Melissa Bowman
@dtkmelissa.bsky.social
Passionate about...just about everything! Especially Waterloo Region. 🇨🇦
Author of CitifiedWR blog https://citified.substack.com/
Co-founder of Waterloo Region Yes In My Backyard
"Kick at the darkness 'til it bleeds daylight"
https://linktr.ee/dtkmelissa
Author of CitifiedWR blog https://citified.substack.com/
Co-founder of Waterloo Region Yes In My Backyard
"Kick at the darkness 'til it bleeds daylight"
https://linktr.ee/dtkmelissa
"Leadership isn’t something that only exists in city halls or boardrooms. It shows up in the little things. When you organize a parent council meeting, advocate for better road safety, or mentor a young woman in your community, you are leading." -Jennifer Alexander
Understanding Leadership: Finding Your Voice and Style
Nov 14 2025
buff.ly
November 18, 2025 at 12:30 PM
"Leadership isn’t something that only exists in city halls or boardrooms. It shows up in the little things. When you organize a parent council meeting, advocate for better road safety, or mentor a young woman in your community, you are leading." -Jennifer Alexander
"The vast majority of feedback I’m receiving on the issue continues to be in favour of the cameras. But some of the feedback against cameras leaves me convinced that the core of this dispute is that some drivers refused to believe that speeding is actually dangerous." -Glen Gower
Why we want drivers to slow down
Data on vehicle impact speed and injuries to pedestrians
glengower.substack.com
November 18, 2025 at 12:21 AM
"The vast majority of feedback I’m receiving on the issue continues to be in favour of the cameras. But some of the feedback against cameras leaves me convinced that the core of this dispute is that some drivers refused to believe that speeding is actually dangerous." -Glen Gower
"Cities aren’t taxing every household for (ASE). It’s funded by those that break the law by speeding. Since the government is now taking this program away, guess what? Every household and business will now pay through property taxes for the road safety initiatives we’re implementing." -Cam Guthrie
Mayor Cam Guthrie on X: "Want to stop a program? Fine. Want to disparage cities like Guelph while you do it? Not fine. In a follow up to my comments regarding the decision of Premier @fordnation to ban speed enforcement cameras across the province, I wanted to add the following: ➡️ If the Ford https://t.co/rkGmwu2W3f" / X
Want to stop a program? Fine. Want to disparage cities like Guelph while you do it? Not fine. In a follow up to my comments regarding the decision of Premier @fordnation to ban speed enforcement cameras across the province, I wanted to add the following: ➡️ If the Ford https://t.co/rkGmwu2W3f
x.com
November 17, 2025 at 11:50 PM
"Cities aren’t taxing every household for (ASE). It’s funded by those that break the law by speeding. Since the government is now taking this program away, guess what? Every household and business will now pay through property taxes for the road safety initiatives we’re implementing." -Cam Guthrie
Reposted by Melissa Bowman
#IdeasAtWork
We’ve done some preliminary work in that regards to Green P Parking and housing here via @housingnowto.bsky.social and @uoftcities.bsky.social www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis...
bsky.app/profile/hous...
We’ve done some preliminary work in that regards to Green P Parking and housing here via @housingnowto.bsky.social and @uoftcities.bsky.social www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis...
bsky.app/profile/hous...
November 17, 2025 at 2:38 PM
#IdeasAtWork
We’ve done some preliminary work in that regards to Green P Parking and housing here via @housingnowto.bsky.social and @uoftcities.bsky.social www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis...
bsky.app/profile/hous...
We’ve done some preliminary work in that regards to Green P Parking and housing here via @housingnowto.bsky.social and @uoftcities.bsky.social www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis...
bsky.app/profile/hous...
