Julie Witmer
@witmaps.ca
Cartographer - Julie Witmer Custom Map Design - witmaps.ca
I like cycling, gardening, reading, kayaking, and puzzles; interested in urban planning and community building, specifically in Waterloo Region
I like cycling, gardening, reading, kayaking, and puzzles; interested in urban planning and community building, specifically in Waterloo Region
Reposted by Julie Witmer
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
Since Doug Ford came to power:
- hallway medicine has more than doubled
- the number of Ontarians without a doctor has almost doubled
- ERs have been closed for the first time in history
- residents in LTC have died of "dehydration" and "neglect"
#ONpoli
#nurses
#cdnpoli
Since Doug Ford came to power:
- hallway medicine has more than doubled
- the number of Ontarians without a doctor has almost doubled
- ERs have been closed for the first time in history
- residents in LTC have died of "dehydration" and "neglect"
#ONpoli
#nurses
#cdnpoli
Wait times for most priority surgeries in Ontario have increased since 2017, study says | CBC News
Wait times for most of the province’s publicly funded priority surgeries and procedures have increased between 2017 and 2025, according to a study released Monday.
www.cbc.ca
October 1, 2026 at 12:36 AM
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
Since Doug Ford came to power:
- hallway medicine has more than doubled
- the number of Ontarians without a doctor has almost doubled
- ERs have been closed for the first time in history
- residents in LTC have died of "dehydration" and "neglect"
#ONpoli
#nurses
#cdnpoli
Since Doug Ford came to power:
- hallway medicine has more than doubled
- the number of Ontarians without a doctor has almost doubled
- ERs have been closed for the first time in history
- residents in LTC have died of "dehydration" and "neglect"
#ONpoli
#nurses
#cdnpoli
votecompass.therecord.com
election2026.strongwr.org
www.tritag.ca/election-wr-...
Have already done the votecompass questions and disappointed to find my ward 7 incumbent hasn't answered those questions. It took under 10 minutes. He also hasn't answered the Tritag survey.
election2026.strongwr.org
www.tritag.ca/election-wr-...
Have already done the votecompass questions and disappointed to find my ward 7 incumbent hasn't answered those questions. It took under 10 minutes. He also hasn't answered the Tritag survey.
October 2, 2026 at 3:07 AM
votecompass.therecord.com
election2026.strongwr.org
www.tritag.ca/election-wr-...
Have already done the votecompass questions and disappointed to find my ward 7 incumbent hasn't answered those questions. It took under 10 minutes. He also hasn't answered the Tritag survey.
election2026.strongwr.org
www.tritag.ca/election-wr-...
Have already done the votecompass questions and disappointed to find my ward 7 incumbent hasn't answered those questions. It took under 10 minutes. He also hasn't answered the Tritag survey.
Reposted by Julie Witmer
It’s almost like investing in our kids’ education might actually yield better academic results than starving schools of resources and support… but what do I know? 🤷♀️#OntEd
Elmo I Don't Know Idk
Alt: Elmo I Don't Know Idk
static.klipy.com
September 25, 2026 at 9:25 PM
It’s almost like investing in our kids’ education might actually yield better academic results than starving schools of resources and support… but what do I know? 🤷♀️#OntEd
Reposted by Julie Witmer
Schools have no money for photocopy paper in #OntEd.
But we also don’t have the 1:1 tech that was supposed to replace the need for photocopied worksheets.
And the research is showing decreased learning with typing instead of handwriting on paper.
So… 🤷♀️
But we also don’t have the 1:1 tech that was supposed to replace the need for photocopied worksheets.
And the research is showing decreased learning with typing instead of handwriting on paper.
So… 🤷♀️
Ehhh
Alt: Ehhhconfused
static.klipy.com
September 17, 2026 at 11:32 AM
Schools have no money for photocopy paper in #OntEd.
But we also don’t have the 1:1 tech that was supposed to replace the need for photocopied worksheets.
And the research is showing decreased learning with typing instead of handwriting on paper.
So… 🤷♀️
But we also don’t have the 1:1 tech that was supposed to replace the need for photocopied worksheets.
And the research is showing decreased learning with typing instead of handwriting on paper.
