This Week in Press Releases - May 23-28, 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.

An Invite to 3rd Annual Niska Road Community Clean-Up

The Niska and Downey area has been subject of much discussion and much politicking in the last year, but this week it will be the subject of a community clean-up. Sunday May 29, 2016 from 1 to 4 pm, people from across Guelph are invited to head south to "clean up, meet people, learn the history of our area and enjoy some treats , prizes and good conversation." Guelph Storm tickets and other prizes will be offered, and the City of Guelph will be closing Niska at Downey and at at Wellington 124 and Whitelaw to local traffic to make the clean-up safer, and it will also provide bags, gloves and safety vests for all participants. It's a "wonderful opportunity to enjoy nature, listen to the sounds of the river and to view the most historic section of the Speed River from our Bailey Bridge without traffic noise," said the press release. All those wanting to help out are asked to meet at the corner of Ptarmigan Rd. and Niska Rd.

Reminder #1: Guelph Food Bank Fundraiser this Saturday

I've posted about it before, but it bears repeating. The Guelph Food Bank has restarted their weekly garage sale and silent auction for the summer, but this coming Saturday they'll be hosting Play With Clay to raise more money for the nationwide #EveryPlateFull campaign, a month-long effort through that food banks across Canada are participating in. Play with Clay will be at 100 Crimea St. from 10 am until 2 pm with their bus. People will be able to decorate their own plate for $10.00 with $2.00 going directly to the campaign.

Reminder #2: Bike By the River Next Weekend

Next Sunday, June 5 from 2-4 pm, the Guelph Coalition for Active Transportation is inviting you and your bike to a relaxing slow ride along the river. The ride will begin at the west side of the covered bridge and proceed to various trails and quiet streets before wrapping up at the Woolwich Arrow to toast your favourite garden along the way. The ride is part of the 2Rivers Festival, or you can email activeguelph@gmail.com for more information.

Get Your Rain Barrel at the Water Services Open House

Back to this Saturday, when Guelph's Water Services is holding its annual open house at the F.M. Woods Pumping Station from 9 am to 2 pm. According to the City's event post, the day will include Water Services staff providing tours and answering questions, Guelph Firefighters showing visitors their fire truck, and Waterloo-Wellington Wildflower Society and Guelph Enabling Garden holding a charity plant sale. In addition, Water Services will also be taking the opportunity to sell rain barrels at the cost of $45 each (cash only; rain barrels only available to Guelph residents, ID will be requested).

City Hosting Open House to Talk about Community Hub for Brant Ave

In a 2013 report, Addressing Social Determinants of Health in the City of Guelph, Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health identified the Brant Avenue neighbourhood as an area of Guelph that lacks employment opportunities, access to food/grocery stores, and agency services and programs that improve community well-being. So what can be done about that? Would a community hub be a step in the right direction? Well, the City is hosting two open houses on Saturday May 28 from 10 to 11:30 am and Tuesday May 31 from 7 to 8:30 pm, at Brant Avenue Public School at 64 Brant Avenue to talk about it. Kindle Communities Inc. will also be on hand to talk about working with the City on a hub that could be as big as 11,000 square feet. Kindle is a not for profit and socially responsible landlord that is interested in working with the City and community partners to develop and operate the hub building.

10 Carden is Looking for Investors, Find Out More

The renovation of the old Acker's Furniture Building into the new 10 Carden St has begun, but to make it reality, the community project is looking for assistance in the form of the Civic Leadership Community Bond Investment Program. To learn more, 10 Carden is hosting two information nights on June 1st from 7 pm-8:30 pm and June 17th from 1 pm-2:30 pm. If you're interested in attending one of the sessions, you can either sign up via Eventbrite or by emailing investment@10Carden.ca. Registration is free.

City Council Approves GEERS; Program to be Implemented in Phases

Guelph Politico was not present at Monday's council meeting, but the show, as they say went on, and it went on to approve the Guelph Energy Efficiency Retrofit Strategy (GEERS). “We are excited to proceed with further GEERS program development for Guelph property owners,” said Rob Kerr, the City’s Community Energy Manager, in a press release. “The implementation will be completed in phases, which allows us to test the energy efficiency and cost-recovery capability of GEERS to further refine and expand the program.” It's not a done deal yet, staff will report back to the Infrastructure, Development and Enterprise Services (IDE) Committee about GEERS program development in October 2016, and the cost will be presented to Council for consideration through the City’s 2017 budget process, but council didn't shoot down the idea despite recent concerns about the cost of energy sustainability projects. GEERS will allow homeowners to pay for energy efficient upgrades though installments at the same time as their property taxes and if passed will cover an array of upgrades including insulation, rooftop solar panels, electric vehicle chargers, grey water recovery, and more.

NDP AGM Coming Up PDQ

On Tuesday, local members of the New Democratic Party will be holding their Annual General Meeting. Not only will it be preceded by a free barbeque, but there will also be a speech from Craig Scott, a former professor at Osgoode Law School and the MP for Toronto-Danforth and Official Opposition Critic for Democratic and Parliamentary Reform from 2012-2015. Aside from that, members will be choosing their executive for the next year, and begin discussions about adopting the LEAP Manifesto. The meeting will take place Tuesday, May 31st at Unifor Hall, 611 Silvercreek Pkwy N, just north of Woodlawn Rd W. The BBQ will begin at 6pm and the meeting will start at 7pm.