Welcome to the Guelph Politico Tip Sheet, a twice-a-week newsletter meant to “tip” you off about some of the important stuff going on in the Royal City. It arrives directly in your inbox on Tuesdays and Fridays.
First, a note of condolence to Councillor Phil Allt who lost his beloved mother Marjorie on Wednesday. I’m sure the thoughts and wishes of all readers go out to Councillor Allt at this difficult time.
In late breaking news last night, an Ontario Divisional court unanimously voted in favour of a Canadian Federal of Students legal challenge to the Student Choice Initiative. CFS, along with the York Federation of Students, filed their challenge last May on the basis that the Government of Ontario had a lack of authority to make student fees optional, and that the initiative was enacted in bad faith. (Be careful when you refer to the work of student unions as “crazy Marxist nonsense.”)
At Wednesday night’s council meeting, and again at yesterday’s Police Services Board meeting, Guelph Police revealed that the costs for Homecoming this year came in at $72,000, or the equivalent of 1010 overtime hours. The Board is planning on having a stern conversation with the University of Guelph about cost sharing for both Homecoming and St Patrick’s Day revelry.
In other police news, there were two robberies in the span about five hours in the south end on Tuesday. Money and merchandise was taken from one retail location at around 6 pm, and cash was taken from another shop around 11 pm. Pictures of the suspects and further details can be found on the Police website.
Also in the News…
Cambridge City Council has opted to hold a byelection to find someone to succeed the late Ward 7 councillor Frank Monteiro, who passed away in October. Council voted 6-2 to go with the byelection option over appointing the person who won second place in 2018, or having council search and approve a successor. The byelection date is set for March 23, 2020.
Cambridge council also declared a climate crisis this week. The unanimous motion included the goal to reduce Cambridge’s carbon footprint by 80 per cent of 2010 levels by 2050 and establish a climate change adaption committee to help make it happen.
Waterloo Brewing lost $2.1 million in a cyber attack scheme called “social engineering” where someone poses as a vendor and demands payment. The Waterloo Region Police have been notified, and the Brewery says no personal information on their customers has been compromised.
Toasty Toes this year collected 7,143 pairs of socks.
The Politico Tip Sheet is open for anyone to subscribe, so if you know a friend or associate that might like to receive this newsletter, send it to them, and get them to click on the button below:
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau revealed his 36-member, gender-balanced cabinet on Wednesday. I did a chart for Politico.
There was a town hall with Ward 5 City Councillors Leanne Piper and Cathy Downer on Thursday night. Check out the Politico recap.
Ontario is considering an overhaul to the licensing system for cannabis shops. According to BNN Bloomberg, the government is considering a move to a more “open allocation” system that would allow potential owners to apply online and pass a series of background checks before opening up a shop.
The Guelph Chamber of Commerce held its annual general meeting on Wednesday. The new board is made up of Patrick Wieland, RBC (Chair); Kyle Hampson, Miller Thomson LLP (1st Vice Chair); Michele Mactaggart, Bensol Consulting (2nd Vice Chair); Kim Aitken, RLB LLP (Treasurer); and, Melanie Lang, John F. Wood Centre for Business and Student Enterprise (Past Chair), plus Brandy Douglas, CulturedHR; Dan Lawson, Blount Canada; Dan Penfold, University of Guelph; Mark Stoddart, Linamar Corporation; Kristen Tilley, Simplify Co; Sarah Haanstra, Guelph Community Health Centre; and, David Halls, Royal Lepage Royal City Realty.
This report says I’m not “subtle or suave.” I’m not bitter.
November 20 – Budget Meeting, Presentation of Local Boards and Shared Services Budget.
City council received the budget presentations from Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health, the Elliott Community, Wellington County, the Downtown Guelph Business Association, the Guelph Public Library, and the Guelph Police Service. The most probing questions were reserved for the County, whose representatives were asked about social housing development and funding, and Chief Gordon Cobey, who was asked about the 9.8 per cent bump in the police budget and how we got there. You can read the full recap on Guelph Politico here.
Also coming up at City Council:
November 25 – Regular Meeting of Council.
Council will approve new appointments to local boards and committees, discuss the allocation of five new buses, and dig further into the motion on Harm Reduction Housing passed at Committee of the Whole. Plus, there will be a mysterious motion about intervening on the Supreme Court challenge of the Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act (the carbon tax). Get more details here.
November 27 – Budget Meeting, Delegations for the Tax Supported Operating Budget, Local Boards and Shared Services Budget.
This is the public delegation night for the Tax Supported Operating Budget and the Local Boards and Shared Services Budget. If you have anything to say about the budget, this is your night to say it!
The meeting will begin at 6 pm and so will the live blog, which you will be able to follow on Guelph Politico, or on Twitter @adamadonaldson.
December 2 – Committee of the Whole.
In the last Committee meeting of the year, there will be a sign bylaw variance request, the update to the Waste Free Ontario Act, and the third quarter operating variance. Get all the details here.
If you want to delegate on any of the items at Commitee, you have until 10 am on Friday November 29 to get in touch with the Clerk’s Office. Here’s how.
December 3 – Deliberations on the Tax Supported Operating Budget, Local Boards and Shared Services Budget.
This is decision night for the budget! The meeting will begin at 2 pm, there won’t be any delegations, just debating and voting.
December 5 - Deliberations on the Tax Supported Operating Budget, Local Boards and Shared Services Budget. (If Required.)
December 9 – Planning Meeting.
December 11 – Special Council Meeting – Workshop on Transportation Master Plan and the Comprehensive Zoning Bylaw.
December 16* – Regular Meeting of Council.
*Council goes on Christmas Break after this meeting.
CFRU’s Nicky Dredd marks 40 years of broadcasting this Saturday night at the eBar. Tickets are $15 and all proceeds are going to the Guelph Black Heritage Society.
Fossil Free Guelph will be holding the first ever DivestFest next Friday at Red Papaya. The entry fee is pay what you can (PWYC), but all proceeds are going to support OPIRG.
The last Our Community, Our Water open house on the proposed solution for the Dolime Quarry takes place at the Holiday Inn Hotel and Conference Centre on Scottsdale at 2 pm and 6 pm.
***Upcoming Town Halls***
-A Ward 2 town hall with Rodrigo Goller and James Gordon at the Evergreen Seniors Centre takes place at 1 pm on November 23
-A Ward 4 town hall with Christine Billings and Mike Salisbury at the West End Rec Centre takes place at 7 pm on November 26
If you missed any of this weeks shows, you can listen to them all, right now or any time, by subscribing to the Guelph Politicast channel on your favourite podcast app at iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, and Spotify.
Enjoy.
And finally, feel free to reach out to be by email at adamadonaldson [at] gmail [dot] com, or find me on Facebook, Twitter, and, of course, GuelphPolitico.ca!