"We should have an even more aggressive policy to turn as many municipal lots as possible into needed housing, as affordable as possible, and bury a smaller, more efficient amount of parking. We have the underused land: let’s build." -Shawn Micallef
Shawn Micallef: Let’s fix it: Toronto has more underused parking lots than you’d think. Here’s how to use them better
The subject of parking still seems to drive a lot of what happens in Toronto politics, but the underused lots around the city could be put to better use.
buff.ly
November 17, 2025 at 12:15 PM
"We should have an even more aggressive policy to turn as many municipal lots as possible into needed housing, as affordable as possible, and bury a smaller, more efficient amount of parking. We have the underused land: let’s build." -Shawn Micallef
There is very much a part of me that wants elected officials to engage more with residents. And then, then, I read this nonsense and I very much don't want politicians capitulating to these complaints. A very short thread highlighting the above mentioned nonsense. 1/?
When a housing group tried to give 11 acres of protected land to an Indigenous organization, residents pushed back over concerns of a ‘private tent city’
A Guelph committee of adjustment unanimously approved a highly contested land parcel split that will see over four hectares, or 11 acres, of protected green space given to an Indigenous organization i...
www.therecord.com
November 16, 2025 at 11:36 PM
There is very much a part of me that wants elected officials to engage more with residents. And then, then, I read this nonsense and I very much don't want politicians capitulating to these complaints. A very short thread highlighting the above mentioned nonsense. 1/?
Reposted by Melissa Bowman
Diapers and baby gear are urgently needed by new moms living at Reception House! Please drop off donations at 101 Frederick Street, Suite 700 in Kitchener.
November 16, 2025 at 9:21 PM
Diapers and baby gear are urgently needed by new moms living at Reception House! Please drop off donations at 101 Frederick Street, Suite 700 in Kitchener.
Reposted by Melissa Bowman
Join us to ride the first weekend GO Train Kitchener to Toronto! Help us mark a major milestone.
Toronto activities: TTCriders Streetcar Summit, Santa Claus Parade, or just enjoy the city.
Return via 4:48pm train or train to Bramalea + bus. Weekend GO Passes are $10, kids under 12 ride free.
Toronto activities: TTCriders Streetcar Summit, Santa Claus Parade, or just enjoy the city.
Return via 4:48pm train or train to Bramalea + bus. Weekend GO Passes are $10, kids under 12 ride free.
November 16, 2025 at 8:43 PM
Join us to ride the first weekend GO Train Kitchener to Toronto! Help us mark a major milestone.
Toronto activities: TTCriders Streetcar Summit, Santa Claus Parade, or just enjoy the city.
Return via 4:48pm train or train to Bramalea + bus. Weekend GO Passes are $10, kids under 12 ride free.
Toronto activities: TTCriders Streetcar Summit, Santa Claus Parade, or just enjoy the city.
Return via 4:48pm train or train to Bramalea + bus. Weekend GO Passes are $10, kids under 12 ride free.
Too bad Ford doesn't make decisions based on evidence. #ASE www.therecord.com/politics/pro...
November 16, 2025 at 2:06 PM
Too bad Ford doesn't make decisions based on evidence. #ASE www.therecord.com/politics/pro...
Cambridge Mayor Jan Liggett (the only opposition vote for the LRT extension to Cambridge) showing a fundamental misunderstanding of what the ion is about.
"The premise of the LRT has always been since day one to get people from one shopping area to another," says Liggett.
"The premise of the LRT has always been since day one to get people from one shopping area to another," says Liggett.
‘Onward to Cambridge’: Regional council endorses business case for LRT Stage 2
‘Onward to Cambridge’: Regional council endorses business case for LRT Phase 2
www.therecord.com
November 15, 2025 at 11:01 PM
Cambridge Mayor Jan Liggett (the only opposition vote for the LRT extension to Cambridge) showing a fundamental misunderstanding of what the ion is about.
"The premise of the LRT has always been since day one to get people from one shopping area to another," says Liggett.
"The premise of the LRT has always been since day one to get people from one shopping area to another," says Liggett.
Yes, please! www.therecord.com/news/waterlo...
November 15, 2025 at 10:46 PM
Yes, please! www.therecord.com/news/waterlo...
