Ryan Flanagan

Ryan Flanagan

@ryanflanagan.bsky.social

Former journalist now working in media relations. Living in Kitchener after a few years away.

257 followers231 following117 posts

Ryan Flanagan
@ryanflanagan.bsky.social

There used to be a bunch of days every summer when everyone was told to stay inside because of smog. Then Ontario closed its coal plants and that stopped happening!

Michael Druker 🇨🇦@mdruker.app

Social media loves talking about how everything is getting worse. But what’s something that you’ve seen get _better_ in your lifetime?

Ryan Flanagan
@ryanflanagan.bsky.social

Lovely to see so much media coverage for the end of a wonderful career. Now someone should do a deep dive into the other huge change to the Oktoberfest music scene: the Black Forest Band moving to Schwaben Club and the Golden Keys taking their spot at Concordia Club.

Unofficial CTV News Mirror@ctvnews-mirror.bsky.social

Walter Ostanek, Canada’s 91-year-old Polka King, plays his final Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest

ctvnews.caWalter Ostanek, Canada’s 91-year-old Polka King, plays his final Kitchener-Waterloo OktoberfestFor more than half a century, the sound of Walter Ostanek and his trusty accordion has been as much a part of Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest as lederhosen or a freshly tapped keg.
Ryan Flanagan
@ryanflanagan.bsky.social

All this PLUS it makes following sports less fun! I want to enjoy athletic drama on its merits or be won over by an outstanding performance or grudgingly accept that the Jays just don't have it tonight. Gambling steals all of that in favour of obsessively rooting for the outcome I bet on earlier.

This post is unavailable.
Ryan Flanagan
@ryanflanagan.bsky.social

Well, this sucks. For everyone who's losing their jobs and for Waterloo Region losing 570's long legacy as a trusted voice in our community.

Kate Bueckert@katebueckert.bsky.social

“The stations, set to go off the air today, include … 570 NewsRadio (CKGL-AM) Kitchener.” This is a huge hit to local journalism. My thoughts are with the folks affected at 570. broadcastdialogue.com/rogers-sport...

broadcastdialogue.comRogers Sports & Media cuts 230 jobs, shutters six radio stations - Broadcast DialogueRogers Sports & Media is cutting 230 positions across the division as it announces it's shuttering six radio stations.
Ryan Flanagan
@ryanflanagan.bsky.social

I can't quite wrap my head around the idea that 17% of surveyed Canadians consider @thebeaverton.com trustworthy. Are they just saying "I like this thing"? And if so, is that all we should read into the other results?

Aaron Wherry@aaronwherry.bsky.social

My first takeaway here is that most major news outlets in Canada still enjoy decently high levels of trust. www.pollara.com/wp-content/u...

Ryan Flanagan
@ryanflanagan.bsky.social

Raw tomatoes. I will take them out of my salad or off my sandwich in absolutely any setting. Possibly related to an incident when I was a toddler and got a bad rash after eating too many tomatoes.

This post is unavailable.
Ryan Flanagan
@ryanflanagan.bsky.social

Dayne St. Clair spent 2016 and 2017 playing for Kitchener-Waterloo United FC. He's since gone onto bigger things, like winning MLS Goalkeeper of the Year and being named to #CanMNT for two World Cups.

NBC Sports@nbc-sports.bsky.social

Canada’s goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair is making a HUGE impact on the field and off, as he looks to mentor the next generation of soccer stars, on #MyNewFavoriteFutbolista: available wherever you listen to podcasts.

Ryan Flanagan
@ryanflanagan.bsky.social

There are many but "Sunshine Superman" by Donovan is a standout entry in this genre for me. (Food Basics in the mid-2000s. Roughly equivalent to stores today playing 80s hits, so, kinda tracks?)

Rodger Sherman@rodger.bsky.social

every person who has ever worked retail for even a week has at least one song they can never hear again without being involuntarily transported back to the store

Ryan Flanagan
@ryanflanagan.bsky.social

You'd think the creator of Rambo must have been an American but it was actually David Morrell, who was born and raised in Kitchener. He snuck in a hometown reference: two deputies who oppose Rambo are named Galt and Preston. (This is a Waterloo Region trivia account now.)

