GUELPH/ERAMOSA– Police are still looking for clues to help solve the murder of Mohamed Amin Ismail, whose body was discovered here six years ago.

On the evening of Aug. 4, 2020, a passerby found the body of Ismail, 25, of Ottawa, on Watson Road just south of Wellington Road 124, east of Guelph.

An autopsy a couple of days later confirmed the man was murdered.

Wellington OPP officials say people in the areas of Wellington County, Kitchener-Waterloo and Ottawa have information about what happened to Ismail.

“Investigators remain dedicated to finding those responsible for Mohamed’s death,” stated Detective Inspector Michael Moore in an Aug. 4 press release.

“If you have information, no matter how small or seemingly unrelated, now is the time to come forward. Your information could make a critical difference in this investigation and bring much-needed answers to Mohamed’s loved ones.”

Anyone with information about this incident can contact the OPP at 1-888-310-1122 or the dedicated tipline at 1-833-941-4477. To remain anonymous, call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or visit csgw.tips.

Monday, Aug. 3 is Civic Holiday in Ontario, and several services across KW will operate on modified schedules.

Campus libraries will be open, with certain exceptions. The Dana Porter (DP) Library and its help desk will be open from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. The Geospatial Centre and Special Collections & Archives inside the library will be closed. The Davis Centre (DC) Library will be open from 12 p.m. to 3 a.m., while its help desk will be available from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. The Musagetes Architecture Library will be open from 8 a.m. to 10:30 p.m., although its help desk will be closed. The Witer Learning Resource Centre will remain closed for the holiday.

All branches of the Waterloo Public Library and the Kitchener Public Library will be closed.

A limited number of Food Services locations on campus will be open. Flock Stop in SLC will remain open 24 hours. The Market at UWP in CMH will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. All other locations, including the EC3 Food Services administrative office, will be closed.

The GRT will continue operating on a holiday schedule on Monday, but all GRT customer service centres will be closed.

Several Region of Waterloo facilities and services will also be unavailable or have modified hours of operation. Regional administrative offices at 99 Regina St. S. in Waterloo, 150 Frederick St. in Kitchener, and 150 Main St. in Cambridge will be closed, along with residential drop-off locations at the Cambridge and Waterloo Waste Management sites.

Waste collection services will continue as scheduled, with regular curbside collection for garbage, blue box recycling, green bin, yard waste, and bulky items. Residential drop-offs at Waterloo waste sites will not be available.

Some regional services and attractions will remain open. Cooling spaces at 150 Main St. in Cambridge will operate from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., while the cooling space at 150 Frederick St. in Kitchener will be open from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The Ken Seiling Waterloo Region Museum and Schneider Haus National Historic Site will be open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., while McDougall Cottage Historic Site will operate from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Conestoga Mall will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Fairview Mall in Kitchener will be open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

More information on other Waterloo and Kitchener closures can be found on the Region of Waterloo website, the City of Waterloo website and the City of Kitchener website.

PALMERSTON – No one was injured but a tractor and baler were destroyed by fire here on Friday.

Palmerston firefighters responded to the fire, in a wheat field across from TG Minto, near the intersection of Main Street East and Toronto Street, shortly before 5pm on July 31.

They were aided by firefighters and a tanker from the Harriston station, as well as a tanker crew from Mapleton's station in Moorefield, deputy fire chief Callise Loos told the Advertiser.

"[The call] took about 1.5 hours to complete," Loos stated in an email, adding there were "no injuries to anyone involved."

A damage estimate was not immediately available.

Dancing, musicals, stationary, and vintage finds! This weekend is looking to be an eventful one, with plenty of opportunities to explore the region. Check out our weekly weekend picks.

UW Theatre Student Club – Next to Normal

Support UW student theatre and attend a showing of Next to Normal, a modern musical touching on mental health, loss, love, and family. The event kicks off in the Theatre of the Art at the Modern Languages Building, this Friday, July 31 between 7 and 10 p.m. Tickets are $17.16 + HST for students and $20.89 + HST for non-students. Full event details can be found on the UW student theatre page.

UW Breakers – Spring Weekly Session

Join the UW Breakers club this Friday, July 31, between 8 and 10 p.m. for a beginner-friendly breaking class. You’ll get to meet fellow dancers and work on your moves. This event is free to attend and requires completion of a waiver. View full event details on the event’s WUSA page.

