Guelph Politicast

GUELPH POLITICAST #51 - Fred Dahms, Author of 'Conflict and Compromise'

Political books are nothing new, but a book about Guelph politics? That has the Guelph Polticast written all over it! Conflict and Compromise: Politics and Planning in Guelph 2000-2015
is the new book from Dr. Fred Dahms, and if you're looking for a good
primer on how the City got from there to here on a wide variety of
different issues, then you can't do much better.
Dahms is someone
that knows planning. He is Professor Emeritus, founding member and
former Chair of the Department of Geography at the University of Guelph
and former Acting Dean of the College of Social Science. He was also a
member for 11 years and Chair of Gueph's Planning Advisory Committee,
which is now defunct. But the pages of his new book covers the time
after he was so heavily involved in city planning, and a highly
contentious time at that.
The synopsis of the book:
Between
2000 and 2016, Guelph has grown by about 20,000 people. During that
period, many decisions have been made by city staff and council on how
to guide growth in the city. A lovely aspect of democracy is being able
to elect councillors whom you believe represent your idea of the ideal
future. Not surprisingly, there has been a lot of debate about what the
ideal future looks like.
In conversation with
Dahms we talked about his background, how he decided what topics to deal
with in the book, his professional insight into the various debates
that have happened at council about planning over the last 16 years, the
two Guelphs debate, and why he's sometimes skeptical that council can
govern in the City's best interest (and he sometimes isn't).
So let's head to Dr. Dahms front porch and talk about the recent past on this week's Politicast.
Dahms will be launching Conflict and Compromise
on September 27th at 7 pm at the Bookshelf eBar in conversation with
former city councillor Ian Findlay, former Mayor Karen Farbridge, and
urban planning Phd candidate Audrey Jamal. You can buy the book right
now at the Bookshelf or from Amazon.
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.
Stay tuned for future editions of the Guelph Politicast!

Open Sources Guelph - September 15, 2016

This week on Open Sources Guelph, we are finally
going to get the media and political class back for all the awful lies
they've spread about us. Oh wait, sorry, that's Doug Ford's script. Here
on the show, we do the good work of trying to bring fair,
well-researched and humorous political punditry to your radio airwaves,
and this week is no exception. From the leadership race no one wants to
lead, to the leadership at Queen's Park that can't decide where to lead
next. From great expectations about Guelph's budget to dwindling
expectations about the presidential race south of the border, we're
going to do our best to bring you the truth... folks.
This Thursday, September 15, at 5 pm, Scotty Hertz and Adam A. Donaldson will discuss:
1) MacKay of the Dead.
He was the last great hope for a renewed Conservative Party
post-Stephen Harper, but former Justice Minister Peter MacKay said
"thanks, but not thanks" to the job he was so obviously next in line for
because he needs to spend more time with his family. That would be
fine, but MacKay is the frontrunner even though he was never officially
part of the race, and right behind him is Kellie Leitch, who, you might
have heard, has been having some troubles lately. That leaves Andrew
Sheer, who stepped down as Conservative House Leader this week, as the
biggest brand name member of the blue team to step up, but is that
enough to deflate Trudeaumania 2.0?
2) Game of Throne Speech.
The Liberal government in Ontario under Premier Kathleen Wynne tried a
resest this week by having a Speech from the Throne. With concerns over
government spending, a recent by-election loss, and ongoing
mismanagement of hydro and pricing all top of mind, Wynne was hoping to
wipe the slate clean by announcing new childcare spaces and rate relief
on electricity bills. Where is all this money going to come from? Who
can say? Not even the premier herself. So it begs the question: is this
the Liberals' attempt to put lipstick on the proverbial pig with less
than two-years left to their mandate?
3) The Crunch Before the Crunch.
Although the budget process doesn't really hit the ground running till
next month, it hasn't stopped all sides in the debate from martially
their talking points. Mayor Cam Guthrie has come out to say that this is
going to be the toughest budget to come before council in a long while,
but councillors are all eager to get their pencils sharpened as staff
promises new tools to make sure the citizenry is better informed and
better engaged than ever before. But are we ready for budget season? Are
we well prepared? Is there too much politics in such an important
process with not enough wiggle room?
4) Health Class.
On Friday night, Hillary Clinton had the audacity to say that half the
people who supported Donald Trump were amongst the racist, xenophobic,
homophobic, anti-everything-not-white-male-and-straight caucus, or as
she called them, a "Basket of Deplorables." By Sunday it was a different
story though, as a bout of pneumonia caused the former Secretary of
State to nearly collapse at a 9/11 memorial event. With conspiracy
theories about her health already prevalent, the last thing Clinton
needed was to have to take a sick day. Trump meanwhile, the most
politically incorrect candidate since there was a term for it, is
demanding an apology for the basket crack even while his supporters
embrace the term. We'll have the latest from the U.S. campaign.
Open Sources is live on CFRU 93.3 fm and cfru.ca at 5 pm on Thursday.

