Dear Neighbours,

First off, a big thank you to the thousands of residents who showed up and contributed at the CPKC Holiday Train this past weekend.

This year marks the train's 26th year, spreading holiday cheer and raising money, food, and awareness for people struggling with food insecurity. CPKC generously donated $10,000 to Hamilton Food Share, and on top of that, our Hamilton community came through by donating $5,437.96 as well as 4,120 lbs of food at the event! Thank you to all our neighbours and volunteers for helping us #FeedTheHammer this holiday season!

As we launch into the last month of the year, there are many updates to share as we begin our year-end work. As such, this e-newsletter has many important updates, so please do take some time to read through it.

As always, should you need some support navigating municipal services or issues, my team and I are here to support. You can reach us at ward3@hamilton.ca or 905-546-2701.

Yours in Community,

Nrinder Nann

A festive tree adorned with colorful lights stands beside Hamilton City Hall. A banner reads "Council & Committee Updates," and the word "Hamilton" is visible in lit-up letters in the background.

2025 BUDGET

This month, the 2025 Budget process launched. The preliminary projection for the 2025 Tax Supported Budget estimates a 6.9 per cent increase in residential property taxes and a 9.95 per cent combined increase for water and wastewater fees to meet our current service and infrastructure needs city-wide.

Council and staff are taking into consideration the economic challenges residents are currently facing. This is imperative, particularly with the rising cost of living and the ongoing affordability crisis Hamiltonians are experiencing.

To this end, the Mayor directed staff to:

Identify new and expanded revenue streams,
Prudent use of debt and reserves
Pursue both provincial and federal investments
Identify and articulate all redundancies and inefficiencies that will be addressed
And, any new investment requests (business cases) by city departments, boards and agencies must clearly demonstrate their capacity to advance council-identified priorities.

Council must also be mindful to protect the city’s AAA credit rating to ensure long-term financial stability. This combined approach enables Council to foster a city built on trust, tangible results, and a commitment to accountability, all while ensuring fiscal prudence.

Residents can have their input directly heard by Budget Committee through a number of ways.

You can delegate in person or via a pre-recorded video delegation
You can write in, or
You can participate through this interactive tool

The next public delegation date is Monday, January 20, 2025 at 3pm and all you have to do is submit a Request to Speak before a Committee of Council. To submit your comments in writing you can email Legislative Coordinator Angela McRae at angela.mcrae@hamilton.ca

You can find the schedule here.

CHH VACANCY & REPAIRS UPDATE

Affordable housing is a critical priority in our community, and I’m pleased to report as President of CityHousing Hamilton (CHH) that we are seeing important progress across our 7,100 unit portfolio on the targets I have championed through the Board and Council.

The 476 unit target for the priority repair list is also on target. Of these, 90% (430 units) have been fully renovated and are already housing families, with the remaining 46 units actively under renovation with completion dates to be met by year end.

As of October 31, 2024, CHH’s vacancy rate stands at 3.49%—a significant improvement and on track to meet our 2% target. Of 249 vacant units portfolio-wide beyond the repair target mentioned above, 168 are actively being renovated, 41 are awaiting contractor work orders, and 40 are in the inspection and scoping phase. These efforts ensure that more units are becoming available for Hamiltonians in need of housing.

This year alone, I am proud to announce that CHH has housed 676 households—a significant increase compared to 559 in 2023 and 444 in 2022. With affordable housing demand at an all-time high, this represents meaningful progress in providing stability and housing opportunity for residents on the Access to Housing waitlist.

Every unit returned to service represents another step toward reducing housing insecurity and ensuring CHH is doing everything we can to provide more Hamiltonians with access to safe and affordable homes.

I want to extend deep appreciation to CHH staff who have addressed many system changes to enable this progress and you remain tireless in their pursuit of being part of the solutions at a time of housing crisis.

PROTECTING RENTERS: UPDATES ON TENANT ASSISTANCE GUIDELINES

City Council recently approved updates to the Tenant Relocation and Assistance Guidelines, which provide critical support for tenants facing displacement due to redevelopment, renovations, or other changes in rental housing.

Here’s what the updates mean for those who rent:

Enhanced Tenant Relocation Assistance

The revised guideline ensures tenants receive fair and consistent support if they are displaced.
This includes a methodology for calculating rent gap compensation, which helps tenants manage the financial difference between their current rent and the cost of a similar home.

Alignment Across Policies

These guidelines now align with Hamilton’s Renovation License and Relocation By-law.
This means the same rent gap compensation formula will apply across all policies affecting tenants in these situations.

Annual Updates to Stay Fair

The rent gap compensation amounts will be updated annually to reflect current market conditions, ensuring they remain fair and relevant.

