Events

Life and Death Expo

Sunday, November 3, 2019
11:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Kitchener Market – Upper Level
300 King Street East,
Kitchener, Ontario
N2G 2L3

The Life and Death Expo is an emerging coalition of social ventures and one-person businesses who are focused around a common theme of connecting seniors to services, and planning for end of life and beyond. As the Boomer generation is reaching end of life, they’re looking for more personalized options that may not be currently addressed with existing institutions. We envision an expo that will include exhibitors and speakers who will address issues such as estate planning, medically assisted dying, technological advances that can help seniors stay independent longer, hospice services, home funerals, death doulas, and recomposition (composting) as an alternative to traditional burial and cremation, green burial options and more.

Life and Death Expo – Details & Information
Life and Death Expo – Facebook Page

Modern Deathcare Expo

Saturday, October 19, 2019
9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Elora Centre For The Arts
75 Melville Street,
Elora, Ontario
N0B 1S0

The mission of the Modern Deathcare Expo is to empower individuals in enacting family-led deathcare, to educate the public about the many end-of-life options available in Ontario and to assist with death planning well before there is a need. Our Speaker Gallery unfolds throughout the day with thought-provoking sessions on green burials, death planning, palliation at home, alternative funerals, home funerals as well as advocacy and legalities within the modern deathcare movement. The Vendor Marketplace features death doulas, memorial jewelry, end-of-life books and products, bereavement support resources and info on donating your body to science, plus meaningful interactive exhibits!

Modern Deathcare Expo – Details & Information
Modern Deathcare Expo – Facebook Page

National Organics Recycling Conference

Thursday, September 26, 2019
Exhibit Hall opens at 8:00 a.m.
Advances in Organic Matters Session: 1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.

Holiday Inn Guelph Hotel & Conference Centre
601 Scottsdale Drive,
Guelph, Ontario
N1G 3E7

The Compost Council of Canada would like to invite you to our 29th National Annual Organics Recycling Conference, which promises to bring together expertise in all aspects of organics recycling – from collection of feedstocks to processing, engineering, communication and compost markets. We will offer a diverse set of facility tours, a wide array of speakers, a trade show area featuring technologies and service providers, and networking opportunities you should be sure not to miss! Join the leaders in organics recycling as we dig deep into the latest developments and advances which will continue to build our industry’s resourceful leadership in waste diversion, local environmental stewardship, energy recovery, climate change mitigation, water conservation, soil productivity and health.

National Organics Recycling Conference – Details & Information
Compost Council of Canada – Facebook Page

Eco Market KW 2019

Saturday, April 27, 2019
11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Waterloo Region Museum
10 Huron Road,
Kitchener, Ontario
N2P 2R7

Eco Market KW 2019 is returning for a full day of supporting, uplifting and showcasing Canadian green innovation, entrepreneurship, and community action. Our yearly big conference and the green event of the year! Featuring a highly curated marketplace, speakers all day, interactive activities for the full family and more, free to attend! For more details on our vendors, speakers and sponsors, click the links below!

Eco Market KW 2019 – Details & Information
Eco Market KW 2019 – Facebook Page
Eco Market KW 2019 – Twitter

Waterloo Regional Council

Wednesday, March 27, 2019
7:00 p.m.

Council Chamber at Regional Headquarters
150 Frederick Street, 2nd Floor
Kitchener, Ontario
N2H 2L9

Susan will be attending a Waterloo Regional Council end of this month to ask for their support to create a composting facility. Though this meeting is not open to the general public, she can still use your support! If you live in Waterloo Region, or nearby and want to have composting as an alternative to cremation or burial, please send us a brief note on why you support this. Your notes will be given to council. Include your email and what area you live in.

Watch a video of Susan’s Delegation Here

The Eco Market Pitch Competition

Wednesday, February 27, 2019
5:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

Kitchener Public Library
85 Queen Street North,
Kitchener, Ontario
N2H 2H1

Join us on February 27th for The Eco Market Pitch Competition, in collaboration with Social Enterprise Southwest and the Waterloo Region Small Business Centre. Watch and support 8 green or social entrepreneurs as they pitch their business!

