Waterloo Region Record
Drying wells and dying wetlands
For years, Samantha Lernout and her family walked along a trail through the woods that led to a pond and wetland near their home on Witmer Road in Wilmot Township. But in three years, the pond and surrounding marsh dried up. “It was a beautiful...
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Teen's project grows into support network for women with cancer
A small grassroots effort that began in Cambridge is quietly growing into a support network for women facing cervical cancer. It is focusing on prevention, mental health and private access to information at a time when many women may feel...
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How will Chinese EV deal impact Waterloo Region's auto sector?
Industry leaders are split on how a new deal with China and Canada surrounding electric vehicles will impact Waterloo Region's auto sector. The deal, announced last week by Prime Minister Mark Carney, saw the approval of 49,000 Chinese electric...
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PEOPLE WATCHERS
A pedestrian, bundled up against the cold, appears to be the centre of attention while walking past a mural in downtown Kitchener.
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WILD WINTER WINDS
A man digs out his car Monday as wind whips snow on Trussler Road in Kitchener. More flurries are expected throughout the week with temperatures potentially dipping as low as 25. See weather,
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KEEPING AN EYE OUT
A bald eagle surveys the landscape from its perch on a tree beside the Conestogo River.
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Speed cameras still gathering data
Drivers in Waterloo Region might not be getting tickets from speed cameras, but that doesn't mean they're not watching you. The use of Automated Speed Enforcement (ASE) has been banned in Ontario since Nov. 13, but all 28 cameras in school zones...
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Potholes wreaking havoc
A loud bang. A blown tire. And an unexpected repair bill. That's how many drivers across Waterloo Region are learning just how bad potholes have become this winter. On Eagle Street in Cambridge, Bruce Proctor said he hit a pothole so deep he didn't...
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Retro Rollers opens up indoor skating rink under Kitchener auto parts store
Every day starts the same for Elaine Beck and Phil Morris, a double highfive and a promise to make the best of their day. The husbandandwife duo have spent the last several months turning the basement level under an autoparts store into one of the...
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Kitchener's spiral garage — heritage gem or Brutalist eyesore?
Is a distinctive Kitchener parking garage with a spiralling ramp a heritage gem or a Brutalist eyesore? That was the question facing Heritage Kitchener members this week as they considered whether to pursue designation under the Ontario Heritage Act...
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`Please respect our feelings for what you don't understand'
There was an antiTrump protest in Waterloo a few days ago, with a twist. About 25 demonstrators held signs reading “Hands off Venezuela,” and carried the red, blue and yellow flag of that country, in opposition to the U.S. capture of Venezuelan...
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New curbside collection changes are coming to Waterloo Region this year
Waste collection in Waterloo Region is set for big changes. In March, residents will have to switch over to a new schedule for recycling and adopt a new system for garbage and compost collection. As of Jan. 1, provincial legislation required that all...
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The art of being `invisible' at the Winter Olympics
If Laura Gutauskas is doing her job right, you won't notice her at the 2026 Winter Olympics. As the top female hockey players from around the world descend on Italy in February, Gutauskas will be sharpening her skates, preparing for her first...
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RELIC OF THE PAST: Shantz House sits frozen waiting for development
Jutting out of a hillside on the edge of Kitchener is a home built for the past and now frozen in modern times. As scores of cookiecutter townhomes and contemporary subdivisions sprawl toward the edge of Kitchener's west end, the Shantz House is...
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Cambridge charts its next move
Cambridge is standing at a turning point. The city is growing. Housing is needed. Transit plans are moving forward. At the same time, residents are deeply protective of the neighbourhoods and heritage that define Cambridge. Those tensions, and how...
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TURNING FLOWERS INSIDE OUT
Gardeners are always happy to show you photographs of their garden. They'll pull out a phone and quickly scroll past images of children and pets, then hold their arm straight out, pushing the screen inches from your face, to reveal a photo of a...
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A look at 2025, from A to Z
The year 2025 began like a bad dream, with newly elected U.S. President Donald Trump suggesting that Canada should be turned into the 51st state. And it went on in the same vein. There was defiance in the form of slogans: “Elbows Up” and “Canada Is...
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`I live and breathe on ChatGPT'
Over the last few years, artificial intelligence has made its way into nearly every sector and industry, but how is it being used in Waterloo Region? Just as the internet or Google Search gave birth to new companies and ideas, AI is reshaping the way...
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`It's not going away'
The fear is always there. Living within the plume of trichloroethylene (TCE) for more than two decades, spawned from contamination at the former Northstar Aerospace plant at 659 Bishop St., Linda Watson admits she and her husband, Don, are at the...
