ION - Waterloo Region's Light Rail Transit

[MacBerry]

In this set-up though, as someone new to the system, how does one look at a route map to see if the system will actually take me where I want to go, or when the next train is coming, or even buy a ticket without trespassing in to the paid fare zone?

As noted above, fare inspectors are human. If your purpose on the platform is to absorb this information, that will likely be clear and easily explained to them, and if they're not otherwise busy I imagine an inspector would be happy to help with a concern. They're not constant enforcement gatekeepers, they have a broader customer service and education role as well.

I believe this makes it easy to ensure that these platforms  are "no camping zones" for people seeking permanent shelter.