Don't Play in the Water

The City is reminding folkle that despite the nice weather, a trip down to the river banks of either the Speed or the Eramosa is perhaps inadvisable in the midst of melting snow and recent rainfall. Here's the press release:

GUELPH, ON, March 15, 2010 – The milder daytime temperatures combined with rainfall, have resulted in swift currents and higher water levels in Guelph’s rivers and those in the surrounding area.

The Guelph Fire Department encourages parents to educate children about the dangers associated with rivers at this time of year, and supervise them closely while outdoors near our watercourses.

Children should be aware of the dangers of swift currents and cold water temperatures during a spring thaw and need to be reminded to stay clear of riverbanks. A river safety brochure, prepared by the Grand River Conservation Authority, is available online at grandriver.ca (Education > River safety > Follow the river safety rules).

The Guelph Fire Department would like to remind residents to call 911 if they see someone in trouble in the river or on the ice. In the event of such an emergency, Emergency Services dispatch will send the trained water and ice rescue unit, which is equipped to safely enter the water at sub-zero temperatures.

Guthrie Watch 2010 Continues...

Careful Echo readers will have spotted the piece about Cam Guthrie and the grassroots push he's being given to run for Mayor. It actuality, it was a truncated version of the piece that ran on Politico last week, but still any press... as they say.

Anyway, I thought today I'd check out the Facebook group again and see where the count is at. And as of 5:42 pm on Thursday March 18th, the "Cam Guthrie for the Mayor of Guelph" page has 362 members and counting.

Interestingly, there's another Facebook group called "Get Cam Guthrie Elected to the City of Guelph" which is about getting Guthrie to run for council again and has, so far, 138 members. The pages are administered by two different people.

Check out Cam for Mayor here and Cam for Council here.

The Slate Opens Up

I kind of feel like a dope for not finding this till now, but better late than never.

While writing my Echo column today, I was researching stories currently in the news and came across articles about Ward 1 Councillor Kathleen Farrelly's plan to bow out of the next election and her son Sean's plans to throw his hat in the ring for her Ward 1 seat.

Out of curiosity, I went to the city's website to remind myself the deadline for filing nomination papers, and I came across this:

It's a handy chart of everyone that's turned in their papers so far, and by the looks of things we've got 5 nominees on the ballot, including 3 incumbents. As well, you can sign-up for e-mail updates, which I pressume will let you know when the list of nominees is updated. You can find all this, by clicking on this link.

So I guess the race is a foot, huh? I wonder if Bob Bell is going to run again, or whether he's going to throw all his attention into running as the Green Party candidate in the next Federal election? What of Maggie Laidlaw, Ian Findley and the other representatives of Ward 4, 5 and 6?

Incidentally, if any potential canadidate reading this is interested in breaking the news of their candidacy on The Politico, I would only be too happy to oblige. (Keep it in mind.)

Cam Guthrie Not Running for Mayor... Yet.

An internet movement’s begun over the last few weeks to push a certain well know Guelphite and politico into the recently initiated mayoral race, but Cam Guthrie says that no final decisions have been made yet. “It’s weighing heavily on me right now because of all the phone calls and e-mails and people stopping me on the street,” Guthrie told me by phone the other day. “Whatever decision it is it will be in the best interest of my city and my family.”

The buzz comes from a Facebook group called “Cam Guthrie for the Mayor of Guelph”, which was started barely a week after the city’s present mayor, Karen Farbridge, announced her intention to run for re-election in this fall’s municipal contest. Guthrie calls it an encouragement page, but one that he had nothing to do with. Instead, credit for the group can be given to Karl Morant. “The first time I ever met him was in the [2006] municipal election,” Guthrie recalls. “I’ve probably had four conversations with him on passing over the last four years.”

Guthrie History Fact: Cam ran as a candidate for city council in Ward 4 in the last municipal election. It was his first candidacy and he finished in a respectable third place showing just 194 votes behind Mike Salisbury who won the second seat in the ward after first place Gloria Kovach.

As of today, Morant and his group have collected 239 members and counting. Guthrie admits that he’s recognized a few of the names that joined the group, but there’s also a great many he doesn’t. “I am very humbled by the encouragement and support that’s sprung on this thing in the last couple of days,” he says. “It’s just amazing.”

