Breezy Breakfast Radio Hour

Episode 197: Guelph's New CAO

This week on Breezy Breakfast we're joined by newly minted Chief Administrative Officer Tara Baker. Ms. Baker has been hired as CAO after fourteen years of working at the City of Guelph in various financial roles, the last of which being City Treasurer.

An excellent communicator, Tara addresses a variety of issues including taxes, Strong Mayor Powers and Guelph's role in the housing spectrum. 

The Breezy Breakfast Radio Hour is broadcast Mondays at 9AM on CFRU 93.3FM.
Major props to the talent at CFRU for making us sound great.
Listen to our podcast on Spotify and Podbean.
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Breezy Breakfast:  a place to land yourself in an interesting conversation with your neighbours.

 

Episode 195: The Niska Lands

Today on Breezy Breakfast, we talk about the Niska Lands.  The Grand River Conservation Authority is beginning the process to designate as surplus an 8 hectare field south of Niska Road.

Ontario's Conservation Authorities used to receive a great deal of funding from the provincial government.  Since the 1990's, this funding has decreased to the point that Conservation Authorities currently need to sell land in order to raise money for infrastructure such as dams.  

The current provincial government has mandated that Conservation Authorities create an inventory of surplus lands that might be sold in order to build housing.

Given the provincial growth targets for Guelph, we are well on our way to a Parkland deficit.  Given the City's investment in the land, it might be reasonable to expect Guelph to have a say in what happens to it.  Furthermore, the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation have offered to preserve this 8 hectare chunk of land.  But there's a fly in the ointment:  that land is designated as residential in Guelph's Official Plan!

Our guests Susan Watson and Hugh Whiteley take us on a magical mystery tour of the Niska lands, highlighting the terms of purchase, historical significance, and ideal use of these lands.

The Breezy Breakfast Radio Hour is broadcast Mondays at 9AM on CFRU 93.3FM.
Major props to the talent at CFRU for making us sound great.
Listen to our podcast on Spotify and Podbean.
Find us on Facebook at Breezy Breakfast.
@Breezy Bullhorn marks the spot on X.
Sign up here to receive our newsletters.

Support us via e-transfer to breezybullhorn@gmail.com.

Breezy Breakfast:  a place to land yourself in an interesting conversation with your neighbours.

 

Episode 194: Public Space Use Bylaw Part II & Guelph Police Services

This week, we are joined by Chief Gordon Cobey of the Guelph Police Services. 

Our topic: everything you want to know about the Guelph Police Services but are afraid to ask - in case you get arrested.

Even though our topic is policing in Guelph, we've got a lot of questions about homelessness, drug use, and mental health issues in downtown Guelph.

To assist us with these questions, we have a special guest for the first part of today’s conversation:
Deputy Chief Administrative Officer Colleen Clack-Bush.

Colleen answers about the recently passed Public Space Use Bylaw and how it affects encampments downtown and elsewhere in the city.  She clarifies the where and when of camping in Guelph City Parks.

The Breezy Breakfast Radio Hour is broadcast Mondays at 9AM on CFRU 93.3FM.
Major props to the talent at CFRU for making us sound great.
Listen to our podcast on Spotify and Podbean.
Find us on Facebook at Breezy Breakfast.
@Breezy Bullhorn marks the spot on X.
Sign up here to receive our newsletters.

Support us via e-transfer to breezybullhorn@gmail.com.

Breezy Breakfast:  where restaurant director Jenny helps you "Rise and Shine" with her Sunny-Side Up smile.

Episode 193: Reviewing the Public Space Use Bylaw

Welcome to the first Breezy Breakfast of this season!  

This week your host is Rachel Thorn, speaking with Guelph City Councilor Phil Allt Guelph.  The topic is Guelph’s Public Space Use Bylaw.  

 

Is it a solution to downtown decay?  Might it be a panacea with a lot of hope but bound to fail?

 

Guests from the audience share their understanding of what the Public Space Use Bylaw would accomplish.

 

Concerns for the well-being of downtown tent dwellers are contrasted to the challenges of operating a downtown business.

 

Join us downtown at the Rise and Shine, bright and early on Thursdays.

 

Breezy Breakfast:  Engaged Guelph citizens share opinions on hot topics over hot coffee.

 

The Breezy Breakfast Radio Hour is broadcast Mondays at 9AM on CFRU 93.3FM.
Major props to the talent at CFRU for making us sound great.

Listen to our podcast on Spotify and Podbean. 

Find us on Facebook at Breezy Breakfast.
@Breezy Bullhorn marks the spot on X.

Sign up here to receive our newsletters.

Support us via e-transfer to breezybullhorn@gmail.com.

Episode 192: Breezy Bookworms

Welcome to another Bookworm edition of Breezy Breakfast.

Today we hear from Dan Atkins, the acting CEO of the Guelph Public Library.

If you're looking to add to your "to read" list, we've got it all:  books on race, water, and definitions; biographies of hockey players and spare heirs; young adult fiction, speculative fiction, and so much more.

