Guelph Politicast

Open Sources Guelph #481 - August 22, 2024

This week on Open Sources Guelph, we're back! We're done with our usual summer vacation and we're eager to hop back on the never ending news cycle to talk about all things breaking and unbreaking. Here in Ontario, there was a big meeting of all the municipalities this week in Ottawa, and abroad in eastern Europe there was a big move in the war happening there. For the interview this week, we're also talking about a big move, a move that someone's trying to make happen right here at home.
This Thursday, August 22, at 5 pm, Scotty Hertz and Adam A. Donaldson will discuss:
AMO Shorts. This week is the annual conference for the Association of Municipalities of Ontario or AMO. Representatives from the federal and provincial governments join councillors and staff members from municipalities around Ontario to talk about the issues facing cities, which are pretty substantial, but the appearances by provincial party leaders on Monday sounded more like the start of a campaign then a search for answers. So what came out of AMO?
Ukraine Strikes Back. The seemingly unending stalemate between Ukraine and Russia got a little more loose in the last couple of weeks after Ukraine sent troops into Russian territory and they now occupy portions of the Kursk region, the first time since World War II that foreign troops have held Russian territory. Russian President Vladimir Putin seems stymied again as the war he thought would be brief is now almost three years old, but is this game changer we've been waiting for?
Wilmot Gonna Take It! There's something fishy going on up the road in Wilmot, a developer is trying to secure 770 acres of farmland for some kind of development, but the people who own and operate the threatened farms have no idea which level of government is threatening their livelihood: the Region or the Province. Alfred Lowrick, spokesperson for the Fight for Farmland Group, and Kevin Thomason, vice-chair of the Grand River Environmental Network, will join us this week to talk about what might be the next provincial development scandal in the making.
Open Sources is live on CFRU 93.3 fm and cfru.ca at 5 pm on Thursday.

End Credits #Repeat - August 21, 2024

This week on End Credits, we’re gone. Gone fishin’? Maybe, we don’t watch the co-hosts every minute, especially when they’re not on the air. Yes, it’s that time again, time for the mid-August break. So while we’re breaking, we’ve got some cool – what the kids used to call – “repeats” for you. Get your road maps and your road snacks, because this week we’re vacationing!
Let’s Get Goofy! Summer is a time for watching movies, no doubt, but it’s also a time for hopping in the car with the family and hitting the road. It’s a big world out there, with so much to do and so many things to see, so get out of your dreams and into that car. And while you’re driving, listen to some classic End Credits entries, because if you can’t see a movie, you should at least take some time and listen to us talk about them. See you in a couple of weeks!
Programming Note: End Credits will return with new episodes on August 28.
End Credits is on CFRU 93.3 fm and cfru.ca Wednesday at 3 pm.

GUELPH POLITICAST #Repeat – Mike's Homes (feat. Mike Schreiner)

Housing. It's an easy problem to diagnosis but it's a hard problem to solve it seems, and that has seems to have stopped the Government of Ontario from even trying. Cabinet ministers have probably been getting an earful about that this week at the Association of Municipalities of Ontario conference, but there's one member at Queen's Park that still hasn't given up, and you will never guess who...
This past February, we were joined on the pod by Guelph MPP and Green Party of Ontario leader. The topic was his private member's bill, the Homes You Can Afford in Communities You Love Act, or Bill 156, which aims to change planning rules across Ontario to allow for fourplexes and four story apartments in neighbourhoods and allow for mid-rise buildings ranging from six to 11 stories on transit corridors and main streets. 
Now, there's been no movement on Bill 156 since it was sent to committee in February, but it seems like the Ontario government isn't doing much to try and fill the void by bringing any new policy of their own. Now, seven months after this first went to air, Ontario cities are even more desperate for housing solutions that will help alleviate the pressure on them, so can Schreiner's ideas still be the solution we're looking for?
This week you will listen to Schreiner talk again about his thoughts on how the housing crisis got this bad, the elevator pitch for the bill, and why he thinks it’s a good compromise to create density while maintaining neighbourhood character. We will also talk about municipal politics with planning, and how the bill tries to prevent NIMBYism. He will discuss “sharing the pain”, the other factors in housing like labour and the economy, and Schreiner’s expectations for the debate next week.
So let's chat again with Mike Schreiner on the subject of homes on this week's Guelph Politicast!
You can learn more about Bill 156, the Homes You Can Afford in Communities You Love Act, at the Green Party of Ontario’s website. The Ontario legislature will not sit again until after Thanksgiving, which is assuming that we don't end up going to the polls before then. Also, look for news coming out of this week's AMO conference in Ottawa.
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, Google, 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 Digest - August 15, 2024

