Guelph Politicast

Guelph Politicast #3.3 James Gordon, New Democrats

Arriving at the Essex Street campaign office for James Gordon, the
candidate takes a minute to show my around his digs. He leads me to the
back and says you'll like this. He opens the door to a large backroom
where in one corner there's a stack of campaign signs, and in the other a
drum kit and amps. It seems that you can take the boy out of the band,
as it were, but then he brings the band with him onto the campaign
trail.The 2014 campaign represents the second time that Gordon
has run provincially. In 2011, Gordon came within 802 votes of second
place candidate Greg Schirk. Combined with a fairly good tailwind for
the NDP from local by-election victories province-wide, and the party
must think that they have a decent shot at winning Guelph. Certainly,
Gordon has both the name cache and the politics to make it happen.In
my interview with James Gordon, we talked about the NDP platform, the
lack of environmental discussion in this election, running against high
profile politicians and rumors of internal strife in the NDP. So without
further ado, let's get in to the Politicast...You can stream the episode here, or download it from the source here. The theme music for Guelph Politicast is "Volksing Ferretismico" by Goto80 and the Uwe Schenk Band from Silent Movie Pianos 1 - Action and Marches.
And as with previous podcasts featuring provincial election
candidates, there's a video segment. Find out what it means to James
Gordon here.The music used in the "What does it mean
to you to represent the people of Guelph at Queen's Park?" video
segment is "Good to Go" by Josh Woodward from The Simple Life Pt 2 available on freemusicarchive.org.For more information on Guelph candidates, go to Elections Ontario's website wemakevotingeasy.ca.

Guelph Politicast #3.2 - Liz Sandals, Liberal Party of Ontario

When last we spoke to Liz Sandals during the 2011 Provincial
election, she was merely a Liberal backbencher seeking to return to the
Onatrio Legislature. But now, she's the Minister of Enducation, looking
to help her new boss, Premier Kathleen Wynne, hold on to power in an
increasingly divided and partisan Queen's Park. Obviously, she likes her
chances in spite of everything.During our discussion
earlier this week at Sandals' campaign HQ, we touched on a number of
subjects. I asked Sandals about her time as the Education Minister, and
the current state of government relations with teachers, as well as the
managerial differences between Wynne and former-Premier Dalton McGuinty.
We also talked about the solving the deficit, the need for an Ontario
pension plan, and, naturally, why voters should mark their ballots for
the Liberals after the gas plant scandal.You can stream the episode or download it here. The theme music for Guelph Politicast is "Volksing Ferretismico" by Goto80 and the Uwe Schenk Band from Silent Movie Pianos 1 - Action and Marches. For more information on Guelph candidates, go to Elections Ontario's website wemakevotingeasy.ca.

Guelph Politicast #3.1 - Mike Schreiner, Green Party of Ontario

It was always my intention to make the third season of the Guelph
Politicast election centric, but I didn't think it would be provincial
election centric. What is it they say about the best laid plans?So
season three of the Guelph Politicast will cover the Guelph candidates
running to the Royal City's Member of Provincial Parliament. Obviously,
the scheduling of the podcast will depend on the availability of the
candidates, which is why it was something of a surprise when the first
campaign to set a time and day for a sit down was the one being fronted
by a provincial party leader. Yes, the first election edition Guelph
Politicast of 2014 is with Mike Schreiner, leader of the Green Party of
Ontario and the Green candidate for the riding of Guelph. Guelph
promises to be especially interesting this election cycle because we're
home to a party leader and a current cabinet minister in the form of
Education Minister Liz Sandals. Schreiner, for his part, is looking to
capitalize on the strategy employed by federal Green Party leader
Elizabeth May by finding a beachhead riding where there's traditionally
strong Green support and concentrate on winning over that constituency
to breakthrough into the legislature. It's a bold strategy, and
Schreiner's followed through by keeping offices and staff here in Guelph
for the last two years. Our interview touched on a
number of areas including whether or not Schreiner would have voted in
favour of the budget, the GPO's controversial plan to combine the
Catholic and separate school boards, and fully funding all election
promises. We also talked about his strategy as leader, including a
question about how much campaigning he'll be doing province-wide, and
whether or not he thinks he'll be allowed to participate in the leaders'
debate.  The theme music for Guelph Politicast is "Volksing Ferretismico" by Goto80 and the Uwe Schenk Band from Silent Movie Pianos 1 - Action and Marches. In
addition to these podcast interviews, I will also be doing a video segment with the candidates asking them to respond to the question: What
does it mean to you to represent the people of Guelph at Queen's Park?
The music used in the video is "Good to Go" by Josh Woodward from The Simple Life Pt 2 available on freemusicarchive.org. For more information on Guelph candidates, go to Elections Ontario's website wemakevotingeasy.ca. You can stream the episode here, or download it from the source here.

