If it’s September, that means it’s time to start the United Way’s annual fundraising campaign. A linchpin when it comes to support for all kinds of area non-profits and charities, it’s worth noting that this year’s campaign comes at a time of great need. Today, we’re going to learn from the head of the United Way about how they’re coping and how they’re still trying to answer the call. Continue reading “GUELPH POLITICAST #435 – This is the United Way (feat. Glenna Banda)”
So has anything interesting been happening at Guelph city council lately? Of course, there has! We’ve already covered the first third of 2024 on a previous podcast, and we will now visit that middle third, a period of time that is supposed to be more of a laid back political time as people rest and recreate over the summer. But no! The last four months at council have been all business, and this is the business!! Continue reading “GUELPH POLITICAST #434 – The Year at Council So Far (May-August)”
Sometimes in this business, you go looking for the story and sometimes the story finds you… Last week, former Terry Fox Run organizer David Picard talked about his years of work putting this event together, and then he offered an opportunity: How would you like to hear from the woman that started it all? This week, we learn about the beginning of the Terry Fox Run and we’ll learn how she did it. Continue reading “GUELPH POLITICAST #433 – Born to Run the Run Part 2 (feat. Betty Stone)”
The first Terry Fox Run took place in 1981, just a few months after the young man it’s named after passed away, and a little over a year after his Marathon of Hope came to an abrupt end. Over the last 43 years, millions and millions of dollars have been raised for cancer research, including over $1 million from Guelph alone, and all of this was done through the power of some very passionate volunteers. This is the story of one of them. Continue reading “GUELPH POLITICAST #432 – Born to Run the Run (feat. David Picard)”
As we do at the end of August, we’re marking Drug Poisoning Awareness Day, and it hasn’t been a great week for the people fighting this issue. Last week, the Ontario government decided that no safe consumption site can be within 200 metres of a school or daycare, including the one at Guelph Community Health Centre. The drug poisoning crisis is not getting any better, and now there’s the possibility that it’s going to get worse. Continue reading “GUELPH POLITICAST #431 – Space, Supply and Stigma (feat. Jean Hopkins and Leandra Gilbert)”
Housing. It’s an easy problem to diagnosis but it’s a hard problem to solve it seems, and that has seems to have stopped the Government of Ontario from even trying. Cabinet ministers have probably been getting an earful about that this week at the Association of Municipalities of Ontario conference, but there’s one member at Queen’s Park that still hasn’t given up, and you will never guess who… Continue reading “GUELPH POLITICAST #Repeat – Mike’s Homes (feat. Mike Schreiner)”
It was about this time last year that the so-called Greenbelt scandal blew-up. Although the issue had been simmering since fall 2022, the persistent efforts of journalists and activists to get to the bottom of the decision to separate and sell-off portions of protected land resulted in the land being restored, the minister responsible replaced, and the RCMP looking into whether or not anything criminal happened. Continue reading “GUELPH POLITICAST #Repeat – How the Greenbelt Was Won (feat. Kevin Thomason)”
It took a while to get here, but the Grand River Conservation Authority membership last month approved a management plan for the Niska lands, aka: the old Kortright Waterfowl Park, but this is not the end of the journey. For nearly 20 years there’s been a fierce back and forth about what comes next for the property and who’s responsible for its protection, but even with a plan in place now it doesn’t mean that the controversy is over. Continue reading “GUELPH POLITICAST #430 – Caution’s Creek Part 2: The Future”
A couple of weeks ago at city council, a group of leaders representing four frontline agencies appeared to support the idea of a tiny home project in Guelph. The head of the Guelph Community Health Centre appeared on this podcast a few months ago, and so did the head of the Canadian Mental Health Association, plus the CEO of Guelph General Hospital was our special Christmas guest this past December. So if you’ve been counting, that leaves one more… Continue reading “GUELPH POLITICAST #429 – The Secrets of Stonehenge… The Guelph One (feat. Kristen Kerr)”
What could have been a small one-day story about disagreements around the table at Stratford city council has become emblematic of a bigger issue. Aside from the fine line between criticism of our civic leaders and outright threatening behaviour, there’s also a question about whether their mayor and council are being as open and transparent as it should be, and one man – famously – has his doubts. Continue reading “GUELPH POLITICAST #428 – The S#!t Disturber (feat. Mike Sullivan)”
Guelph Politico 