Guelph Politicast

Open Sources Guelph - September 13, 2018

This week on Open Sources Guelph, we were all ready to hunker down and focus on our first batch of municipal election interviews, but no, Doug Ford had to go and break constitutional norms because he wasn't going to be stopped by some un-elected judge! Or something. Anyway, we'll talk about all this notwithstanding talk, and then we'll get right into the interviews.
This Thursday, September 13 at 5 pm, Scotty Hertz and Adam A. Donaldson will discuss:
Clauses are Made to be Broken. It seemed like victory for people against the Ford government's sweeping move to halve Toronto City Council, but later Monday afternoon, Premier Doug Ford announced that he was going to go to extraordinary measures to make sure the City of Toronto does things his way. Ford's announcement that he's going to use the notwithstanding clause of the Constitution for the first time in Ontario history shocked Torontonians, politicos, politicians, the legislature, and legal scholars, feeding more the impression that Ford is doing this as a political vendetta. We'll talk about the implications.
2018 Election Round-Robin Part 1.  For this year's municipal election, the Open Sources team is trying to get quick, 10-minute interviews with as many city council candidates as we can. This week, we'll play the first four:
Dan Gibson (Ward 1)
Charlene Downey (Ward 1)
James Gordon (Ward 2)
Dominique O'Rourke (Ward 6)
Open Sources is live on CFRU 93.3 fm and cfru.ca at 5 pm on Thursday.

End Credits - September 12, 2018 (Peppermint)

This week on End Credits, we're dressed to kill! We'll, we're actually dressed to watch Jennifer Garner kill, and kill she does in Peppermint, a new vengeance-fueled thrill ride from the guy that made Taken. Speaking of payback, we'll also talk about the return of a supposedly washed up sitcom star, no more popular Oscar, and toxic fandom. We'll also talk about a captain we're all eager to salute!
This Wednesday, September 12, at 2 pm, Adam A. Donaldson and Peter Salmon will discuss:
Owens Boring. The saga of Geoffrey Owens, former star of The Cosby Show, raised a lot of interesting questions about life as a working man and woman. Though he once starred in a popular sitcom, people sought to shame Owens for working at a New Jersey Trader Joes, an American grocery store chain. Instead. the focus became more about the struggles of working actors, the original members of the gig economy. We'll talk about the reaction on all sides.
Captain Jerk. Marvel Studios finally released its first images of Captain Marvel, their 21st film and the first one to be lead by a solo, female superhero played by Brie Larson. It's a big moment, and while talking about the film, the head of Marvel Studios, Kevin Feige, said it's taken this long waiting for two reasons: 2004's Catwoman and 2005's Elektra. Is it disingenuous though for Feige to put the blame on two bad movies from over a decade ago?
Blocks Populi. After much controversy, the new Oscar for Outstanding Achievement in Popular Film has been pulled from this year's ceremony. The Academy says that they have to do more consultation before rolling out the new award, but are they just trying to skirt ugly questions raised about the timing? In the same year that Black Panther and Crazy Rich Asians rule the box office, did the Academy make the right call pulling this new award?
Quantifying Gross. The Washington Post sought to prove with numbers that female Star Wars fans are treated far worse online than male fans, and wouldn't you know, it turns out that this is a quantifiable fact! Studying the tweets, women get way more negativity and hate speech, especially when considering the female stars of the sequel trilogy. We'll dive into the cesspool again to see if we can learn any new reason why.
REVIEW: Peppermint (2018). Seventeen years ago, Jennifer Garner was launched to stardom kicking butt on TV's Alias, but now she's mostly know as a credit card spokeswoman. Someone's in need of a little career rehab - with extreme severity. In Peppermint, Garner still kicks butt, but this time with an eye to revenge. She plays a woman trying to avenge her family by eliminating the drug lords that killed them, and the corrupt system that let them get away with it. But don't call her "Lady-Punisher."
End Credits is on CFRU 93.3 fm and cfru.ca Wednesday at 2 pm.

