Latest news with #UniversityofGuelph
CTV News
a day ago
- Business
- CTV News
City of Guelph rules developer working on student housing project must pay charges
A building at 601 Scottsdale Drive in Guelph, Ont. was photographed on May 8, 2025. (Jeff Pickel/CTV News) Guelph City Council is standing firm on their decision that a developer working on a student housing project in the city must pay development charges. Forum Asset Management is on phase two of the project at 601 Scottdale Drive in Guelph. During phase one, the former Holiday Inn hotel was converted into 177 units for student housing. The land is owned by the University of Guelph and the lease stipulates that the rooms are for university students, but the buildings will not be owned or operated by the school. According to both the City of Guelph and the developer, no development charges were levied during the first phase of the project. The city, however, took a different approach for phase two. They decided the developer would be on the hook for $15 million in development charges going forward. Earlier this month, the developer said that would make the project 'economically unviable' without raising costs for students and delay the start of construction. In a news release on Friday, the city doubled down on its decision. They said council found the developer was responsible for those development charges. The release comes after council reviewed a complaint by Forum Asset Management. They ultimately dismissed the complaint and decided the rental units were not exempt from development charges. An official Notice of Decision was sent to Forum on Thursday. 'Forum Asset Management can still get a full exemption from development charges if they rent the units at, or below, the province's affordable rental threshold for Guelph for 25 years,' the release from the city stated. The developer now has until July 8 to file an appeal with the Ontario Land Tribunal. CTV News reached out to Forum for comment but they have not yet responded to the request.
Global News
a day ago
- Business
- Global News
University of Guelph looks to improve its land with new real estate strategy
The University of Guelph has created what it calls a 'bold' real estate strategy to improve university-owned lands. Brandon Raco, director of the university's real estate division, said the plan will create more student housing, public spaces and commercialization over the next 40 years. Five district neighbourhoods will take shape throughout the phased development, including Dairy Bush, Wellington Woods and a Retail, Innovation and Entertainment District. It will feature nine distinct areas that span over 91 acres west of the school's campus, plus 300 acres of farmland in Puslinch, south of Guelph. The university's board of governors approved the strategy earlier this year, and it will be developed in four phases, according to Raco. 'It was really shaped in a holistic way that sets a vision that we like to think is bold and really solve some of those issues that we know that we need to solve as it relates to housing and creating mixed-use, vibrant communities,' Raco said. Story continues below advertisement The project is a partnership with the City of Guelph, whose role Raco describes as the 'meat and potatoes' of the initiative. He said the division has been working closely with the city, particularly its technical staff, to analyze each project. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'If we are building student-purpose built housing, we have to interconnect into city-owned infrastructure like sewage, potable water, electrical capacity, electrical transmission and the roadways,' he said. In a statement, the city applauded the U of G's strategy, with an emphasis on its strong partnership to shape a sustainable, vibrant future. 'The University of Guelph's commitment to lead and oversee their own purpose-built student housing projects directly on campus addresses a critical need, supporting both students and the broader Guelph community,' Mayor Cam Guthrie said. Guthrie said the city is excited to work with the university on their project to create dynamic spaces that foster connection, growth and well-being for all. The U of G said each project will use various funding models, with some coming from the university and others in partnership with the private sector. Raco said the first phase of the project is expected to be approved in late 2025. He said updates and amendments on the strategy will be done every quarter in meetings with the board of governors and board of trustees. Story continues below advertisement 'You can imagine being a student or a resident of this site and being able to leave your apartment or your student rental and quickly walk and grab your groceries, then take the cow path into the core of campus and be able to have this remarkably vibrant place adjacent to where you go to school,' he said.
CBC
6 days ago
- General
- CBC
Coyote sightings in Waterloo, Guelph prompt safety reminders from city officials
Two coyote sightings in Waterloo region and Guelph this week have officials reminding residents how to stay safe in case they come across one in their backyard or out in the wilderness. In Waterloo on Tuesday, a coyote and her pups were sighted on the GeoTime trail in Vista Hills. That coyote had a brief altercation with a Waterloo resident and their dog but no injuries were reported. City of Waterloo officials told CBC News in an email that park staff closed the section of the trail where the coyote interaction happened as a precautionary measure. The same evening, the University of Guelph reported a coyote sighting near the west side of the University Centre on campus. The school said in a post on its website the coyote was not aggressive and there was no reason to believe it posed a major safety risk. Both the city of Waterloo and University of Guelph websites tell residents that coyotes will typically avoid humans if they are left alone. Waterloo's website outlines ways to avoid conflict with a coyote during seasons where they're more prominent. In general, city parks officials follow the Ministry of Natural Resources guidelines. Most coyotes will ignore or avoid humans. Waterloo's city parks website said "like all urban wildlife, they're looking for food, water and shelter." If a coyote is nearby or approaching a populated area, they suggest the following: Do not approach. Be big and loud, stand tall, wave your arms, shout (but don't scream), clap your hands, bang pots and pans and make a lot of noise. Keep pets on a leash. Slowly back away. Do not turn your back or run as that can trigger a chase instinct. Do not leave food waste in park garbage cans so as to not attract coyotes. Carry a flashlight on public trails. Report any aggressive, sick or injured coyote.
