Transit Plans and Lost Summer

Consulting group reveals bold plan for Transit

Guelph’s Transit Growth Strategy and Plan was addressed in two sessions last week at the Evergreen Seniors Centre and City Hall, respectively. After a public meeting last December, over 1,100 completed written surveys, 6,000 online surveys and interviews with members of council and transit stakeholders, the crew of Dillon Consulting unveiled their master plan, which was, to say the least, ambitious.

I had the opportunity to be a proverbial third wheel as Ward 3 Councillor June Hofland was taken through the proposed changes by Richard Puccini, a transportation consultant with Dillon. The plan was broken up into three areas: improvements to mobility service, changes to conventional bus service and the assessment of Higher Order Transit for the city (ie: light rail, use of Guelph Junction Rail lines and intercity transit). The overall vision of the project, to summarize, is to make public transit the preferred mode of transportation for everyone in the City of Guelph be they resident, worker or visitor.

First up were improvements to the city’s mobility service and according to the survey, ridership on Guelph’s mobility buses hasn’t increased in the last few years. The thing is though, it will. With an aging population, the city will need to expand past one mobility bus running four hours a day. Instead Puccini and his fellow consultants recommend getting a second bus and a north and south route. Further, the consultants talked about targeting those routes to the amenities and locations that seniors frequent. It’s hoped that within two years, ridership will expand by 25 per cent and then expand to 60 per cent in five years.

Conventional service is where things really get interesting. First, it was noted in the surveys that despite an overall excellent record of service, Transit is still slipping so far as areas being underserviced or dealing with the fact that sometimes bus demand is either overwhelming or unable to meet demand. Puccini explained that a grid system was out of the question because the nature of the layout of Guelph streets makes it impractical. Instead, the Dillon team is recommending a complete teardown of the current routes and make the straight shot of Gordon, Norfolk and Woolwich the primary transit corridor of the city. They also suggest adjusting route lengths to make runs 15 minutes during peak and 30 minutes off peak.

Overall though, Puccini said Guelph’s ahead of many southern Ontario municipalities with 6.1 per cent of the city population taking the bus as their primary form of transportation. Still 65 per cent are single person auto-centric and the city will need to take steps to discourage that while also encouraging a dynamic, multifaceted approach to transportation that includes biking, walking and carpooling.

To get more information about the Transportation strategy go to http://guelphpolitico.blogspot.com

5 Lost Days of Summer

Despite lengthy negotiations between the City and the workers’ unions in an effort to co-ordinate the five unpaid days for city workers approved in this year’s budget, it seems that Guelph services will effectively be shutdown five days this summer. Facility closures and service disruptions will be in effect Monday June 21; Friday July 9; Thursday July 22; Wednesday August 11; and Tuesday August 24. However, this doesn’t include transit, which will have to take its lumps in the month of August during which time Sunday service will be cancelled. That’s right, I hope none of you out there take the bus in order to get to church, work, or other points of interest on a Sunday, because you’re going to be S.O.L. in August.

“While this has been a difficult decision and will undoubtedly be unwelcome news for residents, the measures are necessary to mitigate further property tax increases,” said Guelph’s Chief Administrative Officer Hans Loewig in a press release. “We thank all of the parties for their willingness to discuss ways to avoid service disruptions, which demonstrates a collective commitment to public service.”

Skateboarding, Construction & Campaigning

Skater Boys and Girls Wanted

Do you like skateboarding? Sure, we all do. Even my younger sister with the law degree from Dalhousie is a reformed (reforming) skater punk. Anyway, it’s to you the City’s speaking now. A new working group is being assembled to tackle the question over where the skate park currently found in Deerpath Park should be relocated to. Last fall, council approved the $200,000 needed to move the park after residents complained that the noise exceeded the applicable Ministry of Environment noise guideline limit at nearby homes. (Never mind the notion that, perhaps, having young people outside doing physical activity is better than having them indoors playing on an electric box given modern obesity rates in children, but I digress.)

