Guelph Politicast

GUELPH POLITICAST #25 - Greg Taylor, Ghost Walk of Guelph

Just in time for Halloween, this episode of the Guelph Politicast is
all about about ghosts. So who are you gonna call? Greg Taylor, the man
behind the Ghost Walk of Guelph, of course. The Ghost
Walk is a one-hour tour around the downtown core of the Royal City where
Greg shares stories of the spiritual and the supernatural, and how they
pertain to various Guelph landmarks. Greg has since expanded his
business to include an annual walk on the University of Guelph campus in
addition to his regular tours of the core. But I hope
you're not going to listen to this thinking you've found away around
paying to take the walk. Nope, Greg and I talk about how he got into
researching our local history, the surprise moments he experiences on
the walk, and how he doesn't want to be called a "ghost hunter." Nope,
he's a guy that likes to use ghost stories to tell you about local
history. Essentially, he's making learning fun.Has Greg ever seen a ghost? He talks about that too. Let us gather around the (metaphorical) fire and learn more about Guelph's ghosts on this week's edition of Guelph Politicast. You can learn more about the Ghost Walk of Guelph here. The theme music for Guelph Politicast is provided by Crazy Pills and their song "Break It Down" courtesy of Free Music Archive.The host for the Guelph Politicast is Podbean. Find more episodes 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 - October 22, 2015

We did it! Open Sources Guelph survived its first
election season, and now it's time for the post-game analysis. Canada is
back, said Prime Minister Designate Justin Trudeau, but what kind of
Canada will it be now that the Liberals are back in charge, is it change
we can believe in, or will they fall back on old habits? And what of
the opposition parties, and our own new Member of Parliament here in
Guelph? What is Canada going to look like in the next four years? We'll
prognosticate; you decide. This Thursday, October 15, at 5 pm, Scotty Hertz  and Adam A. Donaldson will discuss:1) Seeing Red.
While not exactly a surprise that Justin Trudeau now sits as the Prime
Minister Designate, and head of a Liberal government, it was a little
surprising that the victory was so sweeping, and so decisive. To what do
we owe the young Trudeau's success, and the Liberal Party's
Cinderella-like story going from third place party to the government in
waiting? Was it the youth and vigour of the Grits' leader? Was it their
decidedly left-wing progressive policies? Was it Harper fatigue?2) Harper Out. Mulcair Stays.
Almost as startling as the Liberal sweep was the crush of the Orange
Crush. The NDP are left with just a third of the seats they once held,
and their governmental ambitions were derailed thoroughly on the cusp of
them becoming a reality. How long will Tom Mulcair stay, or can he
leave when the NDP front bench has been decimated? And what of the
former Prime Minister? How long can Harper sit in Parliament looking
across the aisle at his rival in his old seat, and who might take up the
mantle as the Tories new leader?3) Royal City Rumble.
Former Chamber of Commerce president Lloyd Longfield beat all
competitors to win a decisive victory for the Liberals in Guelph Monday
night. Longfield will be going to Ottawa thanks to the support of nearly
half of Guelph voters, doing even better in the polls than his
predecessor Frank Valeriote. Was Longfield caught up in the Red Wave and
the change vote? What happened to support for the NDP and the Greens?
And to what to we owe the increased voter turnout in the Royal City?4) The Future.
So we've got at least four years of Trudeau Mania ahead, what can we
expect? Who will form Trudeau's first cabinet? Will the new Prime
Minister and his caucus be able to deliver on their promises? Is
electoral reform really in the cards this time? When will be see the
process to marijuana legalization begin? Will deficit spending be the
key to jump starting the economy? And how long can the honeymoon for
Trudeau last? It's murky future, and we'll get out our crystal balls.Open Sources is live on CFRU 93.3 fm and cfru.ca at 5 pm on Thursday.

