Guelph Politicast

Open Sources Guelph #524 - June 19, 2025

This week on Open Sources Guelph, we're trying to keep all our paper's straight. Once again, it was a busy news week as the world came to Canada, or at least the heads of the biggest and most powerful countries did. Also, we get to talk about a new war, apparently because we've run out of things to say about the old wars while closer to home, we'll go back to the Quatro and talk to a member of city council from the west end of the city.
This Thursday, June 19, at 5 pm, Scotty Hertz and Adam A. Donaldson will discuss:
Nothing But a G7 Thing. This week, the leaders of the Group of 7 nations came to town in Kananaskis, Alberta and there were many different topics on the table, but for Prime Minister Mark Carney this was another big test for him as host. So what happened? Well, Donald Trump came and grumbled and then left early, Italian PM Giorgia Meloni got memed and special guests Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Narendra Modi stopped by. Despite all that though is the G7 even a thing anymore?
Back to Bomb Iran. With Gaza still a war zone, international leaders are worried about a seeming race to regime replacement as Israel launched an attack on Iran last week. Benjamin Netanyahu says the goal is to stop Iran from getting nuclear weapons, but cynics in Israel and around the world think its Netanyahu's attempt to avoid political comeuppance at home. In the middle is the United States because Donald Trump doesn't want a war in one breath while threatening Iran in the next. So what now?
Back to the Quatro. Earlier this year Ward 4 City Councillor Linda Busuttil took over as the head of the Joint Social Services and Land Ambulance Committee, putting a Guelph face at the head of a government board that oversees Wellington County services. It's a big move, but it's bringing more attention to City/County relations and their role in developing more housing. Busuttil will talk about that relationship, plus working with new Canadians and why doing your taxes is important in the fight against poverty.
Open Sources is live on CFRU 93.3 fm and cfru.ca at 5 pm on Thursday.

End Credits #396 - June 18, 2025 (The Phoenician Scheme)

This week on End Credits, we flirt with danger. We've never had to survive a plane crash - or six - but we have survived nearly that many Wes Anderson movies together, and on this episode we will survive another. Probably. Tune in today as we decode The Phoenician Scheme and as we talk about a slightly older, and slightly more controversial movie from the past. 
This Wednesday, June 18, at 3 pm, Adam A. Donaldson and Peter Salmon will discuss:
The Passion of Dogma. A lot of great movies came out in 1999, and one of them is Kevin Smith's Dogma! The film has been somewhat lost due to the complex tangle of rights issues, and the fact that Harvey Weinstein is a professional @$$hole, but now Dogma is back in theatres for what's essentially its 25th anniversary engagement. So this week we will revisit the near-blasphemous pleasures of what may be Smith's best film!
REVIEW: The Phoenician Scheme (2025). Wes Anderson is back with another tale about a dysfunctional family with a dangerously eccentric patriarch. Benicio del Toro plays Zsa Zsa Korda, a mid-century tycoon whose latest scheme has upset the business world to the point where they're trying to eliminate him. What does Korda do? Recruit his estranged daughter Liesl, a nun, and a Norwegian entomologist to help put together one last business score, The Phoenician Scheme! So has Anderson done it again with another meticulous tale?
End Credits is on CFRU 93.3 fm and cfru.ca Wednesday at 3 pm.

GUELPH POLITICAST #475 – Know Your Policy: Flags and Information Access

The City of Guelph is a system, a system that's built on rules. Or policies, procedures and protocol to be more precise. Some of those systems dictate how city council functions, some of them lay out how local government should engage with the community, and some of them tell you what flags you can fly and when they should be lowered to half-mast. It's time again to play roulette with the policy wheel and get smarter in the process.
First up, we will talk about the Access and Privacy Policy. You've probably heard about Freedom of Information requests? Well this outlines how and why you're able to make them, but more than that it outlines how and why staff are able to access confidential information, how and why the City can collect that information, and the ways that all information at the City of Guelph is managed, stored, and, if necessary, destroyed. 
Somewhat less well-known is the City Flag Policy. Mayor Cam Guthrie was inundated with hate for a social media post celebrated the raising of the Eritrean Flag at city hall last month to mark their Independence Day. No rules were broken, not that bigots care about rules, but for anyone wondering why city hall has room for the Eritrean flag, perhaps it's time to introduce you to the concept of the "courtesy pole flag." (Real term.)
So let's dive into policy again on this week's Guelph Politicast! 
You can check out the Access and Privacy Policy and the City Flag Policy by following the direct hyperlinks. You can also see all the City of Guelph's "frequently requested policies, procedures and protocols" on the City's website under the City Government tab. 
The host for the Guelph Politicast is Podbean. Find more episodes of the Politicast here, or download them on your favourite podcast app at Apple, TuneIn and Spotify .
Also, when you subscribe to the Guelph Politicast channel and you will also get an episode of Open Sources Guelph every Monday, and an episode of End Credits every Friday.

