Guelph Politicast

This week on Open Sources Guelph, we're still hungry after our turkey dinner was interrupted by some late breaking news of national importance. We will catch up with the still breaking news about Indo-Canadian relations in the wake of the expulsion of diplomats, and then we will talk about whether or not the current PM should take his curtain call. As for this week's guest, he will talk about doing the impossible! This Thursday, October 17, at 5 pm, Scotty Hertz and Adam A. Donaldson will discuss: The Six. The Government of Canada and the RCMP interrupted our Thanksgiving to announce that they were expelling six Indian diplomats and consular officials for a "targeted campaign against Canadian citizens by agents linked to the Government of India." While much of the corporate media has labelled this as a "row" or a "tiff", the allegations are damning, suggesting that India PM Narendra Modi has overseen a movement to intimidate Indian-Canadians who have spoken out against his government. Is Canada equal to this

This week on End Credits we get terrified. Like most of North America (apparently given the box office numbers), we've caught Art Fever, so for the second week in a row we're going to dig into the cinematic adventures of a killer clown, and in this case it's Terrifier 3 we're talking about. And to keep up the spooky theme, we will revisit a Canadian horror classic! This Wednesday, October 2, at 3 pm, Adam A. Donaldson and Candice Lepage will discuss: Black Christmas at 50! It was half-a-century ago that a small Canadian movie was released in theatres, and though it might have been overlooked, it's become one of the most memorable and influential horror films in cinema history. Bob Clark's Black Christmas features a "who's who" cast and is still incredibly stylish and atmospheric 50 years later. So what a perfect time to take another look at this gem of Canadian film? REVIEW: Terrifier 3 (2024). Over a decade ago, horror fans were introduced to Art the Clown in the anthology film All Hallow's Eve. Now? Art is

A number of Ontario municipalities including Brampton, Woodstock, Milton, and Halton Hills have banned fireworks outright, and several others including Kitchener are looking at new regulations. Here in Guelph, a new permitting system is on the table; City staff and some councillors think that this may be the best of both worlds, but others think it’s the worst, including members of the fireworks lobby! The last review of Guelph’s fireworks bylaw was in 2013, but council passed a decree last year to move up the timing of the next review by several years due to repeated complaints to councillors about small fireworks displays in area parks, and the setting off of fireworks, mostly by young people, at odd days and hours before and after those commemorations. Guelph’s proposal to fix all that is to implement a permit system. Essentially, if you want to set off fireworks you will have to go to the City and pay a fee, which will then allow you to buy fireworks and set them off at one of Guelph’s preferred locations

This week on Open Sources Guelph, we're under pressure. We're now one-year into a war in the Middle East that no one wanted but we're dealing with it anyway, and here in Canada it's costing more to hold government agencies to account. If you want to talk about holding governments to account though, you probably want to talk to this week's guest who might be fighting a losing battle against the Ontario government to keep public land public. This Thursday, October 10, at 5 pm, Scotty Hertz and Adam A. Donaldson will discuss: One Year Later. Monday was the one-year anniversary of the Hamas attack on Israel, and it comes at a moment where the war that attack started is getting more and more precarious. Iran and Israel are now trading rocket fire as IDF ground forces are in Lebanon trying to root our Hezbollah. Meanwhile, here in the west, governments are facing increasing calls to take a stand against Benjamin Netanyahu, who, it turns out, is not well thought of by Joe Biden according to a new Bob Woodward book.

This week on End Credits we send in the clowns! Of course, these aren't regular clowns, they are clown princes. There are also not good clowns, they are criminals. In fact, you might call them the Clown Princes of Crime! Yes, we're sending in the clowns, and we're ranking and reviewing them. We're doing Joker: Folie à Deux and we're ranking all the Jokers! This Wednesday, October 2, at 3 pm, Adam A. Donaldson and Peter Salmon will discuss: The Jokers are Wild! The Joker was introduced in the very first issue of Batman in 1940, and has become the most iconic, and most revisited comic book villain in movie history, he's even been the star of his own movie (and its sequel). So this week, before we talk about the new Joker, we're going to take a few minutes and rank all the Jokers. From Cesar Romero to Barry Keoghan, we will talk about which Jokers are the wildest! REVIEW: Joker: Folie à Deux (2024). He's back! Joker was a surprising smash hit in 2019, an R-rated comic book movie that didn't look, act or feel lik

