This is the last week of summer, and it’s typically a time of great excitement for kids and parents alike. This year though, there is also more than a little amount of trepidation because going back to school means something very different in the era of COVID-19. Perhaps this will help. We’re going to look at what your school might look like when you, or your child, are heading back to it in the next couple of weeks. Continue reading “GUELPH POLITICAST #236 – What Will School Look Like?”
Normally there are no August city council meetings, but as we all know in 2020 what’s normal got up, walked out of the room, and threw itself down the stairs. Having three city council meetings in August is unusual, but it’s hardly the most unusual thing about this political year, and to make sense of everything that’s happened at council so far in 2020, we’re going to do a recap. Continue reading “GUELPH POLITICAST #235 – The Council Year So Far”
WE has turned into something of a national scandal, but the truth is that there have been a lot of questions about the way WE does business for a long time, and only some of it’s been recently exposed. The little non-profit that could, fighting child labour and promoting sustainability around the world, is now at the centre of the biggest political story in Canada in 2020, but what about the personal story? Continue reading “GUELPH POLITICAST #234 – WE: A Personal Story”
Despite conventional wisdom about there being no news in August, over 100 people went to Margaret Greene Park last week to confront City councillors, staff, and Metrolinx reps about a plan to build a traction power substation in a portion of the park. The events in the west end capture in a microcosm of big concerns about public engagement, and development running roughshod over neighbourhood concerns. Continue reading “GUELPH POLITICAST #233 – Parks or Wreck”
City council is one of those things that has more less operated the same way for decades, You’ve got your elected officials, and the relevant City staff around the big central table, media covers the goings on from their appointed desk, and there’s a gallery full of spectators and supplemental staff who will take part in the meeting when called upon. It’s simple, and it’s how things have always been done… at least until COVID-19. Continue reading “GUELPH POLITICAST #232 – Behind the Scenes of the Remote Council”
This week, we’re going to talk about small business, and we’re going to talk about it from two sides: the nation-wide trends on how entrepreneurs are trying to survive the pandemic, and a unique local example from a small business owner who has loudly and publicly asked for more help as we’re entering this important recovery phase of the crisis. How’s business? It’s complicated. Continue reading “GUELPH POLITICAST #231 – Big Concerns for Small Business”
It’s hard to imagine a more personal environmental issue for many in Guelph than water. We’re a community that gets our drinking water from ground sources, and that means we have to be even more guarded about potential threats to those sources, which has long included private water taking operations. Some big changes are coming in that sector as you might have heard, and we’re going to get perspective from an activist and a politician. Continue reading “GUELPH POLITICAST #230 – Messaging on a Bottle”
This is where the hard work of changing the system, and combating systemic racism, begins. For almost two months there have been marches, demonstrations and meetings all designed to promote the cause, but if we’re going to tear down the system, and build something more equitable, it’s going to be a more long term fight. So how do we begin? Why don’t we begin with this podcast? Continue reading “GUELPH POLITICAST #229 – Black Votes Matter!”
Our area has been under Stage 2 of the re-opening for nearly a month now, and people are eagerly looking for signs that we might soon enter the final stage. Still, our position is precarious. We see what is happening in the United States, and if there’s one thing that we can all agree on, it’s that we do not want to re-enter lockdown. So shall we get a doctor’s advice on how to avoid all that? Continue reading “GUELPH POLITICAST #228 – Still COVID with Doctor Mercer”
This week, in honour of Canada Day, we have a repeat of the podcast. That doesn’t make a lot of sense, but it is a holiday, and we could all use a nice break from the routine and skullduggery of the pandemic news cycle. So let’s revisit happier times from the recent and distant pasts. Continue reading “GUELPH POLITICAST REPLAY – A History of Guelph’s Birthdays”
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