Open Sources Guelph #411 - February 2, 2023

This week on Open Sources Guelph, it's Groundhog Day! This week on Open Sources Guelph, it's Groundhog Day! Now that we've got that out of our system, let's talk about what we're doing on this week's show. First, we will talk about a recently passed Ontario politician and the parts of her career most people aren't talking about, and then we will talk about the very sad sequel to last year's biggest blockbuster protest. For the interview? We're going to have some municipal money talk.

This Thursday, February 1, at 5 pm, Scotty Hertz and Adam A. Donaldson will discuss:

The Hurricane. Former Mississauga Mayor "Hurricane" Hazel McCallion passed away last week at the age of 101, and given her accomplishments and longevity, the plaudits were immediate and they were many. But have we white-washed McCallion's legacy? Her conflicts of interest, the sprawl she rubberstamped, and the fact that she had Doug Ford's back on shaving the Greenbelt right up till the end are all concerning notes despite McCallion's accomplishments, so we will take a good hard look at her legacy.

Convoy the Silence. A comparatively smaller group got together last weekend in front of Parliament Hill to protest COVID mandates(?) and mark 365 days from the day the so-called "Freedom Convoy" arrived in Ottawa. Yes, we're still dealing with the fallout of the Convoy with the report on the Federal government's use of the Emergencies Act is coming later this month, and the Alberta government interfering with court cases around the Coutts blockade, so where are we one year later on "Freedom"?

Count Downer. Guelph City Council confirmed the 2023 budget last week after nine hours of shaving and padding that got the final levy increase down to 4.46 per cent for the year. That's not the end of the discussion though because the pressures on this year's budget are still going to be there when council debates the next multi-year budget at the end of 2023, and Ward 5 Councillor Cathy Downer joins us this week to look ahead, and behind, at the big fiscal picture at City Hall and the increasing challenges.

Open Sources is live on CFRU 93.3 fm and cfru.ca at 5 pm on Thursday.