Latest news with #CBCK-W
New York Post
6 days ago
- Politics
- New York Post
School district forced to explain after speculation it told teachers the word ‘family' is racist
There's a lot of drama associated with this 'family.' After a year and a half of speculation that teachers in Canada's Waterloo Region District, just outside of Toronto, were being taught the word 'family' is racist, its school board was forced to come clean this month. The controversy began in November 2023, when the district offered a professional development presentation titled 'Dismantling Whiteness at W-O: Words Matter,' according to the CBC. Advertisement Reports earlier this month on the training included screen grabs from the presentation highlighting the word 'family,' followed by an explanation claiming the word is 'identified as harmful by our racialized students' and 'values positions of (male) authority and hierarchy.' After the training session came to light, the head of the school board was forced to acknowledge the scuttlebutt. Maedith Radlein, chair of the Waterloo Region District School Board, said the training session examined several words, including family. Advertisement 'That screenshot was interpreted to mean that what was being said was that we are against family. That screenshot was, in fact, part of a larger presentation that was a discussion about language,' Radlein said on CBC K-W's 'The Morning Edition.' 'I would like to unequivocally state that that is not our message. We value families, and we work with them every day as we seek to help their students achieve and enjoy their school experience.' The school board then issued a statement defending the instructional session. Advertisement 'The session explored how different communities may experience public institutions differently, and how educators can be thoughtful and inclusive in their communication,' the June 6 statement said. 'These discussions are part of our ongoing commitment to human rights, equity, and learning.' The Waterloo Region District School Board's training session titled 'Dismantling Whiteness at W-O: Words Matter' sparked controversy. Facebook/Waterloo Region District School Board The school board was forced to make two statements this month. Facebook/Waterloo Region District School Board Advertisement 'The word ' family' and what it represents is integral to all we do,' the board said in a second statement days later. 'A look at our website will reveal numerous references to family. There are lunchtime workshops for families; there are information nights for families; we collaborate with families (I.e., parents and caregivers at all stages of the learning process, in every grade and in every activity),' Radlein said in the June 10 statement. 'Families are seen as active partners in the learning and well-being of their children. They are seen every day in our schools contributing to public education.'
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Hundreds attend Stanley Cup watch party in uptown Waterloo
Uptown Waterloo hosted an outdoor watch party on Monday for Game 3 of the Stanley Cup final. Hundreds of hockey fans showed up to watch the Edmonton Oilers take on the Florida Panthers -- and were left disappointed with a 6-1 loss. Waterloo Mayor Dorothy McCabe, Uptown Waterloo BIA executive director Jeyas Balaskanthan and some hockey fans spoke to CBC K-W's John Dalusong at the event.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
2 former migrant workers detail their experiences living on Ontario farms
Tyrell Mills and his uncle Clifford McLiesh have worked as migrant workers for multiple years on Ontario farms. They spoke to CBC K-W's Aastha Shetty about their experience living in on-farm housing they say was dirty and unkempt. Mills and McLiesh were at the Balsillie School of International Affairs in Waterloo on Friday to hear more about a new guidance document called the National Housing Standards for Migrant Agricultural Workers. It was put together by a team of researchers and experts from across the country who want all levels of government to read the report and take action on the recommendations to keep migrant farm workers safe.
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Sticky situation: U.S. tariffs could make maple syrup a 'prime target' for fraud, Guelph researcher warns
Maple syrup has become "an ideal and prime target" for fraud and is at risk due to U.S. tariffs, a researcher in the University of Guelph's department of food science has warned. Maple syrup fraud refers to the deliberate misrepresentation of the product for economic gains — consumers paying more for a lower value product. Maleeka Singh said the increased possibility of maple syrup fraud is a direct result of U.S. President Donald Trump's tariff threats and the imposition of a baseline tariff of 10 per cent on all imports that aren't compliant with the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement. Singh, maple syrup is often adulterated by the diluting or mixing or completely replacing it with a lower value syrup, like corn syrup. "On the labels for example, it might say pure maple syrup, but might actually be a blend of syrups or not even maple syrup at all. Other ways can also include dilution with water, addition of other sugars, or even mislabeling the point of origin," Singh said on CBC K-W's The Morning Edition with host Craig Norris. "Maple syrup is often referred to as Canada's liquid gold due to its high demand and its price. Unfortunately, this makes it an ideal and prime target for adulteration or maple syrup fraud. This ultimately means, for example, that you as a consumer may be paying a premium price for maple syrup, but instead receive a lower value or a lower quality product." Singh pointed out that historically, instances of food fraud have increased during harsh economic times and supply chain disruptions. Using the last four years as an example, she said the global pandemic, regional wars and significant climate events all caused significant constraints in supply and demand in the supply chain. It's estimated that since 2020, instances of food fraud have increased by more than 10-fold, she said. "Regardless of what the actual tariffs are, increased threats of tariffs is enough to cause uncertainty in the supply chain, and this can incentivize food fraudsters to substitute pure maple syrup with a lower value product, ultimately leading to an increase in maple syrup fraud," Singh said. Canada and the U.S. are the only countries that produce maple syrup at commercial scale. In 2023 the Canadian maple syrup industry accounted for approximately 71 per cent of the total world maple syrup production, with 89.9 per cent of Canadian production originating from Quebec, 5.1 per cent from New Brunswick, 4.8 per cent from Ontario, and less than one per cent from Nova Scotia. Maple products accounted for 3.7 per cent of all Canadian horticulture farm cash receipts in 2023. Singh said it's difficult for consumers to detect maple syrup fraud. She said maple syrup is often tested by measuring the diluted sugar, something that's usually done in a lab. "Unfortunately, these food fraudsters are quite smart and they actively try to avoid detection, so there's really a need for quick and cost effective and more complex testing of maple syrup along the supply chain," she said. Marie-Pier P-Séguin, director general of the Maple Industry Council, says the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) regulates maple syrup to ensure that it is safe, wholesome and graded according to established standards. The CFIA also verifies that maple syrup and maple products are labelled and packaged in accordance with Canadian regulations and standards, so as not to mislead consumers and to facilitate their orderly marketing, the director general shared in an emailed statement. "Addition of sugar or other sweetening substances or flavours constitute food fraud and must be reported to the CFIA," the statement reads. "Any addition to maple syrup contravenes the regulation. To our knowledge, this practice has not been the subject of complaints from our members' customers, either on foreign or domestic markets." Kevin Snyder, a maple syrup producer in Waterloo region in southern Ontario and president of the Waterloo Wellington chapter of the Ontario Maple Producers. He says "fake maple syrup" is a growing concern as demand for real maple syrup increases. "Just like honey, when there's a market for a premium product, someone will find a way to cut it. The reason is they can cut it with some source for cheap sugar and sell it at 100 per cent-pure prices," Snyder wrote in an email to CBC News. "It may happen here in Ontario, but I believe it's mostly the export market. People in other countries believe it's 100 per cent pure and it's not."
CBC
05-05-2025
- CBC
Red Dress Day ceremony held in Kitchener park
Monday marked Red Dress Day. It's a day to remember missing and murdered Indigenous people. People gathered to mark the day near the clock tower in Kitchener's Victoria Park. In the park there was a display of more than 150 crosses, each one adorned with an orange ribbon and name. The event was put together by the Healing of the 7 Generations, a K-W based Indigenous organization. CBC K-W reporter Aastha Shetty was there.
