Victory is Lloyd's as Guelph Becomes Part of Red Wave

Courtesy of @Kate_in_Guelph

Liberal candidate Lloyd Longfield not only held on to the riding of Guelph as the Grits were swept to power last night, he seemingly creamed all competition as the former Chamber of Commerce president took nearly 50 per cent of the vote in the Royal City.

Heckling Pushes Candidates to Be on Point at U of G Debate

Just two days after a showdown at Cutten Fields that was telecast on Rogers, the candidates gathered again to debate, this time at Peter Clark Hall in the basement of the University of Guelph's University Centre, and for the first time with all seven Guelph candidates on the same stage. What followed was a sometimes funny, sometimes informative, and sometimes hostile debate as all the candidates struggled to sell their platforms to a cynical and engaged lunchtime university crowd.

Longfield Dares Other Guelph Candidates to Take Only Guelph Money

In a peculiar moment in last night's debate, Liberal candidate Lloyd Longfield challenged his fellow candidates to only take money from local donors in terms of fundraising. There's been a lot of money talk this campaign, but is there a serious influx of outside Guelph cash in the campaign in the Royal City?

The Official Ballot for Guelph for #elxn42

The last day to submit your nomination papers to become a candidate in the 42nd Canadian General Election was Monday. Today, Elections Canada released the final list of candidates for your consideration this election. When you go to vote on October 19 (or before), this is what your ballot will look like:

Rapid Fire Chamber Debate Tests Four Major Party Candidates

 

It was standing room only at Cutten Fields tonight as the four major party candidates for Guelph took part in the third debate of the election campaign. Hosted by the Guelph Chamber of Commerce and broadcast live to air on Rogers Channel 20, this debate was by far the most lively, and it was the first to include the Conservative candidate Gloria Kovach.

Some Sparks, Not Many, at Social Justice Debate

Without Conservative candidate Gloria Kovach, the social justice debate hosted by Guelph / Wellington Coalition for Social Justice and the Registered Nurses Association of Ontario didn't have a lot of life, but in front of a packed house at the Italian Canadian Club, there were some contentious moments.

Fair Vote, Candidates Make Pitch for Electoral Reform

Although not explicitly an election event, it was hard not to feel a political atmosphere afoot at Fair Vote Guelph's "Your Vote Should Count" event last night. Over 200 people were at the Hope House downtown to see and hear from three of the four major party candidates on where they stand on electoral reform, as well as an informational talk from Fair Vote Canada as to the differences between "First Past the Post," our current system, and "Proportional Representation," which can take many different forms.

Open Sources Show Notes for Fall Election Coverage

Can you believe the 2015 Federal Campaign is already a month old? Neither can we, but as September begins, those of that run the wheels here at Open Sources Guelph are about to get serious with our campaign coverage, as the show post-Labour Day will start to share the mic with a rotating chair of local candidates who are all vying to become Guelph’s next Member of Parliament. Where do they stand on the issues? What do they want to do for the riding? What effect will their party’s victory on October 19th have on the country? Those are some of the questions we’ll put to our special guests, and here is when you can listen to their answers?

Campaign Gets Ugly as Seagram Comes Under Attack

There's been a lot of concern heading into this Federal Election about dirty tricks both in the campaign and at the ballot box. Those concerns seem to have been justified today with the above ad making the rounds on social media featuring a supposed comment by Guelph NDP candidate Andrew Seagram apparently mocking Christians.

Chamber of Commerce Annouces Federal Candidates Debate Date

Someone asked on Twitter Thursday if a date had been set for a debate of the local candidates, and today I discovered the answer. On September 29, 2015 at 7 pm, the Guelph Chamber of Commerce will host a debate between the four major party candidates.

VIDEOS - Watch Guelph's Federal Election Candidates Speak

There's a rumour going around that the 2015 Federal Election is going to start this weekend. Actually, it's a bit more than a rumour. Sources on Parliament Hill are saying that Stephen Harper will be stopping by Rideau Hall on Sunday to ask him to dissolve Parliament, and begin an unprecedented, nearly 80-day campaign. Guelph's candidates will likely be ready to go. The four major party candidates have been in place for weeks now, and to get you a bit more familiar with there, here's some video (almost all of which I shot). 

Peter MacKay Coming to Give Kovach a Boost

Many observers said that by not running in his own race in Central Nova that Justice Minister Peter MacKay would have a lot of extra time to lend his name cache to other Conservative candidates in the 2015 race. In an announcement this morning, it seems that local Conservative candidate Gloria Kovach is going to be one of the recipients of MacKay's political star power.

