Another weekend is upon us again and if you somehow missed this week’s newsmakers in the City of Cambridge, here’s a quick recap for you to read up on.

First off, the city’s Catholic schools as well as others in the Waterloo region were able to collect over $120,000 from their respective fundraising activities. Each student chipped in $5. Donations will be given to the survivors of the earthquake that struck Haiti last January, taking over 150,000 lives and destroying billions worth of property.

Meanwhile, the Cambridge Fury hockey team announced this week that they’ll be hosting a get-together for their fans. They’re having a sponsor night this evening at the Preston Auditorium, right before their game at 8 in the evening. If you’re a fan of the team, that’s something you definitely should not miss.

Residents in a Galt neighborhood can start to breathe a sigh of relief, as council finally received a report outlining the options to be taken in eradicating the mosquitoes pestering residents near the Portuguese Swamp in North Galt.

And finally, we featured some business that recently opened in Cambridge yesterday. If anything, these new stores and services are a clear sign that things are looking good for the city this year.

2010 looks to be a good year for the City of Cambridge, what with the number of businesses opening left and right in the region. We’ve compiled a short list of new businesses in the city for you to check out, read on.

Owned by Kane Rouse, Alpha Motorcycle Service And Sales Inc., is a store owned by Kane Rouse and his family. The store is open from 10 in the morning to 8 in the evening on weekdays, and 10 in the morning from 4 in the afternoon on Saturdays. The store has a new showroom displaying high-quality used motorcycles and parts.

Xpressions Beauty Supplies Inc., located on 366 Hespeler Road, is a supplier of beauty products and accessories to everyone in the public. The business also has great selections for professionals. Xpressions opened in November of last year.

Owned by Fred Hempstead, TNT Fitness specializes in both in-home and studio training. Hempstead and his team of trainers will do their best to help you lose weight with a specific type of exercise regiment. Live an active life in the comforts of your own home, without the crowds, noise, and pesky membership fees. TNT Fitness opened in January this year.

Pesky mosquitoes are currently pestering residents in a community in north Galt, Cambridge, and according to experts in the area, a backhoe and some hard work will be needed to eradicate them.

After a year of studying and research, City Council finally received a report that detailed the problems brought about by mosquitoes to those living in the vicinity of the Portuguese Swamp near Townline Road.

According to Dr. Fiona Hunter, a scientist from Entomogen Inc., there are over 64 species of mosquitoes in the area of the Portuguese Swamp. Less than 70 percent of those insects have an interest in humans, she added.

However, after investigating the swamp area last summer, Dr. Hunter found out that the mosquitoes that are causing problems aren’t even from the swamp. She and her time learned that the mosquitoes are breeding in the storm ponds situated around the swamp.

Dr. Hunter proposed the option of purchasing mosquito magnet machines which will be scattered throughout the neighborhood to eradicate the mosquitoes. The traps work by releasing carbon dioxide, which attracts the pests. They are then sucked into a net where they die due to dehydration. This is a very effective way of eliminating the pests she said, but it will however, be pricey.

Council is currently considering this option.

I you love hockey and love partying just as much, then we’ve got something you definitely should not miss out.

The city’s Cambridge Fury junior hockey team from the Provincial Women’s Hockey League wants to thank their supporters, fans, and sponsors in a special way. And what better to do it than with a big party right?

That’s exactly what they’ll be hosting on the 12^th of February, Friday. The Fury will be having a sponsor night at the Preston Auditorium before their game, which kicks off at exactly 8 in the evening. We admit, it’s not exactly a full-blown party, but it’s a celebration nonetheless.

The team is inviting their fans to attend a pre-game gathering at 6:30 in the evening to share light refreshments as well as to meet and greet the hockey players.

What’s more, players from the Cambridge Fury will be inviting people into their locker room.

This Friday’s game will pit the Fury against the Durham West Lightning. It will also mark the end of the Fury’s regular season home schedule. The team is currently in third place in the provincial league, with a record of 23 wins and 5 losses.

Mark your calendars and don’t miss out on this event!

Catholics schools in the City of Cambridge and the Region of Waterloo did their part to help the survivors of the massive 7.0 magnitude earthquake that struck the Caribbean nation of Haiti on the 12^th of January. Catholic schools in the region raised a total of over $120,000. That’s around $5 from each student.

And while that may be an impressive amount of money, officials from the region expect more donations to come, as its 52 schools have promised to continue fundraising efforts until the middle of February. Combined with funds collected by the government, donations will total around $250,000.

Efforts to raise funds were done with the cooperation of the school board’s members, the principals of the different schools, as well as the students and their parents.  Catholic parishes in the area also pitched in.

The board is encouraging residents in the community to donate to its charity partner, the Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace. If you’re in Cambridge or in the Waterloo region, this is the perfect time for you to do your part.

Officials in Haiti estimate the damages brought by the earthquake to be worth billions, while over 150,000 lives have been confirmed to have been lost to the cataclysmic event. The numbers look to only rise.

