Greening our Fleet

One of my biggest concerns as an organization is that we “walk the talk”.

In the area of environmental protection, we promote many programs that encourage residents to use water wisely, manage our waste responsibly and conserve energy.

Residents are quick to point out when it looks like we aren’t “walking the talk” and so they should.   We aren’t perfect but we should be able to demonstrate our commitment to improve.

So I was particularly pleased recently to learn more about our new Green Fleet Policies developed through our participation in the E3 (Energy, Environment Excellence) Program.

We were fortunate to be selected by Fleet Challenge Ontario to participate in the program.  The E3 program is designed to help fleets increase fuel efficiency, reduce emissions, manage expenses, incorporate new technologies, and introduce the use of alternative fuels.

The City has been using bio-diesel in our Transit buses since 2004 and will consider extending its use for other fleet vehicles.

Fuel efficiency driver training will commence in the coming weeks to ensure that staff understand the contents of the new policies and how they are accountable for them. For example, there are strict rules for idling of vehicles. If a vehicle is at a stop for more than 30 seconds (except in traffic) the engine will be shut off. The training will also provide scope to City employees as to how much we spend  each year on fuel and how bad driving habits such as idling and” jack rabbit starts” negatively effects those fuel costs.

This program can only be a success through the commitment of our staff to make a difference in our community and I thank them for their leadership.

Just in time for Valentine’s Day: Guelph named Ontario’s most romantic city

Over the past couple of years, Guelph has been named Canada’s safest city, most caring community, fourth smartest community, and one of the top ten places in which to live.

Add another distinction to the list: according to online retailer Amazon.ca, Guelph is the most romantic city in Ontario, and the fifth most romantic in Canada.

There is certainly no shortage of romantic things to do in Guelph – taking in a show at the River Run; dining out at one of our many lovely restaurants; or taking a romantic stroll by the river. This Valentine’s Day is the perfect opportunity for Guelphites to show their stripes as residents of the romance capital of Ontario!

Small Biz on Local Issues

The Canadian Federation of Independent Business came to meet with me today to share research pertaining to small and medium-sized businesses. 

Some of the points of note from their presentation:

  • the CFIB has 700 members in Guelph and has three representatives on the ground in our community meeting with this membership
  • each week the CFIB makes nearly 2000 personal visits to their member businesses in Ontario
  • most Ontario businesses are small  (57% have no employees at all)
  • while small businesses were hit by the recession they performed better overall than medium-sized and larger businesses
  • optimism about the economy is growing among independent businesses
  • tax, regulatory, fuel and energy costs are at the top of their concerns;  concerns about the cost of insurance are growing
  • the ratio of residential taxes to business taxes in Guelph is lower than the provincial average (that is a good thing) but when the provincial education tax is applied the ratio becomes very skewed for our local businesses compared to other municipalities
  • the biggest concern they are hearing from their members is the impact of the construction from the  infrastructure renewal program

The Economic Development Department will be digging down deeper into their research to better understand the needs of this important sector of our local economy and to find municipal best practices across Ontario and the country.

Haiti Relief

There has been a remarkable global response to the humanitarian crisis in Haiti.  Guelph residents has shown similar generosity.

There are dozens of indivduals and groups in our community stepping up to find ways to raise money for Haiti.  You just have to drive through the city to see the signs of numerous fundraising campaigns.  Seniors’ Homes are having fundraising dinners.   Schools are getting involved. A youth bowling club is  raising money.  Everywhere people live, work and play there are people making a difference.

At a Rotary meeting I attended two weeks ago, members emptied their pockets to raise money to purchase Shelter Boxes for Haiti.  I came back from that meeting and approached members of Council and the Senior Management Team to make a contribution towards the Shelter Box fundraiser.  I am pleased to say we raised $2370.00.

Randy Seager, President of the Rotary Club of Guelph and member Mary Jo van Boxmeer showcase the Shelter Box

River Run staff were also approached by members of the faith and music community to hold a benefit concert.  Council approved waiving the fees associated with the use of the River Run so more of the funds raised would go directly to Haiti.

DemoCampGuelph

I have blogged a couple of times about the growing IT sector in Guelph.  This led to an invitation for me to attend DemoCampGuelph.  I went last night to the e-Bar along with over 160 others from this elusive IT sector.  The place was packed. 