Open Sources Guelph - September 6, 2018

It's Back to School Week, and that means people are getting back to the normal routine of things. This week's edition of Open Sources Guelph is no exception, so as we head into fall, it seems appropriate to reset the clock a little (so to speak). On today's show we're going to update you on four big issues that have had a lot of moving parts of the last couple of weeks. In the international, we've got the ongoing NAFTA negotiations. In the national, we've still got no Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion. In the provincial, we've got more lawsuits for the PC government. And, in local, we've got a proposed suspension of bylaw enforcement.
This Thursday, September 6 at 5 pm, Scotty Hertz and Adam A. Donaldson will discuss:
Deal or No Deal. The Friday "deadline" came and went, but there was still no deal in the renegotiation of the North America Free Trade Agreement. Canada is standing firm on preferring no deal to a bad deal, but in a weekend tweet storm, U.S. President Donald Trump expressed exasperation, and a desire to move forward without Canada in a new bilateral trade pact with Mexico. All parties are hoping that cooler heads might prevail with a weekend break in talks, but there's really no sign that the clouds are about to break in what's been an incredibly difficult, and (in the case of Trump) temperamental negotiation. How much trouble is NAFTA really in?
Mo' Lawsuits, Mo' Problems. Tuesday was the first day of school across the province, so what a day for a lawsuit! The Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario launched a lawsuit against the Ontario government over their repeal of the 2015 health curriculum update, specifically the sex education units. This is the third lawsuit to stop the Ford government's actions on this file, actions that are still not especially clear in terms of what exactly teachers are supposed to be teaching when it comes to sex ed. Further, this is just one of several lawsuits across a myriad of files handled in Queen's Park and this government's barely two months old. How long can the Province keep this pace up?
No Pipeline, Big Problems. Well, the good news is that the National Energy Board has approved the Government of Canada's purchase of the Trans Mountain Pipeline. The bad news, depending on where you sit, is that no expansion plans are moving forward because a recent court decision has sided with First Nations who say they weren't properly consulted. So now what? Key cabinet officials had an emergency meeting on the matter earlier this week, but Alberta Premier Rachel Notley is refusing to proceed with Ottawa's carbon tax plans until the situation is resolved. Is there any outcome for Trans Mountain that will please all sides, and how soon can it be achieved?
Don't Drive Over My Driveway! Guelph City Council will hear a notice of motion this Monday that will suspend certain zoning provisions on driveway width from being enforced by bylaw. A rash of, some would say, Draconian enforcement of the bylaw has been occurring all over town, and residents are ready to rebel. Meanwhile, the City is doing a comprehensive bylaw review that might address some of these matters, but staff is unwilling to endorse a driveway free-for-all till its don. This will paint councillors in a tough corner having to decide between citizens and the bureaucracy, and it's an election year no less! How will council decide, and will people like the answer?
Open Sources is live on CFRU 93.3 fm and cfru.ca at 5 pm on Thursday.

End Credits - September 5, 2018 (The Blackcoat's Daughter)

This week on End Credits, we're back to school! Well, actually we never left because we record at CFRU on the University of Guelph campus. It should be more precise to say that school is back with us, and that means it's fall, and that means it's time for a different kind of movie slate. We'll talk about those, and we'll also dig into the streaming world for this week's review, a delightful, so to speak, Canadian horror movie.
This Wednesday, September 5, at 2 pm, Adam A. Donaldson, and Candice Lepage will discuss:
Fall into Serious Movies. Fall is here, even if it doesn't feel like it, but it's that time of year when we say goodbye to the blockbusters, and hello to the serious movies that might likely be award contenders. For the first half of the show, we'll talk about our five picks for movies we're excited about seeing over the next couple of months, and why we're excited to seem them.
REVIEW: The Blackcoat's Daughter (2018). This is a story about demonic possession. Or is it? Maybe this is a story about teenage rebellion? Actually, that doesn't quite fit either. What The Blackcoat's Daughter is about, subtextually, is difficult to say, but what it is though is one of those quietly unnerving small horror movies that reminds you that the biggest jump scares are in your own imagination. Not bad for the son of Anthony Perkins, the man that made you scared to go into the shower...
End Credits is on CFRU 93.3 fm and cfru.ca Wednesday at 2 pm.