So… 🤷♀️
Will they be shovelling snow on region sidewalks? That the inference I get from this photo :-)
Well, #WRPS, in my ideal world, the police budget wouldn't be almost a third of the entire Regional budget. #WRcouncil
In an ideal world, police would like to see 32 full-time officers hired through the Region of Waterloo’s 2027 budget. www.therecord.com/news/waterlo...
September 17, 2026 at 7:26 PM
Will they be shovelling snow on region sidewalks? That the inference I get from this photo :-)
Reposted by Julie Witmer
KW followers who like music: I've created a website that lists upcoming concerts in Waterloo Region! Check it out at unwrapped.online
September 15, 2026 at 10:01 PM
KW followers who like music: I've created a website that lists upcoming concerts in Waterloo Region! Check it out at unwrapped.online
Reposted by Julie Witmer
Hey drivers: I need you to understand that when you get to an intersection and there's a cyclist crossing in front of you, even if YOU know you see them, there's a good chance THEY don't know you do. Come to a fucking stop till they cross. Stop fucking rolling at them. Fucksake.
September 13, 2026 at 8:42 PM
Hey drivers: I need you to understand that when you get to an intersection and there's a cyclist crossing in front of you, even if YOU know you see them, there's a good chance THEY don't know you do. Come to a fucking stop till they cross. Stop fucking rolling at them. Fucksake.
I have spent the past few months de-Googling and am now switching to Canadian or European-only products as much as I can. I have a Canadian host for my website and email (Canspace), am using Qwant for search although that still doesn't show me results I need - I have come to rely too much on Google.
September 8, 2026 at 3:01 PM
I have spent the past few months de-Googling and am now switching to Canadian or European-only products as much as I can. I have a Canadian host for my website and email (Canspace), am using Qwant for search although that still doesn't show me results I need - I have come to rely too much on Google.
Reposted by Julie Witmer
"Municipal government makes decisions that affect our everyday lives, yet municipal elections attract fewer voters than federal and provincial elections.
An informed vote takes some effort. Learn who the candidates are. Listen to what they have to say. Compare their priorities and their visions."
An informed vote takes some effort. Learn who the candidates are. Listen to what they have to say. Compare their priorities and their visions."
Democracy Is Local: Be Ambitious for Cambridge
mailchi.mp
September 5, 2026 at 2:55 PM
"Municipal government makes decisions that affect our everyday lives, yet municipal elections attract fewer voters than federal and provincial elections.
An informed vote takes some effort. Learn who the candidates are. Listen to what they have to say. Compare their priorities and their visions."
An informed vote takes some effort. Learn who the candidates are. Listen to what they have to say. Compare their priorities and their visions."
Reposted by Julie Witmer
"Thank God we don’t have the media"
Yeah I know. Imagine being held accountable to the public that elected you. The horror.
Yeah I know. Imagine being held accountable to the public that elected you. The horror.
NEW: Standing on a muddy Mississauga construction site, flanked by excavation vehicles and workers, Doug Ford wrapped up his remarks at a news-conference-style podium.
“Thank God we don’t have the media,” he quipped.
It's part of a trend. #OnPoli
globalnews.ca/news/1204642...
“Thank God we don’t have the media,” he quipped.
It's part of a trend. #OnPoli
globalnews.ca/news/1204642...
‘Thank God we don’t have the media’: Ford praises closed-door announcement | Globalnews.ca
The joke was Doug Ford's last remark at an event which looked like a news conference but had no reporters in attendance, part of a recent trend for his government.
globalnews.ca
September 3, 2026 at 10:53 PM
"Thank God we don’t have the media"
Yeah I know. Imagine being held accountable to the public that elected you. The horror.
Yeah I know. Imagine being held accountable to the public that elected you. The horror.
Reposted by Julie Witmer
FYI: “reporting high prices to your principal” is not going to accomplish anything. #OntEd school principals are not in charge of pricing at Staples. Shame on this government for its shoddy procurement plan and for giving Ontario funds to a US company.
lfpress.com/news/nationa...
lfpress.com/news/nationa...
Are Ontario teachers really getting the best discounts on school supplies?
Some teachers found higher prices on the Staples portal, while the province says 221 core items are offered at the lowest available price.
lfpress.com
September 3, 2026 at 10:06 AM
FYI: “reporting high prices to your principal” is not going to accomplish anything. #OntEd school principals are not in charge of pricing at Staples. Shame on this government for its shoddy procurement plan and for giving Ontario funds to a US company.
lfpress.com/news/nationa...
lfpress.com/news/nationa...