Open Sources Guelph #523 - June 12, 2025

This week on Open Sources Guelph, we've got fighting words. People are riled up here in Ontario about some more bad bills, and people in the U.S. are riled up about another week of living in Trumpland including his most dangerous moves against civil liberties yet. If you're a Canadian concerned about these things, you might want to listen to this week's guest because he has some ideas on how to fight back!
This Thursday, June 12, at 5 pm, Scotty Hertz and Adam A. Donaldson will discuss:
Six Weeks, 17 Fights. The Ontario Legislature rose last week after only sitting for a total of six weeks. And yet, in that small space of time, Doug Ford and his government managed to upset just about everyone from municipal leaders, to environmentalists, to Indigenous communities thank to the passage of the highly controversial Bills 5 and 17. These measures, which are supposed to create more housing, come at a time when housing starts are at their slowest level since 2009, so what is all this for?
Battle Los Angeles. Last Friday, protest erupted in the Los Angeles area after agents for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) started arresting undocumented people looking for work outside a Home Depot. The raids seem to be the brain child of Stephen Miller, Donald Trump's most trusted advisor, especially on matters of racial animus. The eruption of protests, and the calling of the National Guard, has people concerned, especially now before Trump's birthday army parade. How worried should we be?
Charlie in Charge. He may not be in Parliament anymore, but Charlie Angus is still making waves. Travelling coast-to-coast-to-coast now, Angus is aiming to rallying ordinary Canadians in the fight against fascism and to promote resiliency and resistance in local communities, and he's bring that message to Guelph in an event on Thursday June 19. Before that though he will join us here on Open Sources to talk about why you can't leave it to the politicians and how you can start to get more politically involved.
Open Sources is live on CFRU 93.3 fm and cfru.ca at 5 pm on Thursday.

End Credits #395 - June 11, 2025 (Nonnas)

This week on End Credits, we're thinking about our elders. This is a multi-generational show today as we mark the special occasion this weekend and then get an early jump on an October holiday with a new movie. What holiday? Why Grandmother's Day, of course! We're reviewing Nonnas on Netflix and talking about movies focused on fatherhood!!
This Wednesday, June 11, at 3 pm, Adam A. Donaldson and Tim Phillips will discuss:
Father's Day Movies. This weekend is the annual celebration of fathers everywhere, and much fishing equipment, car accessories and neck ties will be spread in their name. But what about the movies? Yes, there have been many movies that celebrate fathers and fatherhood, and so we will use the occasion of Father's Day to celebrate those movies whether that's an adoptive father to a demon or the World's Greatest Dad!
REVIEW: Nonnas (2025). We've talked about fathers, now let's talk about grandmothers! Or rather, Nonnas. It's based on the true story of a Staten Island restaurateur who used his inheritance to create an eatery dedicated to the fine, home Italian cooking of his mother, his grandmother and nonnas everywhere using real nonnas as the kitchen staff. Vince Vaughn leads an all-star cast of nonnas including Lorraine Bracco, Susan Sarandon and Talia Shire, but can they cook up something delightful and delicious movie-wise speaking?
End Credits is on CFRU 93.3 fm and cfru.ca Wednesday at 3 pm.