Open Sources Guelph - August 30, 2018

It's the end of summer for us all, but it's no where near the end of controversy here on Open Sources Guelph. As we prepare to dive deeply into the municipal election, we'll take a quick peak at the provincial election next door. Meanwhile, south of the border, it seems like we're reaching a climax on NAFTA renegotiations, all while the President swallows the bitter pill of decency. Speaking of decent, we'll wrap up with discussion about the Catholic Church's latest troubles.
This Thursday, August 30 at 5 pm, Scotty Hertz and Adam A. Donaldson will discuss:
Tomber dans une élection. As we look to local elections here in Ontario, Quebec voters are heading to the polls October 1 to choose a new provincial government. The incumbent, Liberal Phillppe Couillard, is well thought of in Quebec, and has offered steady leadership through precarious times, but the spectre of the PQ and separation is not as threatening as it was in 2014, and the CAQ under François Legault seems primed for an upset as Legault seems to have a populist appeal that's the trend in today's politics. So which way is this all going to go, and what can Quebec politics now tell us about Canadian politics in the future?
The Newest Deal. Trying to evade the criticism of showing extraordinary disrespect to John McCain (more on that in a minute), U.S. President Donald Trump announced a breakthrough in bilateral negotiations with Mexico on trade, an agreement in principle that now puts the ball in Canada's court. The rush is on to get a deal done in time for the present Congress to approve the new NAFTA, even as Trump himself continues to threaten the end of NAFTA, and to leave Canada out in the cold. Are we in a better position, or a worse position as the NAFTA renegotiation continues?
Death at a Funeral. U.S. Senator John McCain passed away after a year-long battle with brain cancer. Hailed as both a statesman and a maverick, McCain leaves behind a fascinating legacy, and many have been mourning his passing since Saturday. Donald Trump, however, is not one of those mourners. Stubbornly refusing to honour McCain with words, Trump ordered the flag above the White House raised to full mast on Monday, instead of waiting until the senator's internment in Annapolis this Saturday. We'll talk about Trump's pettiness here, and his growing number of tantrums as the Mueller investigation reaches a crossroads.
Walking a Tight Pope. A detailed report about sex abuse by priests and church leaders in Pennsylvania's six archdioceses has torn open old wounds among the faithful. A tour in Ireland was really more of an apology tour for Pope Francis as the misdeeds of the church are still fresh in the minds of many people there, and then that tour concluded with conservative Catholic groups in the States started demanding that the Pope resign for covering up instances of abuse by priests. What is the Catholic Church doing to get ahead of this issue, and what aren't they doing?
Open Sources is live on CFRU 93.3 fm and cfru.ca at 5 pm on Thursday.

End Credits - August 29, 2018 (The Happytime Murders)

It always funnier with puppets, right? That statement will be put to the test this week on End Credits as we review a movie with puppets in it. Guess which one?! We will also be talking about some serious issues though. How women reporters are portrayed on film, and the #MeToo effect on film nudity are some serious issues, but the behind the scenes rancor on the next James Bond movie is also kind of serious in its own way. Also, we'll say farewell so some nerds.
This Wednesday, August 29, at 2 pm, Adam A. Donaldson, and Jesse Mellott will discuss:
Flub Reporter. The HBO series Sharp Objects wrapped this past weekend, and left at least one writer of The Atlantic with a bad feeling: another female journalist on film that will do *anything* to get a story. Damn ethics! Damn rules about not sleeping with sources! It always seems like a woman journalist is painted in the worst possible light, so why can't we get a female reporter hero that actually does her job well, and with a minimum of ethical breaches?
Let's Talk About Sex Scenes. The #MeToo movement is nearly a year old, and still the topic of many discussions, but has there been any real effect on the business? Perhaps one test is the treatment of sex scenes in movies and TV series, do actors and actresses have any more authority in terms of deciding how their bodies are used and seen on film? A recent THR article says there have been improvements, but have there been enough?
Double Double, Boyle, and Trouble. It was while recording the show last week when news broke that Danny Boyle had left the production of the 25th James Bond movie over "creative differences." But what are those differences? A couple of different stories have emerged and they paint a picture of the classic clash between studio and filmmaker. So what happens now? Can anyone come in and give Daniel Craig the send-off he deserves?
Nerd Bore? Last week, it was announced that The Big Bang Theory is entering its 12th and final season next month. It's the end of one of TV's most-watched programs, and the end of the longest-running multi-cam sitcom in TV history, but do we care? Has The Big Bang Theory reached the limits of its comedic concept? Did it reach those limits long ago? We'll try and and answer these very unscientific questions.
REVIEW: The Happytime Murders (2018). Puppets that kill? It's not just an obscure Comedy Network show anymore, as Muppets legacy Brian Henson turns his puppeteering skills to something decidedly more R-rated: a bawdy comedy set in the film noir world where puppets live side-by-side with humans. Can Melissa McCarthy overcome anti-puppet bigotry and work with a puppet P.I. to solve a gruesome series of felt-related murders? There's a sentence you thought you'd never read.
End Credits is on CFRU 93.3 fm and cfru.ca Wednesday at 2 pm.

