Latest news with #Tri-CityRollerDerby
CBC
21-03-2025
- Climate
- CBC
Kate's 5 fun things to do in and around Waterloo region: March 21 to 23
The weekend looks like it will be a mixed bag of weather with snow, rain and sunshine all possible and cooler-than-some-would-like temperatures. But it is the first official week of spring, which means it's a good time to get outside and look for those early flowers like a snowdrop or crocus. It's the last weekend of regular season play in the Ontario Hockey League. The Kitchener Rangers are home Friday night, hosting Owen Sound. Then they head down Highway 7 to Guelph on Sunday for an afternoon game against the Storm. The Guelph Storm are in Owen Sound on Saturday before their home game against the Rangers. If that's not enough hockey, the U Sports women's hockey championships is being hosted by the University of Waterloo this year. The tournament runs all weekend at the Woolwich Memorial Centre in Elmira. Tickets are available online. The K-W Titans basketball team are home on Saturday, hosting the Newfoundland Rogues. Tipoff is at 7 p.m. If you need to drive this weekend, here are some local gas prices: Tri-City Roller Derby home opener Saturday 5 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. New Hamburg Community Centre Tri-City Roller Derby will host the Atlantic Roller Derby teams on Saturday. The junior roller derby starts at 5 p.m., then the Tri-City Lightning take part in a sanctioned bout at 7 p.m. Tickets can be purchased ahead of time online. For people interesting in learning more about roller derby, Tri-City is also hosting an information night on Wednesday from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at AOK Craft Beer and Arcade in downtown Kitchener. K-W Home and Garden Show Friday 12 p.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Sunday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Kitchener Memorial Auditorium More than 150 exhibitors will be on site for this annual show to prep people for the warmer weather and think about home renovations and projects. There's a number of talks and ask the expert sessions including how to spot quality workmanship, protecting a basement, choosing plants for a garden, container gardening and how to help pollinators. General admission applies. Ramadan Bazaar Saturday 1 p.m. to 11 p.m. International School of Cambridge, 1550 Dunbar Rd., Cambridge This bazaar includes a number of vendors plus kids activities, a magic show, henna and fashion and food. Entry is free, but people are asked to reserve a spot. Eventbrite page Seedy Saturday Saturday 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Old Quebec St. Shoppes, downtown Guelph The warm weather earlier this week may have people dreaming of gardens or starting the pots on their balconies and patios and if so, this event will help scratch that itch. There are more than 20 vendors plus workshops and kids activities. Sunday 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Canadian Clay and Glass Gallery, Waterloo To mark World Storytelling Day, which was on Thursday, the guild will be hosting an event with various local storytellers sharing their craft. The theme of this year's concert of stories is This Is Us: Stories that Run Deep. Admission is free although donations will be accepted.
CBC
20-03-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Ontario roller derby teams cancel trips to U.S., say 2-gender rule makes it 'unsafe' for some athletes
Tri-City Roller Derby to skip bouts in U.S. due to Trump's 2-gender rule 1 hour ago Duration 3:29 Some Ontario roller derby teams say they won't travel to the United States this year to compete because the current climate makes it "unsafe" for their athletes. Teams in Waterloo region, Guelph, Toronto, Hamilton and Ottawa have said they will skip bouts in the U.S. On Sunday, Tri-City Roller Derby in Waterloo region issued a statement saying U.S. President Donald Trump's executive order recognizing only two genders — male and female — does "not allow the accurate reflection of gender expression on government documents." Maggie Middleton, a skater and board member for Tri-City Roller Derby, said the decision not to go to the U.S. was made to protect team members. "It was pretty clear from the get-go that people from various communities are becoming more and more unwelcome in the U.S., and then that was really solidified through the number of laws that were actually passed, the executive order etc.," she told CBC Kitchener-Waterloo's The Morning Edition with host Craig Norris. "It was really actually quite an easy decision. Some of our skaters were not going to be safe, were not feeling safe, were not feeling confident about travelling," she added. "If all of us can't go and feel good about it, then none of us are going to go." recognizing only two sexes on Jan. 20. The order mandates that identification documents issued by the government, including passports and visas, be based on "an individual's immutable biological classification as either male or female." Since 2019, Canadians who do not identify as female or male can list "X" as their gender on their passports. Ottawa says about 3,600 Canadians are using that marker. Being inclusive 'important ethos of our sport' Kaitrin Doll, a Tri-City Roller Derby athlete who also competes in Toronto, is completing a PhD dissertation on the experience of sexual and gender-diverse people in roller