We’re Back! (Sort of.) Council Returns to In-Person with Hybrid Model This Month

March 9, 2020. That was the last time that Guelph City Council met in-person. Appropriately enough, almost exactly two years later, city council will once again be meeting in-person again starting on March 7. Well, half of them will be meeting in-person anyway. That’s one of the caveats announced by the City of Guelph’s clerks’ office on Tuesday, another sign that we’re slowly entering a post-pandemic world. Continue reading “We’re Back! (Sort of.) Council Returns to In-Person with Hybrid Model This Month”

Schreiner Says Small Businesses Still Need Help as Provincial Re-opening Begins

Ontario businesses locked down for the last three-and-a-half weeks were finally allowed to re-open up to 50 per cent capacity on Monday, so problem solved, right? Not so fast, says Guelph MPP Mike Schreiner. Joined by Dufferin-Caledon Green Party candidate Laura Campbell, who owns a restaurant in downtown Orangeville, Schreiner said that there’s still a role for government to play as businesses try and get back on their feet. Continue reading “Schreiner Says Small Businesses Still Need Help as Provincial Re-opening Begins”

Last Minute Details Before Monday’s Re-Opening Announced

The anticipated re-opening of the Ontario economy is Monday, and there have been some last-minute details released from both the Provincial government and the local public health unit. Locally, a public health order issued in December will be rescinded on Monday, and there have been some adjustments to the re-opening protocols from the Province while all levels are sending out a message that COVID is something we have to get used to. Continue reading “Last Minute Details Before Monday’s Re-Opening Announced”

New Framework Alert: Ontario Starts Re-Opening on January 31

After being teased through several media sources of Wednesday night, Premier Doug Ford announced (on time) on Thursday morning that the re-emergence from lockdown will begin on January 31. The phased approach will see three-weeks between the initiation of each part of the plan, which Ford and company believes will give Ontario the best strategy to manage both the virus and the economy. Continue reading “New Framework Alert: Ontario Starts Re-Opening on January 31”

Elliott and Moore Say There’s Reason for Hope (Not a Guarantee)

Will Ontario businesses be allowed to open again exactly one week from now? That was not a question firmly answered by the Minister of Health and the Chief Medical Officer of Health on Wednesday at a media conference. One day after Premier Doug Ford told an Ottawa radio station that there will be good news about the lockdown conditions later this week, Christine Elliott and Dr. Kieran Moore seemed to signal that’s still TBD. Continue reading “Elliott and Moore Say There’s Reason for Hope (Not a Guarantee)”

Schreiner and Desautels Call on Ontario Government to Do More for Restaurants

On day two of the new light lockdown for many businesses in Ontario, Guelph MPP Mike Schreiner appeared on a virtual press conference with Guelph entrepeneur Court Desautels, the CEO of The Neighbourhood Group. The point of the conference was to call on the Ontario government to do more for small businesses, even after an announcement from Queen’s Park to that effect, both Schreiner and Desautels say it’s not enough. Continue reading “Schreiner and Desautels Call on Ontario Government to Do More for Restaurants”

City Announces How They’re Responding to New Provincial Restrictions

Almost 24 hours ago, the Government of Ontario announced a series of new restrictions on public gatherings, as well as capacity limits and new closures. On Monday night, the City of Guelph announced how they’re responding; which facilities are closing, which programs are cancelled, and what will be left for the so-called time-limited pause in the provincial re-opening? Continue reading “City Announces How They’re Responding to New Provincial Restrictions”

Ontario Kicks Off 2022 With “Time-Limited” Measures to Stop Omicron

Remember the Province’s second step in their Roadmap to Reopen? The last time we were down to step two was last July, but Omicron has forced another step backward in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. Premier Doug Ford announced on Monday that Ontario will be returning to step two as a “time-limited measure needed to preserve capacity,” and that includes no in-person school for until at least the middle of the month. Continue reading “Ontario Kicks Off 2022 With “Time-Limited” Measures to Stop Omicron”

Guelph Museums Announce New Programming as They Re-Open

In another sign that activity in Guelph is starting to resemble something closer to normal, Guelph Museums has released details about the programs, events and exhibits that will hopefully draw you back to their two locations over the next couple of weeks. From tea time, to theatre, to remembrances of recent history, there’s a lot to see at the museums in a responsible, physically-distant way. Continue reading “Guelph Museums Announce New Programming as They Re-Open”

Ontario Moving on to Stage 3 Next Friday

Good news has been sometimes hard to come by in the last 15 months, but there was definitely some good news on Friday as the Government of Ontario announced that stage 3 is beginning early. Although the original intent was to move to the third and final phase of the economic re-opening on July 21, positive developments on both lower case counts and high vaccination rates means an early jump on stage 3. Continue reading “Ontario Moving on to Stage 3 Next Friday”