Key decisions of Kitchener Council: October 20, 2025

Key decisions of Council is a summary of major discussion items presented at Kitchener City Council meetings. It is circulated immediately following each meeting. Please refer to the minutes for an official record of the meeting. 

Council approves new public artwork for Upper Canada Park

City Council has approved the commission and creation of a new public artwork, The Seams, by Javid Jah and his organization JAH Cube. The piece will be featured in Upper Canada Park as part of the final phase of the park’s current facility improvements.

Selected through the 2025–26 Upper Canada Park invitational public art competition, The Seams was chosen by a jury following a consensus-based review of three proposals. The Arts & Culture Advisory Committee provided input during the selection process, reinforcing the City’s commitment to community engagement and cultural vibrancy. This installation reflects Kitchener’s ongoing investment in public art and the enhancement of shared community spaces.

Read the report online.

Kitchener Utilities sets new gas rate effective January 1, 2026

Council has approved new daily fixed charge and delivery rates for Kitchener Utilities effective January 1, 2026. For M1 residential customers, the daily fixed charge will increase to $0.85, and the delivery rate will increase to 11.5871 cents per cubic metre. M2 customers will see a daily fixed charge of $2.54 and a delivery rate of 10.3523 cents per cubic metre. These changes represent an annual increase of $40 or 7.9% for the average residential customer.

Kitchener Utilities is raising delivery rates to meet infrastructure, and program needs while continuing to provide safe, reliable, and fairly priced natural gas service.

Read the report online.

City Council approves changes to RISE Grant funding framework

City Council has approved important revisions to the Racialized and Indigenous Supports for Equity (RISE) Grant funding framework, ensuring the program continues to meet the evolving needs of Black, Indigenous, and racialized communities in Kitchener. The decision follows a comprehensive three-year review of the RISE Fund, which highlighted its positive impact, outcomes, and ongoing challenges.

A comprehensive review of the RISE Fund was carried out, as directed by the Council. Based on the review, staff proposed the following recommendations to enhance the RISE Grant Program:

These recommendations aim to improve access, enhance equity, and strengthen the overall impact of the RISE Fund’s vision and mission.

The updated framework will improve grant administration, clarify eligibility criteria, and streamline access for applicants. These changes are informed by extensive community engagement, feedback from grant recipients and applicants, input from local funders, best practices, and analysis of three years of data. Notably, there are no financial implications associated with these updates.

Read the report online.

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