If transit and cycling options are not high-quality, frequent, and maintained year-round, too many folks will assume vehicles = freedom. I'd argue the transportation systems we invest in most are what equals freedom. Therefore, investing in transit and cycling infrastructure gives people choices.
Funny, but I had very similar feelings about regaining access to a car early in 1998 after having to rely on transit & bicycling for almost two years. I sure didn't miss the stress & hassle of slow, late buses or getting around on a bike in the wintertime rain.
"'I love not owning a car,' said Teal Burns of Halifax. Many others said the same thing in slightly different ways. Those who previously owned a car say they don't miss the cost and hassle of owning a car or the stress of driving." Same. www.cbc.ca/news/climate...
November 15, 2025 at 8:35 PM
If transit and cycling options are not high-quality, frequent, and maintained year-round, too many folks will assume vehicles = freedom. I'd argue the transportation systems we invest in most are what equals freedom. Therefore, investing in transit and cycling infrastructure gives people choices.
"Police Chief Mark Crowell noted he knows there are critics of police’s hiring of more officers when budgets, especially at the regional level, are asked to stay in check." Um, yep. www.therecord.com/news/waterlo...
a man says it 's me in front of a bulletin board
ALT: a man says it 's me in front of a bulletin board
media.tenor.com
November 15, 2025 at 4:59 PM
"Police Chief Mark Crowell noted he knows there are critics of police’s hiring of more officers when budgets, especially at the regional level, are asked to stay in check." Um, yep. www.therecord.com/news/waterlo...
Friends inviting me to a formal event: Okay, you'll just be normal and not make everything about municipal issues tonight, right?
Me:
Me:
November 15, 2025 at 3:45 PM
Friends inviting me to a formal event: Okay, you'll just be normal and not make everything about municipal issues tonight, right?
Me:
Me:
Reposted by Melissa Bowman
ION is a transit investment success story - it skipped the bells & whistles and got built quickly, runs great, has been successful at guiding new development to cluster in the built-up area instead of becoming sprawl.
Now Waterloo Region needs funding to bring that ION light rail magic to Cambridge
Now Waterloo Region needs funding to bring that ION light rail magic to Cambridge
November 15, 2025 at 3:09 AM
ION is a transit investment success story - it skipped the bells & whistles and got built quickly, runs great, has been successful at guiding new development to cluster in the built-up area instead of becoming sprawl.
Now Waterloo Region needs funding to bring that ION light rail magic to Cambridge
Now Waterloo Region needs funding to bring that ION light rail magic to Cambridge
"'I love not owning a car,' said Teal Burns of Halifax. Many others said the same thing in slightly different ways. Those who previously owned a car say they don't miss the cost and hassle of owning a car or the stress of driving." Same. www.cbc.ca/news/climate...
Why some Canadians love living without a car | CBC Climate Change News
In this issue of our environmental newsletter, we share the experiences of people across Canada who don't own a car; track China's progress on cutting emissions; and check out an efficient way to remo...
www.cbc.ca
November 15, 2025 at 1:50 PM
"'I love not owning a car,' said Teal Burns of Halifax. Many others said the same thing in slightly different ways. Those who previously owned a car say they don't miss the cost and hassle of owning a car or the stress of driving." Same. www.cbc.ca/news/climate...
"A decade of research shows that body cameras do not reduce police violence or racial profiling, while augmenting the power of police to arrest marginalized people for low-level crimes, surveil and repress protests, and wage a public relations war against their critics."
Public safety for whom?
A safer city means less police, but only one party in the current Montreal election seems to understand that
buff.ly
November 15, 2025 at 1:01 PM
"A decade of research shows that body cameras do not reduce police violence or racial profiling, while augmenting the power of police to arrest marginalized people for low-level crimes, surveil and repress protests, and wage a public relations war against their critics."
Um...that was kind of the whole point (and then to use revenue from those who didn't slow down to fund more permanent road safety improvements). www.therecord.com/opinion/colu...
November 14, 2025 at 10:11 PM
Um...that was kind of the whole point (and then to use revenue from those who didn't slow down to fund more permanent road safety improvements). www.therecord.com/opinion/colu...
