Ward 2 Newsletter - Issue 26
May 20, 2025
Street Safety Improvements in Ward 2 Neighbourhoods
As the spring construction season begins, Ward 2 residents will start to see changes in their neighbourhoods. Some key highlights include -
Enhanced lighting on MacNab Street South - This lighting was installed earlier this month to ensure there is adequate visibility on both sides of the street and near the MacNab Street Tunnel. I am working with City staff to determine when the tunnel will be reopened. At present, the City is making plans to address issues of safety and security in the tunnel and adequate lighting and visibility into the tunnel before committing to a timeline for reopening it. I met with City staff this past week about the tunnel, across the organization, and will do so again in June as we come up with a detailed plan.
Sidewalk repairs - In addition to this year’s spring and summer sidewalk repair program, the City has committed to prioritizing repairs along James Street North starting this fall. I recognize James Street is a major pedestrian corridor and is not up to the standards we expect as downtowners, which is why I am prioritizing this work and allocating Area Rating Reserve funding to getting it done more quickly. The specific locations for repairs along James Street North will be announced leading up to the fall and will be completed in fall 2025 and spring 2026. I have been sharing the locations of sidewalk repairs in 2023 and 2024 and have updated the spreadsheet where they’re tracked for 2025. Residents who live adjacent to the repairs will be notified 1 week before work starts.
Underpass repairs and lighting enhancements - As I announced earlier this year, the underpasses in Ward 2 along the CPKC Railway line are in dire need of repair and maintenance. At present, substantial progress has been made on the underpass at James Street South and John Street South, but we still have more work to do and work to start at Catharine Street South, Walnut Street South, and Young Street. This work will include painting, new splash guards, pigeon netting, and brighter lighting. It should be completed in 2026.
In addition, I seconded a motion put forward by Councillor Nrinder Nann to ensure a safer journey for students and parents walking to Bennetto Elementary School from Ward 3. This motion will ensure controlled crossings are installed on Victoria Avenue North (Ward 3) and Wellington Street North (Ward 2 and 3). This will take place in 2026 and will be funded from the City’s capital budget.
And, over the next couple of months, the City will be completing a safety review of Bay Street. The review is looking at issues of pedestrian and road safety in the Durand, Central, and North End neighbourhoods. This is an important step as we evaluate where additional speed cushions and other safety interventions will be installed along Bay Street North. I have asked staff to look at the entire stretch of Bay Street North in the North End closely and to evaluate the possibility of a raised and signalled intersection at Bay Street North and Strachan Street West.
I will be releasing more information, in a special edition of my newsletter this year, about all the street safety improvements coming online this year and early next year. This will be done in coordination with updates to our Safe Streets Map.
Making Our Ward 2 Parks Better for All Downtowners
On April 28, I put forward two motions to improve park infrastructure in Ward 2. These motions were approved at the Public Works Committee and were ratified by Council on May 7. Here’s a brief summary of each motion (click the titles to see the motions).
Water Fountain Enhancements in Ward 2 Parks and Public Spaces - Not all of Ward 2’s parks and public spaces have water fountains. I know that may be hard to believe, but this was not a priority in previous terms of Council, so it didn’t get done. This looks like either not having a drinking fountain or not having an updated one. This motion will see improvements in Carter Park, Durand Park, Eastwood Park, Woolverton Park, and near the Bennetto Recreation Centre.
Pathway Pedestrian Lighting Improvements in Corktown Park - The Escarpment Rail Trail is a vital connection between downtown and east Hamilton, but residents have complained that the area around it, especially in Corktown Park, is not well lit at night. This motion will ensure lighting is installed along the north boundary of the park connecting Ferguson Avenue to Victoria Avenue.
As you also may have noticed, especially if you live in the North End, we have begun to transform the unprogrammed area along Strachan Street into a linear park. This spring City staff installed park benches, picnic tables, and garbage cans along the multiuse trail. The goal of these installations is to ensure those using the multiuse trail can have a place to sit, eat, and dispose of their garbage as they walk along, including when they’re out with their dogs. Seniors in the North End have been asking for more benches, specifically, and I hope this will help to address that request.
The City is currently looking into replacing and adding fencing along Strachan Street and once that has been approved and work is underway I will be connecting again with North Enders to talk about programming the entire park space.
For those who have reached out about the garbage cans along this stretch, I wanted to let you know I have asked the City to replace the current steel drum style. It is currently being used, too often, by people dumping household garbage. To that end, if you see anyone dumping their household garbage in City receptacles, please call the City at (905) 546-CITY (2489) to report it.
