Cycling Enhancements, Summer Activities & Student Victory
Dear Neighbour,
I hope this blog post finds you and your loved ones safe, well and enjoying the first week of summer.
Scroll for updates from Council and important information for Ward 3 residents.
As always, please email my office at Ward3@Hamilton.ca if we can be of service.
Yours in community,
Student Lives Matter - Black Lives Matter
Young people from across Hamilton have been voicing concerns about the Student Resource Officer program for years. Their experiences, especially those of Indigenous and Black students have been telling. At Monday’s HWDSB meeting, a motion tabled by Ward 3 Trustee Maria Felix Miller to terminate the program and to find a successful means of investing in student success with partners rooted in local communities passed.
HWDSB is not the first school board to hear concerns and criticism of the program. In 2017 the Toronto District Schoolboard voted to cancel their SRO program after concerns were raised by students, parents and teachers alike. And the last week alone there have been similar conversations in Edmonton and Vancouver.
While Trustees deliberated on Monday, student organizers, including many young Ward 3 leaders, came together to stage a sit-in on Main Street and observe the board meeting together - democracy in action.
At the sit in, current and former students shared powerful stories about their experiences with the program, racial profiling by police and their ideas for more effective, youth-centred solutions while also chanting and dancing in the rain. It was incredibly moving to observe the ways that organizers and supporters took care of each other during the sit-in.
The kids are alright.
“This has always been a call to action to hear from our most vulnerable and acknowledge their experiences. But it is also a call to imagine a different possibility,” - Ward 3 HWDSB Trustee, Maria Felix Miller
Fire at Mr. Used
It was an incredibly hot day last Friday, when I received the call from Fire Chief, Dave Cunliffe about a multiple alarm fire at the old Mr. Used location on Barton Street.
My team quickly circulated Public Health guidelines for residents concerned about smoke inhalation and confirmed that HSR buses were on standby at the scene, in case of evacuation. There were reports online that a number of unhoused residents had sought refuge in the building however, Fire has confirmed that no one was in the building during the fire.
It took 14 crews, serious excavation and over 24 hours to completely extinguish the fire that has left a gap in the skyline.
The work of our Fire Department is remarkable. Heavy flames, hot weather and thick smoke all day on the job, we are all so grateful for their work and for Box 43, the volunteer fire association refreshment and rehab truck which stayed on scene to make sure workers were hydrated and fed.
Many residents have shared nostalgic accounts and their interesting items from Mr. Used. ’
As we wait for a report on the source of the fire, and the intentions of the owner, I am asking: What happens when a property this size is leveled? How can we ensure public safety around the site? How can we turn this unfortunate situation into an opportunity that truly serves the community?
Stay tuned, my office will share updates.
Birch Ave. Green Space
Over the past seven years, volunteers have been building a pollinator paradise on the west side of Birch Ave. N of Barton St. I applaud the way residents have worked together to foster a healthy, naturalized area in our Ward 3. My office has awarded the GALA community planning team a grant to support the completion of a self-sustaining pollinator garden for all to enjoy.
If you have a project idea which will serve our Ward 3, contact my office.
Let’s Get Growing Success!
Through a partnership with Environment Hamilton, we have supported over 100 residents to obtain seeds to grow edible plants at home. With such success, the Let’s Get Growing in Ward 3 program will be back in Spring 2021.
Mobility Plan - Cycling Enhancements
Through the pandemic, I have heard from many residents that cycling is their preferred mode of transportation for physical distancing, health and recreation. Council approved investing in enhanced cycling infrastructure that delivers more safe and protected lanes for everyone.
In Ward 3, we will see safety improvements to existing cycle tracks on Lawrence Rd. & Gage Ave, including physical separations. Also on the docket is completion of the Cannon Cycle Track between Sherman Ave. and the stadium, and a new multi-use path on Victoria Ave. between Cannon and Barton to provide better connectivity.
Upcoming Events & Activities
Canada Day On July 1st at 7:00pm, the City of Hamilton will host a virtual Canada Day Celebration at 7pm on CHCH and online at CHCH.com. The broadcast will include performances by the Hamilton Children’s Choir, Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra, Harrison Kennedy and Queen Cee as well as Polaris Prize nominated Terra Lightfoot and JUNO award winners Tom Wilson and The Dirty Nil.
Rec at Home Beginning the week of July 6, City staff will start to distribute activity kits to take home in select parks. The kits will include games and activities that children can take and do at home. There will also be related content, including videos on the website prior to the launch each week.
Opening of some City PoolsAlso beginning the week of July 6, some city pools, including Jimmy Thompson Memorial Pool will be opened, in addition to splashpads, which were opened last week.
Please visit the recreation section of the City’s website for a full listing and schedules.
COVID19 Transit Service Updates
As of Monday, June 22nd, masks are required on all public transit, including HSR DARTS & TRANSCAB, exceptions are made for children under two years of age & those who are unable to remove their own mask.
A reminder that fare collection will resume on July 1st 2020. To renew your bus pass, load your presto card and purchase tickets, please visit the HSR section of the City’s website.