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Community rallies around downtown business ravaged by flood

GuelphToday

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Your anger is misguided @123abc - this small business owner has property insurance but insurance companies typically don't replace any lost income - and I know of a number of small business owners that are either going hungry or are in serious debt in order to keep their businesses afloat.

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Guelph man builds tiny home in woods for his homeless father-in-law

GuelphToday

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Let's hope that the non-elected leadership at Wellington County are reading this article - there is absolutely no reason for an unsanctioned tiny home to exist in the woods in the City of Guelph. So many communities throughout Ontario are rapidly rolling out tiny homes with appropriate supports. Will the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come visit Wellington County over the holidays?

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Fusion Homes allowed to continue cash crop farming on GID lands

GuelphToday

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Terrible article and title Editor! Correction: Fusion Homes is free to farm this property as long as they want. What Fusion Homes asked for and received from the City of Guelph is to continue qualifying for the Farmland Property Class Tax Rate. The implications here is that their 300 acre property will be taxed at no more than 25% of the residential tax rate. So they are paying 1/4 of the tax bill that rest of us would pay if we owned this land with a residential designation. That is quite the gift from Guelph taxpayers to one of the largest housing developers in Ontario. You're welcome.

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Enbridge asks to shut out local environmental advocates from hearing

GuelphToday

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The natural gas ratepayer is in for a serious storm - with Enbridge proposing to hike natural gas between 21% and 47% (as per their current application to the OEB) and with folks choosing to leave the system, the death spiral for this utility has started. And no, leaving natural gas doesn't leave us open to blackmail by Trump - in fact it would have the opposite effect as over 80% of natural gas consumed in Ontario is US fracked gas from Appalachia/Pennsylvania. Challenging Enbridge's hidden subsidies and moving to electrify our homes is the way to go - thanks for showing leadership on this Emerge and the City of Guelph!

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This election is about Doug Ford, not Donald Trump

GuelphToday

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@Doug Frank, as you're aware there will be at least three to four alternatives on the ballot. But then again, that isn't the point of the article.

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City staff crafting strategy to grow Guelph's park spaces

GuelphToday

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Agreed - the low hanging fruit right now is for the City of Guelph to secure the Kortright Waterfowl Park land before the Grand River Conservation Authority (which currently mismanages the property) is amalgamated with 9 other Conservation Authorities. Time to act Guelph City Council!

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Infill project with 10 apartments approved near Guelph General

GuelphToday

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The right kind of infill - let's go Guelph! Within walking distance of amenities and geared to residents, not students. We need more of this.

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Community clean-up event happening this weekend

GuelphToday

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Some 15 to 20 years ago this used to be a community wide event with hundreds of folks pitching in (typically in late May). Please forgive me for the unsolicited advice but please hold this event in the spring (when it's cooler and one can more easily see the garbage before the plant growth) or the fall when students are back. And definitely avoid the Hillside weekend!

Tiny homes coalition member blames county for stalling project

GuelphToday

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Wanda, those costs are based on the experience of A Better Tent City (ABTC) in Kitchener. The reality is that unhoused folks require a lot of supports to stabilize their situation so those yearly costs include social and health supports, addictions support, a communal kitchen, employment guidance and so on. The last thing that the Guelph Tiny Homes Coalition is envisioning is to house people and then walk away. There are many reports outlining that in this province estimates range from roughly $2,500 to over $9,000 per month in emergency services (shelter, health, justice) for unsheltered folks. Thank you for the good question!

Realtor report calls for changes to make missing-middle housing viable in Guelph

GuelphToday

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You're missing the point M.R.W - we enjoy a high quality of life in the City of Guelph and our property taxes are in line with neighbouring municipalities of similar size. The question on most people's minds right now is how can we make housing more affordable? You sound like you own your own home (given your gripes about property taxes) - so I'd encourage you to think about your neighbours, relatives and others who are struggling with housing affordability. What policies should be put into place to help them? Or are you a property owner that resents paying education taxes because members of your household don't frequent local schools and you cannot appreciate the value of civic investments?

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CPHA accuses Ontario government of misleading public on crime to shut down safe consumption site

GuelphToday

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You missed the point Steve - loitering may annoying or threatening to you but what safe supply does is it means the marginalized aren't breaking in or stealing for their next hit (hence crime goes down) while not consuming poisoned drugs. Safe supply isn't a panacea but leaving addicted and marginalized folks to the mercy of a dirty drug supply that requires them to steal or prostitute themselves is a heartless and cruel strategy.

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Tiny homes coalition member blames county for stalling project

GuelphToday

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Daryl, hardly a garden shed - the home is insulated using sprayfoam with materials materials that 1) will withstand wear and tear (e.g. similar to Trusscore panels) so no mouldy drywall and safety is paramount for the unsheltered so 2) Steel doors and break in proof windows. All these features add to the costs. Developing homes for the unsheltered is not a walk in the garden.

Ford government changes course, opens massive energy procurement to natural gas

GuelphToday

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Once you get past the Enbridge marketing, you may find that:Some 90 per cent of the gas used in Ontario is fracked gas, imported from the U.S. and Western Canada. Fracking is harmful to human health, linked to respiratory disease, endocrine disruption, leukemia and other cancers. In the process of fracking, a lot of methane gas escapes into the atmosphere. Methane is over 80 times more potent than CO2 over a 20 year period. These fugitive methane emissions are supercharging climate warming. - From Environmental Defence Website.

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City council approves only half the funding for proposed downtown drop-in centre

GuelphToday

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The Downtown Guelph Business Association which I understand has over $1M in reserves currrently. Time to step up - show some heart folks.

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Guelph city councillor didn't violate code of conduct: integrity commissioner

GuelphToday

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Agreed - sounds like a frivolous and vexatious complaint to try to intimidate Cllr. Caton. If a councillor is deemed NOT to be in violation of the Code of Conduct - shouldn't the complainant bear the cost of the investigation and report?

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Work at Rockwood's Hidden Quarry to begin next year

GuelphToday

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Sure, dive into the sentiment of "it takes too long to build in Ontario and Canada" but please dig into the issue: At the current average annual consumption rate, aggregate reserves are projected to last for 38 years without needing new pits or quarries in Ontario.

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Seven more properties slated for heritage designation

GuelphToday

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You both make a good point. The City to Guelph could recognize the additonal burden of maintaining heritage attributes on private property by defraying those costs through the little know provincially administered Heritage Property Tax Relief program: https://www.ontario.ca/page/heritage-property-tax-reliefSome 40 municipalities in Ontario have implemented the tax relief program and it speaks to an understanding of the give and take in preserving heritage in private hands: while the property and its uses belongs to the private owner, it's beauty belongs to all of us .

Two councillors won't be running again; one considering run for mayor

GuelphToday

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Ed - Council members have their voting record reviewed every four years in the election. And municipal councils don't legislate - that is left to provincial and federal elected officials. Municipal councils pass bylaws that affect for the most part the entire City so claiming self interest because a Council members represents a ward is nonsensical.

Guelph teen launches folk festival by youth, for youth

GuelphToday

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Go Annie McCarthy - well done and an inspiration!