Guelph Politicast

Open Sources Guelph #531 - August 21, 2025

This week on Open Sources Guelph, we're back! After taking a midsummer break, we come back with some of your favourite characters from this past season including the buffoonish U.S. President, and our oafish Ontario Premier, and in the third topic, just in time for Labour Day, we'll have some genuine labour news to get excited about! We might have taken some time off for the last couple of weeks, but the new sure didn't!!
This Thursday, August 21, at 5 pm, Scotty Hertz and Adam A. Donaldson will discuss:
Dark Skies. Flight attendants from Air Canada went on strike last weekend, and they looked to be on strike for the long haul until the two sides reached a deal on Tuesday. Despite pressure from the federal government and the courts, the CUPE represented workers remained defiant after spending years doing, on average, 30 hours of unpaid work every month. Meanwhile, workers and average folk are showing incredible solidarity on this issue, so is this the Labour (Day) revolution we've been waiting for?
"A Little Poke." That's what Premier Doug Ford says he wants to give the U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick. In Ottawa for AMO this week, Ford looked to secure his bonafides as "Captain Canada", but back at home he's still getting hit hard for school infrastructure funding, benefiting the friends with the Highway 413 route, and new concerns about the finances of Ontario Place anchor tenant Therme. Is Ford the one that needs poked?
Baked Alaska Summit. For the first since he ordered a full-scale invasion into Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin was on U.S. soil and gratefully received by President Donald Trump. Three hours later, the leaders announced that they had *not* reached a deal to end the war that Russia started, and scuttlebutt says members of Team Trump were shook by what they had seen behind closed doors. Since then, Trump met with European leaders, including Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, but did any of this Nobel Peace Prize baiting get tangible results?
Open Sources is live on CFRU 93.3 fm and cfru.ca at 5 pm on Thursday.

End Credits #REPEAT - August 20, 2025

This week on End Credits, there is no End Credits. Well... there's going to be a show, but it's going to be an episode of End Credits that you've heard before, or probably heard before. Yes, if you've seen the calendar lately then you know it's time for our midsummer break. As usual, we're taking a couple of weeks off for August so that we can enjoy some summer sun!
See You at the Beach! It's been a busy year at the movies; we sinned with Sinners, flew with Superman, and we caught up with at least half of #PedroSummer. So we're pleased and happy to repeat the news that we have, in fact, decided to take a couple of weeks off so that we can enjoy some time away from the screen, big and small. But, as you see, it's a beautiful day, the beaches are open and people are having a wonderful time. End Credits, as you know, means "friendship". See you in a couple of weeks!
Programming Note: End Credits will return with new episodes on August 27.
End Credits is on CFRU 93.3 fm and cfru.ca Wednesday at 3 pm.

GUELPH POLITICAST #Repeat – New-ish Year, New-ish CAO (feat. Tara Baker)

The CAO position is the highest ranking official in local government that doesn’t have the job title of either mayor or city councillor, and it’s the only staff position at city hall that’s hired by a committee made up of the mayor and councillors. So yes, it’s a pretty important job, and it’s not like there’s any shortage of issues or needs for the new woman in charge as she nears the end of her first year in charge.
In January, we got a chance to sit down with City of Guelph CAO Tara Baker. At the time, she was just coming off a difficult budget confirmation process and prepping for a year that was going to be focused on housing development. Now there have been some hiccups on that second one, despite the fact, as you'll hear, Baker has a daily reminder in her office about its importance, and Baker has the experience to know what's important to Guelph.
Before becoming the CAO, Baker had spent 13 years at Guelph city hall, including the last eight as the City Treasurer and the General Manager of Finance. If the emphasis is to be put on affordability now, as it was with the last budget she worked on as Treasurer, it puts even more pressure on Baker as she’s managing all the spinning plates in her new office. On this edition of the podcast, she told us what comes next.
Back in January, Baker joined us to talk about why she wanted to be the CAO, why she thinks she stood out from the other applicants and the changing role of the CAO position after the introduction of Strong Mayor Powers. She will also talk about the search for a new City Treasurer, and the greater emphasis on affordability when it comes to City business. Also, she will discuss the changes she’s making to the job, and what she wants her legacy to be when it becomes her turn to retire from the role.
So let’s get the 4-1-1 on the current CAO on this week’s Guelph Politicast!
You can see Baker’s plan for goals and objectives that were presented to city council earlier this year here, and you can just learn more generally about the CAO office here. And speaking of podcasts, you can check out Baker’s latest appearance on Breezy Breakfast from April and you can find that pod on whatever platform you listen to his one on.
The host for the Guelph Politicast is Podbean. Find more episodes of the Politicast here, or download them on your favourite podcast app at Apple, TuneIn and Spotify.
Also, when you subscribe to the Guelph Politicast channel and you will also get an episode of Open Sources Guelph every Monday, and an episode of End Credits every Friday.