The evening started with a talk from an social media author.  She spoke about how social media strengthens community.  She was followed by several people who got a few minutes to pitch their latest innovation.

This is how they describe it: DemoCampGuelph is for anyone in and around Guelph interested in software, the web and technology! Startup junkies, wage slaves, consultants, students, indie professionals, engineers, designers, money and marketing guys. If you want to see and talk about some interesting things, and get to know other people in the Guelph tech community, come on out! You don’t have to demo to attend.

 

Ground Breaking for new Civic Museum

It was a packed house to officially launch the construction of the new Guelph Civic Museum today.

Family Literacy Day, January 27

January 27 is Family Literacy Day, an annual initiative established in 1999 by ABC CANADA Literacy Foundation and Honda Canada. The day celebrates adults and children reading and learning together, and encourages Canadians to spend at least 15 minutes enjoying a learning activity every day.

You can go online to www.familyliteracyday.ca to check out events in our area or register your own event. There’s also a Family Literacy Day event guide you can download, with lots of good ideas on how to throw a great event, plus resources for family activities.

This year’s theme is singing for literacy. Singing encourages learning patterns of words, rhymes and rhythms, and is strongly connected to language skills – so this year, ABC CANADA is encouraging family and community sing-alongs as a way to boost literacy and have fun at the same time.

Construction season communications: a clarification on costs

There was a misleading story in the Guelph Mercury today that said the City paid a PR  firm $324,000 for a communications plan related to this year’s construction season. In fact, only $35,000 goes to the firm for planning fees and creative work. The rest will pay for radio, print and online advertising over a 44 week period; printing and distribution of information pieces; and producing and installing signs.

We are entering an unprecedented construction season – completing five years of work in one year – and no matter who completed the creative work, the City would have to produce advertisements, publications, and signs to keep residents and businesses informed. This is part of the cost of mounting such an ambitious construction schedule.

Successful IT conference

I had the pleasure of attending part of the IT conference yesterday at the Frank Hasenfratz Centre of Excellence in Manufacturing.  It was a huge success with over 180 participants.  One of the sessions I attended featured Phil Greenway (Greenway Home Products) and Ali Asaria (Well.ca).  It was really interesting to hear the story of these two Guelph companies and how they embrace technology for exceptional customer service.

Here are my welcoming remarks:

Good morning everyone. I’m very pleased to be part of this conference – the first technology conference of its kind in Guelph.

A little over a month ago, I had the opportunity to meet with a number of businesses from Guelph’s IT sector. I was struck by the fact that, while it doesn’t often make headlines, this sector has been building a significant presence in our community over the past couple of years. Quite a few of these businesses are located in our downtown.

After meeting with the businesses, I commented on my blog that an IT Accelerator Centre in our downtown could be just what we need to help achieve the important goals of job creation and downtown revitalization. My post was well-received, and I was impressed with the number of enthusiastic and creative ideas that were posted in response.

I learned that those in the technology sector meet regularly to share ideas and talk about all things tech-related. These meetings are open to all. Business leaders have also set up peer-to-peer networks. Clearly, this is a group of professionals who thrive on collaboration. So, it’s no surprise that they have come together to organize this conference, and connect the technology sector with other sectors in our local business community.

It strikes me that these are exactly the kind of professionals who would thrive as part of an innovation cluster or an accelerator centre, where the strengths of each firm contribute to the collective growth of the sector as a whole.

As all of you know, Guelph’s economy has been affected by the global recession. We know that we need to diversify our local economy in order to build resiliency for the future. A strong information technology sector offers an ideal opportunity to do that. And, it helps us to attract a skilled, creative workforce – exactly the kind of “creative class” workers that every city is trying to attract.

From what I have seen, our local IT professionals are committed to Guelph and excited about the potential that exists here. I think today’s conference will build that excitement, and move us further on the path to becoming a centre for technology innovation.

As one local IT enthusiast commented on my blog, “These are exciting times to work and live in Guelph.” I couldn’t agree more.

Major Federal investment in Hammond Power Solutions

The federal government announced today that it is investing $1,495,000 in Hammond Power Solutions. The funding will be used to expand operations and add a research and development test laboratory.

This is great news for our community, as it will create jobs and enhance competitiveness.