Guelph Politico

Top 10 Local/Provincial Stories of 2011

2011-12-28T17:34:00.000-05:00

10. Get on the GO

An event years in the making, the GO train finally returned to Guelph on December 19th, but it was not without some controversy. Still, 2011 demonstrated a dramatic leap forward in public transit for the City of Guelph. Guelph Transit announced new routes and schedules that will take effect on January 1st, summer cuts to service were repelled in budget deliberations and stat holiday service was restored for many holidays in 2011, and for the entire year in 2012. If some real progress could be made on finishing the transit hub, and if council could resist the urge to not increase transit prices on a yearly basis, we might be the closest we've ever been to a transit utopia. But perhaps true perfection is being left that one, small thing to complain about.

9. The Struggle to Balance Budgets

If you're feeling mathematically exhausted, it might be because this year had two budget processes in them. Whether the 2011 budget deliberations last winter or the 2012 discussions last month, the City struggled with balancing spending, maintaining services and keep tax increases, if tax increases were necessary, as low as possible. In the process some odd sorts of financial arrangements have been made or attempted. Among them the approval of borrowing from the City's savings in order to cover operational costs for the 2011 budget and the proposal to sell the City's street lamps to Guelph Hydro to cut costs in the 2012 budget. For both years, some trimming here and some new spending there has meant a rather steady increase of three per cent per year, and all the while the debate rages: do we pay too much in tax as compared to our municipal neighbours, or too little? I guess we will see what wonders awaits when we hit the ledgers for 2013.

8. Schirk and Gordon End Up in Photo Finish

802. That was the total number of votes that separated PC Greg Schirk from NDP James Gordon in the final tally in October's Provincial Election in Guelph. Liberal Liz Sandals won outright with nearly 20,000 votes,but in the race for second it was a close as it could get between local businessman Shcirk and local musical legend Gordon. The numbers were so close - 11,950 for Schirk and 11,148 for Gordon - that one wonders what difference a higher voter turnout could have made. Also interesting is that both men have announced their intention to run in the next election for their respective parties, which could make political life in Guelph very interesting should Sandals decide that three is enough for her time in Queen's Park.

7. Fight to the Death Over the Health Unit

One of the things that stood out in the 2011 budget was a $10 million request from the Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Health Unit to build a new facility for itself. Another capital project for the wait-and-see-if-we-get-more-money list? Nope, the Health Unit was gonna build it, and, by the way, the Province of Ontario, which is technically supposed to split costs with the municipalities, ain't kicking in no money for no new Health Unit, thanks for playing. The reaction form the City was swift and decisive: well not only can you not build your new Health Unit, but we're going to form our own Health Unit! (But without Black Jack and hookers.) Following the example of the People's Court, the City took the matter to litigation and in October, a judge decided that not only could the city not use the law to stop the Health Unit from moving forward with building a new facility, it couldn't unilaterally start a new, Guelph-only, Health Unit from scratch.

6. Increased Partisan Rancor

If you detected a change in tone amongst partisans this year, you're not alone. The polarizing atmosphere of our politics is shown in perfect pitch online where anonymity frequently allows people to get as nasty as they want to be without consequence. It was a tone that especially became prevalent during the spring Federal campaign, but the trickle down effect being what it is, it started to become more pronounced on a municipal level too. Any mention of strife at City Hall, no matter how minor, brought out the knives. A group of vocal critics eager to rake out select council members like Mayor Karen Farbridge and Councillor Maggie Laidlaw were only too eager to launch ad hominem attacks. Phrases like "waste of skin" and "inhuman monster" were thrown about with the casualness of rice at a wedding, and meanwhile, people on both sides attacked the local media for not letting "their" voices be heard as much as the other side. A recent attempt by some posters on the 59 Carden Street blog to put faces to names and engage in constructive, civilized discussion seems to have gone well. Hopefully this is a positive sign of progress for the new year.

5. Carden Street Conundrum

It was only a matter of time. For years Carden Street has been under construction, from the tear down of the old Memorial Arena, to the construction of the new City Hall, to the renovation of old City Hall, to the repairs of the railway bridge and the two year closure of Wyndham Street. But as construction of the new Market Square marched on with no signs of completion, merchants across the road from City Hall started to see their street as a No Man's Land, and launched a retaliatory strike. First Kris and Adrian Raso of Little Shop of Guitars blasted Led Zeppelin out there window and got a visit from a by-law officer for their efforts, and became something of local folk heroes in the process. Another merchant, Marc Black of Hemphire sent an e-mail to city managers and the Guelph Mercury which included a picture of the Three Stooges, the inference being that city planners are the comical triad of knuckleheads. In a bizarre move, a libel suit was leveled against Black and the Mercury, but then was quickly dropped again. Of all of the City's PR blunders this year, the whole "Three Stooges Affair" was definitely the silliest.

4. McGuinty Gets a Three-peat

The odds were stacked against him, he was down 10 points in the polls at any given time, and on the eve of his second election as Premier, it was a forgone conclusion that Dalton McGuinty and his Liberals were going to take a serious hit on Election Night. Whether a straight up loss or a minority government, the feeling was that McGuinty was going to pay at the polls, but thanks to an unengaging election and an even more unengaged electorate, McGuinty nearly walked to his third majority, only barely missing the mark with 53 of the requisite 54 seats needed. What happened to all that bitterness and resentment towards the Premier? What turned out to be a plebiscite on McGuinty, was made dubious by Tim Hudak's repeated gaffs. Of course, this was Hudak's first election, it stand to reason that he'll get better, but rarely does an incumbent go into election so far behind, and yet is till able to grasp victory. A minority victory, but a victory nonetheless.

3. Rob Ford Loses Steam, Gravy and Conviction

It's hard to believe that it was a lone, solitary year ago that Rob Ford became Mayor of Toronto on a tide of fiscal savings and soaking up all the gravy and giving it back to the tax payer. But for Ford, the year 2011 wasn't just about getting the fiscal house of the of the City of Toronto in order, is was about learning that those problems can't all be solved with an axe, that covering for your big brother is sometimes more effort than you think, and that sometimes a man that prides himself on his virility has to run and hide, even if it is from gays, comediennes and Margaret Atwood. From the grand affront of siting out Pride Toronto events in favour of some very important cotteging, to the whole waterfront debacle, to calling 911 on This Hour Has 22 Minutes, to eventually ceding to a slight tax hike in the 2012 budget, the Ford era got off to a tough start. In the meantime, Ford took (some of) the blame for Hudak's defeat, and he remains a boogeyman for the downtown T.O. crowd that has to live with him for at least another three years. So overall, a mixed bag, but those challenges aren't going away in 2012 either.

2. The Marty Burke Campaign Was (Finish Headline with own Adjective)

As I look back on the year, I realize that I've spent way too much time and computer memory on Marty Burke. I was attacked by a couple of people for my perception of bias, and that I was flailing a good, honourable man for his politics because of my nitpicky attitude that a candidate for Federal government should be more available to media requests. But several months later I see the real story as the untold one of local Conservatives who were disappointed by the Burke campaign, whose members bungled what should have been an easy win in the midst of a Tory sweep to majority status. Guelph used to be a bell-weather riding, but it stayed Liberal red as all around us, people voted blue. The silence of the Burke campaign, with the exception of an embarrassing incident at a special ballot at the University of Guelph, looked like amateur hour from the outside. Julian Fantino, Jason Kenney and other high-profile Conservatives maybe able to win with a minimum of public engagement, but last spring Guelphites said that you have to make a case for your election, and not just accept it as a forgone conclusion.

1. Dysfunction in City Hall

Last fall during the municipal election, many candidates agreed that better communication between City Hall and the people, both inside and out, was needed. Well, 2011 didn't show a lot of improvement, and indeed, it may have even seemed to have gotten worse. The aforementioned Carden Street affair was replete with accusations on the part of merchants that they couldn't get any information on construction from City Hall, and a bizarre incident chronicled by the Mercury's Scott Tracy had him chasing comments from several different Communications reps in City Hall who all seemed to be on vacation at the same time. New changes to the Wet/Dry garbage system were put into effect and despite everyone in Guelph getting new guidelines in the mail, there was still almost universal surprise about the changes. And perhaps most damaging of all, the drama inside City Hall with comings and goings of high-level managers, and the replacement of certain councillors on certain boards were amplified by the cone of silence and were made to seem even more salacious because of it. Like a snake eating itself, the lack of communication fed the blogs, and the paranoia, and the rancor, while the few city councillors that make a genuine effort to be more transparent seem to be chastised because of it. If there's a goal to be had in 2012, its to strive harder to talk to one and other, and, if possible, to do so as if were talking to other human beings. As New Year's Resolutions go, that one might be a doozy.

Top 10 National/International Stories of 2011

2011-12-27T11:04:00.001-05:00

10. The End of the Iraq War

After nearly nine years, the Iraq War ended with a whimper last week with the last U.S. combat troops crossing back over the border to Kuwait. The violence that has erupted since was more or less prophesied, but really, what else could have possibly happened? Would staying another year, another two years, been enough to change the hearts and minds of the Iraqi people? Doubtful. As for the American people, the majority of whom felt that war with Iraq was not just necessary, but the very right of the U.S. in aid of guarding their own security, they had more or less abandoned the support of the fight, especially in the wake of the ongoing economic crisis in America. In fact, the only chicken hawks still walking upright are most of the Republican nominees for President, the majority of whom feel that President Barack Obama was too premature in his withdrawal, and are now looking at a confrontation with Iran as inevitable. Hopefully, the appetite of the American people is for diplomacy over military conflict.

9. Quebec Enjoys an Orange Crush

There were numerous fascinating and surprising stories to come out of this spring's Federal Election, but few were more surprising, or fascinating, than Quebec's rejection of the Bloc Quebecois, and its nearly, wholehearted embrace of the NDP. In total, the Jack Layton-led NDP picked up 59 seats in the Province of Quebec, which was several times more than the Conservatives, the Liberals and the Bloc combined. As a side-story, the flip side of the "Orange Crush" was the decimation of the Bloc, who lost 43 seats in Parliament and losing official party status in the process. The real question going in to 2012 is will the NDP be able to hold on to its foothold in Quebec, and whether or not the NDP and its eventual new leader will be able to capitalize on their popularity with the Quebecois, and translate that support nationally.

8. G20 Drama Continues

From over 400 arrests over the weekend of the G20 meeting in Toronto in 2010, only 17 people are accepting any kind of legal consequences. Six of them, so far, have been sent to prison. The billions of dollars spent on security, the millions in property damage, the general disruption to the city centre of Canada's biggest metropolis, and all it amounts to is about 16 months in prison from six people on charges like "counselling others to commit property damage" and "counselling to obstruct a peace officer." More damning though is the fallout to our government when it was revealed by Sheila Fraser that the difference between moneys budgeted, and actual moneys spent on the summit. Exacerbating the matter is that a lot of that money fell on the riding of then Industry Minister Tony Clement, and despite a cover from John Baird, saying that all projects were approved by him as Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, not Clement, the optics still look terrible. What happens now? Well, protestors have no apologies for their actions and the same can be said for the Harper government. And that's what you call a stalemate.

7. Republican of Dunces

There are two types of leaders in the Republican Party, the vocal, name brand candidate that doesn't want to run for office but wants the platform it provides, and the bold ones that have put their name on the ballot but who are all being weighed down from achieving true frontrunner status by their individual baggage. "Celebrity" candidates like Donald Trump, Sarah Palin and Chris Christie flirted with running and zapped a good share of the media attention for their various causes célèbres. Meanwhile, the ones that have actually signed up for the race have taken turns looking like the likeliest candidate to take on Barack Obama this fall only to be hoisted on their own petard - sexual harassment, flip-flopping, debate failures, policy misspeaks, racist newsletter with your name on it - and lose the faith of a desperately divided party between far-right Tea Party members and more moderate, old school Republicans. You could throw a dart and have a 1 in 7 chance of hitting the eventual nominee, but given the drama so far it will be interesting to see what happens with the real race begins.

6. Harper Gets His Majority

After five years and three elections, Stephen Harper was able to secure majority status and form a government without fear of collapse at the hands of the opposition. How did he do it? It wasn't overwhelming national support because the Conservatives managed to secure only an additional two per cent of the popular vote over the 2008 election. But as the electoral math worked out, that was the right two per cent for the Conservatives to add 23 seats to their caucus. The recipe of staying on message, and promoting the idea of constancy in government as a prerequisite for economic stability, were winners. On the other hand though, Harper and his government has not been able to get ahead of the 40 per cent approval line, according to a poll released earlier this month. Despite a comfortable lead over the opposition NDP, and in spite of guffaws involving high-ranking government members using Canadian Forces helicopters as taxis, and embarrassment on the international stage for abandoning Kyoto, the Conservatives are steady, which as any one in advertising will tell you, isn't sexy.

5. Tragedy in Attawapiskat

On October 28th, the tribal leadership of the Attawapiskat First Nation declared a state of emergency, and about a month later that news finally managed to make it to Ottawa and the rest of Canada. The desperate need for housing, to get people out of tents and shelters and other temporary housing, took a while to reach the national consciousness, and even longer from some people in power to do something about it. John Duncan, Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development, had to be pulled twice from a scrum because he looked dangerously uninformed on the issue, and when the government did respond it was with houses that can't arrive until the winter roads in the north are made in late January at the earliest. They did, however, get a consultant from the firm BDO Canada to get at the real problem: the band's finances. But while the Conservative government tries to convince the people of Attawapiskat that they don't need new housing as much as they need Tax Masters, the situation there was thrown into sharp focus, more generally, the conditions of Canada's First Nations peoples. Now the U.N.'s Human Rights Council is looking at the situation more closely, as more and more people are coming to understand that there's a Third World country right here, within our own borders.

4. The People Rally for Arab Spring

It was both a literal and metaphorical match that was struck when Mohamed Bouazizi's self-immolated himself in protest of police corruption and ill treatment on December 18, 2010 in Tunisia. As the new year dawned the protest spread across northern Africa to Libya and Egypt, which, like Tunisia, ended up overthrowing their governments in a grassroots effort co-ordinated through social media and were successful despite obstruction from those nations' military and their once beloved autocrats. Serious and sustained protests also took place Syria, Yemen, Oman, Jordan and Morocco, and even Saudi Arabia saw some minor sympathy protests within its borders. The fallout of all this is still in the process of being sorted out, but no matter what happens the mere fact of the ground up overthrow of a militaristic regime gives everyone hope, because if they can change their government and beat the odds then we all can. It might be not quite accurate to say that the Arab Spring lead to the Occupy Movement, but if you're a human being living in 2011, I think the common theme was "I'm mad as hell, and I'm not going to take it anymore."

3. The Death of Tyrants

The year 2011 was not a good one if you were a villain. On the evening of May 2nd, it was announced to the world that the U.S. military had killed Osama bin Laden. Nearly 10 years after the terrorist attacks of September 11th, fate caught up with bin Laden at a compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan where the leader of al Qaeda had apparently been held up for some time. While the War on Terror had progressed beyond bin Laden, his death is still seen as a significant victory for U.S. foreign policy. In October, amongst the fallout of the Arab Spring, former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi was captured by rebel forces near his hometown Sirte. However, casting a pall over the affair is the allegations that Gaddafi was abused and tortured before being executed by rebels. Finally less than two weeks ago, North Korea announced to the world that their "Dear Leader," Kim Jong-il, had passed away of a suspected heart attack. In our well-connected world, it took two days for the news to break, and almost immediately, Kim Jong-il's chosen successor, his youngest son Kim Jong-un was announced as the "Great Successor." His first act of duty as Supreme Commander of the Korean People's Army was to fire off a few missiles to prove his militaristic mantle. It will be interesting to see what Kim Jong-un might to for his still insular nation going into 2012.

2. The Passing of Jack Layton

It's a story that was almost Biblical, Jack Layton, leader of the New Democratic Party since 2003, leads his party to its greatest victory, secures Official Opposition status, but due to health issues, passes away before Parliament began its fall session. The events of this past spring will secure Layton's place in Canadian history, but it's worth noting that this was not an overnight success. Over the course of four elections in eight years, Layton worked tirelessly to prove to Canadians from coast to coast to coast that the NDP was not only a viable and dependable choice to oppose the Harper Tories, but they were ready, willing and able to form a government in their own right. It took awhile, but Canadians started to listen. Quebecers especially became interested in Layton's message of a third path, and rewarded the NDP with the aforementioned 59 seats in the province. Any politician winning the leadership of the NDP will have big shoes to fill, and the daunting task of keeping the new big tent of the party together going into 2015.

1. The Occupy Movement

Just as Arabs across the Middle East began saying enough is enough about their brutal, autocratic regimes, so too said the 99 per cent about the brutality of the West's massive, and growing, income inequality gap. From a camp set up in New York's Zuccotti Park, egged on by activist magazine Adbusters, a group of people fed up with the fallout of deregulation and other harmful economic policies stood up against the system and demanded to be counted and treated fairly. Despite criticism that the protesters in New York were rebel rousers without a clear message, Occupy Wall Street became the Occupy Movement, and took root in other cities across North America, including locally here in Guelph. As the fall wore on, the movement was more preoccupied with keep their occupation intact then pushing the agenda that started it, but a quiet winter may result in louder action come the spring. Here in Guelph, the Beyond Occupy group is already looking to the future, and it will be interesting to see what other efforts come with the thaw of winter's end.

Tomorrow, look for the Top 10 Local and Provincial Stories of the year.

Friendly Thoughts

2011-12-24T02:30:00.000-05:00

Recently, a strange thing happened. I started getting several new comments on a blog post I made just over a year ago. It was called "50 Reasons to Be Pretty Damn Euphoric You Live in Guelph," and I'd like to think that its now timeless appeal comes from a rejection of the bitterness and partisanship seen in comments on other blogs, but I'm not (yet) than optimistic.

But I think there might be a kernel of truth that despite the politics, we all are here in Guelph for a reason, and that reason, or reasons, makes us passionate about our community. So in the midst of this holiday season meant to promote peace and fellowship amongst our fellow men and women, let's all try to keep that in mind.

Thanks for reading. And Merry Christmas.

What's Wrong With This Picture...?

2011-12-21T23:07:00.000-05:00

If you said that, for a Christmas card, it doesn't highlight traditions like "family, faith and freedom," then you just might be Sarah Palin.

The former Alaskan Governor and Republican Vice-Presidential candidate, apparently in desperate need of some attention this holiday season, decided to pick on the First Family's choice of Christmas card cover art. Talking on Fox News radio, which seems to be the last place still open to Palin and her thoughtless meanderings, the polarizing politician said that everyday Americans prefer "American foundational values illustrated and displayed on Christmas cards and on a Christmas tree." This card though, she added, "It's just a different way of thinking coming out of the White House."

Good thing then that this tradition of the simple, secular Christmas card is a new phenomenon. Just look at all these cards. Of course, the Governor didn't outline what would constitute a proper representation of "family, faith and freedom" on a Christmas card, not that you really expect her to because this incident, like so many others, are about Barack Obama being black trying to find any little, ridiculous excuse to hide his opponents' overt racism behind.

So whether you're ultra-religious or super-secular, Merry Christmas to all and best wishes for the New Year.

The Good, the Bad and the Points in Between

2011-12-20T19:00:00.000-05:00

GO train service started up again this week, in a move that's been greeted by the vast majority as a tremendous next step in securing better intra-city transit options for the City and People of Guelph. My jubilation was somewhat elated though when local media pointed to the one or two dark clouds in an otherwise cloudless sky.

