"What would you say you do here?" - Bob Slydell, "Office Space"
Have you ever walked by a building here in Waterloo Region and found yourself wondering what happens inside? Well, wonder no more. This Saturday, Sept. 21 is Doors Open Waterloo Region. During Doors Open, local businesses and organizations open up their noteworthy buildings and heritage sites, many of which are not regularly open to the public. Doors Open Waterloo Region has opened up more than 300 sites to the public since 2003, including 43 new and returning sites this year.
While Doors Open is about exploring the spaces around us, event organizer Karl Kessler wants us to look at more than just the architecture and features of the sites. "The heart of each physical space isn't the bricks," said Kessler, "it's how we use them. How we work in them."
This year's sites include tech sites such as the Canada's first zero-carbon building evolv1, virtual reality arcade Ctrl V, robot manufacturer Otto Motors and of course, the Communitech Hub in downtown Kitchener. You'll also be able to step inside the University of Waterloo's School of Pharmacy, the Waterloo County Gaol, Reids Chocolate Factory and Four Fathers Brewing.
Tying many of the sites together this year is the theme of water in Waterloo Region. There are so many ways in which water effects us, from floods to safe drinking water to the packaging of water. Locally, there have been concerns raised about how large companies extract and sell local water in a global market. "Making sure people have access to water – water as a human right – has been a topic of so many conversations," added Kessler.
Doors Open starts its water-themed day with a traditional Anishnaabe Water Ceremony on the Grand River. You can then check out environmentally friendly buildings like 50 Kent and evolv1 to see how they have been designed to reduce water consumption and water bills.
Visit the Doors Open Waterloo Region site to learn more about the buildings open this Saturday and get out there are explore!
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Call it how it is, there's just a lot going on this week in our community. I see and hear that...there will be music, food, fire, giant instruments and Four All Ice Cream at the City of Waterloo's Campfire event on Wednesday, Sept. 18. Get medieval at the the 22nd Annual Royal Medieval Faire in Waterloo Park this Saturday, Sept. 21 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Short Finger Brewing and Bearface Design are celebrating one year of being in the same building with a mini-market and special collab brew release party this Saturday, Sept. 21 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
