Ward 2 Newsletter - Issue 31
November 14, 2025
Development Plans Downtown React to Market Forces
Despite the downturn in the housing market, there’s still a lot to report about development projects in Ward 2, some good news and some not so good. Here are updates about Jamesville, the Cannon Knitting Mills, Corktown Plaza, Pier 8, and a new plan for the Pane Del Sole Bakery on John Street North.
Jamesville
As some of you will have seen in person, the first phase of demolition at Jamesville is nearly complete. This phase was carried out as quickly as possible to demolish the structures above ground and ensure foundations were filled in to decrease safety risks for those on site. This work also involved the removal of most of the trees on the site, much to my chagrin and the disappointment of nearby residents.
When I was first elected in 2022, I met with City and CityHousing Hamilton staff, and the developer, to ask them about the possibility of retaining more trees but, with the approval for the project already directed by Council, there wasn’t a way to go back to the drawing board without delaying the project by years and the City incurring millions of dollars to pay to redesign the project from scratch. After all, we own this land. When I spoke to North Enders about this, most I heard from wanted to see the project move forward, not go back.
While we wait for the Province to respond to the City’s request for a Minister’s Zoning Order, students from local elementary schools, facilitated by the Art Gallery of Hamilton, will be working on an art project to help beautify the fence line around the site.
If you’d like more information about the Jamesville demolition process, check out this resource put out by CityHousing Hamilton to answer some Frequently Asked Questions.
Cannon Knitting Mills
As has been reported widely, the Cannon Knitting Mills at 134 Cannon Street East was up for tax sale on November 11. It was up for sale because the owner had not paid years’ worth of arrears for taxes and other municipal charges. At the last minute, on November 11, the owner was able to pay back enough of the arrears to remove the property from a tax sale, which is his legal right.
As I said in the Hamilton Spectator article -
I’m concerned, with the continuation of this current ownership, that things will continue to stall and not move forward. The community deserves better than hopeful optimism. Everyone in the community deserves clear assurances about the future of the site that are grounded in accountable timelines and measurable outcomes. I will do everything I can to make that happen.
Unfortunately, the Province sets the rules for property owners, tax sales, and what the City can do to intervene. There are few levers at our disposal, but I’ll continue to work with neighbours on whatever options are available to me as a City Councillor.
For those interested in a deep dive on the recent history of the Cannon Knitting Mills, check out this article from the Downtown Sparrow by Jessie Golem.
Corktown Plaza
The Corktown Plaza project is no more, according to developer and owner Slate Asset Management. Citing changes in the market that have forced them to reconsider their condominium project, they say they’re reevaluating things.
This is a huge blow to a community where existing services in the Corktown Plaza were permanently closed in anticipation of the development moving forward.
A laundromat, convenient grocery store, and other amenities were shuttered, years ago, to make way for this project. Corktown is the second densest neighbourhood in the city for apartment buildings. Many thousands of renters live here in buildings that are aging and don’t have modern amenities. They depended on the laundromat and the convenience of the Hasty Market.
I’m hopeful as Slate Asset Management deals with the fallout of this project being cancelled they’ll reengage with the neighbourhood and consider purpose built rentals or partnering with an affordable housing provider to deliver what the community wants and needs.
Pier 8
Recently, the West Harbour Sub-Committee met and learned that the Pier 8 project is being paused. While the agreements suggest the current pause could last for another three and a half years (for a total of five years since the project was approved), it’s not clear what will happen next.
When I learned about this I put forward a motion to ask staff to meet with our development partner, Waterfront Shores, to see what else could be done to get this project going, including looking at more affordable housing (currently at 5%) and purpose built rentals and to report back publicly about their conversation in Q2 2026.
Unfortunately, at the General Issues Committee, my motion failed, 10-6. I’ll raise the issue at Council again on November 19 and will report back on the outcome. For more of my thoughts on this, check out the Hamilton Spectator’s article on the subject.
Pane Del Sole Bakery
As part of this week’s Planning Committee, an application for the land surrounding the Pane Del Sole bakery in the Beasley neighbourhood on John Street North was approved.
The proposed plan is for a 12 storey residential development at 175 John Street North. The development includes 19 studio units, 39 one bedroom units, 44 one bedroom plus den units, 20 two bedroom units, and 6 three bedroom units. With the downturn in the condo market, I suspect the developer will be keeping their options open and might go ahead with apartments if condos aren’t viable.
