Ontario Government Announces an Earlier Start to the Re-opening Schedule

It’s the news that people all around Ontario wanted to hear: With vaccination rates going up, and COVID case counts going down, the Provincial government announced that they’re moving up the first phase of re-opening by three days. As of 12:01 am this Friday, all municipalities in Ontario will be able to come out of lockdown with more retail, outdoor dining, and slightly bigger outdoor gatherings all allowed. Continue reading “Ontario Government Announces an Earlier Start to the Re-opening Schedule”

LIVE BLOG: Committee of the Whole Meeting for June 7, 2021

Get ready for a busy Committee of the Whole meeting. You can click here for the amended agenda 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: Committee of the Whole Meeting for June 7, 2021”

CITY PAGES: Fundraising, Water, and Bike Month

The City of Guelph puts out a lot of information on a weekly basis, and while it all ends up on the City’s website somewhere, wouldn’t it be easier to just scroll through it all on one easy-to-read article on Guelph Politico here…? Continue reading “CITY PAGES: Fundraising, Water, and Bike Month”

City Council Preview – What’s on the Agenda for the June 14 Meeting?

June’s planning meeting has two relatively small items, and one pretty big item. Heritage is the theme, more specifically protecting heritage and in this case the location is the old Reformatory lands on York Road. In a move that’s been years in the making, city council will be considering formal heritage designations for the property, but not for every building that currently sits on that land. Continue reading “City Council Preview – What’s on the Agenda for the June 14 Meeting?”

City Moves to Absorb Quarry Site, and Ask for MZO to Do It

It’s not going to be a lazy summer at Guelph City Council as the next several weeks they, along with the Township of Guelph/Eramosa and the County of Wellington, will determine the fate of an issue that ties all three governments together. Guelph is ready to absorb the site of the Dolime Quarry and make it a part of the city proper, but there’s an obstacle course of meetings they have to run through to make it happen. Continue reading “City Moves to Absorb Quarry Site, and Ask for MZO to Do It”

GUELPH POLITICAST #276 – Paramedics and the Pandemic

We’ve kind of forgotten about paramedics, haven’t we? We’ve venerated the doctors and nurses in our hospitals, hailed the overworked and underpaid staff at long-term care homes, and made celebrities out of medical officers of health. In those terms, our paramedics have been the forgotten spoke in the wheel of healthcare this pandemic, so it’s a good thing that they have a whole week dedicated to their work. Continue reading “GUELPH POLITICAST #276 – Paramedics and the Pandemic”

City Preps COVID-Safe Rec Programs, While Province Extends Stay-at-Home Order

When the Government of Ontario announced changes to the stay-at-home order a few weeks to allow for the re-opening of outdoor recreation facilities, there was a question mark locally about splash pads. On Tuesday, the City of Guelph cleared the question mark and announced dates for the opening of water-based amenities, plus summer recreation programs, while the Province formally announced the extension of the order. Continue reading “City Preps COVID-Safe Rec Programs, While Province Extends Stay-at-Home Order”

This Month at Council Part 2: Multi-Year Budgets, Transportation Master Plan, and CoW Issues

In the second part of the monthly recap of events at city council, things are much more streamlined. Two special meetings covered the ins and outs of multi-year budgeting, and the draft Transportation Master Plan, while the regular council meeting of the month was all about the ratification of the Committee of the Whole agenda, but with a couple of addendums. Continue reading “This Month at Council Part 2: Multi-Year Budgets, Transportation Master Plan, and CoW Issues”

LIVE BLOG: City Council Meeting for May 31, 2021

Let’s recap the stuff from Committee of the Whole! You can click here for the amended agenda 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 May 31, 2021”

Guelph Marks Discovery of Mass Grave at B.C. Residential School

The discovery of a mass grave with the remains of 215 children at the Kamloops Indian Residential School has re-opened a national sorrow, and prompted new demands for accountability and reconciliation. Guelph is no exception as key Royal City institutions have lowered their flags to half-staff in recognition of the loss while community activists organize a vigil at Guelph’s most recognizable landmark. Continue reading “Guelph Marks Discovery of Mass Grave at B.C. Residential School”