Stationary Store Day at Phidon Pens

Looking to stock up on stationary supplies before the back-to-school rush in September? If you don’t mind venturing over to Cambridge, Phidon Pens is hosting a special celebration of independent stationary stores across the globe this Saturday, August 1, between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Full event details can be found on the event’s Instagram post.

Timeless Vintage Market

Waterloo Town Square is the place to be this Sunday, August 2, between 1 and 7 p.m., where 20 vintage vendors across Ontario will be selling unique finds. A live DJ will be at the event. Full event details can be found on the event’s Instagram post.

While a Round-of-16 loss in the FIFA World Cup may seem weak on the surface, this is a stronger finish than many expected for Canada’s national team, and it will set the tone for how they are viewed in future tournaments. 

As a lifelong Canadian soccer fan, going to Toronto and experiencing the vibrant energy of the Canadian crowd was emotional. Seeing Canadians of all ages and backgrounds come together in celebration of their shared passion felt symbolic of what Canada is at its core: a nation of diversity. 

Although Canada suffered a heartbreaking 3-0 loss to Morocco, this 2026 campaign was the farthest Canada had ever advanced in a World Cup. It was a hard-fought battle against the 6th-ranked nation in the world. Along the way, their first win was a dominant 6-0 victory against Qatar, and in their first knockout game in national team history, a late winner saw them advance past South Africa 1-0. 

I attended Toronto’s Fan Festival on June 18th for Canada’s game against Qatar, and the atmosphere was electric. The festival offered a free experience of the magic of a Canadian World Cup matchday, complete with live music, a wide selection of food and drinks, and a large screen airing the World Cup matches. 

With one goal after another for Canada, the energy kept rising, and the chants were loud in Toronto. Through their World Cup run, it felt like soccer had become part of Canadian culture in a matter of weeks. Those scenes of celebration have brought out the best of what makes our country so great. 

When the final whistle blew against Morocco, it was a disappointing loss. Even so, this tournament has been a massive success for the future of Canadian soccer. As a Canadian, I hope the future generation of soccer players is inspired by the support that the nation’s people have shown to the sport, and that they are envisioning themselves on that big stage taking the nation farther than fans could ever imagine. 

Contributed Photo/Santosh Chandrasekar

If you tuned into the FIFA World Cup 2026 final expecting an end-to-end, instant classic, you probably found yourself wishing you were rewatching the third-place match instead. 

Where the bronze-medal fixture offered wild offensive back-and-forth, the showpiece match at New York New Jersey Stadium was a tense, methodical grind. In many ways, the tournament’s conclusion felt predetermined, the top four ranked nations in FIFA’s global standings predictably locked up the final four spots. For neutral fans hoping for a Cinderella run, that lack of knockout chaos significantly deflated the usual World Cup hype. 

When the top two nations in the world finally clashed, Spain eventually crowned themselves world champions with a 1-0 extra-time victory over Argentina, though the scoreline barely captures how lopsided the match truly was.

Statistically, Lionel Scaloni’s side put together one of the most passive final performances in modern tournament history. Argentina came into Sunday having scored 19 goals across the tournament, yet they were completely suffocated by Spain’s relentless pressing and 64.6 per cent possession control. 

0 – The number of shot attempts registered by Argentina through the entire 90 minutes of regulation play. 

It wasn’t until late into extra time that Argentina registered anything resembling an attack, enduring roughly 110 minutes of complete offensive stagnation. Defensively, Argentina picked up seven bookings, culminating in Enzo Fernández receiving a second yellow card in the 90+3rd minute for a collision on Pau Cubarsí. 

Despite controlling the pitch, Spain needed 24 total shots, an opponent red card, and 106 long minutes to finally breach the net. 

La Roja had their share of frustration early on. Earlier in the match, Spain appeared to have earned or scored breakthroughs, including a disallowed goal sequence where a foul was called inside the penalty box for soft contact that, realistically, left Spanish players and supporters baffled. 

Spain’s teenage phenom, Lamine Yamal, also endured a mixed afternoon. While the 19-year-old tested Argentina early with a low 5th-minute effort and forced a brilliant flying free-kick save in the 90+4th minute, his overall World Cup campaign felt oddly underwhelming compared to the dizzying hype surrounding his tournament debut. 

