Links to Ben Bennett's writing

Guelph Against Goliath - scroll down



2013 Guelph Mercury columns
We are getting a new premier and nobody cares (Guelph Mercury column on the Ontario liberal leadership race, January 19, 2013)
Should a rich area like ours be asking for handouts from Ontario taxpayers?(Guelph Mercury column on Highway 7 funding, February 9, 2013)
A tale of three shopping centres that should have been four(Guelph Mercury column on shoppng centres, March 2, 2013)
How about doing some “place-fixing” to go along with the place-making?(Guelph Mercury column on improving pedestrian crossings, March 23, 2013)

2012 Guelph Mercury columns
How hard is it for developers in Guelph? (Guelph Mercury column on developers, January 7, 2012)
Americans deserve better than this freak show (Guelph Mercury column on the US Republican primaries, January 28, 2012)
Idle thoughts about Bratus Spoilus(Guelph Mercury column on the idling blylaw, February 18, 2012)
This is one scandal that will stick – even after three years(Guelph Mercury column on "robogate", March 10, 2012)
Three storeys to 16 in your backyard is a legitimate concern(Guelph Mercury column on the proposed student towers, March 31, 2012)
Getting “around” to save money makes green sense, too(Guelph Mercury column on roundabouts, April 21, 2012)
Ignoring our own “beauty’ guidelines sets a bad precedent(Guelph Mercury column on downtown high rises, May 12, 2012)
Seriously injured, but don't write the Liberals off yet.(Guelph Mercury column on the federal Liberals, June 2, 2012)
Let’s add some imagination to the park corridor plan(Guelph Mercury column on riverside plazas, June 21, 2012)
Plastic bags don't get no respect(Guelph Mercury column on plastic bags, July 14, 2012)
Councils and chambers could show real leadership by asking for less(Guelph Mercury column on Highway 7, August 4, 2012)
We got the best possible results from the by-elections(Guelph Mercury column on September by-elections, September 15, 2012)
Protecting our civil rights is now seen as a nuisance?(Guelph Mercury column on the propsed nuisance bylaw, October 6, 2012)
How to blow years of effective PR with one ill-conceived letter(Guelph Mercury column on the bad public relations, October 27, 2012)
The final, quiet demise of the community’s vision (Guelph Mercury column on the end of community planning, November 17, 2012)
Carts are here to stay – and so is the need for good neighbours (Guelph Mercury column on the new waste carts, December 8, 2012)
Assessing our council’s performance at its halfway point (Guelph Mercury column assessing council, December 29, 2012)

2011 Guelph Mercury columns
How closing a school affects a neighbourhood (Guelph Mercury column on closing small schools, January, 2011)
If we are going up in the world, let's be ready (Guelph Mercury column on high rises, February, 2011)
Looking for value among the vitriol (Guelph Mercury column on web postings, March, 2011)
Are we having fun yet? (Guelph Mercury column on the federal election, April, 2011)
Nice guys should finish first (Guelph Mercury column on the politeness in politics, May, 2011)
Guelph versus New York and sights in the city (Guelph Mercury column on raising the beauty bar, June, 2011)
Pondering the price we will all pay for paving paradise(Guelph Mercury column on food versus gravel, July, 2011)
Let’s at least keep the local election debate relevant(Guelph Mercury column on the provincial election, July/August, 2011)
The blind stupiidty of the no-tax movement(Guelph Mercury column on taxes, August, 2011)
Why windmills have to be harmless(Guelph Mercury column on wind power opposition, October, 2011)
How the grinding wheels hit overdrive(Guelph Mercury column on opening local schools, November, 2011)
Are we all sleeping better now?(Guelph Mercury column on the G20, December, 2011)

2009/2010 Guelph Mercury columns
Yesterday's mismanagement is today's stimulus (Guelph Mercury column on budgets, December, 2009)
On being (a little less cynical about) being Canadian(Guelph Mercury column on the Olympic Torch, January, 2010)
How one bad decision can push a downtown into decline (Guelph Mercury column on downtown Guelph buildings, January, 2010)
Let’s face it – we’re all prejudiced (Guelph Mercury column on prejudice, March, 2010)
And so it begins (Guelph Mercury column on Willow West Zehrs closing, March, 2010)
New can be nice (Guelph Mercury column on new architecture, April, 2010)
Easier to do nothing (Guelph Mercury column on this council, May, 2010)
The price we pay to make good things happen (Guelph Mercury column on downtown heritage and this council, May, 2010)
We cannot keep sacrificing our public spaces to the altar of lazy thinking (Guelph Mercury column on downtown parking and transit, June, 2010)
Activists don’t get no respect (Guelph Mercury column on activists -- Part One of a series of two), July, 2010)
How the new activists are making everyone uncomfortable (Guelph Mercury column on activists --Part Two of a series of two), July, 2010)
More trees means a better environment and less skin cancer (Guelph Mercury column on trees), August, 2010)
What if they held an election and nobody came? (Guelph Mercury column on the coming election), August, 2010)
Candidates come from all parts of Ward One) (Guelph Mercury column on Ward One candidates, September, 2010)
Some changes on council but no revolution this time (Guelph Mercury column with election analysis, October, 2010)
There'll never be a freeway; widen Highway 7 now (Guelph Mercury column on Highway 7, November, 2010)
When today's negatives overshadow tomorrow's positives (Guelph Mercury column on losing trees on Carden Street, November, 2010)
Council needs to deliver tangibles this term, and will (Guelph Mercury column on expectation, December 2010)

Other writing
Product & Packaging Stewardship Review (PPSReview)
May 2009 - What happens when industry takes over?
August 2009 - Plastic's foolish PR game
Nov 2009 - Best Practices or else
February 2010 - What kind of blue box will be left?

Municipal World articles
2002 - The pesticide battle shows no sign of abating
2004 - Straws that break the camel's back (the coup in Guelph)
2005 - It's time to recognize the tension between councillor and ciitizen
2006 - McGuinty's LCBO move came as a shock
2012 - Municipalities look forward to seeing the EPR bandwagon rolling again

Other work
Squirrel Wars - a six-part series on dealng with nature and losing your mind

Secrets, Lies & No Replies
(The inside story of Guelph's Wal-Mart saga - January 2006.)


Guelph Against Goliath published in 2001 - below are downloadable pdfs for each chapter (The book sold out and was not reprinted.)

Opening pages - click here
Act One: The Rabble Rousers - click here
Act Two: The Road to the OMB - click here
Act Three: The Pre-hearings Begin - click here
Act Four: The Canadian Tire Hearing - click here
Acts Five: Alone Again, Naturally, Six: The Battle Ensues & Seven: Plus ca Change, Mon Ami... - click here
The Legal Department - click here
The OMB decision - click here
Guest essays - click here
The story since the book ws launched (fall 2011) - click here

© Ben Bennett Communications, 2013
(This page last updated April 2, 2013