Susan Watson

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Doug Ford confirms Ontario election to begin Wednesday

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Ford is trying to lock in another 4 years before the results of the RCMP investigation into the Greenbelt scandal land. It has nothing to do with "needing a mandate".All other party leaders have said they will support whatever spending is required to respond to the impacts of Trump's tariffs.

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PCs' opponents decry U.S. lobbyists deals as another way Ford's putting 'insiders first'

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So......in between running Ford's election campaigns, Teneycke gets to make money selling access to Ford.......?!!!

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In Guelph, and across Ontrio this week, Doug Ford embraced cruelty

GuelphToday

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This is actually going to impact everyone. If the Guelph Emerg staff will now have to care for people who have overdosed because they didn't have access to a safe consumption site, there will be longer wait times and fewer staff resources to respond to your stroke, heart attack or motor vehicle collision injuries.Did the "people in the neighbourhoods" think about this?

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Skyline wants to build 12-storey building across from city hall

GuelphToday

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More than a decade ago, thousands of hours of staff and citizen time were spent developing an award-winning Downtown Secondary plan. That plan directed the highest buildings to the lowest geographical areas along Wellington and beside the river and set a cap of 6 storeys in the core to preserve the heritage character of the City.Skyline's ongoing lack of respect for the democratic process and the character of our City is appalling.

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Council clears the way for Downtown Guelph to get taller

GuelphToday

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In all my years as a Council watcher, I have never seen Council and staff cater to developers to this extreme.An elite group of property owners just made millions of dollars last night with the zoning changes. This is exactly why members of the development industry are the largest donors to municipal and Provincial election campaigns (looking at you Mayor Guthrie).As usual, it will be Guelph citizens who will be getting screwed: over water, parkland, parking, taxes and Development Charges. Not to mention destroying the heritage character of our downtown.

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In Guelph, and across Ontrio this week, Doug Ford embraced cruelty

GuelphToday

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Drug dealers like Ford clearly don't care about the people who are addicted.The Ford Family's History with Drug Dealinghttps://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/toronto/globe-investigation-the-ford-familys-history-with-drug-dealing/article12153014/

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Guelph residents celebrating after 'King of Renovictions' backs off

GuelphToday

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The City needs to stop ragging the puck and move forward with a Renoviction By-law and Vacant Homes Tax ASAP,Kitchener just voted for a Renoviction By-law on Monday.Everyone wrings their hands over the housing crisis but the City moves at the pace of molasses in January Guthrie was able to get a "Public Space Use By-law" written and passed in a mere 8 weeks, but getting these by-laws drafted is taking forever. Interesting that Guthrie can make things move to evict tent encampments, but not to stop the renovictions that contribute to the encampments in the first place!The campaign donation filings tell the real story of who Guthrie works for

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Doug Ford confirms Ontario election to begin Wednesday

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No, your election bribe cheque will be in the mail shortly. And remember: you are being bribed with your own money!

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U.S. pauses tariffs on Canadian goods for a month

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Elon Musk's endorsement of Pierre Poilievre should tell you everything you need to know.

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Challenges ahead for Guelph’s 'very scary' housing situation

GuelphToday

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So bring in a Vacancy Tax to incentivize property owners to sell or rent housing that is sitting empty. Council doesn't have control over housing starts, but a Vacancy Tax IS within their control. Toronto, Ottawa, Windsor, Hamilton and Sault Ste. Marie have all introduced vacancy taxes. Let's get it done!There is housing already built in this city that won't be subject to supply chain issues, labour shortages, or interest rates. It is already built, but sitting empty. You can sign a petition at this link: https://getinvolvedguelph.ca/actions/guelph-housing-crisis-time-for-a-vacancy-tax/There's a beautiful detached heritage house a couple of blocks from me that has been sitting empty for more than 15 years. There are at least 10 vacant houses within a kilometer of my home.

