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."

GUELPH POLITICAST #392 – Caution’s Creek Part 1: The Past

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This is one of those episodes that’s based on events that predate many of us that have come to call Guelph home in the last few decades. It’s also a story about land issues, and the desire to protect sensitive land from development. It’s had a lot of names over the years including the Kortright Waterfowl Park, the Niska Lands, and the Hanlon Creek Conservation Area, but the story around this property is just as complicated to sort out. Continue reading “GUELPH POLITICAST #392 – Caution’s Creek Part 1: The Past” →

Local Reactions Coming as Israel-Hamas War Intensifies

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An attack against Israel’s southern district by the Palestinian militant group Hamas on Saturday has lead to now four days of full-scale war in some of the worse violence seen in Israel and the occupied territories in years. Naturally, the repercussions are being felt here in Canada as members of both the Jewish and the Palestinian communities now share worry about family members in the Middle East as their seems to be no end in site for the crisis. Continue reading “Local Reactions Coming as Israel-Hamas War Intensifies” →

RECAP: Heritage Guelph Concerned About Moving Old Farmhouse

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The day after Thanksgiving there weren’t that many leftovers for the Heritage Guelph committee. It was mostly new business, and the biggest portion of that business was focused on the potential move of an old farmhouse on a south end property that’s ready to be redeveloped. Obviously, Heritage Guelph has some concerns, but that wasn’t the end of the discussion, which we will now cover with this meeting recap… Continue reading “RECAP: Heritage Guelph Concerned About Moving Old Farmhouse” →

This Week at Council: Master Plans and Bells

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The October Committee of the Whole meeting was, in part, about a bell, and the bell tolled for more participation around Guelph’s cultural and recreation activities. There was also a real bell, the old city hall bell that now has a home in the courtyard of the present city hall (pictured above). A lot of plans and master plans came home for committee approval this month, and here’s how it all went down. Continue reading “This Week at Council: Master Plans and Bells” →

MEETING PREVIEW: County Social Services Meeting for October 11, 2023

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At October’s Social Services Committee meeting of Wellington County things will be relatively more laid back than September’s packed agenda. This month there will be mostly discussions about spending and the funding of programs, plus there will be a visit from the gang that runs the local health van who are on the look out for some funding of their own. Continue reading “MEETING PREVIEW: County Social Services Meeting for October 11, 2023” →

POLICE NOTES: The Sleeping Thief, Vintage Car Taken, and Attempted Robbers Wanted

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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: The Sleeping Thief, Vintage Car Taken, and Attempted Robbers Wanted” →

City Council Preview – What’s on the Agenda for the October 17 Special Meeting?

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The first entry in a packed day at City Hall (which also includes an Accessibility Advisory Committee meeting and the planning meeting of city council) is all about housing. Following up on other recent meetings about the subject, city council will offer some further and firmer direction on how to combat the local housing crisis. Will Guelph City Council be finally able to make an impact? Let’s see what the plan is… Continue reading “City Council Preview – What’s on the Agenda for the October 17 Special Meeting?” →

City Council Preview – What’s on the Agenda for the October 17 Planning Meeting?

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Slightly delayed because of the Thanksgiving holiday, this month’s planning meeting of city council is about the size of two planning meetings, maybe three given the agenda. There are decisions that need to be made, new applications to hear, and some direction to be received on matters from heritage designations to development charges. Bring your sleeping bag and some snacks for this one… Continue reading “City Council Preview – What’s on the Agenda for the October 17 Planning Meeting?” →

RECAP: Cobey Tells Board Why His Members Need More (Budget) Help

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It was a stacked meeting of the Guelph Police Services Board, slightly delayed by two weeks due to scheduling issues. The big item at this meeting was the budget. Some big changes have been made since the police budget was first presented in July, at least on the capital side, but the police are still asking for an increase next year on the operating side. How much? You should check out the recap below for all the details… Continue reading “RECAP: Cobey Tells Board Why His Members Need More (Budget) Help” →

MEETING PREVIEW: Guelph Police Services Board for October 5, 2023

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Two months after the last Guelph Police Services Board meeting, and two weeks later than it was supposed to take place, we finally gather to talk about the biggest part of police board business and the source of much controversy: the police budget. The numbers will be laid out for everyone at this meeting, and that means both the future budget and the status of the current one. In other news, we’ll find out how things are going downtown? Continue reading “MEETING PREVIEW: Guelph Police Services Board for October 5, 2023” →