If you want to know the history of a place, go to the cemetery, and this is no less true for Woodlawn Memorial Park. It’s natural in this Halloween month to seek out some spookiness, and conventional wisdom says that there’s nowhere spookier than the local cemetery, but our guest this week spent a lifetime promoting a simple message: Your local cemetery is not a very scary place. Woodlawn Cemetery opened in 1854, and at the time it was at a location that was well beyond the Guelph city limits. This was purposeful because in 1853, Guelph passed a bylaw that said you couldn’t have a cemetery in the city limits, which at the time affected three cemeteries in the core including the Union located along Baker Street parking. We know the end of that story 160 years later. In all that time, the story of so many Guelphites ended at Woodlawn, and for 44 years that meant it ended at Paul Taylor. As a young man he brought is experience in construction to his first job at the cemetery where he was, of all things, a grave

This week on Open Sources Guelph, there's a lot to figure out. South of the border, does it matter who won the vice-presidential debate? We're going to find out, and we're also going to find out if anything's really changed after all this time when it comes to Truth and Reconciliation with our Indigenous communities in recent years. Also, we're going to have more tunnel talk with a special guest who knows about real solutions for congestion. This Thursday, October 3, at 5 pm, Scotty Hertz and Adam A. Donaldson will discuss: Mission Veep. On Tuesday, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Ohio Senator J.D. Vance appeared on stage for the first and only vice-presidential debate. They both had the same goal: Don't screw this up for the top of the ticket! The results were mixed, meaning that both men stuck to the mission and presented a facsimile of somewhat normal political discourse, while Iranian missiles fall on Israel, and Donald Trump is on the stump talking about Democrats creating water-free bathrooms. So has t

This week on End Credits, we're ambitious! We do love a passion project on this show, and on this episode we're serving up thoughts on two of them, one new and one old. In the 'new' category, we've got the latest movie from the vanguard of the New Hollywood movement, and from the 'old' file, we've got the greatest hit from the head of the 90s indie movement. Get ready for Megalopolis and Pulp Fiction!  This Wednesday, October 2, at 3 pm, Adam A. Donaldson and Tim Phillips will discuss: Pulp Fiction at 30! It was three decades ago this week that Quentin Tarantino's second feature was released to rapturous acclaim, multiple award nominations, and 30 years of influence. Pulp Fiction is frequently cited as one of the best movies of the 90s, if not in the history of cinema, and it certainly cemented the reputation of Quentin Tarantino as the pre-eminent filmmaker of his generation. But after all this time, is Pulp Fiction still the G.O.A.T. we want it to be? REVIEW: Megalopolis (2024). For years, Francis Ford Copp

Last week was a very busy news week here in Guelph, four stories that each, in their way, tell the story of a growing city when it comes to the economy, public safety and accountability. For this episode of the pod you're going to hear the news as it’s covered, live (ish) from around town as we get into some real shoe leather reporting from the streets of the Royal City. This is "Raw Audio News!" First we will talk to Paul Hanna, executive VP of member relations, governance and corporate services at the Co-operators along with Shawn Fitzgerald who is the VP of real estate and workplace services. After the official grand opening of the new Co-operators headquarters in the city’s south end last week, they talked about the shape of office work post-COVID and why it’s good business to build in an environmentally sustainable way.  Next, we will hear from Staff Sergeant Michael Davis who oversees the tactics and rescue unit. He was on hand last Thursday as Guelph Police unveiled their new community rescue vehicle,

This week on Open Sources Guelph, we've got a lot going on. There are two elections happening in Canada right now, and probably not the ones you expect. Meanwhile, Israel's war is expanding to Hezbollah now as they launch attacks both big and small around the regions, just in time for the start of another October. For the interview, we've got our local Member of Provincial Parliament who's still trying to stay on top of the premier's recent colour commentary. This Thursday, September 26, at 5 pm, Scotty Hertz and Adam A. Donaldson will discuss: Eastbound and Westbound. There's been a lot of election talk lately, but it's more than just talk on the east and the west coast. While Blaine Higgs hopes to get back to a more comfortable majority position even as the Liberals seem to be surging in New Brunswick, the more interesting race is in British Columbia where the NDP and the new provincial Conservative Party are neck-and-neck with Conservative leader John Rustad taking culture war silliness for a spin. We'll

