PRESS RELEASE – Public Invited to Discuss the Capital Budget

The city council has had budget pre-occupations since the beginning of the year, but now we’re getting down into the meat of the matter with public delegations and hard decisions as Mayor Cam Guthrie and the new council look to pass their first capital and operating budgets. If you have strong thoughts about the city finances, this is your chance to make them known. Continue reading “PRESS RELEASE – Public Invited to Discuss the Capital Budget”

PRESS RELEASE – DeRuyter Promoted to Police Chief

He’s been doing the job on a temporary basis since the fall, but the Guelph Police Services Board has made the promotion permanent for Acting Chief of Police Jeffrey DeRuyter. As of March 1, we can just start calling him Chief DeRuyter. Continue reading “PRESS RELEASE – DeRuyter Promoted to Police Chief”

Flashback to Downtown Guelph Circa 1960s/70s

One of the great treats of seeing photos from Downtown Guelph’s past is how immediately evocative it is; it’s both familiar and alien at the exact same time. But photos are one thing, seeing the whole place in action, in living colour, on film is a completely different experience, but it’s one we can enjoy thanks to the following discovery by Vintage Guelph. The exact time and date the film was taken is unknown – sometime in the 1960s or 70s certainly – but this is definitely a treat for local history buffs (like myself).  Continue reading “Flashback to Downtown Guelph Circa 1960s/70s”

PRESS RELEASE – City Plows to the Rescue After Storm

How are you coping with our first official snow day of the winter? Well, the City of Guelph wants you to know that it’s coping okay and that city plows are out, in force, to keep the city going in the midst of the bitter cold and the foot of snow we received here in the Royal City overnight. Continue reading “PRESS RELEASE – City Plows to the Rescue After Storm”

PRESS RELEASE – Neighbourhood Gets to Keep Skating Rink

It’s like David versus Goliath, only this time, David won! Earlier today, the City of Guelph’s Chief Administrative Officer Ann Pappert announced that an agreement has been reached with a group neighbours in Pine Ridge to keep a less than officially sanctioned local skating rink. The rink is technically on city land between two subdivisions in the south end, but all that kids having fun and enjoying exercise got on someone’s nerve, and they made some noise about it to city hall. Reacting the quickly, the city has announced that they’ve reach a short term solution that should make everyone in the area happy, allowing the kids to keep skating as the city keeps working toward some new permanent rules regarding the situation. Continue reading “PRESS RELEASE – Neighbourhood Gets to Keep Skating Rink”

Burcher to Official Launch Liberal Nomination Bid

Forget the Federal Election coming – eventually – later this year, the real contest is going on now is the race to see who will become the new Liberal candidate in Guelph after Frank Valeriote announced his retirement last fall. Former Ward 5 councillor Lise Burcher will officially launch her campaign tonight at the Green Room at the Bookshelf. In an already busy campaign for the Liberal nom, Burcher is banking that it’s not to late to make her case. Continue reading “Burcher to Official Launch Liberal Nomination Bid”

Robocall Townhall Shows Community Still Worried

Are you worried about another robocall scandal? Judging from the turnout at a townhall at St. James Anglican Church here in Guelph today, a lot of us are. Between 80 and 100 people showed up for the event organized by Fair Vote Guelph and the St. James’ Environment and Social Justice Committee, and on the eve of the start of the last parliamentary session before the 2015 election, it sure sounded like there was still a lot to be concerned about even after the conviction of Michael Sona last summer. A combination of politicians, experts and ordinary citizens came out to remember how we got here, and what we should be on the look out next. Continue reading “Robocall Townhall Shows Community Still Worried”

Budget 2015 Update – Opening Moves

The year started off with council already contentious about the budget process. Mayor Guthrie had announced his intention to bring a motion to the January 19 council meeting that would state that the city government should set itself the goal of not raising taxes anymore than the rate of inflation for the coming fiscal year. Of the seven councillors out of 12 that responded to the Guelph Tribune‘s request for comment, four were against the motion and three were against. Although the motion has since been delayed, some feel as though the mayor was going too far too soon. Continue reading “Budget 2015 Update – Opening Moves”

PRESS RELEASE – Target Calls it Quits in Canada

Well that didn’t last long (relatively speaking). Not even two years after Target arrived in Canada with the fanfare of a conquering hero, the U.S.-based chain announced this morning in a sudden and surprising move that they were wrapping up their Canadian operations and closing all 133 stores in this country. The Guelph store, the manager of which got the news of the closure – I’m told – from the news itself, was one of the first Targets to open in Canada, complete with frenzied line-up of eager shoppers as pictured above. Almost immediately those same shoppers were underwhelmed with what they saw, and that underwhelmed feeling seeemed to never wore off, and now, over 17,000 people nationw-wide will be out of a job sometime over the next several months. Continue reading “PRESS RELEASE – Target Calls it Quits in Canada”