Category: Guelph Politicast

GUELPH POLITICAST #494 – Electoral Reform? It Could Still Happen (feat. Kevin Bowman)

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It was about 10 years ago this time that Justin Trudeau strode up to Rideau Hall and made history being sworn in as Canada’s 23rd prime minister. There was a lot of hope about what the future of Trudeau’s premiership held, but perhaps no other constituency were hit harder by the political realities of the Trudeau-mania hangover than electoral reform activists. Can changing our voting system still possibly get a fair hearing? Continue reading “GUELPH POLITICAST #494 – Electoral Reform? It Could Still Happen (feat. Kevin Bowman)” →

GUELPH POLITICAST #493 – They’re Coming for the Conservation Authorities… Again (feat. Phil Pothen)

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Since they resumed sitting the week after Thanksgiving, the Government of Ontario has been throwing a lot at us, and then on Halloween they proposed sweeping changes to conservation authorities in Ontario. If it feels like we’ve been here before we kind of have, and while conservation authorities have weathered provincial meddling before, can they survive it again? Continue reading “GUELPH POLITICAST #493 – They’re Coming for the Conservation Authorities… Again (feat. Phil Pothen)” →

GUELPH POLITICAST #492 – A Broken Political Scene (feat. Doug Craig)

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It was about this time two years ago that former Guelph CAO Scott Stewart told city council in an open meeting that there needed to be a new deal for Ontario municipalities; that they were trying to solve 21st century problems with 19th century rules. As Guelph tackles another difficult budget season, one regional councillor is putting this issue in stark terms: Ontario’s councils are “on the verge of life support”! Continue reading “GUELPH POLITICAST #492 – A Broken Political Scene (feat. Doug Craig)” →

GUELPH POLITICAST #491 – The Science of the Guelph Lab (feat. Dr. Elizabeth Jackson & Jodie Sales)

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You might not have heard of The Guelph Lab, but you’ve definitely seen the fruits of its research. From food insecurity to public washroom access downtown, The Guelph Lab highlights s unique partnership between the City of Guelph and the University of Guelph by taking academic research power and applying it to problems facing our municipality. This week, we’re going to take a peek under the hood to learn how they do it… Continue reading “GUELPH POLITICAST #491 – The Science of the Guelph Lab (feat. Dr. Elizabeth Jackson & Jodie Sales)” →

GUELPH POLITICAST #490 – Climate Action is Back on Menu! (feat. Donna Jennison)

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Climate change, despite the inference, is not a hot topic, politically speaking. We had two big elections this year and you can probably count on one hand how many times the environment came up in conversation. Perhaps the time has come for a re-examination of our priorities: Can Guelph still be a climate leader in a political time when no one wants to talk about climate change? Continue reading “GUELPH POLITICAST #490 – Climate Action is Back on Menu! (feat. Donna Jennison)” →

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)” →