Open Sources Guelph - September 8, 2016

We're back! It's back to business as usual this week on Open Sources Guelph
as the team re-unites to tackle the latest issues of the day. We'll
kick off with the circus south of the border, which promises get even
more circus-y now in the final two-month stretch of the campaign. Up
here in Canada meanwhile, the Ontario PCs have won a beachhead, but can
they use it to build a coalition for 2018, and at what cost? Another
Conservative, one trying to win federal party leadership, has
encountered trouble of her own making, and a beloved Canadian moose news anchor announces the date of his final broadcast.
This Thursday, September 8, at 5 pm, Scotty Hertz and Adam A. Donaldson will discuss:
1) Cough Drop?
They say that after Labour Day, the campaign really begins, but what
does that look like in the Trump era? Well, it apparently begins with a
post-long weekend bump in the polls for the GOP nominee, who is now
statistically running neck and neck with Secretary Hillary Clinton even
though he can't articulate a coherent immigration policy, his signature
issue. Clinton, meanwhile, had a bit of a cough Monday, a fact unlikely
to dissuade conspiracy nuts who think she's hiding health issues. The
polls seem to be panning out that the email issue is hitting Clinton
hard, even though the smoke has yet to yield fire. We'll try and make
sense of this campaign week that wa... But wait, the luggage!
2) St. Patrick's Day.
The Progressive Conservatives did what was once thought impossible,
they won the riding of Scarborough-Rouge River last week in a provincial
by-election that marks the first time since the riding's creation in
1999 that it didn't go Liberal red. But to what to we owe this
breakthrough? Is it ennui with Liberal governance? Did the incumbents
get caught with their pants down not putting more effort into campaign
in the dog days of summer? Certainly there are many in the PC Party who
are hoping that it wasn't a letter from leader Patrick Brown that
promised to repeal the new sex-ed curriculum. That's the sort of dead
weight social that could cost someone the premiership. We'll look at the
angles.
3) Kellie Disservice.
The Federal Conservative leadership race took a hit to its own attempt
at Sunnier Ways last week when the campaign of Ontario MP Kellie Leitch
sent out a survey that asked the question if there should be some kind
of "Canadian Values" test for new immigrants. Coming from the woman
that's still trying to live down what could easily be the worst campaign
idea of modern political times, the Barbaric Cultural Practices phone
line, Leitch should have known better since she was there when they
announced the BCP line and got politically hung for it. With every
Conservative basically throwing her under the bus for the questionnaire,
is Leitch's leadership ambition over? And have the Conservatives turned
a corner in terms of indulging its nativist leanings?
4) Petered Out. In a surprise announcement, Peter Mansbridge told Canada that he would be stepping down as host of The National come
next summer. Many of us have noted that Mansbridge has been mostly
checked out for some time anyway with Fridays and summers off the last
couple of years, but to hear that he's hanging up his anchor hat after
over 25 years as lead anchor for CBC is still a kick to the nostalgia
bone. We'll look back on Mansbridge's career, his nearly $1 million per
year price tag, and whether celebrity anchors matter in modern news
gathering as we kick off the one year countdown to a "Canada Without
Mansbridge" (trademark pending).
Open Sources is live on CFRU 93.3 fm and cfru.ca at 5 pm on Thursday.

