Guelph - The City of Guelph unveils its new brand today, and highlights the brand’s most prominent component: the visual identity, including a new logo, tagline and colour palette.

The logo, which can be seen at guelph.ca/brand represents Guelph’s converging rivers and the community’s strong sense of energy, creativity, responsibility, flow and progress. Its bold, vibrant and timeless colours depict Guelph’s respect for the environment and the natural world. The design and typography have been developed with a focus on clean lines and simplicity.

The slogan – Making a Difference – defines Guelph as a passionate and innovative community. A direct tie-in to the City’s recently-launched Strategic Plan, the slogan conveys Guelph’s desire to make a positive impact both locally and globally.

“Guelph wants to build a brand that lets the world know it is progressive, innovative, creative, cultural, and committed to environmental preservation,” says Guelph’s mayor, Karen Farbridge. “Our city has history, attractions, excellent employment opportunities and natural beauty. This logo effectively communicates these features.”

John Kissick, Director, School of Fine Art and Music at the University of Guelph, agrees. He says Guelph’s new logo is “refreshing and very much in keeping with the city’s image as a vibrant, dynamic place. The logo’s strength is in its simplicity and clean design. It has very strong sense of readability and imparts a spirit that is contemporary and lively. It’s all there!"

The new brand is the result of an eight-month process, including dozens of interviews and focus groups, hundreds of online responses from residents, polls in the community, and best-practices research. The result is one strong brand that captures the city’s history, quality of place, lifestyle, culture and diversity.

Doug MacMillan of MacMillan Marketing Group, the City’s brand consultant, explains, “Municipalities worldwide are undergoing significant change and are focusing more on marketing and branding both for residents and external audiences. A strong brand is an important element of a city’s competitiveness and appeal. It is important that Guelph be distinctive, perceived as a progressive and professional city. The visual identity – the logo – is integral to this positioning. Part of the work of designing a new visual identity for Guelph was striking a balance that people said was fundamental: Guelph’s rich history and ‘small town feel’, and its reputation for innovation and forward-thinking.”

Guelph’s Chief Administrative Officer, Hans Loewig, points out that positioning Guelph as an exceptional city is an ongoing process, and isn’t limited to a new logo. “The work that lies ahead involves evolving the brand and Guelph’s image into a ‘quality of place.’ We’ll be working to build brand loyalty, essential to a city’s survival, and we’ll do it in a way that’s strategic and fiscally responsible.”

Guelph begins its branding strategy on the heels of the most comprehensive public consultation process Guelph has ever led. That process revealed the foundation of Guelph’s new Strategic Plan and, by extension, provided important background in developing its new brand.

“It is good news to see that this decision to implement relatively new concepts in traffic management here in Cambridge has resulted in positive changes with regard to road speeds,” says Mayor Doug Craig.

The City of Cambridge Council approved the plan to install horizontal deflections, pavement markers and other strategies to enhance safety and calm vehicular traffic in July 2006. Changes occurred to Concession Road, Lang’s Drive and Walter Street this summer concurrent with road construction, which sought to reduce speeds and calm traffic. The move also introduced new lanes for bicycles in selected areas and provided on-street parking near Coronation Public School for student pick-up/drop-off.

“While this is a subject that continues to require attention to ensure that people keep to the speed limits, it’s a sign that things are improving,” says Ed Kovacs, the City’s Commissioner of Transportation and Public Works. Kovacs stresses the importance of getting the message out to the public about the need to obey posted speed limits..

Traffic calming is a set of strategies used by transportation engineers, which aim to slow down or reduce traffic speeds and/or volumes, thereby enhancing safety for pedestrians and bicyclists as well as improving the environment for residents. Calming measures are common in Europe, especially Northern Europe but are relatively new to North America.

The objectives in the report are based on “draft” objectives that were initially presented to Council in June 2007. Since that time, a substantial amount of community and stakeholder consultation has occurred, the results of which are set out in the report. The revised objectives, if approved by Council, will provide the starting point for the development of policies and land use designations which, in conjunction with the objectives, will form the new City Official Plan.

Copies of the report, including the feedback received through the consultation process, are available at www.waterloo.ca/planitwaterloo or in hardcopy from City of Waterloo Development Services Department, 2nd Floor, Waterloo City Centre.

If you require further information about the report or the Official Plan Review process, you can visit the Plan It! Waterloo website at www.waterloo.ca/planitwaterloo or contact:

Janice Mitchell, Policy Planner, City of Waterloo Development Services at 519-747-8546 or jmitchell@city.waterloo.on.ca.