Kovach Confirmed as the Conservative Candidate for Guelph

In a non-upset, unsurprising move, the Guelph Electoral District Association (EDA) of the Conservative Party of Canada has announced that Gloria Kovach has been acclaimed as the party's candidate for the Guelph riding in the upcoming Federal Election. The Conservatives are the last major party in the Royal City to announced their candidate for the election, which is expected to be called this fall for October 19.

2015 Federal Election: Busy Race for Grits Vs Tory Troubles?

Since the announcement that Frank Valeriote had decided not to run for re-election last fall, it seems that local Liberals have been in non-stop campaign mode. Former Guelph Chamber of Commerce President Lloyd Longfield threw his hat into the ring fairly early, and was swiftly followed by scientist and author Wendy Powell. But if the local race for the Liberal nomination is big enough for two people, is it big enough for three? Or four? And what of the other parties? Is anyone else having election thoughts with the general election still over nine months away?

Kovach Calls it After 23 Years on Council

In a move that really surprises no one, Ward 4 city councillor Gloria Kovach has decided that she will retire from city hall after seven terms and 23 years around the horseshoe. Kovach's decision means that the race in Ward 4 is wide open with neither of the current incumbents running for re-election. Kovach's Ward 4 counterpart Cam Guthrie is running for Mayor in the October 27 municipal election. 

Top 10 Local/Provincial News Stories of 2013

It's that time of year for lists and rankings, and Guelph Politico is no exception to all this organizing and numerology. This week, we revisit the biggest news and political stories that affected us locally and provincially in the year 2013. What were my conditions? Mostly, stuff that stuck out in my mind. This may not be your list, or you may find yourself agreeing with some of the contents that make up my list even if you don't agree with the ranking of things. Some of these will be fairly self-evident, and some of them might leave you scratching your head, but I will say that this was an easier list to compile versus the National/International Top 10 (which I will publish next week).

Mayor Releases Statement About Fallen Police Officer

Sad news from the Guelph Police Service this morning about the passing of one of their own.Constable Jennifer Kovach. According to a Guelph Mercury article, Kovach, 26, was travelling north on Imperial Road South just north of the West End Community Centre at 12:30 this morning when her police car crossed into oncoming traffic and was hit by southbound Guelph Transit bus.

Present and Accounted For

The attendance records for the last year of city council are out, and if half the job is showing up, then Guelph citizens should be glad to know that many of their city councillors are batting .500. 

Help Cam Guthrie Buy a Gun (Not Like That)

Always happy to take requests. Former City Council candidate Allan Boynton sent me this press release last night about an effort underway to procure a piece of Guelph history. I'm not a big fan of firearms, but this is one gun I can get behind. Given to Nathaniel Higinbotham - who not only was Mayor of Guelph, and not only once Member of Parliament for Guelph, but he helped to develop the darn place too - the gun is expected to make upwards of $10,000 at auction at the end of the month. Here's how you can help out.

GUELPH — A campaign is underway to bring an antique handgun once presented to a Guelph mayor back to the city.

City councillor Cam Guthrie is leading the charge to raise the money needed to purchase the item at an April 30 auction in Toronto.

“I sent out a mass email, and people are actually calling in,” said Guthrie, who got things rolling with a $500 pledge of his own.

“This is very, very exciting.”

After reading about the sale in the Mercury, he sent an appeal Thursday to constituents and friends. Within hours, local business owner Paul Schmidt gave legs to the campaign by promising to match donations dollar for dollar.

“If we can bring something from Guelph back to Guelph, I think that’s an awesome thing,” the owner of Winmar Restorations and self-described history geek said.

“I came to this city 15 years ago, and it’s been nothing but good to my family and my staff,” Schmidt added. “I just want Ontario to recognize how great our city is.”

So far Guthrie has garnered a total of $2,100 in pledges, including his own donation and the matching funds from Schmidt.

City councillors Gloria Kovach and Todd Dennis each donated $100, and four other residents pledged $50 or $100.

“I think it’s an important piece of history for Guelph,” Guthrie said. “Right away, when I read the article, I thought, oh man, the museum should really buy that.”

While the Guelph Museum has expressed interest in acquiring the piece, it only receives $1,000 a year for acquisitions.

Guthrie said he plans to travel to the auction of militaria by F.J. Corring in Toronto to bid on behalf of donors. The gun has an estimated value of $5,000 to $6,000, but the final price could be much higher or lower, Schmidt said.

