This week on Open Sources Guelph, we kick off 2026 by kicking out 2025. As usual on New Year's Week, we will hand out the annual awards in the four categories we mark at this time every year. We cover the good, the bad and ugly as we look at the people who made us hopeful, the people who made us weep, and the issues that keep us warm because the fire from the rage burns so bright!
This Thursday, January 1, at 5 pm, Scotty Hertz and Adam A. Donaldson will discuss:
Worst Politician of 2024. Always an embarrassment of riches, there were a lot of nominees for the Worst Person in Politics in 2025, and that's with two of the most obvious candidates sidelined due to their status as lifetime honourees. As usual, we will kick off the awards show with the person or persons that exemplified the worst of our politics, from leaders who failed to politicians in Canada trying to copy Ugly Americanism.
Good News Story of the Year. There was good news this year? That's always the joke, isn't it? But yes, there was good news and it was not so hard to find after all. In this category we will reach for some light at the end of the tunnel, and it perhaps should be unsurprising that it involves the young people (not that fixing all out our problems should be put on their heads, of course). For this year's good news, we will look to the youth.
Dumpster Fire of the Year. Is 2025 the most dumpster or fires? Well, there was no shortage of fuel in any event. From the loss of momentum on climate action, to the return of the Trump circus to Washington D.C., to far right hooliganism there were more dumpsters on fire than ever before! (Or maybe it just felt that way.) Somehow, we managed to get that big list down to pair of fires, and they may be the worst of all.
Best Politician of 2024. If there is a worst, then there must also be a best. The nominees were not as numerous in this category, but like the Good News Story of the Year section they are there if you're willing to look for them. To wrap up the show, we will have a ray of hope about what comes next, or make that who comes next. Whether that's a Gen Zeer who's now a party leader on Canada's west coast to the (possible) next President of the United States.
Open Sources is live on CFRU 93.3 fm and cfru.ca at 5 pm on Thursday.