Tanja Curic, Policy Planner, City of Waterloo Development Services at 519-747-8745 or tcuric@city.waterloo.on.ca.

The Council meeting will be held no earlier that 7:00 p.m. on Monday December 10, 2007 in the Council Chambers, City Hall, 100 Regina Street South (3rd floor), Waterloo Ontario.

If you wish to make a presentation to Council, please call (519) 747-8549 prior to Monday, December 10, 2007 at 10:00 am so that the necessary arrangements can be made to place you on the agenda.

Public sector employment—comprising all levels of general government, universities, colleges, school boards, health and social service institutions and government business enterprises—stood at 3.05 million, or 2.1% more than the 2.99 million reported in the third quarter of 2006.

The major contributors to this growth were health and social services institutions, which saw an increase of 27,100 employees compared with the same period in 2006. Educational institutions also saw growth, registering an increase of 15,000 employees. In addition, there were 7,200 more employees working in the provincial and territorial general governments.

Despite a strike in the city of Vancouver, overall employment at the local government level rose by 11,800.

Employment in the federal general government rose, but only slightly.

Public sector employment as a proportion of the total employed labour force has remained relatively constant since 2000. In the third quarter of 2007 this proportion was 17.8%, just slightly lower than the third quarter of 2006, when it was 17.9%.

Regarding the distribution of employees, the three levels of general government (federal, provincial/territorial and local) accounted for 38.2% of total public sector employment, followed by health and social service institutions at 26.7%. Educational institutions accounted for 26.4%, and government business enterprises at 8.7%.

Public sector employment1
	Second quarter 2006	Third quarter 2006	Second quarter 2007	Third quarter 2007
	thousands
Public Sector	3,221	2,992	3,258	3,054
General Government	1,145	1,148	1,148	1,168
Federal	405	386	390	387
Provincial and territorial	354	362	361	369
Local	386	400	397	412
Educational institutions	1,030	790	1,046	805
Universities and colleges2	339	307	343	315
School boards	692	482	704	489
Health and social services institutions	781	789	799	816
Government business enterprises	265	265	265	265
1. Numbers may not add up due to rounding. 2. Includes vocational and trade institutions.

"We will work together to create more economic growth, prosperity and wealth, while continuing to ask the federal government of Canada to do their share so that they are also supporting a sector of our economy that's under a great, great deal of pressure now.''

McGuinty touted the importance of removing interprovincial trade barriers to the Canadian economy, and agreed it would be crucial for Ottawa to also offer some direct help, especially for the manufacturing sector.

"Achieving this will reduce the regulatory burden on businesses and lower costs for consumers,'' McGuinty said.

"We can do some great things together, but we can do even more if we had the federal government coming to the table, duplicating some of our programs.''

Charest said he wants a chance to sit down with Prime Minister Stephen Harper and the other first ministers to tackle what he called a "crisis'' in manufacturing.

"A struggling manufacturing sector has repercussions for the entire economy,'' he warned.

Federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty said yesterday he was pleased to see the two provinces trying to get rid of barriers to trade that were an irritant when he was Ontario's finance minister.

"More power to them,'' Flaherty said. "Wow.''

Under the new deal, Quebec and Ontario negotiators will look at harmonizing regulations that govern everything from the weight of trucks to health care, making it easier for companies to operate in both provinces -- boosting what's now about $70 billion a year in interprovincial trade.

"Given the high dollar, the price of oil, the sluggish American economy, the advent of globalization -- all of those have acted to have us take a new look at each other,'' McGuinty said.

"We are neighbouring provinces and we have powerfully intertwined economies. what more might we do for each other?''

Guelph - City will pay one fine related to odour - Seven charges against the City of Guelph for alleged contravention of the Environmental Protection Act (EPA) related to Guelph’s compost facility were withdrawn by the Ministry of the Environment (MOE) in court today. On the eighth charge related to odour, the City pled guilty and will pay a fine of $40,000.

“Both the City and the MOE share a mutual commitment to protecting the environment,” says Guelph’s mayor, Karen Farbridge. “That commitment had much to do with both parties’ ability to reach a resolution.”

Guelph was the first Ontario municipality to build a composter of this kind in 1995, with considerable financial support from the Province. In 1997, the MOE acknowledged odour from the facility was a possibility.

The City of Guelph’s composting facility was often regarded as a provincial pilot. Guelph’s experience with composting set the stage for several other cities in the province to build composters of their own. Composting technology has advanced considerably since Guelph built its composter more than 12 years ago.

Guelph’s composting facility has not been in operation since June 2006. The City is committed to considering updated technology options for processing compostable waste.