“If we’re serious about community safety, we need to invest in the things that create it: housing; mental health supports; youth programming; accessible transit; and poverty reduction. These are the factors proven to reduce harm, not just throwing more money and more officers at the issues."
www.therecord.com
November 14, 2025 at 8:42 PM
“If we’re serious about community safety, we need to invest in the things that create it: housing; mental health supports; youth programming; accessible transit; and poverty reduction. These are the factors proven to reduce harm, not just throwing more money and more officers at the issues."
Reposted by Melissa Bowman
Kitchener’s Downtown Cycling Grid project has earned the 2025 Active Transportation Achievement Award from the Transportation Association of Canada
While there's always more to be done, it's great to see the city receive this recognition 😀🚴🏼♀️
kitchener.citynews.ca/2025/11/11/k...
While there's always more to be done, it's great to see the city receive this recognition 😀🚴🏼♀️
kitchener.citynews.ca/2025/11/11/k...
Kitchener's Downtown Cycling Grid wins national award
The City of Kitchener has been given the 2025 Active Transportation Achievement Award thanks to its Downtown Cycling Grid project.
kitchener.citynews.ca
November 14, 2025 at 3:45 PM
Kitchener’s Downtown Cycling Grid project has earned the 2025 Active Transportation Achievement Award from the Transportation Association of Canada
While there's always more to be done, it's great to see the city receive this recognition 😀🚴🏼♀️
kitchener.citynews.ca/2025/11/11/k...
While there's always more to be done, it's great to see the city receive this recognition 😀🚴🏼♀️
kitchener.citynews.ca/2025/11/11/k...
Reposted by Melissa Bowman
Perfect example of how the province loves to burn cash for nothing. Public funds are taking a double hit here: money has to be spent to take speed cameras out after municipalities spent millions putting them in, and said cameras were essentially a user pay model for funding road safety projects.
Ontario to spend $210M on non-speed camera road safety measures following ban | CBC News
Ontario Premier Doug Ford's government is earmarking $210 million for municipalities to implement traffic-calming measures as its ban on speed cameras is set to take effect.
www.cbc.ca
November 14, 2025 at 6:07 PM
Perfect example of how the province loves to burn cash for nothing. Public funds are taking a double hit here: money has to be spent to take speed cameras out after municipalities spent millions putting them in, and said cameras were essentially a user pay model for funding road safety projects.
"Rhetoric that paints our neighbors as villains in a political drama may win points in a partisan campaign, but it’s corrosive to civic life. It divides us. It flattens the complexity of human motivations into binaries." -Charles Marohn
Is the City the Problem or the Solution?
State preemption can remove obstacles, but it can’t build the local capacity that's required for lasting reform.
buff.ly
November 14, 2025 at 12:45 PM
"Rhetoric that paints our neighbors as villains in a political drama may win points in a partisan campaign, but it’s corrosive to civic life. It divides us. It flattens the complexity of human motivations into binaries." -Charles Marohn
"Savings" or "de-funding"?
Let's give this a try, instead. #WRPS www.therecord.com/news/waterlo...
November 14, 2025 at 1:07 AM
"Savings" or "de-funding"?
Let's give this a try, instead. #WRPS www.therecord.com/news/waterlo...
November 14, 2025 at 12:26 AM
Let's give this a try, instead. #WRPS www.therecord.com/news/waterlo...
"We can’t make city planning decisions based on fear. We need the courage to keep the big picture in mind. We need to put ourselves in the shoes of precisely 'those people' — a perspective that hasn’t been nearly as present in the public debate."
The big picture on housing, density and affordability
How Edmonton's approach fights for affordability and fiscal efficiency
civicgood.substack.com
November 13, 2025 at 11:06 PM
"We can’t make city planning decisions based on fear. We need the courage to keep the big picture in mind. We need to put ourselves in the shoes of precisely 'those people' — a perspective that hasn’t been nearly as present in the public debate."