Since Guelph started Stage 2 of Ontario’s economic re-opening plan, there have been a couple of disturbing incidents involving people coughing on employees in area stores. Now the trend has extended to re-opened City amenities with the report of an incident at Market Square from the weekend that someone intentionally coughed on a City of Guelph employee at the wading pool on Sunday. Continue reading “Police Investigating a Cough Attack at Market Square”
Before the start of the pandemic, there was a town hall scheduled by the Ward 2 City Councillors Rodrigo Goller and James Gordon to talk about safety and policing in Guelph with Police Chief Gord Cobey. COVID-19 cancelled that in-person meeting at the Evergreen Seniors’ Centre, but a couple of months later, the virtual version of that same town hall seemed even more well-timed as about 40 people wanted to talk about issues of racism. Continue reading “RECAP: Cobey Promises Change in Ward 2 Town Hall on Policing”
The court case that has intrigued a nation, and raised questions about transparency with the Guelph Police Service, made it’s way to a Guelph courtroom on Friday… to be continued. As Tabbara went to court, the national broadcaster reported new information that allegations about the Kitchener-South Hespeler Member of Parliament were known by the Liberal Party before the 2019 election, and he was allowed to run anyway. Continue reading “Tabbara Case Held Over By Guelph Court Until Late-August”
Considering the moment, it’s understandable why a lot of eyes were on the Guelph Police Services Board meeting on Thursday. Mayor Cam Guthrie brought a series of motions to this meeting with the hope that they might answer community demands for more transparency and accountability to the community from Guelph Police, and, for the most part, everyone at the meeting agreed that these changes needed to be made. Continue reading “Police Board Follows Mayor’s Lead on Tackling Better Community Relations”
At a special meeting of the Upper Grand District School Board on Tuesday night, trustees all agreed that while forming a task force to look at police presence in schools is a good idea, the motion tabled by the Board chair had some issues that couldn’t be resolved in one night. While the Board accepted the report, there’s still a lot of work to be done before they move onto the next phase. Continue reading “Upper Grand Board to Look at Police in Schools, Hung Up on Technicalities”
The news on June 5 that Kitchener-South Hespeler MP Marwan Tabbara had been arrested by the Guelph Police Service on April 10, and that no one in the general public knew about it for almost four months, has prompted a lot of questions. After being under pressure the last week, Guelph Police have now released a statement on why no one said that a sitting Member of Parliament had spent part of the Easter long weekend in their custody. Continue reading “Guelph Police Say They Followed the Letter with Tabbara Disclosure, Now Stop Asking”
A City of Guelph employee has been suspended after they posted an inappropriate message concerning Saturday’s Solidarity Protest to Support Black Lives Matter to the popular “Overheard at Guelph” Facebook page. The employee has been put on administrative leave, and an investigation is being conducted, but while the post has since been deleted, many on social media remain disturbed at the swipe at a peaceful and inclusive event. Continue reading “City of Guelph Employee Put on Leave After They “Criticized and Disparaged” Saturday’s March”
Thousands of people flooded Market Square Saturday and than marched through the streets downtown to send one message: anti-Black and anti-Indigenous racism must end, and so must police brutality against those groups. In what might have been one of the largest protests Guelph has ever seen, especially in recent memory, a diverse group of residents joined a worldwide chorus of people demanding the elimination of systemic racism. Continue reading ““The Change Starts Now!” Thousands Take Over Market Square to Say, “Black Lives Matter!””
Kitchener-South Hespeler MP Marwan Tabbara has announced that he will be taking a “step back” from the Liberal caucus after it was revealed that he was arrested for a series of charges in Guelph on April 10. Tabbara will still be representing his constituents for the time being, but he also acknowledges the charges while adding that he’s being treated for anxiety and depression. Continue reading “Kitchener MP Arrested in Guelph, Will “Step Back” From Caucus”
For nearly two weeks, protests demanding an end to police brutality and anti-Black racism have taken to the streets in cities across the U.S., Canada, and around the world. On Saturday, it will be Guelph’s time to demonstrate with what’s looking to be a very large gathering of people in support of Black Live Matter out in front of City Hall. What’s it going to look like, and what’s it been like organizing something like this in a pandemic? Continue reading “Q&A with Kayla “Kween” Gerber About Saturday’s March, and Combatting Racism in Guelph”
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