The annual State of the City speech by Guelph’s mayor is a chance for to tout the accomplishments of the last year, and promote policy initiatives and goals for the new year. This year, there was a lot for the City to overcome, and while Mayor Cam Guthrie did celebrate that survival success, his simple desire for 2021 is that Guelph’s residents stay the course, and not lose hope. Continue reading “Guthrie Asks Guelph to “Be Kind” in State of the City Address”
The State of the City address is an annual event hosted by the Guelph Chamber of Commerce. It’s part political with a speech from the mayor, and it’s part networking and promotion for Chamber members, a chance for everyone to get together face-to-face. But this is 2021. This year, the State of the City was a virtual affair, and Mayor Cam Guthrie was forced to work harder to find the good news Guelph stories. How did he do? Continue reading “RECAP: Guthrie Finds the Good News from a Pandemic Year in State of the City”
The Christmas season is approaching, but given current events people are going to have to concede that they won’t be able to celebrate the season in a way that’s normal or traditional. On Wednesday, the Government of Ontario outlined its best advice for how people should spend the holidays, while the City of Guelph also announced some measures on how they will work locally to make sure everyone has a safe and COVID-free holiday. Continue reading “City and Province Release Advice for COVID Christmas Celebrations and Shopping”
The whistlestop tour is a time honoured tradition in politics, especially for the new leader of a political party trying to develop relationships and name recognition. Steven Del Duca is no exception, but he’s trying whistlestop his way through a pandemic, and an increasingly perilous situation where the number of new COVID-19 cases is on a definite increase. So what does Del Duca have to add to the situation? Continue reading “At Guelph Stop, Del Duca Says It’s Not Too Late for Ford to Do Better”
Mayor Cam Guthrie’s Task Force on Economic Recovery met virtually again on Wednesday with a focus this week on a couple of key areas. On the one hand, the Mayor is looking for local options to get more personal protective equipment, and on the other hand, there are also concerns about the mental well-being of people during this phase of the pandemic. Here’s the latest update about the task force’s activities. Continue reading “Mayor and Task Force Focus on PPE and Mental Health in Third Meeting”
As we’re entering this third calendar month under a state of quarantine, we’re starting to feel that it still might be a long time until we get back to what we consider normalcy. It might be a long time before we can sit comfortably again in a room filled with a few hundred people to hear the city’s mayor talk about a grand ambition for Guelph that has nothing to do with responding to a global pandemic. Continue reading “GUELPH POLITICAST #219 – Better Days”
It was just a few months ago that Mayor Cam Guthrie was telling everyone in his State of the City address about getting the Task Force on Homelessness together again to discuss supportive housing. Circumstances have changed rather quickly though, and now Mayor Guthrie is looking to explore another type of support for Guelph in the form of economic action post-COVID-19 with a whole new task force. Continue reading “Mayor Guthrie’s Economic Task Force Officially Announced”
With so many different questions, and so many different concerns about the economic fallout of the COVID-19 epidemic, the Guelph Chamber of Commerce gathered our city’s political leaders, virtually of course, to offer some answers. On Tuesday, Mayor Cam Guthrie, MPP Mike Schreiner, and MP Lloyd Longfield took your questions in a new form of public engagement. Continue reading “RECAP: Economic Questions Answered in Virtual Chamber Town Hall”
In an annual appointment on the local winter calendar, Mayor Cam Guthrie delivered his fifth “State of the City” address for the Guelph Chamber of Commerce. For the 2020 speech, Guthrie touted the City’s record on addressing social issues and poverty, fiscal discipline and advocacy, and how Guelph is “Future Ready.” Continue reading “RECAP: Guthrie Discusses Social Issues & “Future Ready” Initiatives at State of the City”
Shakiba Shayani became the new President and CEO of the Guelph Chamber of Commerce on September 9, 2019, which was two days before the Federal election, during which the Chamber exerts tremendous influence as the organizers of the main local debate, and it was two months before the start of the annual municipal budget process, during which the Chamber President always presents. Talking about being thrown into the deep end. Continue reading “GUELPH POLITICAST #207 – What Can the Chamber Do For This Podcast?”
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