Of note, there’s an exception being asked for as part of the report from City staff in order for the developer to build at this increased density. If you’re interested in seeing the discussion and the outcome, and to learn more, check out the Planning Committee meeting video from today.
Ward 2 Elementary Schools Come to Council Chambers
On November 4, I welcomed more than 200 elementary school students from Grade 5 classes from every Ward 2 public school to City Hall. I did this not only because I think it’s important to engage youth in our democratic processes but because students in Grade 5 learn about different levels of government during their social studies units.
We tried to do something different here, which has been a theme of the work I’ve done as a City Councillor since I was elected. I thought it was important to go beyond tours and speeches and find a way to get students involved and engaged and for them to leave feeling informed. Here are some highlights from the event -
Overview of the role of municipal government - This included reviewing the resource I created in the summer called Who Does What and How to Get in Touch - teachers said this resource was invaluable and will be used in their classrooms
Voting on and debating decisions - Teachers, then students chosen to represent each of the 11 classes who attended, sat in the horseshoe and debated some decisions after going through an introductory exercise on how voting works; everyone in the room was able to participate and provide feedback on the decisions of those sitting around the horseshoe
Hands on learning about City services - Every class rotated through different stations so they could interact with the Hamilton Fire Department, including a fire truck; the City’s Waste Management Division, including a garbage truck; Hamilton Paramedic Services, including an ambulance; and the Hamilton Street Railway, including a bus
From what I’ve heard from principals, teachers, and students themselves, the event was a huge success. The feedback they provided included thanks for making the field trip happen but also for engaging them in the decision making process and allowing them the opportunity to learn hands on and by direct participation.
It was a lot of fun for students, and for me as a certified teacher, and I plan to do this every year as an opportunity for Grade 5 students to engage their municipal government. They may not vote, but I represent them all the same.
Inside Baseball - 2026 Council and Committee Calendar
When the new City Clerk, Matthew Trennum was appointed in 2024, I arranged a meeting with him immediately. My focus in my meeting with City Clerk Trennum was two fold -
Council’s calendar needed to better reflect the work Councillors do nowadays - it’s not just Council and Committee meetings
Revisions to the Procedural By-law (PB) were necessary if we were going to make our meetings more efficient and modern
The most important change to the Council calendar was modifying the timing for publishing reports. In the past, the Council calendar was scheduled in two week rotations with Council following a week of Standing Committee meetings. With Standing Committees often taking up the entire work day, for the entire five day work week, this meant Sub-Committee, Board, and Agency meetings had to be squeezed in alongside Council meetings.
I also advocated for changes in the PB to simplify meeting procedures to give chairs things like the ability to call breaks and adjourn meetings and to move away from the antiquated need to lift an item via a separate motion.
The Clerk not only brought forward these changes, but many more, including doing away with Reports in favour of Minutes, which allow the public to better see voting records. The result of the many changes to the PB was fewer procedural wrinkles, less confusion, focused debates, quicker meetings, and a more collegial atmosphere around the horseshoe.
We’re now using a three week schedule - a week of Standing Committees followed by Council and then a week for Sub-Committees, Boards, and Agencies. The timelines for publishing reports for Standing Committees have been extended so that everyone, including the public, gets a full week to review reports.
Yes, this does mean fewer meetings in a calendar year but, so far, this hasn’t been an issue. The big upside, in my opinion, is spending less time reading reports at the last minute and more time connecting with residents one on one.
I will continue to bring this level of attention to detail to this role and support the Clerk in making further revisions to the PB. We still have a ways to go if we’re going to shake off the procedural restraints of the Victorian era in favour of a more modern and efficient way of running meetings. It’s what residents expect and it’s long overdue.
City Council Summary - October 2025
The Council decisions on October 8 and 29 included the City’s ongoing response to encampments, development charges for not for profit child care, the Vacant Unit Tax program for 2025, and changes to the Yard Maintenance Bylaw.