For more information on the Regional Transportation Master Plan – Moving Forward 2031, please visit our website at www.movingforward2031.ca. Those interested in attending the event should RSVP by November 20, 2007 by e-mailing movingforward@region.waterloo.on.ca or calling the Moving Forward Infoline at 519-575-4572.

The one-site facility will be designed and constructed on 45 acres of privately owned, redeveloped property at 131 Goodrich Dr. - the former Uniroyal Goodrich Tire Manufacturing plant - which the City is now in the process of purchasing from TC MidAtlantic Development Inc.

The CMF will be built by reusing as much of the existing buildings on the site as possible, which enables the cost of the project to come in at about 40 per cent less than it would have been had the City selected another site.

The total project cost is expected to site between $46 million and $48.3 million.

'There are so many benefits in choosing this site for the CMF,' said Mayor Carl Zehr. 'On top of the great cost savings we'll enjoy by reusing the existing industrial space, there will be no need for infrastructure improvements beyond what is already planned; and there are expansion possibilities available on the site, should the facility need to growth in the future. It's a winning selection in so many ways.'

The CMF concept, which would consolidate the City's five current operations sites, has been under review by the City for many years. Many of the City's current facilities are ageing, inefficient, inappropriately sized and not configured for modern equipment.

A variety of important City services, including road and sewer maintenance and snow removal, are currently delivered from various locations.

It is anticipated that the new CMF would improve service delivery and operational efficiency, and help to address the increasing demands for City services which stem from new growth.

'We are in need of a new facility now; and that need will become unmanageable in the future if we don't address it,' said Carla Ladd, the City's chief administrative officer. 'The City has put a tremendous effort into finding a site that will provide the space we need to accommodate our services, while being extremely cost effective. This site and model will serve all of those purposes.'

Public feedback on the CMF project was collected via the City's website, as well as email, voicemail, mail-in, and through two public information sessions earlier this fall.

Citizens had the opportunity to comment on which site(s) and model(s) they felt would be most appropriate for the CMF; the majority of the respondents chose the Goodrich Drive site as the preferred location.

'Clearly, the public sees the many advantages in going with this site and model,' said Hans Gross, the City's director of project administration and economic investment.

The Finance and Corporate Services Committee directed staff to look into building the CMF to a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified standard, once again solidifying the City's commitment to environmental excellence.

'Although the Goodrich site involves the reuse of an existing industrial building, there is an opportunity to incorporate environmentally friendly practices in the redevelopment of the building and the site,' said Gross. 'In fact, preliminary research finds that there is a potential to achieve LEED certification at a modest cost.'

The recommendation will go to City Council for approval on Nov. 26. If the project is approved, City staff will begin the design stage of the CMF subject to the completion of the Municipal Class Environmental Assessment process.

Background:

In October 2005, Stantec Consulting Inc. was awarded the assignment to complete a peer review of the CMF Business Case completed by city staff.

In May 2007, the Stantec peer review study concluded that:

There is a need to consolidate and replace the current Works yards facilities

A one-site model is more efficient and cost effective than a two-site model

A one-site model requires a total building area of approximately 290,000 square feet on a useable site of approximately 41 to 45 acres and would require a capital investment of approximately $60 to $80 million (excluding land and in 2006 dollars)

A two-site model requires a total building area of approximately 302,000 square feet on useable sites totaling approximately 50 to 55 acres and would require a capital investment of approximately $61 to $81 million (excluding land and in 2006 dollars)

In total, three options were finally considered for the CMF project:

. A one-site model on approximately 45 acres of privately owned redeveloped property at 131 Goodrich Dr.

. A one-site or two-site model through a phased-development approach on approximately 23 to 40 acres of privately owned land at or adjacent to 41 Ardelt Pl. and 75 Ardelt Pl.

. A three-site model on approximately 62 acres (50 useable acres) on the following City-owned properties: Elmsdale Operations Centre (8.7 acres); Strasburg-Huron Industrial Site (37.7 acres of which 27.7 useable); and Battler Yard Site (15.8 acres).

The IBI Group reviewed the site options and determined that the one-site model at 131 Goodrich Dr. would be the most cost effective, as well as the best fit for the City's needs.

Replacement “totally unrelated to conduct or performance”

Guelph - The Federation of Canadian Municipalities has issued a statement thanking Councillor Gloria Kovach for her leadership during the 16 months she served as FCM President and Chair of the National Board of Directors.