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The librarian who was under surveillance
Kae Elgie was a target in Cold Warera witch hunts when RCMP's spies searched for communists She's a retired librarian and grandmother who advocates for the preservation of old buildings and lives with her husband in a lovingly restored heritage house...
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WILD IN WATERLOO REGION
Local nature photographer Paul Gains spends countless hours walking trails, through forests, fields and overlooking riverbeds for close encounters with wildlife in Waterloo Region. The region boasts some impressive wildlife — mammals, birds and...
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Merry Christmas
Festive memories Colourful lights against a glowing sky and crescent moon give off a festive glow on the snowcovered grounds of the former city hall in downtown Kitchener. The stoic building, with its iconic clock tower, was a historic touchstone...
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Collisions are falling on smaller Waterloo streets, but traffic hot spots remain
A warning to speeders on Auburn Drive: although it is now barred from using a speed camera to ticket you, Waterloo city hall is aiming to slow you down. Auburn, which is in the city's east end, ranks among top speeding hot spots where the limit is 30...
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At 93, he's writing an opera for his mother
At his kitchen table in Kitchener, Boyd McDonald, 93, is writing an opera for his mother. It is the first time in his long musical career he has taken on this type of endeavour. He has written for stage in Stratford and Toronto, but never an...
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Fulltime faculty in fallout after 181 more layoffs
A campaign against Conestoga College is brewing among laidoff faculty, with their union officials giving a directive to “whistleblow” about a culture of “fear” and “intimidation” they say has silenced concerns about working conditions in the...
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Condo market sees `correction'
The region's icecold market for new condos teased a thaw this year. Developers poured foundations for 1,435 condo apartments between January and September, all in Kitchener and Waterloo. That's 76 per cent above average condominium starts over the...
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Life and death issue unites regional councillors
Waterloo regional council's budget day is a little bit like children opening presents on Christmas morning. It goes fast, there are lots of different things to explore, and you don't know what's going to happen. Will the buses on certain routes in...
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`WE'RE LOST'
Spencer MacDonald lifts his glasses to wipe away his tears, but is so dehydrated nothing comes out. MacDonald and the lives of his family members have been turned upside down as they mourn the loss of his threeyearold daughter Violet, who was struck...
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Waterloo warns of decaying infrastructure as taxes rise
Sixty per cent of what Waterloo owns will be in poor shape in 25 years — unless city council spends $65 million more each year to renew it, warns a new report by city hall. Most at risk are roads, buildings, parks, libraries, cemeteries, firefighting,...
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Unoccupied Kitchener bungalow transformed into an `eightplex'
A little over a year ago, the unoccupied property at 825 Stirling Ave. S. in Kitchener had a 1,000squarefoot, threebedroom bungalow, with an unfinished basement and an oversized lot. The property was purchased by Painite Group Developments in...
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As the rock 'n' roll roadie rolls
Life on the road with some of the world's biggest rock stars comes with a few stories, and Rob Corsie knows how to tell them. Let's start with June 17, 1994. On the control room monitor, a news camera crew is following police as they track a white...
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A homeless man in distress lay on the sidewalk. Caring hands reached out to help
The man was writhing and shouting in distress, lying on the sidewalk beside the concrete base of a lamp post. Pedestrians walked past him as they went about their business on King Street East in downtown Kitchener, on a sunny winter morning. I was...
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ALLWEATHER RUNNER
A runner makes her way through falling snow Wednesday on Cedar Grove Road in Waterloo. Expect some flurries going into the weekend, with temperatures ranging between 3 C and 7 C. Weather, A17
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Change of leadership for House of Friendship
A new building. A new leader. And a new way of working with people who live with homelessness, poverty and addiction. There's a lot of change happening at the House of Friendship, the Kitchenerbased agency that is best known for its shelters for...
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O Christmas Tree, you aren't growing like you used to
Christmas trees don't grow the way they used to. At Chickadee Christmas Trees in Puslinch, Alison McCrindle has watched that change unfold tree by tree, season by season. She remembers when a Christmas tree took “seven to 10 years” to reach the height...
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Ukrainians prepare for Christmas and wait for peace
Inna Billiaena is too busy helping Ukrainian refugees in Waterloo Region to follow the threesided peace talks among Ukraine, Russia and the U.S. that have not produced a ceasefire. “From what we see, nothing is happening, really, no progress in any...
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Food insecurity still widespread
When the COVID19 pandemic arrived, many refugee households in Waterloo Region faced a daily tradeoff: pay for rising rents or purchase groceries. A new multiyear study that tracked newcomer Somali, Syrian and Afghan families through the pandemic...
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OLT sides with Preston Springs developer
Haastown Holdings redevelopment of the former Preston Springs property in Cambridge will go ahead as planned after the Ontario Land Tribunal sided with the Richmond Hill developer. Haastown appealed a March 2024 city council decision to rejig its...