I want to extend my gratitude to the City staff who worked on this and to the renters who spoke up to provide feedback on the earlier iteration of the rent gap rate. Your insights and experience were invaluable in shaping these new rates and ensuring the policy addresses the real challenges faced by our neighbours.

These changes are an important step forward in protecting renters and ensuring housing policies work for everyone.

BUILDING A BETTER MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS RESPONSE FOR HAMILTON

Mental health and addictions challenges affect every corner of our city, and it’s clear that we need better, more coordinated ways to support people in times of crisis. I’m excited to share some updates about Hamilton’s progress toward creating an integrated, compassionate mental health crisis response system.

This work is in response to Council’s request to have the award winning Toronto model for Crisis Response reviewed by staff and to see how we may benefit from it here.

This week, Council approved key steps to improve how our community addresses mental health emergencies that include City Staff working closely with the Greater Hamilton Health Network (GHHN) and other partners to improve how mental health services are delivered. The goal is a better coordinated and more streamlined, integrated system that connects residents to the right supports when they need them most.

Additionally, Council and Staff will continue to push for sustainable funding from provincial and federal governments to expand mental health and addiction services locally. This is critical to ensure that we have adequate resources to meet ever growing needs.

Staff will also be developing a plan for an integrated mental health crisis response, tailored to Hamilton’s unique needs. This system will focus on a single point of access and coordinated follow-up services, ensuring that residents can easily connect to the help they need.

To simplify access for residents, staff will explore the feasibility of implementing a 211 response system. This system would act as a clear access point for non-police-related mental health emergencies, making it easier to connect people in crisis to the appropriate supports.

Our community often bears the brunt of gaps in the mental health system, and many of us have seen the impact of these challenges on our neighbours, friends, and families. This work is about creating a system that prioritizes trauma-informed care, compassion, and accessibility, and I’m proud to see Hamilton taking steps to make this a reality.

As always, I’m grateful to City staff, partners, and residents for the ideas and energy driving this work forward. Together, we can build a crisis response system that meets the needs of our community and reduces harm with professional expertise.

TAKING ACTION TO PROTECT PUBLIC SAFETY & PRESERVE HAMILTON’S BUILT ENVIRONMENT

Hamilton’s buildings and structures are an essential part of our city’s history, character, and daily life. Both recent and older building collapses in the city have raised serious concerns about public safety and the state of some of our aging structures.

City Council is committed to addressing these concerns head-on to ensure our built environment remains safe, secure, and livable. I discussed this issue with the Mayor earlier this year as an area needing improvement, especially due to our experiences with the buildings at the corner of King St. E and East Ave. As such, the Mayor moved a motion that I seconded that directed staff to conduct a thorough review of building collapse incidents, including:

A complete history of City interactions with the affected buildings, such as inspections, bylaw enforcement, and permits.
An analysis of the causes behind these collapses to understand what went wrong and how to prevent similar events in the future.

The City will also compile an inventory of structures across Hamilton that have a history of safety issues, including:

Property standards violations.
Bylaw enforcement or building code concerns.

This inventory will help prioritize actions to address potential risks, and Staff will review current enforcement processes related to building safety and property standards, identify gaps, and recommend updates to ensure:

Faster, more effective enforcement.
Increased accountability for property owners who neglect maintenance.

To better protect public safety, staff will propose updates to key policies, such as the Property Standards Bylaw. These changes aim to modernize and strengthen our approach to ensuring building safety across the city, and a preliminary report with findings and potential interim recommendations will be presented to Council in early 2025. This will ensure we’re moving forward quickly while developing long-term solutions.

Our community is home to many historic and aging buildings that define our neighbourhood’s character. Ensuring these structures are safe is vital for protecting residents, preserving our heritage, and maintaining trust in the systems that safeguard our city.

CHANGES TO COUNCIL & COMMITTEE SCHEDULES

This week, Council approved the 2025 Council and Committee schedule and we will be adjusting our schedule to be more in line with other municipalities and to better allow for scheduling of Sub-Committees and other meetings that are necessary for good governance.

Where currently we have 2 rounds of Council and Committees each month, in 2025 we will move to a 3-week rotation. The first week will have Committee meetings, followed by the Council week. Then the third week will be available for Sub-Committees and other necessary meetings to occur.

One of the key reasons I supported the recommendations in this report at Governance Committee is the scheduling challenge facing those of us who serve on Standing Committees, Sub-Committees, Boards and agencies. As a member of Council who serves as Chair or Vice-Chair for various committees and the CHH Board, there have been challenges maintaining quorum as agenda items go long and other meeting start times begin. The current approach also puts a strain on staff who prepare reports for committees impeding the ability of staff to do the necessary work between cycles and not provide sufficient time for public notice of final reports.

