Welcome to the Bonn Park blog, a collection of stories, interviews, reviews, lists and recommendations to help you explore a deeper perspective of Waterloo Region!
From Podcast to Blog: the Growth of Bonn Park Media Inc.
Sara Geidlinger and I created the Bonn Park podcast as a way to connect with the most interesting and creative people in Waterloo Region. The podcast was designed to emulate the feeling of sparking up a conversation with an interesting stranger in a park, which is how we met (in Waterloo's Bonn Park). That's how Sara and I discovered our shared interest in Waterloo Region's creative community.
The podcast has been such an amazing way to get to know our community. We've learned so much from our guests, and from the listeners who have joined us on this journey.
The written word has been my medium of storytelling for the past 16 years as a weekly columnist at the Waterloo Chronicle. And though podcasting was an unexpected new direction for me, at the urging of Sara, I still love to convey ideas with the written word too (hence this blog). She's the one who, three years ago, convinced me to join her in creating a hyper-local podcast showcasing fascinating residents of Waterloo Region’s cultural landscape.
Available on numerous digital platforms, we’re at 150-plus weekly episodes released so far and going strong.
Showcasing the Waterloo Community: From Beekeepers to World Renowned Scientists
We’ve had captivating conversations with beekeepers, brewers, educators, advocates, foodies, magicians, musicians, scientists, shopkeepers, artists, and inventors.
One of my favourite guests of the past three seasons, who exemplifies the spirit of our show, is Sassy Ray -- an astounding burlesque artist and founder of Sassy Ray Burlesque.
We had such a delightfully spirited conversation with Sassy Ray that we invited her back to ring in the new year on Bonn Park with some end-of-year festivities. We toasted the ups and downs of 2021, and welcomed 2022 with an hour of tales, laughter, and so, so much sass.
Another out-of-this-world guest was Dr. Katie Mack, a theoretical cosmologist and author of the 2020 popular science book The End of Everything (Astrophysically Speaking).
Earlier this year, we were given a guided tour of the end of the universe as Dr. Mack joined us to record an episode of Bonn Park, just before she joined the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics in Waterloo, where she will research the mysteries of the cosmos and contribute to Perimeter’s work in public outreach and science education.
She explained a number of the possible scenarios that cosmologists predicted for the very end of the universe, such as slow heat death, or sudden vacuum decay. It's a fascinating, mind-expanding listen!
On other episodes we talk to business leaders, filmmakers, writers, restaurateurs, radio personalities, hairstylists, fellow podcasters, and generally fascinating people from our region.
So, if you want to meet some of the most enchanting and creative people in Waterloo Region, be the first to find out about events and get exclusive access to discounts and more:
Listen: Bonn Park Podcast
Follow: @BonnParkPodcast