It’s been the persistent question since the start of the 2022 Municipal election in May: IS there anyone in Guelph willing to challenge Cam Guthrie in the mayoral race? It turns out, in this last week of the campaign, there is. If you’re looking for something completely different in a mayor, you may have found your best option in the “local non-binary communist” who just threw his hat in the ring. Continue reading “(Finally) Cam Guthrie Has Competition in the Mayor’s Race”
Responding to a motion from Guelph City Council to hold an emergency meeting on homelessness in Downtown Guelph, the Wellington County’s social services committee gathered to address those concerns. The long meeting (by committee standards) saw members agree with Guelph’s leaders that more needs to done, and backed up council’s calls for action. How did we get here? Let’s recap the meeting… Continue reading “RECAP: County Committee Supports Council Direction on Homelessness”
Just a couple of days after Guelph City Council ratified a slate of motions meant to direct action on homelessness, mental health and addiction issues in Downtown Guelph, the City’s social services provider will gather the committee that oversees them for a special meeting. On Thursday, Wellington County’s social services committee, which includes Mayor Cam Guthrie as a member, will answer some of Guelph council’s questions. Continue reading “County’s Social Services Committee to Hold Special Meeting on Thursday”
A long cause of corporate consternation at Guelph City Hall was official resolved on Monday when the shareholder of Guelph Municipal Holdings Inc., aka city council, passed a motion to sell the downtown node of District Energy to Toronto-based Cascara Energy. The move is being considered a victory for corporate oversight and stewardship, while also being held up as an example of the City’s commitment to get to net-zero emissions. Continue reading “GMHI Sells the Last Assets of District Energy to Toronto Green Tech Firm”
Hundreds of people made their way to the bandshell area at Riverside Park to enjoy the first in-person celebration of First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples in Guelph in two years. Demonstrations of Indigenous dance and drumming were presented, craft-makers and artisans showed off their wares, and the settler community got a taste of a culture struggling to be embraced and preserved by the next generation. Continue reading “In-Person National Indigenous Peoples Day is a Big Success at Riverside Park”
Emblematic of the feeling that we’ve reached the end of the pandemic, it was a packed house outside the new location of The Grove Wellington Guelph Hub at the University of Guelph to celebrate its grand opening. In the midst of toasting this new Grove outpost though was the reminder of why it’s there in the first place, the growing, desperate need for mental health support for young people. Continue reading “The Grove Official Opens U of G Hub Just in Time to Address Growing Need”
It’s election season here in Guelph! The nominations are open for this fall’s Municipal Election, and interested residents are filing their papers to run for positions as mayor, for city council and for a spot on one of the local school boards. Each week, this space will break down who’s new to the race, who’s running again, and where we’re still waiting for someone to show an interest! Continue reading “Municipal Election Nominations Update Week #1”
The City of Guelph has issues, and they want the candidates running to represent Guelph in the provincial election to deal with them. On the first full day of the 2022 campaign, the City of Guelph formally released their Top Five election priorities for this election, and if you look at the list, and if you’re even slightly in tune with the political culture here, none of the picks should be especially surprising. Continue reading “Guelph Wants Stuff From This Provincial Election”
An in-person ceremony commemorated the completion of the capital campaign to buy and renovate the old Norfolk United Church, which you may know as the headquarters for HOPE House. Part of that ceremony was the official rename of the church as the David Barr Memorial Building, a rechristening of sorts that marked both the beginning of a new era at HOPE House and the continuation of their efforts to help Guelph’s most vulnerable. Continue reading “HOPE House Celebrates the End of a Successful Capital Campaign”
The last time that the Guelph Chamber of Commerce held a State of the City event in-person, COVID-19 was still a topic of local conversation that started with, “Hey, did you hear about that thing happening in China?” More than two years later, Chamber members once again met inside the Delta Hotel and Conference to hear about the State of the City from Mayor Cam Guthrie. A state, he says, that’s all about the fundamentals now. Continue reading “Guthrie Plays Wordle With the State of the City at In-Person Event”
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