News Director Sangjun Han speaks to the residents who claim that council’s sudden shift from arts hub to housing left them feeling unheard
A new grassroots group, Eyes on Waterloo (EOW), has formed to monitor city council after councillors voted in June to halt plans for a temporary arts hub at St. Columba Anglican Church and instead convert the site into affordable housing.
“When the unanimous vote for the 3-year arts centre got taken away and they did a complete 180, we just weren’t happy,” said Jeff Percival, a founding member of Eyes on Waterloo. “We saw maybe an agenda, and we didn’t like it. We just want our city council to work with us — not become neighbourhood destroyers, but neighbourhood contributors.”
Percival and co-founder Wendy Ridgway said the reversal shook residents’ trust in council’s transparency, with some believing the decision was pre-planned and community voices were ignored.
The City of Waterloo purchased the St. Columba property in February for $2.9 million, originally planning to lease it for 3 years as an art studio for Arts Build Ontario. But in June, council unexpectedly cancelled that plan and earmarked the site for affordable housing.
Ridgway said Lincoln Heights residents who attended the June 23 meeting felt blindsided. “We really felt like the City of Waterloo needs more community space and the proposed arts hub would have been a good match,” said Ridgway. “We know it’s now housing, and we want to ensure whatever is built fits the area’s R1 zoning.”
Ridgway said most Eyes on Waterloo members are Lincoln Heights residents who were disappointed by the loss of a temporary art space.
About 25 Lincoln Heights residents attended the meeting and later joined Eyes on Waterloo. That group has since grown to about 50 members, including residents from other neighbourhoods who say they too have struggled to be heard at council meetings.
Ward 5 Coun. Jen Vasic, who represents the Lincoln Heights area, said she first heard about Eyes on Waterloo from a constituent who had previously contacted the city about the St. Columba site.
“I think it’s really common for groups to start because they’re mobilized by something they’re frustrated about,” Vasic said. “Anger can be a good motivation for people to come together and speak about issues that matter to them. That’s part of democracy.”
Percival said many residents at the June 23 meeting felt ignored, believing council was more focused on its own agenda than on neighbourhood voices.
Vasic acknowledged that many residents may have expected the St. Columba site to be used temporarily for public arts programming, based on earlier council discussions.
“They expected one thing, and then the outcome was really surprising,” she said. “It wasn’t typical of what happens at council.”
She added that their motivation for forming the group wasn’t just about St. Columba, but also about addressing broader issues raised at City of Waterloo council meetings and making sure residents’ voices are heard.
Vasic said the council is still awaiting a staff report on potential uses for the St. Columba site, which is expected to come forward in November.
“I’ll do my best to work with them, share information, and take their perspectives to council,” she said. “It doesn’t always matter what the catalyst was — if more people are getting involved, that’s a good thing.”
Percival said EOW’s goal is not confrontation but accountability. “The City of Waterloo needs to know that we want to work with them,” he said. “But they need to open their ears up and listen to what people are saying and what people want to happen within their neighbourhoods.”
The group plans to continue attending city council meetings, identifying themselves by lanyards with their logo. Percival said they hope to expand beyond Ward 5, inviting other Waterloo residents who feel unheard by council to join. “If people in different wards feel they’re not being listened to, we want to open it up and let more people become part of it,” he said.
As the City of Waterloo awaits the November report on the St. Columba site, Eyes on Waterloo members say they’ll keep watching — and listening — to ensure residents’ voices are part of the conversation.
About Eyes on Waterloo:
Eyes on Waterloo is a grassroots organization formed in October 2025 in response to the Waterloo council reversing their plan to build a temporary arts hub at St. Columba Anglican Church, and instead focusing their attention on housing development. The founding members of the organization are Forest Heights residents Jeff Percival, a graphic design professor at Conestoga College, and Wendy Ridgway, the Community Liaison Council at Parkminster United Church. Eyes on Waterloo aims to engage Waterloo residents in municipal politics by encouraging participation in council meetings and local decision-making.
Contributed Photo/Sangjun Han
Logo/Eyes on Waterloo
