Over 850 people made their way to the Delta Hotel on Stone Road for the annual winter ritual of hearing the mayor talk. The Chamber of Commerce’s State of the City event for 2023 had the usual aspirational statements and hopeful outlook about the future, but it also came with a warning about the tough times ahead and the need to work together as a community to meet the challenges were all familiar with by now. Continue reading “Guthrie Drops Gimmicks for Serious Talk at State of the City”
It happened in the middle of the fall election campaign, but the new Strategic Advisory Group on downtown Guelph released a series of short to long-term goals that they hope to achieve to create a safer and more welcoming downtown core. The City of Guelph released a new update on Thursday saying that their aspirations have started to take shape with more formal directions, a “high-level, tactical roadmap to achieving the objectives” if you will. Continue reading “Advisory Committee Lays Out More Specific Plans for Downtown”
The 23rd annual Mayor’s Event for Mental Health was all about finding creative ways to handle stress, anxiety and other mental health issues. Taking a break from campaigning, Mayor Cam Guthrie welcomed four guests to talk about how things like laughing, music, making art, or just sitting in nature can all have a powerful affect in making our minds healthier as part of a well-balanced life. Continue reading ““Wildly Laugh and Clean Your Toilet” and Other Advice from Mayor’s Mental Health Event”
In the midst of an election where housing affordability, homelessness and mental health and addition issues are all on the frontburner, the City of Guelph is announcing some direction. Following up on a July vote by the current city council to approve a new Strategic Advisory Group on issues affecting downtown Guelph, the group itself has now announced its six strategic priorities to tackle those problems. Continue reading “Advisory Group Sets Six Priorities For Homelessness and Downtown Issues”
Challenges with mental health and addictions is so prevalent most people can rattle off some statistic whether they, or someone they know, is affected or not. Under the idea of “it takes a village”, a bunch of community leaders were brought together on Tuesday morning at the Frank Hasenfratz Centre for Excellence in Manufacturing for a Youth Mental Health Forum in the hopes of generating some “outside the box” thinking. Continue reading “Mental Health Forum Says Big Challenges Have Local Solutions”
Young people across the country are heading back to school this week, and there’s going to be a lot of pressure; pressure to get back to normal, pressure to catch up on lessons after pandemic hiccups, pressure to succeed in a world full of uncertainty… It’s no wonder that four out of five local young people between the ages of 12 and 26 say they’re in need of mental health assistance. Continue reading “GUELPH POLITICAST #338 – The Quest for Healthy Young Minds”
“International Overdose Awareness Day is the world’s largest annual campaign to end overdose, remember without stigma those who have died and acknowledge the grief of the family and friends left behind.” That’s what the day is officially about, but it means something different to everyone who’s experienced loss caused by the drug crisis. All those experiences were marked today in a packed event in St. George’s Square. Continue reading “Hope and Healing at the Commemoration of Overdose Awareness Day”
July means the end of council business for the summer, but in this election year it also kind of means the end of business for the rest of this term. With the exception of a couple of meetings in September, and one in November, this is it for the current incarnation of council and what a way to leave things with a new Official Plan Amendment, a major benchmark in the Comprehensive Zoning Bylaw review, and emergency motions about homelessness downtown. Here’s the recap! Continue reading “This Month at Council: Official Plan, Zoning and Homelessness”
Responding to a motion from Guelph City Council to hold an emergency meeting on homelessness in Downtown Guelph, the Wellington County’s social services committee gathered to address those concerns. The long meeting (by committee standards) saw members agree with Guelph’s leaders that more needs to done, and backed up council’s calls for action. How did we get here? Let’s recap the meeting… Continue reading “RECAP: County Committee Supports Council Direction on Homelessness”
Just a couple of days after Guelph City Council ratified a slate of motions meant to direct action on homelessness, mental health and addiction issues in Downtown Guelph, the City’s social services provider will gather the committee that oversees them for a special meeting. On Thursday, Wellington County’s social services committee, which includes Mayor Cam Guthrie as a member, will answer some of Guelph council’s questions. Continue reading “County’s Social Services Committee to Hold Special Meeting on Thursday”
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