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…?

Holidays Hours for the City of Guelph Next Weekend

Save this for next weekend, but here are the Easter weekend hours for the City of Guelph.

Get Some Gardening Tips in Virtual Series

Got a green thumb? Want a green thumb? The City of Guelph is holding a series of gardening seminars virtually from now until May 11.

Another Drug Quality Warning from Public Health

Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health is warning the community again that there are reports of dangerously strong doses of Fentanyl making the rounds, and they could be responsible for 12 overdoses that occurred for the last two weeks, including one suspected death. Public Health says yellow, red, pink, and purple varieties of Fentanyl have been noted in reported overdoses, and are reminding drug users to never use alone, use low doses, and to always have naloxone on hand just in case. If you are using alone, you can contact the National Overdose Response Service free and anonymously anytime 24/7 at 1-888-688-NORS (6677).

Public Health the Target of Scam Texts

Scammers can target anyone, and make you think they’re anybody, including representatives from Public Health. Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health has reported that some residents are receiving texts from someone claiming to be from Public Health’s booking help line, and ask the victim to provide their driver’s license or other information to confirm a vaccine booking appointment. The scammer’s number is very, very close to Public Health’s, which is 1-844-780-0202. Since you provide all relevant information to Public Health when you register, they will only get in touch with you to either remind you of an appointment, or to cancel or change an appointment. Also, you should report any attempts to defraud you to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.

City Announces Community Grant Recipients for 2021

Fifty different not-for-profit groups got a portion of $313,400 in funding from this year’s Community Grant allocation. Every year, a panel of Guelph residents select recipients based on a variety of factors, and this year the amount from all the asks totaled roughly $550,000 in funding requests. “We are pleased to contribute financially to various local organizations committed to enhancing community well-being and safety through the important programs and services they provide,” said Alex Goss, manager of Community Investment in a statement. To see the list of recipients, click here.

Nominations Now Open for Volunteer Awards

The call is out for nominations for this year’s Dr. William Winegard Exemplary Volunteer Involvement Awards. Co-sponsored by the University of Guelph, the United Way, and the People and Information Network (PIN), the award recognizes an individual or group at the University of Guelph who are making a difference in the community and are making it stronger through their volunteer contributions. If you would like to nominate someone, you have until May 1 to complete the online application form, which you can find here.

Feedback Wanted for Speedvale Improvements

The City of Guelph will be holding a virtually open house about the coming changes to Speedvale Avenue. The section of Speedvale in question is between Glenwood Avenue to Marlborough Road, and that includes the Woolwich intersection and the bridge over the Speed River, and the work will include the replacement of pipes, sewers, the road, and the entire bridge. You can check out the materials and leave your comments about the project until April 4.

EarlyON Centres Have Limited Re-Opening

Wellington County recently re-opened some of their EarlyON Centres for limited activities almost exactly one year after the were all closed at the start of the pandemic. At select EarlyON Centres in the region there will be limited in-person visits with an Early Childhood Educator one household at a time, plus the return of some outdoor programmes for a maximum of 13 kids from as many as three different households. The EarlyON locations re-opening are Stone Road Mall, Shelldale, Erin, Mount Forest and Drayton. For more information about the re-opening, go to the EarlyON website here.

New Website/Online Store Coming for Arts Council

A lot of different groups have been hit hard by the pandemic, but artists and performers have especially felt the effects since much of their revenue comes from in-person events. The Guelph Arts Council is feeling that pain, and they’re relaunching and rebranding their website so that they can better assist artists by giving them a digital venue in these COVID times.

The new Guelph Arts Hub will give local artists a chance to sell their work, promote their content and events, and increase traffic to their websites. The new hub will also share resources like rehearsal and performance venue listings, business advice, and events listings.

“The pandemic has made it especially hard for artists of all disciplines to reach their audiences and make a living from their work,” said GAC executive director Patti Broughton in a statement. “We were already looking into ways to make our older website more user-friendly and accessible to a diverse community of artists when the pandemic hit. Now it’s even more important. […] Guelph Arts Hub will bring all that together in one place.”

There’s not yet any launch date for the new hub.

Paramedic Services Receives $6.1 Million for Home Care

Guelph-Wellington Paramedic Services is receiving $6.1 million from the Ministry of Long-Term Care to provide accessible and safe non-emergency in-home care to seniors in Guelph and the County of Wellington. This four years of funding will allow GWPS to recruit new paramedics, expand training, and make capital investments that will allow them to co-ordinate with local health agencies so that they can offer medical assistance to area seniors in the comfort of their own homes. A pilot program funded in October 2020 proved a success as 70 patients were successfully treated thanks to one-time funding.

“This program will make a difference to so many seniors who are waiting for residence in long-term care, or who require ongoing health care. Now they can receive medical support in the comfort of their current home,” said Stephen Dewar, chief of Guelph Wellington Paramedic Services in a statement. “The provincial framework surrounding the funding is clear; the program must be 24/7, accessible, responsive and proactive, and our team is ready for the challenges, and looks forward to working closely with local health-care providers to assist more clients.”