To begin with, the CTV station in Kitchener talked with a transit advocate that said that the new Monday to Friday commuter service would do nothing to help out students, not that it's really supposed to. But he said that one train could do the job of the extra buses GO puts on Friday to ferry university and college students from K-W to Toronto. That's a bit like getting chocolate cake for you birthday, but complaining because it wasn't chocolate fudge, because as a transit advocate, anything that improves transit in your area should be lauded for its existence, not derided for what it doesn't offer.

The other news item was from our own Guelph Mercury, who in covering the first day of GO service, mentioned in the first sentence of the article that the train was three minutes late. In the numerous problems with transit this year, such a statement throws in a problem with the way public transportation is viewed and covered in this city: most people, be it the people in power, city hall, or the mainstream media in Guelph, are people who don't take public transit very often. If they had, they'd realize that a three minute late train is nothing to sneeze at. I don't think I've ever boarded a train at the exact time it was meant to depart. Or put it this way, last week it was announced that American Eagle Airlines will start running flights into the Waterloo Region Airport. Can you imagine the mainstream media reporting that the first plane arrived three minutes late? At least as the lead of the report? Have ever been on a plane that's arrived at its destination at the exact time that was printed on your ticket?

The Mercury article went on to talk about the lack of parking accommodations downtown, no PRESTO service and the fact that Guelph Transit doesn't start running early enough to get the first train of the day. All fair points, but they were already made in previous articles. Of course a good news report offers balance, but it seems to me that in the case of GO Transit, the balance has weighed towards pointing out the faults rather than pointing out the benefits.

So on that account, I share a letter I received earlier this year about a unique service offered in our area, the Guelph Community Car Co-op. There's an interesting statistic on the website that says that cars spend 90 per cent of the time parked, and if that's true, and let's say your car payments are $300 per month, than you're only getting $30 worth of actual drive out of your car. That's pretty staggering if you think about it.

Politicians like Rob Ford and Tim Hudak have used the expression "War on Cars" to describe progressive policies supporting public transit, and highway infrastructure through increased fees and government funding. But if there really was a War on Cars, there would be no support for low gas prices, increased fees for licensing and toll roads everywhere. That advocate from K-W was right about one thing, more people on trains means fewer people on roads, and considering that many of the cars on those roads carry passengers numbering one, including the driver, a single train load of those drivers could make the morning commute on the 401 feel more like a Sunday drive.

Never in the brief history of traffic has more roads decreased the amount of congestion. More roads just means more room for more cars, and sadly, the logistics just do not allow every single last person the ability to drive their own car, even if they wanted to. I think the GCCC has the right idea, and I hope it's an idea that catches on.

Here's the letter:

On behalf of Grand River CarShare and Guelph Community Car Co-op we are writing in response to your March 2nd coverage of Guelph’s recent budget discussions where you highlighted the changes that have been made to transit. In your past columns you have asked why there is not more use of the public transit system in Guelph. Part of the reason is that there is a lack of knowledge of and also insufficient access to Carsharing, a transportation option that makes public transit more viable.

Grand River CarShare and Guelph Community Car Co-op are non-profit carsharing co-operatives which provide access to vehicles on a self-serve, pay-per-use basis to members in Guelph, as well as in Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge and Hamilton (GRCS). We are writing jointly to you because as co-ops we aim to promote the good work we are both doing, and because you write for a publication that is distributed in both of our communities.

CarShare works best by filling in the gaps that currently exist in the sustainable transportation network. With CarShare access the co-op’s members help support the use of greener transportation modes such as public transit and cycling. Many households are also able to reduce the number or size of vehicles they own by supplementing their other trips with CarShare reservations a few times a week. This means that some don’t need to own a car, while others have been able to reduce their ownership from 2 cars (or more), down to 1.

With CarShare access the overall amount of driving by our members can be reduced by about 50%, helping members to improve their personal and financial health, while mitigating climate change and increasing neighbourhood vibrancy. Vehicles can be reserved online or by phone and are located in our service areas at self-serve stations, often near home or work, and on transit routes. Trips are billed monthly, with gas, maintenance, and insurance included.

Specific to transit, Guelph might ask itself how many more people would take the bus, if they had more convenient access to CarShare vehicles in all parts of the City. Commuting behaviour can also be switched to transit if employees know they will have CarShare access available for work trips near or at their place of employment. With two vehicles located in the Baker Street Parking lot anyone with access to a bus can reach a CarShare vehicle near St. George’s Square or the new Transit Hub. City of Guelph websites should also mention CarSharing as an additional green transportation option.

Thank your for your attention to the issue of a need for more access to Carsharing and both organizations would be available for comment on future articles focusing on improving transit in Guelph and Waterloo Region.

More information including contact info, location maps and rates can be found by visiting www.grandrivercarshare.ca as well as www.guelphcarcoop.ca

What Was It All For?

2011-12-15T19:59:00.002-05:00

It was announced today on the TV news website TV Line that Jane Fonda has joined the cast for Aaron Sorkin's new program, which is currently titled Newsroom. (No relation to the classic Canadian show of the same name.) Within moments, a website that reports on casting news, ratings, and spoilers for American TV shows was spam bombed by angry objectors calling for Fonda's hanging, her trial for treason, the elimination of HBO and more than a few times, the term "Hanoi Jane" was thrown around.

Nearly 40 years after the fact, some people still carry a bitter, frothing resentment for Fonda and her 1972 excursion to North Vietnam where she was famously photographed laughing and clapping while posing on an anti-aircraft gun with a group of VC soldiers. This capped a week where she renounced American war policy on the radio, and visited with American POWs in Vietcong custody. On this latter point, it's been a persistent rumour for decades that Fonda was given messages by POWs for their families back in the States and she never delivered, a rumour that's as patently untrue as the notion that they filmed the moon landing on a soundstage in Burbank.

It's interesting that this should come up today, because if the TV Line junk pile on Hanoi Jane four decades later is a reminder of anything, it's that America doesn't lose wars well. To put the failure of American foreign policy in Southeast Asia across three different presidencies at the feet of Fonda is disingenuous and simplistic; Fonda did her country no favours, and she has acknowledged as much in print interviews, TV sit-downs and even two books by her own pen in the years since. It makes me wonder though, on whose fault will responsibility lie for the failure of the Iraq War: the administration of George W. Bush, or Michael Moore and the Dixie Chicks?

Today, in a low-key ceremony at the Baghdad Airport, the Iraq War officially came to an end. American troops will withdraw to Kuwait and then make their way back Stateside over the next couple of weeks. Nearly nine years after promises of imminent danger, weapons of mass destruction, Axis of Evil, and promises of a bright and shiny Iraq free of dictators and tyranny, the final chapter of the Iraq War ends not with an exclamation point, or even a period, but a question mark. What happens from here is about as unpredictable as the course of the last nine years of combat action in that country.

In 2003 there was a lot of promises. " I really do believe that we will be greeted as liberators," said Vice-President Dick Cheney. "There can be no doubt that Saddam Hussein has biological weapons and the capability to rapidly produce more, many more," Secretary of State Colin Powell told the U.N.

And when both these notions proved to be wrong, Cheney doubled down on the war, first at the 2004 at the Vice-Presidential debate where he said, "What we did in Iraq was exactly the right thing to do. If I had it to recommend all over again, I would recommend exactly the same course of action." But the next year, as the violence refused to die down, and Americans were becoming more and more pessimistic about what was happening in Iraq, Cheney once again offered a prediction that wouldn't come true: the insurgency, he said, was "in the last throes."

But as the war winds to a close, the man that promised so much, for such a high cost, and to ultimately deliver so little, remains non-contrite. The other day while talking about recent incident where an American drone crashed in Iran, Cheney told his interviewer that he believed that President Barack Obama's request to Iran to return the drone was a weak response to the situation, and had it been his call, he would have ordered an air strike to destroy the drone before it was taken into Iranian custody. That's probably for the best because in the old days they used to call that an act of war.

But Cheney's hardly alone in his criticism of the President. Many of the Republican candidates for President are criticizing him for leaving Iraq in a state of disarray, "leaving before the job is done," as they'd say. What they don't apparently realize though is that the Obama's withdrawal from Iraq is because of law passed in 2008. Their confusion is understandable though seeing as how George W. Bush announced the final withdrawal date at the same press conference where a disgruntled Iraqi threw a shoe at him.

But the failure of the Iraq War is academic; my interest is in how this nine year escalator to nowhere got started in the first place. Mostly though, I wonder why the vocal few who recognized what a disastrous endeavour the Iraq War would be have never been apologized too. Not just people like the aforementioned Michael Moore and Dixie Chicks, but Ambassador Joseph Wilson, whose wife Valerie Plame was exposed as a CIA agent in retaliation for his opposition. There were also world governments who were vilified, particularly the people of France and their president Jacques Chirac (remember "Freedom Fries?"). Anyone associated with the United Nations, particularly Executive Chairman of the Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission, Hans Blix, was painted as some kind of apologist for daring to suggest that maybe Iraq wasn't as locked and loaded as even he initially thought.

But mostly, one cannot say that it was a government system acting rogue, leading its unwilling people to support a military action against a country that not only had nothing to do with the attack on the United States on 9/11, but actually wasn't a clear and present danger to the U.S. in any other practical way. The Iraq War also lead to the rise of an renewed and embolden Iran, particularly the cementing of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as a regional power player, could be contributed to the removal of Iran's former, immediate adversary in the region: an Iraq lead by Saddam Hussein. No, the people were willing participants, cheering the military machine forward to a engage Operation: Iraqi Freedom.

When in the summer of 2005 public opinion significantly turned against the War in Iraq, it was with a typical attitude that the supporters were sold a bill of goods. In so much as they felt betrayed by their government, there was no equal feeling of contrition towards those that suggested that this was the potential outcome from the get-go: an expensive, bloody mess that would cost more in manpower and money (blood and treasure) than was honestly copped to in the beginning. In a bizarre way, the quiet departure of U.S. forces from Iraq is the only honest and genuine act of the conflict. There's no presumption of success, no Mission: Accomplished banners, no jingoistic speeches about the military might of the U.S. doing what had to be done, just we did what we can, and the Iraqis want us gone now.

Hopefully, there will never be an endeavour like Iraq again. Lesson learned. But then again, I'm sure people watching the helicopters take off from the roof of the U.S. embassy in Saigon in 1975 thought the same thing. Those that forget history are doomed to repeat it, but it seems that Jane Fonda is the only one that must pay for it till the end of time itself.

Sniffing Out Some Solutions

2011-12-15T17:30:00.000-05:00

If something smells strange in your naeighbourhood, and you think it might be the new Organic Waste Plant on the next block, then an event on Monday might interest you.

According to the below press release from the city, there is a plan in motion to deal with the smell coming from the plant that was discovered last month. The release mentions that there are several potential solutions on the table, all developed by Maple Reinders, the company that build the plant in partnership with the City of Guelph. The plan's been vetted by the Ministry of the Environment and a third party, and now it's ready to go to the public.

Read on to get more details from the release:

GUELPH, ON, December 15, 2011 – A draft action plan to address odours at Guelph’s organic waste processing facility will be presented to a citizens’ advisory group, called the Public Liaison Committee, during a special meeting on Monday, December 19.

The draft action plan recommends several solutions to manage and minimize odours. These include:

Air containment system

Redesigning the delivery of blower room air to the air management system
Installing a carbon filter on the acid waste tank
Monitoring water tank hatches to prevent any air from escaping

Odour management system

replacing ammonia sensors
improving air flow and liquid distribution in the scrubber/humidifier

The draft action plan was prepared by Maple Reinders Constructors Ltd., the designer and builder of the organic waste facility. It has been reviewed by the Ontario Ministry of Environment and an independent, third party – Dillon Consulting Limited – and includes their recommendations.

After receiving 10 odour complaints about the facility in November, the City stopped accepting organic waste. Maple Reinders immediately put in place round-the-clock inspection and initiated a review of the air management system and the odour control system.

“The City is very pleased that Maple Reinders took immediate action to address odours at the facility, such as closing the vents from the blower room to the outside and adjusting the water holding tank hatches to prevent any air from escaping," said Laird. "We are confident that further, long-term solutions contained in the draft report will go a long way to addressing residents’ odour complaints," said Laird. "We value the support of the Ministry in working with us to address the concerns of nearby residents."

“The facility will not resume receiving organic waste until the City, in consultation with the Ministry and the citizens’ advisory group, is satisfied odours are under control,” added Laird. "We look forward to hearing their comments and suggestions."

Maple Reinders will finalize the draft action plan following the citizens’ advisory group meeting and continue to implement long-term solutions.

Progress on implementing the action plan will be reported to nearby residents and the community.

James Gordon Re-Ups For NDP Nom

2011-12-13T17:39:00.003-05:00

'Tis not so much the season for political announcements, but in a fundraising e-mail today, James Gordon tells local NDP supporters that he'll be running again in the next provincial election.

"With a minority government, we are never sure when the election will be, but I will be running to win; I want to be your MPP," writes Gordon. "To do this, I’m setting an ambitious but achievable fundraising goal to match the PCs and Liberals dollar for dollar. This campaign, we proved we could do it, and over the coming months, I’d like to show that we can make change for the better in Guelph."

Gordon isn't the first candidate from the recently concluded Provincial election to declare his desire to run in the next election. After the campaign wrapped in a minority government for Dalton McGuinty, Progressive Conservative candidate Greg Schirk said that it was his intention to run again as well.

The optics look good for Gordon, who added over 4,200 votes to the NDP's count, and came within 800 votes of tying Schirk for second place.

"For the first time, we were able to close in on the PCs and Liberals," the e-mail continues. "While voter turnout was at an all time low, creating challenges for all the parties, the NDP was the only party to increase its number of votes. [P]eople are hungry for our approach: a positive, practical and progressive way of doing things."

An Overly Analytical Right-Wing Review of "Frosty Returns"

2011-12-10T15:35:00.000-05:00

While decorating the Christmas tree last night, we watched the requisite Christmas specials on TV. First up was the classic Rankin-Bass Frosty the Snowman, still perfectly delightful after 42 years of repeated Christmas viewings and was once again enjoyed immensely.

But next was a Christmas special I had never seen before, and it was called Frosty Returns. It must have been relatively new because it featured the voice of John Goodman as Frosty, and Elisabeth Moss as Holly, Frosty's new school-aged friend, because presumably his original school-aged friend, Karen, would probably be a grandmother herself by now.

You see, Holly is a bit of a dreamer. She wants to be the greatest magician in the world, which, while cool, probably isn't going to do much in contributing to the growth of the world economy. Stage magic is, after all, an outmoded art form that has no transmedia value. She'll probably end up a drain on the system at some Occupy movement, complaining about her $75,000 student debt when her degree in theatre arts goes no where.

Holly is also the school weirdo, and is the object of fun amongst her classmates because of her pie-in-the-sky dreaming, rather than being more invested in down to earth activities like sports, or mocking the nerdy Charles as he gives another presentation about the dangers of climate change. Charles is of the opinion that losing snow and enjoying a more temperate climate during the winter is a bad thing. Apparently, the education in this town, Beansboro, has failed to teach kids that the science is still inconclusive about global warming, and Charles doesn't bother to discuss the alternative theory of cyclical changes in weather patterns.

It's easy to see why Holly wouldn't question it when a talking snow man approaches her at the beginning of the story. Arriving in town, he says revealing that he's a transient and seemingly proud of it, Frosty meets Holly, and recognizes her name when she introduces herself. Again Holly doesn't find this suspicious because it clearly indicates that Frosty's been following her for some time, probably posing as another little girl online.

But this "Frosty" says that he's come to Beansboro for it's famous annual winter festival. Yes, "winter festival," clearly the ACLU made a fuss and all references to this being a Christmas festival were removed. Another victory for the prosecutors of the War on Christmas, and worse still there seems to be no visible opposition. Undoubtedly the work of a strong armed liberal media.

But as the winter festival approaches, a rich businessman (read: job creator) named Mr. Twitchell has developed a product called "Summer Wheeze," an aerosol spray can that melts snow on contact. The residents of Beansboro are elated as the recent heavy snowfall, again an indication that global warming is a liberal hoax, can now be removed with a simple spray of the can rather than back-breaking manual labour that used to be done by illegals. "Summer Wheeze" is a successful product, and Mr. Twitchell expects to be reward with the community's highest honour: being made King of the winter festival.

But Holly, Frosty and Charles want to stop Mr. Twitchell and "Summer Wheeze" from getting rid of all the snow, even though the market has clearly decided in favour of "Summer Wheeze." Despite this, the trio try and rally support by occupying the castle at the winter festival. As the townspeople gathered, wanting the fair and untarnished use of their park, Frosty and friends remain defiant and persuade the people of Beansboro through song that winter and snow are both good things. In other words, green sector jobs like ski lift operators and ice castle makers are more important than an industrialist being allowed to do his business unencumbered by regulation.

Ultimately, Frosty is crown king of the festival, but in a move that smacks of socialism, he invites Mr. Twitchell to join him on the King's sled. Nothing is really resolved, snow's still a pain in the neck for the townspeople, Summer Wheeze is still readily available, Holly and Charles are still weird, but Frosty happily departs, probably to poison more kids with his liberal agenda.

So did I just go too far?

I looked up Frosty Returns on Wikipedia, and I learned that the short was made in 1992, and that its heavy environmental themes had already been noted. But is that a bad thing? Haven't cartoons previously taught us about the need for compassion, understanding, and love, all of which are probably considered more liberal themes?

What brought this on was a video posted last week from a Fox News show where two pundits railed against the new Muppet movie for its plot about a rich oil man trying to buy the old Muppet theatre to get at the oil underneath. The oil man is the villain, which plays to liberal Hollywood's characterization of big business, progress, industry and oil as being bad, evil even.

Since the rise of the Occupy Wall Street, its opponents have tried to promote the idea that it's class warfare, and that the rich are being vilified, and any efforts to correct the tremendous disparagement between the rich and poor is, in effect, "punishing success." But as well know, real life problems are enabled by Muppets who don't get how lucky they are to live in America, where you can blame the rich and all you get for your efforts is yelled at by Fox News. Oh well, maybe next Christmas.

We Need to Talk About the Republican Party

2011-12-09T17:52:00.000-05:00

I think by any reasonable stretch of the imagination, it's not hard to see that the current state of the U.S. Republican Party is one of extremism and limited vision. The perception that President Barack Obama is extraordinarily left wing, has forced many of the candidates to push harder to the right. Combined with the perception that Obama is weak, and that Americans are itching for another new direction, and the seven current contenders looking to be named the Republican nominee for President of the United States are in the midst of a bitter, incendiary and occasionally noxious contest that has already eclipsed the 2008 Democratic primary in terms of those qualities.

I bring it up because on Monday, in the next edition of Beyond the Ballot Box on CFRU, we'll be spending some time on the air discussing the state of American politics once again. To get my own thoughts in order, I thought I'd wax poetic on the various candidates with my impressions. Fasten your seat belt, this will most definitely be a bumpy ride.

Representative Michele Bachmann

Initially seen as Sarah Palin's inheritor as the GOP's First Lady of Policy, and potentially its first lady presidential nominee, Bachmann's squandered an initial lead as the party's struggled to find a nominee, and she's struggled to avoid one quotable gaff after another. Fortunately for Bachmann, the art of making gaffs is a hobby shared by many of her fellow nominees.

