Kent Hunter-Duvar
579156 
Business provides an update on stolen backhoe
SooToday
6I'm curious how much more in taxes Risenshine33 is willing to pay in order to keep more people in jail? The current cost of detention is an average $320 per day in Ontario. And our jails are currently operating above capacity.And locking up offenders is only going to prevent repeat of fences.
30- Kent Hunter-Duvar
Snowbirds be aware: Border Services collecting tariffs as a surtax
SooToday 26Border services didn't set the rates. They were imposed by an order in council. I recommend study of how the Westminister Parliamentary System operates. And I have no sympathy on the duty & taxes you had to pay returning from your shopping trip. The dollars you tried to save by shopping in the US harm our economy by not supporting our own farmers and manufacturers. If you want the benefits of living in Canada such as universal healthcare then you need to buy your goods in Canada and pay the taxes that provides them.
5- Kent Hunter-Duvar
Fireworks for personal use could be banned in Guelph
GuelphToday 22I'm saddened by this but I see the need to ban public fireworks due to the poor behaviour of a few people. I would like to see a sizeable penalty for those caught discharging fireworks illegally.
2- Kent Hunter-Duvar
Council finally gets around to really acting on homelessness
GuelphToday 15I think I'd have said "No. How much?" Because I'll bet he doesn't know either. The Cam Guthrie I see now doesn't remind me much of the man that aspired to be mayor. Maybe it's time he got his former job back?
- Kent Hunter-Duvar
City hall flails as they move fast and break things
GuelphToday 10Especially with the closing of the Supervised Consumption Sites. And I've never understood how having a supervised site where addicts can inject their drugs indoors contributes to needles being discarded on streets or in parks. I'm pretty sure the consumption site provides for proper disposal of the needles used.
5- Kent Hunter-Duvar
Potential 'golden opportunity' for Guelph Tiny Homes Coalition
GuelphToday 13I have a relative who's an addiction and been unhoused. He has ADHD which is part of what lead to his addiction as he spent his childhood with it unrecognized and thus untreated. It's severe enough that living with others, especially in close confines is a non starter. He did seek treatment and managed to find an affordable place to live by himself. I worry because he's at risk of becoming unhoused and finding another affordable place is difficult. So I support building these tiny homes.
1- Kent Hunter-Duvar
Snowbirds be aware: Border Services collecting tariffs as a surtax
SooToday 13The government needs more income than ever so how can they afford to forgo the GST? And there is no GST on chicken, milk and most other food if you buy it in Canada. The tariffs on the Canadian side of the border with the US are quite well thought out and largely avoid necessities we can only get from the US.
1- Kent Hunter-Duvar
Council rejects developer’s request to demo heritage buildings
GuelphToday 5Propert standards orders need more teeth for enforcement. For too long in cities across Ontario developers have been able to have things their way by ignoring property standards orders and allowing properties to decline to where demolition becomes inevitable. I don't know if fines need to be increased. Perhaps court orders should be sought and periods in custody for those who disobey them. A few days in Milton might correct their behavior. Of course that would require the judges to hold those in control accountable. Something that seems to happen all to rarely.
8- Kent Hunter-Duvar
Council finally gets around to really acting on homelessness
GuelphToday 11I get tired of the argument that renters don't pay property taxes. Who pays the taxes on rental properties if not the tenants of the building? You can be sure that the property owner is passing that tax bill on to the tenants. And if it's a multi-residential building that those in their single family home look down their nose at that multi-residential building is paying a higher mil rate as it's deemed an income earning property.
2- Kent Hunter-Duvar
Council finally gets around to really acting on homelessness
GuelphToday 12Years ago many city councils acted on needed affordable housing and enabled the building of housing co-ops. In some cases land was made available. But the co-ops were built and carried a mortgage on the property that payments were made by the people living there. There is no more cost effective way to provide affordable rentals than co-op housing. And co-ops manage themselves via boards elected by and from the membership. Staff has been looking at lands that could be used for affordable housing. Has council ever considered new co-ops?
1- Kent Hunter-Duvar
Better road maintenance 'essential' for e-scooters, city says
GuelphToday 12What happens if the province doesn't extend the e-scooter initiative? Does anyone think people will stop riding scooters they've purchased? Toronto hasn't legalized them within Toronto but they are plenty of people who've bought them zipping around. And there's quite a few everywhere that can reach speeds in excess of thevlegal speed. And there seems to be no enforcement anywhere for helmets, riding where they're not supposed to, riding double or scooters with seats installed. Just who is supposed to enforce the laws concerning them? The police or bylaw? I suggest they figure that out before worrying about road improvements.