Reposted by Julie Witmer
Our taxpayer dollars are being spent at an American company (in the middle of a trade war) that offers better deals to folks walking in off the street than to teachers ordering through the Ontario Ministry of Education portal. Make it make sense!!! #OntEd
September 1, 2026 at 9:31 AM
Our taxpayer dollars are being spent at an American company (in the middle of a trade war) that offers better deals to folks walking in off the street than to teachers ordering through the Ontario Ministry of Education portal. Make it make sense!!! #OntEd
What a beautiful day! After biking to MW Library of Things for a pickup, all set on the TWB patio for some live music starting soon.
August 29, 2026 at 5:48 PM
What a beautiful day! After biking to MW Library of Things for a pickup, all set on the TWB patio for some live music starting soon.
Reposted by Julie Witmer
Over the years I've talked about this hundreds of times with drivers in my community and online. They're deluded that there's another side to the issue. Their perception—that riders are naughty or slowing down their busy lives or acting entitled—is pure negligence of their duties operating a vehicle
August 28, 2026 at 5:30 PM
Over the years I've talked about this hundreds of times with drivers in my community and online. They're deluded that there's another side to the issue. Their perception—that riders are naughty or slowing down their busy lives or acting entitled—is pure negligence of their duties operating a vehicle
I guess I have to listen to Blue Jays games on the radio instead of watching them on TV. The minute I tuned in I heard Lukes hit the home run and then the Springer dinger.
August 29, 2026 at 12:45 AM
I guess I have to listen to Blue Jays games on the radio instead of watching them on TV. The minute I tuned in I heard Lukes hit the home run and then the Springer dinger.
Reposted by Julie Witmer
Doug Ford needs to get back to Queen's Park. Cancel contracts with U.S. companies and buy from Ontario businesses instead, put Ontario steel in every provincial project, and back the workers on the front line of this trade war. Send the Premier an email: share.nwmd.social/s/bw8qw6VT
Tell Doug Ford: Get Back to Queen's Park
share.nwmd.social
August 25, 2026 at 2:32 AM
Doug Ford needs to get back to Queen's Park. Cancel contracts with U.S. companies and buy from Ontario businesses instead, put Ontario steel in every provincial project, and back the workers on the front line of this trade war. Send the Premier an email: share.nwmd.social/s/bw8qw6VT
Reposted by Julie Witmer
August 11, 2026 at 6:54 PM
That's a good idea. I should have a city map handy, give them a pencil & ask them to mark routes where I can get where I'm going. They usually say to take side roads, but as you said our destinations are pretty much the same as drivers but we don't require as much space and we stop more often.
Bradford also does the bike-lanes-belong-on-side-streets thing. Would be great if proponents of this kind of thinking could show us a map. Which streets? How do they lead to a cycling network that’s actually useful? Aren’t a lot of the places that cyclists want to get to on main streets?
August 12, 2026 at 4:08 PM
That's a good idea. I should have a city map handy, give them a pencil & ask them to mark routes where I can get where I'm going. They usually say to take side roads, but as you said our destinations are pretty much the same as drivers but we don't require as much space and we stop more often.
Reposted by Julie Witmer
The Canadian Women’s Chamber of Commerce submitted a “Care Economy” proposal to the Federal Major Projects Office, arguing that “childcare, elder care, home care, mental.. The Government Declined to Review Canada's National Care Economy Proposal. Read and sign the petition:
canwcc.ca/mpo-proposal/
canwcc.ca/mpo-proposal/
MPO Proposal - Canadian Women's Chamber of Commerce
NATION-BUILDING PROJECT PROPOSAL & PETITIONCanada's Missing Major Project: A National Care Economy Strategy SIGN THE PETITIONClick the button below to read and sign the e-Petition. It takes two minute...
canwcc.ca
July 27, 2026 at 10:54 PM
The Canadian Women’s Chamber of Commerce submitted a “Care Economy” proposal to the Federal Major Projects Office, arguing that “childcare, elder care, home care, mental.. The Government Declined to Review Canada's National Care Economy Proposal. Read and sign the petition:
canwcc.ca/mpo-proposal/
canwcc.ca/mpo-proposal/
Reposted by Julie Witmer
Meanwhile, in Canadian mainstream media....