Expansion of Beasley Park and New Use for SJAM
May marked a huge turning point for two longstanding issues for Ward 2 residents - the expansion of Beasley Park in the Beasley neighbourhood and the use of the former Sir John A. Macdonald Secondary School (SJAM) lands in the Central neighbourhood.
Expansion of Beasley Park - In 2024, I put forward a motion to accelerate the expansion of Beasley Park. For those who may not remember, the City purchased the lot east of Beasley Park in 2021 for the purposes of expanding the park. It was immediately leased back to its occupants for a further 5 years. In order to break the 5 year lease, we had to negotiate a settlement with those we leased it to, but I’m happy to say we were able to do that and its now free and clear for us to begin the process of expanding it (about a year or two ahead of schedule). The next phase will be to begin soil testing on the land now that it’s vacant to determine how best to remediate it and then begin a design process and consultation with Beasley neighbours.
New Use of SJAM - Apart from CN’s disastrous appeal of the Jamesville lands, the property that was the former Sir John A. Macdonald Secondary School is probably the second most frequent topic I hear from Ward 2 residents about as a recommended solution to our housing and homelessness crises. As I’ve written previously, SJAM is not an option to help with our housing crisis. It’s owned by the public school board (i.e. the Province of Ontario) and they have firmly stated the land can neither be used for housing nor a Hamilton Alliance for Tiny Shelters site. I am happy to report, however, that Ward 2 Trustee Sabreina Dahab and I have found a way to have the site used until such time as the Province permits a new use - starting in the fall, the large sports field will be fenced in and the children from Hess Street Elementary School will use it as a play space. While this will not be a permanent use, it’s a great way to help the kids at Hess Street who don’t have access to a field to play on (they only have access to an asphalt play space).
In case you weren’t aware, the public school board, in partnership with the City and community organizations, has put in 4 applications to use the SJAM lands and the Province has turned them all down. There are talks about putting in a fifth application. If that happens, I will do everything I can to support that application.
City Council Summary - April 16 and May 7, 2025
The Council decisions on April 16 and May 7 included deferring implementation of Green Building Standards, the approval of the Fair Wage Policy for City contracts, expansion and extension of bike share, and the cost overruns for the Barton-Tiffany Temporary Outdoor Shelter.
Deferred Implementation of Green Building Standards
Planning Committee - April 29, 2025
General Issues Committee - April 30, 2025
City Council - May 7, 2025
As I reported last October, Green Building Standards (GBS) were approved by a motion I put forward at Council. For those who may not know, these standards, a staple in a few dozen other cities in Canada, both require and incentivize developers to ensure new builds meet a set of standards to address the impacts of climate change. Despite that approval, it looks like a delay from Council and new legislation from the Provincial government might help to derail this positive step forward. While the new Provincial legislation doesn’t directly address GBS, everyone from the media to Chief Planners in Ontario are saying it will seriously curtail the ability of the City to make anything mandatory that’s not already in the Ontario Building Code. I will continue to do what I can to advocate for any regulations that can make new development greener. Climate change will continue to have disproportionate impacts on all of us unless governments act, quickly and boldly, to fight it head on.
How did Council vote on deferring the approval of Green Building Standards?
In favour (12) - Beattie, Clark, Danko, Francis, Hwang (seconder), Jackson, McMeekin, Nann, Pauls, Spadafora, Tadeson (mover), M. Wilson
Against (3) - Cassar, Kroetsch, A. Wilson
Approval of the Fair Wage Policy for City Contracts
Audit, Finance and Administration Committee - April 10, 2025
City Council - April 16, 2025
Before I was elected, I was the President of Guelph’s largest labour union so when I heard there was a policy holding wages for City contracts back by eight years, I was surprised and wanted to learn more. I met with unions and others, including the Hamilton-Brantford Building & Construction Trades Council (HBBT), to understand how we got here. In short, I discovered that wage rates for some City contracts were held back to an agreement with the Province from 2016, rather than a much more updated version of that same agreement that included new wage rates for this calendar year. In 2024, I put forward a motion to allow members of Council the opportunity to sit in on the renegotiation of this policy so we could better understand the disagreements between City staff and construction industry around the wage rates. Councillors Clark, Hwang, and Jackson joined me for the initial round of discussions. It was eye opening. In sum, due to COVID and the cybersecurity incident, this caused the rates to fall behind by a staggering eight years. Thankfully, with some hard work on the part of City staff and the HBBT, and a look at what other cities were doing, like Toronto, we were able to close the gap to two years with a commitment to get it to one year by 2026. This is a huge step forward to ensure wages are fair for all workers who accept contracts with the City and will likely encourage more unions to bid on work. This will keep contracts more competitive, increase the quality of labour, and ensure health, safety, and apprenticeship standards are maintained across the board.