City’s Ongoing Response to Encampments
General Issues Committee - October 1, 2025
City Council - October 8, 2025
City staff recommended spending $1,050,000 per year to carry out more police enforcement of encampments. The debate on the subject, from my perspective, was disappointing. It focused less on the decision in front of us as a Council and more on rhetoric and talking points. The continued notion the Encampment Protocol (EP) caused issues of homelessness was squarely disproved this past summer when, without an EP, Hamiltonians deprived of housing were forced to camp out in parks across Ward 2 all the same. The only difference without the EP is that homeless residents were chased from park to park by police, costing millions of dollars that could be spent on affordable housing initiatives. This enforcement has been decried as harmful by many housing, homelessness, and health experts including the Federal Housing Advocate (who recently visited Hamilton to see these issues up close for herself). It doesn’t do anything to address the core needs of the City’s Housing First strategy, which is why I didn’t support it. We know, from all the evidence gathered to date, this doesn’t make sense. To hear more my thoughts on the subject, you can read my article in the Hamilton Spectator from January of this year.
How did Council vote on approving the City’s response to encampments?
In favour (11) - Beattie, Cassar, Clark, Cooper, Francis, Horwath, Jackson (mover), Pauls (seconder), Spadafora, Tadeson, M. Wilson
Against (3) - Kroetsch, Nann, A. Wilson
Development Charges for Not for Profit Childcare
Audit, Finance and Administration Committee - October 23, 2025
City Council - October 29, 2025
As many new parents in Ward 2 know, finding childcare spaces can be difficult. One of the barriers for some schools, who partner with not for profit organizations to offer childcare, is a funding gap that makes these projects difficult. The goal of waiving these charges is to ensure the school board, and others who are building these childcare facilities, is not unduly hampered from going ahead by tens of thousands of dollars in development charges. The City is doing what it can to encourage not for profit organizations and affordable housing developers to build by removing these financial barriers. While we cannot do this for all development, as these charges help us to manage growth and pay for things like new, expanded, or upgraded roads and sewers, we can afford a modest provision like this which will hopefully spur the creation of more childcare spaces in communities across the city.
How did the Committee vote on removing development charges for new not for profit childcare spaces?
In favour (10) - Beattie (mover), Clark, Cooper, Hwang, Kroetsch, Pauls, Spadafora, Tadeson (seconder), A. Wilson, M. Wilson
Vacant Unit Tax Program for 2025
General Issues Committee - October 22, 2025
City Council - October 29, 2025
This issue has divided Council for some time, with it narrowly being defeated when it was first put forward and only passing by a single vote since. This iteration of the discussion was no different, despite staff projecting the potential for us to earn $12m in net revenue from the Vacant Unit Tax (VUT) program.
For those who have been following this issue closely, here are some important points to unpack how this program works and who will be paying for it (thanks to Ward 12 Councillor Craig Cassar for some of the items he included on his own list) -
About 2-3% of residential property owners will be paying for the right to keep their housing units vacant, which is where the potential $12m in net revenue will come forward - if their unit is occupied in a future tax year, they will not have to pay the VUT
Current charges apply to the 2024 tax year; the deadline to appeal the 2024 VUT has been extended to November 30, 2025 for those who are disputing there property is vacant (or doesn’t conform to one of the many exemptions to the VUT)
Any net revenue from the VUT program will be contributed to the City’s Affordable Housing Reserve Fund
These are all upsides. The point of this program is to encourage less housing vacancy and I think we’re on the right path.
How did Council vote on continuing the Vacant Unit Tax program in 2025?
In favour (8) - Cassar, Hwang, Kroetsch, McMeekin (seconder), Nann (mover), Tadeson, A. Wilson, M. Wilson
Against (7) - Beattie, Clark, Cooper, Francis, Jackson, Pauls, Spadafora,
Changes to the Yard Maintenance Bylaw
Planning Committee - October 21, 2025
City Council - October 29, 2025
Ward 12 Councillor Craig Cassar did an excellent job describing this issue in his October newsletter, Craig’s Current, so please read his summary on this. The only thing I could add is to say we have a ways to go, still, in ensuring this bylaw reads in plainer language, brings biodiversity into the heart of what we do, and provides the clearest possible guidance to residents who rely on it. City staff have committed to doing this work in the next round of changes.
How did Committee vote on changes to the City’s Yard Maintenance Bylaw?
In favour (11) - Beattie, Cassar (seconder), Cooper, Hwang, Kroetsch, McMeekin, Nann, Pauls, Tadeson, A. Wilson (mover), M. Wilson
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 Community Meetings page.
November 25, 2025 - 2026 City Budget Town Hall - Ringside Hamilton - 322 James Street North - 7:00pm
December 4, 2025 - Community Meeting - Eastwood and Strachan Linear Parks - Discovery Centre - 7:00pm