Ultimately, this is a structural adjustment improvement. This is not seeking to simply reduce the number of Committee and Council meetings - but instead enable members of Council to work better and enable more opportunity to hear from residents as well.

A aerial photo of Ward 3. Transparent white box in centre with navy text reads "Ward 3 Updates".

NEIGHBORHOOD SIDEWALK AUDIT - DEC 6

Do you know of a damaged, uprooted, or misaligned sidewalk tile that could pose a trip hazard or barrier to accessible mobility? Your input is crucial to improving the safety and accessibility of our neighborhood.

I like to provide an opportunity for direct engagement by residents to collect sidewalk repair suggestions. Roads Staff are currently preparing for next year’s repairs to ensure critical safety-related locations are included in the 2025 program. So, please take a moment to submit your sidewalk repair location suggestions for us to incorporate.

You can assist by doing the following:
📸 Take a photo of the affected sidewalk.
📍 Include the exact location.
✉️ Email your submission to ward3@hamilton.ca by December 6, 2024.

Together, we can ensure our sidewalks are safer and more accessible for everyone in #OurWard3.

UPDATE ON CHILDREN’S MUSEUM RECONSTRUCTION IN GAGE PARK

I’m excited to share an update on the Children’s Museum renovation, a project that will revitalize this beloved community space. Construction of the new addition is nearing completion, with most of the work expected to be finished by the end of the year. Exterior site work faced some delays due to unanticipated sewer repairs, but those have now been resolved. Crews are working on parking lot curbs, paving, and landscaping as long as the weather allows, though some of this work may need to wait until the ground thaws next spring.

Inside the museum, exhibit installation and accessory fit-ups are scheduled to take place during the first and second quarters of 2025. We are on track to reopen the museum in the summer of 2025, providing an enhanced space filled with new and exciting exhibits for children and families to enjoy.

Thank you for your patience and support as we complete this important project. We look forward to welcoming you back to the Children’s Museum next summer!

UPDATES ON WENTWORTH & WILSON STREET PROJECTS

I’d like to share updates on two key infrastructure projects happening in our community. These improvements will enhance road safety, accessibility, and overall connectivity in Ward 3.

The work on Wentworth Street is progressing well. Here’s the latest timeline I’ve received from Staff:

Watermain construction: Expected to be completed in the next two weeks.
Sidewalk improvements: Concrete work will be completed over the coming week.
Paving schedule: If weather and conditions allow, paving will be finished before Christmas. If not, paving will occur in the first week of January 2025.

We appreciate your patience as these critical upgrades are finalized.

Additionally, Staff have also indicated that starting early January 2025, Wilson Street will undergo improvements with a full road closure between Wentworth and Sanford. Here’s what to expect:

Closure is planned for the week of January 6th or January 12th.
Impacted groups, including local schools, businesses, and HSR transit, have already been notified.
A resident notice detailing the closure and alternative routes will be distributed in the coming weeks. A copy will also be shared with our office for transparency.

We understand road closures can be inconvenient, but these upgrades are essential for improving safety and accessibility in our neighbourhood.

During the construction, there will be no through access on Wentworth Street from King Street to Wilson Street. Cathedral High School will be accessible from Wilson Street.

If you have any questions or concerns about these projects, don’t hesitate to reach out to our office. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation as we work to build a better Ward 3 for all.

TEMPORARY ROAD CLOSURES IN ANTICIPATION OF MAIN ST 2-WAY CONVERSION & LRT WORKS

Starting in December, Main Street will undergo some lining upgrades to the existing sewer mains to rehabilitate them, and prolong the lifespan by approx 50 yrs. This work will result in some road closures on the following dates and at the following locations:

398 Main St E

When: December 2–4 (72 hours straight, weather dependent).
Traffic Impacts: Reduced lanes on Main St. Temporary closures on Emerald and Tisdale.
HSR Impact: No impact.

12 Princess St

When: December 5 (24 hours straight, weather dependent).
Traffic Impacts: Right lane closure on Birch Ave.
HSR Impact: No impact.

789 Main St E

When: December 5, 7:00 a.m.–7:00 p.m. (weather dependent).
Traffic Impacts: Reduced lanes on Main St.
HSR Impact: No impact.

129 Main St E

When: December 5, 7:00 a.m.–7:00 p.m. (weather dependent).
Traffic Impacts: Reduced lanes on Main St.
HSR Impact: No impact.