GUELPH POLITICAST #50 - Susan Ratcliffe, Eden Mills Writers Festival

Way back in 1989, Governor General Award winner, and Eden Mills, ON
resident, Leon Rooke was releasing a new book. The proprietors of the
Eden Mills General Store suggested that Leon hold his book launch on
their lovely front steps, but for such an ostentatious venue, Rooke felt
his own literary  presence wasn't enough. So he invited other literary
icons Rohinton Mistry, Michael Ondaatje, Jane Urquhart, and Linda
Spalding to join him. It was, in effect, the first Eden Mills Writers
Festival, and it's still going strong.
Since that little
porch party 27 years ago, Eden Mills Writers Festival has grown to be
one of the most preeminent literary events in the country, and an
appointment every September for local book lovers, authors, and aspiring
authors and writers. Despite much discussion about the imminent death
of the printed world, it seems digital can't land a killing blow against
the physical book, and while there are modern struggles for publishers
and authors, people still love their books. And they love talking about
them and talking with authors at Eden Mills.
I reached out to the
festival and got in touch with artistic director Susan Ratcliffe.
Ratcliffe is a long time volunteer with the festival, and we do mean
volunteer; 99.9 per cent of the people that put together the festival
every year are doing it for the love of books. Talking with Ratcliffe we
discussed the power of the written word and the continued draw of that
literal page turner, how the festival maintains its old-fashioned feel,
the importance of a festival like this to authors, and what keeps her
coming back for more year after year.
So let's jump to the ending, and get into this week's Guelph Politicast.
You can learn more about the Eden Mills Writers Festival at its website, where you can also get a list of authors and the schedule of events and readings. You can also follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. You can get tickets at www.emwftix.ca  or by them in person downtown at the Bookshelf.
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.
Stay tuned for future editions of the Guelph Politicast!

GUELPH POLITICAST #49 - Live (ish) From the Labour Day Picnic

This past Monday was Labour Day, and let's face it, sometimes in the
rush to enjoy the last long weekend of summer, we forget that there's a
story behind it, a long history of workers standing up for their rights,
often with an organized union having their backs. These aren't the best
of times for unions, but as you'll learn from this Guelph Politicast,
they're are also far from the worst. Yet.
This past Monday, I was
invited to go down to the Guelph and District Labour Council Labour Day
Picnic at Riverside Park, and talk to various union leaders representing
a great many workers in the City of Guelph. No word on attendance, but
over 600 hot dogs, 250 samosas and countless snow cones were consumed in
celebration of the working man and the working woman. It got me
wondering though, in this day and age, where just 15.9 per cent of
private sector jobs are union (versus over 70 per cent of public jobs in
the public service), what do unionized workers have to celebrate?
This
edition of the Politicast is more of a round robin. Two by two, I talk
to local labour leaders about local labour issues. City workers,
University of Guelph workers, firefighters, transit drivers, and
Catholic and elementary school teachers are all represented. We talk
generally about the current conditions for organized labour, but we also
talk about union-specific issues, like how the teachers are still
feeling burned from last year's negotiations, or how the firefighters
are still negotiating a contract that expires in four months, and how
transit drivers have weathered this summer of discontent on city buses
So we'll just leave that there, and dig into this week's Politicast, Live - ish - from Riverside Park!
Keep up with the Guelph and District Labour Council at their website.
And special thanks to Gundi Barbour (UGETFO), Mark Bernardino (OECTA),
Liz Cherry (USW), Andrew Cleary (ATU), Janice Folk-Dawson (CUPE), and
Colin Hunter (GPFA) for taking time out of a very busy picnic to talk
about labour issues!
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.
Stay tuned for future editions of the Guelph Politicast!

