Blog: What a Whirlwind Month Taught Me About Connection
I’m honestly not sure where the last month has gone. Then, I started thinking about all that has transpired, and it began to make sense. If you weren’t right in the middle of it, you might have missed a few things.
In mid-September, WRCF launched Waterloo Region's 2025 Vital Signs® Report. The report’s Lead Author and Researcher, Steven Ayer, joined me for a webinar to explore the key findings. The data paints a complex picture. Our region is Canada’s fastest-growing and youngest metropolitan area, yet we’re also seeing declines in belonging and wellbeing. The report makes one thing clear: our social infrastructure needs attention. And it doesn’t stop with data. Pages 58–70 highlight local and global examples of what’s possible when we invest in connection.
Just a week later, that conversation came to life at our Strengthening Our Community Through Connections event. We celebrated the 2025 WRCF Community Award recipients: three individuals and one company whose volunteerism and generosity are shaping our region. Keynote speaker Pete Bombaci of GenWell: The Human Connection Movement captured the spirit perfectly. He reminded us that just as diet and exercise strengthen our bodies, human connection strengthens our communities. His challenge was simple: reach out to someone you’ve been meaning to connect with. Small gestures can spark big change.
A week after that, we launched WRGive.ca, a new online giving platform designed to help you give where you live. Take a look and you’ll find eight incredible community projects, each strengthening our region’s social infrastructure in its own way. Whether you care about Indigenous culture, local media, youth spaces, or urban gardens, there is something for you. But don’t wait, because the campaign closes October 29.
And if your calendar isn’t full yet, join us and the Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery on November 6 for the next Culture Talks: Art, Architecture, the Public Realm, and Social Infrastructure with Carol Coletta. We’re eager to hear Carol’s insights on how great public spaces create connection, spark creativity, and expand opportunity.
This past month reminded me that connection doesn’t happen by accident. It is built, moment by moment, by people who care enough to reach out, show up, and get involved. Whether that means sending a text, supporting a local project, or attending an event, every action contributes to a more connected, resilient, and inclusive Waterloo Region. Let’s keep building that together, one conversation, one gesture, and one shared experience at a time.
Eric Avner
WRCF President & CEO
eric@wrcf.ca