That the game remained goalless for so long was entirely down to Emiliano “Dibu” Martínez. 

The Argentine goalkeeper put on an absolute masterclass between the posts, stopping 12 shots, the most ever recorded in a World Cup final. From tipping Yamal’s late free-kick to denying Nico Williams, Martínez single-handedly dragged ten-man Argentina into extra time. Losing the Golden Glove despite a performance of that magnitude felt like highway robbery for the Aston Villa shot-stopper. 

Martínez’s wall finally cracked in the 106th minute. Pedro Porro sent a far-post cross that Nico Williams nodded back across the box, allowing substitute Ferran Torres to smash a volley into the roof of the net to seal Spain’s second world title. 

The post-match podium ceremony provided its own bizarre viral moments. U.S. President Donald Trump joined FIFA President Gianni Infantino on stage to present the trophy. Trump remained on stage during the official trophy lift, directly photobombing Spain’s celebration photo before social media users promptly spent the evening editing him out of the iconic snapshots. 

In the post-game presser, a visibly emotional Lionel Scaloni abruptly walked out of his post-match press conference in tears after struggling to process the heartbreak of relinquishing the world title. “It’ll be hard to put together another team like this, losing this hurts me deep in my soul,” Scaloni said before choking up and leaving the podium. It is unclear if he will continue to hold his position with the Argentina international team, especially with their golden boy exiting the stage. 

For Lionel Messi, the defeat marks a quiet, bittersweet ending on the world stage. At 39 years old, appearing in his record-tying third World Cup final alongside Brazil’s Cafu, Messi was starved of service and spent most of the day smothered by Spain’s midfield pivot. While missing out on back-to-back world titles stings, it takes nothing away from his legacy as the greatest to ever play the game, it simply signals the definitive end of an era as a new golden generation takes over the world stage. 

Contributed Photo/Santosh Chandrasekar

The high-stakes drama of the FIFA World Cup made its way to the heart of Downtown Kitchener on Saturday, July 11, as hundreds of local soccer fans gathered at Carl Zehr Square for the Canada Celebrates FIFA World Cup 2026 fan festival. 

The free, day-long celebration was one of dozens of stops across the country designed to bring host-nation excitement beyond major stadium hubs like Toronto and Vancouver. Featuring live match screenings, local youth soccer showcases, interactive fan zones, food trucks, and live music, Carl Zehr Square transformed into an energetic outdoor stadium. 

The main stage programming kicked off mid-afternoon with a performance by Toronto-based reggae group Reggaddiction, whose vibrant beats set a festive backdrop as crowds filled in around Kitchener City Hall. 

For band members Dave (D.M., or “Deemo”) Matthews and Toya Monique, performing in front of a hometown audience added a personal highlight to the event. 

“For me, just being from KW, performing in my hometown was great,” Monique said. “And just like the unity that the World Cup is bringing everyone together, you really feel that unified energy, which is cool.” 

At 5:00 p.m., eyes turned to the massive big screen for the day’s first quarter-final matchup between Norway and England. Fans packed the square, reacting to every tackle, chance, and goal as the afternoon heat gave way to ideal summer evening weather. 

In between match broadcasts, mini-pitch activations kept the energy high, showcasing youth players from Kitchener TFC executing drills and small-sided games. 

Guiding the crowd through the evening was veteran Kitchener-Waterloo sports broadcaster Sean Furfaro. A familiar voice across local athletics, from the KW Titans and Kitchener Panthers to the Kitchener Rangers, Furfaro emphasized the significance of the region securing such a prominent date on the national tour. 

“To know that they chose Kitchener or the Waterloo region for such a huge night, like the only time there were two quarterfinals games… I’m thrilled about that,” Furfaro said. “The first game was spectacular. The crowd’s been great, the energy’s been fantastic.” 

Furfaro, who actively engaged the crowd with contests and giveaways throughout the broadcast, expressed gratitude for being selected to host on home turf. 

“If there’s a sporting event, I’ve usually got a microphone somewhere,” Furfaro noted. “To know that people wanted to hire me for this was really humbling, rewarding. They’ve been kind enough to let me play to my strengths in terms of crowd engagement.” 