This week on Open Sources Guelph, we’re taking a break, and it’s the same for next week (or last week depending on when you’re reading this). Yes, the time has come for our usual summer vacation, but we’re not leaving you hanging! As we recharge our senses and collect your thoughts, you will be treated to a long-running tradition in the production of rich media: The rerun. As we cash-in some of our vacation days, you will be entertained by the ghosts of Open Sources’ past.
Taking a Break from Some of Our Worries. So July was a lot. An incumbent president decided that it was best that he not run for re-election, and an Ontario premier did the impossible and caused a strike at the LCBO. At the same time, Doug Ford is also trying to explain why he closed the Science Centre, why so much of this province’s health matters are being handled by Shoppers Drug Mart, and whether or not we’re going to have an early provincial election. No wonder he’s worked up such an apatite. Then again though, so have we. See you in a couple of weeks.
*Programming Note: Open Sources Guelph will return with new episodes on Thursday August 22.
Open Sources is live on CFRU 93.3 fm and cfru.ca at 5 pm on Thursday.

End Credits #Repeat - August 14, 2024

This week on End Credits, we’re gone. Gone fishin’? Maybe, we don’t watch the co-hosts every minute, especially when they’re not on the air. Yes, it’s that time again, time for the mid-August break. So while we’re breaking, we’ve got some cool – what the kids used to call – “repeats” for you. Get your road maps and your road snacks, because this week we’re vacationing!
Let’s Get Goofy! Summer is a time for watching movies, no doubt, but it’s also a time for hopping in the car with the family and hitting the road. It’s a big world out there, with so much to do and so many things to see, so get out of your dreams and into that car. And while you’re driving, listen to some classic End Credits entries, because if you can’t see a movie, you should at least take some time and listen to us talk about them. See you in a couple of weeks!
Programming Note: End Credits will return with new episodes on August 28.
End Credits is on CFRU 93.3 fm and cfru.ca Wednesday at 3 pm.

GUELPH POLITICAST #Repeat – How the Greenbelt Was Won (feat. Kevin Thomason)

It was about this time last year that the so-called Greenbelt scandal blew-up. Although the issue had been simmering since fall 2022, the persistent efforts of journalists and activists to get to the bottom of the decision to separate and sell-off portions of protected land resulted in the land being restored, the minister responsible replaced, and the RCMP looking into whether or not anything criminal happened.
It started with the Ontario government’s plan to remove parcels of the Greenbelt and allow for new housing developments there despite Doug Ford’s promise that his government would not touch the Greenbelt. Here in Guelph, hundreds and hundreds of people came out on a cold Sunday morning to express their outrage, and so did people in other cities across Ontario, an it was an outrage that didn't burn out over the months that followed.
Then things started changing last summer. Ontario’s auditor general released a scathing report into how the Greenbelt land swap came about, and that started a chain of events ending with Ford putting all that land back. This was a few weeks after a massive protest outside Fordfest at Bingemans in Kitchener, which was organized in part by the Grand River Environmental Network. They pushed hard to save the Greenbelt, but they’re still pointing out that there’s a lot of work left to do.
This week we’re joined again by Kevin Thomason, who is the vice-chair of the Grand River Environmental Network. He’s going to talk about how GREN worked hard organizing people, why so many people took the encroachment on the Greenbelt so personally, and why Fordfest in Kitchener was Doug Ford’s Waterloo, so to speak. We will also talk about why climate change isn’t a bigger issue after the wildfire season we just experienced, and whether the provincial government has learned any lessons in the last year.
So let’s take another victory lap for the Greenbelt on this week’s Guelph Politicast!
You can learn more about the Grand River Environmental Network 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, Google, 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 Digest - August 8, 2024

This week on Open Sources Guelph, we’re taking a break, and it’s the same for next week (or last week depending on when you’re reading this). Yes, the time has come for our usual summer vacation, but we’re not leaving you hanging! As we recharge our senses and collect your thoughts, you will be treated to a long-running tradition in the production of rich media: The rerun. As we cash-in some of our vacation days, you will be entertained by the ghosts of Open Sources’ past.
Taking a Break from Some of Our Worries. So July was a lot. An incumbent president decided that it was best that he not run for re-election, and an Ontario premier did the impossible and caused a strike at the LCBO. At the same time, Doug Ford is also trying to explain why he closed the Science Centre, why so much of this province’s health matters are being handled by Shoppers Drug Mart, and whether or not we’re going to have an early provincial election. No wonder he’s worked up such an apatite. Then again though, so have we. See you in a couple of weeks.
*Programming Note: Open Sources Guelph will return with new episodes on Thursday August 22.
Open Sources is live on CFRU 93.3 fm and cfru.ca at 5 pm on Thursday.