Jason Bailey@jasondashbailey.com

'Rambo: First Blood Part II' was released on this day in 1985. For @crooked-marquee.bsky.social, I wrote about how the 'Rambo' series started as something quite different than what it became:

crookedmarquee.comHow Rambo Turned a Complicated Antihero into Agitprop — Crooked MarqueeWhen 'Rambo: First Blood Part II' hit theaters 35 years ago, it was a commercial and cultural sensation. But it also turned its protagonist into a cartoon.
Ryan Flanagan
@ryanflanagan.bsky.social

Evidence that Waterloo Region is bear country: A black bear hung out in Woolwich and Kitchener for a few days in 2006. Evidence that Waterloo Region is not bear country: The Ontario government's official definition of bear country ends somewhere around Mount Forest.

Oliver Moore@oliver-moore.bsky.social

Wut? www.nytimes.com/2026/05/13/w...

Ryan Flanagan
@ryanflanagan.bsky.social

PSA: Transport Canada has launched a survey for Canadians to detail their experiences with headlight glare at nighttime. In other words, you're not the only one who's noticed brighter headlights on vehicles and this could be a very small way to do something about it! tc.canada.ca/en/corporate...

tc.canada.caCanadian experience with vehicle headlights and glare at nightTransport Canada wants to learn how headlight glare affects road users and what vehicle or lighting features may influence how people experience it at night.

Ryan Flanagan reposted

James Davis Nicoll
@jdnicoll.bsky.social

My apologies to everyone who has heard this story before. Back in the 1970s, two things were true about UWaterloo: * UW never, ever closed. * Many faculty members owned farms. Cue the Great Storm of 1978.

Graeme Smith@graemesmith.bsky.social

The university @uwaterloo.ca is closed for a snow day today! Thank you to the associate dean for helpfully letting me know that I’m entitled to schedule a makeup class on Saturday if I’d like to HAHAHAHAHAHAHHAAHAHAHAHA

Ryan Flanagan
@ryanflanagan.bsky.social

This was one of the most surprising (to me) lessons I learned when I moved from newspapers to digital news. Nobody clicks on the clever headline. Our eyes scan right past it to the headline that makes it more obvious what's on the other side.

This post is unavailable.

Ryan Flanagan reposted

Melissa Bowman
@dtkmelissa.bsky.social

We've got so many great grassroots orgs and non-profits in #WatReg and I need your help to highlight them! For an upcoming Citified post, I'm wanting to share short blurbs (3-5 sentences) about your favourite local organization or non-profit. Feel free to share it on this thread or DM me. Thanks!

Ryan Flanagan
@ryanflanagan.bsky.social

Other Queen songs the #BlueJays could have used as #WantItAll -style anthems, in descending order of appropriateness: Play the Game Don't Stop Me Now The Show Must Go On Keep Yourself Alive Another One Bites the Dust Hang On In There The Millionaire Waltz Lost Opportunity I'm In Love With My Car

Ryan Flanagan
@ryanflanagan.bsky.social

I’ve been a huge Blue Jays fan for as long as I can remember (since 1994, just after the last World Series). I’ve seen good years and bad years. Good decisions and bad decisions. Amazing moments and ho-hum Tuesday nights. Stars demanding to be traded. Fans demanding that other stars be traded.

Ryan Flanagan
@ryanflanagan.bsky.social

I remember 19 innings on Canada Day. Black and silver uniforms. Stieb’s comeback. “It’s not a lie if we know the truth.” Fireworks for home runs. Chasing Shohei. Good and bad. Happy and sad. As fans we get it all. And now, more, for the highest stakes possible. I’m so excited. #BlueJays #WantItAll

Ryan Flanagan
@ryanflanagan.bsky.social

I’ve explained how Kitchener and Waterloo acquired their names, but what about Cambridge? You might know that it only dates back 52 years, but you might not realize that it contains a nod to local history or that, like Kitchener, it was selected by a vote of its citizens…

Ryan Flanagan@ryanflanagan.bsky.social

The story of how Waterloo, Ont. got its name has some similarities to Kitchener’s. Both cities owe their names to war developments that were top-of-mind at the time of the renamings. While Kitchener’s name came from a general, Waterloo’s is a tribute to a famous battle.