Open Sources Guelph - Gloria Kovach (October 15, 2015)

This week on Open Sources Guelph we wrap up our campaign coverage with part 7 of 7 of our interviews with the candidates running in Guelph this election. [Insert ka-ching sound effect here]
To our beloved listeners, we hope this series has been informative, and
that in some small way assists you in making your decision on Election
Day, or assisted you when you voted in one of the advance polls earlier
this week. [Insert ka-ching sound effect here] But still, there's one more interview to go, and it should be a good one. [Insert ka-ching sound effect here]This
Thursday, October 15, at 5 pm, Scotty Hertz  and Adam A. Donaldson will
talk with Conservative Party candidate Gloria Kovach.So who's Gloria Kovach? Here's how she describes herself:A
native of Guelph, Gloria is known for her personal integrity, work
ethic, outgoing personality and commitment to the service to others.
Gloria’s experience as a member of Guelph City Council for 23 years,
past-president of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, and 30 +
years of working in the health care field give her an unparalleled
understanding of the challenges facing this community.“As
a life-long resident of Guelph, I am honoured to represent Guelph
Conservatives in the upcoming Federal election,” said Gloria Kovach.
“Guelph is a dynamic and diverse city. I look forward to speaking with
residents about how experienced leadership can ensure a prosperous
future for Canadian families.”Highlights of Gloria’s accomplishments include: • Degrees in Health Science, Education and Nursing from Conestoga College, York University and Brock University. • 30+ years of work experience in the mental health field (both as a nurse and as an administrator). • 23 years as the Ward 4 Councillor for the City of Guelph. • 4 decades of volunteer work with a wide variety of community-based non-profit organizations.
• Past president of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) and
recipient of the YMCA Peace Medal as a result of her work with FCM
(2006). • Recognized by the United Nations for her work building sustainable communities in Uganda and the Czech Republic.We'll
be asking Kovach about why after surviving 20 years on city council
she'd want to jump right in to the even murkier waters of Federal
Politics. We'll also talk about the Conservative platform and how it
might pertain to Guelph in particular reference to the Trans-Pacific
Partnership. We'll also hit hot topics like security and the
environment, and ask Kovach, in the midst of three-quarters of Canadians
saying they want change, why Guelphites should stay the course and send
a Conservative to Ottawa.***Reminder: Open Sources Guelph will be broadcasting live from the Bullring on Monday night bringing you all the latest election results. Details here. Open Sources is live on CFRU 93.3 fm and cfru.ca at 5 pm on Thursday.

Open Sources Guelph - Gord Miller (October 8, 2015)

This week, Open Sources Guelph is giving thanks for
an active and engaged electorate who are wanting to make smart decisions
concerning who to vote for this Federal Election. Our gift to you this
Thanksgiving weekend is the sixth in our series of candidate interviews,
and this one is no turkey. We will be stuffing so many issues into this
discussion, you won't have room for dessert. This week's show will be
no sack of potatoes, unless they're sweet potatoes, because the show
will definitely be sweet!This Thursday, October 8, at 5 pm, Scotty Hertz  and Adam A. Donaldson will talk with Green Party candidate Gord Miller.So who's Gord Miller? Here's how he describes himself:Running
as the Green Party candidate in Guelph Riding for the Oct. 19 election
brings me enthusiastically full circle. I earned two degrees at the
University of Guelph, and this is where my wife and I met and married.
We started our family and I launched a business here. Since then, I’ve
served in the provincial Environment Ministry and, for the past 15
years, as Ontario’s independent Environmental Commissioner. Along the
way I’ve also led several non-profit groups. I even ran for office as a
Progressive Conservative — back when that party was far less ideological
and autocratic. I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished, especially as your
environmental watchdog.  I held Legislature members from all parties
accountable on clean water and air, climate change and a whole range of
issues that people here care deeply about. Now, I’ve returned to Guelph
to complete what I began. With your support, I will join Elizabeth May
and other Greens in Parliament to walk the same walk I’ve urged
politicians to embrace over the years. I understand this community. I
know, too, how bureaucracy and legislatures function and what Canada
needs. I will work tirelessly and effectively to serve Guelph, to
strengthen Canada’s environment, economy and democracy, and to ensure a
sustainable, prosperous future for our children and grandchildren.Also, Miller is the only candidate running in Guelph with his own Wikipedia page.We
will ask Miller about the Green Party platform, their promises
concerning jobs and education, whether or not his party can make a
breakthrough with an election this close, and what it's like to have his
party's leader, Elizabeth May, as practically his running mate.
(Seriously, she's back in Guelph tonight for a townhall at Cutten
Fields.)Open Sources is live on CFRU 93.3 fm and cfru.ca at 5 pm on Thursday.

