City of Waterloo’s Service Centre open house returns
The City of Waterloo gave residents an inside look at its Service Centre with its annual open house returning this weekend for the first time since the pandemic began.
On Saturday, attendees were invited to check out the city’s trucks and heavy equipment.
“We showcase the operations aspect of the City of Waterloo, including our parks, our public works in general and operations including water services, city utilities, transportation services,” said Ron Ormson, the commissioner of integrated planning and public works with the City of Waterloo.
The event is aimed at providing awareness and clarity on all that goes on behind the scenes.
“It’s a really good opportunity for the community to see where their tax dollars are going with respect to municipal operations,” said Ormson. “To see where the clean water comes from, see how the parks are maintained, understand what it takes to run the city and keep the roads in good condition.”
Ormson added that often times there’s a misunderstanding about the scale of municipal operations.
“They don’t realize that the city is maintained by a whole fleet of trucks, snow plows and all kinds of specialized equipment to take care of the parks and take care of the roads. So, it’s an eye opener for a lot of people to see what happens out of the operations centre here,” he said.
One resident of Waterloo attended the event and said it was a great opportunity to show her children everything that goes on while learning a lot herself.
“All the gardening and growing their own trees and plants and stuff like that. I just assumed it was all purchased from somewhere else and brought in,” she said.
The event also featured a barbecue with all proceeds going towards Supportive Housing of Waterloo Region.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Widow looking for answers after Quebec man dies in Texas Ironman competition
The widow of a Quebec man who died competing in an Ironman competition is looking for answers.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
World seeing near breakdown of international law amid wars in Gaza and Ukraine, Amnesty says
The world is seeing a near breakdown of international law amid flagrant rule-breaking in Gaza and Ukraine, multiplying armed conflicts, the rise of authoritarianism and huge rights violations in Sudan, Ethiopia and Myanmar, Amnesty International warned Wednesday as it published its annual report.
Photographer alleges he was forced to watch Megan Thee Stallion have sex and was unfairly fired
A photographer who worked for Megan Thee Stallion said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that he was forced to watch her have sex, was unfairly fired soon after and was abused as her employee.
Amid concerns over 'collateral damage' Trudeau, Freeland defend capital gains tax change
Facing pushback from physicians and businesspeople over the coming increase to the capital gains inclusion rate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his deputy Chrystia Freeland are standing by their plan to target Canada's highest earners.
U.S. Senate passes bill forcing TikTok's parent company to sell or face ban, sends to Biden for signature
The Senate passed legislation Tuesday that would force TikTok's China-based parent company to sell the social media platform under the threat of a ban, a contentious move by U.S. lawmakers that's expected to face legal challenges.
Wildfire southwest of Peace River spurs evacuation order
People living near a wildfire burning about 15 kilometres southwest of Peace River are being told to evacuate their homes.
U.S. Senate overwhelmingly passes aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan with big bipartisan vote
The U.S. Senate has passed US$95 billion in war aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, sending the legislation to President Joe Biden after months of delays and contentious debate over how involved the United States should be in foreign wars.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.