Open Sources Guelph #REPEAT - August 14, 2025

This week on Open Sources Guelph, you are here, but we are not. The time has come for our annual summer sabbatical. Unlike certain former prime ministers we still have work to do, so we can only afford to take a quick two-week break before coming back with what will surely be a drama-packed fall schedule of scandals, near-scandals and straight up crises. So let's take a break from the craziness before it catches up to us again.
Be Normal. Welcome to summer vacation! We've made it through a lot in 2025 so far including two month-long elections, and the daily deluge of insanity from the present occupant of White House. There's been the start and stop of the trade war, the nonstop wars in Ukraine and Gaza, and some general anxiety about global crisis coming down the pipe next. Bad news is inevitable, and there will surely be more of it, but for the next two weeks tune in, drop out, and bring on some outdoor activities. See you in a few weeks!
*Programming Note: Open Sources Guelph will return with new episodes on Thursday August 21.
Open Sources is live on CFRU 93.3 fm and cfru.ca at 5 pm on Thursday.

End Credits #REPEAT - August 13, 2025

This week on End Credits, there is no End Credits. Well... there's going to be a show, but it's going to be an episode of End Credits that you've heard before, or probably heard before. Yes, if you've seen the calendar lately then you know it's time for our midsummer break. As usual, we're taking a couple of weeks off for August so that we can enjoy some summer sun!
See You at the Beach! It's been a busy year at the movies; we sinned with Sinners, flew with Superman, and we caught up with at least half of #PedroSummer. So we're pleased and happy to repeat the news that we have, in fact, decided to take a couple of weeks off so that we can enjoy some time away from the screen, big and small. But, as you see, it's a beautiful day, the beaches are open and people are having a wonderful time. End Credits, as you know, means "friendship". See you in a couple of weeks!
Programming Note: End Credits will return with new episodes on August 27.
End Credits is on CFRU 93.3 fm and cfru.ca Wednesday at 3 pm.

GUELPH POLITICAST #Repeat – The Good Old Guelph (feat. Stephen Robinson & Jack Mallon)

Guelph loves its cultural heritage! As we count down to the 200th anniversary of the city in 2027, we're seeing more and more of a focus on our local history, but there's something else happening in 2027... the elimination of the heritage registry. Any property listed, but not designated, on January 1, 2027 will be deleted. The stakes, and the workload, have never been this high!
That's the primary reason why it seemed fitting last fall to talk to members of heritage planning staff. Since the passage of Bill 23 in 2022, they've been in a mad scramble to preserve as much heritage as they can, as quickly as they can with a record number of approval already for 2025 and the year is only half over (at least in council terms). Coming up in the fall? Even more approvals and further progress on key files like the three heritage conservation districts. 
But since recording this pod things have gotten more complicated. Several designations have faced delay or deferral after objections brought to council based on the additional onus placed on the property owner due to the designation, and what seems to be a misunderstanding about the limitations of those designations. This may change in the fall as heritage planners pass more voluntary designations, but for now, is there a growing sense that they're doing too much, too fast? 
Stephen Robinson and Jack Mallon, who are heritage planners at the City of Guelph, joined us last December to talk about what kind of year it’s been for heritage, the status of all the heritage conservation district studies and the special controversy around the recent presentation about the OR Lands HCD. They’ll also talk about public engagement, why development is not a bad word, what’s coming up in 2025, and why we maybe need to start loving architectural brutalism(?).
So let’s dig into the very busy heritage file again on this edition of the Guelph Politicast!
The next scheduled meeting of Heritage Guelph is on September 4, and in the meantime you can visit the heritage planning page on the City’s website to get the lowdown on various plans and strategies. For your information, you can see the Municipal Register of Cultural Heritage Properties here, and stay tuned for future engagement opportunities on the OR Lands, Downtown and Ward West Heritage Conservation District studies.
The host for the Guelph Politicast is Podbean. Find more episodes of the Politicast here, or download them on your favourite podcast app at Apple, TuneIn and Spotify.
Also, when you subscribe to the Guelph Politicast channel and you will also get an episode of Open Sources Guelph every Monday, and an episode of End Credits every Friday.