Working in Bachmann's favour is that she is one of a few high-profile critics of Obama not to fall in with any of that birther nonsense. On the other hand though she's anti-EPA (Environmental Protection Agency), pro-drilling, pro-life, anti-immigrant, anti-healthcare, anti-financial system reform, and pro-first strike against a nuclear Iran. Also, for a woman against government subsidizing, the "Christian counseling" practice she co-owns with husband received $137,000 in federal payments and $24,000 in government grants for counselor training between 2006 and 2010. I have a hard time tracking her fall in the polls to any one thing, but on the other hand she hasn't done too much to distinguish herself lately either.

Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich

The current frontrunner, there's been a lot of humour about Gingrich being the right man that's been there the whole time. Is Newt the natural alternative to Obama, or is it simply his turn at the head of the Republican pack? There sure was no indication that things would end up this way when Gingrich first joined the race. Last year's Gingrich's campaign kicked off with a pair of events that almost made it DOA before it ever really got started: a half a million dollar debt to Tiffanys and the en masse resignation of several high-ranking staffers.

But in the year since, Gingrich hasn't just survived but thrived. As Governor Mitt Romney's stayed steady with moderates, Gingrich is picking up support from the men, evangelical Christians, and conservatives that have become disenfranchised with Bachmann, Governor Rick Perry, and pizza magnate Herman Cain. The question now is though, will Gingrich meet a similar fate? Despite being the newly minted frontrunner and declaring last week that he will be the nominee come next fall, he's taken hits for his consulting work with mortgage lenders Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, as well as a more recent utterance where he called the Palestinians an "invented" people. He also suggested the other day that schools could save money by replacing paid (and unionized) janitorial staff by having poor kids sweep up after themselves at the end of the day.

Still, Gingrich is vulnerable, especially amongst the very people spiking his rise in the polls. If his past infidelities and working relationship with then President Bill Clinton while he was Speaker of the House become debate fodder, he may start to lose ground. But for now, it looks plausible that the race will come down to Romney and Gingrich.

Former Governor Jon Huntsman, Jr.

Huntsman shares the distinction with Ron Paul of being the two guys in the race that have yet to enjoy frontrunner status, moreover, it's highly unlikely that he'll ever have it either. Not only has Huntsman been the only Republican candidate to come out on the recognition side of global climate change, but he's been an actual member of the Obama administration serving as Ambassador to China. But any cache Huntsman had attacking Rick Perry on climate change evapourated when he refused to take Perry on face-to-face on the matter in a debate. One could argue that Huntsman's importance in the campaign has continued to evapourate.

Working in Huntsman's favour is that he does appear more conciliatory, more willing to work across party lines, and more centre to the right than his fellow candidates. On the other hand, when it comes to economic policy he's more or less lock step with other candidates advocating for the elimination of all deductions and credits, the elimination of taxes on capital gains and dividends, and lowering the general corporate rate from 35 to 25 per cent. Still, despite his differences, it seems that Huntsman can't make any kind of dent in the polls.

Representative Ron Paul

Like his time during the 2008 campaign, it seems that Paul finds himself in the also-ran position. Although he's doing surprisingly well in Iowa polls, Paul can't seem to make a case for himself as head of the "Blue Republican" movement. He opposes the War on Drugs, is for upholding civil rights in the midst of the War on Terror, and is against direct military action by the U.S. and has come out against the "American Empire." All things that aren't going to win him any favours in the Republican base despite his strong commitment to a balanced budget and maintaining the balance of separation of church and state on behalf of church. If Republicans wanted to offer a real counterpoint to Romney, they'd go for Paul, but in the primary season it's all about the base, and that base won't go for a man like Paul.

Governor Rick Perry

If there's one candidate not satisfied giving just one reason he's not ready for prime time, it's Texas Governor Rick Perry. Not only has he proved it once, but he seems that he's out to prove it weekly. Here's Perry's latest slip of the tongue:

You'll notice the inference that Obama's liberal agenda is pushing open acceptance of homosexuality, while putting good, pious religious people in the closet. There's also a further inference that if Obama isn't Christian, then what is he?, which comes from the same school of buffoonery that gave us that birther nonsense. Least of all, Perry comes off as seriously homophobic, and this comes just a month after the controversy involving a hunting cabin that the Perry family used to rent called "N***erhead."

It also doesn't help that Perry's tied with Bachmann for number and frequency of gaffs, up to and including his 53 second search for the third government agency he'd get rid if he were elected President. It's no coincidence that Perry started taking a dip in the polls the minute he started debating, which suggests that like the Democrats, Republicans at least want a Presidential nominee who can speak in complete sentences. With Gingrich up in the polls, Perry's lost the one, surefire constituency he should have had secured, but in a bizarre way, Perry's entry on the national stage has a lot of people thinking fondly about the intellectual prowess of George W. Bush.

Former Governor Mitt Romney

If the Democratic National Committee runs that ad, or ones like it a couple of million more times then that's it for Mitt. If John Kerry was a flip-flopper in 2004, then I'm not sure what term best suits Romney because he doesn't just change his position with the revelation of new information, like Kerry's stance on the Iraq War, but he goes to its fundamental opposite like bring pro-choice as Massachusetts' Governor to now being pro-life.

Since the moment he's entered the race, Romney's been the presumptive nominee, yet, for some reason, he's been unable to "seal the deal" with Republican voters, who have been grasping for someone, anyone, from Donald Trump to Chris Christie, to take up the cause. He's got fundraising, endorsements, and an accomplished resume in the public and private sectors on his side, but he still can't make a convincing case for himself. And in the meantime, Romney is attacked by the other Republican challengers for his new found hard right stance on social issues, the healthcare plan he championed in Massachusetts and even for being too intellectual for having a 59-point tax plan (as opposed to, say, Herman Cain's 9-9-9 plan).

So what can Romney do? I think most Republicans know that deep down, of the candidates available, he stands the best chance of winning in the general election. But make no mistake, he's got baggage. As a businessman he did more job cutting than job creating, there's still some bizarre aversion to the election of a Mormon amongst a large percentage of Americans, and then there are the accusations of ideological pandering. On the other hand, as many have pointed out, Romney does look like the B-movie interpretation of what a U.S. President should look like. Or worse, like one of these guys:

Former Senator Rick Santorum

Which brings us to the man that Sarah Palin praised for his "ideological consistency," but then again Cookie Monster is fairly ideologically consistent too. Santorum may be the red right hand of social conservatism in American politics, but that really hasn't done him any favours in this race. Santorum routinely finishes in polls around Paul and Huntsman territory, and now he's betting all his chips on the caucuses in Iowa, hoping to get enough juice in that first contest to keep him going through the next several primaries.

Although perhaps known more for having a name synonymous with a gay sex act, and unsuccessfully petitioning Google to remove all records of it from their search engines, Santorum really has nothing new to offer in terms of policy ideas or positions on key issues. In this election cycle, he famously was the first to attack a question offered by a gay service member by video at a September debate saying, "any type of sexual activity has absolutely no place in the military....And the fact that they're making a point to include it as a provision within the military that we are going to recognize a group of people and give them a special privilege to – and removing 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell,' I think tries to inject social policy into the military. And the military's job is to do one thing, and that is to defend our country." Interestingly though, a month earlier, Santorum, at another debate, used Iran's persecution of gay people as a justification for U.S.-backed intervention in the area.

Former Godfather's Pizza CEO Herman Cain

Until last weekend, Cain was not only leading a successful campaign for President, but he had also enjoyed the longest stretch as frontrunner of any candidate in the race so far. If Cain's unprecedented success as a presidential candidate is the political story of the year, then his equally great fall must take second place. After accusations of sexual misconduct surfaced, Cain continued to enjoy support, but when a woman came forward claiming a 13-year affair with the businessman, it was all too much and his campaign was suspended as of last Saturday. It begs the question, Republicans support Cain when alleged to have committed sexual assault, but his extramarital affair was too much to handle...?

If anything, the rise and fall of Herman Cain either proved or disproved the virtue of the politically inexperienced candidate. His 9-9-9 plan was easily criticized as overly simplistic, suggesting that no bill from the Cain White House would be longer than three pages smacked of anti-intellectualism, and his foreign policy opinions are shockingly misinformed. Worse still, the entire package of the Cain philosophy was wrapped up in a kind of pride as the campaign praised itself for being anti-establishment, and Republican supporters eagerly played the race card in Cain's defense. (Anne Coulter's "Our Blacks are better than their Blacks" comment comes to mind.)

Of course, Cain's campaign for now is merely suspended, but that's political spin for "We're giving up, we just don't want to make it sound like we're giving up." Leaving the race on the words of a quote from the Pokemon movie, Cain perhaps painted the perfect analogy for this Republican race, a cartoon presuming itself capable of making a serious philosophical statement. But really it's about collecting strange little creatures living in their own bubbles, and waiting for their turn to get attention and be played in the game. Because when it comes to the electoral college, you've got to catch 'em all!

Remember Today...

2011-12-06T00:01:00.000-05:00

We've Got New Signage

2011-12-02T23:15:00.001-05:00

I guess we'll get our new bus routes in January after all. You might have seen these signs going up at a bus stop near you. It's all in prep for the new, linear transit system beginning in the new year. You'll notice a couple of different placements; the top is a sign at a present bus stop that's been replaced as it will remain a bus top in the new system, and the bottom is a covered sign at a new stop waiting to be revealed. Call me crazy, but I think this time, a new transit system might actually happen...

Hey, It's a Planning Meeting!

2011-12-02T01:29:00.001-05:00

Getting the press release today, there was a bizarre sort of urgency in its receipt. It's almost like there's a seriously contentious issue on the plate during Monday's City Council Planning Meeting. And there is.

The description in the release was pretty dry: "The potential impact of the Environmental Review Tribunal Decision (Orgaworld Canada Ltd. v. Director, Ministry of Environment) on the conversion to a fully automated waste collection program will be a subject of the upcoming Guelph City Council Planning Meeting." But what it really means kids is the final decision on whether or not Guelph goes to a bin system for our garbage and recycling, or whether we get to keep our precious plastic bags.

For a big deal like this, Mayor Karen Farbridge and all available City Councillors will be there. Janet Laird, Executive Director, Planning & Building, Engineering and Environment will also be there, along with public delegations. There are other items on the agenda too, but obviously nothing as debatable as whether or not the City of Guelph should take the time and expense of switching our garbage collection system to a bin-based service.

The planning meeting takes place on Monday December 5th at 7 pm in the Council Chamber of Guelph City Hall at 1 Carden St.

The Curious Case of the U of G Prof Who Was Appointed to the Italian Government and then Wasn't

2011-12-01T22:08:00.000-05:00

Everyone knows that the University of Guelph attracts some of the best in the world, so it might come as little surprise that a U of G professor could be brought in to an important position like the junior minister for agriculture in the Italian government.

But like a political satire in the vein of Canadian Bacon or Wag the Dog, the presence of Francesco Braga was not demanded in Rome, but rather it was Francesco Braga who was the new junior agricultural minister. Confused yet? So were a lot of people manning the offices of the fledgling Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti.

The story broke today in the Toronto Star. U of G's Braga, willfully talking to The Star unlike other public figures, about his whirlwind experience being a highly sought after member of the Italian government. Long story short, Italian Agriculture Minister Mario Catania told the Italian news agency ANSA that he didn't know his new junior minister personally, but knew he was a business professor at the U of G. Braga, in his Guelph home, started being pelted with calls from not just the Italian government, but the Italian media as well.

But soon the powers that be realized that the professors who's spent 28 years living and teaching in Canada may not be the guy they were referring to. Instead, Franco Braga, a civil engineer that specializes in earthquakes, was the man of the hour. He had been recommended for the infrastructure ministry, but ended up shuffled to agriculture instead.

To make things even more screwy, apparently, the "real" Francesco Braga hasn't been seen and has yet to be sworn in to his new position. The U of G version of Francesco Braga, meanwhile, continues teaching and marking papers in his basement office at home during off hours.

Garvie to Stage Sit-In for Student Space

2011-11-30T12:08:00.000-05:00

Well, it didn't long for former Communist Party candidate Drew Garvie to start the rebel-rousing from his new position as Communications & Corporate Affairs Commissioner for the University of Guelph's Central Student Association.

Tomorrow it begins with an old school protest, a sit-in, at the University Centre of the U of G to advocate for more student space. A worthy goal assuredly, and considering that the UC was built with student fundraising efforts and that they now only really control one floor of the six-story building, a little protest action is understandable.

Below is Gravie's media release for the event:

On Thursday, December 1st , the CSA is organizing a “Student Space Sit-In”. This is a large-scale event to address study and student space needs on the University of Guelph campus. This is an invitation to all media sources to attend and talk to students and the organizers about the event and the space needs of students at the University of Guelph.

Who: The Central Student Association – the undergraduate student union at the University of Guelph - representing over twenty thousand undergraduate students.

What: Hundreds of students will participate in the “Student Space Sit-In” by showing up to the University Centre building and studying for exams which are next week. There is a serious shortage of study space available on campus and students quite often end up studying in hallways without proper lighting, furniture or electrical outlets. Student-controlled space is a growing problem as most student organizations are crammed into the second floor of the University Centre.

Tables, chairs and extension cords, snacks and “stress buster” activities will be provided, as well as allocated quiet study and group study spaces.

Where: The University Centre building. It is taking place in a building that has special historical significance and has been the epicenter of controversy surrounding student controlled space since it was built. Students paid to the majority of the building, and pay to maintain it, but are now limited to direct control over the second floor.

When: Thursday December 1st from 10am-5pm.

Why: The University of Guelph is currently updating its “Campus Master Plan” which deals with infrastructure and space issues. Due to a large amount of concerns raised with the limited amount of study space on campus, and concerns from student organizations about the lack of student controlled space, the CSA is organizing this event to clearly demonstrate these widely-held sentiments. The idea is to have a large visible presence, solicit feedback from students on how to improve space on campus and to have a symbolic reclamation of common space for a day. This is meant to be a reminder that universities are here to serve the needs of students.

Here is a link from the Ontarion (independent campus weekly) with more information: http://www.theontarion.com/2011/11/sitting-in-for-student-space/

Get on GO December 19th

2011-11-25T12:57:00.001-05:00

So it was good news at the GO Transit announcement earlier this morning as GO Transit President Gary McNeil, Guelph MPP Liz Sandals and Guelph Mayor Karen Farbridge announced that GO trains are coming to Guelph starting on December 19th. The logic, I suppose, is that it'll be a softer run over the holidays, when most people get time off from work, so that all the kinks are worked out in time for when rush hour is back to full capacity in January.

According to the GO website, two round trips daily will run from Kitchener to Toronto weekdays. The GO train will depart Guelph at 6:14 am and 7:53 am with arrival times at Toronto Union Station at 7:32 am and 9:08 am. In the afternoon, trains will leave Union at 4:45 pm and 6:18 pm to arrive in Guelph at 5:45 pm and 7:53 pm. A one-way ticket will cost $11.70.

The trip will take between an hour and one and a half hours, considering that the average drive on the Greyhound during rush hour has been pushing two hours the last year, this should offer some smoother sailing to Guelph commuters. I, for one, cannot wait.

Christmas Cheer

2011-11-25T02:22:00.001-05:00

I've accused recently of perhaps being bereft, to a degree, of the nominal cheeriness of the holiday season. But then I saw this tonight on a jaunt to the Red Brick Cafe downtown and thought to myself, "Well isn't this nice." I've often thought of the crane over the new and improved Gummer Building to be pretty much an eyesore, especially during those long years where nothing was being done with it. But on the other hand, it's nice that the construction crew decided to give it a bit of Christmas flare. Check it out next time you're downtown.

Valeriote Gets Petition Together Over Crime Bill

2011-11-24T17:59:00.000-05:00

By far one of the most contentious moves by the Harper government, and let's be honest because that is really saying something, is the Safe Streets and Communities Act. The SSC is an aggressive new addendum to the Criminal Code that will replace pardons with "record suspensions," hand out mandatory minimums for some drug and sexual related offenses, increase prison terms for those charged with marijuana-related crimes and roll back the ability of judges to sentence offenders to house arrest.

The controversial act has been called out by many who believe that some of the bill's more draconian measures are taking us down a road of extreme crime and punishment more in line with the U.S., which I believe currently has over 7 million people under correctional supervision (in jail, on parole, or probation). The United States, as reported in a 2008 article in the New York Times, has five per cent of the world population, but 25 per cent of the world's prisoners. In fact, in 2008 the U.S. had 2.3 million people in prison, which was about 700,000 more people than China had incarcerated. China.

Needless to say, the building and administration of prisons in the U.S. is an industry, and that seems to be the idea the Harper government wants to bring to Canada. Perhaps between the combination of the jobs created and the people incarcerated unemployment rates will really go down. But I digress.

You know who else isn't a fan of The Safe Streets and Communities Act? Our own MP Frank Valeriote. Valeriote is putting together a petition for the consideration of the House of Commons and rallied some local support for the cause. Check out the press release from Valeriote's office below.

GUELPH – Thursday afternoon, concerned citizens of Guelph gathered at the constituency office of Guelph MP, Liberal Frank Valeriote to express their opposition to the Conservative omnibus crime bill.
"In my many discussions with law and order professionals: Guelph’s Chief of Police, correctional officers, prosecutors and probations officers, we have come to the same conclusion that our crime policy must be evidence based in order to be smart on crime,” said Valeriote. “We all agreed that spending more money to incarcerate is far more costly and much less effective than spending money and focusing on preventative programs for mental illness and substance abuse.”
The omnibus crime bill, comprised of a number of earlier justice bills, just wrapped up hearings at a special legislative committee after a gruelling 20 hour clause by clause examination of the bill. Liberal Justice critic, eminent lawyer and former Attorney General of Canada, the Honourable Irwin Cotler, P.C., MP introduced 38 amendments in an attempt to correct some of the more glaring errors in the legislation; however, each was defeated by the Conservative dominated committee. While there are parts of the bill that Valeriote supports, Conservatives demonstrated an unwillingness to amend the misguided parts.
“We cannot stand idly by as the Conservatives try and implement a model that we already know has failed,” said Nora Chaloner, Chair of the Guelph chapter of Council of Canadians. “All of this money that is being diverted to build mega-prisons and lock up more Canadians would be better spent, in this time of fiscal restraint, on meaningful social justice programs.”
“The Conservatives made it clear that they will not listen to opposing voices or opinions on their ideological quest to change the face of Canada,” said Valeriote. “Guelphites and all Canadians deserve a safe space where they can make their opposition known to these important issues, and I am glad that I could provide my office today to make sure these voices are heard in Ottawa.”
“My office is always open to concerned citizens,” continued Valeriote. “Activism and advocacy were the primary reasons I ran for Member of Parliament in the first place. I cannot make truly informed decisions without the contribution of these engaged members of our community.”
Frank Valeriote will be presenting petitions from the group to the House of Commons in the coming weeks.

GO Transit Announcement Tomorrow

2011-11-24T13:23:00.000-05:00

The Guelph Mercury reported this morning that there's going to be a big announcement concerning the topics of Guelph and GO Transit tomorrow. GO Transit President Gary McNeil will be in town, and he'll be joined by Guelph MPP Liz Sandals and Guelph Mayor Karen Farbridge for the announcement at 10 am at the VIA Station downtown.

So it begs the question: what could the announcement possibly be about? The cynic in me says that they're going to announce a delay in the commencement of GO train service to Guelph, but they probably wouldn't send the President of GO all the way up here to deliver bad news. Of course, considering that the service is supposed to recommence in January, and there has yet to be yet a schedule announced or anything, so cynicism reigns.

