There’s a provincial election coming this spring. You may be aware of that, but the Guelph-Wellington Coalition for Social Justice is definitely aware of it, and on Wednesday night they launched a series of events meant to prep the electorate by talking about what are likely to be some of the biggest issues of the 2022 Provincial Election. Topic number one was homelessness and poverty, and the all-star panel is eager to end them for good. Continue reading “Guelph’s Housing Advocates Lay Out the Pre-Election Stakes in Town Hall”
GUELPH POLITICAST #311 – Now More Than Ever, Freedom to Read Week
Freedom to Read Week is a chance to talk about issues of censorship and free expression, especially in the context of what we can read and access at our local and school libraries. There’s been a lot of back and forth in the news lately about what young people should be allowed to read, or not, in their school library, so for this podcast, we got the biggest librarian we could find. Continue reading “GUELPH POLITICAST #311 – Now More Than Ever, Freedom to Read Week”
Stratford Wins (Not So) Coveted Code of Silence Award
Hypothetically speaking, no city government wants to win an award for “Outstanding Achievement in Government Secrecy”, but this year the dubious distinction goes to our nearby neighbour, Stratford. Although the City of Stratford’s efforts to secure a Ministerial Zoning Order (MZO) to build a controversial glass plant came to a swift end last year, the effect on trust in the local government seem to remain. Continue reading “Stratford Wins (Not So) Coveted Code of Silence Award”
Trudeau Initiates Emergencies Act to Force End to Convoy Protests
In the third week of so-called “Freedom Convoys” occupying several locations across the country, the Prime Minister of Canada finally answered all the people demanding more action by invoking the Emergency Act. Justin Trudeau explained in a Monday evening press conference that the measures will be very specific and very targeted, and will reinforce “the principles, values and institutions that keep all Canadians free.” Continue reading “Trudeau Initiates Emergencies Act to Force End to Convoy Protests”
LIVE BLOG: City Council Meeting for February 14, 2022
This month, council will settle some planning matters. You can click here for the amended agendas from City Hall, and you can click here for the Politico preview. For the complete blow-by-blow of today’s council meeting, you can follow along on Twitter, or follow the tweets below. You can also watch the City’s own live-stream of the meeting here. Continue reading “LIVE BLOG: City Council Meeting for February 14, 2022”
Ford Accelerates Re-Opening: Vax Proof Done March 1, Masks to Stay For a While
Capacity limits are mostly being lifted by the end of the week, and proof of vaccination will be over by the end of the month even though masking rules are likely to remain for some time. This was the latest update from Premier Doug Ford and his team on Monday morning. After another weekend struggling to deal with the people who oppose all mandates, Ford tried to take back the narrative with some good news. Continue reading “Ford Accelerates Re-Opening: Vax Proof Done March 1, Masks to Stay For a While”
POLICE NOTES: Buyer Beware, Impaired Driver, and Mom Knows Best
There are 137,000 stories in the Royal City, and this is some of them. Looking at a week’s worth of media releases from the Guelph Police Service, there’s a lot gong on in our little city crime-wise speaking, so let’s run down some of the charges, issues, and requests for information from the Guelph Police Service over the last seven days. Continue reading “POLICE NOTES: Buyer Beware, Impaired Driver, and Mom Knows Best”
Cold Weather and Hot Tempers at School Board Mandate Protest
The snow was falling, and a bitter wind was blowing, but things actually did get heated at a protest outside the main office of the Upper Grand District School Board on Victoria Road Friday. Over 20 people, some with their kids, gathered to call for an end to mask mandates in schools, while at least one person stood her ground about the ongoing necessity of public health restrictions. Continue reading “Cold Weather and Hot Tempers at School Board Mandate Protest”
Ford Declares State of Emergency to Deal with Convoy Protests
Nearly two weeks after the so-called “Freedom Convoy” set up residency in Ottawa, and almost a week after a solidarity blockade began at the Ambassador Bridge in Windsor, Premier Doug Ford announced action against the protest in the form of the third state of emergency he’s declared during his premiership. Protest is fine, Ford said, but the events in Ottawa and Windsor no longer fit that definition. Continue reading “Ford Declares State of Emergency to Deal with Convoy Protests”
Green Party Wants *You* to Get an EV! And *You* to Get an EV!…
The shift to electric vehicles is the greatest change to the automobile market since the invention of the windshield wiper. The Green Party of Ontario is making it a matter of policy to encourage you to trade in your gas-powered car for an EV and on Friday leader Mike Schreiner and deputy leader Dianne Saxe held a virtual press conference to tell Ontarians that they should have an easier time getting into an EV. Continue reading “Green Party Wants *You* to Get an EV! And *You* to Get an EV!…”









