President's Message

Season’s Greetings!

As we wrap up a full and engaging fall term, I want to thank everyone who joined us for our sessions, shared ideas, and helped strengthen our community of curious, tech-savvy seniors. It’s been wonderful to see our club grow and watch meeting attendance rise. We’ve enjoyed excellent presentations, lively discussions, and meaningful hands-on learning — and we’re grateful for the participation of every one of you.

Our December Speaker Meeting and Festive Gathering will be a great opportunity to celebrate the season together and cap off the term on a warm, social note. I’m looking forward to learning from KPL’s Madeleine Kong about the newest and most exciting online opportunities the library offers (including several that are new to me - be sure to read more below!), and to reconnecting with friends while sharing a bit of holiday cheer. Your presence is what makes this club special, and we’d love to see you there.

Warmest regards,

Susan

Club Events this month

Wednesday, December 17

9:30 - 11:30 AM

SPEAKER MEETING (IN-PERSON) and FESTIVE GATHERING

- Coffee and Cookies served ($2 donation suggested)

Downtown Community Centre:

• • Multi-Purpose Room (upstairs)

Topic: 

• • The Exciting World of Online Library Services

Guest Speaker: 

• Madeleine Kong, Literacy and Lifelong Learning Librarian at Kitchener Public Library

In her presentation, Madeleine will guide us through the dynamic world of online library services. We’ll explore a wide range of digital offerings—from e-books and audiobooks to movies, TV shows, and music—available through popular platforms such as OverDrive, Libby, Hoopla, and Kanopy. She’ll demonstrate just how simple it is to borrow and access content on various devices.

We’ll also take a closer look at e-readers, especially Kobo devices and other e-reader apps, and see how smoothly they function on tablets, Chromebooks, and laptops. For those who enjoy audiobooks, Madeleine will introduce Playaway devices—an all-in-one, user-friendly option. Along the way, she’ll show how to manage checkouts, sync materials across devices, and tackle common technical issues like compatibility and connectivity.

At the end, there will be a Q&A session to address your questions, followed by a roundup of useful resources to continue your digital library journey. Madeleine’s aim is to equip everyone with the confidence and know-how to make the most of remote library services.

BONUS #1 for December: Our Social Time will be extended this month into a Festive Gathering to give us time to enjoy delicious treats and chat with each other about holiday plans, tech gifting wishes, or anything else of interest! Members are invited to bring along a small plate of festive goodies if you wish. We thank you in advance for contributing to our festive gathering! 

BONUS #2: There will be a demo of the new ActiveNet process for 2026. We think you'll be happy to see the improvements that have been made, largely thanks to members of our club who provided feedback in the fall about how difficult this system has been!

Click here for more information!

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Wednesday, December 10

9:30 - 11:30 AM

DROP-IN

Downtown Community Centre:

Moved online to Zoom due to forecasted poor weather conditions.

The Zoom link, Meeting ID, and Passcode were sent by email to club members:

• the afternoon prior to the event, and

• early morning of the event

COMPLETED FOR THIS MONTH 👏

• See you in January 2026!

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Monday, December 22 

1:30 - 3:30 PM

VIRTUAL DROP-IN

CANCELLED FOR THE HOLIDAYS 🎄🎉🔮

• See you in January 2026!

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Wednesday, December 24

9:30 - 11:30 AM

SHARE AND LEARN

CANCELLED FOR THE HOLIDAYS 🎄🎉🔮

• See you in January 2026!

Tech-splorations

In this month's column, we "tap" a commonly misunderstood but highly beneficial tech skill - Touch Gesture Basics. 

Do you sometimes think Shania Twain is singing about you in her song "That Don't Impress Me Much" when she asks, "So you got the brains, but have you got the touch?" 😄 We've got some practical tips along with practice exercises for you.

Remember, you can directly navigate to the Tech-splorations columns anytime on our website. In our website's top navigation menu, click on Tech-splorations. The drop-down menu lists each article in chronological order of publication.

We're Curious!

One of the great hallmarks of our club members is that we have questions. We want to learn and grow. That's why we gather together at Drop Ins, Speaker Meetings, and Share and Learn Gatherings. 

Many times, another member attending will have learned something about the same (or a similar) question and can share what they know. 

Is there something you've learned about technology that was interesting, and we haven't talked about at our meetings? 

• Consider suggesting it as a topic. 

• Speak to one of our executive members (Susan, Ron, Lew, Inge, Jim, Guenter, Ian, Rob, or Jean) about it.

It could be an idea that's suitable for a Share and Learn session.

Even better, if you learned about it from someone in Waterloo Region, or even in southern Ontario, let us know the name of that person and how we might be able to contact them about talking to us at a future Speakers Meeting.