As night fell, Reggaddiction returned for a second set before the 9:00 p.m. headliner match: a high-octane quarter-final clash between Argentina and Switzerland. Drums, chants, and applause echoed across Downtown Kitchener as local supporters rooted for a spot in the final four. 

With the tournament now concluded, the celebration proved that Waterloo Region’s passion for the global game stands shoulder-to-shoulder with any official host city. 

Contributed Photo/Santosh Chandrasekar

Following a July 8 announcement, the Region of Waterloo is attempting to resolve its water capacity shortage by unlocking an initial 10 litres per second (L/s) of supply in the Mannheim Service Area, with an additional 20 L/s expected this fall. To overcome long-standing hurdles and accelerate infrastructure projects by two years, the Regional Council has approved aggressive, time-sensitive measures. 

This push was driven by deep-seated regional tensions. As the municipality balances intense pressure for urban housing with the threat of utility rate hikes and environmental concerns from rural neighbours, these topics were mentioned during the City of Waterloo’s July 13 council meeting, where staff presented a new water supply allocation policy. 

“The province changed the rules around who has authority for planning,” Dorothy McCabe, City of Waterloo mayor, said. “We have the authority for planning. The region has no more say once they supply the water.” 

The urgency stems from severe capacity constraints in the Mannheim Service Area, the network supplying water to Kitchener, Waterloo, and parts of Cambridge, Wilmot, and Woolwich. The constraints threatened to freeze new home construction until 2051. While system optimization provided the initial 10 L/s boost, long-term solutions require massive infrastructure upgrades. 

“The additional 10 litres per second did not come from new infrastructure; it came from a better understanding of how the existing system could be operated,” said Melissa Durrell, executive officer of the development advocacy group Build Urban. 

To permanently clear the bottleneck, the Region is fast-tracking two major Cambridge water projects: the Maple Grove Water Treatment Plant and the Cambridge West booster pumping station. Originally slated for 2028 and 2029, these projects are now the subject of a feasibility assessment requested by McCabe, which is due by the end of August. 

“To help the council understand whether these projects are actually ready to proceed, what the financial implications might be, what risks and benefits could be involved, and what decisions would be required,” McCabe said. 

To align local growth with these pressures, Waterloo has introduced a developer validation process. City staff explained that the policy ensures submissions from developers and engineers are accurate and consistent with actual site conditions. 

The financial burden, however, remains a point of contention. The upgrades are part of a $237 million, decade-long plan, leading some councillors to urge caution regarding household budgets. Regional Chair Karen Redmond acknowledged these financial realities, noting that the Region will look beyond local property taxes for funding. “I am not in any way complacent about going to other levels of government to ask for funding,” she said. 

Compounding this debate was a proposal to bypass competitive bidding to expedite construction. Initially, the council considered granting the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) sole-source authority until 2028. Following concerns regarding transparency and potential bias—raised by Regional Councillor Colleen James—the council scaled back this authority, setting a new expiration of June 30, 2027. 

Meanwhile, rural residents are calling for equal urgency in environmental protection. Increased pumping risks drawing down shared aquifers, raising concerns among private well owners in townships like Wilmot. Rory Farnan, secretary for Citizens for Safe Ground Water, urged the Region to move away from a reactive, complaint-based framework that places the burden of proof on homeowners. 

“Rural residents should not have to become casualties of a wait-and-see water policy,” Farnan said. “A complaint-based system waits for people to suffer first. That’s just not good enough.” 

As both city and regional reviews return to council by the end of August, September will be a defining month. Leadership must now decide how much they are willing to spend—and which processes they will bend—to sustain urban growth without compromising the rural communities that surround it. 

Contributed Photo/Region of Waterloo

Students at Wilfrid Laurier University are discovering the many benefits of taking classes during the spring and summer semesters. 

Laurier offers three kinds of academic terms in spring: the general spring term from May to August, the intersession term from May to June, and the summer term from July to August. 

Taking courses during this period can help students further their academic careers while lightening their fall and winter course loads. 

“I’d say the benefit is fast-tracking. Some classes are only 6 weeks, so if you’re looking for shorter classes, it’s great,” said Caroline Ekuajomi, a second-year computer science student taking the twelve-week course CP213. “It’s different because there aren’t as many students as usual, so it’s not as great socially as during the school year.” 