The question now is whether or not that encouragement is going to translate into a bid for the City’s highest elected post, Guthrie’s still mulling the possibilities and gauging his support. Guthrie says he’s seeking “wise council” in order to make the right decision for himself, the city and his family.

As for a timetable, Guthrie told me that his decision will be coming soon, if only out of practical consideration in running a mayoral race. “Unfortunately, these types of campaigns require money to run, and, of course, the sooner you declare yourself the sooner your able to start bringing in money for the campaign. So I can’t let it go too long.”

Still, Guthrie is keen to point out that since 2006 he has remained active and informed about the goings on in Guelph (he's even served a tour as a member of the Guelph Mercury Community Editorial Board with yours truly.) Sounding like he's ready to campaign, Guthrie's already got his eye on an issue. “The biggest issue, I feel, is fiscal accountability," he explains. "I know that’s something a lot of politicians say but that’s the biggest issue with me. And whether or not I run for mayor or run for council, or whether I run at all, that will consistently be one of my pet peeves with this city and the way that it’s being handled by the current leadership.”

You can check out the Facebook group here.

Celebrate Water with WWW and Blue W

I got this sent to me by no less than three-time Guelph Green Party nominee Mike Nagy. It's a community event notice for World Water Day a week from Monday.

PRESS RELEASE
Wellington Water Watchers Celebrate World Water Day event
Monday March 22, 2010
7:00 - 10:00 pm
E.L. Fox Auditorium (J.F. Ross) 21 Meyer Dr. Guelph

International World Water Day is on Monday March 22. Come celebrate this day with the knock-your-socks-off show that Wellington Water Watchers has planned. This first ever annual event will be held at the E.L. Fox Auditorium (J.F.Ross high school). We will be celebrating what our youth have to say about our precious water. High school students throughout our county and city are creating submissions through our Message in the Bottle program. Their submissions - art pieces, performance pieces, science projects, etc. - will be displayed and presented at the celebration. All are designed to express how valuable our water is to us and why we need to protect and conserve this lifeline of ours.

We have enlisted the help of Derek Forgie as our emcee. If you have never seen him in action, check out this link



We also have the help of Evalyn Parry who will be performing a few of her spoken word pieces (), and many of you will know the local band Dancehall Free for All who will ensure that the evening is a supercharged-goodtimes dance party.

We will be showing the yet unreleased film called Tapped in the second part of the evening. From the producers of Who Killed the Electric Car, this timely documentary is a behind-the-scenes look into the unregulated and unseen world of an industry that aims to privatize and sell back the one resource that ought never to become a commodity: our water.

All of this... plus we will be launching our next big project! Wellington Water Watchers is very excited to pilot the Blue W project here to Guelph and Wellington County. What is the Blue W project you ask? Come to our Water Day Celebration to hear more about it - but here is a little hint!

The Blue W is a not-for-profit program dedicated to promoting municipal tap water as a healthy and waste-conscious alternative to bottled drinks. Using our website and smart phone application, we provide details on where to find clean, free sources to refill your reusable bottle. Look for the Blue W decal at the entrance of your favourite local cafes and restaurants.

We have a huge auditorium to fill and for this reason we are making tickets very accessible. For just $5 you can enjoy an incredibly entertaining evening celebrating our water. Tickets are available at The Bookshelf, at 10 Carden on Mondays and Wednesdays, and at the door. Students who have created a submission get in for free. The show runs from 7:00 pm - 10:00 pm. Doors will open at 6:00 pm to showcase youth submissions.

Looking forward to seeing all of you on Monday March 22 to Celebrate World Water Day!

For further information please e-mail wellingtonwaterwatchers[at]gmail.com, or go to their website

Sikh Temple: The Drama Continues

Who would have guessed that the construction of a Sikh temple would have been the biggest thing to hit the development wars in Guelph since Wal-Mart? That's almost what it looks like from this end of the looking glass, especially since thoughts and opinions on the issue keep piling on.

