About the Blog:

Guelph Politico is locally sourced and dedicated to covering the political and cultural scene in the City of Guelph. Est. 2008.

Monday, November 30, 2015

BUDGET 2016: Many Concerned About Proposed Transit Cuts


Tonight, Guelph City Council received feedback from the general public regarding the proposed Operation budget for 2016, and of the 37 delegations that spoke, nearly more than a third, had transit on their minds. City staff recommended that one-way fares be raised from $3 to $4, and that service should be rolled back to one hour on Sundays and holidays, and it was the opinion of all 13 that spoke on the matter tonight that such moves were a bad idea.

Friday, November 27, 2015

Fair Vote Guelph Petitioning Longfield and Chong on Reform


The government of Justin Trudeau is barely a month old, and it won't even sit in Parliament for the first time till next week, but that's not letting some people from wanting those campaign promises to be passed with immediate effect. On the subject of election reform, Fair Vote Guelph is striking while the proverbial iron is hot, and they want you to remind our local MPs of a certain election promise...

Green Party Enters the Niska Road Debate


Development and construction is always a contentious issue in Guelph, but the fate of the bridge on Niska Road and what it might be replaced with has proven to fairly controversial. Shall the bridge be updated to accommodate modern traffic patterns, or is the bridge, as it is now, what's best for the area? Into this debate, a new political voice has emerged.

Thursday, November 26, 2015

Guelph Police Launching Holiday R.I.D.E. Program


Now as much a staple of the holiday season as egg nog and office Christmas parties, local law enforcement officers and Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) have begun the annual Festive R.I.D.E. (Reduce Impaired Driving Everywhere) Campaign. It should go without saying at this point that if you drink, don't drive, but just in case....

Monday, November 16, 2015

Local Activists/Politicos Pushing for Better Price for Water


Earlier this month, Ontario's interim Environmental Commissioner issued a startling report in the wake of a year full of stories of worldwide drought conditions, and concluded that the province's water resources are being taken for nothing or close to nothing by industry and businesses across Ontario. In Guelph, always at the forefront of environmental issues, key activists and politicians are taking this a cue to push further for the protection of local fresh water.

Friday, November 13, 2015

GUELPH POLITICAST #27 - Jessica Gibson, Guelph Museums


The nation marked Remembrance Day last week, but in a very real sense, Guelph has been marking Remembrance Day all year long. This December will mark the 100th anniversary of the publication of "In Flanders Field," a simple 15 line poem that captured the horror, honour, camaraderie and hopefulness of World War One. It was written by an army doctor name John McCrae, and Guelph is his hometown, thus making this centenary very important to the Royal City. So I sought out someone to talk about it.

Wednesday, November 11, 2015

VIDEO - Local Veterans Talk about Their Service at McCrae House


It's Remembrance Day across Canada today, but the annual ceremony of remembering those that served - the ones that came home and the ones that did not - began on Sunday at McCrae House with an event called "Thank a Veteran." Several local vets across many decades of service gathered their to tell stories, share memories, and remind us why Remembrance Day is a sacred occasion. A few of them talked to Guelph Politico in this special video.

Tuesday, November 3, 2015

Tolhurst Trying to Crowd Source for Legal Costs


The political world locally didn't stop spinning while the election was in session, and in that time a committee heard the results of an audit into the 2014 election expenses of Ward 6 council candidate Glen Tolhurst, and the good news is that no one will be prosecuted. On the other hand, this has left Tolhurst with substantial legal bills, and he's using an increasingly popular venue to raise funds for his legal defense: crowd-funding.

Monday, November 2, 2015

Charges Laid in City Bus/Truck Crash


It was a truck accident near the railroad bridge on Wyndham St., but it was quite unlike the typical truck accident you see in that part of downtown. Now, over two weeks after the almost iconic scene of a city bus landing atop a pick-up truck at the corner of Wyndham and Farquar Streets, a charge for the accident has finally been filed.