Guelph Politicast

GUELPH POLITICAST #450 - The Year at Council (September - December)

Last year was very busy for Guelph City Council, and the last four months of the year were perhaps the busiest. In fact, the business of council has gotten so busy to properly cover it all this "Year in Review" podcast now has to be done in three parts, splitting the year into three near equal sections for over two hours of combined content. So now, at the end, the final part of this trilogy.
The big thing from the back third of 2024 was the confirmation vote for the 2025 budget. Earlier in the year, Mayor Cam Guthrie used Strong Mayor Powers to direct staff to get the budget down to an overall four per cent increase, and there was a great deal of consternation about what that would mean. Council didn't get all the way to that four per cent mark, but it was a heck of a ride getting there!
And speaking of rides, there was a lot of drama over, of all things, fireworks. Guelph tried to rework its fireworks bylaw only to get burned when many people felt that it went too far. There were also metaphorical fireworks in the form of Mayor Guthrie's advocacy outside the council chambers, the eventual fate of the OR Lands, and a certain greenhouse on the campus of the University of Guelph which still may or may not be demolished.
That's just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to this recap covering all the council action from September through to December. That's 17 different meeting (well, 16 when you consider that one meeting took place over two nights) and countless hours of back and forth over motions, counter-motions, concessions and compromises. Culled from the files of Guelph Politico, and a couple of thousand tweets, let's remember where we're going before we decide where to go next.
So for one more time, let's recap what happened at city council in 2024 on this week's Guelph Politicast!
Everyone will be back around the horseshoe again on January 14 for the first Committee of the Whole meeting of the year, and you can keep following all those developments at Guelph Politico and through the Tip Sheet newsletter.
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 #500 - January 2, 2024

This week on Open Sources Guelph there's cause for celebration! Not only is this our annual year-end (or year-beginning in this case) awards show, but it's also our 500th episode and the start of year 11 for OSG! It's a good thing we have all that to look forward to because this revisiting of 2024 had us bummed in a major way. Enjoy the fun gang, because it might be the last we'll have for a while!
This Thursday, January 2, at 5 pm, Scotty Hertz and Adam A. Donaldson will discuss:
Worst Politician of 2024. Well this one's going to be a lay up, right? In a year this bad though, the real competition is going to be which of the worst is really the worst? And in a year where it seemed like everyone had an incentive to embrace their worst selves, we will look to the halls of our provincial and federal legislatures to find the people who ended up on the proverbial naughty list in 2024!
Good News Story of the Year. Yes, there was some good news this year. Difficult as it was to find under mountains of black tar and festering disappointment, there were some small morsels of optimism for those willing to looking for it in 2024. From some much needed solidarity among left-leaning politicians in one European country to people on the young side ready to put up a fight, we'll bring you the good news of 2024!
Dumpster Fire of the Year. Forget about one dumpster, the whole dump seemed like it was on fire by the end of December! Similarly to the "Worst Politician" category there was a variable feast for the "Dumpster Fire" designation, and boy did we feast good all things considered. Still, there must be a winner, and for this one we've got at least one horrible trend, and at least one negligent government!
Best Politician of 2024. Did we have go to the ends of the Earth to find people to fill this category? Almost definitely in one case, but not necessarily. Even in 2024, there were still some people in government who were trying to do good, trying to make a difference, as hard as that may be to believe. For the last award of 2024, we've got two prime examples of the parliamentary system to share from both here and New Zealand!
Open Sources is live on CFRU 93.3 fm and cfru.ca at 5 pm on Thursday.

End Credits #372 - January 1, 2025 (Top 5 of 2024)

This week on End Credits, it's the first day of a new year! Let us celebrate in the time honoured tradition (of the last seven years) of marking the best movies of previous year! Yes, it is time again to take a year-full of cinema and whittle it down to the five best films from the last 12 month. You know it, you love it, and now we talk about the Best of 2024!
This Wednesday, January 1, at 3 pm, Adam A. Donaldson, Tim Phillips, Peter Salmon, and Candice Lepage will discuss:
The Best of 2024! It was looking a little rough there at the beginning of the year... There was a movie about a killer swimming pool, and wasn't there a movie about a psychic leading a group of Spider-Women? So it's safe to say that neither of those movies will make our Top 5 of 2024 lists, but that doesn't mean that there won't be any shortage of surprises as we count down the best movies of the year. On this first day of 2025, we will send off 2024 by talking about it's greatest hits with red rooms, old asses, sand, self-reliance and more!
End Credits is on CFRU 93.3 fm and cfru.ca Wednesday at 3 pm.

