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: Mercer Talks About Local Vaccine Distribution, Debunks Myths

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Do you have some questions about when you might get one of the COVID-19 vaccines, how they work, or what considerations are going into the vaccine distribution? Then this is the Twitter thread for you! On Friday, Guelph MPP Mike Schreiner hosted a town hall with Dr. Nicola Mercer, the medical officer of health for Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health to talk about vaccine facts, and the current state of the pandemic in Guelph. Continue reading “RECAP: Mercer Talks About Local Vaccine Distribution, Debunks Myths” →

This Month at Council: Planning Workshop, Planning Issues, and Heritage Plans

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January usually starts pretty slow at city council, but there was a lot on the frontburner when you consider the ongoing issues of the pandemic, planning concerns, board vacancies to fill, and a multifaceted discussion about the Cultural Heritage Master Plan and how it lead to a schism between City staff and Heritage Guelph volunteers. Let’s recap the month at city council. Continue reading “This Month at Council: Planning Workshop, Planning Issues, and Heritage Plans” →

U of G Increases COVID Monitoring and Enforcement After Outbreak

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The second wave of COVID-19 continues to wash over the province although there are some signs that we’ve hit the high water mark and the deluge has started to recede. The story looks a bit different on the University of Guelph campus though where Frost Week celebrations on the January 15 weekend ended up becoming a super-spreader event. The U of G’s making it known that they’re putting their foot down. Continue reading “U of G Increases COVID Monitoring and Enforcement After Outbreak” →

GUELPH POLITICAST #258 – They Had a Plan to “Defund the Police”

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“Defund the Police” is a simple three-word slogan for a complex idea. Some people mistakenly think that it means literally taking away all police funding, but more precisely it means re-examining how police services are funded, and rededicating that money to social programs. It’s easier said than done, but a group of folks in Waterloo actually came up with a real plan to defund the police. Continue reading “GUELPH POLITICAST #258 – They Had a Plan to “Defund the Police”” →

Upper Grand School Board to Demand More Clarity About Province’s School Re-Opening Plan

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There are too many unanswered questions, no idea about how to increase safety precautions, and decisions about re-opening schools are happening in such a way that parents, teachers and school administrators can’t do any long-term planning. The Upper Grand District School Board heard again on Tuesday night that Ontario needs more action and less reaction, and they’re going to take that fight to the Government of Ontario. Continue reading “Upper Grand School Board to Demand More Clarity About Province’s School Re-Opening Plan” →

Hasenfratz Avoids Losing Chancellorship at Western Despite Objections

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One week after losing her spot on the Government of Ontario’s COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Task Force due to some ill-advised travel over the holidays, Linamar CEO Linda Hasenfratz has been able to preserve at least one of the other positions. The Chair of Western University’s Board of Governors has announced that Hasenfratz will remain the chancellor of that school in what he’s calling a “teaching and learning moment.” Continue reading “Hasenfratz Avoids Losing Chancellorship at Western Despite Objections” →

LIVE BLOG: City Council Meeting for January 25, 2021 (Planning)

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This month’s planning meeting has decisions, a new planning application, and further debate on a controversial plan of action. 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 on Twitter, or follow the tweets below. You can also watch the City’s own live-stream of the meeting here. Continue reading “LIVE BLOG: City Council Meeting for January 25, 2021 (Planning)” →

LIVE BLOG: City Council Meeting for January 25, 2021

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It’s the first of back-to-back meetings on this last Monday in January. 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 on Twitter, or follow the tweets below. You can also watch the City’s own live-stream of the meeting here. Continue reading “LIVE BLOG: City Council Meeting for January 25, 2021” →

Opposition Rallies for Paid Sick Days, Quicker Vaccine Distribution

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There are some good signs that the case count of COVID-19 infections is going down, but we are still far from the end of the line. Perhaps that’s why Ontario Liberal leader sent an open letter to his fellow opposition leaders this Monday to ask for their support in getting paid sick days back on the agenda, which is only the latest proposed measure to get such a vital protection for Ontario’s workers. Continue reading “Opposition Rallies for Paid Sick Days, Quicker Vaccine Distribution” →

CITY PAGES: Playgrounds, Service Reviews, and New Chalmers Leader

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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…? Continue reading “CITY PAGES: Playgrounds, Service Reviews, and New Chalmers Leader” →