The Powers of One
A Strong Mayor maybe strongest alone.
Welcome to the Guelph Politico Tip Sheet, a thrice-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 Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
At his State of the City, Mayor Cam Guthrie announced that he intends to use Strong Mayor powers to bring forward three initiatives meant to combat homelessness and the affordability crisis, including a measure to cut six per cent from the 2025 tax levy increase.
Police are looking for a man who’s been missing for a week. There’s concern about his wellbeing.
Unhoused people downtown feel like the fix is in with the public safety bylaw being debated at city council next week. Not hard to understand why when someone from the City and Stepping Stone was handing out eviction notices on Thursday.
An alert was sent out by Public Health after seven substance-related poisonings in Guelph on Thursday alone. The culprit seems to be light green fentanyl, but there are other colours of fentanyl that are equally risky.
After much controversy, the University of Guelph has hit pause on talks with Navitas, a private company that recruits international students for post-secondary schools.
A bloodbath at Bell Media as nine per cent of the workforce was cut on Thursday. Affecting local news, CTV Kitchener will no longer be producing a noon hour newscast or any newscast on the weekend.
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The Board of Health is trying to rally the Ministry of Health to get more support for oral health programs and eliminate barriers to care.
People who received contaminated gas from a service station on Woolwich are still wondering if they’ll receive compensation for damage to their cars.
Judges from the Canadian Space Agency’s Deep Space Food program was at the University of Guelph this week judging the work of grad student Matthw Wake, one of the finalists.
A Guelph man was charged with mischief after calling 9-1-1 repeatedly to get help filling out family court documents.
A vehicle went through the window of the Mission Thrift Store. Again.
Wellington County is helping to fund the capital costs for a new EarlyON Centre in Centre Wellington.
Did you catch sight of the unique Kelvin-Helmholtz cloud formation the other day?
It’s not Mississauga, but it starts with an ‘M’. Ontario Liberal leader Bonnie Crombie is said to be “seriously” considering a run for the provincial seat in Milton.
A Pickering city councillor previous dinged for promoting homophobic and transphobic attitudes is back at it again by criticizing Black History Month commemorations.
The Ministry of Education is adding mandatory Black history courses in Grades 7, 8 and 10.
Planning Meeting of City Council – Tuesday February 13 at 6:30 pm.
There are a couple of decisions, a couple of objections to recent heritage designations, and a decision about the York-Elizabeth planning amendment to the Official Plan. You can see the Politico preview here, and you have until today at 10 am to register with the clerks office as a delegate or to send a correspondence.
Special Meeting of City Council – Wednesday February 14 at 10 am.
This meeting is dedicated to a debate about the City’s proposed bylaw to government homeless encampments. You can see the Politico preview here, and you have until today at 10 am to register with the clerks office as a delegate or to send a correspondence.
Special Meeting of City Council – Wednesday February 14 at 5 pm.
Council will hear an objection to the application of Development Charges. You can see the Politico preview here, but since this is council sitting as a tribunal there will be no delegations.
Workshop Meeting of City Council – Wednesday February 21 at 5 pm.
After getting postponed last September, council will finally do the KAIROS Blanket Exercise. You can see the agenda on the City’s website here, but since this is a workshop there will be no delegations.
For more information on Guelph City Council meetings, from agendas to live-tweets to recaps, you can visit that page on Guelph Politico here.
The City of Guelph is now collecting applications for the 2024 Artist-in-Residence program.
Give your feedback on new playground designs for three Guelph parks in 2025: Colonial Drive Park, Holland Crescent Park and Highview Park.
The Guelph Community Foundation dished out another $107,400 in Community Grants to 25 local groups to end their year.
The Guelph Arts Council is interested in recruiting volunteers who would like to write about the local arts scene.
Donna Graham is this year’s Peter Moore Vocational Services Award from the Rotary Club of Guelph Trillium for being one of the founders of the Food4Kids program.
Wellington County has introduced a new Energy Coach pilot programme, which will help low income residents in the county find energy efficiency in their homes.
The City of Guelph is looking for businesses to support their waste reduction strategy by providing feedback about reusable containers, utensils by request, and other methods to create less garbage.
Check out the Lightfoot Band, Gordon Lightfoot’s original touring band, at the River Run Centre on Leap Day, Thursday February 29 at 8 pm.
The Rotary Club of Guelph, Trees for Guelph, and the City of Guelph are planning a tree planting at the Hanlon Creek Forest on Laird Road in the south end on Saturday April 27 at 9 am.
Bookmark for later: Here the holiday hours for the Guelph Public Library on the Family Day long weekend.
Current “Have Your Say” opportunities: Dark Sky Bylaw, Guelph’s Bicentennial, Housing Affordability Strategy, New Community Gardens, Playground Replacements for 2024, and Waste Reduction Strategies.
Transit Detours/Notices:
Nothing to report.
Upcoming Construction:
There will be lane reductions on the southern end of Southgate Drive for three days starting on Monday February 12.
The City is collecting feedback about a proposed community garden for Skov Park near Victoria and Eramosa. You have until February 28.
PNR Railworks has applied for a noise exemption to do construction work on the railroad bridge along Paisley Road west of Elmira on May 11 and 12. If you live in the area and would like council to review the request, you can file your request by February 23.
#BeCarefulOutThere
Finally, feel free to reach out to me by email at adamadonaldson [at] gmail [dot] com, or find me on Facebook, Twitter, and, of course, GuelphPolitico.ca!