The year 2011 hasn't treated transit in the city right. The transit terminal's been delayed and delayed, the new schedule for Guelph Tranist was pushed back to 2012 after a contracting snafu, and let's not forget the fare increases. A lot of commuters in the Royal City have been waiting on pins and needles to get on a GO train since the idea was first floated a couple of years ago, so let's hope Mr. McNeil is bringing good news tomorrow.

Guelph Royals Get a Five-Year Deal

2011-11-17T18:53:00.000-05:00

Inter-county baseball will be coming back to the Royal City next summer thanks to the official deal reached between Guelph and the Guelph Royals baseball club. The city put out a press release today, lauding the fact that they've reached an agreement.

GUELPH, ON, November17, 2011 – The City has reached a mutually acceptable agreement with the Guelph Royals after a series of meetings.

“We were brought together by a community partner who was very interested in seeing the Royals back in Guelph,” said Colleen Clack, Interim Executive Director, Community & Social Services. “The new agreement meets all the criteria set by City Council for a five-year lease of Hastings Stadium and the concession booth.”

"This agreement is a new beginning for Guelph fans, players and sponsors" said Jim Rooney, the Royals’ managing partner. "We look forward to working with the community and to its commitment to support the Royals as they take to the field for the 2012 season and beyond."

A key requirement—registration as a not-for-profit organization—was one of the stumbling blocks when discussions between the City and the Guelph Royals concluded in the summer. The City presented a draft contract in early June after extended negotiations with the team. At the time however, the Guelph Royals couldn’t reach agreement with the City on a number of clauses in the proposed agreement.

City Council established criteria for an agreement with the Guelph Royals in May for the use of Hastings Stadium and the concession booth. The new five-year agreement will see the team use Hastings Stadium, run the concession booth and sell advertising in the stadium. The Guelph Royals have also agreed with the City on the amount owing from the 2010 season and will pay the City all outstanding fees as part of the agreement.

Occupy Guelph Ends Without Fanfare

2011-11-14T16:03:00.000-05:00

A little less than a week after transferring their flag from St. George's Square to Royal City Park, Occupy Guelph is over. As reported in the Guelph Mercury this morning, it appears that all the protesters have vanished from the park along with their encampment. Like good campers they packed up their trash, and left no trace behind that they were ever there, which I can only imagine is not the impression they wanted to leave when the Occupy Protests started in Guelph last month.

When talking about the Occupy Movement on the Beyond the Ballot Box radio show on CFRU 93.3, there was consensus that if the movement was going to go to the next level, beyond mere occupying, it would have to organize properly, come up with a concise and pointed message, and realize that settling in civic space wasn't the endgame, but merely the beginning. I suppose that time has come sooner rather than later than organizors might have planned, but it seems that a few are already ahead of the curve.

I draw your attention to an event happening at 10 Carden Street this Friday. It's called "Beyond Occupy - What's Next?" and it's being hosted by James Gordon and Kevin Sutton. The point of the meeting, if you can't infer it from the name of the event, is to discuss the next step in the Occupy Movement "An invitation to share a meaningful dialogue about the 'Occupy Movement' - both local and global. How can we nurture this new catalyst for change?" If you want to be part of the conversation, be at the 10 Carden Street space at 7 pm on Friday.

Finally, to add a bit of four-colour commentary, legendary graphic novelist Frank Miller had some harsh words about the root protest and protesters at Occupy Wall Street. As a comic book fan, Miller's opinion obviously peaked my interest, but in a weird twist of fate, it seems that Miller's sympathies lie with the type of corrupt, criminal fat cats that make up the villains in his well-known book, and movie of the same name, Sin City. Here's what Miller had to say:

The “Occupy” movement, whether displaying itself on Wall Street or in the streets of Oakland (which has, with unspeakable cowardice, embraced it) is anything but an exercise of our blessed First Amendment. “Occupy” is nothing but a pack of louts, thieves, and rapists, an unruly mob, fed by Woodstock-era nostalgia and putrid false righteousness. These clowns can do nothing but harm America.

[...]

Wake up, pond scum. America is at war against a ruthless enemy.

Maybe, between bouts of self-pity and all the other tasty tidbits of narcissism you’ve been served up in your sheltered, comfy little worlds, you’ve heard terms like al-Qaeda and Islamicism. And this enemy of mine — not of yours, apparently - must be getting a dark chuckle, if not an outright horselaugh - out of your vain, childish, self-destructive spectacle

[...]

In the name of decency, go home to your parents, you losers. Go back to your mommas’ basements and play with your Lords Of Warcraft.

Parking Wars

2011-11-13T13:38:00.000-05:00

Déjà vu. It was a case of déjà vu today when along Westwood, people trying to get the bus, or perhaps otherwise just trying to get around or enjoy their neighbourhood, had to deal with the traffic nightmare illustrated in the slideshow below.

When the 2012 budget was announced a few weeks ago, it wasn't the sale of the city's street poles to Guelph Hydro that caught my eye as much as the proposed rate increase for bus passes and tickets. Yes, there's another budget deficit, and again the council's solution is to put a premium on the few who actually support a vital service to this city. It would be nice if this premium was going to secure the service and making it as convenient and efficient as possible, but as this incident proves, this is not the case.

A track event was being held in Margaret Greene Park by Athletics Ontario and was a very well attended track meet. So much so that that the parking lot at a nearby school was full, along with the lot at the park, and all along Westwood from Rhonda Rd to Willow. Of course there were also people parked on the lawn, parked along the bridge over the Hanlon, and in no parking areas in from of the bus stops.

The killer is that at this event last year there where the exact same thing happened. Events like these don't spring out of the ground, and I know that the city received a number of complaints last year about the entire affair - one of which cam from me. But recently I've discovered that if you want real action on an issue you need more than your word.

Basically, I submit that the city should have realized that this was coming, and should have informed transit and by-law to have people there ready to ticket every scofflaw and law-breaker. Yes, let's be clear, they are breaking the law. And they are not alone. There's literally millions of dollars in outstanding moving violations owed to this city, but we increase the fees on transit users, and treat car drivers with soft gloves.

There's a tremendous entitlement with drivers, but driving and car ownership are not rights. You also do not have the right to park anywhere you feel like because there are no other parking places near the location you need to be at. I implore the City of Guelph to lower the boom on these people. By-laws matter, and people who take the bus have every right to properly access their vehicle.

Be Careful What You Wish For...

2011-11-11T20:11:00.001-05:00

One of the things that has always perplexed me about how this city runs its transit system is why I never seen any advertisements in the advertisement space running along either side of the bus, inside, near the roof. Well, no ads outside those by the Ontario government, City Hall and the University of Guelph's Central Student Association, that is.

Well recently, someone new has taken out an ad on Guelph Transit, and depending on your music taste, it may disappoint you verily to see this poster staring back at you from the roof of the bus.

Careful what you ask for, I guess is the lesson of the day. Or not.

In Case You Missed It: Read the Mayor's "State of the City" Address

2011-11-10T16:05:00.001-05:00

It may not have as much fanfare as other State of the Unions, but Mayor Karen Farbridge delivered her version for the City of Guelph this morning. At a breakfast speech sponsored by the Guelph Chamber of Commerce, Farbridge talked about the positive developments in the city, our solid planning, our low unemployment, and the bright and shiny developments coming down the pipe. In other words, the state of our city is strong.

You can read the entire text of Farbridge's speech after the jump.

Good morning, and welcome to the 2011 State of the City address.

I’d like to thank the Chamber of Commerce for once again hosting this event. This has become a fine annual tradition in our community.

Traditionally in my State of the City address, I talk about the City’s accomplishments and financial picture.

This year, the City has published an excellent report that covers much of that ground.

You can read the Making a Difference Community and Financial Report online at guelph.ca/finance. Please do take a few minutes to take a look at this accessible and informative report.

This publication will become an annual report to our community and is one expression of our accountability and transparency to the residents and businesses of Guelph

I have presented the City’s dashboard of key financial performance indicators to this audience in previous years.

That dashboard continues to be central to Council’s financial decision making to ensure we protect the financial position of the municipality.

Through the leadership of our Executive Team, our financial position continues to be strengthened.
Some recent examples of the Team’s work include:

We have finalized a growth management strategy to accommodate 50,000 more people and 30,000 more jobs in our community by 2031.
We secured $50 million in federal and provincial funding to repair core infrastructure and establish a commuter hub in our downtown.
Land sales in the Hanlon Creek Business Park continue to grow our industrial assessment base and jobs.
Fusion Homes of Guelph broke ground last week on their new headquarters in the business park.
We are leveraging our municipal expertise in environmental management and green infrastructure to diversify our local economy.
We have secured a Memorandum of Understanding with the Province of Ontario for the development of the Guelph Innovation District.
This partnership recently elicited an Expression of Interest from Conestoga College for a new campus in Guelph on these lands.And the Executive Team has presented the first sustainable 10-year capital budget for Council’s consideration this year.
The proposed capital financial plan focuses on closing the infrastructure gap by reducing debt servicing over the next 10 years to accelerate contributions to reserves.

(pause)

So, for this year’s State of the City address, I’d like to break with tradition and change the format a little.

I’d like to share two stories that help connect the dots between City Hall and the community.

But more than that, I want to talk about charisma, as odd as that might seem!

Has anyone here ever watched a TED video online?

TED is a small non-profit devoted to “ideas worth spreading.” Recently I watched a TED video where the speaker asked the question: can a city have charisma?

He asked the audience to think of a charismatic leader.

Let’s do the same thing this morning.

But instead of Nelson Mandela, Bono or Oprah – depending on where your thoughts might take you – think about a charismatic leader in our own community.

(pause)

Here is mine: Anne Marie Zajdlik.

She has all the qualities of a charismatic leader. She’s committed to an inspiring cause; a passionate and engaging communicator; a risk taker and innovator; she radiates confidence and conviction; and she builds devoted fans and followers. She even has us “marked” with bracelets of hope!
The question remains: can a city have charisma? Can it demonstrate these same characteristics? Can it possess a distinct personality?

I submit that it can. And I would argue that Guelph, in fact, does.

We’ve all seen the headlines and heard the accolades about Guelph. Canada’s most caring community. The safest city in the country, three years in a row. One of the smartest. The best place to live. We’ve even been called the most romantic and fastest.

In most cases, these rankings are based on a set of factors or statistics – things like our employment rate, volunteerism stats, or crime rate.

It’s certainly great to be recognized.

But what are the stories behind these headlines? What are people in our community doing to make Guelph so extraordinary?

I want to share two stories that begin to tell the tale of why Guelph is such a charismatic city.

The first story involves a local company called Enpar, which specializes in technologies to treat wastewater and drinking water – innovations that trace their roots back to a world-class research institution – the University of Guelph.

There is always a danger in singling out one business especially when you have so many to choose from. I chose the following story in particular because it is current and allows me to connect a lot of dots.

Enpar has been awarded more than $570,000 in funding from the provincial Ministry of Research and Innovation for two projects.

Enpar is a client of Innovation Guelph. Innovation Guelph, established by the Guelph Chamber of Commerce, helps innovative enterprises start, grow and thrive and is part of a regional network of innovation centres.

The first Enpar project will use a new system to deal with nitrates in water. Nitrates are a potentially harmful contaminant, and the Enpar technology will turn them into harmless nitrogen gas.
The second project will use a new technology to turn municipal and industrial wastewater into safe drinking water.

When announcing the project, the Province noted that Enpar’s technology promises to achieve this more efficiently and economically than any method currently available. The Province also said the project “has the potential to transform water treatment around the world and enhance Ontario’s reputation as a leader in water technologies.”

For both of these technologies, the design, manufacturing, and assembly of the systems will take place at Enpar’s facilities in Guelph and Cambridge, creating new jobs.

What I am particularly excited about, is that the City is partnering in these initiatives. The technologies will be tested at the City’s Waste Water Treatment Plant and a City-owned well.

The City has significant municipal expertise in water and wastewater management. Beyond applying this expertise to providing excellent municipal services, we are leveraging it through partnerships like this one to attract jobs and investment and help develop technologies that - as the Province noted - could change the world.

The City of Guelph has been invited by the Province and, more recently, by the Canadian Embassy to participate in a global water technology network to encourage implementation of innovative water technologies around the world.

We are the only Canadian city that’s been asked to participate and it is because of our record for innovation and collaboration.

Innovation Guelph is supporting an emerging Water Cluster in Guelph and our participation in this international initiative will help open doors for these enterprises.

These efforts also align well with the goals of the University of Guelph’s Better Planet Project.
So many connections!

There is much more to this story and it continues to be written.

I’m sure all of you saw the headlines about Guelph’s latest claim to fame: we have the lowest unemployment rate in the country. At 4.1 per cent, it’s nearly half the provincial rate of 8.1 per cent.
I have received calls from across Canada asking what our secret is. I tell them innovation, collaboration and diversity.

Guelph is a prosperous community – it has been for years. Our unemployment rate has historically tracked below the provincial and national averages. That changed during the recession, so it’s terrific news that jobs are returning to Guelph.

The credit for this achievement goes to many of the people in this room this morning – the business community and entrepreneurs. You are the ones who are growing the economy and creating jobs and wealth in our community. Congratulations!

And there are many more players collaborating on other innovative projects just like Enpar in our community. Guelph Connect is a new initiative involving the City, the Chamber, the University, Innovation Guelph, the Downtown Guelph Business Association and the Guelph & Wellington Business Enterprise Centre.

The goal of Guelph Connect is to make sure all the dots are indeed connected and no dots are missing in our community’s response to entrepreneurs wanting to do business in Guelph.

We have a remarkable ability to work together for a common cause, and it makes us the envy of other communities.

So, what does all this innovation and collaboration add up to? Simply put, we are creating a more diversified and resilient local economy. Diversification is the key direction identified in our economic development strategy, Prosperity 2020. And it’s key to a prosperous future for our city.

We share a desire with the Chamber to build environments that can innovate – developing new ways of working and new ideas to gain productivity, continuous improvement and value. In Guelph, we have launched a community wellbeing initiative to support this goal. What is the connection? A society’s ability to innovate has been linked to the well being of its people: career wellbeing, social wellbeing, financial well being, physical well being, and community wellbeing.

(pause)

Now, I’d like to switch from prosperity to liveability – two sides of the same coin.

Guelph has made lots of “liveability” lists over the years. MSN called Guelph “Canada’s next most liveable city” outside of the big three of Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal. Researcher and author Richard Florida ranked Guelph as one of the country’s top five places to live for single people, professionals, and families. We regularly rank highly on MoneySense magazine’s list of Canada’s best cities to call home. Guelph will soon be featured on the Discovery Channel as a “gem” of a city in Canada – the only Canadian city to be showcased.

The various lists use different criteria, but clearly they all show that Guelph is doing something right.
I’d like to share a story that illustrates why Guelph is such a special place to live and will remain so.
The story involves a situation that is inevitably challenging for any municipality: the redevelopment of a brownfield site in an established neighbourhood.

In this case, the neighbourhood is one of the most unique and historic in Guelph: the Ward. The site is a former factory with deep roots in the city: the WC Wood plant.

Situated close to our downtown on the banks of the Speed River, the site is full of potential for residential and commercial redevelopment. It’s also fraught with possible pitfalls – everything from sensitivities about demolishing a factory that employed generations of Guelphites, to neighbourhood worries about whether the new development will fit in.

Quite frankly, this project could have turned into a showdown between a determined developer and an outraged neighbourhood.

But it hasn’t. It has become a truly collaborative planning process.

The players include an engaged group of residents, led by The Ward Residents’ Association which formed in response to the proposed project; an owner, the Kilmer Group, who is committed to respecting the neighbourhood culture; and City staff, who have shown leadership throughout the process.

The Residents’ Association, chaired by Maria Pezzano, has worked hard to make sure the Kilmer Group “gets it” when it comes to the Ward’s unique character.

For their part, the Kilmer Group has shown that in addition to being experts in brownfield remediation, they make it their mission to respect the neighbourhood that surrounds the site.

The site has now been acquired by local builder Fusion Homes, who has pledged to maintain the site’s historic character and make the river a focal point. The President of Fusion Homes, Lee Piccoli, has told me he wants this to be a signature redevelopment in our downtown and set the tone for the next two decades.

The process is not over, and no doubt there will be challenges ahead, as there are with any redevelopment project. But we have built a solid foundation of trust, transparency, and engagement as the project moves forward.

We must replicate this new approach to meet the goals of our growth strategy and the downtown secondary plan. There is no point in developing a downtown secondary plan that cannot be built.
Understanding the financial risks and needs of the development community while protecting the liveability of our neighbourhoods will not be easy, but engagement and creativity will help us immeasurably.

(Pause)

There are many factors that go into making a city liveable – walkability; good transit; a wealth of entertainment and cultural options; parks, sports, and recreational opportunities; good schools; clean air... and the list goes on.

One important factor is that intangible quality called “character.”

As Guelph continues to grow, some worry that our community will lose its character.

The Woods project is an example of people determined to make sure that doesn’t happen – people working together to maintain our heritage, our neighbourhoods, and our culture.

(Pause)

I have only been able to touch on two stories when there are hundreds at play. These two stories highlight the work of just a handful of people when there are thousands of players.

However, I hope they begin to weave together the bigger story that Guelph is, in fact, a charismatic city in large part because of how we are connected to one another.

We have creativity. We have compassion. We have chutzpah.

We are not afraid to take a calculated risk and we have demonstrated an amazing capacity for innovation.

That’s not to say there aren’t challenges.

We will continue to experience the effects of global economic uncertainty. We will continue to be challenged with managing the pressures of growth and what it means to be an assertive and complete community. We will continue to grapple with the reality that we cannot afford all the facilities and services the community may want – at least not in the way we have done in the past.
The City can meet these challenges by adapting, evolving, staying relevant, and creating value for the people we serve.

In the two stories this morning, City Hall was just one player in a whole cast of characters.
The days of municipal government acting alone to drive the city’s future from inside the walls of City Hall are long over – if they ever existed.

As the stories I’ve shared this morning demonstrate, we have successes to point to and emulate.
In today’s complex, interlinked and fast-changing world, municipalities need to work collaboratively across the public, private and non-profit sectors to jointly produce public value.

At City Hall we are redesigning our structures and processes to do just that.

This means more than just sitting at a table together. It’s a fundamental change to the way governments have traditionally done business. There are many systems – cultural, structural and legislative – that define how government works, at all levels. And when these systems are outdated and not directly responsive to our local communities, it is not good enough to just “keep our heads down” and follow the path of least resistance.

These are not easy or comfortable conversations. They are politically risky conversations because not everyone embraces with open arms the need to do business differently.

We don’t have all the answers. But we are asking a lot of questions.

Can you show me a business that has remained relevant and competitive operating on a 50 year-old business model? Is your business the same as it was even 5 years ago?

These are conversations worth happening, because they will enable us to realize our community’s vast potential.

From the days of our founder John Galt, and his grand vision for our city, Guelphites are used to thinking big. We’re a place of big goals and big ideas – whether it’s solving the world’s water treatment problems, or working to eradicate the scourge of AIDS in Lesotho.

That is why our City’s vision - to make a difference - makes such sense. It fits us.

I want to thank everyone here this morning for all the things you do, big and small, to make Guelph so extraordinary.

And I want to assure you that City Hall is right there with you, as together we strive to remain the most prosperous, liveable, caring, safe, smart, fast, romantic, and – yes – the most charismatic city in Canada.