Margo, a Breezy regular, pitches the Royal City Mission stories featuring those in our community who have very little.

This is our last Breezy Breakfast for the summer.
However, many of our regular patrons will continue to meet at 8 AM to dine in splendour.
Join them and hostesses Marie and Jenny for the finest in conversation, coffee, and croissants at the Rise and Shine on Macdonell Street in beautiful downtown Guelph.

Breezy Breakfast:  the perfect way to start a summer day.

The Breezy Breakfast Radio Hour plays every Monday at 9AM on CFRU 93.3FM.
Major props to the mad talent at CFRU for making us sound great.

Find us on Facebook at Breezy Breakfast.
@Breezy Bullhorn marks the spot on X.

Sign up here to receive our newsletters.

Support us via e-transfer to breezybullhorn@gmail.com.

SEE YOU IN SEPTEMBER!

 

Episode 191: Mayor Cam Guthrie

This week on Breezy Breakfast, Mayor Cam Guthrie is our guest.

How will Strong Mayor powers impact Guelph's affordable housing crisis?

What does his proposed property tax maximum of 4% look like?

Mayor Guthrie answers questions about the budget, policing, housing, hospitals, the possibility of a national urban park in the Old Reformatory lands, the Royal City's plans to celebrate its 200th anniversary, and many other topics.

As we were unable to get to all of our questions, Mayor Guthrie has agreed to return to Breezy Breakfast.

The Breezy Breakfast Radio Hour plays every Monday at 9AM on CFRU 93.3FM.  Major props to the mad talent at CFRU for making us sound great.

Find us on Facebook at Breezy Breakfast.
@Breezy Bullhorn marks the spot on X.

Sign up here to receive our newsletters.

Support us via e-transfer to breezybullhorn@gmail.com.

          - OR -

Slip us a few bucks after our in-person meetings at the Rise and Shine Restaurant in beautiful downtown Guelph. 

Episode 190: Tiny Homes

This week in the Breezy Breakfast we learn about Tiny Homes.

Tiny Homes are controversial. They are neither homes, nor tents.

How do they fit into the housing mix? 

Our guests are Joe Mancini of A Better Tent City, Ingrid Ohls of the Guelph Tiny Homes Coalition and Tony Stortz, authour of "A Home of Their Own".

 

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Episode 189: Guelph's National Urban Park

Is Guelph still in the running for an Urban National Park?

 

Where does the support of council stand?

 

The OId Reformatory is the perfect location, with natural heritage features and Indigenous murals in the main building. 

 

However, many people see these lands as the perfect location for a new hospital.

 

This lively discussion features Brian Skerrett of Urban Park Guelph and Anna Baggio of Wildlands League.

 

Read coverage of the meeting from GuelphToday here.

Read the rest of this entry »

Episode 188: Water, Wastewater and Solid Waste

Given the recent crisis in Calgary and Guelph's population growth, many people are concerned about we'll keep Guelphites sufficiently and reliably watered.

Will we need a double pipeline - water and wastewater - between Guelph and Lake Erie? Waste disposal and composting are also challenges.

Recycling will undergo a major change in 2025 once extended producer responsibility comes to Guelph. Businesses that supply packaging and paper will be responsible for those materials. What will that look like?

We are joined on Breezy Breakfast this week by a strong city of Guelph panel with Cameron Walsh from Solid Waste Services, Wayne Galliher from Water Services, and Tim Robertson from Wastewater Services to find these answers and more. 

Listen for lively discussion on the Breezy Breakfast Radio Hour!

We greatly appreciate the audio engineering talent at CFRU 93.3 for preparing and broadcasting us at 9am Monday mornings.

Find us on Facebook! Follow us on X at The Breezy Bullhorn!

Sign up here to join us virtually on Thursdays and learn about upcoming topics.

 

Support us via e-transfer to breezybullhorn@gmail.com.

          - OR -

Slip us a few bucks after our in-person meetings. 

Episode 187 - Pollinators and Native Plant Regeneration

Talks of the birds and the bees - as well as flowers and trees - may not be as straightforward as we'd like to think. How can we figure out about truly beneficial practices? Why do so many native plant regeneration movements seem so...extreme? Are some non-native species, like the honeybee and dandelion, just here to stay?

This week we are joined by local native plant expert and owner of Cardiff Naturscaping Meghan Lewis, and Michael Barber, beekeeper and owner of Tri-City Bee Rescue and The Hive on Elizabeth Street, who are able to find common ground on several issues despite holding largely opposing positions on many points. Listen for lively discussion on the Breezy Breakfast Radio Hour!

We greatly appreciate the audio engineering talent at CFRU 93.3 for preparing and broadcasting us at 9am Monday mornings.

Find us on Facebook! Follow us on X at The Breezy Bullhorn!

Sign up here to join us virtually on Thursdays and learn about upcoming topics.

 

Support us via e-transfer to breezybullhorn@gmail.com.

          - OR -

Slip us a few bucks after our in-person meetings.