545 Main St E

When: December 2 (7:00 p.m.–7:00 a.m., weather dependent).
Traffic Impacts: Reduced lanes on Main St E.
HSR Impact: No impact.

595 Main St E

When: December 3 (7:00 p.m.–7:00 a.m., weather dependent).
Traffic Impacts: Reduced lanes on Main St E.
HSR Impact: No impact.

639 Main St E

When: December 4 (7:00 p.m.–7:00 a.m., weather dependent).
Traffic Impacts: Reduced lanes on Main St E.
HSR Impact: No impact.

417 Burlington St E

When: December 6 (7:00 p.m.–7:00 a.m., weather dependent).
Traffic Impacts: Lane restrictions on Burlington St.
HSR Impact: No impact.

Crews will work overnight whenever possible to reduce traffic disruptions. While these upgrades are essential, we understand they may cause some inconvenience. Thank you for your patience and cooperation as we work to improve our infrastructure.

If you have any questions or concerns about this work, feel free to reach out to our office.

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REMINDER FOR RESIDENTS: LAST YARD WASTE PICKUP!🍂

The final curbside yard waste collection for Ward 3 in Hamilton is scheduled for December 4, 2024. After this date, yard waste will no longer be picked up until the spring collection begins in March.

What Can You Put Out?
✔️ Leaves
✔️ Branches (under 4 ft long and 2 inches in diameter)
✔️ Garden trimmings
✔️ Plants

How to Prepare Your Yard Waste:
✅ Use brown paper yard waste bags or labeled, reusable containers.
✅ Bags/containers must weigh under 23 kg (50 lbs).
✅ Place items at the curb by 7:00 AM on collection day.

Missed the Date?
You can drop off yard waste at the City of Hamilton Community Recycling Centres year-round. For hours and locations, visit hamilton.ca/waste.

Let’s finish the season strong by keeping our yards clean and ensuring waste is properly sorted! 🍁

CHECK OUT OUR NEW LOOK! RECREATION HAMILTON LAUNCHES NEW ONLINE REGISTRATION

The Recreation Division has launched a new online registration, facility booking and membership system for programs and services on November 21, 2024. Most active users of the previous system have been migrated to the new system and sent an email notification with information on how to access their account.

If you have:

a Recreation Assistance Program subsidy
an active participation pass or clip card,
an active rental contract,
a balance on your family account, or
registered for recreation programs within the last two years.

An account has been created for you and the identified main contact will receive a notification to the email address on file with instructions on how to access and review the account.

Please be patient while staff are transitioning to new software.

Beginning November 21, 2024 an email notification from communication@xplorrecreation.com will be sent to active users with instructions for reviewing family accounts will be distributed.

For any questions or assistance, please contact the Recreation Team at recreation@hamilton.ca or 905-546-3747.

THE ORDER OF HAMILTON - OPEN FOR NOMINATIONS

The Order of Hamilton recognizes the exceptional voluntary contributions of individual Hamiltonians in building a better and improved Hamilton. Individuals residing in the City of Hamilton at the time of the awarding of the Order must have demonstrated an exceptional voluntary contribution to community building and/or service in the City of Hamilton. Their contributions must be determined to have gone above and beyond their professional contributions to the City of Hamilton.

How To Nominate:

Online - Nominations can be completed and submitted online at Order of Hamilton | City of Hamilton
In-person - Forms are also available in-person at Hamilton City Hall, all City of Hamilton Service Centres and at any branch of the Hamilton Public Library.

The nomination form must be accompanied by at least one letter of reference from someone other than the nominator and with the signed agreement of the person being nominated.

Completed nominations packages can be sent to:

Office of the Mayor

Re: Order of Hamilton

71 Main Street West, 2nd Floor

Hamilton, ON L8P 4Y5

Nomination Submission Deadline: Wednesday, December 18, 2024 at 4:00 pm

When is the Order awarded: The recipients will be awarded at the Mayor's New Year's Levee taking place in January 2025.

HOME WINTERPROOFING PROGRAM - FREE ENERGY UPGRADES FOR HOMES IN NEED

The Home Winterproofing Program provides an easy path to enhance energy efficiency, reduce energy use, and elevate home comfort for homeowners and renters. Designed for income-qualified Enbridge Gas customers, the program combines home energy assessments and professionally installed upgrades at no cost.

This program provides free energy-efficient upgrades, including wall, basement and attic insulation, draft proofing, and a smart thermostat, to eligible single-family homes which include detached, semi-detached, row or townhouses, duplexes, and triplexes. More than 47,000 Ontario homes have already received these free upgrades through the Home Winterproofing Program.