What can you do? Simple, “The group will have approximately six evening meetings over the next year to develop a recommendation to City Council,” says the post on the City’s website. “The working group will have about 10 members including residents from across the city, representatives from the Guelph Youth Council and Neighbourhood Coalition, facility users and City staff.” Don’t have time to contribute to a working group but still want your say? No worries, the group will be looking for public input. Keep your eyes open for such opportunities in the weeks and months to come. If you are interested in joining the working group however, let yourself be known by providing your name, address, contact information and reason for your interest to Helen White, Parks Planner with the Community Design and Development Services department by Monday, April 12. White can be reached by phone at 519-837-5616 x 2298 or by e-mail at helen.white@guelph.ca

It begins…

Like the warmer weather, don’t you? Well you know what that means… That’s right gang, with winter behind us it’s time for Canada’s other season, construction, to begin. "This is the start of an unprecedented construction season as we work to complete about five years of work in just one year in order to take advantage of federal and provincial infrastructure funding," says Guelph City Engineer, Rick Henry in a press release. "There are going to be inconveniences, but the City plans to be proactive in communicating with residents and businesses so that they can be prepared." It’s all part of the “Guelph: Remastered” plan that was put forward by the City earlier this year, which is a communications and publicity campaign with the dual purpose of keeping residents informed of construction and helping them cope with it through various promotions. In case you haven’t already noticed, Suffolk St. is the first contestant in this round of Guelph: Remasted. Starting tomorrow, April 2, Suffolk St will be closed to traffic between Norfolk St and Woolwich St.

Campaign Watch 2010

Can’t speak for the rest of you, but I’m a little antsy to get this municipal election cycle up and going. So in the hopes that sunnier and warmer weather may melt political aspirations of future Guelph Politicos (Hey, I have a blog by that name which can be found at http//guelphpolitico.blogspot.com/), I offer this update of the current candidate slate as of my Echo press time. Now you probably already know that Mayor Karen Farbridge has thrown her hat into the ring for re-election as have Ward 2’s Vicki Beard and Ward 3’s June Hofland. Ward 1, meanwhile, has two candidates in the person of Linda Murphy and Sean Farrelly. As for Ward 1’s current councillors, sharp readers will recall me mentioning Kathleen Farrelly (mother of Sean) in last week’s column and her intention to retire from council. Meanwhile, Bob Bell’s future in the horseshoe is, as of yet, unknown. Of course, updates, as always, can be found at The Politico. And if you’re planning to declare your candidacy, give me a heads up at adamadonaldson[at]gmail[dot]com

Earth Hour and Air Pollution

Guelph’s Going Dark, Again

If you notice the lights on your block going out for an hour on Saturday night, then fear not because it just means that your neighbours are supporting the 2010 edition of Earth Hour, as is the City of Guelph. Guelph will be one of 172 Canadian municipalities that will be participating in the annual observance/awareness campaign in support of promoting energy conservation and combating climate change. “Turning out the lights for Earth Hour is a symbolic gesture, but it is a good opportunity for us to reflect on how our quality of life is impacted by our use of energy and the importance of using energy wisely,” says Mayor Karen Farbridge. In every city facility, all but essential lighting will be turned off from 8:30 pm till 9:30 pm, and the city is encouraging residents to do the same and register their conservation efforts at guelph.ca/earthhour

Stop Coughing, it’s not air pollution (says study)

But why waste your time with Earth Hour, some may ask. Especially now that one University of Guelph professor has co-authored a study finding that previously held assertions about the correlation between air pollution and respiratory disease may not be as solid as previously though. U of G economics professor Ross McKitrick, long known as one of the ubiquitous fifth dentists when it comes to global climate change, analyzed a database of 11 Canadian cities over a 20 year period with the assistance of Gary Koop of the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow and Lise Tole of the University of Edinburgh. Their results, published in the journal Environmental Modelling and Software, showed that there was no evidence that air pollution affected hospital admission rate or time spent in the hospital, at least not as much as smoking and income levels. It’s worth pointing out though that Tole and Koop, like McKitrick, are economists, and that this is one study versus hundreds that have found, and continue to find, a link between the crummy air we breathe and the incidents of respiratory-related conditions like asthma. Meanwhile advanced researchers in the field of insultology, contend that air pollution is a prime factor in “that Hamilton smell.”

Bits and Bites

Looks like the lights at St. George’s Square won’t be altered anytime soon as per a vote by members of the city’s emergency services, community services and operations committee. As per a council vote last December, subtle changes were made to the lights in the square in an effort to make things more convenient for motorists. The initial request came from the Downtown Business Association who noted that traffic downtown had dropped in the last 20 years, and suggested a change to the stop lights might be an enticement. However, traffic and parking manager Alister McIlveen told council that there had been no comments, either for or against the changes, and thus the lights will stay the same for now. He added that when the transit hub opens on Carden St. in a few years, the city may want to revisit the issue.