Summer semesters also give students the opportunity to accelerate their degrees and potentially graduate earlier, while still allowing time to balance work and relaxation over the holiday. 

“I’d say do it if it’s online or you live in Waterloo. If you do the 6-week course, you still basically have your summer to enjoy and relax. It’s a win-win,” Ekuajomi said. 

Class sizes during the summer are typically smaller, which can be beneficial for students who like to engage with their professors.  

When asked about his experience, Ray Shellhammer, a third-year Bachelor of Science biology major, said he appreciated the lower stress of the semester. “Your instructors get to know you a lot better, they’ll talk to you more personally and answer a lot more of your questions.” 

“Usually, you won’t have the main professors teaching. You’ll have either PhD students or instructors,” said Shellhammer. 

Shellhammer added that he was surprised by how approachable instructors were, saying that when he had issues with his labs, he was able to directly reach out for support. 

He also emphasized the difference in the campus environment during the spring and summer months. With fewer students on campus, he found it easier to study without fighting to find space. 

“I prefer the spring-summer campus vibe. Being on campus when it’s not freezing, or wet, or gross is so much nicer,” he said. 

For students interested in taking spring or summer courses next year, planning ahead is key. Looking at available courses in advance can help students complete prerequisites needed for fall and winter terms. 

There are also many work opportunities to be found on campus, allowing students to balance employment with their studies. 

With blended and online course options available, spring and summer classes have become more accessible than ever before. 

Contributed Photo/Clara Rose

After discovering that her friend’s three-year-old daughter was diagnosed with a rare type of cancer, Elmira’s Jocelyn Schaefer knew she needed to do something to help.

So she decided to make flaky cakes with unsalted soda crackers, Cool Whip, and fat-free chocolate or vanilla pudding to help support Ellie Blezard’s family, which is from Ayr.

Ellie was diagnosed on April 17 with rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare type of cancer that starts as a growth of cells in soft tissue. It is the most common soft tissue cancer in children, though it can happen at any age.

Doctors kept telling her nothing was wrong.

When Elmira resident Makena Janeczko’s mother first started experiencing abdominal pain, she was repeatedly informed that it was nothing to worry about, that she was in fine health. It was only when she marched into the ER of a local hospital and advocated strongly for herself that physicians took a closer look and discovered she had colorectal cancer.

“I feel like if there was more research and we knew more about colon cancer, or colorectal cancer, my Mom wouldn’t have had to fight so hard for her diagnosis,” Janeczko told the Observer.

“They told her it’s normal, that it’s just a part of being a woman. It wasn’t until she took herself to the Listowel hospital that she was able to find a good doctor who recognized, yes, there’s something wrong and finally believed her.”

In the hot, hazy and humid days of summer, we’ve found a number of ways to keep our cool. For horses, options such as sipping lemonade or taking a dip in the pool don’t apply, however.

“Horses get heat stress and dehydration, just like humans,” said Gayle Ecker, the director at Equine Guelph at the University of Guelph.

“Essentially, when we take a look at horses, they gain heat faster than we do because [of] their body mass: when they’re exercising, they’re using virtually all of their muscles, as opposed to a human that’s using less,” she explained.

PALMERSTON – The Palmerston Marlins U17 Invitational welcomed 16 teams from across Ontario to Barb Wright Ball Park for a weekend of fastpitch from July 17 to 19.

Despite challenging conditions that included smoky skies, periods of heavy rain, strong winds and finally sunshine on Sunday, the athletes showed incredible determination, resilience and sportsmanship throughout the tournament, officials say. 

Teams travelled from communities including Napanee, Barrie, London, Wyoming, Vaughan, Mississauga andStratford, showcasing the tremendous talent found across the province. 

“We thank every team, coach, volunteer, umpire, sponsor and fan for making the weekend such a success,” officials say. 

“A special congratulations goes to our hometown Palmerston Marlins U17 Black team, who completed an outstanding undefeated 7-0 tournament run to capture the A Division Championship. 

“Playing in front of family, friends and the local community, the Marlins battled through every obstacle the weather presented and proudly brought the championship gold home to Palmerston.” 