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Waterloo startup helps Syrians find lost family
Freedom for Syria means a lot of work for Dima Aldera. Nearly a year ago, and just hours after longtime dictator Bashar Assad fled Damascus, thousands of Syrians asked for Aldera's help. They knew about Findsuri, the online platform Aldera launched in...
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Kitchener man killed in targeted shooting
A 32-year-old Kitchener man was found dead in an SUV in what police believe was a targeted latenight shooting in the Country Hills area in south Kitchener. Waterloo Regional Police said officers are searching for suspects in the Monday shooting, which...
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Study reveals disparities in endoflife care
Adolescents and young Ontarians with cancer are more likely to receive intense endoflife care than their older peers, even in situations where it is unlikely to help, a new study suggests — a trend that may be prolonging the suffering of some young...
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Hacksmith switches to blade production
Canadian YouTuber and engineer James Hobson, who is known for bringing science fiction to life, is putting on his manufacturing hat by creating a new tool he wants to have in the pocket of every creator. Hobson, or the Hacksmith as he is known to his...
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University of Waterloo has eliminated over 200 faculty and staff jobs so far in 2025
The University of Waterloo has eliminated165 staff positions and 49 faculty positions since the start of 2025 as it embarks on a threeyear strategy to return to a balanced budget. Most of the reductions were achieved through voluntary programs,...
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Committee formed to decide the fate of hundreds of Conestoga faculty
A college employment stability committee at Conestoga College is meeting to decide the fate of hundreds of fulltime faculty members who won't have courses to teach in the winter semester. On Nov. 13, Conestoga's department chairs issued standard...
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There's much chatter about Ford changing local government model
An active discussion about reforming the government of Waterloo Region is underway. Officials in Waterloo Region and other twotier municipalities are getting signals from the Government of Ontario that changes will be made before the next municipal...
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Hundreds of people ride first weekend GO Train to Toronto
Hundreds of people gathered on the platform at the Kitchener railway station early Sunday morning to celebrate the first weekend GO train into Toronto. With Metrolinx's latest service expansion, the amenities of Canada's biggest city are now a...
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Prominent Waterloo tech founder plans to build 1 million homes in 10 years
Inside the old Kraus flooring factory in Waterloo, a team led by a couple of extech executives is developing a new factory model to help solve Canada's housing crisis. Inside the 78,000squarefoot facility, workers at Cabinovo are nearing completion...
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Skincare company evicted from mall
A skincare company in Conestoga Mall has been evicted just months after it was accused of using aggressive sales tactics. On Saturday, an eviction notice was posted on the glass window of Resveralife, which has been operating in the Waterloo mall...
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`Help me find my baby': What happened to Eli Wood?
Eli Wood has been missing for three weeks. Wood, 25, was months away from completing his masters in social work at Wilfrid Laurier University when his apartment burned down in what police believe to be a targeted arson. Investigators say foul play was...
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`You made do. You didn't complain'
Tess Bridgwater was six when the Second World War ended in 1945. Moments of peril and wonder have stayed with her. She remembers her grandmother rushing into her bedroom in England to scoop her up. A big bang followed. A piece of ceiling fell onto the...
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A WALK TO REMEMBER
A veterans crosswalk has been placed across East Avenue at Borden Avenue North in front of the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium. The crosswalk will be officially unveiled Monday with a ceremony featuring local veterans and other dignitaries.
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Paying tribute to the military, one hockey sweater at a time
Steve Bienkowski wanted to find a way for the Kitchener Rangers to honour the military. After all, the Ontario Hockey League team plays in the Memorial Auditorium that was named to remember Kitchener's war dead. And with nearby armouries in Kitchener...
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Federal budget will help local municipalities, leaders say
There's money in the new federal budget to help pay for special projects that will help Waterloo Region grow — like extending Ion light rail services to Cambridge, or building a new runway at the Region of Waterloo International Airport. Local...
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SHOW OF REMEMBRANCE
A light armoured vehicle near Waterloo city hall is wrapped in handmade poppies in advance of Nov. 11.
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AUTUMN LIGHT SHOW
My roommate loves to post on social media. She literally has her camera on from the minute she gets up in the morning. She does a GRWM (Get Ready with Me) video several times a week, a morning routine video, a meal prep video and a “help me choose my...
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What's allowed on region's roads as mobility tech shifts
Waterloo Region has seen a rise in escooters, ebikes and enclosed mobility scooters, but there are strict rules of the road that police say are not often followed. Videos posted to social media show escooters on local highways and enclosed mobility...