In campaign news, it seems that Ward 1 Councillor Kathleen Farrelly will not be seeking re-election, however Ward 1 need not necessarily be left Farrelly-less come October. Instead, Kathleen’s son Sean Farrelly, himself a former city councillor that represented Ward 2 for nine years, will be running for his mother’s council seat in the fall. The current Councillor Farrelly, meanwhile, will settle down after she gets remarried this June. She intends to spend a lot of time travelling to visit her new husband’s relations on East Coast. Have you caught election fever yet? Then click on guelph.ca/vote/ to stay up to date and call me in the morning. (That was a joke, please don’t call me.)

Run Cam, Run? And Water Day

Cam’s Thinking about Running, Not there yet though

An internet movement’s begun over the last few weeks to push a certain well know Guelphite and politico into the recently initiated mayoral race, but Cam Guthrie says that no final decisions have been made yet. “It’s weighing heavily on me right now because of all the phone calls and e-mails and people stopping me on the street,” Guthrie told me by phone last week. “Whatever decision it is it will be in the best interest of my city and my family.”

The buzz comes from a Facebook group called “Cam Guthrie for the Mayor of Guelph”, which was started barely a week after the city’s present mayor, Karen Farbridge, announced her intention to run for re-election in this fall’s municipal contest. Guthrie calls it an encouragement page, but one that he had nothing to do with. Instead, credit for the group can be given to Karl Morant. “The first time I ever met him was in the [2006] municipal election,” Guthrie recalls. “I’ve probably had four conversations with him on passing over the last four years.”

As of last Wednesday, Morant and his group have collected 239 members and counting. Guthrie admits that he’s recognized a few of the names that joined the group, but there’s also a great many he doesn’t. “I am very humbled by the encouragement and support that’s sprung on this thing in the last couple of days,” he says. “It’s just amazing.”

The question now is whether or not that encouragement is going to translate into a bid for the City’s highest elected post, Guthrie’s still mulling the possibilities and gauging his support. Guthrie says he’s seeking “wise council” in order to make the right decision for himself, the city and his family.

As for a timetable, Guthrie told me that his decision will be coming soon, if only out of practical consideration in running a mayoral race. “Unfortunately, these types of campaigns require money to run, and, of course, the sooner you declare yourself the sooner your able to start bringing in money for the campaign. So I can’t let it go too long.”

You can check out the Facebook group by searching “Cam Guthrie for the Mayor of Guelph.” And for late-breaking news, you can visit my Guelph Politico blog at http://guelphpolitico.blogspot.com/

Celebrate World Water Day with Wellington Water Watchers

Do you like water? Do you think the ubiquitous clear liquid should be celebrated and protected throughout the land? Then you’ll definitely want to take note of the Wellington Water Watchers’ festivities for World Water Day on Monday.

The events unfold at the E.L. Fox Auditorium at J.F. Ross on 21 Meyer Dr starting at 7 pm. On the docket is a youth submission project, some spoken word performances and the party-hardy music of Royal City’s own Dancehall Free For All. The main attraction though, entertainment-wise speaking, is a screening of the as-yet-unreleased documentary Tapped. Tapped, made by the producers of the popular Who Killed the Electric Car doc, is a behind-the-scenes look into the unregulated and unseen world of an industry that aims to privatize water resources. You can learn more about it at http://www.tappedthemovie.com/

The WWW will also be unveiling a pilot project called Blue W. Blue W is a not-for-profit program dedicated to promoting municipal tap water as a healthy and waste-conscious alternative to bottled drinks, according to a press release. The project will include a web site and smartphone app that people can use to locate places in the community where you can fill your reusable bottle with tap water. Participating establishments will have the Blue W decal at their entrance. For more on Blue W check out their website at http://www.bluew.org

Death, Taxes and Temple

Farwell Bev

The City of Guelph lost a passionate and intrepid voice in local politics last week when Bev Izzillo-Ustation passed away after a lengthy fight against cancer at the age of 74. Before five gos at the Mayor’s chair and twice running for city council, Izzillo-Ustation as an advocate for the group Persons United for Self Help (PUSH), an organization that focused on taking down barriers and meeting the needs of those with visual and hidden disabilities. She pressed for accessibility in all areas of public space and was instrumental in improving access by pressing for curb cuts, automatic doors and ramps. To many Politicos though, Izzillo-Ustation was most known for her fiery, grassroots campaigning. She was usually the candidate for open and honest government and in what would be her last election, up against incumbents Kate Quarrie and Karen Farbridge, she enthusiastically declared that “It’s my turn now.” Bev Izzillo-Ustation is survived by four grandchildren, three step-grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. As expressions of sympathy, donations to Marianne's Place and/or the Salvation Army would be appreciated.