I searched CTV News, CBC News, Global News and the Globe and Mail for any coverage of Shopify in the last 24 hours.
Nothing (except business reporting from the Globe, nothing on the CEO suggesting poor people should have less of a say in our democracy)
I searched CTV News, CBC News, Global News and the Globe and Mail for any coverage of Shopify in the last 24 hours.
Nothing (except business reporting from the Globe, nothing on the CEO suggesting poor people should have less of a say in our democracy)
July 27, 2026 at 5:51 PM
Meanwhile, in Canadian mainstream media....
I searched CTV News, CBC News, Global News and the Globe and Mail for any coverage of Shopify in the last 24 hours.
Nothing (except business reporting from the Globe, nothing on the CEO suggesting poor people should have less of a say in our democracy)
I searched CTV News, CBC News, Global News and the Globe and Mail for any coverage of Shopify in the last 24 hours.
Nothing (except business reporting from the Globe, nothing on the CEO suggesting poor people should have less of a say in our democracy)
Reposted by Julie Witmer
There is a way of thinking taking hold in this country — that building a stronger Canada means walking away from our climate commitments.
Abandoning our climate commitments will not make Canada stronger. You cannot build a stronger country on the ashes of its communities.
Abandoning our climate commitments will not make Canada stronger. You cannot build a stronger country on the ashes of its communities.
July 17, 2026 at 1:38 AM
There is a way of thinking taking hold in this country — that building a stronger Canada means walking away from our climate commitments.
Abandoning our climate commitments will not make Canada stronger. You cannot build a stronger country on the ashes of its communities.
Abandoning our climate commitments will not make Canada stronger. You cannot build a stronger country on the ashes of its communities.
Reposted by Julie Witmer
Next time someone tries arguing that it’s “social engineering” (cue ominous music) to give people more CHOICE to walk, bike & take public transit in their city, tell them that designing our current car DEPENDENCY has been the largest and most damaging social engineering experiment in human history.
July 16, 2026 at 8:32 PM
Next time someone tries arguing that it’s “social engineering” (cue ominous music) to give people more CHOICE to walk, bike & take public transit in their city, tell them that designing our current car DEPENDENCY has been the largest and most damaging social engineering experiment in human history.
Reposted by Julie Witmer
"... the Neanderthals of Shanidar Cave appreciated the intrinsic value of a person - outside of how much they worked or what it cost to keep them. If we are more 'evolved,' how come we haven’t figured out the same thing when it comes to the disadvantaged among us?"
www.therecord.com/opinion/cont...
www.therecord.com/opinion/cont...
Can we really call ourselves evolved?
According to the Association of Municipalities of Ontario, nearly 85,000 Ontarians experienced homelessness in 2025.
www.therecord.com
July 12, 2026 at 1:27 PM
"... the Neanderthals of Shanidar Cave appreciated the intrinsic value of a person - outside of how much they worked or what it cost to keep them. If we are more 'evolved,' how come we haven’t figured out the same thing when it comes to the disadvantaged among us?"
www.therecord.com/opinion/cont...
www.therecord.com/opinion/cont...
Reposted by Julie Witmer
I'm really tired of seeing important, preventative and compassionate care being underfunded while our police budget grows by the millions every year. www.instagram.com/shorecentrew...
July 9, 2026 at 7:48 PM
I'm really tired of seeing important, preventative and compassionate care being underfunded while our police budget grows by the millions every year. www.instagram.com/shorecentrew...
Reposted by Julie Witmer
A reminder that having a public broadcaster like the CBC is an important staple that we should be happy to fund so we don't leave our local journalism to the whims and profit-making decisions of private companies like Rogers. #LocalJournalismMatters
Rogers Sports & Media is cutting 230 positions across the division as it announces it’s shuttering six radio stations, including 570 news Kitchener. broadcastdialogue.com/rogers-sport...
Rogers Sports & Media cuts 230 jobs, shutters six radio stations - Broadcast Dialogue
Rogers Sports & Media is cutting 230 positions across the division as it announces it's shuttering six radio stations.
broadcastdialogue.com
July 8, 2026 at 4:45 PM
A reminder that having a public broadcaster like the CBC is an important staple that we should be happy to fund so we don't leave our local journalism to the whims and profit-making decisions of private companies like Rogers. #LocalJournalismMatters