In less than two weeks, we enter the year 2022, and that’s an election year in Ontario. In the spring, Premier Doug Ford and the Progressive Conservatives will aim to make a case that they should be re-elected for a second term, but the knives will almost certainly be out for them. But what about the one Green MPP in the legislature? What kind of year will 2022 be for him? Continue reading “GUELPH POLITICAST #303 – Christmas With Mike”
Just a few days before Christmas, the Guelph General Hospital announced Tuesday that the rapid spread of the Omicron variant is forcing them to tighten the rules around visitors. As of Thursday, all hospital patients will only be allowed one visitor for the duration of their stay, and for anyone that doesn’t wish to be a COVID patient in the hospital, Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Kieran Moore says he’s trying to help you get a booster. Continue reading “Guelph General Restricts Visitors While Dr. Moore Pulls Out the Stops”
It’s starting to feel a lot like… earlier this year. Less than 48 hours after announcing the expansion of booster COVID-19 vaccine shots, and a 50 per cent cap on capacity limits at venues for more than a thousand people, Premier Doug Ford announced some additional caps to capacity on Friday afternoon. In other words, one day after saying he didn’t need to put more protocols on restaurants, the Premier has but more protocols on restaurants. Continue reading “Government of Ontario Announces Further Capacity Restrictions”
With the resurgence of COVID-19 and the concern around the Omicron variant, Premier Doug Ford and his advisors took to the media studio at Queen’s Park to announce a major shift in direction. Starting Monday, everyone over the age of 18 in Ontario will be eligible for their third shot of a COVID-19 vaccine even if its been just three months after completing their first two shots. There are also some other new developments to note. Continue reading “Boosters For Everyone 18 and Over on Monday, New Capacity Limits on Saturday”
In the wake of growing concerns over the Omicron variant, and the increased number of COVID-19 cases, many people thought that Tuesday’s update from Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Kieran Moore was going to make more news than it did. Instead, Moore offered some concern about the stats, but he didn’t really change the game plan for fighting COVID, at least in the short-term. Continue reading “Moore Offers “Precautionary Measures”, No Change in Direction (For Now)”
One of the main issues in the recently completed Federal Election was the Liberal government plan to supply the county with $10 per day childcare. During that election, about half the country had still not struck a deal with the the Feds, but as of today, every Canadian province, save one, has achieved affordable childcare. So will Ontario find a way to get to a deal now that everyone else has? Continue reading “Ontario Now Last Province Standing Without a Childcare Deal”
For two weeks, we’ve watched the global spread of the Omicron COVID-19 variant and wondered when it would be detected here. Wonder no longer. On Friday, Wellington-Dufferin-Gulph Public Health announced that they’ve detected the first local case of Omicron locally. Meanwhile, Queen’s Park announced Friday that they’re departing from original post-new year’s plans to wind down vaccine certification. Continue reading “As Omicron Arrives in Guelph, Ontario Changes Their Pandemic Plans”
It’s not often you pick up a copy of the Globe & Mail and see your sister and her family on the front page, but it’s also not everyday that a town somewhere in Ontario almost blows up. Around dinner time on August 26, two buildings in Wheatley’s downtown area exploded. The source, apparently, is a gas leak, but nobody’s sure and dozens of residents were relocated for safety. One of them was my sister. Continue reading “GUELPH POLITICAST #301 – The Town That Dreaded Sundown”
The Dolime Quarry land will become a part of the City of Guelph on January 1, 2022. This announcement comes from Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing Steve Clark who came to Guelph first thing on Monday morning to announce that he’s signing the Ministerial Zoning Order (MZO) that will rezone the quarry once it’s shut down. The struggle to secure the site is over, and the countdown to redevelopment begins. Continue reading “Clark Signs MZO to Make Dolime Residential, Becomes Part of Guelph January 1”
You may have heard there’s a housing crisis. Sky-high costs, especially in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area, are making it harder and harder for all but the richest of the rich to be able to get the housing they need. This seems like a problem that the government could help solve. Or if not the government, then someone adjacent to the government like a provincial opposition leader and Member of Provincial Parliament. Continue reading “Schreiner Brings Forward a New Motion to Take on the Housing Crisis”
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