Guelph Politico: September 2017

Saturday, September 30, 2017

MANGEZ! Dine Safe Guide for September 16-30, 2017

Twice-monthly, Guelph Politico posts the latest inspection results from the Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health Unit inspection of local restaurants, hotels, cafes, grocery stores and other businesses that handle food. We call it "Mangez!", and this column highlights the latest inspections done by WDGPH, and the results they've posted.

The Politico Calendar for October 2017

Happy Halloween! And Happy Thanksgiving! And happy a whole bunch of political and culture events unfolding throughout the month of October. Here is your Politico events calendar for the tenth month of the year.

City Council Preview - What's on the Agenda for the October 5 Meeting?

The strange case of the future of Guelph Hydro Electric Systems Inc continues next Thursday with a special, albeit closed, meeting of the shareholders of Guelph Municipal Holdings Inc., AKA: city council.

GUELPH POLITICAST #97 - Trying to Privatize Toronto's Garbage

Last week, city council heard from an interim report on the first service review being conducted by staff. The result of that investigation into Solid Waste Resources was that the service is almost entirely on par in terms of delivering service for money as many of the municipalities that are compatible to Guelph. There was just that one thing though...

LIVE BLOG: City Council Meeting for September 26, 2017

This year's #GuelphBudget process begins with a staff presentation tonight! You can click here for the agenda from City Hall. For the complete blow-by-blow of tonight's council meeting, you can follow me on Twitter, or follow along below via Storify.

LIVE BLOG: City Council Meeting for September 25, 2017

You can click here for the 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 - September 18-22, 2017

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.

Follow-Up: CUPE Still Preparing For a Fight on Private Waste Collection

Monday's special council meeting brought the first report of the City's first service review, and members of Guelph's labour community were spoiling for a fight over privatization. The topic didn't come up too often in conversation around the horseshoe, but the president of the Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 241 isn't letting his guard down.

Committee of the Whole Preview - What's on the Agenda for the October 2 Meeting?

October's committee brings new items from Governance, Public Services, and Infrastructure, Development & Enterprise.

GUELPH POLITICAST #96 - June Hofland on the Lafarge Site

What was once an oasis from urban sprawl, a developed piece of land that nature had reclaimed from a century of industry, is once again a big empty field ready for construction. For over a decade, the area residents that enjoyed this natural space, and its tress and trails, have been dreading this moment, and the journey is far from over.

LIVE BLOG: City Council Meeting for September 18, 2017

The first report from the first service review comes to council for discussion tonight. You can click here for the 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.

Scientology Coming to Guelph?

If certain sources are to be believed, the answer is yes. Edward Pickersgill, who runs a mobile version of the Out of Poverty Centre just outside its old headquarters at 40 Baker Street, says that the Church of Scientology has rented the entire building, and they're moving in.

Earlier this summer, the House of Commons seemed to put the final nail in the coffin on electoral reform when the government voted against accepting the recommendations of the special Commons committee. Democracy Guelph is aiming to say though that the coffin hasn't been nailed shut. In fact, there is no coffin.

MANGEZ! Dine Safe Guide for September 1-15, 2017

City Council Preview - What's on the Agenda for the September 25 Meeting?

This month's council meeting covers the library, downtown expansion, and this year's United Way campaign, as well as any lingering concerns from reports previously brought forward at this month's Committee-of-the-Whole meeting.

LIVE BLOG: City Council Meeting for September 13, 2017

More questions concerning the management of Guelph Hydro will be address tonight. You can click here for the 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.

You've heard the name, but what do you know about OPIRG aside from it being a group in Guelph that likes hugging trees and being total SJWs? Okay, so those things are technically true, and OPIRG is proud of it thank-you-very-much! But if you've ever wanted to go inside OPIRG and get the bigger picture about how and why they tick, then this podcast's for you.

LIVE BLOG: City Council Meeting for September 11, 2017

Sure, it's a short agenda, but those always seem to be the most controversial... 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.

Naomi Klein Tells Guelph We're Less Radical Than Peterborough

A hush came over the audience as Naomi Klein entered the room. She hadn’t even taken the stage yet, all she had to do was walk in... This was a crowd that was ready and willing to hear the message, "No Is Not Enough", which is also the title of Klein's new book, and the author/journalist/provocateur was ready to get everyone at War Memorial Hall hyped in order to spread that message.

Review Says Solid Waste is "Competitive" on 5 Out of 6 Categories

The week began with concern that the City of Guelph was about to lower the boom on its employees at Solid Waste, but the interim report of the service review on that department says that, for the most part, Solid Waste is delivering its services "in-line and competitive" with other municipalities. At least, that's how they're doing on five out of six categories the review explored anyway.

City Council Preview - What's on the Agenda for the September 13 Meeting?

A busy month at council rolls on with a short, but consequential, meeting concerning the organization of the Guelph Hydro board of directors.

LIVE BLOG: Committee of the Whole for September 5, 2017

We begin the fall session with money matters. So get out your abacus and get ready to go over variances with this month's Committee-of-the-Whole. You can click here for the amended agenda from City Hall, and you can click here to read Politico's preview of today's meeting. For the complete blow-by-blow of today's committee meeting, you can follow me on Twitter, or follow along below via Storify.

"Dark Clouds" Loom on an Otherwise Sunny Labour Day Picnic

Members of the CUPE (Canadian Union of Public Employees) Local 241 couldn't enjoy their Labour Day as much as they would have liked, for they're concerned that some members might be looking at their last Labour Day as employees of the City of Guelph.

VIDEO: Some Kinks and Confusion on the First Ride of the #99

Months of hard work led to this: the launch of the new Guelph Transit route system and schedule. The City of Guelph kicked things off with an inaugural ride on the new northbound #99 Mainline as members of city council, transit staff, and commuters all boarded the bust to see if all the prep and promotion had paid off.

This Week in Press Releases - August 25-September 1, 2017

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.

City Council Preview - What's on the Agenda for the September 11 Meeting?

This month's planning will have a single, straightforward new planning application to dispatch, but how will the neighbourhood residents feel about it? We'll have all night to consider it...