Moving Forward why I disagreed with Dan Gibson at the Ward 1 Debate


Grab a coffee or a glass of wine, this is a bit of a read but important

If you watched the Ward 1 debate, you maybe recall that I voiced my disagreement with Dan
Gibson. At the time it seemed to me that all of the statistics were well...embellished to fit a
negative point of view. This seems to be a common trend with all the Candidates for Ward1 except Terry O'Connor.  I have actually researched the appropriate responses. And am
presenting them to you in the positive voice that I am respected for. Here are a few stats to
counter a couple of Dan's statements, followed by more in depth counterpoints.

Jobs are on the decline
We have attracted more than 8000 jobs since 2006.

Businesses are deciding not to invest in Guelph
Canadian Solar has brought over 600 good energy sector jobs to Guelph.
just arrived from Germany.

Newcomer and Immigrants are feeling left out in the cold
Sense of belonging of newcomers has gone from 58 to 87% from 2007 to 2011.

Guelph Transit Lock Out
Transit ridership has reached 7 million.

Taxes are increasing
Not true, they are decreasing

Even Cam Guthrie agrees “As many know, I have been critical and vocal of where taxpayers’
money is spent, or how much of their money is spent … when you push aside the white noise,
the distractions, the sideshows and the misinformation – it gives me great pleasure to say with confidence that we truly have a well-run city for our residents and businesses. Cam Guthrie
(2013)
Guthrie Praises City Hall Books Guelph Tribune

Oh, the property taxes for the MetalWorks will increase 36 times once constructed. Those tax
dollars will benefit residents and businesses throughout ward 1 and the entire city.
Counterpoints

Downtown Renewal counterpoint

Urban renewal is a means for municipalities to maximize built assets/infrastructure, increase tax
productivity and strengthen a city’s fiscal standing. For the last 20 years growth has been
focused on the outer edges of Guelph. We need to no longer ignore downtown. A city without a
downtown is no place to invest. Downtown is unique. It's not suburban like most of Guelph is.
And that means different solutions may be required a lot of the time. But as the overall city
grows, and we start to intensify not just downtown but in the suburbs, downtown solutions will
start to be the norm across the city. We need to see it as a test bed for the city as a whole.
I support the concept of downtown renewal in Guelph. 

I support the Baker Street District, it consists of a 5 team partnership YMCA-YWCA, GUELPH PUBLIC LIBRARY, INNOVATION GUELPH,CENTRAL STUDENT ASSOCIATION, UNIVERSITY OF GUELPH. Since there are 5 partners there is less of a cost burden on the rest of the city.

UNDERSTANDING The St. George's Square Vision. 
Infrastructure work is required along Wyndham St. While the roads are being ripped up, it is an ideal time to update the square aswell. It is a central public space where the Quebec Street Wyndham Street intersection is now, it will be surrounded by a ring road. The concept includes narrowing Wyndham St. from four lanes to two adding angled parking on Wyndham wider sidewalks and bicycle lanes. The plan
is still in concept mode there is plenty of time to incorporate citizen engagement.
Ward 1 we have a balanced approach to downtown renewal it is focused first on affordability for
Guelph households, and includes private partnernerships, therefore lessening the tax burden.

River Run and the Sleeman Centre counterpoints
I am proud of our existing city assets such as the Sleeman Center and River Run Center and
believe their presence in our community strengthens our economy. Not only do both facilities
bring in out of town talent, the River Run Centre is used by our local festivals, the Guelph
Hillside Festival Inside Hillside, the Guelph Jazz Festival, and The Guelph Contemporary Dance
Festival holds the majority of their events there. These venues are iconic, downtown
destinations that this administration initiated and supports.
The Sleeman Centre since opening it's doors in the Year 2000 has hosted a variety of events
including the Dreams on ice Skating Show concerts by the Tragically Hip, Hedley, Great Big
Sea, to name a few.  It is maximizing events such annual conferences and/or trade shows that
contribute significantly to the City's revenue stream. In general terms admissions/attendance to
the facility are calculated on a per season basis not necessarily a calendar year. Total
attendance at the facility is estimated at 225k+ with paid admissions in the 166k+ range. At the
same time adds to millions in indirect economic activity for downtown businesses. This strategy
actually works downtown, anyone coming downtown would witness the vibrancy this city has to
offer. Especially if you take note as to how many people attend the free noon hour concert
series, as well as any of our award winning festivals. As your council candidate I look forward to
pushing forward this agenda for funding downtown renewal, and for appreciating the differences
between our vibrant downtown and our healthy, active and strong suburban communities!