How did Council vote on approving the new Fair Wage Policy?
In favour (15) - Beattie, Cassar, Clark, Francis, Horwath, Hwang, Jackson, Kroetsch, McMeekin, Nann, Pauls, Spadafora, Tadeson, A. Wilson, M. Wilson
Expansion and Extension of the City’s Public Bike Share Program
General Issues Committee - April 9, 2025
City Council - April 16, 2025
Many delegates asked Council, at a recent meeting of the General Issues Committee, to support the expansion and extension of the City’s public bike share program. Unfortunately, this isn’t the first time residents have had to come forward to ask the City to do the right thing when it comes to bike share. For a bit of background, City staff’s recommendations were set to be approved earlier this year but the report was deferred when a few Councillors raised concerns about the costs, some decrying bike share as a drain on the public purse (despite the financial ask being almost insignificant when compared against the City’s multibillion dollar budget). It was an unfortunate conversation, especially considering the efforts the community put into saving bike share during the last term of Council. Some on Council continue to suggest that bike share programs, despite them being a part of our public transit system, shouldn’t cost the City anything to run. That’s just not the way public programming works. The City runs buses, even when they’re not all full, to ensure reliability for people who depend on them. The City also subsidizes bus fares to keep them low enough so riders can afford to take the bus. It’s the same for our public bike share program and it’s a principle at the heart of many public programs - cities keep services affordable by subsidizing costs. Our bike share program is the envy of many cities around the world. I will continue to defend it, support it, and do everything I can to see it expand to service all Hamiltonians.
How did Council vote on expanding and extending bike share?
In favour (13) - Beattie (seconder), Cassar, Francis, Horwath, Hwang, Jackson, Kroetsch (mover), McMeekin, Nann, Spadafora, Tadeson, A. Wilson, M. Wilson
Cost Overruns for the Barton-Tiffany Temporary Outdoor Shelter
General Issues Committee - April 30, 2025
City Council - May 7, 2025
The Barton-Tiffany Temporary Outdoor Shelter (TOS) has been the subject of public interest and Council scrutiny ever since it was approved in August 2024. As you may recall from that vote, the project was promised to be up and running before winter and was planned to be temporary with an exit plan in place to wind it down once additional indoor shelter spaces were made available. As I said at the time, I voted in favour of the project because I thought it could help some people to survive the winter and because it was temporary in nature. With cost overruns of $5.1m, and a start date well past the harshest winter weather, I’m worried about where we are today. If I had known this would be where we ended up, I likely wouldn’t have supported the TOS last year. Don’t get me wrong - it’s very likely going to help some people who need access to a low barrier shelter (i.e. folks who have pets and couples). I’ve toured the TOS and have seen, first hand, how it can help people, but it’s not the right long term solution. Housing is the only way forward. Estimates suggest the cost overruns could have paid rent for the TOS’ 80 residents for about 2 years, which would have been a significant improvement from an outdoor shelter. The massive cost overruns could also have been spent on providing indoor shelter beds. It’s why I didn’t vote in favour of the recent City staff recommendation, the sole purpose of which was to take funding from a Federal housing program to cover the costs. I think it would have been far better to put those Federal funds back into our Housing Sustainability and Investment Roadmap, which is why I suggested cost overruns should instead come from the City’s Tax Stabilization Reserve (TSR). The TSR exists for these very instances, where unexpected cost overruns put financial pressure on the municipality. There will be a further report coming out soon which will outline some of the line by line item costs for the TOS and I will have more to say when this information is made available.
How did Council vote on allocating $5.1m in overrun costs from Federal funding?
In favour (9) - Beattie (seconder), Cassar, Clark, Hwang, McMeekin, Nann (mover), Tadeson, A. Wilson, M. Wilson
Against (4) - Francis, Kroetsch, Jackson, Spadafora
Upcoming Meetings and Events
This section lists upcoming Ward 2 public meetings including town halls happening over the next few months. Some of this information may change closer to the meeting dates, including times and locations.
To read Committee and Council Agendas and Meeting Notices, please subscribe to updates directly through the City’s website or visit the City’s Committee Calendar.
For more on what’s happening in the downtown community, check out event listings from The Vibe Hamilton, Hamilton City Magazine’s regular events listing, and the Ward 2 website’s Public Meetings page.
July 10, 2025 - Tenant Town Hall - 7:00pm
August 5, 2025 - Tenant Town Hall - 7:00pm
August 9, 2025 - Community BBQ - Beasley Park - 12:00pm
September 15, 2025 - Small Business Town Hall - 7:00pm
October 14, 2025 - CityHousing Hamilton Town Hall - 7:00pm
November 25, 2025 - 2026 City Budget Town Hall - 7:00pm