This Week at Council: Last Minute Motion Drama

It was supposed to be a nice, smooth meeting. The only thing on the agenda were reports from Committee of the Whole meetings that needed to be ratified, and aside from the two or three delegations, this meeting should have been over and done quickly. And yet, sometimes when you think the meeting is over, it’s not really over, especially when a member of council has a very specific motion they want to table. Here’s the recap… Continue reading “This Week at Council: Last Minute Motion Drama”

RECAP: City Council Meeting for September 24, 2024

One last crack at committee business before we move on to October! 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 “RECAP: City Council Meeting for September 24, 2024”

City Council Preview – What’s on the Agenda for the September 24, 2024 Meeting?

The last meeting of September will present you, the Guelph resident, the opportunity to revisit just about anything previously discussed at this month’s two Committee of the Whole meetings (at least one of them hasn’t happened yet as of the publishing of this preview). From downtown renewal to second quarter financials to a possible renoviction bylaw, here’s your second bite at the apple! Continue reading “City Council Preview – What’s on the Agenda for the September 24, 2024 Meeting?”

This Week at Council: Renew Kids on the Block

Although there’s been a couple of meetings in the last few weeks, the fall session began properly this week with the first of two Committee of the Whole meetings this month. There were really only two things on the agenda, one a matter of diversity and inclusion and the other a matter of major infrastructure renewal. So let’s dig in to the two “recons”, reconciliation and reconstruction, on this week’s recap! Continue reading “This Week at Council: Renew Kids on the Block”

RECAP: Committee of the Whole Meeting for September 4, 2024

Back to business as usual on 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 “RECAP: Committee of the Whole Meeting for September 4, 2024”

Committee of the Whole Preview – What’s on the Agenda for the September 4, 2024 Meeting?

Committee of the Whole is back to start the last third of the year with a jam-packed agenda. September may be “Back to School” time, but at city council it’s back to Downtown Renewal time with a five-pack of reports covering all manner of issues in the core including waste collection, washrooms, and heritage. Also, there will be lots of recognition for staff, and some formal recognition for our Indigenous community. Continue reading “Committee of the Whole Preview – What’s on the Agenda for the September 4, 2024 Meeting?”

City Council Preview – What’s on the Agenda for the Meeting on February 21?

Originally, the content of this meeting was supposed to be tackled in September, which would have made it ideally timed about a little more than a week before the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. Slightly less well-timed, but no less important, council will finally get together to consider matters of Indigenous reconciliation and their place in it with a very insightful and informative exercise. Continue reading “City Council Preview – What’s on the Agenda for the Meeting on February 21?”

City Council Preview – What’s on the Agenda for the Meeting on September 20?

In September we count down to the end of the month and the newest national holiday, the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. On September 30, we’re meant to stop and think about the impacts of five centuries of colonialism on Canada’s First Nations, Inuit and Metis people, and take steps to make a better future we all share equally. Council is getting a early start with a highly educational workshop meeting. Continue reading “City Council Preview – What’s on the Agenda for the Meeting on September 20?”

GUELPH POLITICAST #384 – The Immortal John Galt

“John Galt, novelist, colonial promoter. Galt was superintendent of the Canada Company, a colonization company created to settle part of Upper Canada. During that time, he founded the town of Guelph (1827); the town of Galt was named after him.” That’s what the Canadian Encyclopedia tells you about Galt, but it doesn’t tell you a lot about who he really was. Continue reading “GUELPH POLITICAST #384 – The Immortal John Galt”

GUELPH POLITICAST #377 – The Many Faces of Mike

You may know Mike Ashkewe. You might have read his insightful columns at the Guelph Mercury Tribune, or you might have heard him on the radio talking about video games and pop culture, or you might have seen him serve as vice-chair of the Accessibility Advisory Committee, or you may have run into him when he was volunteering at Chalmers downtown. But do you really know Mike Ashkewe? Continue reading “GUELPH POLITICAST #377 – The Many Faces of Mike”