Around the World in Dance

Last night I got to dance around the world from my seat at the Center in the Square. The Central Ontario Chinese Cultural Center, (COCCC) hosted the Kaleidoscope of Dance, as a fundraising event. Dances from China, Taiwan, Mongolia, India, Germany, Scotland, Greece, the Middle East and other places around the world were performed by our local groups.

We all respond in our own way to the sound of a drum beat. To see such a variety of dances, the opening Lion Dance, the stomping of feet in a courtship dance, the waving long sleeves creating images of the winds, the swinging hips of the belly dancers, the athletic footwork of the highland dancers, and the closing dragon dance under black lights, each responding quite differently to the sound of the drum, made for a fabulous evening.

This is a must see if the COCCC puts the show on again next year.

The groups involved were

Central Ontario Chinese Cultural Center (COCCC)
Brahmrishi Mission of Canada
The KW Chinese School
The Concordia Enzian Schuhplattler Verein
The Gujarati Cultural Association on the Golden Triangle
India Canada Association
Laya Lasya Dance Studio
Mary Ellen School of Highland Dancing
Pryvit Ukrainian Dance Ensemble
The Queen Helena Canadian-Croatian Cultural and Charitable Society
Levendogenia Sts Peter & Paul's Greek Orthodox Church Dance Group
Swastini Dance Group
Voula Middle Eastern Dance Academy
Waterloo Region Chinese Community Association (WCCA)

Merger Question will be on the Ballot in October elelction

Yes, the merger question will be on the ballet in this fall’s municipal election. On Friday April 16, the province announced that it will order the City to ask the following question in the election:

“Do you support the members of Kitchener and Waterloo Councils engaging in discussions about the advantages and disadvantages of merging the Cities of Kitchener and Waterloo? Yes or No.”

I have always been against this question. We don’t need a referendum to discuss how to improve our governance structure. The question should have been “Are you in favour of a merger between Kitchener and Waterloo, yes or no?”

Attached is a good summary article on amalgamation written by the Montreal Economic Institute. It reviews experiences with municipal mergers and amalgamations. I hope that you take the time to read the article. There are other studies and comments about mergers on their web site as well.

Based on everything that I have heard and read to this point, my experience on Council over the past 6 years, and having heard the issues that the proponents of the merger want addressed, I do not believe that a merger is the right answer for Waterloo or for the Region.

Rather than have a debate on whether to merge or not, it would be much more valuable to have a discussion on the pros and cons of our current system, identify the missed opportunities and problem areas, and then look at a range of solutions. This is a process that I have been advocating for over the past few years, as described in my October 2005 Second opinion article on how to deal with municipal reform.

Merger isn’t the only answer. We should broaden our horizons, and take the time to do what is right for the city and the region, and find a made-in-Waterloo Region solution.