1- Kent Hunter-Duvar
Poll: Facebook is getting worse, most readers say
7Bill C-18 did not improve Facebook. And I dont quite get the arguments in favour of it. News sources post content online. If I took that content and used it, I can see justification for payment. But posting a link to the original site and content,complete with ads supporting that content does not seem to deserve payment. If anything it seems to me they shoukd be compensating Facebook for the clicks the same way advertisers do. In the end I think everyone but Facebook lost with C-18. We lost on easy access to news and information our friends wanted to share and the content creators lose on the number of views on their sites. And if page views on their site wasn't the goal, why do they post it online?
5- Kent Hunter-Duvar
Scottsdale neighbours say concrete bike lane separators are a 'nightmare'
GuelphToday 10I don't think those concrete curbs would provide much protection from an SUV or pickup that strayed out of their lane. It would be far more effective if they put a single bidirectional bike lane on one side of the road and used jersey barriers.
2- Kent Hunter-Duvar
Addressing homelessness: Clearing up ‘misconceptions’ about Stepping Stone
GuelphToday 7Please explain how you're supposed to accommodate a violent indivisual with your trauma informed approach without putting staff and other patrons at risk. I'm sure the staff and management at Stepping Stone would like to know too. If you know how to do it better, why aren't you helping them do it better.
4- Kent Hunter-Duvar
Police and MNR catch tranquilized bear after it falls from tree
SooToday 10It's unlikely she would be alone in a tree for long if she had cubs. Qualified techs should recognize if she was nursing cubs.
1- Kent Hunter-Duvar
Poilievre and his magic 'axe' versus the curse of city hall
GuelphToday 9Woke = Human Rights. So when Polliviere, Trump and other right wing politicians start ranting about Woke Nonsense, replace WOKE with HUMAN RIGHTS and see how it sounds. Because that's exactly what they espouse, a reduction or elimination of our human rights. They desire a government run and controlled by our corporations. Make a note that Trump promised that in 4 years Americans won't have to vote again.
1- Kent Hunter-Duvar
We need to talk about Guelph's driving
GuelphToday 7I'm so sick of the "pedestrians only made eye contact". How do you make eye contact with the driver that's 100 feet away at a right angle to you traveling even 20 kmh? It just doesn't work. And if you waited until they were at the stop line they'll ignore you and make their turn because they're moving to fast to stop. Ask motorists and often it's "I didn't realize they were waiting to cross". Drivers won't like it but for safer (I still won't claim sae) change the traffic light to a 3 cycle pattern. No pedestrians crossing when on green lights. Then an all way red allowing a pedestrian scramble where even diagonal crossing is permitted. This restricts pedestrian collisions to those who choose to cross when prohibited and vehicles running a red light. I've been in such intersections as a driver and I've also used them as a pedestrian and although it may appear it would cause delays, I my experience the sped things up. Vehicles can make their turn and clear the way behind them.
3- Kent Hunter-Duvar
Looking for after-hours beer leads to robbery charge
GuelphToday 3I don't understand the rationale for restricting the hours for beer sales in Ontario in 24 hour stores or other provinces for that matter. For many people on shift work 3 am is their evening after work.
7- Kent Hunter-Duvar
High hopes for Steelton property being converted to affordable rentals for women
SooToday 9There is a 45 unit women and children only supportive housing building in Waterloo that's been operating quite successfully for years. Run by the YWCA. Hard to tell from the limited details but this sounds to be something similar.
1- Kent Hunter-Duvar
OPINION: What's the point of delegating when council doesn't listen?
GuelphToday 8I wonder, have any of those on council or DGBA ever lived or at least worked in a thriving downtown? Is there a city somewhere they're looking to emulate? There are quite a number of things. I've lived in small town that rolled up the carpet at 5:30 pm. I've lived in Calgary, Toronto in my youth. What I've observed in the thriving areas that might be called downtown is, people live there and stay there. Be it apartment buildings, condos or owners or tenants living over business in 2 or 3 storey walkups or in a rooming house they live there. They sit on balconies or front steps on nice evenings. And if it's a larger city they have a transit system that works. Look down hwy 7 at Kitchener and the revitalization of downtown. GRT and the LRT are big part of it. As well as businesses like Google, the University with the school of Pharmacy and people living in new buildings or converted former factories. You don't build a successful downtown or "main street" with specialty shops & bars
- Kent Hunter-Duvar