EAST END COMMERCIAL counterpoint
East End I encourage you organize, mobilize, and create a neighbourhood association. Make a
list of what you want in your neighbourhood. Meet with City planners and ask them to invite
those commercial business to a conversation. You have the opportunity to be proactive.
I believe there is no urban/suburban divide, I believe one candidate has conjured up this false
fact to base his platform on. I did spend some time in the East End and spoke to many people
who actually do not feel ignored, but they also feel intimated that they cannot disagree.
Residents living east of Victoria Rd, the lack of commercial services and business amenities has
been a challenge that most residents were aware of when they purchased their new home in
their new subdivision. I have spoken to many EastEnd Residents that are aware that
commercial development is coming and it is at the hands of the Developer The reason is not
complex the developer controls when and how their property is developed. They have
marketing advisors. Luckily though Councillor Furfaro has brought the issue to their attention,
and it is moving forward.
Commercial projects working through the planning process for the envisioned East End mixed
use node at the Watson/Starwood intersection include street level commercial along Starwood
intended to create walkable storefronts (as per the 2014 Urban Design Plan), with the larger
commercial anchor being situated on the south side of Watson Parkway (i.e. Loblaws grocery
store/pharmacy). I believe the Loblaws should be at the front of the development, for high
visual impact and the residential at the back so those residents can enjoy the beautiful view.

The Environment, IMICO and the Guelph Factor counterpoints
"A passion for the environment is part of what makes Guelph such a unique and wonderful
place to live. In saying this however, an environmental conscious without the counterbalance of
economic and societal demands/benefits can quickly spiral into misguided ideology, a
dysfunctional planning process and a break down in sustainable development. In these
scenarios, innovative solutions to development can be impeded and the City building process
can break down. To counter this, I contend that when the societal and economic demands/
benefits are evaluated as a counterbalance, the appropriate tension between competing factors
is established and the necessity for innovative, adaptive solutions is created. To not include
these counterbalances risks creating a culture which is negative toward business/industrial
growth, job creation, ingenuity and innovation. Does the term “Guelph Factor” come to mind?"

This is all creative writing so that it can justify the false use of the term "Guelph Factor". In the
business/developer world there certain guidelines comprised to create our standards. These
standards are so that the best of the best will be used, so no shortcuts. This upsets many
builders because they would like to move forward with a lesser than desired quality that would
save them money at your expense. Guthrie and his team are dancing for these developers that
want to go the shortcut route, so they created this reworked "Guelph Factor" term.

The Real Guelph Factor can be found here. Incidentally this could be why Dan Gibson and
Karolyne Pickett both decided to move here 5 years ago. I have posted Dan Gillis definition of

Incidentally we are ranked among the top business friendly municipalities 10th of 422 under
@Karen4Guelph #leadership

IMICO counterpoint
International Malleable Iron Company (IMICO) site off Beverley St has sat vacant, idle and
contaminated for over two decades; This is true, residents surrounding the IMICO site deserve
better, this is true. Councillor FURFARO has confirmed that due to self remediation the site is in
better condition than 20 years ago. Moving Forward here is my Vision For THE IMICO
PROPERTY which is actually a component of my creative vision for Ward 1.
Do you know Dufferin Grove Park? It's in Toronto. http://dufferinpark.ca/home/wiki/wiki.php
Councillor Lise Burcher was a major force behind the development of The Ward Residents
Association. She is also an educator at the University of Guelph. Lise had a
class trip to Dufferin Grove Park, some of TWRA were able to attend.
Mixed use residential, affordable housing, condos, music and artist studios, live work spaces.
Bake ovens, campgrounds, camp fires, play grounds, skateparks, community gardens,
gardening mentor workshops, picnic tables, farmers markets and ice rinks. Plenty of room for a
satellite location of the Seed Community Food Hub. All within a village within a neighbourhood.
Ward 1 as your City Councillor I will push forward on this agenda to get results for the residents
living in Guelph’s original Ward.

DISTRICT ENERGY counterpoint
THIS WHERE DAN AND I ACTUALLY AGREE FOR THE MOST PART.
District Energy as it relates to Guelph fulfilling it’s economic/environmental and employment
potential is a file I am supportive of. Publicly owned, district energy is a positive step and one
that should be leveraged to create a real competitive advantage in Guelph. The City of Guelph
is actually open and transparent to residents on financial matters related to Guelph Hydro.
District Energy will make Guelph Sustainable. Not only will we be creating and recycling our
energy we will also be creating jobs. Guelph is the first city in North America to announce and
pursue a long-term plan for a city-wide thermal energy network—a kind of central heating and
cooling system for the entire city. It works a lot like the power grid we use for electricity; allowing
multiple buildings to connect and share an energy supply from a number of sources.
It is designed to be a different way of using Guelph generated power to drive our economy. It is
also one that can be fiscally and environmental sustainable. One that results in new and better
employment opportunities, economic development and long term revenue sources for Guelph.
All factors that elevate our collective wellbeing, improve our standard of living, and reduce the
tax burden on Guelph households. It's a Guelph initiative and it's good for business.
Our Mayor Karen Farbridge and Guelph Chamber CAO Lloyd Longfield went to Germany and
brought back Romboli to implement the district energy infrastructure http://www.ramboll.com/media/rgr/ramboll-to-help-implement-guelph-district-energy-system
media/rgr/ramboll-to-help-implement-guelph-district-energy-system
That is the #GuelphFactor bringing foreign investment to Guelph.
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