End Credits #353 - August 7, 2024 (The Beast/La Bête)

This week on End Credits we're getting weird. Now obviously, this show is always a little weird,  but this week we're making it official by talking about movies that stray away from the normal path, and that includes the movie we're reviewing this week. First, we will look at "What the funk?!" movies, and then we will say "WTF?" about a French movie that's a Beast.
This Wednesday, August 7, at 3 pm, Adam A. Donaldson and Tim Phillips will discuss:
What the Funk Movies. The best part of watching a movie is when it surprises you, when it makes you say "What the funk?!" Well, when we say "funk" we mean another word that almost has all the same letters in the same order, but the feeling is the same; "What the funk did I just watch?!" To begin this week's show, we will turn out some of our favourite WTF? Movies, from the bizarre to the twisted to twist endings.
REVIEW: The Beast/La Bête (2024). In the future, artificial intelligence controls everything and if you want to be a good human helper then you have to purge yourself of emotions. How do you do that? By examining your past lives. How bizarre. Léa Seydoux and George MacKay play lovers through time, each struggling with feelings of isolation and impending doom in 1910 Paris, 2014 Los Angeles, and the the cold indifferent future. So what are we to make of Bertrand Bonello's acclaimed trip through time, space, love and confusion?
End Credits is on CFRU 93.3 fm and cfru.ca Wednesday at 3 pm.
PROGRAMMING NOTE: End Credits is taking the next two weeks off and will return with new episodes on Wednesday August 28.

GUELPH POLITICAST #430 - Caution’s Creek Part 2: The Future

It took a while to get here, but the Grand River Conservation Authority membership last month approved a management plan for the Niska lands, aka: the old Kortright Waterfowl Park, but this is not the end of the journey. For nearly 20 years there’s been a fierce back and forth about what comes next for the property and who’s responsible for its protection, but even with a plan in place now it doesn't mean that the controversy is over.
When we last tackled this topic on the podcast it was October 2023 and the draft land management plan had just been presented to the GRCA board. That plan was adapted by the GRCA board at their June meeting along with its three recommendations: To engage with the City of Guelph and others about future maintenance and use; to manage and monitor the sensitive environmental demands; and dispose the portion called “Agricultural Field B”, which is on the south side of Niska.
Now, what you have to understand is that it’s the plan that’s been approved, not necessarily those directions. Just because it’s been recommended that some land be sold necessarily means that it will be sold, and there’s an entirely separate process that needs to happen before any decisions are made, so let’s talk to some of the decision makers. In this case, Guelph/Eramosa Township Mayor and GRCA Chair Chris White and GRCA Chief Administrative Officer Samantha Lawson.
White and Lawson will talk about the next steps, where responsibility lies for the City of Guelph and the Conservation Authority, and who the other stakeholders might be when it comes to the fate of the lands. We will also talk about protecting the environment, the concerns raised by the public about protecting the area’s ecosystem, the pressures from the provincial government, and how the role of conservation authorities has changed as a result of those pressures.
So let's talk about the Niska Land's future on this week's episode of the Guelph Politicast!
You can rewind to episode #392 to hear the first part of this two-parter with Dr. Hugh Whitely and get his point of view on the issue here. You can see coverage of the issue on Guelph Politico, and you can see the Niska Landholdings Management plan on Grand River Conservation Authority’s website here.
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: The Guelph Politicast will be taking the next two weeks off and will be back with new episode on Wednesday August 28.

Open Sources Guelph #480 - August 1, 2024

This week on Open Sources Guelph, we're doubling the cast. As a summer treat, we have not just one, but two different guests including a federal cabinet minister, and she will be followed by a member of our local city council who will talk to us about the year at city hall so far. And yes, we will also have news, which this week will centre around what is perhaps the most hated corporation in all of Canada!
This Thursday, August 1, at 5 pm, Scotty Hertz and Adam A. Donaldson will discuss:
Judge Bread. A class action lawsuit against Loblaw, the parent company of Loblaws and other grocery chains, has been settled for $500 million. The case involves the price-fixing of bread products, which the company plead guilty to after being charged under the Competition Act in June 2023, and if you bought a loaf in the last 10 years you might be getting a cheque in the mail. So has Loblaw learned its lesson, or do we need break up the grocery-opoly?
After the Sudds. Minister of Families, Children and Social Development Jenna Sudds was in Guelph on Monday talking to local leaders about the roll out of $10 per day childcare, and the fight against food insecurity, two areas that Guelph and Wellington are well-versed on. Sudds also called in to CFRU to talk about that work, the differences between childcare coverage in rural and urban areas, and trying to co-ordinate with the provincial government to deliver these vital services.
In it For the Phil. Guelph city council is on summer vacation, but Open Sources isn't. (...Yet!) So before he takes off for the August break, we tapped an old friend to come into the studio and lay down some thoughts about 2024 so far. From housing solutions, to public spaces bylaws, to a new governing relationship with Wellington County, to Strong Mayor Powers, we will cram seven months into 20 minutes with Ward 3 City Councillor Phil Allt.
Open Sources is live on CFRU 93.3 fm and cfru.ca at 5 pm on Thursday.
PROGRAMMING NOTE: Open Sources Guelph is taking the next two weeks off and will return with new episodes on Thursday August 22.