Apple Enthusiasts

See our latest update by clicking here!

ActiveKitchener Winter 2026 Program Registration

Winter 2026 Program Registration opened for City of Kitchener residents on Tuesday, December 9th at 8:30 a.m., and will open for non-residents on Tuesday, December 16th at 8:30 a.m.

To get the best experience, sign in to your account, explore programs, and add them to your Wish List in preparation for registration day: https://anc.ca.apm.activecommunities.com/activekitchener/signin

You can watch a short video showing how to add a program to your wish list by clicking on the link below:
https://youtu.be/WKiOETn9ZcY?si=I-dDo31XdG28yGOE

Three Easy Steps to Register for Kitchener Tech Club Events

1. Obtain a Kitchener Group Card that is valid for the current recreational year (September to the following August).

   • Remember: Having the card doesn't automatically register you for any activities. You next have to...

2. Register with the City of Kitchener for the Kitchener Tech Club activities you want to attend during the recreation season.

   • Remember: The City of Kitchener's registration process is separate from the Kitchener Tech Club's membership and mailing lists. That means you still need to... 

3. Contact the Kitchener Tech Club to let us know you'd like to be a member and receive our regular emails.

   • Remember: Once you're a member and receiving our emails, you'll continue to enjoy the benefits of our club until you tell us you no longer wish to do so... but, you'll still need to:

     • Re-register at the start of the next recreation season with the City of Kitchener for the KTC activities you want to attend, and...

     • Renew your Kitchener Group Card at the start of the next recreational year.

Let's Go Through These Steps in More Detail

1. Obtain a valid Kitchener Group Card that is valid for the current recreational year (September to the following August).

• This gives you an ActiveNet account with the city so you can sign up for activities.

• If you attended any of our activities during the Fall 2025 session, you should already have a valid Group Card.

The City of Kitchener offers a wide variety of free ongoing groups to seniors (age 55+) who live in the Region of Waterloo*. For a minimal annual fee to cover a portion of the administrative costs, a valid Kitchener Group Card gives you an ActiveKitchener account with the city that allows unlimited participation in any of these ongoing groups, including all Kitchener Tech Club events. Each Group Card is effective for a full year beginning September 1st and ending the following August 31st.

• A 2025-2026 group card costs $18.44 including tax.

• To purchase or renew a Group Card, please visit the front desk of your local Kitchener community centre. 

  • You can also renew an existing card online using the city’s ActiveNet system, or by calling 519-741-2501.

2. Register with the City of Kitchener for the Kitchener Tech Club activities you want to attend during the recreation season.

Registration is easy:

1. Visit the front desk of any City of Kitchener Community Centre,

2. Call the City of Kitchener’s Program Registration Support line at 519-741-2907, or

3. Use the City of Kitchener’s ActiveNet online registration portal. We’ve created an ActiveNet Registration Instructions guide for this.

   • The City of Kitchener has its own online information about program registration and using ActiveNet.

The Kitchener Tech Club typically offers four types of activities that you can participate in each month:

3. • • Kitchener Tech Club Drop In (2nd Wed of each month)

     • Kitchener Tech Club Speakers Meeting (3rd Wed of each month)

     • Virtual Kitchener Tech Club Drop In (4th Monday of each month)

     • Kitchener Tech Club Share and Learn Gathering (4th Wed of each month)

New for Winter 2026 Registration: 

3. • • Sign up for a package of activities through one registration! Click the ActiveNet Registration Instructions link above for a complete explanation of how to benefit from this feature that you - the members - requested!

When you register for an activity, you gain access to all occurrences of that activity during the City's four recreational seasons:

• Fall (September, October, November, and December)

• Winter (January, February, and March)

• Spring (April, May, and June)

• Summer (July and August)

3. Contact the Kitchener Tech Club to let us know you'd like to be a member and receive our regular emails.

• Our club doesn't have access to any of the city's registration information about you, due to privacy legislation. 

• If you're receiving club emails, it means you've already told us you want to be a member. 

• If you'd like to be added to our club's membership and mailing list, please send an email along with your name to kitchenertechclub@gmail.com. 

  • We'll confirm receipt of the request, and we'll create a name tag for you to wear at club events (we're on a first-name only basis).

  • Your name will also appear on the digital iPad sign-in list when you attend our Speakers Meetings and our Share and Learn Gatherings.

Connect With Us

There are many ways you can stay up-to-date with what’s happening. Click one of the links below to visit our…

• Kitchener Tech Club website for lots of information about the club, past events, and upcoming dates. 

• Facebook page.

• Instagram page.

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