Thank you

University Students Prove to Be Good Influences Too

2011-11-04T21:31:00.000-04:00

It's not been a good fall for the students at the University of Guelph, as a few bad eggs keep spoiling their rap with the local townies. Shoot, even just yesterday a letter in the Guelph Tribune highlighted again the alleged drunk and rowdy behaviour of the undergrads at the U of G.

But the university students of Guelph also do a lot of good in the community, as once again evidenced by the food and donations collected in the annual Trick or Eat campaign. According to The Ontarion, U of G students collected $70, 498 in food donations on Halloween night, with an additional $6,000 in online donations. Guelph's nearest competition in total donations, at least in Ontario, were Western and Carlton with $12,000 each.

The U of G's efforts on Halloween comes out to over 35,000 lbs of food. That's a lot for a couple of hours of work, and while others might rest on their laurels, Gryphons, being a different breed, can't let it slide that this year's total was down slightly over last year. To make up the difference, bins have been placed at local Zehrs and No Frills stores for donations. Of course, if there was one accomplishment that separated this year's Trick or Eat above others in the past is that volunteers made their way to my front door for the first time in years.

So in the midst of a heavy fall, where the majority of university students are getting tarred by the actions of an above average rowdy few, it's important to remember the good works of the silent majority. And that in the cold days to come, several less privileged people in the Royal City will enjoy something to eat courtesy of a University of Guelph student.

Just something to keep in mind the next time you see someone under 21 and you go to grab your pitchfork and torch.

Layoffs at Guelph Solar Panel Plant

2011-11-04T20:03:00.000-04:00

It's a tough time for the solar panel industry. In the United States, the Obama administration is getting static for giving government loans to solar panel manufacturer Solyndra, which went bankrupt earlier this year. And now, all the eager appreciation for Canadian Solar in Guelph seems to amount to none as the company announced layoffs yesterday. On the other hand, it's not for the reasons you think.

Lloyd Longfield, President of the Guelph Chamber of Commerce told the Guelph Mercury that there's “an enormous backlog” in the Ontario government’s microFIT and FIT (feed-in tariff) programs. For the uninitiated, the government’s microFIT program was started in 2009 to allow small-scale producers of solar energy to receive a set amount for each kilowatt hour of power produced and fed back into the provincial power grid.

The backlog exists because demand for panels is so high right now. “You have a huge supply to meet that demand and then you’ve got papers sitting on desks waiting for approvals, so the whole thing grinds to a halt,” said Longfield, who added that the Provincial election and the potential ambiguous fate of the Green Energy Act can account, in part, for the backlog.

But at the same time, 300 people were hired at a job fair this past spring, and all the people getting pick slips were hired this year. The controversy of the situation in this case, as in the case south of the border with Solyndra, is that the notion of burgeoning economic resolve of green energy is severely tested when jobs are cut and companies go bankrupt. Hopefully, for the workers, this is a short term situation.

Michael Moore: You Are the One Per Cent

2011-11-04T18:19:00.001-04:00

This should teach Michael Moore a lesson, because he has some nerve walking into a signing for his own book and refusing to answer the impertinent question posed to him by the local Denver reporter on the scene.

I know Moore has his detractors, to be honest I'm not sure where I stand on this as a Moore fan. I don't want to cry "gotcha journalism" because I think it's one of those terms that's gotten so watered down by politicians unwilling to answer simple questions and instead try and find a way to vilify reporters whose responsibility is to hold them accountable.

It seems to me though that KCNC reporter Evrod Cassimy was trying to make a name for himself by taking a bite out of Moore, and in return he got a mouthful. Moore doesn't look so great in this clip either, but there's this insane kind of urgency from Cassimy as he's trying to ask Moore how he, as one of the "one per cent," helps those that are less fortunate, it reminds me of all those TV shows were they're taking the accused criminal into the police station as reporters yell, "Did you do it? Did you do it?"

Which raises an interesting question: when did Michael Moore become the villain here? Does Cassimy know that in this one minute sound bit, he goes after Moore in a more vicious way than his national colleagues went after the actual power-brokers that the Occupy Protesters are marching and squatting against? Probably not.

Is Resistance Futile?

2011-11-03T18:51:00.001-04:00

I'm a big fan of Councillor Can Guthrie, and I appreciate his outside the box approach to civic engagement, but when yesterday he called for an end to the Occupy Guelph movement, I couldn't have disagreed more.

Leaving aside the fact that yesterday a lot of the tents in St. George's Square were already packed up, but the statement from Guthrie quoted by the Mercury seems to align him, on the issue of the Occupy Wall Street protests, with politicians like Rob Ford and Oakland Mayor Jean Quan. The point, they seem to think, is to get the protesters out of sight and only then can we properly focus on the issues they're concerned with.

But as Rachel Maddow pointed out on Real Time with Bill Maher a couple of weeks ago, the point of a demonstration is to be inconvenient. The point is to get in the way of people, slow down the wheels of progress, take up people's time, get them to stop, make them think, make them talk... It's the same theory behind strikes and other worker action, make things inconvenient for the management, show solidarity - a united front - and they'll have to give into your demands.

At least that's how it's supposed to work. If there's a criticism of the Occupy Wall Street movement it's that maybe its scope exceeds its grasp. If the goal is to convince corporations, financial institutions and wealthy individuals to work to equalize the growing income gap, that's easier said than done. Even in the wake of accepting massive government bailouts, it wasn't six months later that news about executives getting huge bonuses started making headlines. It's no coincidence that the first rumblings from the then nascent Tea Party began to make waves shortly thereafter.

Interestingly, there are some comparisons between the Tea Party and Occupy Wall Street, at least until the Tea Party became the pre-eminent voice in the Republican Party. They're both grassroots movements started to oppose corporate greed and government collusion in making that greed possible. But at some point, the Tea Party became purely anti-government; the fault of the bailouts lies not with corporate mismanagement, but with the government signing over the loans to cover it.

But in those early days, the Tea Party was just as ramshackle, disorganized and unfocused as people accuse the Occupy Movement of being now. Of course, Guthrie is one of those people claiming that the Occupy movement, at least in the case of the Guelph wing, is that they have no coherent message. “It was about a five-minute ramble and not one coherent message at all,” Guthrie said about talking to one of the protesters. “If you can’t even give me a coherent reason why you’re there … you’ve turned from being protesters into being campers.”

I can't say who Guthrie talked to or what they said to him, but in any movement that's gathered steam, it is naturally going to attract anyone with a message. As much as we talk about the internet age and it's million pipelines, there's still a lot of difficulty in trying to get your message heard by the masses. But I think the key to getting the Occupy movement is to understand that it's about the general message, not the specifics. The fact that one per cent of the people controls 40 per cent of the wealth is galling. The fact that the divide between what CEOs make and what the average worker makes is exactly the same now as it was before the Great Depression is unacceptable. And the fact that lobbies representing the interests of the wealthy have managed to convince middle class people for so long that raising taxes on the rich is an attack on people of all incomes may be the greatest long con of all time.

But here's the thing: in Canada we fared the economic troubled waters far better than anywhere else in the developed world. In terms of the near-Depression, Canada was financially akin to that place in all the zombie movies that the survivors are trying to get it: an untouched paradise where the evils of the world can't reach. The financial deregulation that happened in the United States didn't happen here, and the Bank of Canada never put the seal of approval on sub-prime mortgages. That resilient economy that the Harper government likes to talk about, exists because of Paul Martin. Of course, many Conservatives were calling for Canada to follow suit with U.S. deregulation,and in 2008, just months before the crash, the Conservative government was still projecting huge surpluses for the foreseeable future. Hindsight is 20/20, true, but it shows that the current stewards of our economy may not be everything they think they're cracked up to be.

But back to the protest downtown, which, I'll admit, was a little lackluster. Certainly, I've seen more energetic protests downtown, but a point that Alan Pickersgill made in his Guelph Tribune column intrigues me. Pickersgill suggested that the Occupy Guelph protesters should have set up shop in the Wal-Mart parking lot. "The protest would be a lot more meaningful, although a lot riskier, if the tents were set up in the Wal-Mart parking lot," Pickersgill wrote. "If any one thing has materially hurt Guelph, it is that store. The entire eastern section of town has no commercial outlets bigger than Big Bear because of Wal-Mart. The symbolism would be perfect. You can park and sleep in your RV on a Wal-Mart parking lot, but would they tolerate a tent village? For how long? It is a lot safer to protest downtown."

That's the thing about this recent hate-on for Occupy Guelph, it really was a safe protest, it terms of both the physical safety of protesters and passersby, as well as the choice of protest venue. We don't have a "financial district" in Guelph, but if one business in our town is emblematic of "too big to fail" it's Wal-Mart. Suppose for a minute that something happened and all Wal-Mart stores nationwide closed. In many places, the only store with a wide variety of affordable goods is Wal-Mart, and if the local Wal-Mart were to suddenly shut its doors where would people go then?

The thing about a monopoly is that once you have it, it all depends on you. In a way, being "too big to fail" should force a higher degree of social responsibility from these companies, but the need for bailouts prove this is not the case. Perhaps paradoxically, that as Guthrie and his fellow councillors face the harsh realities of the new budget, and with a legion of taxpayers demanding fiscal prudence with viscous tongues, the Occupy Guelph protesters are merely demanding the same thing of corporations.

We've Got Budget Here!

2011-11-01T23:18:00.000-04:00

The proposed 2012 Operating Budget will come to council for the first time Wednesday night, and to answer your first question, yes there is a proposed tax increase. The magic number is three per cent. That's the increase in taxes that city staff is asking for in this coming fiscal year.

“In order to achieve the three per cent guideline,” the report reads, “this budget does not meet the demands of growth, nor new services. However, the executive team has prioritized these needs for council’s consideration, should council wish to build those allowances back into this budget.”

Apparently, the total tax increase came to about 5.6 per cent, but to cut down on costs, the budget has a number of contingency measures, including a three percent increase on transit tickets and passes, the sale of the city's system of street lights to Guelph Hydro, and initiating a "gapping period" where all city job vacancies are purposefully left open for three months.

Those are just the highlights. The City of Guelph released the whole thing in detail in a press release. Read the release below and follow the links.

GUELPH, ON, November 1, 2011 – City of Guelph staff have released the proposed 2012 municipal Operating Budget. The proposed budget will be presented to City Council Wednesday evening.

The proposed budget meets a three per cent guideline Council prescribed in July as part of the budget process. In meeting that guideline, staff have built a budget that focuses on affordability, and is respectful of Council’s desire to deliver public services at a cost that is affordable for taxpayers.

"Council gave staff a mandate to build a budget that does not exceed a three per cent increase over 2011," says Guelph’s Chief Administrative Officer, Ann Pappert. "Staff have spent months putting together a budget submission that endeavours to balance affordability with residents’ expectations about quality service. To achieve that, we’ve had to explore new approaches to familiar questions and make some difficult decisions."

Pappert explains that part of doing business differently—a theme that surfaced in the City’s 2012 Capital and Enterprise Budgets—means exploring shared funding arrangements, leveraging partnerships, and seeking opportunities to acquire additional support and funding from other sources where possible. As an example, this budget includes the sale of the City’s street lights to Guelph Hydro, and an aggressive reduction in energy use in City-owned buildings.

Among the significant influences on the proposed budget is annualization costs associated with the many new facilities Guelph is about to bring on stream, including Market Square, a new civic museum, and the intermodal transit terminal, to name a few. Annualization accounts for a full one per cent of the proposed three per cent increase. Contractual obligations and external cost drivers for items such as fuel and electricity also bear a significant impact on the budget.

The proposed budget accounts for neither growth, nor new services. To meet the three per cent guideline, the City’s Executive Team did not approve any new positions needed to address growth. Those positions have however been prioritized, should Council wish to consider and/or add them.

Council will consider the budget submission over the next few weeks before final deliberations on December 7, 2011. A meeting at which members of the public can address Council is scheduled to take place on November 23. Anyone who wishes to delegate at that meeting is invited to e-mail the City Clerk’s Office at clerks@guelph.ca.

One Week Later, the CFO Quits

2011-10-31T18:17:00.000-04:00

I know it's Halloween, but this is a weird bit of news to have received on All Hallow's Eve. The City of Guelph discretely sent around a press release this morning saying that after a week on the job, new Chief Financial Officer Dan Chapman was handing in his resignation. The following is the total amount of information offered in the release:

GUELPH, ON, October 31, 2011 – Dan Chapman, recently hired by the City of Guelph to fill the role of Chief Financial Officer, has resigned for personal reasons.
The City learned of Mr. Chapman's resignation Friday afternoon when he shared his decision with Chief Administrative Officer, Ann Pappert.
Mr. Chapman plans to return to the City of Kitchener where, until recently, he served as Deputy Chief Administrative Officer with the Finance & Corporate Services Department.

Chapman himself replaced Margaret Neubauer, the former CFO who left City Hall under a shroud of mystery back in May. As for the circumstances of Chapman's departure, Guelph Chief Administrative Officer Ann Pappert told the Guelph Mercury that his departure was a surprise and that, “He left for personal reasons.” Pappert added that the process to replace Chapman has begun, and that they expect to have someone in place by Christmas.

Still, it is another unusual personnel move in a year that's seen a lot of top execs at City Hall depart. Some of the wags posting on the Mercury website are having a field day with the news, and while I'm not sure there's any conspiracy theory here, it is an interesting series of events just the same.

911 Is A Joke

2011-10-30T11:59:00.001-04:00

Mel Lastman, the first mayor of the "mega city" of Toronto, "jumped the shark" (or "nuked the fridge," as it were) when following the SARS outbreak in 2003, when in a series of interviews with international media, Mel Lastman drew the attention of Jon Stewart and the writers of The Daily Show, who had a field day with such Lastman nuggets of gold like, "Who the hell are these W.H.O. people? I've never heard of them! Apparently, they come from somewhere in Geneva! they must be getting all their information from reading the newspaper."

Leaving aside the fact that whole SARS situation was more Good-Time Slim, Uncle Doobie, and the Great 'Frisco Freak-Out' than legitimate pandemic apocalypse, the best face Torontonians could put on the Lastman punchline was an election in October. No bright spot for not-fans of current Toronto Mayor Rob Ford. With over a year of gaffs in his pocket already, the only people looking forward to the next three years are comedians.

By now, Ford's recent encounter with Mary Walsh and a camera crew from This Hour Has 22 Minutes has become legendary. Ford's assertion was that he was "accosted" by a camera crew that "didn't identify themselves" and the he and "his daughter" were "scared" because it was "dark." Well he was hardly accosted, his daughter wasn't there, it clearly wasn't dark, and the if the crew didn't identify themselves, which they did, Mary Walsh has been playing Marg Delahunty so long she should be on the five dollar bill.

And just like that, Doug became the better brother. I don't like having to pay Doug Ford any tribute, but in this video he did come off better than Rob, if only because he didn't call the police after retreating into City Hall.

But if being seen running from Mary Walsh wasn't bad enough for the Mayor, insult was added to injury when the CBC reported that Ford allegedly abused 911 operators when police action wasn't enacted fast enough for his taste. "You . . . bitches! Don't you f---ing know? I'm Rob f---ing Ford, the mayor of this city!” Ford is quoted as reportedly saying.

Of course, no one's going to confuse Rob Ford with Robert Frost, and such gaffing is hardly outside the ken of Ford, whose list of public faux-pas was recounted in a post on The Grid TO. But the first lesson of PR spin is mess up, fess up and dress up; you screw up, admit the mistake and work to rectify it. Or in this case, you make a mistaken statement about your embarrassing appearance on a comedy show, admit your embarrassment, and then, perhaps, invite to meet the comedienne again and eat some bitter humble pie. But instead, it took the better part of a week to get Ford to admit that he - might have - exaggerated the offense of the 22 Minutes crew, and that he - might have - swore (like once) at the 911 dispatchers.

Sadly, Ford demonstrates a prime character failing in many politicians: he can't admit his own mistakes. Admitting you did something wrong is weakness, and the millions of stings from media flies is just the liberal media out to get you. But in our media savvy society appearance is everything. And when you say things you know are contradictory, like saying it was dark when it was clearly light, it looks bad enough, to say nothing of the sight of a grown man, chief executive of the largest city in the country, running from a 59-year-old comedienne with a funny accent. Isn't Ford's reputation built, to a degree, on toughness?

Now to bring this thing full circle, Ford had the dubious distinction of being named "Worst Person in the World" on Countdown with Keith Olbermann on Friday. Joining such luminaries as Glenn Beck, Sean Hanity, Bill O'Reilly, and other all stars of the American Right, Ford has landed his city back on the radar of political satire at a time when both the public's patience, and the proverbial fiscal gravy train, has run out for the Ford Brothers. A little PR rejuvenation is now needed, and perhaps, a sense of humour.

PR Friday #3: Enterprise Budget Passed for 2012

2011-10-21T19:32:00.001-04:00

For our final press release post on this PR Friday, comes news that the City of Guelph's Enterprise Budget for 2012 was passed by city council. The biggest impact on you (as in you the people) is that water rates will go up an extra $1 per week, which so far as inflation goes isn't half bad. Scroll down to get more details and there's a link at the bottom where you can check out the full budget.

GUELPH, ON, October 20, 2011 – Guelph City Council has approved the 2012 operating budgets for water, wastewater, court services and Ontario Building Code (OBC) Administration at $53,127,284. Water and wastewater rate increases will have an impact of 8.5% on the average residential bill, which translates to an approximate increase of $1 per week.

Water conservation efforts and careful budgeting has resulted in a lower than expected increase. Based on higher presumed consumption levels, original long-term rate forecasts in the City’s Water Supply Master Plan (2006) projected a 10% increase to the average household bill for 2012.

Guelph’s water use has decreased 20% in 10 years despite the addition of about 20,000 households. Conservation efforts are also delaying the need for very expensive infrastructure projects that would be a significant burden on rate payers.

Janet Laird, Guelph’s Executive Director of Planning & Building, Engineering and Environment, reminds residents that users pay for water by volume, which means conserving water keeps household costs down. “For the first time, forecasting household water costs is based on actual local use rather than national industry standard usage because Guelph’s actual use is much lower. Our efforts help Guelph remain an international example of environmental stewardship.”

Increases to water and wastewater rates fund the replacement of aging water and wastewater infrastructure; operating cost increases for energy and materials; maintaining environmental and regulatory compliance; and increasing contractual costs for qualified Water and Wastewater professionals. The approved budget ensures the high quality water and wastewater services that Guelph residents rely on are delivered.

Guelph is one of the largest cities in Canada to rely solely on groundwater. Guelph’s drinking water undergoes more than 20,000 health related tests each year to ensure it meets or exceeds Provincial and Federal Drinking Water Quality Standards.

The City’s wastewater treatment system is often referred to as a model for other communities as it protects local rivers and aquatic ecosystems. The wastewater treatment facility’s optimization program has been provincially and federally recognized for best practices in management, efficiency, and cost savings as a result of deferred capital investments and improved wastewater treatment.

Click here to see the proposed 2012 Enterprise Funded Budget.

PR Friday #2 - Members of Cultural Committee Named

2011-10-21T18:55:00.000-04:00

Along similar lines to that first release, the City of Guelph announced today the make up of its new Cultural Advisory Committee. The press release came out earlier today naming nine people who will advise the city and council on matters concerning the arts, culture and all the cross tracks with heritage and business interests in Guelph. Read on to learn more:

GUELPH, ON, October 17, 2011 – The City of Guelph is pleased to announce the community members named to its newly created 2011 Cultural Advisory Committee.

