In response to growing concern about the state of long-term care homes in the province, and after an especially damning report from the CBC, the Ontario government announced changes to how the COVID-19 pandemic is being managed in places where so many in our most vulnerable population lives. Continue reading “Ontario Takes Action on Long-Term Care Homes as Outbreak Continues”
For the first time since March 11, the Upper Grand District School Board met Tuesday night, and they did it virtually through a publicly available Vimeo link. Some of it was regular business like approval of the calendar for the 2020-2021 school year, but there were at least two controversial motions on the agenda that prompted some debate in the 40-minute meeting. Continue reading “Upper Grand School Board Meets Virtually Like Everyone Else”
It would be unfair to say that independent art house movie theatres like the Bookshelf Cinema are feeling the biggest impact from the COVID-19 lockdown, but things weren’t exactly easy for them before the outbreak. From the fewer number of films being released theatrically, to big monopolies at the studios and national theatre chains, to the growing number of streaming options, indie cinemas had a lot to deal with before a global pandemic. But is it a lost cause? Continue reading “GUELPH POLITICAST #217 – Missing the Movies”
In another emergency session of the Ontario Legislature today, a representative sample of Ontario’s political leaders approved an extension of the state or emergency and other measures to assist Ontario schools and municipalities weather the crisis. The government said they’re using every tool at their disposal to protect the health and safety of Ontarians. Continue reading “Ontario Government Passes New Emergency Measures”
In the City of Guelph’s second ever emergency council meeting of the pandemic era (and last because there will be a name change later), the socially distant city council and senior staff will look at their actions so far, and the next phase of of the City’s technical and fiscal response to COVID-19, which needs to be council approved. Continue reading “City Council Preview – What’s on the Agenda for the April 16 Meeting?”
This past Monday would have been the monthly Committee of the Whole meeting at the council chambers of City Hall, and this past Wednesday there was a special meeting of council on the schedule. Four previously scheduled council meetings have been cancelled as we’ve been locked down thanks to COVID-19, but a second emergency meeting has now been scheduled for next Thursday. Continue reading “Second Emergency Council Meeting is Called for Next Thursday”
Last week, the Globe and Mail noted that the Guelph General Hospital had been hit the hardest among all of Ontario’s hospitals in terms of staff infected by COVID-19. The week before that, Guelph General announced that there was an outbreak in one of their wards that precipitated the announcement of State of Emergency in Guelph. This Thursday, according to the Hospital, the outbreak is over. Continue reading “Hospital Says the Outbreak is Over; Public Health Warns No Easter Parties”
Even a Member of Provincial Parliament has to occasionally go into work these days, and Mike Schreiner is one of the few that must sometimes show up at the Ontario Legislature to keep the province’s emergency response coming. Before going back to the Leg. again, Schreiner will appear on Open Sources Guelph remotely Thursday afternoon to talk about the provincial government’s action on COVID-19 so far. Continue reading “Schreiner Tells Open Sources That the COVID Response is Good, Could Be Better”
One of the biggest issues with a stay-at-home order is that you have to have a home to stay at. For that reason, the Government of Canada announced last month that they were offering $157.5 million in funding to address the needs of the homeless during the COVID-19 crisis, and the County of Wellington will be getting $720,000 of that money to look after the short-term needs of our area’s most vulnerable. Continue reading “Wellington County Gets $750,000 to Help the Most Vulnerable Through Pandemic”
One week ago was rent day for people everywhere, and many of those people were not able to submit those rent cheques because the COVID-19 quarantine has meant no money in the bank. April 1 was the first hurdle in what might be a months long dilemma for Canada’s renters. We could be on lockdown for the foreseeable future, so what happens when the rent cheques stop entirely? Continue reading “GUELPH POLITICAST #216 – Seriously, Keep Your Rent”
Guelph Politico 