Tag: Government of Ontario

This Week at Council: Official Plan Drama as Council’s Lobbied Hard

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This week at Guelph City Council, there was a little meeting and a big meting. The little meeting was the Committee of the Whole, which was over and done in about 20 minutes. As for the big meeting? Well that is – what’s the word? – complicated. The fallout from the Ontario government’s flip-flop on the Official Plan proved more trickier than you might have thought for a motion that was simply meant to reverse previous changes, but that’s what this recap is for… Continue reading “This Week at Council: Official Plan Drama as Council’s Lobbied Hard” →

LIVE BLOG: City Council Meetings for December 5, 2023

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It’s back-t0-back meetings to kick off December! You can click here and here for the amended agendas 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 Meetings for December 5, 2023” →

City Council Preview – What’s on the Agenda for the December 5 Meetings?

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Two big meetings back-to-back, united in the fact that there’s only one issue on each of their agendas. The final Committee of the Whole meeting of 2023 will actually look ahead to next year with a brief report, and after that, council will look to the past. Sort of. That Official Plan Amendment that was approved, sent to the Ontario government, rewritten, sent back to council and re-adapted… It’s back again! Continue reading “City Council Preview – What’s on the Agenda for the December 5 Meetings?” →

Ontario’s Cabinet Shuffled in the Wake of Clark’s Resignation

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A housing crisis plus 1.5 million homes to build in the next eight years is a task that might require a Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing in the Government of Ontario cabinet. You might have heard that the previous minister resigned this morning, which is why late Monday afternoon Premier Doug Ford announced a light cabinet shuffle in the wake of Steve Clark’s resignation. And you’re new Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing is… Continue reading “Ontario’s Cabinet Shuffled in the Wake of Clark’s Resignation” →

Apropos, Clark Quits Cabinet on Labour Day

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Nearly a month into the scandal that has absorbed almost all the attention put on the Government of Ontario, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing Steve Clark announced on Labour Day that he was resigning from cabinet. Even though it was less than a week ago that Clark said that he could continue in cabinet despite the damning indictments of both the Auditor General and the Integrity Commissioner, he’s now had a change of heart. Continue reading “Apropos, Clark Quits Cabinet on Labour Day” →

Schreiner Calls For Public Inquiry into Greenbelt Shenanigans

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Greenbelt-gate continues to be a pain for the Government of Ontario, and the opposition parties are twisting the knife. Today, Guelph MPP and Green Party of Ontario leader Mike Schreiner took things up a notch by calling for an independent public inquiry into the scandal. It’s another pressure point in a week full of renewed pressure on Doug Ford and company about the deal to sell Greenbelt land to developers. Continue reading “Schreiner Calls For Public Inquiry into Greenbelt Shenanigans” →

CITY PAGES: Parks & Rec Feedback, Emma-to-Earl Approved, and Greener Homes Launch

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The City of Guelph, and it’s various partners and agencies, put 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: Parks & Rec Feedback, Emma-to-Earl Approved, and Greener Homes Launch” →

OP-ED: Strong Mayor Powers “Unacceptable”, Even as a “Tool”

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The Ontario Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing has announced the extension of Strong Mayor Powers to 26 municipalities including Guelph effective July 1st 2023. Previously only Toronto and Ottawa mayors had these powers. Continue reading “OP-ED: Strong Mayor Powers “Unacceptable”, Even as a “Tool”” →

GUELPH POLITICAST #378 – Strong Mayors Podcast

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Last Friday, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing Steve Clark announced that so-called Strong Mayor powers were being extended to 26 of Ontario’s biggest cities, including Guelph. The move was not shocking, and going back to the original announcement last summer, it had indeed been promised, but it was kind of surprising that Guelph’s mayor was there, on stage with the minister, for the announcement. Continue reading “GUELPH POLITICAST #378 – Strong Mayors Podcast” →

GUELPH POLITICAST #374 – The Problem (?) With Government

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We’re coming up on the end of the first year of the Ford government’s second term, and it’s been a highly consequential year if you work in one of Ontario’s 444 municipalities. At times, it felt like there was an announcement every week about some change to how cities conduct oversight or run their own planning processes. It’s enough to make you ask, “what will happen next?” and last week we got the answer. Continue reading “GUELPH POLITICAST #374 – The Problem (?) With Government” →