UWRA Monthly Bulletin- May 2025
This is the monthly bulletin for the University of ݮƵ Retirees Association, sent to all UW retirees. Here's what you'll find in this issue:
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UWRA events: AGM, Get active hikes planned, DNA Detective, UWRA calendar of events.
- UWRA News: Spain anyone? The UWTA is working with Trip Merchant on a custom trip to Spain next March,
- Getting FIT FORE GOLF- free workshop.
- Now hear this! Hold off a bit on buying hearing aids.
- Community events: Retirees needed to volunteer at Convocation, Quilt of Belonging coming to St. Jacobs, 4Repair spring workshops, Giving Day launched.
- Trial study: Have you had one or more spinal fractures?
- Parking on campus: What's new?
- Resource of the month: Research Institute for Aging.
- Feedback: The good, the bad and the ugly.
UWRA Events:
UWRA 2025 Annual General Meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, May 14, 2025 at 12:30 p.m. in the Ruby, Village at University Gates. Light refreshments will be served.
Let's Get Active! Join us on Wednesday, May 7 at 10:00 a.m. for a Health Valley Trail Hike.
The Health Valley Trail is an easily walkable trail that runs along the Conestoga River from the Village of St. Jacobs towards University Ave. E. in ݮƵ. Count on a walk of 1 ½ to 2 hours. For those interested, after the hike we can walk the short distance into St. Jacobs Village for a coffee, snack or lunch at Jacob's Grill. This event is free but please register.
Join us onThursday, May 22at 10 a.m. for a UWRA.
Huron Nature Area is home to some of the best Kitchener hiking trails. It’s also Kitchener’s largest natural space at 107 hectares. There are several interconnecting hiking trails in the park. We will take our time and hike many of them. The trails are well marked, well kept and easy to walk. Count on a walk of 1 ½ to 2 hours. This event is free but please register.
See you at the trailhead!
Dr. Jennifer Harris:A “DNA Detective.”Monday, May 12 at 1:00 pm. Jennifer Harris, an English professor at UݮƵ, volunteers as a DNA detective in her spare time. Harris, who has helped hundreds find their biological parents, compares her DNA work to her academic research, using genetic databases and historical archives to trace connections between families. Watch the UWRA website for details.
Visit theUWRA Events Calendarfor all of our events, activities and presentations, such as the monthly meeting of the Brew Crew.
Join the Brew Crew the second Thursday of each month at Conestoga Mall.
UWRA News:
Spain anyone?Planning is underway for a group trip to Spain in March 2026, with more than 50 UW retirees expressing interest! CURAC partner Trip Merchant is designing a custom trip for us based on our wish list from the trip survey.Take the surveyto register your interest and be among the first to learn the details.
Following an excellent workshop on back pain and sciatica for retirees, SOS Physiotherapy is presenting afree FIT FORE GOLF in-person workshop.Thiswill be hosted by Jon Clay and colleagues at SOS Physiotherapy GuelphSaturday May 10th at 10 a.m.A great way to prep for the season and learn how to avoid injury with your swing. Use the following link to register:
Now hear this!CURAC (College and University Retiree Associations of Canada, of which your UWRA is a member) will soon announce its newest affinity partner:, Canada’s largest network of hearing aid clinics. UWRA retirees will enjoy a 10% discount on hearing aids. Watch the UWRA website for details.
Community Events:
Volunteer at Convocation:FromTuesday, June 10 to Saturday, June 14, UݮƵ will host 14 ceremonies across all six faculties.As a valued retiree, we invite you to take part in the celebrations by volunteering. Your familiarity with the University is incredibly helpful in guiding guests and ensuring a welcoming experience for all. Volunteer roles such asWayfindersandAccessibility Assistantsare a great way to reconnect with campus and support our grads during this meaningful milestone. All volunteers will receive training, and meals will be provided when supporting back-to-back ceremonies.for as many shifts as you’re able by May 15, 2025. If you have any questions or need assistance, please don’t hesitate to reach out to Community Relations and Events atambassadors.convocation@uwaterloo.ca.
TheQuilt of Belongingwill be part of this year’s Fibre Arts Festival fromMay 15 to 19at the St. George Hall, ݮƵ.is both a visual and symbolic representation of multiculturalism and shared humanity, initiated by artist Esther Bryan in 1988 and completed in 2005, to promote unity and a sense of belonging by showcasing the rich cultural heritage of people living in Canada. It is massive, featuring 263 blocks, each representing a different cultural group found in Canada, including all First Peoples and every world nation with a presence in our country. The quilt has toured across Canada and internationally, often displayed in museums and community centers and will soon find a permanent home at theTriSisters Art House in St. Jacobs. A 48-minuteabout the quilt’s creation is receiving rave reviews.
4Repair Workshops:Do you have any electronic appliances, kitchenware, clothing, or sewing machines in need of repair? Interested in getting out to help others in the community? 4Repair Workshops may be for you! The idea is simple: Fix things instead of throwing them away. UW retiree Murray Zink is the man behind 4Repair and has shared some upcoming spring workshops:
- Saturday, May 10 from 11:00 to 1:00 at the KW Library of Things
- Wednesday, May 28 from 5:30 to 7:30 in E7 1401
- Wednesday, June 25 from 5:30 to 7:30 in #7 1401
- Wednesday, July 30 from 5:30 to 7:30 in E7 1401
Please follow 4 Repair onor Instagram under 4RepairKW.
UݮƵ Giving Day launches May 15!It’s a 24-hour campaign in support of teaching, learning and research — and we want YOU to be part of it. Watch the
Currently Recruiting:
The Bone Health and Exercise Science Lab is looking for participants for theThey are looking for men and postmenopausal women in Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia who:
- Are aged 50 or over
- Have had one or more spine fractures due to osteoporosis in the past two years
- Are willing to attend a virtual 1:1 session once per week for 8 weeks
As part of this study, you will attend free exercise sessions online, once per week for 8 weeks. You will be asked to complete a virtual assessment of your physical function, and some questionnaires at the start of the study, and at nine and eighteen weeks into the study.
Campus parking updates:
The pay-and-display machines are being removed from lots and it is recommended that you install a mobile app on your smartphone to pay for parking using acredit card. You can read more about this transition and how to use the AMP app on the.
Parkingfees increased by 3.5% effective May 1and will affect all employee permit holders, visitor parking, and bike parking at the ݮƵ and Kitchener campuses.
Parking hang tags may be purchased from Sustainable Transportation (Parking Services) in the GSC building. At $3.75 each they are the best value available to retirees for parking on campus.
Resource of the month:
In 2025 the Schlegel-UW Research Institute for Aging (RIA) is hosting ato highlight groundbreaking research shaping the future of aging.
Feedback:
Here’s to another month of growth, connection andthriving in retirement. If you have anyfeedbackfor this bulletin or would like to contribute to the next edition, please emailuwracomm@uwaterloo.ca.
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