Open Sources Guelph #REPEAT - August 7, 2025

This week on Open Sources Guelph, you are here, but we are not. The time has come for our annual summer sabbatical. Unlike certain former prime ministers we still have work to do, so we can only afford to take a quick two-week break before coming back with what will surely be a drama-packed fall schedule of scandals, near-scandals and straight up crises. So let's take a break from the craziness before it catches up to us again.
Be Normal. Welcome to summer vacation! We've made it through a lot in 2025 so far including two month-long elections, and the daily deluge of insanity from the present occupant of White House. There's been the start and stop of the trade war, the nonstop wars in Ukraine and Gaza, and some general anxiety about global crisis coming down the pipe next. Bad news is inevitable, and there will surely be more of it, but for the next two weeks tune in, drop out, and bring on some outdoor activities. See you in a few weeks!
*Programming Note: Open Sources Guelph will return with new episodes on Thursday August 21.
Open Sources is live on CFRU 93.3 fm and cfru.ca at 5 pm on Thursday.

End Credits #403 - August 6, 2025 (Happy Gilmore 2)

This week on End Credits, we're hitting the links. Well, we're not hitting the links, at least not yet, but we will watch other people hit the links in the sporting sequel comedy Happy Gilmore 2, which you can now stream on Netflix. And since we're back in the realm of Adam "Sandman" Sandler, we will talk about the empire he built! 
This Wednesday, August 6, at 3 pm, Adam A. Donaldson and Peter Salmon will discuss:
The Happy Madison Movie Draft. Adam Sandler is a movie-making machine. His production company, which is named after his first two movies, has been cranking out hits for himself and others for decades, and not just comedies either. In honour of the latest Happy Madison entry, we will talk about some of the best and brightest that they've put out over the years, from the regulars to the perhaps even the rare dramatic turn.
REVIEW: Happy Gilmore 2 (2025). Thirty years ago, a would-be hockey player became a golf sensation in the first of many big comedy successes from the House of Sandler. Now Happy is back on the links courtesy of the Sandman's long standing relationship with Netflix, but does he still have it? And by "it" we mean mass appeal and anger management issues. The usual collection of Sandler regulars and family members are all here for the mighty return of Happy, Shooter and all their friends, but will the audience come back for more?
Programming Note: End Credits will be running previously enjoyed episodes on Wednesday August 13 and 20. We will back with new episodes on Wednesday August 27. 
End Credits is on CFRU 93.3 fm and cfru.ca Wednesday at 3 pm.

