CITY PAGES: Cyber Incident, Library Report and Get a Rabbit!

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…?

Cyber Security “Incident” Impacts Guelph Schools

The Upper Grand District School Board is warning that four area schools are impacted by a cyber security breach at a subcontractor of Edge Imaging, a company that provides yearbooks to schools. Six schools in total are affected, and four of them are in Guelph: Centennial, GCVI, Wellington Heights, Centre Dufferin, Edward Johnson and Ken Danby.

“We have been informed that the yearbook software service provider used, Creator Studio Pro, has been the subject of a cyber incident,” reads a statement provided from Edge Imaging. “Photos that were uploaded to this platform for the school’s 2022/23 and 2023/24 yearbooks may have been compromised. This means that any photos collected for potential use in the yearbook may have been accessed in the incident. We are advised that only photos have been accessed, and no other identifying information such as school, grade, name or location were affected by the cyber incident. The security of your personal information is very important to us. If you have any concerns or questions, please contact privacyofficer [at] edgeimaging.ca.”

City of Guelph Releases New Vision Zero Tools

The City of Guelph has launched the Vision Zero Collision Dashboard, which offers a comparative analysis of traffic collision data within the city over a six-year period. It’s part of the City’s efforts to increase road safety and reduce injuries and fatalities resulting from collisions including data, comparative analysis, an interactive map, and the identification of high-risk areas and intersections, all offered in a “User-friendly and accessible interface.”

When you enter the dashboard here, you are taken to a page where you can see all the collision data statistics, year-by-year, between 2018 and 2023. Although the data for 2023 is incomplete, it is showing a positive change in terms of decreases in the total number of collisions, aggressive driving and impaired driving, but there’s also been an increase in the number of injuries and fatalities, and an increase in cyclist and motorcyclist collisions. According to the City, the communal impacts of traffic collisions amounted to $460 million in societal costs in Guelph between 2018 and 2022.

“We are working hard to reduce the number and severity of traffic-related injuries and fatalities in Guelph,” said Nico Koenig, the City’s Transportation Safety Specialist in a statement. “Transparency is key to our approach, as we are committed to sharing the data and explaining how evidence-based decisions guide our actions. We are confident we can create a transportation system that prioritizes safety and a livable City through Vision Zero.”

Library Releases Annual Report

Prince Harry’s memoir, Top Gun Maverick, and sets for disc golf were among the most checked out items for 2023 in the Guelph Public Library system. There were about 2.23 million items check out last year, which is a little over 6,300 per day, but the busiest day was April 6 when 8,766 items were checked out. There were a litter less than 2 million total visitors, there were nearly 26,000 attendees at 1,294 events, and there were almost 8,500 new library card holders in the city, an increase of 16.6 per cent. For even more statistics, you can check out the full report here.

It’s February, Get a Rabbit!

February is Adopt a Rescued Rabbit Month at the Guelph Humane Society, and for the rest of February, bunny adoption fees are reduced to just $75, from the regular adoption fee of $160. Like a lot of Humane Societies, the Guelph office has been experiencing a “bunny crisis” in recent years seeing an increase in the number of lost and/or abandoned rabbits while at the same time adoption rates have been decreasing.

“Pet rabbits are often underestimated,” said Lisa Veit, GHS executive director in a statement. “They are intelligent, trainable, and thrive in social settings. They bond closely with their human companions, and their playful antics and loving personalities make them a delightful choice for those seeking a rewarding and heartwarming pet experience.”

All rabbits available at the Guelph Humane Society are already spayed or neutered and come with up-to-date vaccines. To view the bunnies currently available for adoption visit GHS’s Available Animals page.

Additional Notes

The City of Guelph will holding an open house to look at gentle density in Guelph and how to develop it on Thursday February 29 at 5 pm in the Marg Mackinnon Room at City Hall.

A $40,000 donation from PetSmart has enabled Guelph Humane Society to find homes for 600 cats.

The ArtsEverywhere Festival is going to be May 2-5 this year.

The deadline for the Guelph Arts Council Members’ Show is next Friday at midnight.

The Teen ETCH Writing Contest at the Guelph Public Library is back for 2023. The deadline is March 31.

Ontario Bean Growers donated $2 million to the University of Guelph’s Ridgetown campus to fund a faculty position in Weed Management.