Breezy Breakfast Radio Hour

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.

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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.

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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.

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Episode 186: Upgrading Guelph's Infrastructure

We're in the middle of construction season.  
Most of Guelph's infrastructure is ancient, so many water and sewage lines are being replaced and upgraded. 
New infrastructure must be installed to keep up with Guelph's growth.

This week, we learn about stormwater ponds, infrastructure work in the downtown area, the Emma/Earl bridge, budgetary concerns, and the sinkhole on Speedvale avenue.

Our guests are Terry Gayman and Reg Russwurm, two Professional Engineers on staff at the City of Guelph.  

They skillfully address more than a few hot-button issues.

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Breezy Breakfast:  where the infrastructure is always of the highest quality.

 

Bill 185: Creating more chaos in Ontario's housing crisis

Since it was elected in October 2018, the Ford government has proposed and pushed through a myriad of Bills in an attempt to lessen the housing crisis in Ontario.

Bill 108, The More Homes, More Choice Act, is an omnibus bill containing extensive amendments to legislation related to housing development in Ontario, including substantial changes to the planning and appeal process, municipal revenue generation tools, and environmental protection.

Bill 109, The More Homes for Everyone Act, contains the legislation to implement Bill 108.

Bill 23, The More Homes Built Faster Act, is an omnibus bill that made fundamental changes to the land-use planning system in Ontario through changes to the Development Charges Act, Planning Act, Municipal Act, and others.

Today, we unpack Bill 185, The Cutting Red Tape to Build More Homes Act, another omnibus bill that introduces changes to 15 statutes, including key land-use planning legislation.

If you are concerned about responsible land-use planning and the democratic process, consider Bill 185 as the icing on this multi-layered chaos cake.

Our guest Kevin Thomason is the Vice-Chair of the Grand River Environmental Network.

He knows these bills inside and out.

The rapid changes in planning legislation has resulted in planning chaos in municipalities across the province.

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Breezy Breakfast:  where hot coffee brings some semblance of order out of chaos.

 

Episode 164: Resident Engagement on MMIWG2S

This week on Breezy Breakfast, we discuss Truth and Reconciliation and Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two-Spirit. 

Dana Nuttley's ex-wife was an Indigenous woman.  Denise was a victim of abuse and was killed by her boyfriend.  Dana, in an emotional opening, outlines how this affected him and his son.  He offers us a model to understand past and current settler-Indigenous relations.

 

Mike Askewe is a residential school survivor who has been living in Guelph from some time.  Mike outlines how residential schools traumatized him and how he personally views Truth and Reconciliation.

 

 

Breezy breakfast:  where the opinions are stronger than the coffee and the conversation is never over easy.

 

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Episode 163: Alternative Entertainment

This week, we're learning about some of the non-traditional forms of entertainment here in the Royal City.

Our guests welcome us into the worlds of lawn bowling, pro wrestling, curling, and drag shows.  

 

Lawn bowling's history is appropriately "royal" in nature.  

Are the wrestling moves real?  

Why does the curling club need 200 volunteers in January 2025?  

How much time and money goes into being a drag queen?

What does it mean when a venue, such as Which Craft on Wyndham Street, is a designated safe space?

 

Breezy breakfast:  where the opinions are stronger than the coffee and the conversation is never over easy.

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Episode 162: April is Autism Acceptance Month

This week we are discussing Autism Acceptance and asking what is Autism? It has often been misunderstood as a mental disability but is now recognized as a form of neurodivergence.

 

Listen in as we hear from Lulu Larcenciel, an Autistic Mental Health Advocate as well as Councillor Erin Caton and their daughter, Agent, about their experiences living, working and going to school as autistic individuals.

 

Breezy breakfast:  where the opinions are stronger than the coffee and the conversation is never over easy.

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Episode 161: Are the Kids Alright?

We live in a time of unprecedented safety, wealth, and comfort.

So, why are kids today more anxious, depressed, risk-averse, lonely, distracted, and less social than ever before?

Is it our society's addiction to smart phones, demanding our constant attention?

What about the siren songs of social media platforms whose main goals are to keep us online for as long as possible?

How did COVID exacerbate the already declining mental health of young people?

Our guest is Courtney Bell, a Guelph psychotherapist who has spent seven years in a Community Health Setting and five years in private practice.  She works with children and teenagers.

She helps us navigate this disturbing situation by sharing her experiences and expertise, identifying some of the core problems, recent trends, and effective approaches, and discussing the factors involved in positive mental health outcomes.

Breezy breakfast:  where the opinions are stronger than the coffee and the conversation is never over easy.

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Episode 160: Tiny Homes and Much More

Today on Breezy Breakfast, we hear from representatives of a community-led tiny homes project.

Liz Hales is a Primary Health Care Nurse Practitioner who has been working with underhoused and homeless folks in Guelph for almost 25 years. 

Ingrid Ohls is an Outreach worker who helps people access all sorts of health and social services.

Liz and Ingrid speak of the challenges of safely housing our outdoor neighbours. They describe the challenges regarding shelter systems, mental health and substance abuse disorders, and harm reduction models of care.

Our audience learns why a community-led initiative - rather than a city-led effort - might result in housing people more quickly.

Breezy Breakfast:  where everyone can have a solid meal to start the day.

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