GUELPH POLITICAST #449 – 2024: Year in Review (feat. Mike Ashkewe)

If you’re listening to this on New Year’s Day then you might be welcoming 2025 with relief, or maybe even trepidation. If you thought last year was a rough ride it may be an hors d'oeuvres compared to what comes next, but before we get into all that, we’re going to formally say goodbye to 2024 by talking about the year that was, and the year we wanted it to be!
There was a lot going on in Guelph in 2024, did you hear that we’re having a housing crisis? There was the use of Strong Mayor Powers, the push to make the OR Lands a national urban park, and the closure of the old Nestle bottling plant in Aberfoyle. There was also almost a transit strike, not to mention a weeks-long strike out on Dunlop Road at the Cargill Plant. A lot can happen in 12 months, and it did.
But what was 2024 really about? That is a difficult question, but Mike Ashkewe was a pretty good person to ask. He’s a member of the Accessibility Advisory Committee and an Indigenous activist, and he’s a regular at the weekly Breezy Breakfast gatherings downtown, which makes a triple threat when it comes to local politics. Perhaps he can help us make sense of this tumultuous year...
Ashkewe will join us talk broadly about what we learned in the year 2024, what we will take with us on into 2025, and why he’s decided to get more active in local politics. He will also talk about finding community, and what it takes to make the hard choices even if they’re not the most popular. Also, we will make some pop culture references to our current predicament, and talk about why where you live matters.
So let's talk about the year that was yesterday on this week's Guelph Politicast!
Mike Ashkewe, who has his fingers in many pies and you can find links to all those pies at his personal website. You can find his podcast This Week in Geek on all the major podcast platforms, and you can follow the Guelph Storm Trackers "@guelph_storm_trackers" on Instagram. 
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 #499 - December 26, 2024

This week on Open Sources Guelph, we box! It is Boxing Day, isn't it? So we're going to be boxing up all kinds of things, but the one thing we will be unboxing is our annual political movies show! For the tenth annual edition, we will look at four important films that cover a lot of political ground, from a documentary about a famous writer to the nightlife of Berlin just as things started getting Nazi, and from the end of the world in 2027 to a David Vs. Goliath courtroom fight!
This Thursday, December 26, at 5 pm, Scotty Hertz and Adam A. Donaldson will discuss:
Scotty's Pick #1: I Am Not Your Negro (2016). "In 1979, James Baldwin wrote a letter to his literary agent describing his next project, Remember This House. The book was to be a revolutionary, personal account of the lives and assassinations of three of his close friends: Medgar Evers, Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Jr. At the time of Baldwin's death in 1987, he left behind only 30 completed pages of this manuscript. Filmmaker Raoul Peck envisions the book James Baldwin never finished."
Adam's Pick #2: Children of Men (2006). "The world's youngest citizen has just died at age 18, and humankind is facing the likelihood of its own extinction. Set in and around a dystopian London fractious with violence and warring nationalistic sects, this movie follows the unexpected discovery of a lone pregnant woman and the desperate journey to deliver her to safety and restore faith for a future beyond those presently on Earth."
Scotty's Pick #2: The Rainmaker (1997). "Rudy Baylor is a young attorney out to make a difference in the justice system. He is also the only hope of an elderly couple after their corrupt insurance company refuses to pay out a claim that could save their child's life. In this judicial drama, Baylor rails against corporate lawyers, corrupt judges, and abusive husbands, all with the help of a fellow lawyer who hasn't even passed his bar exam. He is facing long odds in the courtroom - and this is only his first case."
Adam's Pick #2: Cabaret (1972). "In Berlin in 1931, American cabaret singer Sally Bowles (Liza Minnelli) meets British academic Brian Roberts (Michael York), who is finishing his university studies. Despite Brian's confusion over his sexuality, the pair become lovers, but the arrival of the wealthy and decadent playboy Maximilian von Heune (Helmut Griem) complicates matters for them both. This love triangle plays out against the rise of the Nazi party and the collapse of the Weimar Republic."
Open Sources is live on CFRU 93.3 fm and cfru.ca at 5 pm on Thursday.

