Category: Guelph Politicast

GUELPH POLITICAST #489 – The Bike Mayor Says Safety First (feat. Andrea Bidgood)

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It seemed like we had turned a corner on making cycling a true equal partner when it comes to road share, but like a lot of progressive policy now we’re in the midst of a blowback. The Ontario government voted to tear out bike lanes last year, and now they have their sights set on pulling down all automated speed enforcement cameras. Perhaps, the time is right for the a new kind of Guelph mayor… A Bicycle Mayor! Continue reading “GUELPH POLITICAST #489 – The Bike Mayor Says Safety First (feat. Andrea Bidgood)” →

GUELPH POLITICAST #488 – Real Audio News (September 2025)

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Sometimes information gathering doesn’t happen in the perfect audio conditions of a studio or the Zoom link, you have to occasionally get out there and find the news. To that end, we will visit a picket line on Speedvale Avenue, attend an annual event that reminds us that there’s still some ways to go when it comes to eliminating gender-based violence, and hear about a program fighting food insecurity in the west end. Continue reading “GUELPH POLITICAST #488 – Real Audio News (September 2025)” →

GUELPH POLITICAST #487 – Inside the Mind of a CAO (feat. Stacy Hushion)

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StrategyCorp puts out a report every year called the Ontario Municipal Chief Administrative Officer Survey. The CAOs profiled have some strong feelings about Strong Mayor Powers, intergovernmental relations, housing, growth, financing, and and more, but what’s interesting is not what the CAOs had to say, it’s the fact that they said it. What are CAOs thinking when they’re given the cloak of anonymity? Continue reading “GUELPH POLITICAST #487 – Inside the Mind of a CAO (feat. Stacy Hushion)” →

GUELPH POLITICAST #486 – The Year at Council So Far: Part 2 (May-July 2025)

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School kids and teachers aren’t the only ones that get a summer vacation. City council, and those that cover them, also get a summer break, at least when it comes to the monthly meeting schedule. We now have a couple of weeks of meetings under our belt since August ended, but for this week’s podcast we’re going back in time to business at council before summer vacation. Continue reading “GUELPH POLITICAST #486 – The Year at Council So Far: Part 2 (May-July 2025)” →

GUELPH POLITICAST #485 – Hauser History (feat. Katherine Hauser)

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Out of 27 perspective candidates for Ward 6 city councillor it came down between Katherine Hauser and Rebecca Adam, and after a show of hands vote ended in a tie, Hauser got the gig in a literal luck of the draw. It was her name that came out of that big orange box, and it’s now up to Hauser to make as big an impact she can before council rises one year from now for the next municipal election. What does she do now? Continue reading “GUELPH POLITICAST #485 – Hauser History (feat. Katherine Hauser)” →

GUELPH POLITICAST #484 – The Devils Building a God (feat. Christopher DiCarlo)

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We’ve been told that Artificial Intelligence is coming for all our jobs, that it will create fake news so real looking there will be no room for doubt, and in the worst case scenarios it will supplant human beings as the dominant lifeform on planet Earth. It’s scary stuff, and yet our fate depends on the same tech bros that have turned social media and the internet into a few concentrated monopolies. Is there still time to rein in A.I.? Continue reading “GUELPH POLITICAST #484 – The Devils Building a God (feat. Christopher DiCarlo)” →

GUELPH POLITICAST #483 – The Labour Day Special (feat. Lou Thompson & Waida Mirzada)

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We return to work at the Politicast just in time to mark Labour Day next Monday, the unofficial end of summer, and the official day to mark the sacrifices and accomplishments of workers and labour leaders. We talk a lot about how work is changing with the impact of technological change and the rising cost of living, but policy has to change too, and that’s where activism comes in. Continue reading “GUELPH POLITICAST #483 – The Labour Day Special (feat. Lou Thompson & Waida Mirzada)” →

GUELPH POLITICAST #Repeat – New-ish Year, New-ish CAO (feat. Tara Baker)

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The CAO position is the highest ranking official in local government that doesn’t have the job title of either mayor or city councillor, and it’s the only staff position at city hall that’s hired by a committee made up of the mayor and councillors. So yes, it’s a pretty important job, and it’s not like there’s any shortage of issues or needs for the new woman in charge as she nears the end of her first year in charge. Continue reading “GUELPH POLITICAST #Repeat – New-ish Year, New-ish CAO (feat. Tara Baker)” →

GUELPH POLITICAST #Repeat – The Good Old Guelph (feat. Stephen Robinson & Jack Mallon)

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Guelph loves its cultural heritage! As we count down to the 200th anniversary of the city in 2027, we’re seeing more and more of a focus on our local history, but there’s something else happening in 2027… the elimination of the heritage registry. Any property listed, but not designated, on January 1, 2027 will be deleted. The stakes, and the workload, have never been this high! Continue reading “GUELPH POLITICAST #Repeat – The Good Old Guelph (feat. Stephen Robinson & Jack Mallon)” →

GUELPH POLITICAST #482 – Three For Fringe (feat. Bridget Cann, Christel Bartelse, and Julie Lyn Barber & Michele Dvoskin)

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The Guelph Fringe Festival unfolds this weekend with 10 companies performing in three different venues over four days in downtown Guelph with 100 per cent of the ticket prices going back to the artists. These shows are experimental, personal, and unlike anything you will ever see anywhere else, and this week’s show is going to highlight three interviews from three different shows to tell you why Guelph Fringe is a can’t miss event for theatre fans and the theatre curious. Continue reading “GUELPH POLITICAST #482 – Three For Fringe (feat. Bridget Cann, Christel Bartelse, and Julie Lyn Barber & Michele Dvoskin)” →