MANGEZ! Dine Safe Guide for July 16-31, 2017

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.

Schreiner Proclaimed Green Party Candidate for Guelph for Spring Election

In an utterly unsurprising result, Green Party of Ontario leader Mike Schreiner was acclaimed by unanimous vote as the Green candidate for Guelph in next spring's provincial election. Schreiner becomes the first candidate of any party to be named in advanced of next year's campaign, and from the sounds of the Green Party gathering at Riverside Park Sunday, they intend to make a dent in the province's political culture when the votes are counted June 7.

This Week in Press Releases - July 24-28, 2017

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.

Any Day Now! A Decade of Waiting for Lafarge Development to Start

It was interesting to see the Lafarge site come back into the news this month. For the most part, nothing has really been happening with it in a good long while, but even in the days before Guelph Politico I had my journalistic eye on it, and given recent developments, I thought a dip into the archives might be advised.

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.

LIVE BLOG: City Council Meeting for July 24, 2017

This is the last city council meeting before summer vacation, so you definitely don't want to miss it. You can click here for the amended agenda from City Hall, and you can click here to read Politico's preview of tonight's meeting. For the complete blow-by-blow of tonight's council meeting, you can follow me on Twitter, or follow along below via Storify.

Neighbourhood Mourns for the Loss of Greenspace

It was a regular, summer evening on the property known colloquially as the "Lafarge lands", named for the company that once had a gravel pit on the site. Joggers hustled by down the pathways, kids on bikes peddled along the relatively safety of the dead end street, and there was even someone on a skateboard that went sailing by. Sadly, this scene of community activity might represent the last call of such serenity in this reclaimed stretch of natural wilderness in the inner city.

GUELPH POLITICAST #88 - Steve Kraft, CEO of Guelph Public Library

A lot of people probably remember a row between then-Toronto Councillor Doug Ford and vaunted Canadian author Margaret Atwood over supporting libraries, and not closing branches in order to save the City money. Well, six years later Ford is out of council and Atwood is more popular than every because of The Handmaid's Tale TV series. You know what else is more popular than ever?

Forget Baker Street! Co-operators Moving Forward with New South End HQ

A few hours before a council meeting that would discuss the potential redevelopment of the Bakers St. parking lot for a new 200,000 square foot headquarters for the Co-operators, the insurers have reached an agreement with the City of Guelph to develop a new main building in the south end in time for a 2023 move in.

City Council Preview - What's on the Agenda for the July 24 Meeting?

A week from today brings the final council meeting before the August break, and while it isn't the biggest agenda of the year so far, it will have items concerning closed meetings, light pollution, and item that couldn't come forward last week at the planning meeting.