Temple debate packs house

It was standing room only in the council chamber gallery last Monday as an update on the proposal for a Sikh temple to be built in the south end came back to city council. Mayor Karen Farbridge laid down the law up front that there would no tolerance for racially-charged language or outbursts from the floor. Over a dozen delegations got up to speak during the evening, many in support of the Sikhs and their efforts to get out of the old beer store on Stevenson, but there were several people speaking on behalf of the Westminster Woods neighbourhood and were opposed to the move. A few others said that they were open to the temple’s construction with concessions, and as the meeting ended there were words of support from other members of Guelph’s faith-based community. To get the full scoop, head over to Guelph Politico at http://www.guelphpolitico.blogspot.com

NDP enters the race

Although election talk has been on the QT lately, the local NDP has officially acclaimed a nominee to lead them to a possible Guelph victory in the next federal election. Last Thursday, at the CAW Hall on Silvercreek, Guelph NDP members voted for Bobbi Stewart to run as their nominee. Stewart brings with her a wealth of experience as a social worker, especially in 20 years of work for Family & Children’s Services of Guelph & Wellington County.

In a media statement, Stewart says that if elected she will continue to fight for the party’s core beliefs including medicare, labour and social justice. “We are the Party most in-tuned to the needs of average Canadians and we have bright, passionate leaders,” she said. “I agreed to seek this nomination because of my strong belief in our Party and to stand up against Harper’s arrogance, black and white thinking and the erosion of our democracy. I will also speak out against the Liberal corporate agenda as their approach will never solve our economic crisis,” she added.

Valeriote offers tax help

Need tax help? Well our local MP Frank Valeriote is happy to oblige with a series of free Tax Preparation Clinics host by the Community Volunteer Tax Program, in cooperation with the Canada Revenue Agency. The Holy Rosary Parish will host Drop-in sessions on March, 20, 23 and April 6. Another tax Drop-in clinic will take place at the Italian Canadian Club on March 16, while a session at Onward Willow – Better Beginnings will be taking appointments for its April 14 clinic. Recent immigrants to Canada, meanwhile, will be able to take part in special sessions at Immigrant Services – Guelph Wellington on March 12, 19, 23 and April 9 and 16. For more information you can contact Valeriote’s constituency office at (519) 837-8276 or valerf1@parl.gc.ca.

Temple Debate, Farbridge 3-Peat & Valeriote's Guests

Temple debate gets more heated

Even before the city council planning meeting this past Monday, the heat was already turned up on the proposed construction of a Sikh temple in the southend of the city. The proposal to develop a four acre site along Claire Rd between Victoria Rd and Tolton Dr has been highly controversial with neighbourhood residents due to potential increases in noise and traffic to the area, as well as the temple’s planned size and height. Initial community feedback at a meeting in December highlighted these concerns especially, but in that time a new element has emerged in the debate: The Race Card.

A website called Stop The Temple went online last month as a way for people against the construction of a Sikh temple to organize. However, if you go the site (found at http://stop-the-temple.info/) and register, it’s not just the power of community organizing you’ll be struck by. Charges of racism and, indeed, hate crimes have been levied against some of the people posting on Stop The Temple. Here’s a sample:

“So any middle eastern minority wants something, they’d better get it! If we oppose we are all racist, and discriminating! God forbid we offend these people. Last I checked, they are suicide bombers, child molesters, they kill their kids because they go out after dark, rapists, Con artists, Scammers. Sorry no offence I don’t want to take the risk of hundreds more moving to this community, and opening hundreds of corner stores, pizza pizza's and subways. Enough is enough. You have Brampton. Move there, stay there, and leave our city alone.”

And then there’s the next comment entitled “Next a mosque”

“First it’s a Sikh Temple. Next it will be a Mosque. Both are violent cults and next it will be a memorial to martyrs aka terrorists. We must stop this eastern influence.”

