The State of the City is a key event on the annual political calendar as it gives some insight into the mind of the mayor; what do they value, what do they consider accomplishments, and what do they see as the biggest challenges? It’s also a look inside the mind of the mayor and how they see the big picture outside the day-to-day issues and crises that come up. So let’s look inside the mayor’s head from one year ago. Continue reading “GUELPH POLITICAST #505 – The State of the City 2025”
Let us wrap up a very busy, and a very difficult 2025 in the council chambers. 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 with the thread below from BlueSky, or you can watch the whole meeting for yourself by watching it on the City’s website here. Continue reading “RECAP: City Council Meeting for January 13, 2026”
It seems as though the City of Guelph is feeling the heat following the sudden announcement on Thursday that a long-awaited daytime shelter program for the unhoused and precariously housed would not open as scheduled on Monday. A demonstration downtown on Saturday seems to have pushed Guelph’s mayor to pencil in a special council meeting this coming week while the City of Guelph is explaining itself in a surprise Sunday post. Continue reading “City Moves to Quell Concerns About Daytime Shelter Debacle”
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: Fake Apple Stuff, Fake Banking Rep, and Robbery Teams Sought”
After taking December off, we’re heading back to Wellington County’s administration building for the first Joint Social Services and Land Ambulance Committee meeting for 2026. At this meeting, there will be many, many special guests on hand who want to discuss the big item on the agenda, which is the 2026 social services budget. Also look out for some follow-up on new projects, new initiatives, and a letter from the attorney general. Here’s the preview… Continue reading “MEETING PREVIEW: Joint Social Services and Land Ambulance Committee Meeting for January 14, 2026”
Just when you thought the budget process was over… It’s not! Yes, there are still some budgets left to digest for 2026, seven to be precise, and one of them is the Guelph Police Service budget. In a special meeting of the police board, the updated operating budget will be discussed. What savings, if any, were found? What will the community get out of this year’s budget increase? Let’s take a look at the preview… Continue reading “MEETING PREVIEW: Guelph Police Services Board for January 12, 2026”
On Monday, a new daytime shelter service was supposed to begin out of the Royal City Mission, and while it was not going to offer the 12 hours of service per day that was originally intended last fall, it was, if nothing else, a start. But on Thursday there was a sudden turn in this story, separate announcements from both Stepping Stone and Royal City Mission that their collaboration on a new daytime shelter will not be going forward. Continue reading “Daytime Shelter Plans Fall Apart Four Days Before Opening”
The first official council meeting of 2026 is a planning meeting, and most of it is focused on downtown! Back for final approval is the plan for running the core as a heritage district, and since we’re talking about the past, we will also talk about the area’s future with a new plan to streamline development. But that’s not all, there will be a decision about a major downtown development project, and even some decisions about a south end project. Here’s the preview… Continue reading “City Council Preview – What’s on the Agenda for the January 20, 2026 Meeting?”
Guelph City Council is taking an extended holiday (but not as extended at the Ontario government), so as we wait for their inevitable return, it seems fitting to pause here at the start of the year and to look back at all the action last fall in the council chambers. Before we unlock the future we must first find the keys to the past so join us in this search for the keys… Continue reading “GUELPH POLITICAST #504 – The Rest of 2025 at Council (September-December)”
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: New Year’s Fights, Truck Theft Fail and Power of Attorney Fraud”
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