GUELPH POLITICAST #136 - Lyndsey Butcher, SHORE Centre

If you know what sex education is going to look like when school starts on Tuesday, then you're either the education minister, or one of several teachers that's going to defy the provincial government and teach the 2015 health curriculum update anyway. Can anything good come from all this confusion?
Well, as you'll hear on this week's podcast, the answer, for the people who make sex education their business, is "no". People like Lyndsey Butcher, who's the executive director of Sexual Health Options Resources Education (SHORE) Centre in Kitchener. SHORE runs hundreds of courses for students of all ages every year, so you can imagine their feelings about the mixed messages coming out of Queen's Park on sex ed.
But beyond the politics, or maybe because of them, let's consider the issue of sex education this way: is there some form of sex education that all of us can agree on? That's probably doubtful. So when all else fails, shouldn't we rely on science? And doesn't the science show that a robust and multifaceted sex education curriculum creates happier and healthier young people when it comes to their future adult relationships?
That's the message you'll hear from Butcher on this week's podcast. She talks about the work of SHORE, the challenges that teachers are facing this fall, the politics, the new and growing resistance to all the changes, both organized and unorganized, and she discusses the misinformation about the 2015 curriculum. Specifically, you'll hear Butcher reinforce the role of parents in any effective sex education program.
So let's talk about sex, and sex education, on this week's Guelph Politicast!
For more information about the SHORE Centre, or about any of its services, you can learn about them on their website here. Stay tuned as the story develops on the sex ed debate here in Ontario.
The theme music for the Guelph Politicast is from the KPM Klassics collection by Syd Dale.
The host for the Guelph Politicast is Podbean. Find more episodes of the Politicast here.
Remember that the Politicast Podbean channel is also the host for podcast versions of Open Sources Guelph. The previous Thursday's episode of Open Sources will be posted on Mondays.

Open Sources Guelph - August 23, 2018

This week on Open Sources Guelph we go where the people are, and they are all over the place. Officials from cities across Ontario and the provincial government met in Ottawa for AMO, and we'll talk about how that went. Also, the federal Conservatives are meeting in Halifax, and that's just getting started. In the second half of the show, we'll talk about the environment, matters of heatwaves and plastic taxes.
This Thursday, August 23, at 5 pm, Scotty Hertz and Adam A. Donaldson will discuss:
AMO and Dougie. The first meeting of the Association of Municipalities of Ontario in the Ford era seemed to go off without a hitch, even one week after the new Ontario government ran roughshod over Canada's biggest municipality. Still, it was a big test for Premier Doug Ford and his government as they got to know demanding towns and cities from across Ontario, including Guelph, especially since the 100+ year AMO rose to new prominence under the previous regime. We'll talk about the latest in provincial/municipal relations.
East Side Curio. The federal Conservatives are holding their first policy convention since Andrew Scheer became leader starting today in Halifax. The goal is to refocus and get ready for next year's election, and prove to the voting public that they are ready to defeat the Liberals and govern. But can they? The Maxime Bernier affair has not done much to sew internal divisions, and Conservatives climbed over themselves to defend a white nationalist that heckled Trudeau in Quebec. What will come out of Halifax?
Some Like it Hot. A Guardian article from last weekend discussed the next great debate over privilege: heat. With the Earth entering an abnormally hot period for the next four years, and from so many people dying from heat related illnesses worldwide - including nearly 100 in Quebec alone - The Guardian posited that there's a new divide in equity: those that can ride out a heatwave comfortably, and those who cannot. Is our summer obsession the next culture war?
Tax Plastic Please. The United Kingdom is now in the midst of exploring a tax on plastic goods. This should not be terribly surprising, as there's been a worldwide push on to rethink our use of straws, grocery bags, water bottles, and other single-use plastic paraphernalia that is filling our landfills, and yes, our oceans. On the other hand, people love their plastic paraphernalia, will they accept a surcharge on all plastic items in the U.K.? And, could such a thing be proposed here in Canada?
Open Sources is live on CFRU 93.3 fm and cfru.ca at 5 pm on Thursday.