Councillor Kovach was named FCM President in December 2005, after 12 years as a member of the FCM Board. In March 2007, the Board of Directors replaced her with Winnipeg Councillor Gord Steeves without stating a reason. FCM’s statement, issued this week, says, “The Board reached this decision for reasons totally unrelated to either Gloria Kovach’s conduct or performance as President of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities or as Chair of its National Board of Directors. The Federation acknowledges that Gloria Kovach carried out her duties in a responsible manner consistent with her commitment to municipal government.”

Mayor Karen Farbridge is pleased that FCM has provided this closure on the matter. “There was never any doubt from my perspective that Councillor Kovach provided excellent leadership to municipalities across Canada, and that her conduct and performance were exemplary. We were always proud to have one of our own serving as FCM President,” she said.

The FCM release outlines Councillor Kovach’s extensive work during her term, saying “she began her term with a call to all federal party leaders to support a long term commitment and plan to erase Canada’s municipal infrastructure deficit. For the next sixteen months, Councillor Kovach served as Federation of Canadian Municipalities’ chief spokesperson, meeting news media, federal and provincial ministers and attending dozens of events, both in Canada and around the world as the organization’s chief representative.”

It also references her work with FCM’s International Centre for Municipal Development, including her development of an exchange program between Guelph and cities in the Czech Republic and her work on an international program in El Salvador.

The entire statement can be read on the FCM website at http://www.fcm.ca/english/media/press/nov122007.html.

Dedication Ceremony Slated for Saturday, November 10th

Cambridge - A new memorial to recognize those who served in the Canadian Forces and the United States Forces in Vietnam will be unveiled by Cambridge Mayor Doug Craig and members of the City Council and staff on Saturday, November 10, 2007.

Supplied by Dumfries Superior Memorials, the black granite monument is located in Queen’s Square near the existing cenotaph. The new monument is in memory of the men and women who have died serving in the Canadian Forces since 1954 or in the Vietnam War. To date, the monument recognizes fallen members of the Warren and Woodfield families.

The Royal Canadian Legion-Galt Branch 121 was a partner with the City of Cambridge in providing financial support for the memorial project. Representatives from Royal Canadian Legion-Preston Branch 126 and The Royal Canadian Legion-Hespeler Branch 272 will also join in the dedication to honour those who died with connections to our community.

“We invite the community to join us as we unveil the new memorial and pay tribute to Baxter Warren and Braun Woodfield who serve in the war efforts,” says Mayor Doug Craig. “The City will continue to seek information about others who might be added to the monument.”

Join other prominent members of the community for the Dedication Ceremony:

Date: Saturday, November 10, 2007
Time: 10:30 am to 11:00 am
Place: Queen’s Square, Cambridge

Includes Link to state address video.

Guelph - Mayor Karen Farbridge highlighted the progress of the first year of this term of Council and emphasized key opportunities for Guelph’s future in her annual State of the City address, which she delivered this morning at a breakfast hosted by the Guelph Chamber of Commerce.

Her presentation began with a “snapshot” of the city that illustrated Guelph’s strong economy. More than a thousand new jobs are being added to the community with expansions at Synnex Canada, Denso Manufacturing, and Linamar’s Skyjack facility, and the announcement of a new Provincial Data Centre. As of September, the value of industrial building permits was up 150 per cent compared to all of 2006.

Guelph’s unemployment rate is lower than the provincial average, and 71 per cent of working Guelph residents are employed in Guelph. “This dispels the notion that Guelph is a bedroom community, with large numbers of residents leaving the city for work,” Mayor Farbridge explained.

City residents and businesses also benefit from a low tax burden relative to a group of nine other comparable municipalities.

Turning to a review of the first year, Mayor Farbridge pointed to a number of customer service improvements at City Hall. These include new client-focused project management teams in the Community Design and Development department; a number of planned online services in the Building department, and an online tendering process in the Finance department that has received kudos from several clients. As well, the new City Hall will have a central customer service desk.

The City’s local growth strategy is also well underway, with the input of the hundreds of residents who participated in the GuelphQuest exercise. Urban design guidelines are being developed to ensure that, as we grow, we maintain compatibility with existing neighbourhoods. “Our growth strategy is crucial because, if we grow the same way we have for the past 50 years, we will experience longer commuting times, higher auto emissions, lower air quality, and the depletion of large amounts of farmland and land that protects our water,” said Mayor Farbridge.

The downtown has been a high priority for Council in its first year. A Downtown Economic Development Manager has been hired, who will develop a multi-year plan for attracting investment and guide the Community Improvement Plan process. The Gummer and Victoria buildings will be redeveloped with the help of a new Heritage Building Reserve. A two hour free on-street parking pilot has launched, and parking strategies for the short and long-term are underway. Council will decide on a site for the new main library by the end of this month.

