As Waterloo Region grows toward one million people, this episode reveals why some of the most crucial social infrastructure isn't built from the top down, but grows from the ground up—where residents identify their own needs, youth are trusted as leaders today (not tomorrow), and neighborhoods become dense enough with connection to create a safety net for those who need it. Through conversations with a veteran community center director, and the cross-sector One Million Neighbours project, we discover how the neighborhood scale is the site of some of our most critical social infrastructure.

THANKS TO OUR GUESTS

Kim Fowler, Executive Director of Fiddlesticks Community Centre

Chanelle Martin, Volunteer and Community Engagement Coordinator at Fiddlesticks Community Centre

Sam Nabi, Coordinator of One Million Neighbours

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

One Million Neighbours website

Fiddlesticks website

Waterloo Region Community Foundation’s work on social infrastructure

CREDITS

Jay Harrison, Host/Producer/Editor

Karyn Atkins, Writer/Reporter

Deren Atkins, Editor

David Harmes, Executive Producer/Engineer

MUSIC

courtesy of Epidemic Sound

Main theme music - Rocket Jr: High Tech

Transition music - Par Hagstrom: Snakes and Fire (Instrumental Version), and Loyae: Level Up, Loving Caliber: Lose (Instrumental Version)

This show was made possible by the support of the Waterloo Region Community Foundation.

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When a local newspaper investigation saves taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars, it's more than just good journalism—it's infrastructure in action. In this episode, we explore how local media serves as part of the connective tissue of community life, from holding power accountable to helping you connect with the people in your community. But with over 600 news outlets closing across Canada since 2008, we ask: what happens when the ties that bind us together start to unravel?

THANKS TO OUR GUESTS

Mirko Petricevic, Chief Ink-stigator (co-ordinator) of Ink-stained wretches

Irene Schmidt-Adeney, Writer at Ayr News

Sue Foxton, Mayor of North Dumfries

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Resources for supporting local journalism from the Ink-stained Wretches website

Ayr News

CREDITS

Jay Harrison, Host/Producer/Editor

Karyn Atkins, Writer

Deren Atkins, Editor

David Harmes, Executive Producer/Engineer

MUSIC

courtesy of Epidemic Sound

Main theme music - Rocket Jr: High Tech

Transition music - Par Hagstrom: Snakes and Fire (Instrumental Version), and Loyae: Level Up

This show was made possible by the support of the Waterloo Region Community Foundation.

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midtownradio.ca

Download the Midtown Radio app to listen live and on-demand

From students organizing delegations at school board meetings to parents building audio libraries in 28 languages, this episode reveals the simple and profound ways that schools act as social infrastructure. In this episode, we meet Quinn, a high school student co-leading a local Gender Sexuality Alliance who knows that community can literally save lives, and Taarini, a parent who helped to create a program for connecting newcomer families across cultural and linguistic barriers at her children’s school. Through powerful conversations with education expert Laura Mae Lindo, we discover that schools aren't just buildings where learning happens—they're landing places where young people and families are creating havens of belonging, one story, one connection, one act of care at a time.

THANKS TO OUR GUESTS

Laura Mae Lindo, Assistant Professor of Philosophy and Director of Black Studies at the University of Waterloo

Quinn Palmer, Student leader in the GSA at Waterloo Collegiate Institute

Taarini Chopra, Parent at King Edward Public School

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Waterloo Region District School Board student census

CREDITS

Jay Harrison, Host/Producer/Editor

Karyn Atkins, Writer/Reporter

Deren Atkins, Editor

David Harmes, Executive Producer/Engineer

MUSIC

courtesy of Epidemic Sound

Main theme music - Rocket Jr: High Tech

Transition music - Par Hagstrom: Snakes and Fire (Instrumental Version), and Loyae: Level Up

This show was made possible by the support of the Waterloo Region Community Foundation.

Follow Midtown Radio for more local content

@midtownradiokw

midtownradio.ca

Download the Midtown Radio app to listen live and on-demand

Public squares have been gathering places for thousands of years, but do they truly serve everyone in today's increasingly diverse communities? This episode explores two very different town squares in Waterloo Region – Waterloo Town Square and the Gaslight District – to understand what makes these spaces work, revealing that while public squares can help people encounter difference, they don't automatically create belonging or deep understanding. Making them truly inclusive requires thoughtful design, intentional programming, and grappling with difficult questions about who belongs in public space. As our region grows toward one million people and housing becomes less affordable, these free gathering spaces aren't just nice to have - they're essential infrastructure for the human spirit.

THANKS TO OUR GUESTS

Ryan Lok, PhD Candidate at the University of Waterloo School of Planning

Jeyas Balaskanthan, Executive Director of the Uptown Waterloo Business Improvement Area

Scott Higgins, President of HIP Developments

Sheri Roberts, City of Cambridge Councilor for Ward 2

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Uptown Waterloo BIA

Gaslight District

CREDITS

Jay Harrison, Host/Producer

Karyn Atkins, Writer

Deren Atkins, Editor

Shrijith Ramaswami, Editor

David Harmes, Executive Producer/Engineer

MUSIC

courtesy of Epidemic Sound

Main theme music - Rocket Jr: High Tech

Transition music - Par Hagstrom: Snakes and Fire (Instrumental Version), and Loyae: Level Up

This show was made possible by the support of the Waterloo Region Community Foundation.

Local expert Troy Glover shows us why social infrastructure is the invisible glue that holds a community together. Through the lens of public libraries, this episode uncovers how these everyday spaces are actually "palaces for people," quietly helping to transform strangers into neighbors and isolated individuals into thriving communities. As Waterloo Region grows toward becoming home to one million people by 2050, this episode asks a crucial question: will we invest in the social infrastructure that turns a growing population into a connected community, or will we let our social fabric fray?

THANKS TO OUR GUESTS

Troy Glover, Professor of Recreation and Leisure Studies, University of Waterloo

Nathan Stretch, Senior Manager of Community Development and Insights

at Kitchener Public Library

Cristina McLaren, Manager of Library Services for the Region of Waterloo Libraries

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Waterloo Region Community Foundation’s 2025 Vital Signs report

Gehl Institute report on social infrastructure

ActivateYourNeighbourhood.ca

CREDITS

Jay Harrison, Host/Producer

Karyn Atkins, Writer/Reporter

Deren Atkins, Editor

Shrijith Ramaswami, Editor

David Harmes, Executive Producer/Engineer

MUSIC

courtesy of Epidemic Sound

Main theme music - Rocket Jr: High Tech

Transition music - Par Hagstrom: Snakes and Fire (Instrumental Version), and Loyae: Level Up

This show was made possible by the support of the Waterloo Region Community Foundation.

Follow Midtown Radio for more local content

@midtownradiokw

midtownradio.ca

Download the Midtown Radio app to listen live and on-demand

Join host, Jay Harrison, for a five-part series on social infrastructure in Waterloo Region. Starting January 17, 2026 you can tune in to Midtown Radio (midtownradio.ca) on Saturdays and Sundays at 11:00am ET to listen along with your neighbours. Follow or subscribe wherever you get your podcasts to catch up with past episodes.
Music from Rocket Jr. courtesy of Epidemic Sound