Guelph Politicast #2.6 - Chris Turner, The War on Science

With Earth Day tomorrow, it's a great reminder that environmental
policy in Canada has been stuck in a rut for the last eight years,
coincidentally the same amount of time that Stephen Harper has been
Prime Minister. One of the people that took notice was writer and
journalist Chris Turner, who last year released a fairly scathing tome
on the subject of Canada's government and the environment called The War on Science: Muzzled Scientists and Wilful Blindness in Stephen Harper's Canada.
For the latest episode of the Guelph Politicast, I got a chance to take
to Turner from his home in Alberta to talk about the War on Science,
what it means for the general public, and what it will take to make it
an election issue in 2015. Synopsis of The War on Science: A passionate and meticulously researched argument against the Harper government's war on science. In
this arresting and passionately argued indictment, award-winning
journalist Chris Turner argues that Stephen Harper's attack on basic
science, science communication, environmental regulations, and the
environmental NGO community is the most vicious assault ever waged by a
Canadian government on the fundamental principles of the Enlightenment.
From the closure of Arctic research stations as oil drilling begins in
the High Arctic to slashed research budgets in agriculture, dramatic
changes to the nation's fisheries policy, and the muzzling of government
scientists, Harper's government has effectively dismantled Canada's
long-standing scientific tradition. Drawing on interviews with
scientists whose work has been halted by budget cuts and their
colleagues in an NGO community increasingly treated as an enemy of the
state, The War on Science paints a vivid and damning portrait of a
government that has abandoned environmental stewardship and severed a
national commitment to the objective truth of basic science as old as
Canada itself.


Information on Chris Turner: Chris Turner is an author, speaker and strategist, providing Canada’s
authoritative voice on sustainability and the global cleantech boom.
 He’s the author of The War on Science, and the bestsellers, The Geography of Hope: A Tour of the World We Need and The Great Leap: How to Survive and Thrive in the Sustainable Economy
where he sheds light on the global sustainability movement. His
reporting on energy, climate and sustainability issues appears regularly
in The Walrus, The Globe & Mail, Canadian Geographic and many other
publications.You can stream the episode here, or download it from the source here. The theme music for Guelph Politicast is "Volksing Ferretismico" by Goto80 and the Uwe Schenk Band from Silent Movie Pianos 1 - Action and Marches.

