Happy Friday! Welcome to Friday the 13th, St. Patty’s Weekend1, and the ongoing joy of living in Canada’s London, where about 88.2%2 of the roads are under construction at any given time but there’s always a good diner somewhere close, mmmm, bacon.
I’m Mike, your communications support as an engaged citizen - and therefore leader - of London, Ontario. Thanks for looking at this briefing, designed to equip you to make good decisions for our city. You might skim through for areas that interest you and dive deeper where it makes sense. And please engage3 where you can - we grow stronger when we work together.
Here at our Little Journalism Outlet That Could, we act in the public interest and co-operate with all media to share stories that matter. Every week, that means this free ROUNDUP.
Let’s go, shall we? Yes.
Housing and homelessness
I’m thrilled to see Tolpuddle Housing Coop4 getting more support from the City. Here’s the latest from Daryl Newcombe, who has been on this like a terrier, making a difference to everyone involved - and that is the power of an active local media. My report from the Community and Protective Services Committee is here.
Also this week:
The Planning committee is here, including refusal of a large development on Cheapside Street, and a note about floodplain zoning.
Rents are down for the eighth month in a row: for this, the LFP wrote up a report produced by a website.
We all saw this one coming, right? Talk of London expanding to include Arva because of a difficulty with sewerage and development.
Opinion alert: this is pointless factionalism. I don’t think it’s healthy to say “I don’t want my taxes helping people outside the city”, and instead we should find ways to work together. Council should lead on this.
Drug use, public order issues
Still doing my best to separate topics here, because being unhoused is not a crime.
Reta Ismail at CTV5 has put together a report on some difficulties in Argyle, where people have been gathering near a pharmacy.
There’s been lots of reporting on the disturbing story about overdoses on the street, and here’s just one example with some shocking numbers.
And of course that same CAPS link will take you to discussion of Councillor Susan Stevenson’s stymied attempt to stop drug kits being handed out. Here’s a great follow-up from CBC, where Mayor Josh Morgan calls for the consumption site to allow inhalation of drugs including meth and fentanyl. And you can find me talking with Matt Brown about it here.
Opinion alert: consumption sites channel existing problems into multi-agency solutions that limit damage to communities and encourage drug users to access services such as healthcare. It’s a yes from me.
Oh, let’s have a quick EXCLUSIVE
Councillor Sam Trosow tells me he is definitely running for council again in the fall. Following my story that Councillor Jerry Pribil will leave office at the end of his term, Councillor Trosow sent me this note:
Just to let you know that I am most certainly running for re-election in Ward 6. And while I’m trying to go out of my way not to engage in anything even remotely resembling campaigning, I’m very upfront about this with anyone who asks. I’m probably being more cautious than I need to be.
Noting that, it’s unsurprising that Trosow is a retired Western University law professor; you can see him with a full beard here. His own website has a good bio.
I’m going to leave the issue of who’s running until after March Break, a good time for everybody to have a big think. Then let’s get a checklist going. On this soon.
Back to the issues.
Education
More programs are cut at Fanshawe College. Desperately sad to see a photography class lost when the whole world has a camera in its pocket.
Students staged walkouts to protest the provincial government’s changes to OSAP. Strong coverage from Fanshawe’s student journalists over here and the Western Gazette here. Let’s add backup from the pros: CTV London report.
Our ongoing Biblical plague
Let’s not miss that rats issue, which is covered in the reporting at Planning. (Scroll down a bit.)
Craig Needles’ podcast has an interview with Dr. Brendon Samuels, regular contributor to discussions at City Hall.
20 Under 40 cocktails oooh
Just look at the healthy eyes, skin and teeth on these disgustingly-young people. I’m appalled and will be writing to my MP.
Not really. I had fun hanging out at the 20 Under 40 cocktail gala at 100 Kellogg Lane. Congratulations to all the inspirational winners, and thanks to Gord at London Inc for the invitation. People should get together more.
The Lightning Round
Jobs: lots of people are out of work. Latest stats. And those are real stats this time.
Weather: it is wet, cold, snowy, all the weathers and we should stay in dry places. That’s a CBC report about rescue training for rivers. There are also all the usual snow stories. They’ve closed the 402 this afternoon (Friday) and I can hear sirens.
Theatre: The Grand has announced its new season.
Local independent journalism
Sports: Gameday London.
Business: London Inc.
Commentary: Steve Cordes’ Community Matters.
Discussion: Matt Brown’s podcast.
Southern Ontario Journal by Cedric Richards.
Larry Cornies’ audio blog.
And welcome to the Creature Corner
People keep telling me to highlight stories beyond London, and what better way than pointing at the media’s love for a cute animal story?
Here’s valid journalism: Stratford is ending its swan parade, because it got too big and could be bad for the swans. Animal welfare, local economy, all good. Story. Great. Move on.
And here’s a piece saying Wiarton Willie is dead. Further, here’s another one - that’s our public broadcaster, indeed. This involves a mention of the local economy but has no value beyond a comical willingness to suggest that rodents have magical weather powers6.
Finally, TW FOR SCARY SHARKS and also this shocking story about a shark attack in Oz includes awesome photography7.
Stop now
Oh wow, that’s really long. I hope you didn’t read all that. Remember - skim it.
Enough. See you next week! Council is off, with no meetings, and I’ll take the opportunity to share some more general pieces. Look out for another ROUNDUP on Friday.
PLEASE SHARE. Ayethankew.
- Mike
Look, just a general apology here to people who are actually Irish. I’m going along with the ‘green beer’ thing, although I don’t get it. We don’t have St. Patrick’s Day where I come from. We’d just call it Saturday.
This was a Guinness ad in the 90s. It’s not actually true - Vic Reeves is a comedian. So this is all legally justified as satire, yay.
“Tolpuddle” is a funny word with a lot of history. This is a good read.
Reta presented my team with three awards recently. Yes, you can find them on my CV. Yes, red shoes.
Horrified to discover they’ve been doing this with a succession of rodents over 70 years. What is he, the Dread Pirate Roberts?
Never forget the mayor in Jaws was still in the mayor in Jaws 2.
Stills...Not Hills....damn autocorrrect
Hey no worries re your St Patricks Day comments lol. I took it as a friendly jab with a shillelagh lol. PS My grandmother emigrated here from Dufftown where tis said....Rome was built on several hills, Dufftown was built on several Hills.