The Mayor also highlighted a number of successes in the environmental services area. A 50 year Water Management Master Plan has been approved, and Council will not be considering a pipeline to Lake Erie. 50 year Master Plans are also underway for waste and waste water. The City is short-listing proven technologies to bring the organic waste facility back on line.

In the area of transit, the Mayor pointed out that, among Ontario cities with a population of 50,000 to 150,000, Guelph Transit is number one in ridership, number one in efficiency (cost per trip), and number one in effectiveness (trips per capita). “We are the envy of other municipalities, because federal and provincial transit funding is often based on ridership,” said Mayor Farbridge. “We are well placed to receive funding that will allow us to invest further in our transit system.”

Transit is currently on a 40-minute schedule during peak hours, which has increased on-time predictability from 40% to 85%. However, the Mayor said, “we have heard the community’s concerns about the 40-minute schedule, and we will be considering a budget expansion for 20-minute peak service in 2008.”

Turning to future opportunities, Mayor Farbridge highlighted the 426-hectare York District lands – the site of the former Correctional Institute lands on the east side of the city bordered by Victoria, York, Watson and Stone Roads.

“When you look at five key themes for this term of Council, you realize that they are tied in various ways to this piece of property,” explained Mayor Farbridge. “First, because of the size and location of the lands, our growth management strategy will hinge on our ability to redevelop these lands effectively. Second, the acreage of the lands is almost equal to our entire existing employment lands inventory – making this a tremendous opportunity to provide employment lands for our growing economy. Third, our Waste Resource Innovation Centre is located on this property, so it will be important for the future of our organics facility. Fourth, the site is our best opportunity to meet our Community Energy Plan targets through integrated energy planning. And finally, the lands are important for building partnerships, because those with interests in the land include the provincial government, University of Guelph, and private companies.”

Mayor Farbridge concluded by referencing the City’s new Strategic Plan, which has an ambitious vision statement: “to be the city that makes a difference.”

“This vision doesn’t stop at City Hall,” the Mayor said. “Everyone in the community will have a role to play in bringing it to life.”

To view the Mayor's State of the City presentation, click here.

OTTAWA - The Canada Revenue Agency announced that the maximum pensionable earnings under the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) for 2008 will be $44,900-up from $43,700 in 2007. The new ceiling was calculated according to a CPP legislated formula that takes into account the growth in average weekly wages and salaries in Canada.

Contributors who earn more than $44,900 in 2008 are not required or permitted to make additional contributions to the CPP.

The basic exemption amount for 2008 remains $3,500. Individuals who earn less than that amount do not need to contribute to the CPP.

The employee and employer contribution rates for 2008 will remain unchanged at 4.95%, and the self-employed contribution rate will remain unchanged at 9.9%.

The maximum employer and employee contribution to the plan for 2008 will be $2,049.30, and the maximum self-employed contribution will be $4,098.60. The maximums in 2007 were $1,989.90 and $3,979.80.

Guelph - It is with pleasure that we announce Hans Loewig has accepted an offer to extend his contract to serve as the Chief Administrative Officer of the City of Guelph until December 31, 2009.

“City Council has been delighted with the leadership Mr. Loewig has been providing to our Senior Management Team and Staff” said Mayor Farbridge. “Council’s priority in making the offer to Mr. Loewig was to bring stability and continuity to the organization to ensure the continued delivery of quality services to the citizens of Guelph.

The Paper outlines the changing international economic context and presents what the Panel believes are the two principal issues for Canada's economic performance: How best to create the domestic conditions to foster the development of Canadian-based global businesses; and how to best position Canada to be a world-leading destination for talent, capital and innovation.

"Our Panel has been asked to provide recommendations on how Canada should adapt and move forward in a new environment of global competition," said L.R. Wilson. "We must ensure that our policies are modern and effective, to enable Canadian firms to maximize their productivity and competitiveness. The title of our paper, Sharpening Canada's Competitive Edge, is our guiding principle, and we are seeking input from Canadians and interested parties on how to maximize Canada's competitive position."

The Panel's mandate is to focus on investment and competition broadly, including the Investment Canada Act and the Competition Act.

Sharpening Canada's Competitive Edge poses a number of questions about competition and investment in Canada, the answers to which will inform the Panel's eventual recommendations.

The Panel invites written submissions from Canadians and interested parties on the issues presented in the paper. Submissions will be accepted to a maximum of 20 pages (including attachments), until January 11, 2008.

Sharpening Canada's Competitive Edge is available at: http://www.ic.gc.ca/epic/site/cprp-gepmc.nsf/en/00010e.html

During their