Most people aren’t aware that there has been a gap in the KW region for start up support to non-tech businesses founded by someone who isn’t a graduate from one of our local universities. As a result, many entrepreneurs, especially in the green and social space, have fallen through the cracks, which we think is a big disservice to our region because there’s so much value they bring.

Top 3 winners for the evening: 3) Communities for Conservation 2) All Things Preserved and 1) The Good Green Death Project.

First Prize – Awarded to Susan from The Good Green Death Project

• $1000 – we’ve been saving money through all of our 2019 event tickets so far to put towards this prize. We also received a donation of $300 from the Small Business Centre and $200 from Reimer Reason Communications to help make this possible!
• 6-hour’s of marketing support from Him & Her
• Photo shoot for a new head shot by Jennifer Lyon, voted best 2018 KW photographer in the Community Edition awards!
• Lunch-in with Kate Pearce from the Waterloo Global Science Initiative and Jen Novakovich from The Eco Market at the Perimeter Institute.
• 1 hour of business financial planning assistance from Grand River Financial Solutions
• 1 hour legal support from Miller Thomson LLP
• 3 month membership at Freedom Cafe’s co-working space
• Coffee from Smile Tiger Coffee
• The Eco Market vendor booth

KW Awesome Foundation Pitch

January 30, 2019
7:00 p.m.

The Working Centre
58 Queen Street South
Kitchener, Ontario
N2G 1V6

The KW Awesome Foundation is a local group of volunteer Trustees, who commit their time and money into funding great projects, ideas and causes in Waterloo Region. They award a $1,000 grant every two months through their Pitch Nights – where applicants come to speak in front of the group of Trustees, to convince them why their project is special. The winner takes home the grant money in cold, hard cash, with no strings attached. As always, the general public is welcome to check out these events.

KW Awesome Foundation
KW Awesome Foundation – Twitter

End of Life Planning Series

Wednesday, October 24, 2018
7:00 p.m. –  8:00 p.m.

Waterloo Public Library – Main Branch – Auditorium
35 Albert Street,
Waterloo, Ontario
N2L 5E2

Green Alternatives to Death and Dying Practices

If you’re looking for more environmentally and family friendly alternatives to death and dying practices, join us for a discussion with Susan Koswan and Ellen Newman from the Good Green Death project. Topics will include:

• Why our current death and dying practices are not sustainable.
• What is a good green death?
• What is currently available in the Waterloo Region?
• Where do we go from here?

Good Green Death Project – Brainstorming!

Sunday, September 30, 2018
1:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Waterloo Memorial Recreation Complex
101 Father David Bauer Drive
Waterloo, Ontario
N2L 0B4

Changing our death and dying practices to create more environmentally and family friendly options is complex. Please join us to brainstorm how to move this issue forward – think outside of the casket! A big thanks to Councillor Mark Whaley and the City of Waterloo for the space and refreshments, and to Kate Pearce of Waterloo Global Science Initiative for facilitating the discussion.

Facebook Event Page

Parkview Cemetery’s New Expansion Opening

Saturday, June 16, 2018
9:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

Parkview Cemetery
335 University Avenue East
Waterloo, Ontario
N2K 3M7

It’s not every day we have a party in the cemetery – but we are! Come check out the new cemetery expansion and stroll through a lovely park-like setting.

We’ll have a number of free events and activities planned for the whole family including guided tours of the adjacent woodland area where our staff experts will talk about wildlife and other interesting habitat of the woodlot. Take a tour of the crematorium or stop by one of our information booths to learn about our resident Osprey, talk to Waterloo’s master gardener and get tips on attracting bees and butterflies to your backyard.

There are free refreshments and a give-away of up to 300 perennial plants and wildflower seed packets to get your garden off to a great start.

Susan and Ellen will be there. Look also for our friend Jen Davis with her game, Exit Matters and the Green Burial Society of Canada.

Facebook Event Page