Last Monday, at a jam-packed, standing room only council meeting, supporters and opponents voiced either their endorsement or resistance to the proposition of the temple being built on a lot on Claire Rd near Victoria in the southend. I had wrote a post previous where I broke down the objections to the temple I had heard previous and tried to debunk them from my own point of view. I attended the first hour or so of the meeting, hoping to gleam some deeper understanding of the opposition to this development. What I heard gave me nothing new to change my previous point of view.

However, what was made very clear from the four delegates that spoke against the construction of the temple is that they don't appreciate being called racist or being told that they're hate mongers, and they especially didn't like being identified with the site Stop The Temple, which was become infamous for a couple of highly offensive posts. Fair enough, and while perhaps we in the media have given unfair weight to the site in question, I think people were questioning the notion that race was at play in all the opposition talk prior to the advent of Stop The Temple. (Incidentally, Stop The Temple has since been pulled from the internet. Type in the dominion into your web browser and you're dropped off at the page below.)

Anyway, the "growing racial undertones" have apparently made some residents feel as if their genuine critiques of the temple and its construction are merely excuses after the fact, a plausible cover-up to hide their racism. As I've said before, I have no reason to doubt these people their sincerity when they say they oppose the temple on the grounds that it can't be supported by local infrastructure, and similar reasons. But I do hold reservations.

First is the ongoing assertion that the estimated floor-space of the temple, some 18,000 square feet, does not include the basement, and as such, the floor plan for the temple should be doubled on the proposal. This despite the fact that basements are never counted in total floor space calculations be it residential, commercial, industrial or other. To say that the architect or anyone else is hiding the true size of the temple by not claiming the basement in total floor space is either ignorant or dishonest. Further I ask, is it at all likely that the Sikh community would hold services for the first 400 parishioners through the door and then pack the basement with a spill-over crowd? That's leaving aside for the moment that the Guelph Sikh community currently numbers around 200 and the maximum capacity for the proposed temple sits at 400.

Secondly, there was a remark from one speaker saying that the construction of the temple would "sacrifice the safety of the children" in the community. She was referring to the increased traffic in the area, a previously stated concern by many in the Westminster Woods area. However, I wonder exactly how many kids play ball hockey in the middle of Claire Rd? The answer is probably none, because Claire is a major artery in the southend. This same speaker also wondered about large trucks coming through the community all hours of the night since members of the Sikh community have previously stated that the temple will be open "24/7". Well I'm no expert, but I think that for any man or woman, no matter their religious affiliation, the last thing on their mind when they're driving a big rig at three in the morning is looking for somewhere to stop and pray.

Third, a comment was made saying something to the effect of why would the Sikhs insist on building a temple somewhere the area residents are opposed to having it constructed. To me, this was, perhaps, the most overtly racist thing I heard. At least it could be interpreted that way. It seemed a roundabout way of saying we don't want your kind here. Perhaps that's a misread on my part, however the question can be taken legitimately. As Joanne Shuttleworth pointed out in her editorial in today's Mercury, is it in the Sikh community's best interest to move into an area that fought tooth and nail to prevent them from doing so?

But it begs the question though: where is a good place to build a Sikh temple? A strip mall? The nearly vacant industrial area? Somewhere on the outskirts of town where public transit barely reaches? The Guelph Sikh Society said that they've looked at a lot of areas, and this was the best fit for their plans. Admittedly, I would be curious to hear their criteria, but at the same time I think it's silly to say that a temple fits better amongst stores or factories than within a residential neighbourhood.

Next, in looking for images to run with this story, I came across this:

It's a picture of the Sikh temple in Española, New Mexico, which serves 350 Sikhs in the northwestern part of the state. I post this to comment on the debate over aesthetics and ask: is something like this really so galling? Granted, I've never seen a picture of the proposed finished look of the Guelph temple, but I'm willing to bet that the Taj Mahal it is not.

Finally, there was an article in the Mercury last week following up on an ad placed in the Etcetera, also published by the Mercury, that was alerting temple opponents to a meeting taking place March 11th at the Puslinch Community Centre. It was made explicitly clear that this is for opponents only - no supporters and no media. The ad said that meeting was being sponsored by the Westminster Woods Residents Association, the WWRA's chair told the Merc that this was not the case. Temple opponent Glenn Carducci was the man that rented the hall, but he says he has nothing to do with the WWRA and added that he rented the hall on behalf of a friend. So who's hosting the meeting, and why did they apparently invoke WWRA's name when they have nothing to do with the group?