This week on End Credits, we get the jump on October. We can't wait another six days for the spookiest month of the year to properly begin so we're going to kick things off with Satan! For the review this week, we're going to watch the new horror flick The Deliverance on Netflix, and we're going to talk about history's greatest super-villain, and his greatest hits! This Wednesday, September 18, at 3 pm, Adam A. Donaldson and Candice Lepage will discuss: Hail Satan! The Devil was the villain of the first horror movie in 1898, and he's been a recurring villain in cinema ever since. The Devil, Beelzebub, Satan, or whatever term you want to use, is a key character or antagonist in all kinds of movies, whether it's straight-up Biblical like The Passion of the Christ, or musically helping a baseball team beat New York in Damn Yankees, The Devil is reel (see what we did there), and this week, we will hail his cinematic contributions. REVIEW: The Deliverance (2024). Lee Daniels dips his toes in the horror genre for

If it’s September, that means it’s time to start the United Way’s annual fundraising campaign. A linchpin when it comes to support for all kinds of area non-profits and charities, it’s worth noting that this year’s campaign comes at a time of great need. Today, we’re going to learn from the head of the United Way about how they’re coping and how they’re still trying to answer the call. Earlier this year, the United Way gave out $1.5 million to 51 programs. Now, $1.5 million split 51 different ways may not sound like a lot of money, but in the case of the Sanguen Health Van, which was initially funded by the federal government but only for the first few years of existence, the United Way's assistance allowed it to continue to operate and offer living saving services. A few extra thousand dollars can go a long way, which is why it’s an important and underreported fact that after the various levels of government, the United Way is the biggest source of funding for charities and non-profits. The United Way has a

This week on Open Sources Guelph we're going to try and tone down the rhetoric. But can we still be spicy? Probably, the news certainly is! If you think it's hot up in Ottawa this first week back from summer vacation, just wait until you hear about what's been going on in the United States lately. And for the interview in the back half, we've got a grocery list of issues about food insecurity, and we will be joined someone who knows how to fix them. This Thursday, September 19, at 5 pm, Scotty Hertz and Adam A. Donaldson will discuss: The Beginning of the End? MPs returns to the House of Commons on Monday at the same time that electors were going to the polls in two by-elections. That worked out fine for the NDP in Manitoba, but things went wrong again for the Liberals in Quebec as they lost another apparently not-so-safe riding. All this will put pressure on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau who will face his first big post-deal confidence challenge next week. So are we going to the polls soon or what? Dogs and

This week on End Credits we're going to fight the power! Get ready for another mashing of action and social justice as a former Marine hands out a lesson in justice in unexpected ways in Rebel Ridge on Netflix. For the rest of the show, we're going to tackle something funnier, and goofier, a fellow Canadian who made a very big splash 30 years ago with three comedic hits! This Wednesday, September 18, at 3 pm, Adam A. Donaldson and Peter Salmon will discuss: Jim Class Hero. Thirty years ago, Jim Carrey went from second banana on In Living Color to one of the biggest movie starts in Hollywood with a hattrick of big comedy hits. This week, we will revisit Ace Venture: Pet Detective, The Mask, and Dumb and Dumber and we will look at the ways they still hold up, the ways these films feel dated now, and why Carrey ended up riding them to become a superstar and Hollywood's first $20 million man! REVIEW: Rebel Ridge (2024). You may have heard of civil asset forfeiture, or you may have seen the episode of Last Week T

So has anything interesting been happening at Guelph city council lately? Of course, there has! We've already covered the first third of 2024 on a previous podcast, and we will now visit that middle third, a period of time that is supposed to be more of a laid back political time as people rest and recreate over the summer. But no! The last four months at council have been all business, and this is the business!! Now are things you can expect ever year around the midpoint. The annual shareholders meeting for Guelph Municipal Holdings Inc and Guelph Junction Railway for example, or the presentation of the audited financial statements from the previous fiscal year. There's also constantly a new batch of new planning amendments to look at, which is key to answering the housing crisis. Speaking of housing, this issue was the spectre that haunted much of council business this whole year. In terms of specifics from the last few months there was the Guelph Tiny Home Coalition, a proposal to sell off parcels of parkl