Open Sources Guelph - September 1, 2016

This week, Open Sources Guelph marks Labour Day by
taking a break from our labours and remember fondly the time when
politicians really did have the best words. We all know that political
speeches have the capacity to be uplifting, to make us think, to engage
us and spur us to action - and not just in the movies. That kind of
rhetoric has been at a premium this election cycle in the United States,
but it still exists, at least in the archives. So as Adam A. Donaldson
takes the week off to engage with fellow nerds at Fan Expo Canada,
Scotty Hertz will countdown the greatest hits... of political speeches.
This Thursday, September 1, at 5 pm, Scotty Hertz will discuss:
Some
of his favourite political speeches of all time, and he's reaching deep
back in time for some of these clips. In 1944, on the eve of his
historic victory leading the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation in
Saskatchewan, Tommy Douglas made his famous "Mouseland" speech, a
compelling critique of the Canadian political system that's as apt now
as it was then. Scotty will also play clips from John Diefenbaker as he
reflects on his friendship with Winston Churchill, Lester Pearson's
speech announcing his retirement, and outtakes from the 1968 leaders'
debate, which included some very interesting (and enlightening given the
times) perspectives on gun control. Chances are though that Scotty
won't be playing this, the best speech ever given by an American
president.
Open Sources is live on CFRU 93.3 fm and cfru.ca at 5 pm on Thursday.

Open Sources Guelph - August 25,2016

We wind down the summer here on Open Sources Guelph
with more of our patented political discussion about hot button issues
of the day. For instance, is Donald Trump now actually *trying* to run
for president? He hasn’t said anything grotesque this week, but that
doesn’t mean there’s nothing to talk about. And just because the House
is in recess, it doesn’t mean that Canada’s federal politicians aren’t
making news, even if they wish they weren’t. In media matters, we’ll
look at the never-ending newspaper strike on the east coast, and wonder
where all the reporters are in the deep south.
This Thursday, August 25, at 5 pm, Scotty Hertz and Adam A. Donaldson will discuss:
1) Don’t Call It a Pivot.
After weeks and months of waiting it seems as though Donald Trump
finally pulled himself together to become something resembling a
mainstream candidate; he’s even softened his stance on immigration and
conceded that the situation at the Mexican border is not a Mad Max-like
wonderland. But is it too little too late? Has Trump changed enough to
make this a race again, and how long can he hold on to the facade that
he’s just another Republican politician? Especially since a) he still
won’t release his tax returns, b) he seems to be using his campaign to
line his own pockets, and c) no one’s now entirely sure that the heck
his campaign is supposed to stand for.
2) Still On Strike.
In a couple of weeks it will be Labour Day, that one time of year we
salute the working people and give them a much need break from their
labours. In Halifax though, there are some people that would love to get
back to work right now, and they’re the members of the Halifax
Typographical Union at the Chronicle-Herald, who have now been
on strike for almost eight months. Negotiations seem to be going
nowhere, and the administration seems more than happy to keep the paper
going with a temp staff, but the question must be asked: How long can
both sides keep this up? How long can Halifax’s largest paper operate in
neutral? In the midst of concerns over media job losses, why aren’t we
hearing more about journalists fighting the good fight?
3) Business as Usual.
After a brief cabinet shake-up, it was back to business as usual for
the Federal Liberals as they prepare for the fall session of the House
of Commons. Jobs, the economy, and First Nations relations are all top
of mind, but something much worse has enraptured national attention: a
spending scandal. Oh yeah! So Jane Philpott likes taking limos and
chilling executive lounges while Catherine McKenna likes getting her
picture taken to the tune of $17,000 worth of photos (good thing we
don’t develop anymore). Conservative lips were chapping at the taste of a
Liberal spending scandal, while Justin Trudeau tries to make sure that
he and the fans are still cool, but can the government overcome demons
external and internal to get back on message?
4) Flood-gate.
A Baton Rogue attorney posted an open letter to America’s news
organizations and it went viral. In short, it accused them of ignoring
the recent flooding that’s happened across Louisiana and it’s hard to
say that the letter’s accusation is wrong. The writer explained that in
their opinion the media is being biased against the poor, an accusation
not unfamiliar as it’s the same one that was levelled against the
government in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. On top of
that, there’s the broader issue of how the media covers these disasters.
Are they ignoring the possibility that these incidents are the result
of climate change? Is the media equipped to talk about these stories
when there’s no partisan angle?
Open Sources is live on CFRU 93.3 fm and cfru.ca at 5 pm on Thursday.