Learn more: https://www.enbridgegas.com/ontario/rebates-energy-conservation/home-winterproofing-program

Questions?
Contact Sarah Werle at swerle@thecommunity.ca or by phone at 204-296-7963

CHANGES ARE COMING TO RECYCLING IN HAMILTON

Starting January 2025, Hamilton is updating its recycling program to make it easier and more effective for everyone to reduce waste and keep our city green. Here’s what you need to know:

What’s Changing?

New Materials Accepted: More plastics and materials will be recyclable, including some that were previously considered garbage! Stay tuned for a full list.
Clear Bag Requirement: To improve sorting and reduce contamination, recyclables must now be placed in clear bags instead of loose in bins.
Simplified Sorting: Say goodbye to confusion! Hamilton is moving toward a single-stream system, so all recyclables can go together.
Enhanced Education: The City will launch new resources to help residents recycle correctly and avoid contamination.

Why These Changes?

These updates align with provincial standards and aim to increase the amount of waste diverted from landfills. Hamilton’s recycling contamination rate has been too high, and these steps will help improve efficiency and reduce costs.

What Can You Do Now?

Start getting familiar with what goes where. A new recycling guide will be delivered to homes in December!
Spread the word! Share these updates with your neighbors and friends to ensure everyone is prepared.
If you need help or have questions, visit hamilton.ca/recycling for more information.

By working together, we can keep Hamilton clean and sustainable for generations to come. 🌍 Let’s all do our part!

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LEVEL UP SYMPOSIUM - NOV 30

The Level Up Business Advisory Symposium is presented by Empowerment Squared’s Southwestern Ontario Black Entrepreneurship Network (SWOBEN) and BLK OWNED HamOnt for program participants and all entrepreneurs. This event offers current and aspiring entrepreneurs an opportunity to get key advice and insights from industry experts. Food from local vendors will be supplied. Learn more here.

WINTER SOLSTICE FESTIVAL 2024 OPEN STUDIO - DEC 4-21

Please sign up early for the lantern workshop and introduction sessions, suitable for ages 10 and up (under 12 need adult accompaniment).

Dropin (after your intro session) OPENSTUDIO: Monday-Friday,1-5pm to create your own work of art to wear,carry or display at the festival. Make a ligh tart piece during a workshop,or start one in an instruction session and finish it later. During open studio hours you may create your own pieces, or work with Melanie on the fire sculpture. All the pieces created at the studio will be exhibited in the storefront window until the day the festival. Pick up your artworks on Saturday December 21,at the Corktown Park Winter Solstice Festival Welcome Station by 5pm to show them off during the evening and then take them home.

Introduction Sessions: Dec 4,5,7
Turn your recycled cartons into stars, learn to make art with papier maché and crochet with glow yarn. The introduction sessions will get you started on projects that may require more time. Drop in after the introduction session to finish your work during our open studio hours, Mon-Fri 1-5 Note: No open studio during scheduled workshops.

Learn more here.

GORE PARK TREE LIGHTING - DEC 6

Folks are invited to join in downtown Hamilton for the annual Christmas Tree Lighting in Gore Park! This festive evening will be filled with holiday cheer and free family activities. Learn more here.

THE NUTCRACKER 2024 - DEC 6-7

Hamilton’s traditional Nutcracker ballet is returning this year. This production features live music with the Hamilton City Ballet Orchestra. Young dancers from across Hamilton and surrounding area perform this classic favourite, as well as professional guest artists. Learn more here.

CITY OF HAMILTON 2024 NATIONAL HOUSING DAY EVENT - DEC 9

Folks are invited to join for a morning of presentations and panel discussions about housing in Hamilton with specific focus on the City's Tenant Support Program. Learn about the latest initiatives, resources, and opportunities available for affordable housing in Hamilton. Connect with local experts, community organizations, and fellow residents passionate about creating a more inclusive and sustainable housing landscape. Learn more here.

COMMUNITY GAME NIGHT - DEC 14

STAC Basketball is hosting their 3rd Annual Community Game Night on December 14th from 4pm-9pm at Bernie Custis School. Ticket proceeds will go towards the continued support of their programs. Audience members can expect free pizza and drinks, as well as a STAC basketball shirt. Learn more here.

ACTIVE CONNECTIONS FREE DROP IN - TUESDAYS SEP 10 - DEC 17

Presented by the Alzheimer Society, folks are invited to join for 45 minutes of light exercise followed by activities designed to promote social, mental, and emotional well-being. Light refreshments will be provided. Every Tuesday from 10:30am-1pm at Eva Rothwell Centre (460 Wentworth St. N. Hamilton).

2025 Budget, CityHousing Hamilton vacancy & repair updates, protecting renters and more