Guelph Politicast

GUELPH POLITICAST #206 - Penner's Place on Politico

For 12 years and 900 episodes, Fred Penner entertained kids every weekday morning on CBC by inviting them to his Place, which was through the woods, along the river shore and accessed via a downed log hidden by some shrubs. It offered generations of kids access to a world of song, story and make-believe, and it's a world that Penner's still taking kids to one tour stop at a time.
Fred Penner, who is the guest on this week's podcast, had an expansive career in children’s entertainment long before Fred Penner’s Place, and long after CBC even stopped airing reruns in 2000. And yes, Penner is still touring, and this year is marking the 40th anniversary of what is arguably his biggest hit, “The Cat Came Back,” which isn’t even Penner’s song, but was based on a folk tune written by Harry S. Miller in 1893.
Of course that may speak to the timelessness of Penner. Hailing from Winnipeg, Penner wasn't always going to be in music, but he found himself drawn more and more to his side-hustle using music to entertain and comfort children with mental and physical issues. Penner co-founded a children’s dance and theatre company, and through the charity of a patron, he was able to record an album featuring some of his favourite songs.
The rest, as they say, is history, but history isn't over yet for Fred Penner, and he will be bringing his “Cat Came Back” anniversary tour to the Royal City for Hillside Inside in a couple of weeks. First though, he took some time out of his still busy schedule to talk to the Guelph Politicast about a wide range of topics.
In this edition of the podcast, Fred Penner will talk about his long career as a musician and a children’s entertainer, and how we clued in early on to the power of music for its ability to unite and heal. We also talk about the longevity of “The Cat Came Back”, and the difference between the way children’s entertainment is produced now versus when Penner’s Place was on the air. We’ll also discuss how he’s become a multi-generational performer, and how he’s able to play everything from kids shows to college bars and get the exact same rousing response. (See Penner's appearance on the old Strombo show to see the how well he plays to the hipster crowd.)
So let's get inside the mind of Fred Penner for this week's edition of the Guelph Politicast! Fred Penner will be in Guelph for Hillside Inside, and you will have two chances to see him live. We will appearing at the taping of q on Friday February 7 at the River Run Centre, and he will be performing “The Cat Came Back” and other hits at 2 pm on Saturday February 8 at the Royal City Mission. You can visit the festival website here for tickets.
The host for the Guelph Politicast is Podbean. Find more episodes of the Politicast here, or download them on your favourite podcast app at iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, 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 - January 16, 2020

This week on Open Sources Guelph, we don't need to make a play for our independence since we've already got it! So what are we going to do with our independence? We're going to talk to a city councillor!! Ward 6's Dominique O'Rourke will be our guest this week, and then we will talk about the latest from Iran, and another pair trying to strike out on their own...
This Thursday, January 16, at 5 pm, Scotty Hertz and Adam A. Donaldson will discuss:
Plan Dominique. Guelph City Council has already met for the first time in 2020, but there's a whole lot going on in the Royal City as we look ahead to what might happen in next 12 months. This week, we're going to be joined by Ward 6 Councillor Dominique O'Rourke, who will talk to us about the importance of the strategic plan that's now being done, the concerns about the pending traffic crunch on Gordon with all the development in the south end, and we will make some time in the end to talk about sports (?).
Wince of Persia. Although it's been forced off the front page in the United States thanks to impeachment drama, the downing of Ukrainian Airlines Flight 752 is still top of mind for Canadians as the recovery process continues, now with Canadians in Iran and at the crash site. Although Iran has taken responsibility for accidentally shooting down the plane, Prime Minster Justin Trudeau went on TV and said that the escalating tensions are the reason why so many people died. So where do the tensions go from here?
Megxit Wounds. Also forcing international tensions off the front page is the internal tensions of the Royal Family. Harry and Meghan, AKA: the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, are looking to bail on their Royal duties and set up ways to make themselves financially independent. There's no doubt that the Duchess has suffered from an inordinate amount of negative coverage on the basis of her race, but is this move, and the seeming disrespect shown to the Queen, going to be the clean break she and Harry are looking for?
Open Sources is live on CFRU 93.3 fm and cfru.ca at 5 pm on Thursday.