GUELPH POLITICAST #24 - Scott McGovern, Ed Video Media Arts Centre

As you may or may not be aware, in my other life I'm involved with Ed
Video Media Arts Centre and sit on the board of directors. Why should
you care? Well, that's a disclaimer for this week's Guelph Politicast,
in which I sit down with Scott McGovern, Programming Director of Ed
Video, to talk about arts and culture in Canada, why the the topic
doesn't get much discussion in an election campaign, and how the life
and work of artists living in Canada is often misunderstood.As
fate would have it, when Scott and I met to record the podcast on
Tuesday, it came the day after the NDP and Tom Mulcair had a big,
splashy announcement about arts and culture funding in Toronto. But as
Scott and I talk about in the podcast, support for the arts means more
than just increasing funding to the CBC, Telefilm Canada and/or the
Canada Council for the Arts. It also means understanding how artists
work, how they themselves are in essence small businesses, and the real
economic impact of the arts on the country. For the
record, this is not Scott's first participation in a Politico project.
You may recall an item from last fall's municipal election where Scott critiqued several election signs
of candidates running for city council across Guelph. The article was a
pretty big success, and remains one of the most popular this blog has
ever run. But enough build up, let's get right into this week's Politicast. The theme music for Guelph Politicast is provided by Crazy Pills and their song "Break It Down" courtesy of Free Music Archive.The host for the Guelph Politicast is Podbean. Find more episodes here.Look
for new episodes of the Guelph Politicast Fridays, and 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. (Except next week, when we will post two
episodes of Open Sources Guelph so that all the candidate interviews
will be available before the election. Conversely, two episodes of
Guelph Politicast will be available the next week.)Stay tuned for future editions of the Guelph Politicast.

Open Sources Guelph - Andrew Seagram (October 1, 2015)

The election started with New Democratic Party leader Tom Mulcair
being the heir apparent for the Prime Minister's Office, but this week
on Open Sources Guelph we're wondering a more
local-focused question: can an NDP candidate overturn the 22 year
Liberal Party dynasty in the Royal City. We've had the Liberal candidate
on the show to tell us why we should stay red, and this week's its the
NDP's turn to tell us why we should like some Orange Crush.This Thursday, October 1, at 5 pm, Scotty Hertz  and Adam A. Donaldson will talk with NDP candidate Andrew Seagram.Who's Andrew Seagram? Let's let him tell you.Andrew
is passionate about making Guelph a better place. He’s ready to devote
his energy and experience to delivering the change we need as our next
Member of Parliament.Andrew works for the Upper Grand
District School Board as coordinator of the Community Use of Schools
Program, turning schools into community hubs by renting them at minimal
cost to local non-profit groups.A dedicated advocate for
food security, Andrew started Guelph’s community garden network,
organized local emergency food providers and co-founded the Guelph and
Wellington Food Round Table.He has also served as
co-chair of the Guelph and Wellington Task Force for Poverty
Elimination, vice-president of the not-for-profit Gordon Street Condo
Development Corporation, and treasurer and co-chair of Ed Video Media
Arts Centre.While attending the University of Guelph,
Andrew worked at a local youth detention centre—and later moved to
British Columbia to pursue a career in social work. Returning to Guelph
in 1997, he worked as a settlement counsellor for Citizenship and
Immigration Canada, where he helped in the effort to settle hundreds of
refugees from Kosovo refugee airlift. He went on to work as a community
legal worker for the Legal Clinic of Guelph and Wellington County.In
2003, Andrew decided to attend Humber College’s comedy writing and
performance program. He went on to found the Guelph Comedy Festival, now
in its sixth successful year, and has served as its artistic director.Throughout
his life, Andrew has been committed to building a fairer, more
equitable society where everyone has the opportunity to succeed. He is
the proud father of two and lives in Guelph with his partner Karen.In
studio this week, we'll ask Seagram about his background as a community
organizer, his stance on local issues including jobs, the economy,
education and foreign affairs, and we'll talk about the NDP's chances to
form the next government, their first, and whether or not he can colour
this town orange.And in case you were interested, the Guelph Comedy Festival is actually this weekend.Open Sources is live on CFRU 93.3 fm and cfru.ca at 5 pm on Thursday.

GUELPH POLITICAST #23 - Miguel Figueroa, Leader, Communist Party of Canada

Party leaders don't come to Guelph a lot, and its rarer still that
you get a chance to do a sit down interview with said leader. Welcome to
the Communist Party of Canada. On Thursday, Miguel Figueroa, leader of
the CPC, was in Guelph to support his local candidate Tristan Dineen,
and to talk candidly with young people at the University of Guelph about
society's ills about how the ideals of communism might be the cure. Ideals,
you say? Yes, Figueroa talked about the optimism for the future that
the Communist Party represents, as well as the change they seek in their
party's motto: "People's Needs Over Corporate Greed" including $20
minimum wage and higher taxes on corporations. We also talk about the
currently in negotiation Trans-Pacific Partnership, the enduring appeal
of the Communist Party, and the one thing he'd like the future
government to take from the Communist Party platform.We
also talk about Guelph's special place in Communist Party of Canada
history, and its founding in a barn in what was once the outskirts of
the city all the way back in 1921. All that and more on this week's
episode of the Guelph Politicast. The theme music for Guelph Politicast is provided by Crazy Pills and their song "Break It Down" courtesy of Free Music Archive.The host for the Guelph Politicast is Podbean. Find more episodes here.Look
for new episodes of the Guelph Politicast Fridays, and remember that
the Policast 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 - Lloyd Longfield (September 24, 2015)

This week, Open Sources Guelph will kick its
election coverage to the next level by interviewing the first of the
four major party candidates in the riding of Guelph. Sandwiched between
two debates here in the Royal City, we will put our guest through his
paces, and get him to speak candidly about the issues without any
ability to deflect to one of the other six people present, and next
week, we'll do it all over again. This Thursday, September 24, at 5 pm, Scotty Hertz  and Adam A. Donaldson will talk with Liberal candidate Lloyd Longfield.Who's Lloyd Longfield? Here's his bio from his campaign website:Lloyd
is one of six children raised in Winnipeg by Raymond and Gladys
Longfield, an English teacher and registered nurse. After studying
Mathematics at the University of Manitoba, Lloyd graduated from Red
River College in 1980 as a Mechanical Engineering Technologist and began
a 28-year career in hydraulic and pneumatic machine automation. He has
also worked and travelled in every province in Canada.In
1986 Lloyd started a successful machine automation design, service, and
supply business which led to his recruitment to the Board of Directors
for North and South America of a major UK manufacturer of pneumatic
components and systems, and to the management of Canadian divisions of
corporate multinationals in 1992 and 2003.Lloyd’s family
settled in Guelph in 1992 after falling in love with its rich heritage,
compassionate community, surrounding natural beauty and vast
educational opportunities. In 2008, Lloyd entered the world of community
benefit organizations as President & CAO of the Guelph Chamber of
Commerce. Lloyd’s tenure at the Chamber was marked by a number of
successful and innovative initiatives, including: recruiting ten
physicians to Guelph; rebuilding Immigrant Services – Guelph Wellington;
collaborating with the City of Guelph to launch Prosperity 2020,
Connect Guelph Wellington, and Guelph Sustainable Solutions;
establishing Innovation Guelph, and; relocating the Guelph Chamber
offices to a shared workspace in downtown Guelph.Innovation
Guelph is now a stand-alone community benefit organization that has
brought in $12 million of new investment to our local economy and
enhances the productivity and competitiveness of both start-ups and
established businesses. Lloyd recently joined Innovation Guelph full
time as Mentor In Residence, working to bridge the skills gap between
graduates, immigrants, underemployed or marginalized people and
connecting them with opportunities at local businesses.With
Longfield in studio, we'll talk about the leadership of Justin Trudeau,
the Liberal platform, and its impact on the areas of economy,
environment, education, and electoral reform in the Royal City. We'll
also ask Longfield about why Guelph voters, in the current spirit of
change nationwide, should elect their third Liberal MP in 22 years.Open Sources is live on CFRU 93.3 fm and cfru.ca at 5 pm on Thursday.

Open Sources Guelph - Tristan Dineen/Alex Fekri (September 17, 2015)

This week, Open Sources Guelph will continue our
election interview series by doing a twofer. We will have back-to-back
interviews with two of the local candidates running to represent Guelph
on Parliament Hill for the next four years, and they are both candidates
who may not get a lot of air time due to the fact that they're not
running for one of the four major parties. If you're tired of politics
as usual, and are maybe looking for new voices in this campaign, then
this is the show for you. This
Thursday, September 17, at 5 pm, Scotty Hertz  and Adam A. Donaldson
will talk with Communist Party candidate Tristan Dineen, and Libertarian
candidate Alex Fekri.There's always a Communist Party candidate
in the election cycle in Guelph, which is understandable since the
Communist Party of Canada was started in what was then a rural barn in
May 1921 right here in the Royal City. Tristan Dineen is taking up the
flag this time, balancing campaigning, school, and being chief electoral
officer of the Central Student Association. Dineen's already made some
waves this campaign, demanding equal time for all candidates at last
week's forum on electoral reform hosted by Fair Vote Guelph. We'll ask
Dineen about those struggles, and about the bizarre resurgence of
anti-communist fervour in addition to discussion about his platform and
his ambitions for this election.In the second half, we'll welcome
Alex Fekri, who has succeeded Erin farmer Philip Bender as the
Libertarian candidate in Guelph. Fekri is a student at the University of
Guelph, and a life-long Guelphite. He's been a community volunteer for
many years and is taking his first stab at political action representing
the Libertarians here in Guelph. What is a Libertarian? We'll ask Fekri
to define his party and discuss their platform, as well as talk about
the reasons he got involved in politics, and what he hopes to accomplish
this campaign.Open Sources is live on CFRU 93.3 fm and cfru.ca at 5 pm on Thursday.

Open Sources Guelph - Kornelis Klevering (September 10, 2015)

Like the campaigns themselves, Open Sources Guelph
will kick its election coverage into high gear this week with the first
of our candidate profiles. We published a full schedule of the
interviews we have arranged, and in the weeks to come, we invite all
voters in Guelph to tune and listen to our interviews with all the
candidates and make your own mind about who to vote for on October 19. This Thursday, September 10, at 5 pm, Scotty Hertz  and Adam A. Donaldson will talk with Marijuana Party candidate Kornelis Klevering.This
is the third time that "Brother Kase" Klevering has run in Guelph for
the Marijuana Party, having run for the party in both the 2008 and 2011
election. He finished in fifth place in 2008 and in sixth place in 2011,
but the number of votes cast for him increased between the two cycles.
The question is: with legalization at the forefront of many party
platforms this election, can Klevering and his fellow MPC candidates
capitalize on the shifting social fabric?Klevering also came to
national prominence in the last couple of years through a series of
court cases meant to overturn the 2011 Guelph election result because of
interference from the robocall scandal of 2011. The case went all the
way to the Supreme Court of Canada and ultimately came to not just this
past summer when the court refused to overturn the 2011 results. We'll
ask Klevering about that as well.We will tackle the Marijuana
Party's platform and its path to legalization, but we will also talk
about the issues Guelphites want to know about this election including
education, the economy, and the plight of immigrants. We will also be
happy to take your questions, feel free to ask us via e-mail, social
media or through the comment section below what you want to hear about
from Klevering or any of the Federal election candidates running in
Guelph this campaign.Open Sources is live on CFRU 93.3 fm and cfru.ca at 5 pm on Thursday.