“Hopefully, I don’t have to sell my house,” he said.

The vintage Smith and Wesson firearm was presented in 1866 to prominent Guelph developer Nathaniel Higinbotham, who served the city as mayor and as a member of Parliament.

An inscription on the gun’s barrel reads “Presented to Captain Higinbotham, Guelph Volunteer Rifle Company/ By the LADIES OF GUELPH, July 13, 1866.”

The Guelph Museum already owns other items that belonged to Higinbotham. “To have that gun there, that would be a real completion,” Guthrie said.

It would also “tie in nicely” with the opening of the relocated Guelph Civic Museum this year.

The Ontario collector who owns the firearm, Gerald Austin, said he was called about a year ago by both the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa and the Guelph Museum, and later paid visits to both institutions.

“We tried to work out a deal, but it just didn’t work out,” he said, adding: “I always thought it should be in the Guelph Museum. I just wasn’t in the position to give it to them.”

He said the gun is the same model as the one used in 1868 to shoot D’Arcy McGee, the only Canadian federal politician to fall victim to assassination.

Budget: Round One!

There were some very surprising developments from last night's (as it turned out) first round of Council deliberations for the 2011 budget. 

Surprise #1: Transit wins. Somewhere, somehow, the majority of council seemed to click on to the fact that you can't promote the use of mass transit while cutting the legs out from beneath it. For 2011, fares are frozen, 20 minute service stays in summer and we get five stat holidays of service, which, as my grandmother used to say, is better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick. 

In what were the most part close votes, the fee freeze barely passed 7-6 (although Karl Wettstein later said that he pressed "the wrong button" voting in favour. At least the Mercury cartoonist got something out of it.) Meanwhile, the vote was a much better 8-5 in favour of keeping 20-minute service. On the contentious issue of stat holiday service, Maggie Laidlaw's original motion for service on all stat holidays was voted down 9-4, not giving up though, Laidlaw asked for a vote on having stat holiday service limited to Canada Day, John Galt Day, Labour Day, Christmas and Boxing Day, which passed much more easily by 10-3. I tip my hat to all councillors who showed commitment and content of character to not punish the City's dedicated (and sometimes limited) transit users by punishing them a second year in a row with a twin cut in service and fee hike. 

In other news, Gloria Kovach's motion to eliminate all 87.5 of the new Full-Time Equivalency positions and re-add them to a budget on a case-by-case basis was voted down, although some new positions were later cut. An additional bylaw supervisor and two positions — a network specialist and marketing co-ordinator — from the Guelph Public Library budget. That wasn't Kovach's only move against the Library. She tried to mothball the bookmobile, but it was voted down - narrowly. So Surprise #2 was: Has the Library been enjoying the gravy train too long now? Weird. 

Councillors also rejected a return of parking meters downtown, while approving a $900 pay raise for themselves. Fulfilling a campaign promise, Cam Guthrie brought the motion, admitting it was a symbolic gesture with not a lot of savings, but he lost the vote nonetheless 8-5. “I’m not prepared to forego a small increase for the sake of it looking good,” Laidlaw said, noting with the number of hours councillors put in they make approximately minimum wage.

Part Two begins tonight at 7 pm. In the meantime, The 59 Carden Street Blog has a pretty good break down of the cuts and costs so far:

• There will be no transit fare increases this year - $200,000 cost
• The Carden Street transit terminal will open Nov. 1 instead of Sept. 1 - $90,000 saving
• No hiring of a bylaw compliance supervisor - $103,000 saving
• Sign and sidewalk inspector position decreased by $10,600
• 20-minute transit service throughout summer months - $260,000 cost
• No new mobility supervisor - $74,000 saving
• Remove corporate analyst from finance budget - $18,000 saving this year
• Adjust snow removal standard from 8 cm to 10 cm - $137,400 saving
• Continue to lease vehicles rather than own - $213,000 saving
• Use social services revenues to offset cost of well-being strategy and social services assessment - $100 saving on tax-supported budget (though not an overall saving because the money will still be spent)
• Run buses on 5 stat holidays (John Galt Day, Canada Day, Labour Day, Christmas and Boxing Day) - $68,000 cost
• Decrease staff training budget - $220,000 saving
• Keep Bookmobile on the road (passed 7-6) - $200,000 cost
• Cut two proposed full-time library staff - $91,000 this year
• With all the ins and outs, the most recent estimate from staff (at 10:53 p.m.) is that the tax increase if the budget was passed at that time would be 5.04 per cent.