End Credits - January 15, 2020 (Just Mercy)

This week on End Credits, we shift from a star war in a galaxy far, far away to something a little more close to home. Grab a kleenex, or 10, and get ready to for a review of the based on a true story Just Mercy. We're also going to have issues of our own with awards, A.I., Star Wars outrage, and why we might finally be reaching "peak franchises" (or not).
This Wednesday, January 15, at 2 pm, Adam A. Donaldson and Candice Lepage will discuss:
All Award! The annual awards season is underway, and already we have concerns. (Not about the Oscar noms, we'll talk about that next week.) For instance, how did the Golden Globes nearly ignore Netflix even though so many of the year's best movies came from them? Also, how were the BAFTAs able to ignore such a diverse slate of great performances to nominate all white actors?
Robert Quicken. Warner Bros. announced last week that they're going to start using artificial intelligence in deciding what movies they should green light. It's a big move, but while the running of a studio isn't being taken entirely out of human hands (yet), will an A.I. be any better at predicting what movies will be hits by using data better?
Cutting Bored. You've heard of the Snyder Cut, but now everyone's talking about the J.J. Cut, some imagined edit of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker that better reflects J.J. Abrams "vision" of the film. Of course, the director himself has said nothing about an alternate cut of the film, and those "missing scenes" seem part of the regular process of film editing. So who's gonna tell the internet?
Grudge Snatch. The release of The Grudge remake last weekend has some movie pundits asking why the studio even bothered. Not only did the film bomb at the box office, but it received an F on Cinemascore, which means even the people that paid to see it, hated it. So has Hollywood entered terminal "sequel rot," and can studios cure themselves of the affliction?
REVIEW: Just Mercy (2019). In 1988, Walter "Johnny D" McMillan was sentenced to death row in Alabama for a crime he didn't commit because of some of the crappiest police work you've ever seen. And racism. McMillan's story is now brought to life by acclaimed director Destin Daniel Cretton with Michael B. Jordan as crusading attorney Bryan Stevenson, and Jaime Foxx as McMillan. But is there room at the cinema for a good old fashioned legal drama based on a true story.
End Credits is on CFRU 93.3 fm and cfru.ca Wednesday at 2 pm.

GUELPH POLITICAST #205 - Got Organic?

We’re coming up on the annual Organic Conference at the University of Guelph, a tradition that’s been around for nearly 40 years, long before “going organic” was a thing. Make no mistake: organic is big business now, a method of food production and farming that in Canada alone is worth $5.4 billion. In Guelph though, the annual Organic Conference is where this trend gets back to its roots. Pun intended.
This week on the podcast, we're going to talk to Susan Ratz who runs communications and media relations for the Guelph Organic Conference. Based out of the University Centre at the University of Guelph every January, the Conference is  one of the biggest and the oldest of its kind in Canada. (If not *the* biggest and oldest.) The very first conference was an afternoon seminar organized by a couple of grad students in 1982, but now four days of activities are organized by a federal non-profit called Organic Food Conferences Canada, which is made up of representatives of 17 public sector, non-profit organic groups.
The Organic Conference attracts producers and consumers. Whether producers have large farms or just a backyard garden, many come for the workshops and seminars that cover a wide variety of topics, from 10 tips on orchard management to perennial vegetables you can grow at home. For consumers, there's a trade show with over 100 vendors where you can get seeds, supplies, and yes, free samples of organic foods like carrot juice and ice cream. If you're interested in food or farming, it's an organic nirvana.
This week on the podcast, we'll dig into why the Guelph Organic Conference has become a big deal, and what makes it such a unique affair in the big business of organics. We’ll also ask Ratz about the challenges with organizing the conference logistically, and how it balances the needs of being both a trade show for industry insiders while doing outreach to consumers interested in learning more about organics. And finally, we'll talk about some of the must see items and programming that are part of this year’s conference.
So let's talk about the world of organics, and Guelph's landmark role in it, on this week's edition of the Guelph Politicast!
You can find out more about the Guelph Organic Conference at its website, where you can buy tickets, see the schedule of workshops and events, and get a list of exhibitors. The conference takes place at the University of Guelph University Centre from Thursday January 23 to Sunday January 26.
The host for the Guelph Politicast is Podbean. Find more episodes of the Politicast here, or download them on your favourite podcast app at iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, 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 - January 9, 2020

