Adam A. Donaldson

Ontario Government Reveals List of Essential Business, Plus Hydro Rate Cut

Published on Mar 24, 2020Mar 25, 2020 by Adam A. Donaldson1 Comment

All non-essential businesses in Ontario will be closed by midnight tonight as mandated by the Government of Ontario, and they’ve released a comprehensive list featuring 74 categories of businesses that will be allowed to remain open. At the same time, the Government has also announced that they will be providing rate relief for hydro prices by suspending time-of-use metering for the next month-and-a-half. Continue reading “Ontario Government Reveals List of Essential Business, Plus Hydro Rate Cut” →

Guelph First Case of COVID-19 Confirmed at St. Joe’s

Published on Mar 24, 2020Mar 25, 2020 by Adam A. Donaldson2 Comments

It’s been a long time coming, but Guelph has its first confirmed case in COVID-19, and in terms of the people who are the most vulnerable to the pandemic, it’s been found in the worst possible place. Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health confirmed Tuesday that a case of COVID-19 has been confirmed in Guelph, and the patient is a resident of St. Joseph’s Health Centre. Continue reading “Guelph First Case of COVID-19 Confirmed at St. Joe’s” →

If Grocery Stores Are Essential, Why Can’t We Open the Farmer’s Market?

Published on Mar 24, 2020Mar 26, 2020 by Adam A. DonaldsonLeave a comment

The Government of Ontario is ordering that all non-essential business be closed by midnight on Tuesday, and the province’s grocery stores will not be considered among the “non-essential.” But what about farmers’ markets? One concerned citizen is pushing the City of Guelph to re-open the weekly market in Guelph, but City staff says that there are practical considerations that make that impossible. Continue reading “If Grocery Stores Are Essential, Why Can’t We Open the Farmer’s Market?” →

LIVE BLOG: City Council Meeting for March 23, 2020

Published on Mar 23, 2020Mar 23, 2020 by Adam A. Donaldson2 Comments

For the first time, we’re going to live blog an emergency meeting of city council. 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 March 23, 2020” →

Amended Council Agenda Promises Fiscal Relief With (Maybe) a $6 Million Cost

Published on Mar 23, 2020Mar 23, 2020 by Adam A. DonaldsonLeave a comment

The City Clerk’s office has released a consolidated agenda for Monday’s emergency city council meeting, which includes more details about what emergency action that city council is considering in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Some local fiscal stimulus is being planned, and according to City staff, the emergency measures could come with a $4 to $6 million price tag. Continue reading “Amended Council Agenda Promises Fiscal Relief With (Maybe) a $6 Million Cost” →

City of Guelph Announces Closure of Park Facilities

Published on Mar 23, 2020Mar 23, 2020 by Adam A. DonaldsonLeave a comment

Just when you thought there was nothing left to close in Guelph, the City has announced that they are closing all playgrounds in the Royal City as well as the fenced-in dog park, the skate park, and other outdoor rec facilities upon the advice of the Medical Officer of Health. The closures will take effect immediately. Continue reading “City of Guelph Announces Closure of Park Facilities” →

First Confirmed Case of COVID-19 in Wellington County Found

Published on Mar 22, 2020Mar 23, 2020 by Adam A. Donaldson1 Comment

Wellington County has had its first confirmed case of COVID-19, but the novel coronavirus has not yet touched the City of Guelph. The announcement came Sunday afternoon that one of the news cases of COVID-19 was diagnosed close to home, and the 66-year-old man who was diagnosed with it, and is now recovering at Louise Marshall Hospital in Mount Forest, has no history of travel, or contact with a known case. Continue reading “First Confirmed Case of COVID-19 in Wellington County Found” →

City Council Preview – What’s on the Agenda for the March 23 Meeting?

Published on Mar 22, 2020Mar 22, 2020 by Adam A. Donaldson1 Comment

Even in the midst of a public health crisis, the gears of municipal politics still must move. With new authority granted by the Government of Ontario, city council will be meeting for the first time since the state of emergency was declared in the province, and they will gather in-person and electronically to discuss the immediate concerns of the City. Continue reading “City Council Preview – What’s on the Agenda for the March 23 Meeting?” →

Ontario Government Secures Deal With Second Teachers’ Union

Published on Mar 21, 2020Mar 22, 2020 by Adam A. Donaldson1 Comment

For the second time in as many weeks, the Government of Ontario has announced that they’ve reached a deal with a teachers union. This time, the Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario (ETFO) has reached a tentative agreement with the government, which means that the 83,000 teachers that the ETFO represents will be back to work without further labour disruption once the COVID-19 crisis has passed. Continue reading “Ontario Government Secures Deal With Second Teachers’ Union” →

Number of Guelph Names on the Sunshine List Down From Last Year

Published on Mar 20, 2020Mar 22, 2020 by Adam A. DonaldsonLeave a comment

In the midst of a national health crisis, the Government of Ontario made time to release the annual Public Sector Salary Disclosure, aka: the “Sunshine List.” Since 1996, the Provincial government has released salary information for anyone who works for the government making $100,000 a year or more, and this year, the number of names on the list for Guelph went down by 89. Continue reading “Number of Guelph Names on the Sunshine List Down From Last Year” →