“Council has appointed a talented and dedicated group of citizens who will provide invaluable advice to staff and Council as we work together to foster a vibrant Guelph filled with arts, culture, heritage and creativity-driven businesses,” said Mayor Farbridge.

Committee members were selected through the City’s Citizen Appointment process and are named to one-year terms. The selected community members include:

Greg Pinks (Chair)
Nancy Sullivan (Vice-Chair)
Catherine Alexander
Lynn Broughton
Ronald East
Reinhard Kypke
Anuradha Saxena
Elsa Stolfi
Sally Wismer

Representative of the business, arts and social sectors, the members bring a well balanced range of skills and experience to the committee.

“I am very excited to work with this strong and diverse group,” said Greg Pinks, Cultural Advisory Committee Chair. “This is a great opportunity for community members to help develop, nurture, and promote arts and culture in Guelph.”

About the Cultural Advisory Committee

The Cultural Advisory Committee will support the work of the City’s new Arts, Culture and Entertainment department and will act as a bridge between the local cultural sector, the community at large, and City Council. Over the next twelve months, the Committee will play a key role in the development of a Public Art program and a comprehensive inventory of Guelph’s cultural resources. As community champions, committee members will work to increase awareness and appreciation of the local cultural sector. The Cultural Advisory Committee will meet will meet at least quarterly, and will establish subcommittees to work on various projects as they arise.

PR Friday #1: MacKay Resigns from Arts Council

2011-10-21T18:19:00.000-04:00

So the press releases have been kind of rolling in like waves this Friday - and indeed all week - so I'm going to start moving them out by having a "Press Release (PR) Friday." First there's this kind of surprising news that Anne MacKay is stepping down as executive director of the Guelph Arts Council after one year on the job. It's been a pretty important year for arts in the city with the promotion of Fab 5, and a seeming resurgence in the perception of Guelph as a music scene. Check out the press release below:

Guelph, ON (October 21, 2011) – Guelph Arts Council (GAC) announces that Anne MacKay will be stepping down as Executive Director.

Mary Calarco, Board President, says “Anne made many positive contributions to both the organization and the community. Her enthusiasm for the arts and unwavering optimism will truly be missed. ”

Over the last year, the Board of Directors worked with MacKay as they expanded GAC's focus on creative collaborations, community outreach and local partnerships. GAC is committed to maintaining this positive momentum as the organization looks forward. MacKay departs on October 28, 2011.

“It has been an amazing year” says MacKay “full of valued opportunities to see deeper into this community’s truly dazzling breadth of arts and culture activities”. MacKay plans to return to her private consulting practice, working with groups in the charitable sector. “As I shared with the Board, I came to GAC as a fan and I certainly leave as one. And I know that the long-time and new volunteers will continue to bring their new perspectives, knowledge and excitement together to beautifully serve the arts and culture life of this community.”

Guelph Arts Council Board of Directors will begin their search for a new Executive Director next week, and a hiring committee will be established to ensure a suitable candidate is hired to fill the position.

About Guelph Arts Council

Established in 1975, Guelph Arts Council (GAC) is a coordinating/resource organization dedicated to encouraging the development of the visual, literary, performing and heritage arts. GAC strives to enrich the cultural life of the community and to encourage widespread involvement in the arts.

Garvie Wins! (No, Really.)

2011-10-20T17:58:00.000-04:00

It may not be a seat in either the Federal or Provincial Houses, but in terms of winning elections, getting a second floor office in the University Centre isn't half bad.

Yep, Drew Garvie, four time Communist Party candidate, is now the Communications & Corporate Affairs Commissioner of the Central Student Association at the University of Guelph. Garvie ran in the CSA by-election while simultaneously campaigning in the Provincial Election, which was held earlier this month.

Congrats to Drew, and I'm sure we all wish him luck in his new position no matter our political stripes.

The Presses Stop

2011-10-16T19:22:00.000-04:00

It was a sad but inevitable situation this past Saturday when I got an e-mail from Ron Kilpatrick, editor-in-chief of Echo Weekly, telling me and other contributors thatpublication had stopped on the vaunted Tri-City alternative. There will be no more Echo from this moment on, and that is sad. At least for me.

Echo was one of those things that immediately caught my attention when I first came to Guelph in 1998 for university. It wasn't the type of newspaper I was used to (it had swearing in it!), and I ended up enjoying this weekly dose of left-leaning politics, the politically astute comic strip Weltschmerz, and Josey Vogles' classic sex column, My Messy Bedroom. (Mind you this was before the internet revolution took hold.) I very much looked forward to Thursdays, but that was then... Dan Savage replaced Josey years ago, and Weltschmerz took its bow a few summers ago.

But as numerous people have noticed - and related to me - there's been a definite decline in, I wouldn't say quality, but engagement. There hasn't been a proper cover story in the last year, the paper has been thinner and thinner, and it seems that no one's really been invested in making the once great alternative pop again. And the bitter truth is, there really hasn't. It's been a chicken and the egg type thing: The more the paper lost money, the more it pulled back and did less, which meant fewer people were willing to invest in Echo, and that started the cycle all over again.

Adding insult to injury is the appearance that the people in charge in Echo maybe just didn't care anymore. It moved headquarters from Old Quebec Street to the Trafalgar Building, and then all operations were moved to the View's offices in Hamilton. In other words, there's been no Echo operations in the Tri-Cities, which is weird because it covers the Tri-Cities. It's seemed that the people in charge of operating Echo have been less focused on covering the scene in Guelph, K-W, Cambridge, as much they've been focused on just making sure that there's a magazine to cover it.

Of course, the harsh reality is that all the things that Echo did are now being done by a dozen some-odd websites and blogs out there, and these are the times. What perplexes me is that you drive to Toronto, and on any given day, there are about half-a-dozen alternatives that you can pick up off the newsstand, and people do pick them up. I wonder where the disconnect with the people of Guelph and area now is that we can't even pick up a single alternative to the point that it's viable?

So that's the end of Echo, and I really am sorry to see it go. I love newsprint, but in the meantime Guelph Politico will stay in business, and I guess that's the point.

Stuff Re-opens at West End Rec Centre on Monday

2011-10-14T15:53:00.000-04:00

--PRESS RELEASE--

GUELPH, ON, October 14, 2011 – The pool, library and gym within the WECC is scheduled to re-open and resume regular operations Monday, October 17.

"We’re pleased to announce the facility’s pool and gym will re-open, and that drop-in programs and room rentals will resume Monday morning and will run as scheduled," said Bob Burchett, the City's General Manager for Parks and Recreation Programming and Facilities.

Aquatic programs, which were cancelled due to the closure from Tuesday, October 12 through Sunday, October 16, will be extended by one week. Adult and kids programs that were affected will also be extended by a week. Individual instructors will advise class registrants of all changes to program schedules. If a class cannot be extended, registrants will receive a refund.

Ice rinks will not be available for regular programming until Tuesday evening. All ice use and skating programs are scheduled to resume after 4 p.m. on Tuesday, October 18.

The repairs to the WECC’s main electrical panel are proceeding according to schedule and the building is expected to regain full power by Saturday, October 22.

For more information please visit guelph.ca and regular updates on the facility and programs.

Invite to a Civics Lesson

2011-10-14T00:28:00.000-04:00

Now that all these election stuff is out of the way for a little while, it's time to get down to the business of governing and active engagement. Don't know how? Well there's a workshop coming up that might show you the way. All details are contained below:

Guelph Civics 101 - Engaging Your City Hall

The Guelph Civic League, in partnership with the Central Student Association at the University of Guelph and CFRU 93.3 FM's Beyond the Ballot Box, has organized a unique event focused on understanding and engaging your city hall.

The event unfolds on Tuesday, October 18th, 7-9 pm at the new City Hall in downtown Guelph. The focus will be on a panel discussion.

Representing City of Guelph staff will be Barbara Powell, General Manager, Community Engagement and Social Service Liaison.

Councillor Leanne Piper will represent the perspective of Guelph City Council.

Judy Martin, of Sierra Club and Guelph Urban Forest Friends, will give her perspective on how citizens and citizen groups can engage City Hall.

Tim Mau from the University of Guelph's Political Science Department will be moderating (bios for the panellists and moderator can be found below).

A short tour of the Guelph City Hall council chambers will follow the meeting.

Don't miss this opportunity to better understand how your local government works, and how you can influence decisions at City Hall in Guelph.

Panellist Bios

Barb Powell is the General Manager of Community Engagement for the City of Guelph. She has 16+ years of experience in local government working directly with residents, service providers and academics. Barb is a resident of Guelph and joined the City of Guelph in 2009. During this past year her work has focused on Community Engagement - connecting and building partnerships with citizens, service providers, volunteers and other levels of government. Barb has a keen interest in working with residents in new and different ways to create a vibrant, inclusive community in Guelph.

Leanne Piper's introduction to "politics" came at the grassroots level, where she participated in neighbourhood associations, school councils, and local community organizations and was a founding board member of the Guelph Civic League. First elected to office as a school board trustee in 2003, and then to City Council in 2006, Leanne is a strong advocate for participatory democracy and a strong public voice at City Hall.

Judy Martin is the Guelph Regional Representative of Sierra Club Canada. Over the past 25 years she has served on Sierra Club boards and committees as a volunteer and as paid staff. She has an extensive background in environmental policy analysis and advocacy, which includes 12 years as the legislative director for the Minnesota Sierra Club. She was formerly the Secretary-Treasurer of the Guelph Civic League, serves on her neighbourhood association board, the board of Pollination Guelph, and the steering committee for Guelph Urban Forest Friends.

Moderator Bio

Tim Mau is an Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Guelph, where he teaches courses on Business-Government Relations, Local Government and Public Management and Administration for the B.Comm. in Public Management and graduate level courses for the Guelph-McMaster Collaborative M.A. in Public Policy and Administration. He also teaches a course on the Politics of Organizations for the collaborative M.A. (Leadership) program. Tim has twice been named as one of the University of Guelph's Popular Professors by the annual Maclean's Guide to Canadian Universities. Dr. Mau completed his D.Phil. at St Antony's College, Oxford University, where he was a Commonwealth and SSHRC scholar, an MA in Public Policy and Administration from the University of Guelph (joint program with McMaster University) and a BA from the University of Guelph.

Electrical Issues Close West End Rec Centre Temporarily

2011-10-11T21:11:00.001-04:00

But before gas was the word in pressing issues in the city today, there were electrical issues at the West End Community Centre to contend with. Here's the city's initial press release:

The electrical system at the West End Community Centre (WECC) was damaged yesterday as a result of an incident involving a contract worker who was on site installing the facility's new co-generation system.

The incident caused damage to the WECC's main electrical panel. The facility was immediately closed and will remain closed until electricity is restored.

All regularly scheduled programs at the WECC are affected until the facility re-opens. This includes aquatics, ice rentals and KidsAbility programs and activities.

City staff began phoning and emailing 900 registrants and renters yesterday to advise them of the closure. Staff will continue to contact registrants as it becomes apparent how long the facility will be closed. Members of the community are asked to visit guelph.ca for regular updates on the facility and programs.

While it's too early to tell how long the WECC will remain closed, the closure is expected to last through Wednesday at least. Staff learned this morning that the facility’s two ice surfaces could not be saved. It will take approximately a week for ice to be restored. It is possible however that the building—excluding the ice pads—will re-open before ice is restored.

Though the WECC—including the library—is closed, the fire station located in the same building remains open.

The Ministry of Labour (MOL) was on site following the incident yesterday. At the time of the incident, the work site was under the control of a third party contractor. The MOL's investigation is ongoing.

That was around 11:00. Just after 5:00 pm, the city sent this out:

City staff continue to explore all options to restore electrical power at the WECC as soon as possible

All programs and activities are cancelled until Sunday, October 16, while the facility is closed. Recreation staff are in the process of contacting all registrants and rental clients by phone and email with this update.

Fire Station #4 remains operational.

All I can say it that there are probably a few people who are glad this happened this week considering that the West End Rec Centre was used as an advanced poll and as a poll on Election Day. Well, not "glad" per se, but you know what I mean...

Gas Leak Plugged, People Heading Home

2011-10-11T18:35:00.000-04:00

It was a pretty apocalyptic day in Guelph. I spent most of it in Toronto, or going back and forth to same, but this crossed my e-mail desk sometime before 1 pm earlier today:

Emergency Services and Guelph Police Services have initiated an evacuation of the Paul Street and Delhi Street area following a gas line break at approximately 11:45 this morning.

Union Gas personnel are on site and are tending to the gas line break.

As a precaution, some homes in the area have been evacuated to the Evergreen Seniors Centre on Woolwich St.

Fortunately, the whole situation was wrapped by 4:30, and everybody was allowed to head back home:

The gas line that was damaged in the Paul and Delhi Street area earlier today has now been capped and it is safe to return to the area. The evacuation is over and residents who were evacuated to the Evergreen Seniors Community Centre have been returned to their homes.

“Natural gas when released into the air is quickly diluted and once the source has been eliminated the amount of gas in the air quickly diminishes,” says Guelph’s Medical Office of Health, Nicola Mercer. “Most people not close to the source will not have any symptoms. The respiratory effects of inhaling natural gas generally occur within 30 minutes. Common symptoms could include coughing, choking, drowsiness, dizziness, headache or vomiting if a person is exposed in high concentrations. These people will need to seek medical attention. If an individual has no symptoms several hours after exposure to small amounts of natural gas they are very unlikely to suffer any health effects. The risk of health affects continues to decrease as time goes by from the original exposure to small amounts of natural gas.”

If residents in the area smell gas in their home, they are advised to leave the premises, then call Guelph Fire Department at 519-824-3232.

All's well that ends well.

New Transit Schedule Delayed... Naturally.

2011-10-08T18:46:00.003-04:00

Here's some unsurprising news: the new transit routes and schedules are delayed because one of the numerous people who are involved in planning these things didn't notice that there was some mysterious stipulation in the collective bargaining agreement with the transit union saying that the new routes can't go into effect till the new year. Seriously?

Now I'm not one to believe in conspiracy theories, but it really does seem that the City of Guelph doesn't want to improve transit in this town. The new transit hub's been delayed three times, we've had to fight against fare hikes and service cuts, and now the new and improved schedule is delayed on account of a clerical error. Is the city passing the buck? Because I find this press release pretty light on explanations considering that they're reneging on a project's start date with exactly one month to spare.

Anyway, here's the press release. Decide for yourself where the truth lies.

GUELPH, ON, October 6, 2011 – New and improved transit routes and schedules that were slated to begin November 6 as part of Guelph’s Transit Growth Strategy will now start January 1.

“Over the past couple of months, we’ve worked hard at planning and communicating the introduction of new routes and improved service anticipating a start on November 6,” says Michael Anders, General Manager of Guelph Transit and Community Connectivity. “We are ready to implement the changes, but because of collective bargaining agreement obligations, we have to move the implementation date to January 1, 2012.”

Guelph Transit will continue to keep riders and the community informed with respect to the new routes and services, and their start dates.

You Know What? Maybe You Shouldn't Vote.

2011-10-07T20:34:00.001-04:00

As I was working at the Best Western polling station yesterday, somebody downtown was reading my Echo column and they decided to send me a comment via e-mail, and no, it wasn't a death threat or somebody telling me I shouldn't be writing a political blog.

Long story short, he begged to differ from my assertion in the column that people who are able to vote, really should vote and that maybe they should no what it's like to have to fight to get the right to vote by writing an essay in order to get the vote back if you miss three elections in a row at any level. I'm not sure I was advocating a "Rock the Vote" style, vote or else campaign that encourages everyone to exercise their franchise even if they aren't really passionate about it, but I secede that it could be read that way.

"[L]ike you I always vote," my e-mail writer wrote, "I don't agree that we need to find ways to make more people vote. No good can come from the uninformed, unintellgent, and/or apathetic casting ballots.

Immediately before I read your column today I overheard the following (abbreviated) exchange between the staff.

Cook: Steve Jobs died.

Bartender: Who is Steve Jobs?

Cook: He was an Apple guy, he saved the music industry. I knew he was going to die because there's two kinds of cancer: the kind that makes you bald but you live, and the kind that makes you skinny but you die. He got skinny, so he died, like Jack Layton.

"Do you really want people like that voting? What are the chances they have a clue what they are voting for?"

I agree, I certainly hope these people didn't vote. But there are a lot of people out there who should vote but don't. They know the issues, they're informed, they're passionate, but for whatever reason, there's a disconnect between that and getting to the polling place.

People who don't vote can be separated into five categories: there are people who are intelligent and engaged, but don't vote as a statement; there are people who are intelligent and engaged but feel that their vote doesn't matter; their are people who are intelligent and somewhat engaged, but perhaps feel not informed enough to vote; there are intelligent people that don't engage; and their unintelligent people who enjoy their ignorance and/or feel that society doesn't get them. People in those first four categories should be voting, that last category should not.

How we might fix that gap, I don't know. But working for the election gives you some pretty interesting insight into the system. Here's what came from my 12 hours manning the polls yesterday:

1) Mail's screwing up the process. There were so many young people that came in to vote, but didn't have proof of address because they don't have bills sent to their house. Or bank statements. Or magazine subscriptions. Or any mail really. Some were referred to a nearby printer, and one girl tried to show an electronic document on her laptop as proof, which sadly couldn't be accepted as proof of address. Which leads into the next point.

2) One of the many students working the Best Western poll remarked that the University spends so much time encouraging people to get out to vote, and not enough time giving them the info they need in order to vote. Like what kind of ID you need, or where you can get that info. While it is up to the individual to take responsibility to find the information they need, your student government should be able to help point you in the right direction.

3) People need to realize that voting isn't like going to McDonalds to get a Big Mac: you can't go to any location and get the same service. There were a couple of people who expected that they'd be able to just go to the polling station of their choice and submit their vote. Sorry, you can't do that. These things are carefully organized for a reason, and that reason is to make sure that you can't just walk into a polling station, say that you'd like to vote at this poll because it's closer to your work or home, when you're really doing a voting tour of Guelph. Which reminds me...

4) Use your advanced polls. A kid cam in rather irate that he wanted to vote at the Best Western because he had a busy day on campus and couldn't leave for an appropriate amount of time to vote at his polling place. What this guy should have realized is that there was advanced voting for 10 days, at several locations around the city, including the University Centre at the University of Guelph. You mean you didn't have two minutes in a week a half to vote just one floor down from where you get your Starbucks?

And yes, voter turnout was down from the last election, below 50 per cent of the total vote down, but I don't think making the process easier is the answer. Like the man said, Democracy is advanced citizenship, you have to want it before you're able to get it. And the point is more people should want it.

Hyperbole Alert

2011-10-07T17:18:00.000-04:00

A little off the wall, don't you think? This was the cover of today's Toronto Sun. All that's missing is the AC/DC soundtrack. It's worth pointing out that the closest thing that Tim Hudak got to an endorsement from the Sun was a column by Peter Worthington, and even he said things like Hudak's point that he could cut government spending by reducing the number of public employees and giving other pay cuts "seemed more rhetoric than substantial," and said that Hudak's assertion that he wouldn't pushed around by minority or human rights groups "verged on the naïve." Still, no matter how you feel about Dalton McGuinty, I don't think this was the reaction you're thinking of.

The Results Show

2011-10-07T13:17:00.000-04:00

The results of the 2011 Ontario Provincial Election were really no surprise to anyone because no one really knew what was going to happen.