This week on Open Sources Guelph, we're back to our regularly scheduled program and what a program! As we start the new decade, we've got one crisis seemingly averted (for now) in the Middle East, and another crisis that's seemingly being ignored in Australia. In matters that are not crisis-like, but still pressing, we're going to talk about the start of the Weinstein trial, and the latest on the pipeline fight in British Columbia.
This Thursday, January 2, at 5 pm, Scotty Hertz and Adam A. Donaldson will discuss:
The Warring 20s. Starting off the decade on a dark and ominous note, U.S. President Donald Trump ordered the assassination of Qasem Soleimani, the most powerful military leader in Iran. The reasons why are nebulous, and the lack of justification is concerning, but the Iran counterattack seemed to go out of its way to avoid American casualties, so has this concerning moment about another Middle East war now passed, or has it just paused?
Damned Down Under. A constant specter in the news the last month has been the unrelenting wildfires in Australia that have had a literal choking effect across the continent and is even turning the skies in New Zealand a sickly orange. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison is struggling to respond, even as people are attacking him for not just his initial inaction, but his climate change denialism too. Meanwhile, first responders are struggling to not just keep the fire contained, but get the resources they need to keep up the struggle. Are we ignoring this crisis too easily?
Blight Court. Disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein finally got his day (or days) in court starting this past Monday as jury selection for his trial got underway. Immediately, Weinstein's attorneys started issuing complaints about not getting a fair trial, but Weinstein's numerous victims have been waiting for years to see their alleged abuser exposed and facing justice in a system that Weinstein exploited to his benefit. Is this the last chapter for Weinstein, and where does #MeToo go next?
Eviction Opus. The Wet'suwet'en hereditary chiefs have been pushing back against Coastal GasLink, who are building a pipeline on their traditional territory. It was this time last year that there were arrests on site to stop the First Nation from interfering with the project, but even after another court ruling saying that they have to allow Coastal GasLink proceed with construction, the Wet'suwet'en are still fighting to get their voices heard. Are we listening?
Open Sources is live on CFRU 93.3 fm and cfru.ca at 5 pm on Thursday.

End Credits - January 8, 2020 (Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker)

This week on End Credits, we're back from the holiday break refreshed and ready to review new movies again, and this week it's one of the most anticipated and one of the most, dare we say, controversial. We'll review the latest Star Wars, plus we'll talk about why no one's liking Cats, the possible effects of toy company owning a studio, and some new trailers.
This Wednesday, January 8, at 2 pm, Adam A. Donaldson and Tim Phillips will discuss:
Cats-tastrophe. Cats, the adaptation of the popular stage musical, was supposed to be one of the biggest movie hits of the holiday season. It had an established brand name, familiar music, an Academy Award-winning director, and a very talented cast, in other words, it had everything a movie is supposed to need to become a hit, so what the heck happened?
Toy Stories. Hasbro owns most of the toys you've ever heard of including Transformers, Monopoly, and Dungeons & Dragons, and now they own a studio. The Toronto-based Entertainment One is now a subsidiary of Hasbro, so does that mean EOne is going to be more concerned about pumping out G.I. Joe movies as opposed to investing in Can-con?
Downhill to More Quiet is Tenet. The holidays brought many gifts, including some first looks at exciting new movies coming up in 2020. It looks like Christopher Nolan is defying the laws of time and physics again in Tenet, Emily Blunt has to hush up everyone to keep them alive in A Quiet Place Part II, and a European dramedy gets an American makeover in Downhill.
 