GUELPH POLITICAST #474 – Running on Empties (feat. Karen Wirsig)

When Doug Ford and the Ontario government announced that they were expanding alcohol sales to grocery and convenience stores it was seen as a positive move to break up a government monopoly, but The Beer Store still has one important piece of that monopoly: returns. It was an effective example of what we now call the circular economy, but in making alcohol more available, has it cost us the most successful recycling program we’ve ever had?
Next time you buy beer or wine at the grocery store or the quick stop, look at your receipt: You’re still paying the 10 or 20 cent deposit on every can and bottle. If you take your empties back to The Beer Store, you can get that money back, but it’s becoming more convenient to get rid of your empties by dumping them out in the recycling. That undermines what’s been an incredibly successful recycling program through The Beer Store, which, at its peak saw an 80 per cent return rate. 
Large grocery stores that sell alcohol and are more than five kilometres from a Beer Store are supposed to be accepting returns but the words “supposed to” are doing a lot of work because, as you’ll hear, this is being treated as more of a suggestion than a rule. In their own investigation, Environmental Defence only found one grocery store in Ontario meeting this criteria that is actively accepting empties, and this is only going to get worse as more Beer Store locations close. 
One the people raising the alarm on this is Karen Wirsig, who is the plastics program manager of Environmental Defence. She joins us this week to talk about why The Beer Store’s recycling program has been so successful, and why maintaining it has been such an afterthought for the government. We will also talk about why grocery retailers are fighting the effort to expand the return program to their stores, the coming danger in 2026 with Beer Store closures, and what you can do to keep getting your deposit back. 
So let's talk about your empties on this week's Guelph Politicast!
You can learn more about Environmental Defense at their website, or follow them on Instagram. You can follow Karen Wirsig on Twitter @ Karen_Wirsig where she posts about her advocacy efforts on reducing waste and plastic pollution. And if you want to support The Beer Store’s recycling program, take your empties back no matter where you bought them. You’re paying the deposit anyway.
The host for the Guelph Politicast is Podbean. Find more episodes of the Politicast here, or download them on your favourite podcast app at Apple, TuneIn and Spotify .
Also, when you subscribe to the Guelph Politicast channel and you will also get an episode of Open Sources Guelph every Monday, and an episode of End Credits every Friday.

Open Sources Guelph. #522 - June 5, 2025

This week on Open Sources Guelph, we're going dull. You can't make friends with salad? We disagree! And to help prove that we're going to get out the scorecards for the first two weeks of business with the new Canadian government and the first year of business for the U.K.'s government. In other news, we'll go super local looking at one neighbourhood with that area's council representative!
This Thursday, June 5, at 5 pm, Scotty Hertz and Adam A. Donaldson will discuss:
Carney's Version. It's week two for the new Canadian government under Prime Minister Mark Carney and while he's definitely made the case to the electorate that he's not Trump, he still seems kind of concerned as Bill C-2 enters the picture. The second major piece of legislation from Carney seems to accept some of Trump's bonafides that Canada is an epicentre for fentanyl and our border security needs reform, and civil liberty groups have notes. Has Carney already gone too far just over a month since Election Day?
Going Kier. It's been almost a year since Kier Starmer and the Labour Party were elected to lead the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland, and now there's some considerable regret in the electorate. Not exactly a surprise, but nipping at Starmer's heals are Nigel Farage and his alt-right Reform Party who are waiting to seize on any doubt in the electorate that the government just doesn't work. Should we be concerned about a populist revolt in the U.K., and is there a lesson for Carney and Canada's Liberals?
The Goller. There is a lot going on in downtown Guelph. Some serious construction projects are getting going and it's just a taste of what's to come, poverty support groups are getting traffic tickets from bylaw, and there was more than a little controversy about where exactly a daytime shelter should go. Here to help us out with all of that thinking is one of the people who represents Ward 2, which includes downtown. Rodrigo Goller will join us to talk about balancing all the needs facing downtown Guelph and what his own political future looks like.
Open Sources is live on CFRU 93.3 fm and cfru.ca at 5 pm on Thursday.

End Credits #394 - June 4, 2025 (Final Destination Bloodlines)

This week on End Credits, we fear the reaper. Well, sort of. You don't go into a movie where the literal personification of Death is the main character if you're afraid of the reaper. So we will show no fear and dive into Final Destination Bloodlines, and assuming we survive we will also talk about the sixth entries in long-running series, the good ones!
This Wednesday, June 4, at 3 pm, Adam A. Donaldson and Candice Lepage will discuss:
The 6ixes. This week's movie is the sixth entry in its series, and this week's new release, Karate Kid: Legends, is also a sixth entry. Not many movie franchises make it to the sixth picture, and many of the ones that make it that far aren't exactly exemplars of film excellence. Still, in honour of these movies, and all the other sixes in cinema history, we will pay tribute to our favourite hexalogies, which is a real world. (Look it up.)
REVIEW: Final Destination Bloodlines (2025). Twenty-five years ago, a new horror franchise made audiences afraid of Death. As an entity. After taking several years off, Death is back and he's out to get three generations of a family that never should have been born because the family matriarch avoided disaster 50 years earlier. The surprise hit of the summer so far, Final Destination Bloodlines has seen theatres packed with new and old fans who've all welcomed back Death while saying goodbye to the late, great Tony Todd (RIP), and this week we'll have our say.
End Credits is on CFRU 93.3 fm and cfru.ca Wednesday at 3 pm.