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Trump's bus tariffs to pinch city budgets across North America
A transit advocacy group is warning new U.S. tariffs on buses that came into effect on the weekend are going to upend the budgets of cities across North America — and eventually residents and riders. Property taxes, transit fares, parking fees and...
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Abandoned McDonald's an `eyesore' for neighbours
What used to serve Big Macs and Happy Meals now serves as an eyesore for neighbouring businesses. One of the last “red roof” McDonald's in Canada is still standing in downtown Kitchener, but it hasn't cooked a burger in more than 10 years. Closing in...
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RUFF WEATHER AHEAD
A dog and walker brave a downpour while walking next to Bridgeport soccer fields on Thursday. Residents across the region should prepare for a damp and chilly Halloween, with rain and falling temperatures expected throughout the day. There is a 30 per...
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School board trustee roles under review
School board trustees know their jobs are under the microscope. After a summer that saw Premier Doug Ford seize control of five school boards and appoint supervisors to oversee their operations and finances, it was a CBC interview with Education...
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Protesting renovictions `never ends'
Just hours after they helped win one battle against proposed changes that would further gut rent controls in Ontario, more than a dozen members of a tenants rights group protested renovictions outside a small apartment building in Waterloo. “It never...
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`We have a problem here'
A senator from Waterloo Region is behind a push to restrict when and where sports gambling can be advertised. Sen. Marty Deacon said gambling ads are negatively affecting children and introducing them to addictive behaviour. “We need to do...
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From tragedy to triumph
The wings and ribbon stretch across his left forearm, inked in black above the words: “I do not fear tomorrow. Today has been enough. Until we meet again.” For those unfamiliar with his tragic yet inspirational story, it's a striking tattoo. For...
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An allCanadian car will rely on Waterloo Region tech
University of Waterloo engineers and researchers will play important roles in helping the public and private sectors decide whether a Canadian carmaker can succeed, says Flavio Volpe, the head of the Automotive Parts Manufacturers' â...
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Panthers legend to join Ontario Baseball Hall of Fame
Tom McKenzie spent more than two decades as a middle infielder and manager in the Intercounty Baseball League, earning 18 allstar selections — a league record unlikely to be matched. This Saturday night, the Kitchener Panthers legend will be inducted...
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Rangers' 5050 draw hottest ticket in town
Winning the 5050 draw at a Kitchener Rangers game used to be a thrill. Maybe you'd pay a bill, buy a drink for your row at the Aud, pick up a sweater in the shop on the way out of the arena and go for dinner with a loved one. Now, it can be...
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Heritage push growing along Cambridge's proposed LRT route
A second property near the proposed light rail transit (LRT) route through Preston has been endorsed for heritage status by Cambridge's Municipal Heritage Advisory Committee. The committee recently voted to support the heritage designation of 234 King...
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Schneider Creek trail another step closer to construction
Construction is expected to begin next year on Kitchener's Schneider Creek multiuse trail. The Grand River Accessibility Advisory Committee is set to receive an update on the status of the trail Thursday, which has reached the property acquisition...
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`It makes me feel seen'
For the residents of A Better Tent City in Kitchener, art is becoming a growing part of community life. After last year's success selling handmade Christmas ornaments, residents have now created glass lanterns that are on display at the Canadian Clay...
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Saving lives in shadow of genocide
In the spring of 1945, Count Folke Bernadotte, a Swedish diplomat, used his country's neutrality to persuade Heinrich Himmler, head of the Nazi SS, to secretly permit the rescue of Scandinavian prisoners from Nazi concentration camps. Kathy Gastle...
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From loving to loathing the London Knights
Cameron Reid flashes a sheepish grin, like he's almost embarrassed to admit it. “Yeah, I was a fan,” the Kitchener Rangers captain said. That'd be a fan of the dreaded — at least around these parts — London Knights. But it was normal for Reid to...
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Man convicted in Kitchener girl's death denied day parole
Christopher Watts would pose “an undue risk to society” if granted day parole, the Parole Board of Canada said. Watts was declared a longterm offender in 2003 after being convicted of manslaughter and sexual assault in the death of Amanda Raymond,...
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Conestoga students start petition for tuition refund
Students at Conestoga College have started a petition calling for a partial tuition refund due to ongoing disruptions stemming from the provincewide college support staff strike. The petition — which began as a Google document on Conestoga's Doon...
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ROADSIDE ATTRACTION
There are deals to be found on the roads of Waterloo Region. The storefronts are often made from pallet wood or sometimes they're just an old chair. There won't be anyone behind a counter asking if you'll be paying with cash or card. The cash register...
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Growing pains being felt in Breslau
Developers are lining up in Breslau as Woolwich Township looks to assemble a staging plan for thousands of new homes that would see the town's population triple over the next 25 years. “We probably have a list of a dozen people right now that have...
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