GUELPH POLITICAST #48 - Food Trucks in Guelph

Can you smell what the trucks are cooking? Guelphites certainly have
been this summer as the City has experimented with new rules and
regulations for the roll out (pun intended) of food trucks in the Royal
City. In years gone by, the most you can expect in terms of "meals on
wheels" was a hot dog cart; I myself have found memories of the chip
wagon strategically situated between my house and my high school in
Georgetown, but as we've seen this summer, the food truck business is
incredibly more diverse than we might have once thought possible. To
discuss the topic from the perspective of those trying to make a go
with the new food truck economy, I found two of the people really
promoting that diversity of offerings. On the one hand we have Jakki
Prince, owner of Sweet Temptations who uses her food truck as an
extension and promotion of her south end cupcake shop; and on the other
we have Scotty Yates, whose Chef Scotty Yates Bistro Tour offers unique
meals made from locally-sourced ingredients. If you've been to a local
event with food trucks this summer, it's likely you saw one, or both of
them, there.
So in gathering these two entrepreneurs some of the
questions I had concerned their thoughts on the this summer's great food
truck experiment, whether they thought that the City's on the right
track with crafting its permanent policy, the feedback they've
personally been getting from the community, and their reactions to the
remaining criticism of the business model. Over all, it seems that
business is very good for these culinary experts, and while there are
still some details to iron out, the message is that the sky's the limit
for Guelph's growing food truck fleet.
Hope you're hungry, because there's a lot to talk about with the food truck business on this week's Guelph Politicast.
So are you hungry yet? Make your way to Sweet Temptations at 1398 Gordon St., Unit #5 or check it out at the store's website, Facebook page, and of course follow along on Twitter. As for Chef Scotty Yates Bistro Tour you can find out where he'll be next through his website, as well as through his Facebook page, and Twitter account also. 
If you want to learn more about the City's pending improvements to the food truck by-law, visit the City's website here, and stay tuned because the changes will be coming before council for approval later this fall.
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.
Stay tuned for future editions of the Guelph Politicast!

OPEN SOURCES GUELPH BEAT #8 - City Councillor Mark MacKinnon (Ward 6)

Summer is winding down, and so are a lot of summer vacations, which
means it will soon be time to get back to business as usual (or unusual
as the case may be) at City Hall. Before that happens though, we look
backwards one more time and the last city councillor to grace the CFRU
studios for their 30 minutes of fame on Open Sources Guelph, Ward 6
Councillor Mark MacKinnon.
MacKinnon appeared on the July
14 edition of Open Sources, and is the fifth member of Guelph's city
council to visit the show so far, but he is the first member of council
we've had in who dabbles in board game publishing. That's one of many
interesting factoids about MacKinnon, whose day job is in the more
ordinary arena of real estate, but his part-time job as a city
councillor makes MacKinnon a triple threat around the horseshoe.
Representing
Guelph's "Deep South", MacKinnon is front and centre for a lot of
difficult issues, perhaps none more so right now than the fate of the
Niska Road bride, which remains a high contentious debate despite the
fact that council voted to demolish it and build a two-lane bridge
almost a year ago now. (We got a listener question about that one.) We
also talked to MacKinnon about the things that never happened, like the
service review he was pushing for last fall in the budget, and the ward
boundary review that was also not supported in this year's budget. We
also talked about non-Ward 6 issues like downtown redevelopment. 
So let's flashback to the July 14 edition of Open Sources Guelph and our guest Mark MacKinnon.
You can get in touch with Councillor MacKinnon through his office line at 519-822-1260 x 2296 or by email at mark.mackinnon@guelph.ca. You can also follow him on Twitter @Ward6Mark, and read his blog by clicking here.
You can download more podcasts off the Guelph Politicast channel on Podbean, including episodes of the Guelph Politicast, and full episodes of Open Sources Guelph.
For updates on special guests coming up on future episodes of Open Sources Guelph, you can visit the show's website here.
Of course, you can listen to every edition of Open Sources Guelph, live, Thursdays at 5 pm.