This week on Open Sources Guelph there's discord, and so soon in the school year! If you had the NDP 86'ing there formal agreement with the Liberals on you 2024 Bingo Card, we've got good news, but if you're a right-wing YouTuber with some bank then we've probably got some bad news for you. If you're a fan of dedicated public servants though we've got good news because we're talking to one of them in the back half of the show. This Thursday, September 12, at 5 pm, Scotty Hertz and Adam A. Donaldson will discuss: On a Singh and a Prayer. Last week, Jagmeet Singh announced that the NDP were abandoning the confidence and supply agreement with the governing Liberals, which immediately sprang to mind thoughts of an election. Singh says no, but now everyone wants to know what the point of quitting the deal was if we're not going to the polls anytime soon. Meanwhile, Justin Trudeau's caucus is meeting this week hoping for some good news before Parliament begins. Is there any? From Russia With Cash. The U.S. Departm

This week on End Credits, we're haunted! It's about a month early but we've got a tale of ghosts and goblins as we once again re-unite with old movie friends who are back after a long absence. So yes, we're reviewing Beetlejuice Beetlejuice this week and speaking of old friends, we will talk about the varied and intricate career of that film's very talented leading ghoul. This Wednesday, September 11, at 3 pm, Adam A. Donaldson and Tim Phillips will discuss: Keaton Alive! The star of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is Michael Keaton, a man who's had an impressive 50 year career in Hollywood that has had some very big highs and some very low lows. Keaton has played manic, and he has played serious. He's played a superhero, a supervillain, and an actor who's haunted by his superhero persona. He's also played a newspaper man a couple of times, so to start this week's show, we'll talk about the reel Michael Keaton! REVIEW: Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024). It's been nearly 40 years since "The Ghost With the Most" propelle

Sometimes in this business, you go looking for the story and sometimes the story finds you... Last week, former Terry Fox Run organizer David Picard talked about his years of work putting this event together, and then he offered an opportunity: How would you like to hear from the woman that started it all? This week, we learn about the beginning of the Terry Fox Run and we'll learn how she did it. Terry Fox died at Royal Columbian Hospital in New Westminster. B.C. on June 19, 1981; he went into the hospital complaining of chest congestion and then he developed pneumonia. He fell into a coma and died nine days later. Terry had to abandon his Marathon of Hope the September before because the cancer was in his lungs, and he literally couldn’t run any further than Thunder Bay. It was 143 days and 5,373 kilometres after his history making run began. The first Terry Fox Run in his honour happened just over two months after he died. Over 300,000 people across Canada took part raising $3.5 million, which was a down

This week on Open Sources Guelph, it's back to school time! In the spirit of learning and continuing education we will open our minds and exercise our takes by tackling the big news stories of the week including a return trip to the Middle East where war and peace continues to be top of mind, and then there's matters of immigration making the headlines here in Canada. More locally than that, we will talk about recent changes to government policy on safe consumption sites. This Thursday, September 5, at 5 pm, Scotty Hertz and Adam A. Donaldson will discuss: The Impasse. Over the weekend, six Israeli hostages were found dead in Gaza and they were recently killed too. It's a reminder that a) This is crisis now nearly a year old, and b) Despite numerous attempts to reach a ceasefire, no deal has been secured. The frustrations of the Israeli people are now overflowing on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and at the same time, the WHO is now fighting a polio outbreak in Gaza, which is a reminder that Israel isn't

This week on End Credits, we're going back to school, and back to space. In space, no one can hear you scream, but they can hear you rave, and on this episode we will see if there's anything to rave about with Alien: Romulus. That was one summer movie we missed talking about before Labour Day, and we will also talk about some of the others movies we missed. This Wednesday, September 4, at 3 pm, Adam A. Donaldson and Candice Lepage will discuss: Summer Lovin'! It''s first show of the fall, or September at least, so that means it's time to leave summer, and summer movies, behind... After one last segment. To begin this week's show, we're going to talk about some of the films we didn't get a chance to do a full review for over the last few months, and we missed a lot. So join us for a quick trip through the summer movie box office, from scary movies to apes and a trip to the Old West. REVIEW: Alien: Romulus (2024). In Alien: Romulus, six people leave their odious, precarious existence working for The Man on the