Tag: Mental Health

GUELPH POLITICAST #418 – Mental Health Week

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Earlier this year, Statistics Canada reported that there has been a five per cent increase in positive responses in the proportions of adults who reported excellent or very good mental health, a strong sense of belonging to their local community, and a high level of life satisfaction between 2021 and 2023. And yet, considering that still less than three out of five adults report excellent or very good mental health, we still have a long way to go. Continue reading “GUELPH POLITICAST #418 – Mental Health Week” →

New Federal Funding Announced for Local Mental Health Programs

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As a result of the pandemic, and other outside factors, we’ve seen an increased need for mental health services in the last few years. What you might not be aware of though is that there’s no one size fits all approach for people seeking mental health assistance, but a funding announcement Thursday morning at the new Guelph headquarters of the Canadian Mental Health Association of Waterloo Wellington hopes to change that. Continue reading “New Federal Funding Announced for Local Mental Health Programs” →

This Week at Council: Planning, Tribunal and Encampments Form the Trifecta

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There are busy weeks at council, and then there’s spending nearly half of a 28-hour period in the council chambers. That was the time frame this week at 1 Carden Street, and in that period there was a planning meeting, a meeting where council sat as tribunal on a matter of misapplied Development Charges, and, the big one, a marathon meeting about a Public Spaces Use bylaw. To see how it all turned out, consult this week’s recap below… Continue reading “This Week at Council: Planning, Tribunal and Encampments Form the Trifecta” →

LIVE BLOG: First City Council Meeting for February 14, 2024

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In what’s sure to be one of the most controversial meeting of the year, the public spaces use bylaw. You can click 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: First City Council Meeting for February 14, 2024” →

City Council Preview – What’s on the Agenda for the First February 14 Meeting?

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Just a day after a two-day meeting between representatives from Guelph and Wellington County, and about two weeks after it was first proposed in closed session at city council, staff have generated what’s sure to be the most controversial policy of the year. The growing visibility of encampments, especially in downtown Guelph, prompted the creation of a new bylaw, and it will be debated at this meeting! Continue reading “City Council Preview – What’s on the Agenda for the First February 14 Meeting?” →

This Week at Council: Housing, Heritage and Hesitancy in Double Header

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It’s tough to summarize a nine-hour council meeting, but it kind of helps that this one came in two parts. In the first half, council tried its best to use the limited tool kit they have to generate some housing solutions amidst the crisis, and then, in the second half, it was the usual monthly planning meeting with some big new applications, big decisions, and some big heritage designations. Here’s the (lengthier than normal) recap… Continue reading “This Week at Council: Housing, Heritage and Hesitancy in Double Header” →

LIVE BLOG: Special City Council Meeting for October 17, 2023

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It’s another special meeting about housing. You can click 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: Special City Council Meeting for October 17, 2023” →

City Council Preview – What’s on the Agenda for the October 17 Special Meeting?

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The first entry in a packed day at City Hall (which also includes an Accessibility Advisory Committee meeting and the planning meeting of city council) is all about housing. Following up on other recent meetings about the subject, city council will offer some further and firmer direction on how to combat the local housing crisis. Will Guelph City Council be finally able to make an impact? Let’s see what the plan is… Continue reading “City Council Preview – What’s on the Agenda for the October 17 Special Meeting?” →

This Week at Council: Housing is Exactly as Complicated as You Think

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After several weeks of hype, Guelph City Council held a meeting meant to rake out most of their concerns about housing, homelessness, social services, addictions and mental health. A substantial agenda requires a commensurate meeting length, and council tackled seven hours worth of facts, figures and insights into all those issues to find the gaps, and hopefully start to find some solutions. Here’s the recap from this week’s council meeting… Continue reading “This Week at Council: Housing is Exactly as Complicated as You Think” →

LIVE BLOG: City Council Meeting for September 12, 2023

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This is a meting all about housing! You can click 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 Meeting for September 12, 2023” →