Author: Adam A. Donaldson

When he’s not the main/only contributor to Guelph Politico, Adam A. Donaldson also contributes to GuelphToday.com as their city hall columnist and co-hosts a political and current affairs show on CFRU 93.3 fm called “Open Sources Guelph" as well as the movie review show "End Credits."

RECAP: JSSLAC Has Questions About Winter Response Plan Success

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As seems to be a trend at these May meetings, the monthly gathering of the Joint Social Services and Land Ambulance Committee was relatively shorter than normal. There were a couple of administrative matters that were examined, but the biggest part of the discussion was the report about the Winter Response Plan. Committee dug into the financials, the successes and what’s coming for next year, but for all the details go to the recap below! Continue reading “RECAP: JSSLAC Has Questions About Winter Response Plan Success” →

GUELPH POLITICAST #523 – What’s Next 2026? Politics and Policing (feat. Chief Gord Cobey and Peter McSherry)

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Is there a bigger political lightning rod when it comes to the City of Guelph budget than the police budget? For some people, we spend too much on the police and at the expense of expanded funding for social services, and for others we don’t spend nearly enough on the police. As we look to the next term at city hall, what challenges around policing will be presented to the new council? Continue reading “GUELPH POLITICAST #523 – What’s Next 2026? Politics and Policing (feat. Chief Gord Cobey and Peter McSherry)” →

RECAP: City Council Meeting for May 12, 2026

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It’s time for the May planning meeting! You can click here for the amended agenda from City Hall, and you can click here for the Politico preview. For the complete blow-by-blow of today’s council meeting, you can follow along during the meeting on Blue Sky or recap the complete thread after the meeting below. You can also watch the City’s own live-stream of the meeting here. Continue reading “RECAP: City Council Meeting for May 12, 2026” →

This Week at Council: Mixed Reviews for Fiscal 2025

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Money matters were on the agenda for the May Committee of the Whole meeting! First up, the internal auditor returned with the results from the latest value-for-money audit, which this time focused on the building permits office. For the rest of the meeting, the City of Guelph’s finance staff officially closes the book on the 2025 fiscal year with the final report save for the outside auditor’s double check next month. For now, here’s the recap! Continue reading “This Week at Council: Mixed Reviews for Fiscal 2025” →

POLICE NOTES: Trafficking Bust, Pepper Spray Attack and Fake YouTube Star

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There are 145,000 stories in the Royal City, and this is some of them. Looking at a week’s worth of media releases from the Guelph Police Service, there’s a lot going on in our little city crime-wise speaking, so let’s run down some of the charges, issues, and requests for information from the Guelph Police Service over the last seven days. Continue reading “POLICE NOTES: Trafficking Bust, Pepper Spray Attack and Fake YouTube Star” →

MEETING PREVIEW: Joint Social Services and Land Ambulance Committee Meeting for May 13, 2026

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It seems like a relatively light month at the Joint Social Services and Land Ambulance Committee meeting. In fact, you can forget about anything in that second part of the name. In the first, the big part of the agenda will be the final report from this past winter’s response plan and what the ultimate results were, plus there will be some largely administrative matters. Let’s get into the preview for this May meeting! Continue reading “MEETING PREVIEW: Joint Social Services and Land Ambulance Committee Meeting for May 13, 2026” →

RECAP: Heritage Committee Told Decision on McQuillan’s Bridge Coming to Council Next Month

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Eleven minutes. That was how long it took for the Heritage Advisory Committee to get all their business done for this month. Several new designations were approved and there was a report about the cultural heritage impact of major proposed project downtown. The big news though was an update about the environmental assessment concerning a major piece of demolition by neglect, and when council will decide its fate. Here’s the (brief) meeting recap! Continue reading “RECAP: Heritage Committee Told Decision on McQuillan’s Bridge Coming to Council Next Month” →

GUELPH POLITICAST #522 – The Year at Council… So Far (January to April)

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Sure, it’s an election year, but that doesn’t mean that the current city council is coasting in their last year in office. The council calendar has been pretty busy these first four months of 2026, and some of the things that have kept them busy might surprise you. This week, if you don’t follow the news, or subscribe to this website, or have heard about it somewhere else, you will get your chance to catch-up on all the latest council business here. Continue reading “GUELPH POLITICAST #522 – The Year at Council… So Far (January to April)” →

RECAP: Committee of the Whole Meeting for May 5, 2026

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The fourth may not be with them, but the fifth will be! You can click here for the amended agenda from City Hall, and you can click here for the Politico preview. For the complete blow-by-blow of today’s council meeting, you can follow along during the meeting on Blue Sky or recap the complete thread after the meeting below. You can also watch the City’s own live-stream of the meeting here. Continue reading “RECAP: Committee of the Whole Meeting for May 5, 2026” →

POLICE NOTE: Missing Mowers, Store Assault, and Bitcoin Blitz

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There are 145,000 stories in the Royal City, and this is some of them. Looking at a week’s worth of media releases from the Guelph Police Service, there’s a lot going on in our little city crime-wise speaking, so let’s run down some of the charges, issues, and requests for information from the Guelph Police Service over the last seven days. Continue reading “POLICE NOTE: Missing Mowers, Store Assault, and Bitcoin Blitz” →