I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised by the number of Guelphites I meet who say they live in Guelph because they attended the University and enjoyed the experience so much they never left. That lasting connection speaks volumes about both the strength of the University and the welcoming character of our community.
Living within close walking distance to the school and having one of our “kids” attending U of G, I believe I have first hand experience in understanding the student and community perspective. I’ve heard the complaints from homeowners unhappy about the influx of students who arrive in quiet neighbourhoods each fall. Concerns about noise, garbage, and parked cars are among the biggest issues. Happily, we haven’t felt the need to complain ourselves, although the home directly behind us has recently been converted into another student house, so we’ll see if that changes.
In fact student housing, or lack of it has been the biggest challenge the University has put on the city’s doorstep. Plenty of blame to go around with this issue, but with the Province finally putting some money back into the system, universities like Guelph now have greater financial stability in place to play catch up and begin expanding student residence capacity. This is a start, but we will need to go much further Read My Affordable Housing Plan I believe to reduce student demand in the market and hopefully open up more housing in the city for non-students. The University should also ensure there is adequate on-campus parking to help lessen one of the community’s major complaints.
Some have argued that the city is not adequately compensated for the financial costs to the city that students bring. In fact, the current “heads and beds” levy of $75 per student that the University pays the city has not changed since 1987. While I support the city’s lobbying efforts to increase this amount, it should be noted that it is set by the province and not under city control. Given that reality, the challenge becomes working with the University to fully leverage the economic benefits it brings to the community.
This could include the city contributing reserve funds toward business and technology incubators or research centres that, once built, would be operated by the University. The city can also support the development of recreation and cultural facilities that attract more overnight visitors, generating additional Municipal Accommodation Tax revenue. One example would be partnering with the University to lobby Ottawa to relocate the Canadian Agricultural Museum to Guelph. Read My Tourism Reinvestment Plan
We have plenty to be proud of in our relationship with the University, and I believe the benefits far outweigh the costs. Building on that partnership is key if the city is going to lean into the inherent advantages of having this economic jewel in the heart of our community. When you share so much — including the name — it is mutually beneficial for both the city and the University to reach their full potential.
By Gregory Cawsey
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