GUELPH POLITICAST #473 - Can A.I. Make Public Health Better? (feat. Michael Whyte and Justin Angevaare)

Data is key to guiding health policy, and health units collect a lot of it, but formatting it, organizing it, and looking for patterns in it can be time consuming, meaning that you’re doing a lot of labour that has nothing to do with creating the actual health policy or solving a public health issue. If you’re thinking to yourself that this sounds like an ideal solution for artificial intelligence, you’re right!
At May’s Board of Health meeting, staff members discussed “Innovative Public Health with AI and Automation”, meaning the ways that Public Health is using artificial intelligence to enhance their work. The report offered examples of success like using A.I. to process vaccine records, generate immunization notices, and process lab results. You might have interacted with A.I. yourself if you’ve clicked on the “need help” icon on the Public Health website.
The staff at Public Health are very bullish about the possibilities of artificial intelligence, but for a lot of people there are no two scarier initials right now than "A" and "I". In the realm of public health, there are even more pronounced concerns around privacy and the sharing of information, and there’s also an important need to share accurate information as well. So how are Public Health staff managing these big considerations? 
Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health’s Manager of Data & Analytics Michael Whyte and Data Scientist Justin Angevaare will tell you all about those considerations on this week's pod. They will talk about the work that public health is using A.I. to achieve, and how they've decided the best ways to use it. They also talk about the ways that public health is governing the use of A.I. with policy, how they determine which programs they want to use and why, and what they’re working on right now.
So let's get some good A.I. news on this week's edition of the Guelph Politicast! 
You can learn more about what Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health is up to in the realm of artificial intelligence by reading the staff report from last month’s Board of Health meeting, or Guelph Politico’s coverage of that meeting. You can stay up-to-date on everything to do with public health at their website, or on social media at @wdgpublchealth on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
The host for the Guelph Politicast is Podbean. Find more episodes of the Politicast here, or download them on your favourite podcast app at Apple, TuneIn and Spotify .
Also, when you subscribe to the Guelph Politicast channel and you will also get an episode of Open Sources Guelph every Monday, and an episode of End Credits every Friday.
Photo courtesy of Disney/Lucasfilm.

Open Sources Guelph #521 - May 29, 2025

This week on Open Sources Guelph we're talking war and price. No, you read that right. On the war front we're going back to Gaza where the prospects for peace have not improved, and along with that it's going to get tougher to express your thoughts on war if you're protesting in Toronto. As for price, that's what we've got our guest here to talk about as we dig into money matters with an expert.
This Thursday, May 29, at 5 pm, Scotty Hertz and Adam A. Donaldson will discuss:
*Now* It's a Genocide? Wednesday was the 600th day of the War in Gaza. What started with a terrorist attack led by Hamas on October 6, 2023 has gone on for nearly two years and has nearly decimated Gaza killing 53,000 mostly civilians in the process. But in recent days a tide has been turning. More and more people are saying outloud that Israel's actions in the last 600 days have not been about security, but about wiping Gaza of all Palestinian presence. Is the taboo finally off calling this a genocide?
On the Bubble. Last week, the City of Toronto passed a new bylaw saying that you cannot protest within 50 metres of a school, childcare or place of worship. The 16 councillors who voted in favour say it was a necessary move to guarantee security, while the nine who voted against it consider it an erosion of free expression and freedom of assembly, and on top of that, the city solicitor's apparently unsure of it's constitutionality. Has Toronto bitten off more than it can chew here?
Inflation Agent. The rate of inflation is trending down, which is supposed to be good news, right? The Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada is not so sure. According to their analysis, any loss of inflationary pressures is short-term, and then there's the rampant unpredictability in the market right now thanks to the tariffs. David-Alexandre Brassard, Chief Economist of CPAC will join us talk about his perspective on the current economic picture and why we're not out of the woods yet!
Open Sources is live on CFRU 93.3 fm and cfru.ca at 5 pm on Thursday.