In Guelph, Liz Sandals handily strode to a third consecutive victory with 19,734 votes, a loss of barely 450 over her total vote load in 2007. But that wasn't the real story in Guelph; the more interesting number was 802, as in the number of votes that separated PC Greg Schirk and NDP James Gordon. Schirk won 11,950 votes to Gordon's 11,148. For Schirk it was a marginal 308 vote loss over what Bob Senechal brought in for the PCs in 2007, but for Gordon it meant a 63 per cent improvement over Karan Mann-Bowers, who ran for the NDP in the last election. Sadly for local Greens, Steve Dyck was only able to collect 3,234 votes, or barely a third of the votes of Ben Polley's third place finish in 2007.

So what do we make of Sandals' easy hat trick? Beating her nearest competition nearly 7,800 votes due to strategic voting may be overstating the influence of that constituency. It's more likely that Guelph voters are satisfied with Sandals representation because the opposition's idea that there's a great ground swell in the riding/city of people unsatisfied with her time as MPP certainly wasn't represented in the polls yesterday.

Perhaps the real surprise of the election is that Premier Dalton McGuinty came so close to his third majority; a single seat separated him from a minority-proof 54, despite the fact that he was elected for an historic third term with a minority government. Trailing the polls for more or less the last year until a week after the writ was dropped, a McGuinty victory was an uncertain prospect.

In context though, the McGuinty Liberals still lost 18 seats from their second election in 2007. That's not a number easy to sneeze, but I doubt the Liberals today are really caring. On the other side of the aisle, a seven seat addition to the NDP caucus will bolster Andrea Horwath's influence in Queen's Park, while Tim Hudak, who despite winning an handsome 12 seat addition to his party or a total of 37, may have some explaining to do. The last few days of his campaign were ugly, and some in his party may be wondering how, despite the poll numbers, the PCs were only able to wound, and not topple, the McGuinty Liberals. Respectfully, this was Hudak's first election, and that fact alone may reflect the result as many weren't yet sold on Hudak, or reserved voting for him until he's had more experience.

One thing that's hard to deny is that there's a new kind of regionalism in effect in Ontario.

Looking at the electoral map, Ontario is like a centaur: a big orange torso, with blue bottoms highlighted by red spots. The NDP runs the north and several urban centres, the PCs hold rural Ontario and towns and cities just beyond the borders of the GTA, and the Liberals represent the urbane areas of Ontario, particularly Toronto and the GTA. If the McGuinty government is to survive till 2015, the Premier will have to make small moves to make places outside Toronto feel like their part of the process; he'll have to reach out more and fight the most damning condemnation of his government: that it's a Toronto-down organization.

But will a minority McGuinty government in Ontario be under the same kind of attack recent minority governments federally were? Unsure. For one thing, there's that one seat margin that kept McGuinty from majority status, a much closer margin than either Paul Martin or Stephen Harper enjoyed. With so many close races, not to mention an exceedingly low voter turnout, a redo, impromptu election sometime in the next couple of years might work in McGuinty's favour. Then there's the Hudak factor. There are some grumblings about how much the PC leader didn't help the cause with comparisons to the increasing unpopular Rob Ford and commitment to potentially xenophobic and homophobic policies on the campaign trail. In an election where everything seemed in his favour to win, the reasons for Hudak's fortunes are multiple choice.

Either way, it's a new day, (almost) the same as old day in Ontario. Where will go to next?

Old Tricks Are the Best Tricks

2011-10-05T19:43:00.000-04:00

Heading into these last few days of the campaign, we've been offered some of the dirtiest tricks yet played in this relatively squeaky clean election.

A lot of the talk the last few days has been the M-word. As in "minority." Of course, the possibility has existed since the writ was dropped; with such a close race it was in the back of everyone's head, and we discussed the possibility on "Beyond the Ballot Box" the Monday before the election began. But in the last couple of days, PC leader Tim Hudak has tried to use it in the presumption that it will give his party the same edge his Federal colleagues got in the spring. However, Hudak misunderstands one thing when it comes to playing the M-card, Harper's Conservatives had the inside track to former the government either way, minority or majority.

Which raises another question: In the Federal election, Harper and his candidates made the case that in a fragile economic environment, voting for another minority Conservative government, or, heaven forfend, a coalition government of some kind, was dangerously disruptive. So why didn't Dalton McGuinty make this case? While his policies may not have sat well with all, as do many of Harper's policy, isn't there not still a skittish economy out there? Isn't the greater gamble on an inexperienced government in the midst of an economic recovery?

It would have played well into McGuinty's theme that despite the bumps, his government has done a great deal of good for the Province of Ontario. Given the fact that people seem pretty evenly divided on who to vote for, it might have even given McGuinty an extra edge in the campaign. After all, stability had more to do with the Conservative victory than an overwhelming endorsement by Canadians of the Harper platform.

As for McGuinty's opponent, the one issue that's not going to help Hudak in these final hours is the matter of the homophobic flyer that was passed around in a Brampton riding this past week, and the fact that he can't be moved off his support of it. Furthermore, the fact that PC staff physically intervened to stop reporters from asking about while in Brampton Monday conjures the very worst image of modern conservative politics. And where as social conservatism suits the Federal party well, it's only because the Western wing of the party supports that tact. In Ontario, Conservatives here struggle with those ideals, wanting to support their national party, but being themselves frightened by some of the core ideals so far as social policy is concerned.

Basically, in these final days, Hudak has done himself no favours by reaching into the past, finding something that was patently untrue to begin with and eventually abandoned by the Liberals in any case, and tried to turn it into the closing argument for why he, not McGuinty, should be Premier of Ontario. In St. George's Square today, while waiting for Andrea Horwath, people were unsure whether to hate Hudak for trying to capitalize on homophobia, or pity him for his desperation.

As it stands, it's probably still too close to call. Or at least it's too close to call as to whether we get a Liberal minority, a slight Liberal majority, a PC minority, or maybe even a slight PC majority. It will either be quite apparent by bed time or it's going to be a long night. I guess we'll find out at 9 tomorrow.

Happy Election Day!

Horwath Stops in Guelph

2011-10-05T18:34:00.000-04:00

Opening with a rousing rendition of "We Owe it to the Pioneers," James Gordon kicked off the last big event of the 2011 campaign, a visit to Guelph by NDP leader Andrea Horwath. Also in Guelph was Dufferin-Caledon candidate Karen Gventer, Wellington-Halton Hills candidate Dale Hamilton, and Halton candidate Nik Spohr.

Horwath's stop in the Royal City was brief, to say the least. One of her handlers said that the NDP leader was making seven or eight stops today and was on a very tight schedule, so one-on-one meets, or even a media scrum, was out of the question. Rallying the team, Horwath said the important work now is to get out to the polls and vote, and to encourage everyone you know to get out to the polls and exercise their right to vote as well.

Horwath was scheduled to arrive at St. George's Square, on the patio outside Capistrano, at around 3 pm, but was about 25 minutes late. Not that the fact that Horwath was late dampened the enthusiasm of the crowd any. According to estimates from the Gordon campaign about 300 people showed up to cheer on Horwath and the local NDP. How that might translate tomorrow at the polls is still anyone's guess.

Check out a slideshow of pics below:

Rolling With the Big Boys Now

2011-10-04T17:10:00.000-04:00

When I was talking to Communist Party leader Elizabeth Rowley yesterday, she said that now, 20 years after the fall of the Soviet Union, it seems that Communists are having an easier time of it out on the trail, promoting their agenda, and even planting signs in people's yards. Here in Guelph, while I haven't seen any Communist signs in people's yards, they are up at heavily trafficked corners of town. They're kind of nondescript, and they don't have Drew Garvie's name on them, but it is interesting to see. These pics are from the corner of Norfolk and Waterloo.

Guelph Politicast #7 - Elizabeth Rowley

2011-10-03T20:14:00.000-04:00

In this special bonus Politicast, I sit down with Elizabeth Rowley, leader of the Communist Party of Ontario. The opportunity came quite suddenly, and since it seems like I won't be able to interview any other party leader this election, then I figured why the heck not.

Rowley's had an interesting career. She's been involved with the Communist Party for over four decades, and was one of the first female leaders of a political party in Ontario. It takes a lot of dedication to fight an uphill battle for that long, and it seems that Rowley is just as passionate today as she was when she got involved with the party to battle racism and the Vietnam war in the 70s.

Like she did in the 2007 campaign, Rowley has made the journey to Guelph, not just to campaign for her party's candidate Drew Garvie, but to touch base with the place where the Communist Party of Canada began exactly 90 years ago this year. We talk about that later in the podcast.

As for everything else, I think Rowley touches on all the major issues of the day, so press play and hear what she has to say.

Guelph Politicast #6 - Julian Ichim

2011-10-02T23:12:00.000-04:00

With just days to go until the election, I managed to get another podcast in by interviewing one of the two candidates I have yet to talk to on the record.

In this Politicast, I interview Julian Ichim, local activist and organizer who's running in this election as an independent candidate in the riding of Guelph. You may not agree with Ichim's point of view, or his politics, but I don't think you can disagree that he is a passionate and informed advocate on behalf of the poor and the disadvantaged. He's feisty, and ready to argue anybody to the mat on the issues of poverty and social justice. If you saw his performance in the Guelph Mercury debate, then you know that he was a magnetic presence on the stump.

In my interview with Ichim, which was nearly an hour long, we talked a lot about the issues, but we also talked about his experience protesting the G20 last year, and his experiences in the criminal justice system after his arrest the Friday before violence broke out over the weekend. It's an interesting first hand account, but if you'd like to skip it and save it for later, we start talking about it around the 26 minute mark.

In other news, I'm thinking about making the Politicast a semi-permanent thing on the blog. It maybe a once a month kind of proposition, but the more I think about it, the more I'd like to keep doing these little political talk shows. Making them has been a really fun experience this election. If you have ideas about the future of the Politicast, or have any suggestions, feel free to post them in the comments section.

But for now, let's talk to Julian Ichim. Listener discretion is advised, there's some salty language in this 'cast.

The Cosmic Gong Show Rolls On

2011-10-02T16:18:00.002-04:00

As I innocently went about my business this morning, in full knowledge that transit buses were being diverted to Macdonell St for an event in St. George's Square, I once again witnessed another instance of the city's managerial impotence so far as busing is concerned.

Yes, the buses were lined up along Macdonell as advertised, but someone forgot to tell the people parked in spaces along the street that the buses were going to have to use that area on Sunday morning. The result was traffic disruption, although only slight since it was Sunday morning, but buses still had to stop out in the street, forcing cars to go around, and forcing some commuters to have to walk as far as from The Diplomat to the Guelph Mercury loading bay to get their transfer. So the Run for the Cure wasn't the only race downtown this morning. You know it's bad when even the drivers are looking at each other with shrugged shoulders.

Just over a month from the brand new route system that is supposed to make riding the bus more attractive - and just over a month after Transit hiked fares to $3, which doesn't exactly encourage first time riders - we see again that when it comes to treating public transit seriously, the city treats it like The Gong Show. If there are any explanations, I'd love to hear them.

Hudak Wants to End Fictional War

2011-10-01T17:46:00.000-04:00

One would think with the hit to Rob Ford's numbers as of late that Tim Hudak wouldn't be as eager to crib from him, but he does. And he did.

While in Dundas today, Hudak said he wants to end Dalton McGuinty's "War on the Car," and to prove his dedication he's going to open a new front by pushing for the construction of a new highway between Hamilton and Niagara to supplement the QEW. The Liberal government shelved the plan since studies showed that a new highway won't be necessary for another 20 years. At least.

"A good highway route like that would not only create jobs in building it, but most importantly will attract new businesses to our area and help to break the gridlock, because families are spending far too much time stuck in their cars and not home with the kids," Hudak told supporters today.

On the other hand area residents begged to differ. "At this point we need our food supply. We don't need this highway," said Susan McMaster, co-chair of the group Citizens Opposed to Paving the Escarpment. McMaster tried to meet up with Hudak as he visited businesses in Dundas, but came up empty handed. "We're talking about some of the last viable farmland in the area and they want to pave right through it."

"There's some people who don't want to build highways in our province. I do," Hudak said rather nonchalantly later.

Hudak's instance that he will build a highway because he wants it, regardless of how local resident's feel is as reckless and counter-intuitive as the "anti-car" measures he and others on the right claim to despise: Using traffic congestion as a form of control to get more people out of their cars and on to buses and trains, or charging a $60 Personal Vehicle Tax (AKA: The CAR TAX!!! - said with vitriol and bitterness through gritted teeth), to help cover the cost of infrastructure to support so many people driving cars. One way creates less pollution, less congestion and a more community-minded commuting system, the other create more roads, more pollution and yes, eventually more congestion.

You make it more appealing for people to dive and they will drive. The convenience of your own personal automobile is always going to be more appealing that going from point to point to point in order to get to your destination. Short-term relief of congestion will be exchanged in 20 or 30 years with a growing population in this area, for having more people on the road, which will just mean two congested highways rather than one.

The other exception I have is Hudak's quote that "families are spending far too much time stuck in their cars and not home with the kids," but honestly, whose fault is that? We've created a complex society in southern Ontario where people want to work good-paying jobs in the city, but want the sprawl with big houses and big yards in suburbia. I know life in the city's expensive, which is why so many people work downtown and live in the 'burbs, but generally those that can't afford to live in the city, can't afford the cost of a car either.

Our secret identity society, being one thing during the day and another at night, is slowly killing us, and I'm not just talking about the environment. "Bedroom communities" kill any actual sense of community, and if you're only invested in a place as somewhere to lay your head, than your not going to treat that community better than the average hotel room. Also, the sprawl spreads. People who were once satisfied to commute from Mississauga and Oakville, then moved out further to Brampton and Halton Hills, and are now laying claim to Milton and Guelph.

So Hudak, I'm sure that you are quite anxious to build highways, but I will respectfully agree to disagree. If people want to spent more time at home, then they should work closer to home, or home closer to work. Working to change the society outlook to make this idea more appealing, and trying to promote businesses to build in our communities will probably mean more in the end than another highway, anyway.

Schirk Says Voting is Easy... And Cool

2011-09-29T22:48:00.000-04:00

To complete this rather busy political day, I'm posting this press release I got from the Greg Schirk campaign encouraging everyone to get out and vote. I like the message, because as much as our elections sometimes sink to the depths of partisanship, which may be a nice name to explain a wide variety of civil discourse, both positive and negative, the most important thing of all is get out and vote. It's where your voice really matters after all.

--PRESS RELEASE--

Greg Schirk, Guelph’s Progressive Conservative candidate, voted today at the advance poll set up by Elections Ontario in City Hall. He found the process quick and easy, and encourages all eligible voters in Guelph to exercise their democratic right and cast their ballot at an advance poll today or tomorrow, or on October 6th.

Greg wants to remind voters that “the Ontario provincial government – NOT the Federal government or the government of the City of Guelph -- is responsible for two really important areas that affect everyone and their future - health care and education. If you have an opinion about what you want heath care and education to be in Ontario, please take a few minutes to understand the platform of each political party, then vote for the one that best reflects your views.”

Greg also wants people to recognize that “the right to vote is the cornerstone of democracy. It is a fundamental democratic right that people in many countries do not have and are fighting for right now. We have it. We shouldn’t take it for granted.” Furthermore, “contrary to how many people feel, every vote really does count. It’s our way of making it clear to politicians the direction we want our governments to take over the next few years. The more votes, the clearer that message.”

A Funny Thing Happened While at the Cafe...

2011-09-29T19:21:00.000-04:00

As per my previous post, Premier Dalton McGuinty popped in to the Red Brick Cafe on Westmount Road for some java juice and quick turn at making a latte. It has a perfectly cozy and chilled atmosphere, a picture perfect opportunity for the Premier in the waning days of this re-election campaign. Then, from behind me, someone yelled, "Are you going to help us out at the pharmacy?"

And then everyone got kind of uncomfortable.

The heckler was Carla Bradshaw, the owner and operator of Westmount Pharmacy, and her issue was with the Liberal governments changes to prescription drug sales which was passed last summer, ending professional allowances that generic drug companies pay pharmacies in return for stocking their products. Apparently Bradshaw, who was one of the main local opponents to the change in fees last year, is still rather sore about the whole situation.

At the cafe, McGuinty ignored her, and his people quickly and quietly tried to address Bradshaw's concerns. But the media swarmed, and as McGuinty quietly took his leave, Bradshaw successfully took the spotlight. Her point: that the government's elimination of professional allowances has irreparably impacted her business, with Bradshaw saying that the effect on her bottom line is that with her current profit margin, she's basically getting paid like an employee in her own store.

Bradshaw was asked if she had planned her ambush on the Premier, and whether or not she was a supporter of any particular party. She said that her protest was not planned and that she didn't have any particular political affiliation. But a source tells me that Bradshaw donated $117.41 to the PC association in Ancaster-Dundas-Flamborough-Aldershot in 2005. She was also heavily involved in the local campaign to protest the change in drug policy and was quoted in many newspaper articles on the subject.

As for the policy itself, a source inside the Liberal campaign told me that it's helped more than it's hindered. They said that the intention of professional allowances was to assist with the proper administration of services at the pharmacy, but instead many of the pharmacy owners were padding their own pockets with it. They also noted that $500 million has been re-invested in healthcare, and that pharmacies have been helped out with $100 million more in funds for dispensing fees. Additionally, rather than then resulting in the closure of independent pharmacies, 63 additional pharmacies have opened in the last year.

But back to the Red Brick, and after the media scrum was over Bradshaw seemed satisfied that her point of view was heard. The pity being, I guess, that a few shouted words over the espresso machine didn't produce a meaningful conversation about an important issue. But then again, this was International Coffee Day, and the Premier was on a coffee break.

One week to go till election day.

Photo Bomb

2011-09-29T15:54:00.000-04:00

Greg Schirk campaigner Allan Boynton sent this photo along shortly after the Premier's visit to Guelph this afternoon. It's the McGuinty campaign bus sitting parked along Carden Street in front of a "Wrong Way" sign, which I suppose for the partisan is good for a laugh. It's completely out of context, and I don't know why the campaign bus was stopped there. Perhaps McGuinty was hankering for some sushi, or perhaps he wanted to stop be the Cornerstone and do a cafe tour of Guelph, or maybe something caught his attention in the window at Dis-a-Ray. Of course the notion of Dalton McGuinty doing a pop-in at Ray Mitchell's store offers plenty of comedic material in and of itself, but I digress. Here's the photo:

McGuinty Takes Coffee Break in Guelph

2011-09-29T15:32:00.000-04:00

On the occasion of International Coffee Day, Premier Dalton McGuinty stopped at the Red Brick Cafe on Westmount Rd in Guelph on his way to a campaign stop in Cambridge. News of the impromptu stop came quite all of the sudden this morning, but there were about 50 Liberal supporters in attendance along with Liberal candidate and MPP Liz Sandals. McGuinty and his wife Terri hoped off the bus, talked to Red Brick owner Shelley Krieger, placed their order and then helped out the baristas behind the counter.

The stop wasn't meant to be political, and no press questions were taken. There was a moment of controversy, which I will follow up in a later post, and on his way out to the campaign bus, a total of three PC supporters were there to chant at McGuinty that he's got to go, but for the most part, the Premier's visit was short and sweet. Check out the photo slideshow below.

Editorial: Flag Flap

2011-09-28T21:33:00.000-04:00

Patriotism achieved.

Apparently there's an epidemic in Canada. An epidemic of people not being allowed to hang the Canadian flag when they want, where they want. Because of this rash of, uh, flag blocking, the Federal government is taking action to make sure that we the people can hang our flag where we deem appropriate and/or necessary.