REVIEW: Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019). More than 42 years after it first hit theatres, the Star Wars saga has come to an end, or at least the Skywalker portion of it has. Like all Star Wars movies lately, The Rise of Skywalker has divided the audience; some think it's too safe creatively, while others have welcomed a Star Wars that better meets there expectations. But is there a middle road? Can you have your Star Wars cake and critique it too?
End Credits is on CFRU 93.3 fm and cfru.ca Wednesday at 2 pm.

GUELPH POLITICAST #204 - The 106 Beaumont Saga

There are signs that many people in our community want 2020 to be the year of housing. After a long, unsustainable hiatus on the development of supportive, social and affordable housing, all parties are eager to attack a problem that's only ever getting worse. Sounds good, but do you remember what happened the last time everyone was eager for action on homelessness?
This week on the podcast, we’re going to recap one of the most contentious debates of last year. Back in October, city council heard information on underutilized real estate assets owned by the City of Guelph, and one of those assets is a parcel of land at 106 Beaumont Crescent. The City doesn't know yet what to do about it, but a couple of councillors proposed using the land for modular homes that could serve as supportive housing, and fill a desperate need in our community.
That well meaning motion became a lightning rod issue that sent people to their respective corners. Those in favour thought the negative reaction was overblown and NIMBY by its nature, while further stigmatizing the homeless and people suffering from addiction issues. In the other corner, you had people feeling like the City was moving fast on a proposal that would change the character of their neighbourhood, and without much local input, while questioning whether Beaumont Crescent itself was a good, accessible location. 
So why revisit the debate? Consider it a test case. The City’s being pushed more and more to take action on social and affordable housing, as well as supportive housing for people with issues beyond homelessness. How will the city react to new proposals? Will people stand in the way of progress? Can the City move at the speed some people want, while at the same time doing all the due diligence others are demanding? 
In this podcast, we’ll hear three of the important voices from the 106 Beaumont debate, collected here from separate interviews done on recent episodes of Open Sources Guelph. First, we’ll hear from Ward 2 Counclllor Rodrigio Goller, who was the originator of the motion. Then, we’ll hear from Ward 1 Councillor Dan Gibson, who was the sole 'no' vote on the original motion. And finally, we'll hear from Kate Nixon, Lilly Bent, and Siegfried of Your Downtown Guelph Friends, who have worked closely with people in need, and took the vocal, public opposition to the motion rather personally.
So let's recap the 106 Beaumont Sage on this week's edition of the Guelph Politicast!
Stay tuned to Guelph Politico for more about the housing debate here in Guelph, and the push to get more social and supportive housing, because there’s going to be a lot of news on this subject in the year to come.
The host for the Guelph Politicast is Podbean. Find more episodes of the Politicast here, or download them on your favourite podcast app at iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, 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 - January 2, 2020

It's the beginning of year six here on Open Sources Guelph, and, as usual, the season starts with one of our recurring annual bits, the Awards Show. It started as the yearly cap stone on the old Beyond the Ballot Box show, and the work continues on this fifth edition of the OSG version as we take a step back before diving into a new political year. Once again, we will be bringing you our picks in four categories covering all the good, the bad, and the ugly that we lived through in 2019.
This Thursday, January 2, at 5 pm, Scotty Hertz and Adam A. Donaldson will discuss:
Best Politician. Yes, there is such a thing as the Best Politician. Whether it's someone who has managed to use their powers to do good in the last 12 months, or it's someone that's been able to navigate the murky depths of the seedy underbelly and emerge victorious, this year's top prize might await any number of contenders. Whether they were good, or whether they were shrewd, we'll talk about 2019's best politicians.
Dumpster Fire of the Year. This annual favourite looks at a news year full of terrible stories highlighting government incompetence, individual corruption, rank hypocrisy, and small to great crimes against humanity. It can be embarrassing, it can be disappointing, or it can be aggravating, but the annual salute to the year's biggest dumpster fire of a news story never fails to miss to mark.
Good News Story. Yes, there was good news in 2019! Sometimes you have to dig a little to find it, but good news is there if you can find it. Somewhere this year, there was one person or a group of people doing good in the world. They were able to send a message of hopefulness or change, or they were able to send more than a message and actually enact hope and change. Not an easy feat in 2019, as you will see.
Worst Politician. If there is a best, then there is also a worst. On the surface, you might think that it's easy to be bad, but the reality is that it's actually pretty hard to stand out in this field of bad. To find one or two politicians we can comfortably call the worst is no easy task, but that's why we get paid the non-existent dollars, and like the dumpster fire award, it's one of out most anticipated picks of the year.
Open Sources is live on CFRU 93.3 fm and cfru.ca at 5 pm on Thursday.

