City of waterloo neighbourhoods: strong and connected.

Winter-ready ideas for connecting with neighbours

  1. Visit local parks and admire the neighbourhood picnic tables painted by local artists.
  2. Discover an outdoor rink near you through the outdoor rink map. Bring your skates, helmets and meet up with neighbours.
  3. Support a local business by visiting a nearby café, grabbing a warm drink and inviting your neighbour.
  4. Search the gathering spaces map to find a location to host your next neighbourhood activity.
Blue picnic table painted with dogs cats bunnies squirrels and other animals.

Get involved

Volunteer with the Neighbourhoods team

volunteer with us neighbourhood grants committee. yellow background with the neighbourhood logo street sign.

The Neighbourhood Grants Committee is looking for a new committee member!


Are you interested in helping decide how to fairly, openly and equitably share available funding?


Learn more and apply by January 7.

More ways to get involved

  • Volunteer with the Pollinator Working Group and take part in hands-on projects and learning opportunities that support pollinators in your neighbourhood.
  • Know someone who would love working for the City? We recruit for summer positions very early in the year. Many applications are already open. Drop by the Summer Jobs Fair on January 14 or apply online now
People outside on a porch planning music and other people on a street listening to it.

🙂 Smile corner 🙂


A neighbour shared how they enjoy the lovely events in their neighbourhood.


Share with us what makes you smile! Submit a photo and a caption by replying to this email, and we might feature it in the Smile Corner of our next newsletter!

Get inspired

Warm drinks and conversations

People standing outside with kids doing a craft on a table.

Lakeshore North neighbours invited the neighbourhood out to enjoy warm drinks, yummy treats and holiday activities. Everyone embraced the snow and the cold and gathered outside for some winter fun.


This event was supported by a mini grant, which is open for applications year-round!

More ways to get inspired

  • Explore the event ideas page to plan a neighbourhood activity this winter.
  • Want to thank a neighbour for helping you shovel or sending you a holiday treat? Nominate them as a kind neighbour. Nominations are open year-round.

Get in the know

New Year's Eve skate night

Invite your neighbours, get your warm layers on and bring you skates for a fun evening of skating at the Waterloo Public Square.


Date: December 31, 2025

When: 6 to 9 p.m.

Where: Waterloo Public Square skating rink


Check out the full schedule of 2026 festivals and events, more to come!

More things to know

December Diversity Calendar

Source: Canadian Centre for Diversity & Inclusion's Diversity Ink Newsletter


Universal Human Rights Month (International)


December 1 – December 24: Advent

December 1: World AIDS Day

December 2: International Day for the Abolition of Slavery

December 3: International Day of Persons with Disabilities

December 5: International Volunteer Day

December 6: The National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence against Women

December 6: St. Nicholas Day / Feast of Saint Nicholas

December 8: Bodhi Day / Rōhatsu

December 8: Pansexual Pride Day

December 8: Feast of Immaculate Conception

December 10: Human Rights Day

December 13: Saligrah / Saligrah Khushiali / Aga

December 14 (sundown) – December 22: Chanukah / Hanukkah

December 16: Day of Reconciliation

December 18: International Migrants Day

December 20: International Human Solidarity Day

December 21: Yaldā / Chella

December 24: Christmas Eve

December 25: Christmas Day

December 26: Boxing Day

December 26: Zartosht No-Diso / Death of Prophet Zarathustra

December 26 – January 1Kwanzaa

December 27: Guru Gobind Singh Jayanti

Waterloo Neighbourhoods is published throughout the year to keep residents informed about the good things happening in neighbourhoods across Waterloo. If you’re reading Waterloo Neighbourhoods as a non-subscriber, visit our subscription page to sign up for future editions.


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