Guelph Politicast #2.5 - Michael Keefer, U of G Prof

Although the scandals in Ottawa continue to compound, it's worth
noting that the scandal that literally kicked off the Federal
government's first majority term in office is still very unresolved. The
2011 robocall controversy does still occasionally swim in and out of
the media consciousness, but despite a singular arrest, the case is far
from closed, and a great many questions remain unanswered. One of those
truth seekers though is Michael Keefer, an emeritus professor at the
University of Guelph. He's doing a talk in Guelph on March 13 outlining
his case and what he's uncovered so far.The
lecture, entitled "Sabotaging Democracy: The Conservative Party's
Telephone Fraud in the 2011 Election," will be given March 13 in the
Mackinnon Building, Room 120, 7-9 pm on the University of Guelph campus.
"Sabotaging Democracy" is also the name of a book that Keefer is
currently in the process of finishing* and is expected to be released
sometime later this year(*In the interest of full disclosure,
the author told me that me, or rather this blog, was quoted in one of
the chapters of the book in regards to how the scandal unfolded.) Keefer
himself is a Professor Emeritus in the School of English and Theatre
Studies at the University of Guelph, he taught there for 20 years and
wrote on English Renaissance literature, early modern philosophy and
textual-critical theory. Recently, he's been more focused on modern
political matters, authoring articles and essays on electoral fraud,
Canadian foreign policy and other topics. Description of the talk:In
April 2011, Canada's governing party organized a nationwide campaign of
telephone fraud aimed at suppressing the turnout of opposition
voters--who were targeted in ridings across the country by well over
three-quarters of a million vote-suppression phone calls. There is
evidence that this fraud gave the Harper Conservatives their
parliamentary majority. Michael Keefer's scrupulous analysis shows that
there is also evidence as as to how this 'state crime against democracy'
was organized, and how a lethargic and underfunded enforcement system
has enabled its perpetrators to escape scot-free.You can stream the episode here, or download it from the source here.The theme music for Guelph Politicast is "Volksing Ferretismico" by Goto80 and the Uwe Schenk Band from Silent Movie Pianos 1 - Action and Marches.

Guelph Politicast #2.4 - Andy Best, Guelph Civic League

To close out the year, and to kick off the election year that's
coming, the final Guelph Politicast of 2013 is an interview with Guelph
Civic League President Andy Best. In the interest of
full-disclosure, this interview was recorded some time ago, but as I
considered timing it seemed right to post this just before we go into
the new year, which just so happens to be an election year. After being
somewhat sidelined in the 2010 election, the GCL is primed for a big
comeback in 2014 with a brand new website, a new direction, and a
community eager to engage and become engaged. Also afoot is the false
rivalry between the GCL and GrassRoots Guelph, and Best addresses that
in the interview along with other issues.You can listen to the podcast at the
embed below, or you can listen to it here and find the other episodes of
the Guelph Politicast. Stay tuned for new episodes in the new year for
interviews with some of the very special guests I'm trying to line-up. The theme music for Guelph Politicast is "Volksing Ferretismico" by  Goto80 and the Uwe Schenk Band.

Guelph Politicast Extra - Today's Ford News

So it turns out that when he said he didn't, he did. Today's
revelation by Mayor Rob Ford that he did indeed smoke crack though he
can't remember the circumstances or the fact that somebody filmed it, came
as something as a shock. But it was secondary to the revelation that Ford,
having admitted his mistake (finally!), refused to step down, either
permanently or temporarily, as a result of his drug use. Between the
doings in Toronto and the pending vote to suspend three senators in
Ottawa, it's hard to imagine a busier news day, and it seems like a
great chance to engage in some of this newfangled rich media like
podcasting.I decided to try something different with
today's news. Instead of typing out an exhaustive article chronicling
all the day's developments, I recorded a special edition of the
Politicast to discuss the day's events and some of my thoughts on the
subject. Have a listen to the full podcast below.And here's the list of links mentioned in the podcast:The Star's immediate coverage of the Mayor's press conference.The Star's article on Doug Ford's call to Bill Blair to take a leave of absence. The Toronto Star's Gemma Karstens-Smith reviews the Fords' growing enemies list

Doug Ford talks to Ryerson media students. Councillors John Filion and Paul Ainslie of Scarborough move to curb Mayor Ford's power. Councillor Denzil Minnan-Wong's comments to the press. Peter MacKay's comments on Ford.  The Grid remembers all those other times the press asked about crack.  Great editorial from NOW's Norman Wilner about Ford's issues. The website for the new Save Toronto group.Save Toronto's recount of the "Rob Ford file." 113 items and counting.

