The City of Guelph puts out a lot of information on a weekly basis, and while it all ends up on the City’s website somewhere, wouldn’t it be easier to just scroll through it all on one easy-to-read article on Guelph Politico here…?

Fall Rec Programs are Back; Vic Road Rec Centre to Re-Open

In further signs that we’re getting back to normal (even as new cases of COVID-19 are rising), the City of Guelph announced that more rec facilities will soon be opening, and that recreation programs will soon be starting one again. “We’re excited to see everyone again for an awesome fall season! We know it’s not quite the same as previous years, and you’ll notice it looks different inside our buildings, but these changes are in place to help keep customers and employees healthy and safe when using our facilities,” said general manager of Parks and Recreation Heather Flaherty in a statement.

After months of serving as the location for the COVID-19 assessment centre, the Victoria Road Rec Centre will re-open its pool and ice facilities to groups on September 20, while drop-in swim programs will begin on September 28. Meeting room rentals will begin at both Vic Road and the West End Rec Centre starting on November 1. Elsewhere, community rentals for the Guelph Sports Dome and the Evergreen Seniors Centre will be accepted again on October 18, and you can also now book ice rentals at both Exhibition Park and Centennial arenas. And finally, Fall Registration Day for recreation programs is Wednesday September 30 at 7:30 am. For the list of available programs click here, and if you would like to register you can do so online, or by calling 519-837-5699.

City Making Progress on Path to Renewable Future

The City of Guelph has published its first environmental sustainability report, which is designed to outline the efforts being made to reach the council approved goal of getting to 100 per cent of its energy from renewable sources by 2050. Among the highlights is the upgrade of streetlights to LEDs, saving enough water to fill 263 Olympic-sized swimming pools, and that the the energy saved by reducing the energy consumption on the City fleet was enough to power 250 homes for a year.

“We’re all responsible for building a more sustainable future—it’s a priority the community identified in the Community Plan, and it’s a priority in the City’s strategic plan, Guelph. Future ready,” said manager of Corporate Energy and Climate Change Bryan Ho-Yan in a statement. “We show our commitment to sustainability in many ways across the City and it’s truly been a City-wide effort. Together, we’ve increased our renewable energy sources by 3.7 per cent since 2018 and are now a quarter of the way to our goal of 100 per cent.”

Major Construction Starting Monday

Construction will begin on Monday September 21 in the West Parkade to replace the old lights with LEDs. The structure will remain open, but certain levels will be inaccessible at certain times over the next two months as the work proceeds. Also on Monday, College Avenue from the Turf Grass Institute to Victoria Road will be closed for 10 weeks as City crews replace underground infrastructure and repave the street. Vehicles will be detoured down Stone Road instead, and the 600-metre stretch of road will also be closed to pedestrians.

More Arts Work Being Done on the Downtown Walkway

Five members of the Necessary Arts Collective will be painting the remaining pillars along the pathway between St. George’s Square and the Baker Street parking lot until Sunday September 27, and as a result the walkway will be inaccessible during that time. The five artists are Chanel DesRoches, Robert John Paterson, Amber Ozols, Laura Vautour, and Shanti Hietkamp, and they will be available to meet and answers questions on the project from 1 to 3 pm on September 27 so long as members of the public wear a mask and exercise physical distancing. The funds for this project come from $30 million made available from FedDev Ontario Regional Relief and Recovery Fund (RRRF) to support local tourism and community beautification efforts.

Committee and Board Openings Still Available

There are still a few days to left to file your application for one the open vacancies on several City of Guelph committees and boards. If you’re interested in joining the Committee of Adjustment, the Guelph Museum Advisory Committee, the Planning Advisory Committee, the Public Art Advisory Committee, the Water Conservation and Efficiency Public Advisory Committee, or the Waste Resource Public Liaison Committee, you have until Wednesday September 23 to follow the appropriate link, and get your application together.

26 Groups Get Emergency Funds

PIN, Hillside, Silence, Shelldale, Guelph Black Heritage, Action Read, Ed Video, and Royal City Roller Derby are among the 26 Guelph organizations and non-profits to received emergency funds from the City of Guelph. “The City received several applications for the first phase of the Emergency Fund program with requests totaling well over $1.2 million,” said Danna Evans, general manager of Culture, Tourism and Community Investment, but council only approved $350,000 in emergency funds at a July council meeting.

The first phase doled out $200,000 in funding, but there’s still $150,000 available in phase two. Applications are now open for that funding, and are due on October 4. You can find that application information here) and the winning recipients of those funds will be announced on Friday October 30.

See the full breakdown of where the first phase of funds are going and what programs they’re for here: