Luisa D’Amato

3 weeks ago | newhamburgindependent.ca | Luisa D’Amato

Voting means a lot to Linda Brenner. When she is asked about it, the Kitchener woman tells about the time, years ago, when her church priest complained about the election sign she had on her lawn, endorsing a political party he didn’t approve of. “He told me I should not be voting for them!” said Brenner with a laugh. She remembers thinking: “You’re overstepping!” “I didn’t take it down,” she said of the sign.

Jan 22, 2025 | newhamburgindependent.ca | Luisa D’Amato

Before Jim Rodger died, he wrote me a letter. He didn’t have time to finish it before pancreatic cancer took him in May 2024. His widow, Alison, shared the letter with me this week. With her permission, I’m sharing parts of it with you. Rodger was a retired high school principal, an art lover, and a founder of the Prime Ministers Path project, which aimed to create statues of all Canada’s prime ministers as a focal point for research and discussion.

Jan 16, 2025 | newhamburgindependent.ca | Luisa D’Amato

It’s like having a trap door open underneath you. You’re managing OK, in your affordable older apartment that’s protected by rent control. But then, you get a notice from the landlord that you have to move out, because extensive renovations are planned. You can’t afford the rents anywhere else, because rent control doesn’t apply to new tenants moving in, or newer builidings.

Jan 12, 2025 | newhamburgindependent.ca | Luisa D’Amato

We’re in trouble. A new report on homelessness, released by the Association of Municipalities of Ontario, reveals three frightening points that tell the story:There were 81,515 homeless people across Ontario in 2024, a 25-per-cent increase from 2022. Nearly a quarter of those were children or youth. That’s bad, but it could get a lot worse, very quickly — in 10 years, if the economy takes a downturn, the reports estimates there might be almost 295,000 people in the province who would be homeless.

Jan 9, 2025 | newhamburgindependent.ca | Luisa D’Amato

Wilmot councillors are under tremendous pressure as they contemplate an unconscionable tax hike. And it’s beginning to show. To their credit, councillors have been hosting town hall meetings so that the public can give their input and ask questions about the 51 per cent property tax hike that is proposed by staff. Hundreds of residents, many of them angry and anxious, have been attending. Then, last Saturday, Coun.