Guelph Politicast #2.3 - David J. Knight

It's
fairly rare that I can merge my two passions, politics and film, but a
new exhibit at the Ed Video Gallery gave me an occasion to combine the
two in this, the third episode of the Guelph Politicast's second season.
Today, I talk to David J. Knight, an artist and archaeologist who's put
together a new show to coincide with the Festival of Moving Media called Hidden Histories: Guelph Cinema.David
J. Knight is an interesting figure. Since returning to Guelph he's
ravenously put together numerous works dedicated to Guelph history
including a tribute to the Petrie building. Along with Hidden Histories,
he's recently worked on two books through P.S. Guelph, one called Sound Guelph about the history of alternative music in the Royal City, and the other a reprint of John Galt's gothic novel The Omen, and yes, that's a work by Guelph founder John Galt. We talk about both books as part of our conversation.This
is a unique podcast in that I spend the first 18 minutes in
conversation with Knight at the Ed Video Gallery. For the rest of the
podcast, Knight showed me a couple of stops on the walking tour to talk
about the cinema history that's long been (nearly) forgotten.
Personally, I found it fascinating, and I think local cinephiles will
find it fascinating too.You can stream the episode here, or download it from the source here.If
you're interested in taking the walking tour, your last chance is
Saturday November 2nd at 2 pm starting at 34 Carden Street. A $5
donation is requested, and you can download the accompanying app here.
After the tour, the official reception kicks off the show at Ed Video
from 2:30 to 4. The exhibit at Ed Video will be on till November 22, and
the Guelph Civic Museum component be on display till January 5.The silent movie sounding piano music that started the show is "Chase the Comic" from Silent Movie Pianos 1 - Action and Marches. Next up on Guelph Politicast, I will be interviewing Guelph Civic League President Andy Best.

Guelph Politicast #2.2 - Frank Valeriote

So it's taken a while to get to episode two, but we're here now for
what I hope is the first of a string of regular Guelph Politicasts. In
this edition, I talk to our local Member of Parliament Frank Valeriote.Valeriote,
who is on extended summer break from the House of Commons since the
government prorogued Parliament last month, was recently promoted to the
position of Deputy Whip. It's one of many things that Valeriote's taken
on as both a parliamentary and Guelph's federal representative, and we
talk about many of those things on his to-do list over the course of our
conversation.We also talk about the tenor of Question
Period, the fallout from robocalls and the Senate scandal, his thoughts
on Liberal leader Justin Trudeau and his push to legalize pot. We also
talk at the end about the things that keep him hopeful about politics,
as well as what makes him pessimistic. Click play on the player below to listen to the full interview, or download it here.Coming
up, future installments of the Politicast will include interviews with
Guelph Civic League President Andy Best, local artist David J. Knight,
and more. So keep an eye open for next episode of the Guelph Politicast!

Guelph Politicast #2.1 - Guelph Pride Organizers

For the first episode of what I'm calling the second season of Guelph Politicast, it seemed right to make it an occasion, and I found one.
Next week, the tenth annual Guelph Pride festivities begin, with a week-long celebration of all things, well, queer. Guelph's inclusive atmosphere and progressive politics have made the Royal City a homely place for those who identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual, or any other term that covers the broad new definitions of gender and sexual identity, and that tradition continues as Guelph Pride enters its 10th year in 2013.
This past week I sat down with Guelph Pride chairperson Dillon March and his fellow committee members Kelsey Atkinson-Derasp, Andrea McCoy and Thomas Sasso at Out on the Shelf, the queer library and resource centre in Downtown Guelph, to talk about the upcoming festivities of Guelph Pride 2013, and the current issues around the LGBT community.
Production note: McCoy joined us after we were into the recording. She wasn't introduced outfront, so when you hear a new voice enter the conversation, that's her.
As I said, this the first episode of this regular podcast. I actually haven't had much of a chance to both conduct an interview and use the podcast recording equipment, so I hope everything sounds okay to your ears. If not, think of it as a work in progress.
Theme music by Goto80 and Uwe Schenk, "Volksing Ferretismico" from the album The Ferret Show, courtesy of Free Music Archive.
For more on Guelph Pride, visit their website.