End Credits #371 - December 25, 2024 (The Christmas Movie Draft!)

This week on End Credits, we wish you a Merry Christmas! To celebrate this annual occasion, we will do things Jigsaw-style by playing a little game. No one's going to die - hopefully - but there will be lots of bragging rights up for grabs as your four favourite cinephiles, and a special guest, hang their holiday favourites with care as we undertake another movie draft.
This Wednesday, December 25, at 3 pm, Adam A. Donaldson, Tim Phillips, Peter Salmon, Candice Lepage, and special guest Jen Barson will discuss:
The Christmas Movie Draft! What day is it? Why it's Christmas Day! And we decided to wrap up something special for that difficult time between opening presents and waiting for the turkey to be served: The original End Credits Christmas Movie Draft! The entire gang is here, plus Jen Barson from Guelph Fringe Festival, to discuss their favourite holiday movies from six carefully selected categories. From the classics you love to some surprising revelations from the bowels of Tubi, we will stuff your stocking with some cool flicks, and maybe some Hot Frosties...
End Credits is on CFRU 93.3 fm and cfru.ca Wednesday at 3 pm.

GUELPH POLITICAST #448 – Christmas With Kevin (feat. Kevin Coghill)

It makes sense spending Christmas with a Kevin. The Kevin we're talking to this Christmas though sits at the intersection of fighting poverty practically and fighting a growing spiritual malaise. In fact, he was the first and most obvious choice for this year’s holiday chat by the fireside, and he joins us this week to not only talk about the crisis around homelessness, but also the accompanying crisis of compassion.
Yes, the special Christmas guest this year is  executive director and pastor of Royal City Mission, Kevin Coghill. Homelessness is a city-wide issue, but the focus was downtown this year. Not even 50 yards from St. George’s Square are the front doors of the Royal City Mission, which offers services to people who are homeless and living in poverty, which also made it a source of contention for downtown business owners and residents.
The RCM was often cited as doing good work for the community while being tagged as the cause for the growing encampments in the square due to its proximity. It’s the epitome of damned if you do, damned if you don’t, so Coghill and his team decided to do everything could. But Royal City Mission doesn't just deal with corporal needs, they also deal with spiritual ones, which is why Coghill is going to help us reflect on a difficult and dispiriting year.
Coghill will join us to talk about how he ended up at Royal City Mission, how the mission has changed over the years, and why change is not always a bad thing for the volunteers and staff at Royal City. He will also talk about the crisis in compassion, the difference between gathering and service, how he deals with disappointment, and the ways he tries to stay optimistic. Coghill will also explain why his doors will remain open to everyone in the community. 
So let's spend Christmas with Kevin on this week's Guelph Politicast!
 To learn more about Royal City Mission, it’s programs and services, and how you can help them out by visiting their website. You can also follow them on social media at rcmguelph on Facebook and Instagram. If you’re interested in learning more about the people helped by Royal City Mission, you can get a copy of the book, Stories From the Mission, for a suggested $25 donation. The proceeds go to help fund the Royal City Mission.
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 #498 - December 19, 2024

This week on Open Sources Guelph, we were all but ready to take off for the holidays but they had to squeeze just a little bit more breaking new out of us. From Ottawa, there may be a change in government, or a change in prime minister, or a change in something, we don't know! We also don't know what happened with the Canada Post strike that was suddenly over this week, but we're going to find out about that too!!
This Thursday, December 19, at 5 pm, Scotty Hertz and Adam A. Donaldson will discuss:
Chrystia-Mas Comes Early. Just a normal Monday on Parliament Hill, it was the second last day of the fall sitting and the release of the Fall Economic Statement was all that was on the agenda. And then Chystia Freeland quit as finance minister and all hell broke loose! Almost everything else Monday, including a First Ministers' Meeting in Toronto, was blown off the front-page with the possibility that this was the end for Justin Trudeau, and as we go to air we can only imagine what's going down next. Is Trudeau getting canned before the holidays?
Strike a Post! After over a month, workers for Canada Post went back to their jobs this week and not altogether willingly after the national labour board said that both sides were too far apart to make a deal in the short-term possible. What's been lost in the concern for the on-time arrival of parcels, government documents and holiday treats are the stakes of this strike, which is really nothing less than the future of Canada Post. This week, Remegius Cheeke, the president Guelph-based Canadian Union of Postal Workers Local 546, will remind us.
Open Sources is live on CFRU 93.3 fm and cfru.ca at 5 pm on Thursday.