The team was to attend provincials in Stratford from July 24 to 26. 

An Elmira woman is reminding people to stay vigilant after losing count of how many times she was almost hit by a car while out on a run.

“I’m just worried for my safety, but also the community’s safety,” said Liv Kelly, adding she’s not angry, but concerned.

“There are a lot of children in the area that are riding those scooters, and Elmira is an elderly-focused community.

“I’m not trying to come out as angry or upset, I just want everyone to have a little bit more patience when trying to get from point A to point B,” she added.

The more it changes, the more it stays the same.

The upcoming Wellesley Fall Fair moved to a new location at the recreation centre in 2024, and transitioned to a weekend format last year, but the driving ethos behind the 173-year-old event has remained consistent, according to organizers.

For Susan Prange, president of the agricultural society that puts on the fair, the best part is seeing the delight on young faces.

“My favourite thing is seeing all the kids enjoying the fair. And we put on an agricultural fair as opposed to a midway fair, so we’re all about the animals, the plants, the crafts. I’m going to call it old school, because it goes back to my own childhood – and I’m born and raised in Wellesley,” she told The Observer.

A backpack can fit a lot more than just school supplies.

For the recipients of the annual backpack programs now running in Woolwich, Wilmot and Wellesley townships, the donated contents kids will lug to school each morning come along with a healthy dose of community support. Whether they recognize it or not, these young students are carrying around the love of strangers who simply want them to have what they need to succeed.

The beginning of the school year is rife with significant financial pressure for low-income families, but this program provides them with everything from lunchboxes to water bottles, scientific calculators, pencil cases and headphones. The best part, according to Wellesley organizer Millie Leng? They get to choose these items for themselves.

Did you know that Maryhill was originally called Rottenburg?

Founded by European settlers way back in 1826, four decades before Canada’s Confederation, the original tracts of land were purchased just south of the present-day community by immigrants from the Grand Duchy of Baden, a southwestern German state that existed from 1806 to 1918. They were from the Fehrenbach and Scharbach families.

“The way these histories are written, it always says the first settlers came from Alsace. But, in fact, the very first settlers came from Baden,” Maryhill Historical Society vice-president Frank Rider told The Observer.

They were followed by five Alsatian families in 1828.

Roadside emergencies aside, tires are something most of us think about as a seasonal issue. We hope to change ‘em and forget ‘em.

The forgetting part is especially true with our discarded tires, though out of sight shouldn’t be out of mind due to the threats posed by increasingly large piles of tires ostensibly bound for recycling.

As of August 1, you’ll get a reminder of the recycling aspect, as the environmental handling fee on passenger tires rises 20 per cent, to $6 per tire.

There’s a lot of performative militarism in Russia at the moment, which is unsurprising given that the Russian invasion of Ukraine is still stalled halfway through the fifth year of the war. The style is more Mussolini than Hitler, however, and the effect is more tacky than terrifying.

For example, pro-war comedian Mikhail Galustyan recently pitched his idea for a reality TV show called ‘Battle of the Drones’ to President Vladimir Putin at the ‘Everything for Victory!’ forum in Moscow. School kids, veterans and celebrities would play at being drone pilots in the show, presumably killing fake Ukrainians.

“This is an opportunity to explore the topic and make it understandable, engaging and popular,” said Galustyan, and Putin approved it on the spot. “Good luck,” he said. “Propaganda is an extremely useful thing.” In the country where the first Potemkin Village was built, it feels like a perfectly comfortable conversation.

Anglers have a lot of opinions regarding the best fish finders on the market. Some think these are the most expensive, state-of-the-art units, with all sorts of GPS, mapping and imaging options. Others believe in simpler machines that cover the basics and are easier to use and understand.

But I know better. Experience has shown me that the best fish finder out there is a five-year-old kid with a Mickey Mouse fishing rod.

Fish fear them. And you should too.

I don’t care what kind of fish-finding setup you have, it cannot compete with a little kid with a child’s fishing rod paired with a worm and bobber, especially if that kid is adept at chanting “Fishy, fishy, come to me!”

Conestogo’s Ethan Kuntz came home with a gold medal earlier this month for waterskiing following the 2026 Canadian Open ProAm in Alberta. 

