At city council this week, a resolution from the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) to support the North America Free Trade Agreement and stand with governments across Canada against Donald Trump’s aggression on trade was passed unanimously. You may be asking, “What good does that do?” You may also be asking, “What the heck is AMO again?” Continue reading “GUELPH POLITICAST #133 – Cathy Downer on AMO”
Somewhere in the Pacific Ocean there’s a big floating mass of plastic that’s roughly three times the size of France. While it’s true that much of that plastic is fishing equipment, and about two-fifths of it comes from just five countries in southeast Asia, it’s making us all think about our wasteful ways, especially when it comes to plastic. Continue reading “GUELPH POLITICAST #132 – Plastic Free Guelph”
News is the art of delivering the day’s information in an organized and coherent way, but stories don’t just happen with a beginning, middle and end all in one day. Some of the biggest stories, including the most important stories, trace their roots back many years. In the news, there’s an important function to not just understand the day’s events, but the events that led to the day’s events. Continue reading “GUELPH POLITICAST #131 – Back With the Back-Grounder”
Is our waste collection and processing the best it can possibly be? That was the simple question at the heart of the Service Review of the City of Guelph’s Solid Waste Department. Solid Waste was the first of three pilot Service Review projects approved by city council, an immense months long project that yielded 11 recommendations.This is the rest of the story. Continue reading “GUELPH POLITICAST #130 – Reviewing the Service Review”
In as much as the murders of Colten Bushie and Tina Fontaine were shocking, it was somehow even more shocking when those murders went unavenged as both perpetrators were found not-guilty of second degree murder. It’s enough to make you wonder why more Indigenous youth aren’t angrier and more active. Well, this is a podcast about one who is. Continue reading “GUELPH POLITICAST #129 – Xicotencatl Lopez”
The saying goes, “let a smile be your umbrella,” but there are a whole lot of people out there for whom their smile is a source of grief, and not a source of relief. Before we go into Election Day, let’s hear from some people talking about one of the election issues that has not gotten a lot of press, but is nonetheless factored into every major party platform in someway: dental care. Continue reading “GUELPH POLITICAST #128 – Guelph Wellington Oral Health Action Committee”
It was a major conference of municipal leaders, influencers, and business people. Appearing live on stage where politicians from the three major parties, including the interim leader of the Official Opposition, and the Premier of Ontario. Only one person could interview them on the issues that matter, and get straight answers, and somehow, that person was me. Continue reading “GUELPH POLITICAST #127 – The OGRA Sessions”
Mental health has been one of the most talked about issues of the current election, and it’s understandable. Over the last few years, the stigma around mental health issues has been receding, and people have been able to share more openly, which has been a good thing. The problem is that the healthcare system is showing the strain. Continue reading “GUELPH POLITICAST #126 – Martin Bauman, Canadian Mental Health Association”
Guelph’s provincial candidates will get together again on Tuesday to face-off in another debate. Well, four of them are. The four major party candidates will be grilled before a live audience, and a TV one, and the one doing the grilling is Kithio Mwanzia, the President and CEO of the Guelph Chamber of Commerce. Today though, he’s the one being grilled. Continue reading “GUELPH POLITICAST #125 – Kithio Mwanzia on Debate Prep”
You know you have a packed house when you actually have to make the house bigger! That’s what happened last Thursday at the All Candidates Debate hosted by the Guelph Wellington Coalition for Social Justice. There’s been a lot of arm chair quarterbacking from social media pundits, but now it’s time for the semi-amateur official community radio pundits to have their say. Continue reading “GUELPH POLITICAST #124 – Debate Debrief with Scotty Hertz”