In 1964, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart tried to explain the definition of "hardcore" pornography and obscenity. I think his words, in relation to the two quotes above, should be considered in our discussion today about what racism is: "I shall not today attempt further to define the kinds of material I understand to be embraced . . . [b]ut I know it when I see it…"

Head over to Guelph Politico at guelphpolitico.blogspot.com for an update on the debate.

Farbridge set to run for third term

Mayor Karen Farbridge announced to a small group of supporters and the media last Wednesday that she was indeed embarking on a bid to win the City’s top job for a third term. “I am excited at the opportunity to serve my community as mayor,” said Farbridge in a City press release. “Our city requires experienced leadership to meet the challenges that are ahead of us, build on successes, and continue the good work we have begun.” Farbridge was first elected as mayor in 2000, but lost to Kate Quarrie in her 2003 re-election bid by 4,000 votes. She then defeated Quarrie by over 5,000 votes in the 2006 election. The Municipal Election will take place on Monday October 25, 2010. To hear Farbridge’s announcement speech head over to Politico.

More Special Guests Courtesy of Valeriote

Our local MP Frank Valeriote has been going out of his way in the bringing of special guest to town in the last couple of weeks. First there was Liberal leader Michael “Iggy” Ignatieff and the week after that it was Justin “You Know My Name” Trudeau. Coming up on Saturday, Guelph will welcome MP for York West Judy Sgro for a townhall on seniors and veterans issues at the Evergreen Seniors Centre. Sgro is the former Minister of Citizenship and Immigration and the current Liberal critic for Seniors and Pensions. She’ll be taking audience questions and discussing your concerns starting at 10 am. For more information, get in touch with Valeriote’s constituency office at 519-837-8276 or valerf1@parl.gc.ca

Green Fleet, Clean-Up & War with Kitchener

City Fleet Going Green

All City of Guelph vehicles and equipment will now be subject to stringent guidelines aimed at reducing fleet operating costs and reducing greenhouse gas emissions, this coming out of the Emergency Services, Community Services & Operations Committee meeting last week. Mostly, these steps have to do with fuel efficiency: how to use vehicles, how to cut down on idling, and how to choose the right vehicle for the right job. “Lowering the amount of greenhouse gas emissions produced by our fleet is a win-win situation,” says Mayor Karen Farbridge in a city press release. “It supports the goals of our Community Energy Plan, while saving on fuel costs at the same time. I want to thank Operations staff for their commitment to this program." The new guidelines and accompanying training for city staff is in preparation for the city’s first E3 (Energy, Environment, Excellence) review. E3 is North America’s first green rating program for vehicle fleets, that evaluates, audits and recognizes fleets for their efforts in reducing smog and greenhouse gas emissions, fuel use and costs. The review is expected to be done this April.

Clean-Up Crew Looking for Feedback

The Ontario Public Interest Research Group is looking for feedback from the general public as to how they can improve community support for their annual Speed River Clean-Up program. “The spark has gone out of it,” said Alison Morrison, Speed River Project co-ordinator with OPIRG told the Tribune. “Our numbers are dwindling, and we’re not even sure of the impact of sending 200 people into the river on a Saturday morning.” The Clean-Up, which happens every June, recruits volunteers from the community to wade out into the Speed River, and along its banks, in order to clean-up garbage and debris. Among suggested improvements, Morrison offers the possibility of moving the Clean-Up’s base from Royal City Park to Riverside Park, but Morrison says that no changes will be made without public input. “The neat thing about a clean-up is that it’s so simple and it’s a gateway for anybody who has a little bit of an interest in environmental issues,” said Morrison. If you’re interested in giving OPIRG your feedback, then put this address into your web browser: http://speedrivercleanup.freeforums.org/

It’s War: Kitchener vs. Guelph

Who would have guessed that when a 19-year-old Kitchener woman was charged with mischief in a dust-up between Olympic torch security and anti-Olympic protestors in December, that it was a sign of things to come. That’s right, Guelphites, it’s war and the K-W has been hitting us pretty hard the last few weeks. First, a Kitchener man was charged with mischief after phoning Waterloo Regional Police over the Valentine’s Day weekend and telling them that he planted six pipe bombs inside Polycon Industries in Guelph after they fired him. Guelph Police evacuated the plant and searched it and presumably found nothing since the 51-year-old man was charged merely with mischief. Next there was the case of six Kitchener men charged with a string of electronic store break-ins across Guelph and Waterloo Region. Come on, citizens! I say let’s leave the inter-city rivalry where it belongs: on the ice at OHL hockey games with the Storm and the Rangers.