This Week in Press Releases - January 8-12, 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.

My Picks for the BTBB Awards 2015

It's that time of year again. Christmas! And the Beyond the Ballot Box Awards. Fitting for the final episode of the Gang of Four, we salute the real heroes: the politicians and news stories we talk about weekly. If you were listening to the radio, you will have heard my picks already, but in case my justifications weren't clear, I decided to write them out in long form below. It was a very busy year in politics, and there were a lot of darts and laurels (mostly darts) to go around, but after considering all the factors and contenders, here are my choices for Best Politician, Worst and Dumpster Fire of the Year. 

Bob Senechal (Ward 5) - Candidate Questionnaire

Active in politics for many years now, Bob Senechal hopes to now join city council and represent the people of Ward 5. If you know the name then you might remember the 2007 Provincial Election when Senechal ran locally for the Progress Conservatives under John Tory (who, as you may have heard, is also making a run at local politics). If you went to Parkview Church, you may also recognize Senechal as he was the lead pastor there. Now the chaplin at the Elliott Community Centre, and a small business owner, Senechal remains committed to Guelph politics, his wife of nearly four decades Gale, and his three children, and three grandchildren. "My entire working career has been focused on making a positive difference in people’s lives," says Senechal. "Listening carefully, and working together cooperatively to find solutions for a preferred future will enable city council to develop policy that will enhance and improve the quality of life for all the people of Guelph and its businesses that choose to live and work here." For now, Senechal enhances civic engagement by responding to the Guelph Politico candidate questionnaire.

The Mayoral Fringe Division

Tonight is the first televised Toronto mayoral debate, and the first one to feature all five of the main candidates who, as of a couple of weeks ago, had officially announced their candidacy for Toronto's top job. Olivia Chow, Rob Ford, David Soknacki, Karen Stintz, and John Tory are considered the so-called establishment candidates, meaning that they stand the best chance of winning, but there are also 39 other people up for the job with their names currently registered on the ballot. Who are these people that make up the so-called "fringe" slate of mayoral candidates? They may not have the clout, the fundraising power, or media reach of your Chows, Fords, Soknackis, Stintzes or Torys, but that doesn't mean that they don't have anything interesting to say. (And it's worth nothing that both Robyn Doolittle and The Grid have written on the subject.) Let's take a look at some of the people who find themselves cast on the political fringe.