Then there's the text from the ad: "This meeting is not for those who want to support this application to build a Sikh place of worship. If that is your goal, you will be denied entry and the opportunity to speak. You are invited to host your own meeting, which we will graciously avoid." Why? Why are supporters and media not allowed? Could it be that organizers realize that the words and opinions that are going to be expressed may not be received well outside the context of this meeting? In the dark, people can't see you. In an unknowable situation, without new information to guide you, you have to go on precedent, and the precedent for secret meetings of people against a particular ethnic group is not good. If those against the temple don't want to be labelled racist, then full disclosure, as well as open and honest debate, is best.

Recap: Better Know A Ward - Part 2

As promised, here's the second part of my six part series "Better Know a Ward", which I'm reposting here in order to prepare for the eventual continuation of the series (I'm working on it, I swear). This BKAW was published in the July 24th, 2008 edition of Echo, so read, reminisce and enjoy

Ward 2: Always stable, but ready for change

Welcome back to part two of my six part series, “Better Know a Ward.” This week: Ward 2 – St. George’s. Located in the northeast corner of the city, Ward 2 pretty much covers everything east of Woolwich and north of Eramosa and Eastview Roads. Amongst its attractions are Riverside Park and Goldie Mill, the oldest saw mill in the city established the same year as Guelph: 1827.

Vicki Beard and Ian Findlay, both elected in 2006, are the councillors responsible for speaking for the residents of Ward 2, which boasts the highest number of long time residents, including seniors and young families, and is home to a lot of Guelph’s post-war development. On the cutting edge of innovation as well, Ward 2 also has the world’s first “Pollination Park,” which lies atop the old Eastview landfill and is a research project commissioned by the University of Guelph for which Beard is an excited and passionate advocate for.

“It’s probably the most established ward in the city in that there’s not a lot of new development,” says Findlay when I meet up with him and Beard at the Cornerstone, downtown. “There are not a lot of infill opportunities either; it’s pretty much built up. There’s a little bit happening on Woodlawn and Victoria, but I would certainly suggest it’s the most stable.”

Stable, except for the fact that Ward 2 is “ground zero” as Findlay describes, for the city’s termite problems, although their number have gone down in the last few years. A repurposed and dedicated city department has been exceptionally helpful in tackling the problem, explains Findlay. “One of the first things we did when we got on council was retain Dr. Tim Myles from the University of Toronto. He’s one of the pre-eminent termite experts in all of Canada.”

Another change that Ward 2 residents have been positive about is the expansion of service on Guelph Transit and the new “Downtown on the 20” schedule. Beard and Findlay say that they’ve heard from poeple a desire to do more for the environment and conservation on a local level, and giving more support and money to buses was a good, first step. “We’re not done fixing transit, but this was a big step, a huge commitment on the part of the city but we’re not suggesting that all the problems are solved yet,” says Findlay. “And we need a strategic transit plan and that’s coming up in the next little while,” added Beard.”

Less pleased, were Ward 2 residents, about their councillors’ votes over the recent proposed expansion of the Wal-Mart at Woolwich and Woodlawn. A vote that both Beard and Findlay say has been mischaracterized. “I did not vote ‘No’ on the Wal-Mart expansion,” says Beard emphatically. She was in favour of the expansion as presented in a city staff report, which called for numerous environmental and energy friendly benchmarks, but what she ended up voting against was the 6&7 Developers plan as presented to council at the July 7th meeting which didn’t include any of those things. “Their answers did not match that report,” she adds.

“A final decision has not been made, I think we need to make that clear,” continues Findlay. “The motion was to approve [the proposal] as was, and that was defeated. We still need to give formal direction to city staff, but this will be coming back to council for further consideration.”

“We represent people in our ward that want that expansion, we see it as a non-issue – it’s going to happen, we want it to happen,” says Beard, who adds that other developers in Guelph have gone out of their way to meet the city’s commitment to sustainability and environmentally friendly alternatives. “We have to get this straight,” adds Beard, “It’s not the developer; it’s how we want the development to happen.”

