Corridor
Meeting Place: Queen Street Commons Cafe, 43 Queen St S, Kitchener.
Guided by: Terre Chartland

A walk along Queen St learning of art venues, culture practitioners and cultural places.

7:30 PM – Musical History Tour of Downtown Kitchener
Meeting Place: Corner of Duke & Ontario Streets, downtown Kitchener.
Guided by: Dan Graham
Learn Kitchener’s connection to many music legends and who has played where.

Kitchener – Saturday May 3rd

9:00 AM – 5KM walk – Kingsdale start and finish!
Meeting place: Kingsdale Community Centre, Wilson Ave, Kitchener.
Guided by: Beth Attwood

A walk to the A.R. Kaufman YMCA and through Rockway neighbourhood.

9:30 AM – Central Frederick Neighbourhood
Meeting place: Frederick Street Mall, inside near the Valumart & hardware store.
Guided by: James Howe and Warren Stauch

A tour through the history of the people, places and stories that shaped the vibrant Central Frederick neighbourhood.

10:00 AM – Welcoming New Canadians
Meeting place: Speakers Corner (Corner of King & Benton Streets, Kitchener)
Guided by: Fauzia Mazhar, Cameron Dearlove, Pamela Rojas & Dave Thomas

Explore the connection for welcoming new immigrants and refugees settling in Waterloo Region.

10:00 AM – Victoria Park: A romantic in progress
Meeting place: Victoria Park Pavilion, Kitchener
Guided by: Rych Mills

Can this “Romantic Park” weather the continuing conflicts between maintaining its tradition against demands for the change?

11:00 AM – Get to know Paulander
Meeting place: Paulander Community Centre, 60 Paulander Unit 1
Guided by: Lisa Armstrong
Learn about the Paulander Community

2:00 PM – 150 years of History in Kitchener Mount Hope Cemetery
Meeting place: Meet under the angel of the Zuber memorial just inside the Roman Catholic section of the cemetery
Guided by: Wayne Miedema
Come and explore the stories of people (famous and forgotten) who have made Kitchener the city it is today.

2:00 PM – Westmount neighbourhood
Meeting place: South east corner of William Street West and Roslin Ave South, Waterloo
Guided by: Marg Rowell

2:00 PM – McLennan Park
Meeting place: Ottawa Street Entrance, look for the black Guide Dog
Guide dog, Christopher, will be the eyes and his handler, Sharon, will be the voice, for this tour of the great city park.
Experience how a blind person enjoys the features of an accessible park.

3:00 PM & 4:00 PM – The Fairy Doors of Central Frederick – Children’s Walk
Meeting place: Brubacher Green, Brubacher Street, near Samuel St, Kitchener.

4:00 PM – Industrial Art and Architecture
Meeting place: Kitchener City Hall Rotunda (200 King Street West,) Second floor, meet infront of stationary steam engine.
Guided by: Nicholas Rees
Learn the history of the Kitchener Industrial Artifacts Program as a rescue operation to preserve elements of the community’s industrial heritage.

Waterloo  – Saturday May 3rd

10:30 AM – Albert & MacGregor: A small Encyclopedia of Ontario Architecture and Planning History
Meeting place: Habitat for Humanity, Intersection of Albert and Dorset Streets, at the corner of Princess Street. (40 Albert Street, Waterloo)
Guided by: Robert Shipley
Learn about local cultural heritage from the buildings a few blocks away

1:30 PM – The Four Corners of Award- winning Architecture
Meeting place: Barrel Warehouse Park, Caroline Street Waterloo
Guided by: Andre Arseneault
Come meet the Four Corners of Waterloo surrounded by award-winning architecture.

1:30 PM – Mary-Allen Neighbourhood Historical Walking Tour
Meeting Place: Heritage Green Park, corner of King Street S & William St, Waterloo.
Guided by: Michelle Lee, Tricia Siemens

2:00 PM- Parking & Policy: A Tour of Vehicular Architecture
Meeting place: Uptown Waterloo Parkade, on the sixth storey, facing King Street.
Guided by: Michael Druker
What is the role of parking in our cities? Take a tour of vehicular public spaces in Uptown Waterloo.

Kitchener – Sunday May 4th

9:30AM – Sunday Morning Church Walk
Meeting place: Duke Street Parking Garage, 6th Floor (Corner of Duke & Ontario Street)
Guided by: Martin de Groot
Walk by downtown churches as Sunday morning bells ring

11:30 AM – Bicycle Tour of the Landmarks found in the map of 1912’s “Busy Berlin”
Meeting place: Breithaupt Block, King & Breithaupt St
Guided by: Chris Dewar
Follow the streets of a historical map of 1912 Berlin

1:00PM – Rainbow Walk of Downtown Kitchener
Meeting place: Kitchener City Hall, 200 King St West
Guided by: Jeremy Steffler, Amanda Nightingale Terwood, Michelle Maree, Sue Weare
A walk through downtown Kitchener through the eyes of a bisexual, gay, lesbian and trans community.

1:00PM – Mount Hope Breithaupt Park: From East to West and Past to Future
Meeting place: Parking lot at the corner of St. Leger and Breithaupt Street
Guided by: Ted Parkinson and Lane Burman
Walk past the factories of the past

1:30PM – Upper Doon Heritage Conservation District
Meeting place: Corner of Tilt Drive & Doon Village Road
Guided by: Councillor Jean Haalboom

3:00 PM – Shortcuts and poetry all around
Meeting place: 85 Gruhn St, Kitchener
Guided by: Janice Lee
Join Janice as she shares poems from Canadian and local poets at inspirational locations.

Waterloo Sunday May 4th –

11:00 AM – Building Waterloo: up from the swamp
Meeting place: King and William Streets at the Heritage Time Teller, in from of the Terrace on the Square
Guided by: Kae Elgie, Philippe Elsworthy
Is Uptown Waterloo a “Cultural Heritage Landscape? Come and share your views!

2:00 PM – WACAT WALK – Walking and cycling challenges in Uptown Waterloo
Meeting place: Clock tower on the NW corner of Erb and Caroline next to the Clay and Glass Gallery
Guided by: Angela Vieth and Anne Crowe
Join members of the Waterloo Advisory Committee on Active Transportation as they follow the Laurel Trail through Uptown Waterloo to Weber St and back.

3:00 PM – How to make a porch party
Meeting place: Alexandra Park (Alexandra Ave, between Caroline St & Euclid Ave)
Guided by: Tenille Bonoguore
Walk down the streets of the award wininng Grand Porch Party with its creator (who will give you tips on how to make your own Porch Party)

Cambridge Sunday May 4th –

1:00 PM – Explore & Discover Downtown Cambridge in 60 minutes
Meeting Place: Idea Exchange, Design at Riverside, 7 Melville St S, Cambridge.