TGIF folks! Another weekend is upon us once more and as always, it’s that time to give you the skinny on what’s happening over the weekend, as well as a look into some events happening later this month.

If you’re a club and pub person, or someone interested in the arts, live stage, as well as live performances, then you’re bound to like the short list we’ve prepared for you.

The Arts

On the 28^th of February, The Groove Kitchen will be featuring Memories of Africa. Another similar event, titled The Art Of Sue Goossens will take place on the 7^th of March. Over at the Cambridge Centre for the Arts, Erika Reisenberger is featuring her artwork until the 20^th of March.

Live Stage

The Cambridge Arts Theatre will be hosting Galt Little Theatre’s Table Manners on the 5^th and 6^th of February, with repeat performances on the 11^th to 13^th of February. All shows start at 8 in the evening, with a matinee showing on February 7 at 2 in the afternoon.

Bars

The Groove Kitchen And Music Room will play host to Matt Storch on the 5^th of February, and Gavin Knight and the Rhythm Resurgence the next day on the 6^th.

This list is just a sneak peek though. If you want to know more, then ask around. The City of Cambridge has a wide array of venues you can check out. Good luck!

The City of Cambridge’s Main Street is up for some major streetscaping, and officials from the city are all ready to dish out $750,000 for the project.

Cambridge’s budget committee has recently approved the motion to take money from the funds to be used for the redevelopment of the riverbank area in Hespeler.

Furthermore, the remaining balance will be shouldered by the Harper government’s FEDDEV Ontario’s Community Adjustment Fund, which is responsible for providing funding for streetscaping projects and the like.

According to Jim King, chief administrative officer for Cambridge, Main Street had to receive funding for a streetscaping project due to one private developer’s investment plans. David Gibson plans to spend $5.5 million for the renovation of some 7 buildings in downtown Galt. The FEDDEV program’s promise to cover half of the overall cost was also a very encouraging factor, King added.

However, the project is not without its opponents. Councilor Pam Wolf voiced her opinion about the high cost of the development, and pointed out that $750,000 is too large an amount, especially during these tough economic times.

Cambridge Mayor Craig however, commented that an opportunity like this is very rare. If not now, then when? He asked.

The Region of Waterloo may be unable to fund Cambridge Memorial Hospital’s expansion project, but it’s still all systems go – at least that’s the way officials from the city see it.

At a recent budget meeting, councilors from Cambridge agreed to provide the hospital with funding worth $630,000 for their expansion plants. The money is so far the ninth installment in a series of “payments” to be made in a span of nine years, giving the hospital a total of $6.3 million.

But for Councilor Linda Whetham, she couldn’t keep herself from questioning the city’s decision to provide funding for the project, given how tight this year’s budget is. Furthermore, she pointed out the recent comments made by Premier Dalton McGuinty over the project’s future. The Premier hinted that the project might not go forward.

According to Cambridge Mayor Doug Craig however, the expansion will definitely push through after he received assurances from officials of the Ministry of Health.

He added that once the hospital has an operation plan ready, and Waterloo-Wellington Local Health Integration Network gives its approval, the project will commence immediately.

He went on to say that the next phase of the expansion will start anytime in the spring.

With only a week left to go before toy manufacturing giant Hasbro finalizes its design for the Canadian version of the game Monopoly, folks from Cambridge are scrambling to have the city featured on the popular board game.

Cities from all across Canada are presently “duking it out” for spots on the new Canadian Monopoly board, which will feature Canadian cities and towns instead of the usual street names.

Toy manufacturer Hasbro recently released a list of prospective cities to be considered for the board, and then announced on their website that people can vote for their chosen city and town that’s not on the list.

As of today, the City of Cambridge is sitting at the number 20 spot on the Wild Card list, which is comprised of cities not on Hasbro’s announced tally. For the city to be one of those considered for the Monopoly board, it has to make it into the top 10 no later than February 8, 2010.

In other words, Cambridge will be out of the running if votes don’t pick up in less than a week.

If you want to know more about the contest and help our city out, you can logon to www.cambridge.ca or www.monopolyvote.ca.

The Waterloo region may be known to have a population with some of the lowest blood pressure rates in the country, but when it comes to fitness, exercising, and eating the right foods, there’s not much to be proud of really.

Recent statistics from the Canadian Community Health Survey indicate that from 2008, cities and towns in the Region of Waterloo—Cambridge being one of them—ranked second best in all of Ontario for good blood pressure rates, with only 12 percent in the whole region suffering from hypertension.

However, the Waterloo region also scored low in other areas of importance. 36 health units in the region were surveyed, and the health experts found out that:

• Waterloo ranked 11^th for daily and occasional smoking, with 21.7% saying they are heavy smokers.
• Waterloo also ranked 17^th in the whole province for obesity and overweight rates, with a whopping 55% of the entire population belonging to the category.
• Out of all the regions in the province, Waterloo ranked 33^rd for physical activity, with 55.1% of the population in the region saying they hardly exercised at all.

Armed with this data, health officials in the region are encouraging the local governments to encourage their constituents to live healthy and active lifestyles.