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.
It’s been back-to-back debate nights in the city. On Wednesday night, the five-major party candidates met at Guelph City Hall for the regular Chamber of Commerce debate, the first moderated by the Chamber’s new President and CEO Shakiba Shayani. The questions were the usual assortment of business issues, economic development, tax policy, and inequality, but there were also questions about climate change and mental health as well.
The real drama wasn’t on the debate stage, but in the gallery. Independent candidate Kornelis Klevering was removed by Guelph Police officers before the debate began for handing out information about an all-candidates meeting he’s planning for Thursday. Klevering called it typical of the Chamber’s anti-democratic attitude Thursday afternoon on Open Sources Guelph.
Meanwhile, just outside the doors to the council chambers, about half-a-dozen people were barred entry even though they arrived just a few minutes after the debate began. In a follow-up email, City Clerk Stephen O’Brien said that there was a miscommunication that was addressed about half-an-hour after the debate began, and it was a mistake that the doors were locked at 6 pm sharp. I’ll write all this up in the next couple of days.
If you happened to miss the Guelph Chamber debate, for any reason, you can watch the whole thing online right now courtesy of Rogers.
The second debate Thursday night was hosted by the Muslim Society of Guelph, and it featured just four of the main party candidates. People’s Party candidate Mark Paralovos was not invited to participate despite a request for clarity on the Society’s Facebook page on Thursday and given that some of the topics included immigration and Bill 21, his exclusion may not have been that surprising.
In terms of more general controversy, Ward 6 Councillor Mark MacKinnon posted an open letter to all the Federal Election candidates that they need to be a little more cautious with the placement of their signs:
So what does all this add up to on the second-to-last weekend of campaigning before Election Day? The Guelph Mercury Tribune reported that a poll conducted by iPolitics and Mainstreet Research shows Liberal incumbent Lloyd Longfield leading with 44.1 per cent, while Steve Dyck of the Green Party and Dr. Ashish Sachan of the Conservative Party are tracking in a close race for second at 23.3 per cent and 21.9 per cent respectfully.
Remember, there’s an election coming. For all the latest coverage of the 2019 Federal Election from the Guelph angle, you can go directly to that Politico page by clicking here.
Also in the News…
Mayor Cam Guthrie hosted the 20th annual World Mental Health Day forum and information fair at Guelph City Hall. Emotional and candid stories were shared about suicide and suicide prevention, which was this year’s topic due to the fact that this is still a heavily stigmatized area of mental health. You can read the highlights here.
Wilson Street and the new Market Parkade will officially be opened in a ceremony on October 26 from 10 am to 2 pm, but people should be able to use the new vehicle and bike parking, along with the new pedestrian bridge, starting on October 22.
Skyjack on Woodlawn Road was fined $45,000 for an offense that took place on August 22, 2018 when a worker was critically injured after falling from a boom truck. The Government of Ontario says that Skyjack “as an employer neither provided a suitable and safe platform upon which the worker could carry out the work nor did it take other measures to protect the worker from the danger of falling.”
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:
A Toronto restaurant owned by Syrian immigrants will remain open thanks to support from the community and Paramount Fine Foods CEO Mohamad Fakih. The restaurant became the target of death threats and abuse after the son of owner Husam Al-Soufi took part in a protest of an event at Mohawk College featuring People’s Party leader Maxime Bernier.
The Ontario government announced this morning nearly $40 million in new funding for mental health initiatives directed at students. The news comes just a few days after a mother in Hamilton watched helplessly as her teenage son was stabbed to death outside of Sir Winston Churchill Secondary School. The boy had allegedly been bullied since the second day of school this year, and his mother has blamed the school for doing nothing to come to his aid, according to the Canadian Press.
Metrolinx will be doing some work on the tracks at Yorkshire overnights from 10 pm to 5 am for four nights starting on October 18 and ending on October 21. Remember too that the Hanlon will be closed for a week starting Monday between Speedvale and Woodlawn.
Guelph’s Jim Estill was profiled as part of the BBC’s weekly “The Boss” series, the latest accolade for the CEO of the home appliance manufacturer Danby, who has been lauded from all corners for his personal commitment to sponsor 89 Syrian families.
October 16 – Planning Meeting. This may be a special Wednesday meeting because of the Thanksgiving holiday, but this is an otherwise ordinary Planning Meeting. There’s a final decision report on a big apartment development, an extension request for a big subdivision, a request to endorse the construction of a new house in a heritage area, and the City’s response to changes in Provincial policy. You can read the full Politico preview here.
Also coming up at City Council:
October 21 – Special Council Meeting on Standard Assets/Facility Needs Assessment.
October 23 – The first meeting for the 2020 Budget. Presentation and Public Delegations for the Capital Budget and Forecast.
If you want to delegate on any of the items in these two meetings, you have until 10 am on Friday October 18 to get in touch with the Clerk’s Office. Here’s how.
October 28 – Regular meeting of council.
October 30 – Budget Meeting, Public Delegations for Non-tax Supported Operating Budget.
November 4 – Committee of the Whole.
Advanced polls are happening this weekend from Friday to Monday. To find out where and when, consult your voter information card, or consult the Elections Canada website here.
James Gordon’s Emergency Climate Musical will make its Guelph debut one week from tonight at the Royal City Evangelical Missionary Church. Get your tickets here.
Countdown to the Friends of the Guelph Public Library’s Giant Book Sale. It’s two weeks from today!
Sure, it’s Thanksgiving this weekend, but next weekend is the 15th annual Decolonizing Thanksgiving Dinner at the Guelph Youth Music Centre. Details here.
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.
There will be a special edition of the podcast this weekend, a new episode in the very exclusive, extra limited series, the Wellington-Halton Hills Politicast. On this episode, we’ll be joined by Dr Lesley Barron, the Liberal candidate in that riding. Why does she think she has a chance to unseat the incumbent Michael Chong? Tune in on Saturday and listen.
I’ve got a lot of catching up to do this weekend, so I’ll just say Happy Thanksgiving.
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!