GUELPH POLITICAST #424 – Inside Hillside (feat. Kate Johnston)

Hillside Festival. Have you heard of it? Every July, the population of Guelph decreases, and the population of the island in Guelph Lake radically increases. They’re all drawn there for an annual celebration of music and community that’s still going strong after 40 years, and this is despite changing musical tastes, changing economic concerns, and even a global pandemic. So what’s the secret to their ongoing success? Continue reading “GUELPH POLITICAST #424 – Inside Hillside (feat. Kate Johnston)”

GUELPH POLITICAST #423 – Why Do We Care?

There’s a presidential election this year in the U.S., maybe you’ve heard about it, and like so much of American culture it threatens to block out the sun here, not to mention a lot of serious political issues we’re dealing with here in Canada. Why are we so obsessed with American politics and is it to the detriment of our own political enlightenment in this country? Continue reading “GUELPH POLITICAST #423 – Why Do We Care?”

GUELPH POLITICAST #422 – Walk The Line

For this week’s podcast, we’re taking it on the road! There are two big protests of a sort happening in Guelph right now, one is technically a strike, and the other is an encampment on campus. Both are local stories with implications beyond the city limits, both are examples of renewed interest in direct action, and both started at around the same time. So how are things going out there, and are these actions having an impact? Continue reading “GUELPH POLITICAST #422 – Walk The Line”

GUELPH POLITICAST #REPEAT- Have You Considered “Dark Tourism”?

There’s been a lot of discussion recently about boosting Guelph’s tourism profile. In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, cities are working hard to rebuild their shattered tourism industries and Guelph is no exception, which is why the City of Guelph this week launched the Tourism Grants Program, designed to support the development and attraction of new tourism initiatives across Guelph. So here’s an idea… Continue reading “GUELPH POLITICAST #REPEAT- Have You Considered “Dark Tourism”?”

GUELPH POLITICAST #421 – This is Not a Drill Hall!

At next week’s Committee of the Whole meeting, Guelph City Council will look at the fate of the Drill Hall; staff wants to put it up for sale, but there’s at least one group in Guelph that wants to do something with it now. It’s an idea called the Guelph Centre for Visual Art, and it could feature exhibition space, artist studios, educational and meeting space, and so much more. But does city hall share their vision? Continue reading “GUELPH POLITICAST #421 – This is Not a Drill Hall!”

GUELPH POLITICAST #420 – The Year at Council So Far

Time flies when you’re having fun in the council chambers, which brings us to the first recap podcast of the year. We started off slow with one meeting in January, and then things go really busy in February and March, including one meeting that was really two meetings, but all together they were 12 hours long. Remember what that one was about? Remember what any of them were about? Continue reading “GUELPH POLITICAST #420 – The Year at Council So Far”

GUELPH POLITICAST #419 – 20 Years of Participation

This is the 20th anniversary year for the Special Olympics, which speaks to the tremendous success of the event, and while it is about the competition in some respects, these games are mostly about fun and camaraderie. In an era where we talk so much about kids being attached to their screens, what can be more essential than some good, old-fashioned sports? Continue reading “GUELPH POLITICAST #419 – 20 Years of Participation”

GUELPH POLITICAST #418 – Mental Health Week

Earlier this year, Statistics Canada reported that there has been a five per cent increase in positive responses in the proportions of adults who reported excellent or very good mental health, a strong sense of belonging to their local community, and a high level of life satisfaction between 2021 and 2023. And yet, considering that still less than three out of five adults report excellent or very good mental health, we still have a long way to go. Continue reading “GUELPH POLITICAST #418 – Mental Health Week”

GUELPH SPORTSCAST: Who’s on First Base Coach?

Every year, four or five people are plucked from Guelph’s sporting history and are immortalized for all eternity on the walls of the Sleeman Centre, but one doesn’t spend a life in local sports to be immortal. It’s a passion that can span a lifetime, which is what decades of Royals might say about Paul Ante, who has been one kind of Guelph Royal or another for the last half-century. Continue reading “GUELPH SPORTSCAST: Who’s on First Base Coach?”

GUELPH POLITICAST #417 – Guelph Stories

As we count down to the 200th anniversary of the Canada Company settling Guelph in just three years, you can expect to hear more about how we’re honouring our history in Guelph, both pre- and post-settlement. Between that moment John Galt cut down that first tree and this moment listening to this podcast, there’s been a whole lot of Guelph history, and one man has published a new collection about some of those lesser known bits that you should definitely know. Continue reading “GUELPH POLITICAST #417 – Guelph Stories”