Bell cut the build,
not the bill.

Hi Mark -- thanks for the question! It is the first time I have been asked this, so I am doing a bit of research to be better informed. Installation of telecommunication services is regulated by the federal government, but the infrastructure falls into local engineering work.

It must be extremely frustrating to have such poor service when other areas of the city are well-served and lower cost. I can understand why you are feeling like a second class service area ...

Here are some short answers to your questions:

1. Will you fund a dig-once policy, so City conduit goes into the ground whenever a street is rebuilt, and is offered to any carrier?

Fund? No, the cost of installing private for-profit infrastructure should not funded by the city.

Install or access? Yes, whenever a street is reconstructed and conduit or easements can be created for an alternate carrier, there should be an open process to allow a new Municipal Access Agreement (MAA).

2. Will you direct staff to report within six months on the City's spare conduit and dark fibre, and the terms on which a competing provider could use it?

Yes -- this is a good question and I am interested in the answer.

3. Will you meet with carriers in your first year, with that conduit and fibre as the offer, and report publicly on what they tell you?

Once I have more detailed information about the City's capacity to provide access to alternative carriers, I would open that dialogue to other carriers and report back.

— Leanne Caron, by email, 5 September 2026

Hi Mark,

Thank you for the detailed note and for clearly laying out the issue.

I support coordinating future fibre conduit with planned road and infrastructure work where it makes technical and financial sense. If a street is already being reconstructed, there is value in looking at whether conduit should go in at the same time rather than opening the road again later.

There is also a chicken-and-egg challenge. Carriers may be more willing to invest if conduit and access are available, but the City also has to be careful about spending money on infrastructure before knowing whether a provider will actually use it.

I would therefore support having staff assess our existing municipal conduit and fibre assets, identify where there may be spare capacity, and determine where future opportunities make sense. I would also be prepared to meet with providers to understand what is preventing investment in underserved neighbourhoods and what practical role the City can play in removing those barriers.

The reality is that the City cannot force Bell, Rogers, or another carrier to build fibre on a particular street, and we do not control their pricing or investment decisions. What we can do is coordinate better, lower unnecessary barriers where possible, and make smarter use of the infrastructure and rights-of-way tools available to us.

Thank you again for raising this. The disparity you've identified is worth taking seriously.

— Ken Yee Chew, by email, 5 September 2026

Hello Mark,

You have raised a lot of good questions.

I do not want to make promises that I cannot guarantee city council will approve if I am elected. But, what you are proposing is worth looking into.

You should appear before city council with a brief presentation and make these requests in the next session of the newly elected municipal city council with your proposal after the October election. I believe that mid-November is when the new city council and mayor will begin a new year of regular council meetings.

Lastly, I think that it was inappropriate for city councillors or the mayor to ignore your correspondence on these issues.

— John Edward Krusky, by email, 13 September 2026

Pialli (Greetings in Nahuatl) Mark,

Thank you for raising this issue clearly and for documenting the unacceptable difference in available service between Sherwood Drive and other parts of Guelph.

Residents should not be paying premium prices for internet service that is effectively at the CRTC’s long-standing universal-service benchmark while gigabit fibre is available elsewhere in the same city. High-speed internet is essential infrastructure for work, education, health care, small business, public services, and community life.

My answers are yes.

1. Will you fund a dig-once policy? — Yes.
As Mayor, I will champion a practical dig-once policy that makes City conduit a standard consideration whenever Guelph reconstructs a road or undertakes major utility-coordination work. Where technically and financially feasible, installing conduit while the ground is already open is a sensible long-term investment that can reduce future excavation, disruption, and the cost of expanding service. Access should be available on fair, transparent terms to qualified providers prepared to serve Guelph residents.

2. Will you direct staff to report within six months on spare conduit and dark fibre? — Yes.
As Mayor, I will ask Council and City staff for a public report within six months identifying City-owned communications infrastructure, including available conduit, fibre assets, coverage gaps, capacity where appropriate, existing commitments, costs, legal considerations, and options for third-party access. Some details may need to remain confidential for operational, public-safety, or cybersecurity reasons, but residents deserve a clear public answer about whether City-owned infrastructure can help improve service and competition.

3. Will you meet with carriers in your first year and report publicly? — Yes.
In my first year as Mayor, I will convene meetings with incumbent carriers, independent providers, and other potential partners. The city should make a serious, documented effort to determine whether municipal rights-of-way, conduit, and appropriate City fibre assets can reduce barriers to serving underserved neighbourhoods. I will also advocate for public reporting on what providers say, what commitments they are prepared to make, and what next steps staff recommend.

The mayor cannot regulate Bell’s retail prices or force a private company to build fibre on a particular street. But the Mayor can set priorities, build support at Council, direct attention to unresolved problems, and ensure the city uses the tools it has effectively.

Guelph manages municipal rights-of-way, coordinates road reconstruction, issues permits and municipal consents for work in those rights-of-way and owns communications infrastructure of its own. Guelph has already invested in municipal fibre and conduit for City operations. We should examine how existing and future investments can responsibly reduce barriers, avoid unnecessary repeat excavation, encourage competition, and improve service for residents who have been left behind.

Thank you again for holding mayoral candidates accountable with specific, practical questions.

— Evaristo Ramos, by email, 3 September 2026

Hi Mark,
Sorry for the late response. You have very genuine questions.
Here is how I would deal with them:
1) Absolutely. I agree with you and that’s how it should be.
2)Yes
3) Yes

We are considered to be leading country. A first world country but our services are no longer first world. We have to work as a city with the services providers to provide the best and latest services to our residents. Technology is changing fast and we have to keep up with it or we fall behind everyone else.

I hope I answered your questions.

— Rajee Sinha, by email, 7 September 2026

Hello Mark,

I am glad you brought this to my attention. I will happily do what you are asking. We need access to the best possible internet service for both businesses and citizens.

So, I am saying yes to all three of your questions. I do ask that if I am elected you bring this up again! My personal focus is infrastructure, unhoused solutions and well-planned growth. This falls in to well planned growth in my opinion.

Thank you for your work on this

— Michael Barber, by email, 3 September 2026

Hi Mark,

Apologies for the very slow repy. I clicked on your website and got a "dangerous website" alert.

I'd be happy to support any viable improvement in services people in Ward 2 advocate for.

— Michelle Bowman, by email, 18 September 2026

Hey Mark

My apologies for the delayed response. I have my own issues with the internet services here as well so, we have that in common.

— Troy Bridgeman, by email, 9 September 2026

Hi Mark, first thanks a lot for contacting me and taking the time to explain everything so clearly for me.

Yes, yes and yes. In order:
1. Yes. I’ll move or second a dig-once motion and support funding it once staff provides the cost. Putting conduit in while a street is already open makes far more sense than paying to open it again later.
2. Yes. I’ll move or second a motion directing staff to report within six months on the City’s spare conduit and dark fibre, and what a competitor would need to use it. Council can’t make an informed decision about an asset it hasn’t inventoried.
3. Yes. I’ll press the incoming mayor and staff to take that inventory to carriers in year one, with the results reported publicly wherever possible.

— Greg Cox, by email, 3 September 2026