It’s been a long time coming, but Guelph has its first confirmed case in COVID-19, and in terms of the people who are the most vulnerable to the pandemic, it’s been found in the worst possible place. Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health confirmed Tuesday that a case of COVID-19 has been confirmed in Guelph, and the patient is a resident of St. Joseph’s Health Centre. Continue reading “Guelph First Case of COVID-19 Confirmed at St. Joe’s”
The Government of Ontario is ordering that all non-essential business be closed by midnight on Tuesday, and the province’s grocery stores will not be considered among the “non-essential.” But what about farmers’ markets? One concerned citizen is pushing the City of Guelph to re-open the weekly market in Guelph, but City staff says that there are practical considerations that make that impossible. Continue reading “If Grocery Stores Are Essential, Why Can’t We Open the Farmer’s Market?”
For the first time, we’re going to live blog an emergency meeting of city council. 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 March 23, 2020”
The City Clerk’s office has released a consolidated agenda for Monday’s emergency city council meeting, which includes more details about what emergency action that city council is considering in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Some local fiscal stimulus is being planned, and according to City staff, the emergency measures could come with a $4 to $6 million price tag. Continue reading “Amended Council Agenda Promises Fiscal Relief With (Maybe) a $6 Million Cost”
Just when you thought there was nothing left to close in Guelph, the City has announced that they are closing all playgrounds in the Royal City as well as the fenced-in dog park, the skate park, and other outdoor rec facilities upon the advice of the Medical Officer of Health. The closures will take effect immediately. Continue reading “City of Guelph Announces Closure of Park Facilities”
Wellington County has had its first confirmed case of COVID-19, but the novel coronavirus has not yet touched the City of Guelph. The announcement came Sunday afternoon that one of the news cases of COVID-19 was diagnosed close to home, and the 66-year-old man who was diagnosed with it, and is now recovering at Louise Marshall Hospital in Mount Forest, has no history of travel, or contact with a known case. Continue reading “First Confirmed Case of COVID-19 in Wellington County Found”
Two teenage entrepreneurs are turning a city on lockdown into an opportunity to connect local businesses with self-isolating homes across Guelph. If you’re missing a daily or weekly visit to your favourite shops because you’re in self-isolation, reprieve may be as close at hand as your internet browser or smart phone. Continue reading “Teen Entrepreneurs Launch Delivery Service for Local Businesses”
Even in the midst of a public health crisis, the gears of municipal politics still must move. With new authority granted by the Government of Ontario, city council will be meeting for the first time since the state of emergency was declared in the province, and they will gather in-person and electronically to discuss the immediate concerns of the City. Continue reading “City Council Preview – What’s on the Agenda for the March 23 Meeting?”
Mayor Cam Guthrie has called for an emergency session of City Council to take place Monday March 23 at 6 pm. The move follows the passage of the Municipal Emergency Act yesterday by the Ontario government, which allows municipal councils to carry on business electronically while authorities are continuing to recommend social distancing and the avoidance of large gatherings. Continue reading “Mayor Guthrie Sets Emergency Meeting of Council for Monday”
In what might be the last holdout after days of cancellations, the Guelph Arts Council formally closed its office, and cancelled all upcoming events for the rest of March and April. The cancellation affects one of the biggest events on the Arts Council’s calendar, but it’s not the only shift to the cultural landscape to be announced in the last day. Continue reading “Guelph Arts Council Cancels Upcoming Events”
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