The City of Guelph, and it’s various partners and agencies, put 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…?

An Evening with Chickens

Was your New Year’s Resolution getting some backyard chickens, the Guelph Humane Society want to help you out with an evening focused on how to care for and manage small chicken flocks. Sponsored in part by Grand River Agricultural Society, event speakers include veterinarian Dr. Erin Preiss of Hockley Valley Mobile Veterinary Services and GHS Animal Care Manager Samantha Westphal. Attendees will learn about the benefits of keeping backyard chickens, as well as how to properly care for and feed them. The event will also cover the importance of maintaining a clean and well-ventilated coop, and the steps to take in order to prevent common health issues in chickens.

“The Guelph Humane Society is deeply committed to providing care and welfare services to small farm animals,” said Westphal in a statement. “As part of our education and outreach programs planned for 2023, this event aims to equip those interested with the tools they need to create a safe and healthy environment to house and care for backyard chickens.”

The event will be held at the GHS office at 190 Hanlon Creek Boulevard on Wednesday January 25 from 7 – 8:30 pm. The event is $12 per person to attend, and pre-registration is required. To register, please visit the Guelph Humane Society’s registration or website or call 519-824-3091 or email events [at] guelphhumane.ca with any questions.

Registration Opening Soon for Kindergarten

If you have a kid ready for either junior or senior kindergarten, you’ll want to mark Tuesday January 10 on the calendar because that’s when registration opens for the Upper Grand District School Board‘s 2022/23 school year. Registration will be open until Friday January 27 at 4 pm at the school board’s website here, and once you’ve registered you will receive a confirmation email before making an appointment to provide required documents in-person.

If parents and guardians require assistance pre-registering online or do not have access to technology, they are asked to contact their child’s home school. Also, if English is not your family’s first language, the UGDSB website can be translated by selecting the preferred language from the “Select Language” button on the top right-hand side of the website. There are over 90 languages to choose from.

Check Out Art from the Quarry

The Wellington County Museum and Archives is launching a new exhibit that artistically shows off the historic beauty of the Elora George by two local talents. The Elora Gorge in Quiet Moments features the work of two renowned Elora residents: watercolourist and oil painter Barry McCarthy, and the late photographer John Robert Connon (1862-1931). Visitors to the show will enjoy seeing rare photographs and artifacts from the Museum and Archives collection, and paintings on loan from private collections in Wellington County and the surrounding area. The exhibit’s opening reception on Thursday January 12, from 7 to 9 pm at the Museum on Wellington Road 18 between Fergus and Elora.

Additional Notes

The first baby born in Guelph in 2023 was Alina, who arrived at 7:55 am on January 1 to parents Famira and Temour Rahmaty, and weighing in at a healthy 5 pounds and 13 ounces.

Starting today, the Guelph Farmers’ Market will open and close and hour later. The new hours are 8 am to 1 pm.

It appears that the accessible washroom in the main library is currently under maintenance.

The Guelph Jazz Festival is looking for community members to join their Board of Directors.

Shows at the River Run Centre over the next few weeks includes Ballet Jörgen’s Cinderella on January 15; a performance by the folk band Tragedy Ann on January 20; and a comedy show from CBC’s Laugh Out Loud host Ali Hassan called ‘Does This Taste Funny?’ on January 22.

The City of Guelph has shared updates for several plans currently under development including the Protected Cycling Network Study, the Downtown Parking Master Plan, the Parks and Recreation Master Plan, the Stormwater Management Master Plan, and the Water and Wastewater Servicing Master Plan.

New and Upcoming Construction

Construction on new playground at Hammill Park will begin next week.

Wyndham Street South is closed between Carden and Farquhar for the next four weeks in order for road work including installation of new sewer and water pipes and the repaving of the road surface.