End Credits - January 1, 2020 (Worst of 2019/Picks for 2020)

This week on End Credits we welcome the new year with one last look at the last one, and a look ahead to what 2020 has in store. On our second of two annual holiday shows this week, we'll spend the first half looking at the baddest of the bad from 2019, and what we hope will be the bestest of the best in 2020.
This Wednesday, January 1, at 2 pm, Adam A. Donaldson, Candice Lepage, and Tim Phillips will discuss:
Worst of 2019. What do you do if the year at the movies was more or less fairly positive? It turns out that 2019 was a fairly good year for movies, and not one filled with a lot of terrible flicks that kill your soul from the inside out. Instead, the team will focus on our disappointments. From sequels gone wrong, to high concept flops, and at least one of Matthew McConaughey's two films about being a beach bum, we'll look back with noses held.
Looking Forward to 2020. But who cares about 2019 since it's now 2020! The future is now, and the Roaring Twenties are back, so will we enter the new decade with a bang at the movies? It certainly seems like that might be the case. From the adaptation of sci-fi stalwart by a Canadian visionary, to the mysterious new movie from Christopher Nolan, to the return of the Busters of Ghosts, we'll look ahead to what looks good in '20.
End Credits is on CFRU 93.3 fm and cfru.ca Wednesday at 2 pm.

GUELPH POLITICAST #203 – The Transit Pass with TAAG

It’s been an interesting year for transit and transit enthusiasts in the Royal City. A lot has stayed the same, there’s been some signs of changes coming, and there’s even been a few changes made, but what about the bigger picture? Are we more confident about the exciting transit future of Guelph, or are we more pessimistic?
Good questions, so let’s recap the year in transit. It began with the 12 recommendations from the Transit Service Review, which were unanimously received by council, and began to be adopted by Transit. At nearly the same time, the City began collecting public feedback for the Transportation Master Plan, which included two experiments in creating "complete streets," like a transit-only lane on Gordon Street. It seemed like the City was on a brand new page when it comes to transit. 
But nice things aren’t built to last, and by the time we got to this year’s budget process, some members of council began to crack on their commitment to expanding transit. A new route that services the Hanlon Creek Business Park, and an additional bus for expanded service on the community bus routes, were called into doubt when a few councillors balked at the price. The new routes were approved, but when will they go into effect, and what happens with the next expansion?
This week on the podcast, we're going to recap the year in transit with two members of Transit Action Alliance of Guelph, or TAAG, Chair and President Steve Petric and Treasurer Barbara Sim. They will look at the year in review, consider the return of the "needs versus wants" debate during the budget process this year, and whether TAAG thinks that council is serious about getting serious on transit. We also talk about their hopes about the Transportation Master Plan, the City’s experimentation with complete streets, and the coming arrival of the reloadable tap and ride card.
So let’s talk again about transit issues with TAAG on this quarter’s edition of the Transit Pass, which is this week’s episode of the Guelph Politicast!
You can learn more about the Transit Action Alliance of Guelph, or TAAG, at their website. TAAG will return again for another Transit Pass sometime in the spring.
The host for the Guelph Politicast is Podbean. Find more episodes of the Politicast here, or download them on your favourite podcast app at iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, 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.