derby. Doll said that as a skater who is transgender and gender queer, they appreciate the team taking a stand on travel to the U.S. and for team leadership to take the proactive step in making the decision. "The reality is roller derby is a sport where we have had trans and gender-diverse inclusion since basically the inception of our sport. We are one of the only full contact sports that is crowned inclusive … that is an important ethos of our sport," Doll said. "I know and love this team and trust this team. But I think it was an important decision for our leadership to make that centred the well-being of our skaters over competition." The decision means Tri-City Roller Derby will miss out on eight bouts in the U.S. this year. Middleton said they will still compete in Canada, and U.S. teams are invited to attend those bouts, although they've heard concerns from the U.S. teams about travelling to Canada and what they might face upon returning to the U.S. Fewer bouts will impact season Toronto Roller Derby said in a post on Instagram that the team's decision was made "to prioritize the safety of our skaters." As well, Toronto Roller Derby will take additional steps to support athletes, including practices dedicated to skaters who "hold a marginalized identity," at no cost. "Our goal is to stand in solidarity with all communities affected and affirm that we will put in the work to create an inclusive space for all," the league said. WATCH | How Trump's policies on transgender people are affecting them: How Trump's policies on transgender people are affecting them 1 month ago Duration 7:37 Louis Stay, a transgender man and executive director of Trans Spokane, says U.S. President Donald Trump's sweeping executive orders will restrict transgender people's ability to travel and serve in the military. Stay says the orders are based on misinformation about transgender people. Megan Kole, the games liaison for Royal City Roller Derby in Guelph, said she got emotional when she had to email teams in Ohio and Michigan on Feb. 24 to tell them the Guelph teams wouldn't travel for bouts south of the border. "There's real love between our Canadian leagues and our U.S. leagues," Kole said. "When I wrote this e-mail, which I put a lot of time into to make sure that it wasn't another hit to them when all these things were happening, they were so caring, and they said they appreciated us supporting and protecting our trans and non-binary athletes. They absolutely understood." Kole said not attending U.S. bouts will potentially impact their league rankings. "We do have teams we can play within Canada, but there are more teams that are close to us in the U.S., so it can have an effect on our rankings," Kole said. "We're not necessarily going to get the games that we would want. It's going to shorten our season. We're going to have less games than we would usually have." Kole added Royal City Roller Derby has felt supported in its decision by the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA), the international governing body of women's flat track roller derby. Kole said the association has told the teams it will work toward making sure all teams can attend playoff games and tournaments, including the world championships, which are scheduled for next year in Sweden. CBC News has reached out to the WFTDA for comment on Canadian teams not travelling to the U.S., but hadn't received a response by publication time. On Feb. 6, the WFTDA issued a statement about the U.S. administration's stance on gender. It said the gender identity of all participants "is considered confidential and private until such time, place and capacity in which the individual wishes to disclose it." "The [association] does not and will not differentiate between members regardless of presentation and identity, and does not and will not set minimum standards of femininity or androgyny for its membership, or interfere with the privacy of its members for the purposes of eligibility," the statement said. Sport 'is really struggling' Doll said they're worried about roller derby athletes in the U.S. who may be impacted by the U.S.'s two-gender rule, as well as the sport itself. "We were hit pretty hard during the pandemic. This is like another big giant hit to our sport," Doll said. "It's not necessarily just the skaters within the space. It's our sport in general that is really struggling and taking another hit here, which is a big challenge." Doll hopes people who are unfamiliar with the sport, and either want to experience it as a fan or an athlete, will attend bouts and information nights to learn more. "Roller derby is an incredibly fun, skilled-needed and talented sport. We have a lot of cool people — the environment is great," Doll said. "I've built my life around this sport and I've got my community with friends." Kole wants to see safety and respect for all the athletes.
CBC
20-03-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Tri-City Roller Derby to skip bouts in U.S. due to Trump's 2-gender rule
Tri-City Roller Derby in Waterloo region says it won't travel to the U.S. for eight bouts this year over concerns about how athletes and team members might be treated at the border. In January, President Donald Trump signed an order saying the U.S. will only recognize two genders. Tri-City Roller Derby members Maggie Middleton and Kaitrin Doll spoke with CBC K-W's The Morning Edition about the team's decision.
