LYNN HADDRALL I EDITOR’S NOTE
We welcome spring with wide range of gardening ideas.
WE’RE ALWAYS LOOKING for interesting settings for our fashion pages. We chose Langdon Hall for our first issue. Since then, our models have posed in locations such as a farmer’s field, the garden at the Waterloo County Gaol, a rock climbing wall, the Arrow Lofts condominiums and the members’ lounge at Centre in the Square.
For this issue we didn’t have to look any further than our own workspace, which we share with the Waterloo Region Record. The theme is “office chic” and the backdrop is our workspace at 160 King St. E. in downtown Kitchener. The former retail space was revisioned as an open-concept workplace when we moved in.
It’s the same space where we shot my first editor’s column photo in 2005. This time we expanded to include the fashion pages, featuring nods to our past with historic newspaper pages, a typewriter and a rotary dial telephone. Mara Mallett models all the fashions starting on page 121 as well as on the second Contents, page 22.
We went indoors for our fashion photos, but our Home and Garden issue has us planning outdoor activity. It has been a long winter, and we hope to brighten your day with the colour you can expect as spring approaches.
Gardeners will be inspired to read about the transformation that retired businessman Tom Wunder has completed on his rural property (page 78). You can peek inside the glorious garden space of Ann and Kenneth Diebel (page 68). Ann is a past-president of the Garden Clubs of Ontario. We’ve included information about the Garden Club of Kitchener Waterloo, now in its 57th year.
Gardening columnist David Hobson writes about perennials, exploring favourites and new developments in the world of longblooming perennials. The photographs accompanying this story will have you daydreaming of spring and summer (page 105).
If your warm weather plans include time in a pool, be sure to read about natural swimming pools – a European trend appearing in our region (page 98). Writer Bill Bean speaks to Derek Lippert about the concept. We have pictures of the backyard pond Derek built at his Ayr home as a showpiece and for family use.
Stories about outdoor swimming have us thinking about cottage life. Mary Kings has a lifetime of memories from the family’s rustic cottage near Georgian Bay. Deirdre Healey talks to her about renovations undertaken to ensure that the much-loved summer home will provide memories for many more generations (page 132).
Cottage memories often include campfires, songs and well-worn guitars. Bob Egan, widely known for his work with the Canadian band Blue Rodeo, knows the magic of guitars. He’s making sure that old guitars get a new life, to provide more happy moments.
Barbara Aggerholm talks to Bob about guitars he restores and donates so that youth can experience the joy of playing and perhaps have a life-changing experience as Bob did (page 148).
Bob’s musical career took him around the world. Michael Cameron, 22, of Heidelberg is on a similar journey, but dance is his chosen art. We caught up with the Sir John A. Macdonald Secondary School graduate when he came home to visit family. Cherri Greeno writes about the path that led Michael to his dream job – Cirque du Soleil’s Michael Jackson The Immortal World Tour (page 154).
Cirque du Soleil also features prominently in our backpage feature, Where Are They Now? Grand editor Kathy Storring reconnects with Yvonne Tousek, a former Olympic gymnast from Cambridge who’s currently on maternity leave from Cirque du Soleil’s show Corteo. Kathy also finds out what’s next for Andrea Ziegler, a dancer originally from New Hamburg whose latest Cirque contract finished in November 2013.
It’s a big world. We’re always fascinated to discover connections to Waterloo Region, and we’re delighted to feature people from here who are working, living and playing on the global stage.