End Credits #370 - December 18, 2024 (Kraven The Hunter)

This week on End Credits, we're hunting for content. In this last regular edition of the show for 2024, we're going to put on our favourite animal skins and run wild on what might be the biggest bomb of the year, and that's really saying something. We're reviewing Kraven The Hunter, and we're also going to look ahead to greener cinematic pastures in 2025! 
This Wednesday, December 18, at 3 pm, Adam A. Donaldson and Peter Salmon will discuss:
The Best of 2025? So 2024 isn't even over yet, and we're already talking about the Best of 2025?! Not quite. There will be a whole year of movies in the next 12 months, and we probably won't be able to see them all, so we're going to get some of the organising done early by talking about some of the movies we're looking forward to seeing in the next 12 months. From a return to a zombie apocalypse, to what may be the last Mission, we'll check in with 2025!
REVIEW: Kraven The Hunter (2024). It's been a dry year for superhero movies, but there's one last stop at the oasis before we get to a veritable super-buffet in 2025. Have you heard of Kraven? He's a Spider-Man villain who's perhaps most famous for a storyline literally called "Kraven's Last Hunt", but someone at Sony Pictures thought he sounded like a pretty cool guy worthy of his own movie. Aaron Taylor-Johnson, who's already gotten a taste of superhero life, got his body in fighting shape, but is this movie worth hunting for at the holiday box office season?
End Credits is on CFRU 93.3 fm and cfru.ca Wednesday at 3 pm.

GUELPH POLITICAST #447 – The Strong Mayor Year (feat. Cam Guthrie)

What do you think this year will be remembered for in the annals of Guelph history? Will it be the debate over the Public Space Use Bylaw? Was it the announced closure of the consumption and treatment site downtown? Was it when the mayor re-opened the 2025 budget to try and shave off two-thirds of the proposed levy increase? In any event, all roads lead back to one place, or rather, one person.
In a sense, the first day of the political year was February 8. That was the date of the State of the City speech at the Delta Hotel and Conference Centre where Mayor Cam Guthrie said that he was going to use Strong Mayor Powers in three specific ways: To find a place for a tiny home encampment, leverage City-owner property for affordable housing and to cut the Guelph 2025 budget down to something more affordable. It was a surprise move by Guthrie, but it would not be his last this year.
The Strong Mayor Powers were the first of a couple of different pivots: He joined the Government of Ontario demanding that CTSes no longer operate within 200 metres of schools or daycares, he joined other mayors demanding that the Province use the notwithstanding clause, and he joined Mike Schreiner and Lloyd Longfield in dumping cold water on the community effort to declare the OR Lands a national urban park. So to help close the year, we're going to go inside the mind of...
...Mayor Cam Guthrie! He joins us this week on the podcast to hear about why he might have some regret about the way he announced his use of Strong Mayor Powers, how he might use them again, and how he’s tried to rebuild trust with the members of council. He will also discuss why he’s not totally against CTSes, why he’s hedging on support for a national urban park, and balancing criticism and collaboration with upper levels of government. Also, what is he thinking about for the 2025 State of the City?
So let's dig into this Strong Mayor Year on this edition of the Guelph Politicast!
You can follow the mayor at CamGuthrie on Twitter and at MayorCamGuthrie on Facebook and Instagram. You can also check out his website for news and updates, or send him an email at mayor [at] guelph.ca. Council will not be back in session until Tuesday January 14 for the first Committee of the Whole of the Year, and that agenda will be published on Thursday January 2. 
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.