View full thread
Ryan Flanagan
@ryanflanagan.bsky.social

Voting day came and the results were mixed. Galt’s voters backed Blair, but not by a lot. Cambridge received close to two-thirds support in Hespeler and more than 75% in Preston. New-city-wide, that meant 58% support for Cambridge and 42% support for Blair, with just over 50% turnout.

Ryan Flanagan
@ryanflanagan.bsky.social

I’ve explained how Kitchener and Waterloo acquired their names, but what about Cambridge? You might know that it only dates back 52 years, but you might not realize that it contains a nod to local history or that, like Kitchener, it was selected by a vote of its citizens…

Ryan Flanagan@ryanflanagan.bsky.social

The story of how Waterloo, Ont. got its name has some similarities to Kitchener’s. Both cities owe their names to war developments that were top-of-mind at the time of the renamings. While Kitchener’s name came from a general, Waterloo’s is a tribute to a famous battle.

View full thread
Ryan Flanagan
@ryanflanagan.bsky.social

The Galt aldermen were firmly opposed to Cambridge, which they said was boring. But they couldn’t find any alternatives they liked. Finally, a few weeks before the vote, they put forward Blair – the name of a village that had recently merged with Preston. They’d also considered South Waterloo.

Ryan Flanagan
@ryanflanagan.bsky.social

So the battle was on: Blair, with the reluctant backing of the largest of the three merging towns, versus Cambridge, which had somewhat more enthusiastic support in the smaller two. Both names hinted at local history. But which would voters prefer?

Ryan Flanagan
@ryanflanagan.bsky.social

I’ve explained how Kitchener and Waterloo acquired their names, but what about Cambridge? You might know that it only dates back 52 years, but you might not realize that it contains a nod to local history or that, like Kitchener, it was selected by a vote of its citizens…

Ryan Flanagan@ryanflanagan.bsky.social

The story of how Waterloo, Ont. got its name has some similarities to Kitchener’s. Both cities owe their names to war developments that were top-of-mind at the time of the renamings. While Kitchener’s name came from a general, Waterloo’s is a tribute to a famous battle.

View full thread
Ryan Flanagan
@ryanflanagan.bsky.social

It was decided that the citizens would choose the city’s name, with each town allowed to put one name on the referendum ballot. Hespeler moved first, suggesting Cambridge. This harkened to Cambridge Mills, which is what Preston was called before it was called Preston. Preston backed this idea too.

Ryan Flanagan
@ryanflanagan.bsky.social

Galt’s aldermen had a trick up their sleeves: they asked if their recommendation could be a write-in option. Their thinking was that most voters from Galt would write in ‘Galt’ and the province would reconsider the ‘no Galt’ rule. The province said no.

Ryan Flanagan
@ryanflanagan.bsky.social

I’ve explained how Kitchener and Waterloo acquired their names, but what about Cambridge? You might know that it only dates back 52 years, but you might not realize that it contains a nod to local history or that, like Kitchener, it was selected by a vote of its citizens…

Ryan Flanagan@ryanflanagan.bsky.social

The story of how Waterloo, Ont. got its name has some similarities to Kitchener’s. Both cities owe their names to war developments that were top-of-mind at the time of the renamings. While Kitchener’s name came from a general, Waterloo’s is a tribute to a famous battle.

Ryan Flanagan
@ryanflanagan.bsky.social

Cambridge was formed in 1973 when the province forced Galt, Hespeler and Preston to amalgamate into one city despite their opposition. The legislation referred to the merged city as Galt. Hespeler and Preston didn’t like that and persuaded the province that a new name was necessary.