End Credits - August 22, 2018 (Crazy Rich Asians)

Are you ready for some wealth porn?!?! You better be because this week on End Credits we're reviewing Crazy Rich Asians, which pretty much delivers what it promises. Along with this week's review of a romantic comedy, we're going to celebrate some of our favourite picks of the genre. Get ready to love!
This Wednesday, August 22, at 2 pm, Adam A. Donaldson, and Peter Salmon will discuss:
Rom-Com Recount. In celebration, and anticipation, of our movie review this week, we're going to visit our Top 5 choices for favourite romantic-comedy, and favourite romantic films. This is a wide open genre of film, but one that's very difficult to do right. When it works though, it really works, and it can all be so funny, and joyful, and rewarding to see true love prevail. or not. You can never know with these things...
REVIEW: Crazy Rich Asians (2018). The title sounds like it should be offensive, but this maybe the most audacious movie of the summer by daring to court an audience often ignored by mainstream Hollywood movies. Helping is the fact that Crazy Rich Asians is dressed up in the clothes of a good old fashioned romantic comedy where boy meets girl, boy takes girl home to meet the family, girl finds out boy is loaded with both money and the weight of tradition. Just a typical romantic comedy that's the first major Hollywood movie to feature a mostly Asian cast in 25 years.
End Credits is on CFRU 93.3 fm and cfru.ca Wednesday at 2 pm.

GUELPH POLITICAST #135 - On Development, Part I: "The Big Picture"

Is the rapid state of development making Guelph lose its character? This is a question more and more people have this election year as plans for bigger and bigger residential buildings keep coming to city council. Meanwhile, Clair-Maltby lies in wait in the south end for an official plan. So how do we know we're developing right?
In what is hopefully going to be an ongoing series within the podcast, Guelph Politico will try, in its way, to answer that question. In the first part of "On Development", we consider the big picture, the academic theory of modern development in terms of balancing growth with sustainability.
Our first guest on this subject is Dr. Ray Tomalty, principal of Smart Cities Research Services and an Adjunct Professor in the School of Urban Planning at McGill University. His expertise includes intensification, green infrastructure, neighbourhood design, community energy planning, affordable housing, sustainable transportation, and the fiscal tools to promote community sustainability, and he's travelled around the globe to see how cities worldwide work towards a balanced approach to development.
While Dr. Tomalty is not an expert on Guelph, or development in Guelph, he does bring a wealth of information about the challenges and demands of growth for Canadian cites in the 21st century. When this interview was conducted, the second phase of the Clair-Maltby plan had just been passed, so Tomalty talks about the opportunities and concerns of such a plan. He also talks about the challenges of affordable housing, the characteristics of smart city growth, and how planners and developers can mitigate NIMBYism.
So let's build a better understanding on theories of sustainable development on this week's Guelph Politicast!
You can learn more about the work of Smart City Research Services here, and you can find Dr Tomalty’s latest book, America’s Urban Future: Lessons from North of the Border, which he wrote with Allan Mallach, here.
The theme music for the Guelph Politicast is from the KPM Klassics collection by Syd Dale.
The host for the Guelph Politicast is Podbean. Find more episodes of the Politicast here.
Remember that the Politicast Podbean channel is also the host for podcast versions of Open Sources Guelph. The previous Thursday's episode of Open Sources will be posted on Mondays.