Category: Guelph Politicast

GUELPH POLITICAST #275 – 100 Years After the Meeting on Metcalfe Street

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On Monday May 23, 1921, a small group of people gathered in a barn on the outskirts of Guelph to found the Communist Party of Canada. It was three years after the Russian Revolution, and there was already widespread concern about the spread of Marxist ideas, but economic stagnation, a global pandemic, and societal disillusionment post World War I made people hungry for some kind of change to the status quo. Sound familiar? Continue reading “GUELPH POLITICAST #275 – 100 Years After the Meeting on Metcalfe Street” →

GUELPH POLITICAST #274 – Still COVID [Spring Edition] with Dr. Tenenbaum

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The last time that Dr. Nicola Mercer was on the show, we were on the downward slide from the second wave, the vaccine rollout was moving slowly, and there was a vague hopefulness for a brighter spring. Now, it’s almost summer, the third wave is still strong, but progress is being made to get more people shots, but even that move has had very public hiccups that are crying out for an in-depth discussion. Continue reading “GUELPH POLITICAST #274 – Still COVID [Spring Edition] with Dr. Tenenbaum” →

GUELPH POLITICAST #273 – The Pandemic Arts

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These days, more and more people have used the pandemic to discover new creative resources, while professional artists have struggled to earn a living without access to the live venues and events from which they usually collect the majority of their income. From new programs to virtual events, it’s been a long, hard road for the Guelph Arts Council for the last 15 months, and it’s not over yet. Continue reading “GUELPH POLITICAST #273 – The Pandemic Arts” →

GUELPH POLITICAST #272 – A Political Unsolved Mystery

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In May 2, 2011, it was the 41st general federal election. That was the day that Stephen Harper won his first and only majority government, and while that did shake up the normal political order, it was not the only thing that happened that day to reverberate in Canadian political culture. Remember Pierre Poutine? Remember Robocalls? Well this is the day for a little political unsolved mystery. Continue reading “GUELPH POLITICAST #272 – A Political Unsolved Mystery” →

GUELPH POLITICAST #271 – Takin’ Care of Business

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As you may have noticed, it’s a tough time out there for businesses, and a tougher time for businesses run by Black people, Indigenous people, and People of Colour. No one knows that better than Chidi Nwene because he talked to BIPOC-owned businesses to discuss their struggles in this third wave of the pandemic. What he learned was not necessarily surprising, but it still needs to be said. Continue reading “GUELPH POLITICAST #271 – Takin’ Care of Business” →

GUELPH POLITICAST #270 – On-Demand Transit is Lit!

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Belleville is a little bigger than one-third the size of Guelph, but next month we’re going somewhere that Belleville’s been for a while. Since the invention of public transit, it’s been run simply by posting a map, scheduling the stops, and running buses and trains with regularity. It was static, it was predictable, and it was the simplest way we knew how to run a transit system. But is all that about to change? Continue reading “GUELPH POLITICAST #270 – On-Demand Transit is Lit!” →

GUELPH POLITICAST #269 – Pandemics Make Strange Bedfellows

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The most dramatic cultural shift of the pandemic has not been “care-mongering”, or an appreciation of essential workers, it’s been the growing number of people who believe that the things we all see and hear are fake, and reality is something entirely different. With the province locked down again, these groups have found a curious new ally: small business owners. So now what happens? Continue reading “GUELPH POLITICAST #269 – Pandemics Make Strange Bedfellows” →

GUELPH POLITICAST #268 – The State of Pandemic in the City

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The State of the City is hosted annually by the Chamber of Commerce, a chance for businesses to network with each other, talk about what they’re doing, and then hear from the mayor about the latest selling points of the city from 1 Carden Street. This year, there was the usual positive spin, but the long shadow of COVID was everywhere, so what is the State of the City according to the mayor? Continue reading “GUELPH POLITICAST #268 – The State of Pandemic in the City” →

GUELPH POLITICAST #267 – The Science of Trauma

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Over 15 per cent of our region has been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, which means that we are slowly but surely putting the pandemic behind us. But once everyone’s gotten a shot, there’s going to be an even longer term recovery project to consider, which is how we will mentally recover from the pandemic. The last great COVID-19 health crisis will be fought inside each of us. Are we prepared? Continue reading “GUELPH POLITICAST #267 – The Science of Trauma” →

GUELPH POLITICAST #266 – This Woman’s Work Didn’t Stop for COVID

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In the pandemic, some people have been lucky enough to get to work at home, but there are still thousands of people in Ontario that have to go to a physical work location everyday, and they’re putting themselves in danger of catching COVID-19 in the process. Are these people being protected like they should, and who is looking out for them? Continue reading “GUELPH POLITICAST #266 – This Woman’s Work Didn’t Stop for COVID” →