November’s meeting of Heritage Guelph will see a lot of movement on the preservation of location heritage, which is good because we’re now almost one year into the two year project to save listed properties thanks to Bill 23. There are three new designations, and one designation in progress on this agenda, plus an unusual situation around site planning near a heritage conservation district. Continue reading “MEETING PREVIEW: Heritage Guelph Meeting for November 13, 2023”
Since it closed in 2000, the Ontario Reformatory, and the 108 hectares that surround it, have been the source of much conversation, optimism and fantasy. We got the Guelph Innovation District Secondary Plan, we’ve got a Heritage Conservation District Study, and now we’ve got a project to turn the area into a national park. Is creating a national park the end game for the OR Lands we’ve been looking for? Continue reading “GUELPH POLITICAST #391 – A National Park (If We Can Keep It)”
For a while it looked like there wasn’t going to be an August Heritage Guelph meeting, and then there was! There was one item on this agenda, but if you’ve enjoyed a walk on the old Ontario Reformatory Lands this summer, then you might be interested to know that the subject of this meeting was the heritage conservation district plan for the OR Lands. Where the work is now, and where it’s going next, was the one subject of this special summer meeting! Continue reading “RECAP: Heritage Guelph Digs Into Next Phase of OR Land District Plan”
We interrupt this summer vacation for a Heritage Guelph meeting. The time and day was reserved, though staff weren’t initially sure that there would be a need for this August meeting, but it seems like there’s one thing that they want to get done before September arrives. Put your thinking caps on because we’re going back to the property formally known as the Ontario Reformatory for a look at its future on paper. Continue reading “MEETING PREVIEW: Heritage Guelph Meeting for August 14, 2023”
After a week off for March Break, council returned for a busy work week that saw a major piece of a major heritage project completed, and some new work on the local economic development and tourism picture. But along with the regular order of business, there was some irregular order as council met at 10 am on Wednesday as a new measure of inclusion for the Muslim members of our community this Ramadan. Shall we recap… Continue reading “This Week at Council: Economic Development and OR Lands Boundary Approved”
After a break for March Break, we bring you this month’s planning 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: City Council Meeting for March 21, 2023”
After March Break, council will sit down for this month’s relatively thin planning meeting with two items on the agenda. One is about approving a plan for a seniors’ residence in the south end, but the major one concerns a pretty big piece of land. What are council’s thoughts about the work done so far on the Heritage Conservation District plan for the Ontario Reformatory Lands? We’re going to find out! Continue reading “City Council Preview – What’s on the Agenda for the March 21 Meeting?”
In many ways, the February Heritage Guelph meeting was a continuation of the January meeting with the committee affirming the new boundaries for the proposed Cultural Heritage District for the OR Lands. In other news, Heritage Guelph took staff’s Top 10 list of the non-downtown heritage properties they’re most concerned about and added a couple of amendments including a big one on Catholic Hill. Continue reading “RECAP: Heritage Moves Ahead with OR Land Boundary and “Top 11” List”
For February’s Heritage Guelph meeting, it feels like we’re resetting the table for the tricky years ahead. Two items will be before the committee this month, both already familiar to the public at large; Heritage Guelph will formally recommend the shape and size of the heritage district at the old jail lands, and then begin the busy work of saving as much heritage as they can in the next 24 months. Continue reading “MEETING PREVIEW: Heritage Guelph Meeting for February 13, 2023”
Heritage Guelph kicked off the new year with an update about a couple of key areas of concern: The Heritage Conservation District study of the Ontario Reformatory Lands, and an update about the post-Bill 23 workload for heritage staff. There was progress on both counts, especially with the HCD study which looks about ready to move on to the next phase, the phase where it comes to council! Continue reading “RECAP: Heritage Guelph Likes the OR Land Boundaries; Also Bill 23 Update”
Guelph Politico 