VIDEO: South African Student Activists Help U of G Push for Access in Education

In a weird case of life imitating protest, last Thursday afternoon started with University of Guelph students protesting the rising cost of post-secondary education, but it likely ended with them celebrating as the Ontario government announced in its Budget provisions designed to make a university education more affordable. Back in the morning though, the excitement was palpable as U of G student activists, basking in the glow of shutting down the Board of Governors meeting last year, tried to get the administration's attention again.

The Politico Calendar for March 2016

I'd say welcome to spring, but at least 10 out of the last 29 days could have been clarified as "spring-like." So why not celebrate that time of year for getting outside, by getting in to some of these great Guelph events.

This Week in Press Releases - February 22-26, 2016

Every week, the City of Guelph and other groups send out notices to announce new events, imperatives, and information that you need to know. Here is this week in press releases.

GUELPH POLITICAST #30 - James Gordon on Freedom to Read Week

Not the most well-known celebration to take place in February, but still no less important, the past few days have marked Freedom to Read Week both here in Guelph and across Canada. Walk into the main branch of the Guelph Public Library today, and you'll see a Freedom to Read Week display, or you might, assuming that they've been able to keep the banned books on the shelves...

Op-Ed: A Leading Community for Innovative Partnerships

Rarely do business and environmental organizations work together. But in our community we can see an emerging partnership unlike any other that is bringing together the conversation around the environment and the economic opportunity in an innovative way.

LIVE BLOG: City Council Meeting for February 22, 2016

City council will be getting together again to discuss matters of importance to the City of Guelph. On the agenda this Monday are reports from the integrity commissioner and the audit committee, as well as action on infrastructure and a parking agreement with a downtown business. You can click here for the amended agenda from City Hall, and you can click here to read Politico's preview of tonight's meeting. For the complete blow-by-blow of tonight's council meeting, you can follow me on Twitter, or follow along below via Storify.

This Week in Press Releases - February 15-19, 2016

Lawrence Schembri (courtesy of the Windsor Star)

Every week, the City of Guelph and other groups send out notices to announce new events, imperatives, and information that you need to know. Here is this week in press releases.

OPEN SOURCES GUELPH BEAT #1 - CUPE and Affordable Housing

Do you like Open Sources Guelph, but hate when we talk about issues going on in places other than Guelph? Good news, we have a brand new podcast that takes the Guelph segments from Open Sources, and spins them off in a convenient half-hour dish called Open Sources Guelph Beat. (I know, what an original title!)

City Council Preview - What's on the Agenda for February 22's Meeting?

It's a night of reports at Guelph City Council on Monday, as the horseshoe will take a look inside. Reports from the Audit Committee, and the Integrity Commissioner are all on the docket, as well as decisions needing to be made about hospital expansion and parking spaces downtown.

Look Out! Steve Paikin is Coming!

As part of it's ongoing, "On the Road"" series, TVO's acclaimed news and current affairs program The Agenda hosted by Steve Paikin will be filming in Guelph next month. Interested in attending? 

This Week in Press Releases - February 8-12, 2016

Every week, the City of Guelph and other groups send out notices to announce new events, imperatives, and information that you need to know. Here is this week in press releases.

Trudeau #First100: Reasons for Optimism; Challenges Ahead, Says Panel

Friday marked the end of the first 100 days in office for the 42nd Parliament and the government under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the Liberals. The October 19th election last fall saw not just a change in government, but the beginning of a highly ambitious agenda of grand promises and firm deadlines along with the day-to-day priorities of governing. So, 100 days later, a panel of experts gathered at the University of Guelph to talk about how it's going so far.

GUELPH POLITICAST #29 - Sebastian Silva/ Joan Jylanne/ Lloyd Longfield

On this edition of the Guelph Politicast, we experiment with the form by have three separate short interviews: robocall investigation enthusiast Sebastian Silva, senior policy planner with the City of Guelph Joan Jylanne, and Guelph Member of Parliament Lloyd Longfield.

RECAP: Bob Bell and Dan Gibson Hosted Ward 1 Townhall

Wednesday night, Ward 1 Councillors Dan Gibson and Bob Bell hosted the first townhall of the year. The room at the Italian Canadian Club was full, the townhall went about half-an-hour overtime, and a wide variety of issues were covered from beginning till end. If you weren't able to attend, or want to relive the experience, the live tweets from the forum are all arranged below for your transparent delight.

City Looking for Help Developing Policy with Affordable Housing Workshop

Sometimes a meeting isn't about what you think it's going to be about, and much of understanding the aims of a workshop on affordable housing Tuesday had to do with definitions. For instance, affordable housing isn't social housing; the latter being government run, and in the case of Guelph, it's run through the County of Wellington's offices. Many big terms were thrown around like "primary rental", and "secondary rental", and how the city tracks one but not the other, but both are part of the consideration of affordable housing, and what the City might do to create more of it in Guelph.

LIVE BLOG: City Council Meeting for February 8, 2016

After the short but confusing council meeting two weeks ago, this week's city council meeting should be a little more straightforward as the mayor and council tackle a variety of zoning issues. You can click here for the amended agenda from City Hall, and you can click here to read Politico's preview of tonight's meeting. For the complete blow-by-blow of tonight's council meeting, you can follow me on Twitter, or follow along below via Storify.

Behind the Scenes, Tempers and Patience Wearing Thin at City Council

If it wasn't clear during last December's budget meeting that there's a growing schism around the horseshoe at Guelph's city hall, the signs may becoming even more clear after the city council meeting on January 25. What seemed on the surface to be a snafu about quorum could be a warning that council is even more deeply divided than they appear with all those 7-6 votes.

This Week in Press Releases - February 1-5, 2016

Every week, the City of Guelph and other groups send out notices to announce new events, imperatives, and information that you need to know. Here is this week in press releases.

Council to Brainstorm How to Get Federal Infrastructure Dollars

Work on Gordon St., from Summer 2006.

It's an unusual week when there's two council meetings, but the second gathering of city council next week will be, itself, unusual. On Thursday, the members of city council will go through their list of capital projects to decide which should get the benefit of Federal infrastructure money. 

Family Day Will Mark Beginning of One Hour Holiday Transit Service

Back in December during budget deliberations, city council passed a motion to make stat holiday service run on a one-hour schedule for the 2016 calendar year. That schedule will go into effect for the first time on Family Day, February 15, and Guelph Transit is hustling to get the word out so that everyone can make the transition in time for the holiday a week from Monday.

City Council Preview - What's on the Agenda for February 8's Meeting?

If you like applications to re-zone areas of the city to allow for new development, then this city council meeting is for you. Here's what's on the docket for the city council meeting on Monday February 8.

Is it the Hamilton Spector Presents The Guelph Mercury Now?

If you went to the Guelph Mercury website with longing this morning, you may have been surprised to see that there were new articles posted there. The pleasantness of that surprise was somewhat diminished though when it was revealed to you that those articles came courtesy of the Hamilton Spectator. So is this the fate of the Mercury now, to be an up-to-date pipe for other newspapers in the Metroland family still printing?