The vote certainly got people talking which was good news for Ward 2’s biggest act of transparency: the Ward 2 blog maintained by Findlay and contributed to by both councillors. Findlay says the blog serves multiple purposes: not only can he and Beard talk directly to their constituents, and they respond back, but serves as a paper trail, so to speak, in highlighting residents concerns before the council. Plus the blog has a pretty liberal open door policy. “Any letter that comes in, providing that they’re not too personal, I will post,” says Findlay. “Critical: absolutely. But if they start identifying people and getting derogatory then they don’t get posted. I don’t filter it in any other way.”

To keep up-to-date with the goings on in Ward 2, you can visit the blog at http://ward2guelph.wordpress.com/

Farewell Bev

The City of Guelph lost a passionate and intrepid voice in local politics this week when Bev Izzillo-Ustation passed away after a lengthy fight against cancer at the age of 74.

Before five gos at the Mayor’s chair and twice running for city council, Izzillo-Ustation as an advocate for the group Persons United for Self Help (PUSH), an organization that focused on taking down barriers and meeting the needs of those with visual and hidden disabilities. She pressed for accessibility in all areas of public space and was instrumental in improving access by pressing for curb cuts, automatic doors and ramps.

To many Politicos though, Izzillo-Ustation was most known for her fiery, grassroots campaigning. She was usually the candidate for open and honest government and in what would be her last election, up against incumbents Kate Quarrie and Karen Farbridge, she enthusiastically declared that “It’s my turn now.”

That's where I remember her from. The 2006 election was the first municipal race I followed (and yes, covered) since I moved here. Izzillo-Ustation was written off by some people as a kook, or "that funny old lady running for Mayor," but hearing her speak on the issues, you had to admire her spirit. She was informed, she was active and she was engaged, which is a lot more than you can say about most people and municipal politics. It takes a lot of guts to get up to bat again and again knowing that you might not get a hit, but Izzillo-Ustation was a player on the political field, always unafraid to take a swing. If anything, we need more people like her.

Bev Izzillo-Ustation is survived by four grandchildren, three step-grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. As expressions of sympathy, donations to Marianne's Place and/or the Salvation Army would be appreciated.

Read Scott Tracy's article on Izzillo-Ustation's passing here.

Read my candidate questionnaire to her from the last election here.

Farbridge Campaign goes Online

Further evidence that election season is now upon us, Mayor Karen Farbridge has launched her re-election campaign's website, which can be found at farbridgeforguelph.ca

On the site is the usual bios, pics and campaigning material. The Mayor's vision is split into three different areas: Your Home, Your Work and Your Community. Two of those, interestingly, mention the Hanlon Creek Business Park directly, with the Mayor saying that the develpoment of the HCBP "will help us attract the kinds of high paying, long-term jobs we need to grow sustainably."

So one gets the impression that the Mayor foresees the HCBP being a big issue this election cycle. But then the website says in another area of the site to keep in mind that "only about 10 to 20 per cent of City resources are dedicated to high profile projects, like the Hanlon Creek Business Park, a new main library or a South End community centre."

Additionally, the Mayor will be chronicling her re-election in the blogosphere by posting at karenfarbridge.com The only thing there right now though is the text from her speech announcing the start of her campaign. Still, light years ahead of anyone else running for Mayor. Any takers?

Protest Parliament... Being Back in Session

All jocularity aside, a group called Guelph Participates is holding a "Searchlight on Democracy Walk and Talk" tomorrow evening:

The Guelph chapters of Council of Canadians and Canadians Against Proroguing Parliament - Guelph Participates is holding "Searchlight on Democracy Walk and Talk" on March 2nd. The event is being held to highlight the return of the MPs to the House of Commons after the controversial prorogation of Parliament on December 30, 2009. People are asked to gather at 7:00 p.m. in front of Guelph City Hall (1 Carden St) and are encouraged to bring flash lights or candles to the event. Several speakers will address the group. Following that, the group will walk to Norfolk United church for presentations and discussions on how to hold government accountable for their actions and to consider changes in parliamentary practices to avoid such abuses in the future.

For more information you can e-mail info@guelphparticipates.com or call 226.486.1035