Kortright Waterfowl Park – Guelph Politico

This Week at Council: Niska Lands Blocked, Renoviction Bylaw Unlocked!

Published on Jun 14, 2026Jun 13, 2026 by Adam A. DonaldsonLeave a comment

It was a pretty big week for Guelph City Council in terms of both length and substance. The planning meeting also had scale, between the approval of a massive new project for the downtown area and the protection of a big piece of land in the south end. There were also big implications for supporting affordable housing in the city, as staff brought back three very in-demand new bylaws. So let’s get all the details from two mega meetings in this recap! Continue reading “This Week at Council: Niska Lands Blocked, Renoviction Bylaw Unlocked!” →

RECAP: City Council Meeting for June 9, 2026

Published on Jun 9, 2026Jun 10, 2026 by Adam A. DonaldsonLeave a comment

It’s going to be a long one at this month’s city council 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 during the meeting on Blue Sky or recap the complete thread after the meeting below. You can also watch the City’s own live-stream of the meeting here. Continue reading “RECAP: City Council Meeting for June 9, 2026” →

City Council Preview – What’s on the Agenda for the June 9, 2026 Meeting?

Published on May 29, 2026Jun 8, 2026 by Adam A. DonaldsonLeave a comment

June’s planning meeting will not be short on controversy. The Niska Lands are back on the agenda, and the activists who came out to speak for it being parkland earlier this year are probably going to have a bad time with this staff report, and there’s also a mysterious item from the mayor that will likely prompt some heated discussion. Plus, one very big (tall) project will be brought forward for approval, and there will be pretty big new subdivision proposed for the south end. Continue reading “City Council Preview – What’s on the Agenda for the June 9, 2026 Meeting?” →

GUELPH POLITICAST #510 – The Unknowable(?) History of the Waterfowl Park (Real Audio News)

Published on Feb 18, 2026Feb 17, 2026 by Adam A. DonaldsonLeave a comment

Last week’s discussion at city council about the City of Guelph buying a portion of the old Kortright Waterfowl Park lands on Niska Road captured a lot of attention from the community and community activists. No one’s going to debate the need for more parks and open space, but it’s hard to get a full sense of the history of *this* because it goes back before the internet, so can we ever really have a firm sense of that background and the stakes? Continue reading “GUELPH POLITICAST #510 – The Unknowable(?) History of the Waterfowl Park (Real Audio News)” →

GUELPH POLITICAST #430 – Caution’s Creek Part 2: The Future

Published on Aug 7, 2024Aug 6, 2024 by Adam A. DonaldsonLeave a comment

It took a while to get here, but the Grand River Conservation Authority membership last month approved a management plan for the Niska lands, aka: the old Kortright Waterfowl Park, but this is not the end of the journey. For nearly 20 years there’s been a fierce back and forth about what comes next for the property and who’s responsible for its protection, but even with a plan in place now it doesn’t mean that the controversy is over. Continue reading “GUELPH POLITICAST #430 – Caution’s Creek Part 2: The Future” →

GUELPH POLITICAST #403 – 2023: The Lousy Clip Show

Published on Dec 27, 2023Dec 26, 2023 by Adam A. DonaldsonLeave a comment

On this holiday week, you’re probably listening to a lot of reruns and year-end recaps on your podcast feed, and that’s why Guelph Politico is demonstrating its incredible efficiency by combining both things into one podcast. This week, we will review the 2023 soundbites that made the news in Guelph; the announcements, the arguments and the silliness that helped define the last 365 days in the Royal City. Continue reading “GUELPH POLITICAST #403 – 2023: The Lousy Clip Show” →

GUELPH POLITICAST #392 – Caution’s Creek Part 1: The Past

Published on Oct 11, 2023Oct 9, 2023 by Adam A. DonaldsonLeave a comment

This is one of those episodes that’s based on events that predate many of us that have come to call Guelph home in the last few decades. It’s also a story about land issues, and the desire to protect sensitive land from development. It’s had a lot of names over the years including the Kortright Waterfowl Park, the Niska Lands, and the Hanlon Creek Conservation Area, but the story around this property is just as complicated to sort out. Continue reading “GUELPH POLITICAST #392 – Caution’s Creek Part 1: The Past” →

RECAP: GRCA Members Hear About the Plans for the Old Waterfowl Park

Published on Sep 22, 2023Sep 22, 2023 by Adam A. DonaldsonLeave a comment

September’s meeting of the Grand River Conservation Authority’s membership had a Guelph-centric agenda item. Deliberations began about the future of the old Kortright Waterfowl Park in the city’s southwest end, and while no decisions were made at this meeting, decisions are going to be made in the near future. In other news, there may be some relief for GRCA pass holders who want to access the Elora Gorge. Here’s the meeting recap… Continue reading “RECAP: GRCA Members Hear About the Plans for the Old Waterfowl Park” →