Open Sources Guelph - August 18,2016

So what’s in the news? It seems like it’s non-stop Trump zaniness, but this week on Open Sources Guelph,
we ask a more important question: is this the end of civilization? One
major magazine seems to think so, and we’ll break that down and figure
out if we’ll remember one week in July as beginning of the end of
society. After that we’ll talk about swimwear, cars, and power! But
while that sounds like we’re doing some kind of manly man show, these
are actually serious political issues that need to be discussed.
This Thursday, August 18, at 5 pm, Scotty Hertz and Adam A. Donaldson will discuss:
1) The End of the World As We Know It? A Slate article
this week posed an interesting thought: What if, in the future, the
week of July 11, 2016 is remembered as the week democracy died? A rare
confluence of major events - the ascension of Teresa May to PM of the
U.K., the attempted coup in Turkey, the terrorist attack in Nice, and
the appointment of Mike Pence as Donald Trump’s running mate - all point
to one inescapable conclusion: liberal democracy, as we know it, is on
life support. Have things really gotten that bad though? Is there no way
out but through as people more and more give in to the whims of
demagogues who only know how to do two things: tell you what’s wrong
with a country, and who’s to blame for it?
2) Burkini No Paradise.
It may not be something you’re familiar with, and it may not be
something you see at the beach in a million summer visits, but France is
doing something about it, and that something is a full-blown ban. The
“burkini”, a swimming garment for Muslim women that allows them to enjoy
the water and keep their modesty, has gotten a lot of attention as
several seaside French towns have banned it, and now with the support of
French Prime Minister Manuel Valls. One can’t help but be reminded of
the burka debate from last year’s election here in Canada, but France is
still smarting from two major terrorist attacks in the space of six
months, attacks perpetrated by Islamic extremists. So is this a stand
for human rights, or is this a reaction to other concerns?
3) Tax it to the Wind!
How can you put a tax on the wind? Interesting question, and not the
slightest bit philosophical because Wyoming made it happen, and some are
wondering, understandably, if the state government is trying to price
out those that want to pursue alternative energy in the state. Wyoming’s
biggest industry is mining, and mineral extraction, and that includes
oil and gas obviously, so one can’t help but wonder if the Cowboy State
(yes, that’s what it’s called, the “Cowboy State”) is stacking the deck,
especially as most places are trying desperately to attract companies
exploring alternative energy in order to create the “jobs of the
future.” Can a government really tax the wind, and what’s the point?
4) Armoured and Dangerous.
Earlier this year, the Federal Liberals got into some hot water for the
sale of Canadian-made armoured vehicles to Saudi Arabia. That’s sticky
enough, but what if a Canadian company sold armoured vehicles to
countries like Libya and South Sudan? Well Streit, which has a plant in
Innisfil, has been selling to those countries, and it’s reignited the
contentious debate between the moral responsibility of not selling
armaments to foreign countries that use them against their own citizens,
breaking international law in some cases, and the need for well-paying
Canadian jobs. What’s the responsible thing to do in this situation, and
how are the Liberals going to paint themselves out of this corner?
Open Sources is live on CFRU 93.3 fm and cfru.ca at 5 pm on Thursday.