Global News
21-05-2025
- Health
- Global News
University of Guelph prof's waterless decontamination technology is changing food safety
A University of Guelph professor's technology is changing the way we take care of our food. Keith Warriner, a professor of food safety, has developed a technology that combines hydrogen peroxide, UV light and ozone to create hydroxyl radicals, which kill 99 per cent of pathogens such as E. coli and salmonella. He first developed the technology over 20 years ago in the United Kingdom, using the same chemistry that forms hydroxyl radicals. He said hydroxyl radicals are seen in clouds. When the sun shines into the ozone, it degrades into hydroxyl radicals and dissipates into water. Warriner put that chemistry to work in a chamber to decontaminate fresh produce, such as lettuce, tomatoes and cauliflower. The technology's water-free system has advantages over conventional methods. 'To be effective, it can decontaminate. You don't have any water, so you're saving on water, it can degrade pesticides like chlorpyrifos, whereas in washing, it's like having a bath, literally,' Warriner said. Story continues below advertisement The system can decontaminate 100,000 pounds of produce every hour and works on fruits, vegetables and raw pet food. Get weekly health news Receive the latest medical news and health information delivered to you every Sunday. Sign up for weekly health newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy However, the prototype never caught on until years later, when a listeria outbreak occurred in 2015 and the technology was used to help save Ontario apple grower Paul Moyer's business. Moyer turned to the award-winning food scientist for help. 'He would say, 'Look, we need a process where we can assure that apples are going to be listeria-free, and I said, 'I've got this technology from previous research.' And we did the project. Sure enough, we showed that we could inactivate the listeria, make the candy apples safe,' Warriner said. The technology resulted in massive success; it boosted Moyer's sales tenfold, doubled the fruit's shelf life and allowing it to be sold in multiple states south of the border. The success also led to Moyer starting Clean Works Technology in 2017, partly owning the patent for Warriner's technology. The U of G professor and his team of food science students are currently looking at ways to improve the technology, including developing versions that might work on eggs and medical equipment, among other commodities. Warriner said it's going to be 'a game-changer' for food safety. He said it has all the features needed for industrial applications. Story continues below advertisement 'You've got the throughput, you've got monitoring, you've got research that's proven research and it works,' he said. He said trying to get others to buy in presents a barrier, as is the case with all new technologies. And it's a barrier he is trying to overcome. 'The reality with fresh produce is that it's grown in an open field, and we know urban populations where also water quality is affecting it, so testing alone won't save you, but having a pasteurization step, as I call it, will save your day,' he said. More than 200 studies have been done to validate the technology's safety and efficacy, and it's led to commercial units expanding to other continents, including Europe, South America and Australia.
Hamilton Spectator
15-05-2025
- Health
- Hamilton Spectator
Asparagus starts the ball rolling on the local growing season
Spring means that local food is coming online across Ontario at farmers' markets and roadside stalls, making it an important time to buy local, says the Ontario Federation of Agriculture. With the fresh season upon us, the OFA and its Home Grown project are promoting the more than 200 different foods and farm commodities in the province. 'Spring means the beginning of a new growing season in Ontario, which will bring with it a whole new wave of opportunities for consumers to support local food and farming businesses by buying products grown right here at home,' said OFA director Larry Davis in a release. The season's first crop is asparagus, which is shooting out of the ground at this very moment. Asparagus season is very short, but it is very intense, he notes. 'It's planted as a tuber and deep in the soil, and then it takes a little while to come to a product. Getting a crop in the first year isn't immediate. It's probably the second year before you get a crop, and then it can be harvested almost daily,' Davis explained. 'Once the weather gets warm and there is lots of sunshine, it grows quickly.' Asparagus shoots can grow 10 inches in a 24-hour period and are harvested daily. If it grows well, it can be harvested twice daily, said Davis, who farms in Norfolk County, where most of Canada's asparagus grows. Ninety per cent of the asparagus grown is a variety developed at the University of Guelph called the Guelph Millennium. It's adapted to cooler climates and produces higher yields than other varieties, the OFA notes. It is high in Vitamin A, which is considered important for vision, immunity and growth/healing, and is also a significant source of antioxidants among other nutritional benefits, according to Ontario Asparagus. Davis told The Observer that buying local produce such as asparagus not only supports area producers but also enhances local economies. 'It boosts the local food production so smaller, independent businesses can have the flexibility to cater to local markets. They can get produce from niche markets. And the local consumer needs are well addressed from local, smaller batch production.' With the current political climate of uncertainty, buying local and supporting Ontario farmers has been at the forefront of the minds of Ontarians. 'At OFA, we are seeing a dramatic surge in consumer demand for local products, based on the questions we get regularly about how to shop local, how to identify Ontario and Canadian-made products.' If you are inserted in how you can buy local or recipe ideas, go to . 'Every aspect of the economy grows when you support local,' said Davis.