And a grateful nation says, "We're doing what now?"

I take it this is the kind of proactive action that the people who voted for the Conservatives to a majority situation last spring were expecting. I can only assume that the economic situation is rosier than the Prime Minister's pessimism would have us believe. Or maybe John Carmichael, Tory MP for Don Valley West knows that a more dangerous threat exists to our nation's flags.

With the support of Heritage Minister John Moore, Carmichael introduced his private member's bill, the National Flag of Canada Act, today. "This proposed law seeks to protect the rights of Canadians to fly their national flag where they live and encourage Canadians across the country to display the national flag, not just on Canada Day or Flag Day, but every day of the year," said Carmichael.

The proposed law would make sure someone is prevent from displaying the flag, as long as it is displayed in a "manner befitting this national symbol," and as long as the flag isn't being used improperly or being desecrated. If you try to get between a man, or woman, and their flag, they will be punished by restraining orders, injunctions, a fine, or a jail term of up to two years. Talk about getting tough on crime.

But is this really a problem requiring immediate government attention? The HuffPost article cites an incident in 2010, where residents of a retirement community in Belle River, ON, were told by the Cooper's Mill Retirement Community homeowners' association that no additions or substitutions were permitted to the exterior of homes without permission, and that included flags. Apparently the association had received complaints from other residents that the flags looked "trailer trashy," but the residents declined to remove their flags. Now the government wants to get their backs in a legal sense.

I'm reminded of all those times some official in the United States government, with fire and brimstone, saying that their country needs, I mean NEEDS, to pass a constitutional amendment banning flag burning. I guess sometimes flag burning happens every day and in such alarming numbers that only a nip/tuck to the constitution can stop the scofflaws. We're not there yet, but the mere fact that our Conservative government's been sitting in Parliament for a week and a half and is already obsessed with protecting the flag has got me worried.

There's an uncomfortable obsession in the U.S. between some people and the flag. And while it would upset me to see the Canadian flag set ablaze, I would never want to see a law stop someone from burning that flag in protest. And while some condo administrator may tell you can't fly your flag, he's a jerk, but he's well within his rights too. After all, don't people buy condos for the dullard uniformity and a stringent rule system that makes it happen. And while it might perhaps be strongly encouraged that people who want to hang a Canadian flag properly should be left to do so, do we really need to make sure no one might enforce a contrary opinion with the threat of a jail sentence.

I guess what I mean to say is this is the type of ridiculousness we've come to expect from the Republicans south of the border. The kind of wedge issue politics that keep government leaders with a black and white mindset in power, as others with a more colourful worldview are kept on their toes. "How can you not be for a law that stops people from preventing the display of our nation's colours," or as Moore put it when Bob Rae accused him of trying to "change the channel," "If the opposition are so inclined this can take up no time and we can pass this by unanimous consent." Message: If it's not such a big deal, then why don't you just let it pass.

For the nation's progressives it's another sign that a Conservative majority just might as well mean a Republican government. Super jails, laws to protect the flag and hard right MPs trying to stymie international funding for abortions, and it seems that some members of the government don't mind inflating the perception that some of the nightmares of Canada's left are coming true. But it will be alright. Take one flag pin and call us in the morning, because if you don't they'll report you.

YouTube Blast From The Past

2011-09-28T18:28:00.000-04:00

As a subscriber to Retrontario's YouTube page, this little number appeared on my log-in screen today, practically screaming for my attention. Retrontario, for those of you who don't know, is a man who collects old VHS tapes of stuff people recorded off TV, and then digitizes them and posts them on You Tube. They're mostly commercials of just about every kind, from old Canadian Tire ads ("Give Like Santa, But Save Like Scrooge") to CityTV bumpers for old Star Trek: The Next Generation episodes ("Your Federation Station," bellows the late Mark Dailey).

The timing of this ad being uploaded is ideal on three counts, 1) It's from the 1985 provincial election, 2) It features a young and scrappy new leader of the New Democrats, and it features him in his first election, just two elections ahead of his eventual ascension to the Premier's office, and 3) That leader was Bob Rae, who is now, of course, interim head of the Liberal Party of Canada.

Let's roll the clip.

No Dead Heat in Guelph

2011-09-26T13:37:00.000-04:00

A Forum Research poll released over the weekend has some sad news for people hoping for a changing of the guard in Queen's Park for Guelph, and their supporters. The poll showed that Liberal Liz Sandals will walk to re-election with 37.6 per cent of the vote. PC Greg Schirk comes in second with 30.3 per cent followed by NDP James Gordon and Green Steve Dyck with 21.9 per cent and 8.8 per cent respectively.

Meanwhile, province-wide, it remains a toss up as to what the political landscape in Ontario is going to look like a week from Thursday. Across Ontario, the Liberals and the Progressive Conservatives are in a statistical dead heat, with the NDP in a respectable, but distant 23 per cent. With these numbers and others, ThreeHundredEight.com’s seat projection model shows that the Liberals are likely to win 55 seats, which is one more than they need for a majority. It’s a loss of 15 seats for the Grits, but just barely enough to win their third majority.

Not to brag, but unless there's a major (or is that minor) change in the situation it appears that the prediction I made on CFRU's Beyond the Ballot Box before the start of the campaign will pan out on Election Day.

The End of Libertarianism

2011-09-24T19:05:00.000-04:00

One of the things that stuck out at me in the Guelph Mercury debate was the performance by Libertarian candidate Philip Bender. Bender himself wasn't the problem, his performance was perfectly fine. My problem was the Libertarian doctrine. In the midst of several questions from people looking for government help on matters like transit, education, and healthcare, Bender represented the school of everybody for themselves, and offered lessons no one wanted to learn from.

In the year 2011, after a near total economic collapse and a burgeoning gap between the haves and the have-nots, I wonder how resonating the school of Libertarian thought is. Even the Progressive Conservative candidate, the one most like to have a political ideology to line-up close to the Libertarian perspective, conceded that a degree of government intervention is required. In fact, if you look at the Federal Conservatives reaction to the recession, one might argue that Canadian Conservatives have abandoned all notions of libertarianism.

The part where Bender lost me is when someone asked about GO Transit, and its imminent, belated return to Guelph. Bender riffed on the idea that government shouldn't be involved in transit, and leave it to the market to decide. And oh yeah, the market has already decided that the car is more efficient, convenient and all around better, so why are we dumping all this money in transit.

Leaving aside the environmental implications, how about because not everyone can afford to own and operate a car? If there were no buses, I would either have to walk or bike everywhere, regardless of my physical condition, or pay through the nose for a taxi cab everywhere I go. How is society better served when a large percentage of the population that has limited mobility? We have built a society around cars; most people live in one area, shop in another, and work in another still. Can you seriously see someone without a car being easily able to navigate life living in Guelph when there are no buses available either. Heaven forfend if you should work beyond the city limits.

But that's one issue, and one example. How about the notion of Libertarianism? The idea that the market will out. Given the events of the last couple of years, one would think that people like Bender would be less firm in their faith in "the market." To believe that the market takes care of itself, is to presume that the market is as obsessed with quality as it is with quantity; quantity being profit. Unemployment is still high, and in the U.S. people are still struggling to keep their homes or not default on bills, but the market recovered quickly. The Dow was back over 10,000 inside of a year, and it was continued to hover there despite the ongoing rut of the economy.

It also presumes that "the market" is a an objective and natural force, like fate or destiny. Libertarians talk as if it's an ethereal notion that knows no bias, and shirks corruption. But "the market" is run by people. People that can be corrupted, taken by greed, obsessed with their own selfishness and self-interest. "The market" as a neutral force, would not have allowed sub-prime mortgages to be sold to begin with. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to know that selling houses to people that can't afford them, even at an initial cost that's in their ball park, will come to a bad end.

The other thing about Libertarianism is that it requires us all to be economically equal, or at least that there are no people disadvantaged by the economy so that participation in a market-driven society isn't mitigated by their economic conditions. In a society where you have to make your own way, you have to be able to make your way. Like the example with transit, saying that the market has made cars the preferred mode of transportation only means anything if you can afford to own a car, or better still, if you're physically unable to drive. In this society, people who have a visual impairment, or are out and out blind, are probably left stranded.

When looking for an image to go with this article, I found the cartoon at the top and was kind of struck with how true it was. But while I've heard anarchists talk about social responsibility in a land of do as you please, it's something I've not heard about from a Libertarian. Saying that government has too much involvement in our lives is one thing, but what happens when government withdraws that support. With corporations becoming more macro in its focus as a result of the global economy, who will look out for the have-nots if government follows suit? Are there no prisons? Are there no work houses?

Guelph Politicast #5 - Liz Sandals

2011-09-23T21:45:00.000-04:00

It's almost fitting that the chips fell this way, talking to all her competitors for the seat of Guelph's MPP before talking to our current representative Liz Sandals, who's hoping to get elected for a third time on October 6th. Sandals has come under attack from many of her opponents for unavailable and unattached to the city, bringing edicts from Queen's Park to Guelph rather than talking Guelph concerns to Queen's Park as it were. I asked Sandals about it in the interview and she hit back at that one pretty hard.

Other areas touched upon include Sandals' pet issue education, as well as the environment and her own political future. It was an interesting discussion, and I even got a chance to ask Sandals to describe a day in the life. I don't know if this might get people to see the bigger picture of how jammed an MPP's schedule can be, but like the man said, I report, you decide.

On a side note, this is the last podcast I have scheduled. I'm going to do what I can to see if I can do a proper sit down with Philip Bender and Julian Ichim, and I'll keep you posted if that materializes. In the meantime, enjoy Politicast #5.

Mercury Debate Stays Civil, Has a Few Laughs, But No Blows

2011-09-22T22:23:00.000-04:00

The crowd that gathered at the Italian Canadian Club to hear the all-candidates debate between the seven candidates running for MPP of Guelph were treated to hearty and occasionally frank discussion about the issues affecting the people of Guelph. Those of us who watched online, were irked by pop-ups and obnoxiously loud ads.

Still, despite those petty annoyances, there was a lot to appreciate about the night's events. First of all, the Mercury opened the door to all candidates, giving so-called fringe candidates a platform they don't usually enjoy: a major debate. Second, all the candidates came and were ready to have an honest exchange, and nary a spec of mud was slung.

Despite the format and the number of candidates, a lot of ground was covered during the nearly hour and half debate. Here's a breakdown of my thoughts on the debate per candidate:

Philip Bender (Libertarian) - It takes a lot of guts to be one of the two guys to slant right, but it takes even more to be one guy to advocate less government intervention when all the questioners seemed to be inquiring about more. Bender stayed mostly ideological in the debate, not really referring back to Guelph as to how his policies and ideas might affect our city, but even if he did, I don't think it would have mattered much. A lot of people asked questions about transit, help for students, and concerns about healthcare, and Bender's message that the market will out, in the face of those voter concerns, seemed rather hollow.

Liz Sandals (Liberal) - As the incumbent, Sandals took the most hits, but as a wise man once said, it's not how many hits you take, but whether or not you're still standing by the end. By this standard, Sandals rose to the occasion and in the process managed to stay above attacking other parties and driving home the Liberal platform for the future as well as past accomplishments. And despite the discussion about Guelphites feeling like they're not being heard, a percentage of people watching online seemed as if they were hearing Sandals, with many of the insta-polls giving her the edge.

Greg Schirk (PC) - Like Bender, Schirk was the face for the ideological right (albeit centre-right), however unlike Bender, he put a Guelph-minded face on the issues and came across as personable and invested in the Royal City. Schirk's goal for the night was to portray a feasible alternative to Sandals, and to downplay notions, in particular from some further down at the table, that a PC vote isn't a vote for the boogie man. I think he was a success on both counts, and even people online who I know wouldn't vote PC in a million years agree that Schirk seems like a good man, and a good candidate. He also stayed above a lot of personal attacks, and admitted that he didn't like his own party's TV attack ads.

Steve Dyck (Green) - If one person shattered expectations last night, I think it was Steve Dyck. The Green Party candidate came out swinging - hard - and pushed against all the other major party candidates. (If you've listened to the Dyck Politicast, you know that he doesn't even give the NDP benefit of the doubt.) By far, Dyck's biggest strike of the night was on the question of MPP availability, which Dyck accused Sandals of being unavailable when trying to propose a solar energy project for a downtown church, seemingly knocking Sandals off her perch for a brief moment. In all, I think Dyck single-handedly dispelled the popular appearance of the hippie-dippy Green nominee into something that means business. The coup de grâce: "I claim those 1,000 [Green] jobs [created in Ontario] for the Green Party."

James Gordon (NDP) - Sticking to form, Gordon was calm and cool, and seemed content to present the NDP platform without trying to make too much hay at the expense of the other candidates. When the opportunity presented itself, he did pile on the "Liz doesn't listen" express, if only to help promote his own efforts to take the conversation directly to the people of Guelph with the past summer's "Listening Tour."

Drew Garvie (Communist) - Garvie held his own, and along with one other candidate got the best lines of the night. With four campaigns in four years, of course Garvie was arguably the most experienced candidate on stage, and was able to land some pretty compelling blows on the other candidates, and for the his policy on issues.

Julian Ichim (Independent) - Ichim began with a bold statement: "I've caused enough trouble outside of Parliament, imagine what I can do inside." He then expounded on the need to recall elected officials if they fail to meet up to the expectations of their constituents and how the poor have limited access to the system and are often disregarded for the interests of wealthy individuals and corporations. For Ichim, I think the strategy was to sell the contrary point of view, and to make people try and think twice about what's important to them. Of course, Ichim had his somewhat nefarious reputation to combat as well, but I think his message was received.

Guelph Politicast #4 - James Gordon

2011-09-22T12:05:00.000-04:00

Will James Gordon be The Music Man that leads Guelph voters to an Orange Wave of our own on October 6th? He certainly thinks so. After years of combining his love of music with his love of community and social values, Gordon is putting his politics to the ultimate test by running as the NDP nominee for Guelph in this Provincial Election.

From the arts (Hillside Festival), to the environment (Wellington Water Watchers), to community engagement (Guelph Civic League), Gordon has been immersed in politics for so long that running for political office is a natural next step. With a combination of experience and name cache, Gordon is sitting in prime position to make a solid run for Guelph's seat in Queen's Park, and in an Ontario-wide race that seems like a three-way dead heat, Gordon's chances are as good as anyone's.

With so much to talk about, let's not waste anymore time. Click play below to start the podcast and my interview with James Gordon.

Guelph Politicast #3 - Greg Schirk

2011-09-21T11:43:00.000-04:00

After going from zero to campaign mode in just over a month, you would think that Greg Schirk would show the strain. He doesn't. In fact, he's beaming, and he talks very joyfully about how much he's enjoying the campaign trail. He could campaign forever, is the message I got, but all campaigns have to end sometime, and Schirk is looking to help the Provincial Tories breakthrough and retake Queen's Park after an eight year drought on October 6th.

Of all the candidates, Schirk has arguably the best chance of unseating Liberal incumbent Liz Sandals, but he's not taking anything for granted. With a long history in Guelph and a background as a small businessman and salesman, he's got the right credentials to help promote the Tory platform of helping businesses and lowering taxes to get the economy back in the black, but as you listen to the interview you'll also note that Schirk is strong believer in grassroots organizing, and community-focused decision making.

You can hear those and other tidbits by clicking play below, and, of course, if you haven't already, check out the previous podcasts with Steve Dyck and Drew Garvie.

Because an Election Hasn't Really Got Started Till the Word 'Nazi' Comes Up

2011-09-20T18:45:00.000-04:00

Not a Real Nazi

Yes, it's another election cycle and people arethrowing around the 'N' word. No, not that N-word, the one that has to do withbook-burning, concentration camps and goose-stepping across the face of Europe.

Anthony Marco, the NDP candidate inNiagara-West-Glanbrook (which is also PC leader Tim Hudak's riding), has someLiberals calling for his figurative head for a podcast he recorded over a yearago when he made some comments that they're construing as pro-Nazi. The quotethey're upset about is as follows:

"For some people the old politics of Nazi Germany might be their religion. And just as I can't condemnother people's religion, I can't, I don't agree with them, but you can't stopsomebody from believing in something." [...] "You're the one who ispretty messed up if you're going to devote your entire life to trying toconvince somebody not to believe what they believe."

Liberal translation: If you want to believe in theNazi doctrine of racial superiority then that's okay with Anthony Marco. Butas reported by TheHuffington Post Canada today, the quote on its own is out of context. Marcoprefaced the above quote saying that he doesn't believe in burning books, evenif he is against the ideology in a book:

"But there are a couple that I would suggestburning, and it’s not even from an ideological perspective, like 'Oh, burn stuffby Adolf Hitler.' Whatever. If you want to read that stuff, read that stuff.For some people the old politics of Nazi Germany might be their religion..."

Marco did make an exception for one book though,"If you want something to burn and feel good about it, burn Bieber'sbook." For me it would be Kardashian Konfidentialby the trio of spoiled sisters of the same name, but I also underline the baseprinciple that burning any book is wrong.

Marco also had some choice comments about religion,but those don't seem to be getting him into as much trouble. For the timebeing, Andrea Horwath, Provincial NDP leader, is standing by her candidate.Hudak hasn't waded in too far saying he'd like to see a transcript beforecommenting, but the drum plays on for Liberals looking for a wedge.

In the meantime, the word "Nazi" isteetering so dangerously on the verge of overuse that it threatens to no longerhave any real meaning at all. What the Nazis did was awful, and thephilosophical undercarriage of Nazism reprehensible, but every out of contextuse of the term only desaturates it further so that eventually it will asneutral a descriptor as cool, or douchebag. "Dude, why are you being sucha Nazi?" "Mom stop being such a Nazi!"

I don't think that's where we want to go, and I hateto say it, but do you know who else took people's political comments out ofcontext and censured them for it, The Nazis. The circle is now complete.

Guelph Politicast #2 - Drew Garvie

2011-09-20T13:35:00.000-04:00

It takes a lot of guile to put your name on a ballot, and it takes a bit more wherewithal to put one's principles to the test by running as third party candidate. But to go there four times in four years takes a special kind of chutzpah, and that's the kind that Communist Party candidate Drew Garvie seems to have.

You may not agree with his ideals, but I think you'd have a hard time arguing that Garvie isn't passionate, and that perhaps he hasn't become an important contrary voice in the local political scene. It's almost a matter now of not if Garvie will announce his candidacy, but when, and he has certainly become a more experienced campaigner with each passing election.

In this Politicast, I sit down with Garvie to talk about the issues as he sees them, what the term "communist" means to him, and why he's the only candidate calling for the complete repeal of the HST.

Click play below to list to the podcast.

Guelph Politicast #1 - Steve Dyck

2011-09-19T22:42:00.000-04:00

Finally!

Having trouble making voting decisions until you get the Guelph Politco interview? Never fear, because I have finally begun posting my interviews with the candidates running in Guelph this provincial election, and this time, it's a podcast! There will be a podcast for each candidate, so keep coming back here to see when I post the next one until, hopefully, you've heard from all the candidates.

And I am pleased to say that I've received a warm reception from all the campaigns. The conversations I've had so far have been really good, and it seems like the candidates themselves have been enjoying the format. I'm kicking myself for not thinking of this sooner, but better late than never I suppose. It's one small step for multimedia; one giant leap for Guelph Politico.

So without further ado, let's get to the podcast. First up is Steve Dyck, the Green Party of Ontario candidate. I'll save the intro because it's all there in the podcast, so just click play and listen to the conversation.