GUELPH POLITICAST #482 – Three For Fringe (feat. Bridget Cann, Christel Bartelse, and Julie Lyn Barber & Michele Dvoskin)

The Guelph Fringe Festival unfolds this weekend with 10 companies performing in three different venues over four days in downtown Guelph with 100 per cent of the ticket prices going back to the artists. These shows are experimental, personal, and unlike anything you will ever see anywhere else, and this week’s show is going to highlight three interviews from three different shows to tell you why Guelph Fringe is a can’t miss event for theatre fans and the theatre curious.
First, we will talk to Bridget Cann from Staccayto Staccato, the Toronto-based musical comedy troupe who staged last year’s Guelph Fringe "Big Buzz Award" winner, Make Up! The Musical. It’s a musical comedy show that’s completely made up! Using suggestions from the audience, they come up with a whole one hour musical with improvised characters, plots, places, and, of course, music.
Then, we will talk to Christel Bartelse, a Toronto-based actor/storyteller, comedian, and director and educator. Her show is A Woman of My Age, which Bartelse both wrote and performs, is her seventh solo production after ONEymoon, Chaotica and All KIDding Aside which have toured to fringe festivals all across Canada, and the U.S. and also to Edinburgh, the largest fringe festival in the world.
And finally we will talk to Julie Lyn Barber and Michelle Dvoskin. Turbulent Architect, written and performed by Barber and directed and dramaturged by Dvoskin, offers a candid, heartwarming, and hilarious guided tour of the chaotic inner workings of Barber’s mind. Barber is an actor, singer, director, choreographer, musical director, and the Head of Musical Theatre at Purdue University Fort Wayne while Dvoskin is a director, intimacy choreographer, performer, playwright and an associate professor in the Department of Theatre & Dance at Western Kentucky University.
On this week’s episode the four of them will talk about their shows, their inspirations, and the challenges in staging their production. We will also talk about their backgrounds, what makes a show “fringe”, and what they hope the audience will leave with when the show is over.
So let's talk about some of this year's shows at the Guelph Fringe Festival on this week's Guelph Politicast!
The Guelph Fringe Festival runs from Thursday August 7 to Sunday August 10. You can see the full schedule and buy tickets at their website.
The host for the Guelph Politicast is Podbean. Find more episodes of the Politicast here, or download them on your favourite podcast app at Apple, TuneIn and Spotify .
Also, when you subscribe to the Guelph Politicast channel and you will also get an episode of Open Sources Guelph every Monday, and an episode of End Credits every Friday.
Programming Note: Guelph Politicast will be running previously enjoyed episodes on Wednesday August 13 and 20. We will back with new episodes on Wednesday August 27. 

Open Sources Guelph #530 - July 31, 2025

This week on Open Sources Guelph, we're getting ready to go on summer vacation, but before that we've got some serious business, and in the case of one topic we mean really, really serious. We will once again tackle the ongoing tragedy in Gaza before coming back home to Ontario where education is on the menu again, from your local school board to post-secondary education. Also, we'll keep the education conversation going with this week's guest.
This Thursday, July 31, at 5 pm, Scotty Hertz and Adam A. Donaldson will discuss:
"The Worst Case Scenario of Famine..." Just when you think thing couldn't possibly get worse in Gaza, they do. The famine is now undeniable, to the point where even U.S. President Donald Trump couldn't deny it when asked. Benjamin Netanyahu meanwhile says there is no famine, and this despite the fact that people on the ground in Gaza note that not only are people starving to death, they're being killed while trying to get what little food that's coming in. Is this finally enough?
33 and We. Before breaking for summer, the Ontario government revealed Bill 33, which will give them more power over school boards, universities and colleges and even children's aid societies. People have noted the shades of the Student Choice Initiative, which an Ontario court said was unconstitutional, but it also undermines local democracy (again) by overriding the authority of elected school boards. Is this the next great Ford government scandal we're not talking about yet?
Fife's Out. We haven't heard about long-term care in a while, but one MPP has been working on one part of that file for almost seven years now. Catherine Fife is trying again to pass a private member's bill to keep senior couple together in long-term care, which sounds simple but has become a year's long project. We will talk to Fife about it, and we will also talk to her about issues around post-secondary education, and how Ontario NDP leader Marit Stiles talked about it during her leader's tour stop in the region this week.
Programming Note: Open Sources Guelph will be running previously enjoyed episodes on Thursday August 7 and 14. We will back with new episodes on Thursday August 21. 
Open Sources is live on CFRU 93.3 fm and cfru.ca at 5 pm on Thursday.