Kuntz, 15, finished first in slalom, along with claiming the gold in jump, where he reached 110 feet in length in the finals, making it a new personal best. 

He also made it to the finals in the trick event, but fell while performing the trick, placing him in fourth, but he still earned 930 points. Those points in turn helped him gather enough to claim the overall gold at the competition held at Shalom Park in Edmonton from July 12-15. 

In total, he acquired 2,342.88 points in the tournament. 

Why is it called Industry Day?

Long before it moved to Elora and became the Grand River Raceway in 2004, the Elmira Raceway hosted a premier event called Industry Day because there were multiple events and seminars aimed at educating people in the art of harness racing. It was first held 37 years ago, and the spirit of the event remains intact today.

According to race manager Christine Fairhall, it’s still the highlight of the year – and when the highest purses are up for grabs.

“Industry Day is our signature day at the raceway. We have two races that day, the Battle of Waterloo, which is two-year-old Ontario-sired pacing colts, and then the Battle of the Belles, which is two-year-old Ontario-sired pacing fillies,” she told The Observer.

Alarms are sounding this summer about the spread of giant hogweed, a towering, nasty and aggressive weed that easily grows 10 feet tall.

Some people have called the plant majestic and spectacular, like Queen Anne’s lace (wild carrot) on steroids.

That uniqueness led to it being imported from its native Asia and cultivated here in the first place.

But although it looks fascinating, giant hogweed can cause third-degree burns if its clear, watery sap touches human skin… and even blindness if it comes in contact with your eyes.

The Region of Waterloo landfill site may be the last place anyone would expect to find a thriving forest. However, it boasts between 25 and 35 km of continuous trails. These paths allow hikers and mountain bikers to feel fully immersed in nature. Following a major tree-planting initiative in the spring, the area is set to become even more lush.

The region planted more than 5,000 trees there, helping to connect a deciduous swamp forest with an existing forest to create a larger, healthier woodland.

The expanded forest will help support more wildlife, improve habitat connections and give long-term environmental benefits. The trees were planted as a restoration effort to help return the space to a thriving deciduous forest.

“Part of my job is to try to do those stand conversions over time to create natural, native deciduous forests, as we see here,” said Andrew Puchalski, the regional forester.

While the trees are now in the ground, this is only the first step. In the fall, Puchalski will conduct a survival assessment of the trees.

“We don’t expect 100 per cent survival when we do a planting,” said Puchalski.

“We expect 80 per cent survival after year one, and another 10 per cent loss after year two. At that point, the trees have been in the ground for about two or three years, and we can pretty comfortably say that they should be able to reach maturity, although we’ll continue to tend to them.”

Animal browsing is a big factor that influences tree survivability. 

“From rodents, rabbits, squirrels, but also deer. Deer are pretty prolific, and they’re foresters’ worst enemy because they tend to just eat everything along their way,” said Puchalski.

He added that there are measures to protect trees from browsing, such as tree shelters, which wrap around the trunk of the tree; however, cost is a factor. Each shelter costs around $5.

“You can imagine that times 5,000, that adds up really quickly. So, I would only do that on a site like this if it really warranted it,” said Puchalski

Other options include using a natural spray for the tree trunks that deters deer from grazing.

Beyond the planting efforts this spring, Puchalski also implemented a new turtle nesting site to support some of the local turtle populations. There are two types found in the area, snapping turtles and painted turtles. 

“We created a pretty large artificial turtle habitat at that location. The thought is that it’s in full sun. Turtles will hopefully find that location, choose to lay their eggs there, and that’s how we contribute to some of the local turtle population here as well.”

One of the biggest challenges with the project was the weather in spring. The high snow levels made it difficult to get the trees onto the trail to the planting location.

“When we first came here at the end of March, beginning of April, when we were getting ready to start planting, the water level was maybe a good metre or so above ground,” said Puchalski.

“You can imagine that it’d be impossible to bring trees across on a trailer or anything of that sort. So, we had to wait and defer and defer and defer until it dried off, which was at the end of May approximately.”

All the trees planted on site were native species such as oak, sugar maple, white pine, black walnut and willow, adding to the area’s biodiversity.

“There are 288 different types of animals found within this Waterloo landfill forest, and we have at least 756 different varieties of plants that we’ve observed,” said Puchalaski.

