It’s been three-and-a-half years since the Guelph Mercury last published, but for many people in our community, the loss feels as fresh today as it did on January 30, 2016. What a community looks like without a daily paper, and how it gets its news without that baseline has been a frequent topic of discussion, and it was again last week at the Guelph Civic Museum. Continue reading “GUELPH POLITICAST #175 – In Conversation at Guelph Civic Museum”
The Government of Ontario has recessed for the summer, but not before they passed the More Homes, More Choices Act, or Bill 108. You’ve probably heard a lot about Bill 108, or at least enough to know that it’s not as benign as the name of it implies. Yes, there will be some serious consequences from its passage, so let’s take a moment to figure out what they are. Continue reading “GUELPH POLITICAST #174 – Bill 108”
If you’re lucky, then you will only ever hear from the integrity commissioner once a year when he or she delivers their annual report. But if your city council is dysfunctional, and unable to work together cordially or in good faith, then the integrity commissioner is your best friend. Continue reading “GUELPH POLITICAST #173 – Robert Swayze, Integrity Commissioner”
Clair-Maltby is hundreds of acres of mostly untouched greenspace in Guelph’s south end. For some, it represents millions of dollars in potential real estate profit, and for others, it represents a chance to develop in an environmentally responsible way that avoids the natural instinct to sprawl. These ideals clashed before City Council this past Monday. Continue reading “GUELPH POLITICAST #172 – The Clash Over Clair-Maltby”
It’s been a while, but every now and then on the podcast, we like to take a minute, or 30, and talk about the issues happening Guelph, and give them some context in the bigger political picture. What are people talking about, how will it affect their lives, and what are the angles they’re not thinking about? In other words, we’re going to talk about “Guelph Stuff”. Continue reading “GUELPH POLITICAST #171 – Guelph Stuff (Climate Emergency, #GuelphProud, Polls)”
It’s the end of April, and that means it’s the end of the main school year. If you’re a student that works on campus, that also means its turnover time; you’re either entering a new position, or your leaving a position you invested a whole year in. Kayla Weiler is in the latter category. Continue reading “GUELPH POLITICAST #170 – Kayla Weiler, Outgoing VP of the CSA”
On the best of days, the city’s transit system is a tough thing to manage, and in Guelph all transit matters come to the desk of General Manager Robin Gerus. On this week’s second installment of a Politicast transit double-bill, we actually go to that desk and ask Gerus directly about the present concerns and challenges of Guelph Transit. Continue reading “GUELPH POLITICAST #169 – Robin Gerus, GM of Guelph Transit”
The Service Review was delivered, council took its recommendations seriously, and the new spending it proposed was passed in the annual budget process. So everything worked out, right? Not so fast, because the work of improving transit is ongoing, and there’s a group in town is keeping a watchful eye on the situation as it develops. It’s time for the Transit Pass! Continue reading “GUELPH POLITICAST #168 – The Transit Pass with TAAG”
If you want to talk about development in Guelph, or any municipality in Ontario for that matter, you have to start with the Official Plan. Every decision concerning what can be built, where it can be built, how it can be built, and what services it needs stems from a 403-page, living document that you’ve probably never read. Continue reading “GUELPH POLITICAST #167 – On Development Part II: The Official Plan”
Nobody in the press likes being story, but the student press lately has very much been part of the story. The state of the media today is the story as we’ve seen with papers closing start-ups coming and going, and layoffs affecting the entire sector. The landscape is changing, and it’s changing rapidly, and not even the student media is immune from the shift. Continue reading “GUELPH POLITICAST #166 – Mirali Almaula, The Ontarion”
Guelph Politico 