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City development fees threaten future of major student housing project

GuelphToday

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I think the "public" can assert what is in the "public's" interest thank you very much. If Forum doesn't pay the $15.5 million in Development Charges, then it will be Guelph citizens who are picking up the tab through our taxes. There is no "Development Charge tooth fairy." I for one am not interested in subsidizing this for-profit development. It is NOT the same as non-profit campus housing run by the university.Take a look at Forum's other project: "My Alma". https://thisismyalma.ca/guelph/They are gouging students for $999 each for a shared bedroom and starting at $1,675 for a single bedroom and bathroom.I'm sure that investing $15.5 million in publicly-owned rent-geared-to-income rental housing would have ripple effects across the city. That's where I want to see my money go. Not into developers pockets!

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'How is this legal?' Meet the king of Ontario renovictions

GuelphToday

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The Housing Affordability Strategy is coming to Guelph City Council on Tuesday, December 10th. Register to delegate by 10 am on Friday, December 6th. Demand that Guelph City Council bring in a Renoviction By-law like Hamilton has done as part of the Housing Affordability Strategy.

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PCs' opponents decry U.S. lobbyists deals as another way Ford's putting 'insiders first'

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Here's the latest showing Ford in a "positive light", caught off camera talking about Trump: "Election day, was I happy this guy won? One hundred per cent I was," Ford said. "But then the guy pulled out the knife and f--king yanked it into us."

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In Guelph, and across Ontrio this week, Doug Ford embraced cruelty

GuelphToday

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“No man is an island entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main; if a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as well as any manner of thy friends or of thine own were; any man’s death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind. And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.”John Donne (1571 - 1631)

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Brant Avenue tenants terrified over looming 'renovictions'

GuelphToday

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Hamilton has passed an anti-renoviction by-law.Guelph City Council could pass one too.

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Guelph loses a fierce and fearless advocate

GuelphToday

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I am absolutely shocked and devasted to read this news. My deepest condolences to Kate's family and friends. She truly was a beautiful and special soul. Kate's untimely death is a profound and irreplaceable loss for this community. Rest in peace Kate.

Skyline wants to build 12-storey building across from city hall

GuelphToday

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And....where is the water for that added population going to come from?Guelph City Council has already approved housing which exceeds our projected water supply to 2051. Our former CAO told Council it needs to delete housing zoning to stay within our water capacity, not add it.https://www.guelphmercury.com/news/theres-a-water-issue-brewing-here-council-narrowly-decides-provinces-changes-to-guelph-innovation-district/article_f0553feb-cc48-5c16-88b3-a268ff05d44f.htmlhttps://www.guelphtoday.com/letters-to-the-editor/letter-council-decision-could-impact-citys-water-supply-7954968Is Mayor Guthrie planning to build a pipe to Lake Erie? The cost of that pipe in 2006 was $8 billion. Even if the cost is shared with other municipalities, a pipe will add tens of thousands of dollars to each tax bill - not to mention thousands annually for the pumping costs to bring the water from Lake Erie and pump the sewage back to the same location - as required by law.

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Council hears pitches to restore transit, arts and environment funding

GuelphToday

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This is an outrageous diversion of public money into developer pockets and the real reason we are facing both tax hikes and program cuts. Instead of writing to Doug Ford asking him to invoke the Notwithstanding Clause to trample the Charter Rights of our most vulnerable citizens, the "Big Mayors" and our City Council should be writing to Ford to tell him to amend the Development Charges Act to make growth pay for itself.Imagine what we could do with $50 million over 3 years in the Affordable Housing Reserve!The fact that pubic money is being diverted to the wealthiest people in our community while people are sleeping in tents and children are visiting food banks is unconscionable and immoral.

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Online voting set for likely return in 2026 city election

GuelphToday

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From the website of "Verified Voting": https://verifiedvoting.org/In late 2022, a blue ribbon panel convened by the University of California, Berkeley’s Center for Security in Politics concluded that creating standards for online ballot return, so that it can be done securely and privately, was not feasible. “When internet ballot return is employed,” the Working Group wrote, “it may be possible for a single attacker to alter thousands or even millions of votes. And this lone individual could perpetrate an attack from a different continent from the one where the election is being held – perhaps even while under the protection of a rogue nation where there is no concern of repercussions.”Internet voting is not secure. It undermines the integrity of our local democracy. It's not like a bank account where you know there's a change in your balance. If a hack is done properly, no one would ever know the vote tally had been changed.

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PCs' opponents decry U.S. lobbyists deals as another way Ford's putting 'insiders first'

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Wrong.

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