“So, pretty rich in diversity, I’d say. And our goal is to make sure that this continues to grow and become a healthy
ecosystem.”

Andrew Puchalski, the regional forester, demonstrates a tree survival test. The middle photo shows the newly created turtle habitat. [Meg Deak]

Not everyone looks at a depleted, dusty gravel pit and sees a field of dreams. But nearly 20 years ago, local residents Janet Cox and Roger Hogan looked past the barren crater and envisioned a flourishing natural habitat. Today, that dusty basin has been completely transformed into Stone Meadow Farm, a thriving biodiversity haven and working regenerative homestead. 

For Cox and Hogan, the industrial site provided an unconventional path to a lifelong dream. Like many aspiring farmers, they originally envisioned a traditional countryside setup.

“We had wanted a farm with a stone house and 100 acres, and then when we were young, and reality hit, we ended up on half an acre,” said Cox.

“We were like, ‘Oh, that wasn’t so bad. And it turned out that for gardening, half an acre is actually quite a bit.”

The couple’s journey toward the property began in 1991 when they moved into a small house in the village of Maryhill. Raising their two children alongside a small flock of backyard chickens, they grew familiar with the surrounding landscape. During local walks, Cox found herself drawn to the nearby active gravel pit, convinced it held untapped potential.

“They were up here, sort of a few weeks a year, crushing and hauling, and we thought, wouldn’t it be nice to live there,” said Cox.

Opportunity knocked when the mining operation unexpectedly hit a layer of clay. With no more accessible gravel left to extract, the pit became functionally useless to the operators. Beside the mining site sat a rental house owned by the company, though it had seen much better days.

“The house was a complete disaster. There were two bachelors living there, but the one collected motorcycle parts. To them [gravel pit owners] it was a ruined house with tenants and no gravel,” said Cox.

In 2003, Cox and her husband decided to make an offer and bought the place.

Cox recalled her excitement at the decision, adding that the previous owners even “accepted our first offer.”

After moving onto the property, the couple set to work first fixing up the house, then focusing on the gravel pit transformation. Planting trees around the pit, the couple left the inside to be a prairie habitat.

Cox also transformed the property into a biodiversity haven for pollinators with native plants and wildflowers such as bergamot and black-eyed Susans. Around the farm, trees important for butterflies were planted, such as hop trees, which are important for the nesting of swallowtail butterflies.

Planting in the area did not come without challenges. One of the primary ones was wildlife.

“We planted the apple trees in the first year or two, and deer came along and smashed them to smithereens,” said Cox.

Other restoration efforts on the property include building some ponds. Beyond wildlife conservation, Stone Meadow Farm functions as an active model for regenerative agriculture. Today, the property is home to a diverse roster of livestock, including chickens, geese, turkeys and a small herd of cattle.

Instead of keeping the animals entirely separate from the wild spaces, Cox and Hogan use their livestock to actively rebuild the landscape’s topsoil.

“We have a small herd of cattle, and one of the ideas is to do regenerative agriculture. So the cows, as they eat, spread manure. Their hooves work the organic matter and the manure into the ground, and it builds soil way faster than not grazing,” explained Cox. 

For both Cox and Hogan, who grew up in the urban landscape of Toronto, the farm is the realization of a decades-old ambition. While they once dreamed of a simple log house, Cox’s deepest inspiration stems from her childhood memories of her grandfather.

“It’s been a long journey, but my grandfather was an agricultural representative in Niagara. He worked with fruit growers on their orchard health and I just thought my grandfather was the coolest person ever. From the time I was little, we would go visit them there, and they had a massive garden. And he had another property called the Ranch, that had a little remnant of Carolinian forest and a swamp,” said Cox, adding that as a kid it was her dream to live like her grandfather.

Now, decades later, Cox’s dream has materialized in Maryhill. For her, the farm is an important part of being a good steward to Mother Nature.

“We’re finding ways that we can feed ourselves excellent local food while feeding all the other species that ought to be here, and instead of just planting trees or flowers, we’re trying to build ecosystems,” said Cox.

“I really feel like we’re just sort of passing through here. We’re stewards, and I want this place to be a better place for all the organisms here from my passing through it and the time that I’m the steward.”