Filmmaker's Idea Diverts Lots of Move Out "Garbage"

On an episode of the Guelph Politicast back in April, filmmaker Kalev Jaason talked about his documentary Diverted, and his attempt to prevent large quantities of reusable items left on the curb by students leaving town from ending up in the landfill. His efforts have not been in vein, as 25 different local organizations have become the beneficiaries of the diversion tactics of Jaason and a team of volunteers.

Things We Learned at the Ward 5 Town Hall

Although not the same draw it was back in the fall after Homecoming, a Ward 5 town hall last night at St. Michael Catholic School brought over 40 people out to hear from their city councillors and city staff about the progress made in preventing another excess of partying, and to hear about student housing issues.

GUELPH POLITICAST #119 - Move Out Madness

It's April, and you know what that means! No, we've already had Easter. And April Fools' Day. Sure, Earth Day is next weekend, but we're here today to talk about Move Out Madness, the annual scramble by University of Guelph to pack up their Guelph lives and head home for summer jobs or vacations. This is easier said than done.

Guelph Politico Moderates [Almost] All Candidates Panel

In a vexing turn of events, Guelph Politico was invited to moderate an all-candidates meeting at the University of Guelph-Humber on Friday in advance of the provincial election. The topics were largely educational in nature, but might we be here looking to the future and what the tenure and tone of the debate will look like once the writ is dropped?

GUELPH POLITICAST #116 - A St. Patrick's Day Special

Things were going pretty well. It wasn't perfect, but it seemed like Town and Gown had found a way to perfectly co-exist inside the City of Guelph thanks to the diligence of City Hall, the police, the university, and student groups. And then Homecoming happened...

GUELPH POLITICAST #115 - The Vital Signs Report

What does our community look like? If you're asked that question, then you surely think of the very literal picture of Guelph in your head, probably Downtown Guelph and the various landmarks of our city core. But less literally, what does our city look like? What kind of people live here? How many live here? What do they do? And are they happy and healthy in Guelph and Wellington County?

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.

U of G Students Would Rather Have O-Week Than a Fall Reading Week

Do students need a longer break in the fall? That's the question that the University of Guelph is trying to get feedback on, but they've been stymied because “What we heard back was all over the map,” according to Ray Darling, the Registrar for the U of G. A town hall on campus Wednesday night drew about 50 students, but no greater clarity in terms of what the majority of campus wants on the matter.

Student Pressure Makes Board of Governors Pause Final Divestment Decision

In an interview on the subject, a spokesperson from Fossil Free Guelph said that whatever the outcome of a vote on an ad-hoc committee report at Tuesday's Board of Governors' meeting, "It's not done, until we get divestment." As luck would have it, despite a report that said otherwise, the debate over whether or not the University of Guelph should divest its endowment from fossil fuel companies is not over. Yet.

Student Group Hopes to Change Minds on Divestment Vote at U of G

On Tuesday, the Board of Governors at the University of Guelph are meeting, as they regularly do. But there's an item on the agenda this month that is quite irregular. The final report of an ad-hoc committee on Special Action Requests is bringing back the results of an investigation into whether or not the U of G should divest from fossil fuel companies, and the people that helped bring the request forward are not going to like the answer.

Keeping Tabs on Lloyd

Travelling down to city council every week to keep tabs on the members of our local government is easy, but what about keeping tabs on Guelph's Member of Parliament from a few hundred kilometres away? It's tricky, but not impossible thanks to online tools. So if you feel like keeping tabs on Lloyd, that is to say, if you want to know what our MP, Lloyd Longfield, is up to in the House of Commons, here's how you can do it.

GUELPH POLITICAST #95 - Brad Evoy, OPIRG

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.

GUELPH POLITICAST #92 - Robert Routledge, U of G Student Life

Brace yourselves, Back to School is coming. In about three weeks, the summertime quiet of Guelph will give way to the hustle and bustle from a suddenly swelled student population as 20,000 undergrads come to the city to continue their education or initiate it, and Student Life will be there to help welcome them.

GUELPH POLITICAST #89 - Dr. Hugh Whiteley, "Emeritus Council Delegate"

City council wrapped up this week as the traditional summer break began, and it wound to a close without a distinctive voice... But at least until you'll be able to hear it on this week's podcast.

The Annotated Market Squared Column About the "Upside Down" of Guelph

Back in May, I posted a fairly consequential column to GuelphToday.com. Called "We need to talk about Guelph", this piece took on a life of its own and started a really positive and intricate discussion about the tremendous need in our community. When the column was shared on the "Overheard at Guelph" Facebook page, someone said that they had wished that links had been included to some of the things discussed, and I thought, "Hey, I can do that..."

Guelph Police Want Doodad to Enforce New Traffic Rules

Would you be surprised to learn that there's been a new law on the books since January that drivers have to give biker rider's a one metre buffer, from the tip of the handlebars to the edge of the passenger side mirror? It's true, but you might be hard pressed to find someone on the road that knows about it, and you might be harder pressed to think of a way that the Guelph Police Service can enforce it. Until now...

GUELPH POLITICAST #81 - Kristina Virro, Nutritionist and Psychotherapist-in-Training

You may recall the this past school year was marked with a particular sadness on the University of Guelph campus. Several students took their own lives over the course of the fall and winter semesters, leaving a campus community in mourning and searching for answers. How could so many, feel so lost and alone, and see no other alternative for themselves but to take their own lives?

CSA Makes International News for Its Musical Selection

Normally, the distribution of the student bus pass is not controversial for the University of Guelph's Central Student Association, but then they did the unthinkable by including a top hit from 1972 in their music playlist while handing out the stickers to summer students. A walk on the wild side, indeed.

GUELPH POLITICAST #74 - The Central Student Association

Today is the last day for University of Guelph students to vote in a run-off election for next year's President of the Central Student Association. It's no small position, but getting undergrad students to vote for the person representing them to the university admin, the provincial and federal governments, and on all matter of student issues is no small feat itself. Fortunately, next year's slate of Vice-Presidents is already in place.

CUPE Issues Swipe at U of G 48 Hours Before Deadine

If the students of the University of Guelph thought they dodged a labour disruption bullet a few weeks ago, it looks like their "March break" will be a forced break from routine if the university's trades and maintenance hit the picket lines. And 48 hours out from the deadline, thinks are looking bleak for a last minute deal.