Guelph Politico: February 2018

Wednesday, February 28, 2018

MANGEZ! Dine Safe Guide for February 16-28, 2018

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.

In the recently released Vital Signs report (more about that on the next Politicast), statistics revealed that 6,500 people in Guelph and Wellington County identified as First Nations. That's about three per cent of the population, which isn't huge, but is far from insignificant. We don't always see them, but our First Nations friends have certainly been making themselves heard lately.

LIVE BLOG: City Council Meeting for February 27, 2018

Delegates will fight again to persuade council to not build a five-storey development at 75 Dublin Street again. You can click here for the amended agenda from City Hall, and you can click here for the Politico preview. For the complete blow-by-blow of tonight's council meeting, you can follow me on Twitter, or follow the tweets below.

Winter comes to a close, we chase the luck of the Irish, and the University of Guelph puts on a show. All that and more make up this month's Politico Calendar!

Committee of the Whole Preview - What's on the Agenda for the March 5 Meeting?

It's a packed meeting for Infrastructure, Development and Enterprise and Corporate Services for the month of March, plus there are some special requests for committee to consider.

City Celebrates First New Parkade in [Emphasis] 30 Years!

30 years. If today's groundbreaking of the Wilson Street Parkade was a drinking game, the key phrase would be "30 years". In remarks before the groundbreaking, Mayor Cam Guthrie, Chief Administrative Office Derrick Thomson, and executive director of the Downtown Guelph Business Association Marty Williams wanted to make sure everybody knows that this is the first new parkade in the city's core in 30 years.

GUELPH POLITICAST #113 - The Guelph-Wellington Women's Campaign School

According to the United Nations, the make-up of any government requires 30 per cent representation by women in order to assure that the concerns of women are well reflected. In Guelph, four of the 13 members of our city council are women, which puts us at just over that 30 per cent mark. That's good, but we can be doing better.

City Council Preview - What's on the Agenda for the February 27 Meeting?

Remember in 2016 when a five-storey building was proposed at 75 Dublin Street, and the application was kind of rushed through to take advantage of a federal grant, and there was an outcry because the building was flush against Central Public School, and then staff said they could only build a four-storey building there, and then nothing happened? Well, back to square one (and we don't mean the mall in Mississauga.)

Guelphites Demand Justice for Bushie, and End to "Colonial Death Machine"

Like so many events held by First Nations people in Guelph, the demonstration Saturday called "Justice for Colten Bushie" began with drumming and song. The tenor though wasn't entirely somber as several speakers were emotionally upset, outraged, or both when speaking about the death of the Saskatchewan youth, the acquittal of Gerald Stanley the man who shot him, and the feeling that Truth and Reconciliation is just another promise broken after the verdict.

MANGEZ! Dine Safe Guide for February 1-15, 2018

City Council Preview - What's on the Agenda for the February 26 Meeting?

The regular council meeting for February has environmental concerns front and centre, as city council considers joining a club of global lenvironmental leaders, and considers feedback to the Greenbelt expansion.

GUELPH POLITICAST #112 - Dr. Francesco Leri, Addiction Specialist

The University of Guelph posted on its website: "Looking for an Expert on the Impact of Opioids on Learning and Memory? U of G Is The Place," and I thought, "Well, I'm not *looking* for such an expert, but if the University is offering..." A couple of emails later, and you're on your way to learning about the latest research into how the brain gets hooked on drugs, and not just drugs, but any sort of addictive behaviour.

LIVE BLOG: City Council Meeting for February 13, 2018

Nerds! It's time. The business case for the new main branch of the Guelph Public Library, and the next phase of Baker Street redevelopment will be voted on tonight. You can click here for the amended agenda from City Hall, and you can click here for the Politico preview. For the complete blow-by-blow of tonight's council meeting, you can follow me on Twitter, or follow the tweets below.

LIVE BLOG: City Council Meeting for February 12, 2018

This month's planning meeting will feature development priorities, the state of the city's brownfields, and the redevelopment of the Uniroyal plant. You can click here for the agenda from City Hall, and you can click here for the Politico preview. For the complete blow-by-blow of tonight's council meeting, you can follow me on Twitter, or follow the tweets below.

This Week in Press Releases - February 5-9, 2018

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 February 21 Meeting?

Changes to development charges are coming, but what will they look like? What can council do? What can't it do? The mayor and councillors will get together in a few weeks in order to learn all about it. Here's the previews...

GUELPH POLITICAST #111 - The State of the City 2018

Shall we play a game? Mayor Cam Guthrie thought it was a good idea last Friday when he revealed his annual State of the City address in the form of a Monopoly-style board game in order to tout a year, and indeed a term, of many accomplishments. It may have been persuasive for the crowd in attendance, but can you be persuaded?

City Council Preview - What's on the Agenda for the February 12 Meeting?

It might be February, but this is the first planning meeting of the year as council will be asked to consider reports about he coming year of housing construction, the next several years of brownfield remediation, and the immediate future of one brownfield in particular.

Schreiner Says Ontario Wants Craft Beer Not Big Beer (Politically Speaking)

What was essentially an event for members, seemed more like a campaign kick-off as Mike Schreiner successfully energized the faithful at the Green Party of Ontario's Policy and Training Convention Saturday. Banking on big breakthrough in this June's election, Schreiner noted in his speech that if people in Ontario are hoping for change with the big three parties, "It’s like asking big beer to make craft beer, it’s not going to happen."

Greens Gather in Guelph to Go for Good Governance

The Green Party of Ontario is setting the stage for what it hopes will be an electoral breakthrough akin to provincial victories in British in P.E.I. and British Columbia this weekend with their party convention at the Delta Hotel and Conference Centre here in Guelph.

Election Moves: Schreiner's Weekend. New Liberal Named. Elliott Coming to Guelph?

The provincial election is about 100 days away, but that hasn't stopped what's been a very busy Friday on the Queen's Park beat so far as Guelph is concerned.

This morning, Mayor Cam Guthrie will issue his fourth State of the City address at the annual event hosted by the Guelph Chamber of Commerce at the Delta Hotel and Conference Centre. Over breakfast, members will hear about all the great things going on at city hall, and maybe get a hint about what's to come in this year's election (?). We shall see what the mayor says, and you can see by following along on Twitter or by clicking below.

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

The next phase of developing a new main branch of the Guelph Public Library will begin the day before Valentine's Day, when council will be asked to show so love to the business case presented by the Library's Board of Directors. That, and the next phase of the over all redevelopment of Baker Street will be discussed at this special meeting of city council