Dear Neighbours,

With Halloween around the corner, many of you are really stepping up your home decorations! I invite neighbours to share your decorations with me on social media. Please tag me so we can add your home in the round up reel we’ll post. Also, the City is selling the 10-pack Recreation Tickets again as an option of things for you to give out to trick or treaters. You can buy yours at the Morelli and Pinky Lewis Recreation Centres. Please visit www.hamilton.ca/recpasses for more information.

My office is rounding our community meetings this fall with the Ward 3 Complete Streets Plan meeting next Tuesday. We had the highest turn out and input rate of any other city roads project for our plan. I really want you to come and see the final plan I will be allocating funds towards implementing. You can participate online or in person. And the final Pop Up community hours for my office this year will be at City Housing Hamilton’s First Place. You can find out more details on both meetings below!

As always, should you require any assistance with any municipal issues, my office team is here to help. You can email us at ward3@hamilton.ca.

Yours in community,

Councillor Nrinder Nann

Aerial view of a residential area of downtown Hamilton surrounded by autumn trees with vibrant foliage. The text “Council & Committee Updates” is overlaid on the image in bold letters.

DISTANCE SEPARATION FROM CONCENTRATION OF TEMPORARY SHELTER BEDS

I’d like to clear up some confusion circulating about exemption zones as it relates to the current Reducing Homelessness & Managing Encampments Plan (RHME Plan).

My approved motion to remove some parks and greenspaces as compliant sites from the Encampment Protocol is directly related to bringing consistent application of the City’s work within the plan to prevent the over-concentration of encampments in the area of shelter supports.

The motion I moved at General Issues Committee last week and that was ratified at Council this week will prohibit encampments in some greenspaces that are within a 1km radius adjacent to 123 new temporary shelter beds in Ward 3 that are concentrated within a 4 block area.

The Council approved RHME Plan increases the existing shelter system by 192 beds, a 56% increase, and implements an 80-bed temporary outdoor shelter with wrap-around supports. The Plan also establishes a 1km radius to be set around the Barton-Tiffany outdoor shelter. Of the much needed 192 bed expansion to the shelter system, 138 of the 192 bed expansion, will operate in Ward 3, of which 123 beds are within a four block area.

This distance separation will minimize impacts on and from the surrounding area and will be applied to the specific four block area once the 192 temporary shelter beds are operational.

The sites to be non-permissive will be:

J.C. Beemer Park/Tweedsmuir Park
Bishop’s Park
Claremont Access Parkettes
298 Hunter Street East (green space west of Claremont Access)
Carter Park
Myrtle Park
Rail Trail between extension of Wellington Street South and Sherman Avenue South

I will provide further updates to let residents know when the shelter beds are online and these spaces are no longer permissible encampment locations.

For those neighbours inquiring why Gage Park and the Delta Parkette are not included, and are concerned that removing the above locations will result in encampments “spreading to other already concentrated areas”, I would like to help you understand why you don’t need to be concerned.

The entire premise of the RHME Plan is to support residents moving out of encampments and into various shelter options. The City’s Outreach Team has already begun connecting with those living encamped to get access to the supports and services they need and begin suggesting which shelter option best matches their needs. The 80 bed temporary outdoor shelter at Barton-Tiffany offers the most access and fewest barriers to supports. It is the City’s anticipation that encamped residents will likely opt to move from parks to this site, which means less tents in parks overall.

As I have shared in previous emails, there is an active court case against the City of Hamilton with regard to previously disallowing encampments that led to the Encampment Protocol. When City’s don’t have sufficient and accessible shelter space to accommodate folks currently living encamped and actively remove barriers to service needs, then those municipalities cannot prevent individuals from living encamped. This prohibits the City from eliminating the Encampment Protocol in its entirety. We should receive an update on these court proceedings in December at which point I will share an update with residents.

In the meantime, I wanted to take a moment to remind neighbours that I moved a motion earlier this fall at Council to have staff report back to Council in Q1 2025 about the feasibility of sunsetting Encampment Protocol and identify whether the Parks By-law will be permissible to enforce.

Finally, I would request that you please provide any correspondence on these, or other Ward issues to the ward3@hamilton.ca email. By emailing me here you allow my staff and I to properly log and triage all correspondence to ensure timely and thorough responses.

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT & DEVELOPMENT CHARGE FREEZE

In April 2024, as part of their budget, the federal government announced a $6B Canada Housing Infrastructure Fund to be made available to provinces and municipalities if certain conditions are met. One such condition is that Municipalities freeze their Development Charges (DCs) for 3 years at April 2, 2024 rates.

In the last round of Committee/Council, we received an information report from staff about this plan. Staff estimate that the potential fiscal challenges for the City of Hamilton could be a shortfall between $130M and $260M as the result of this three-year freeze. Without a guarantee that the federal funding will equal or exceed lost revenue, this has the potential of costing City of Hamilton tax and ratepayers significantly more in our 2025 Budget process.

Development Charges are fees paid by developers to the municipality to cover costs incurred by the City to provide infrastructure and services to the new residential developments. These services can include items such as roads, bridges, water supply, waste disposal, police, fire, paramedics, parks, playgrounds, arenas, and community centres.

This freeze will mean the City is going to have to either defer investment on these types of services and infrastructure or significantly raise the tax rate to be able to pay for them. And that is not an option. We need growth to pay for growth. And if the Federal and Provincial governments want to continue incentivising developers to build homes, they have to find a manner to do so that doesn’t then download the cost of payment to our residents.

My motion will now go to the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) requesting that they add this issue to their December advocacy days with Members of Parliament. And as Hamilton’s representative on the FCM Board of Directors, this will enable me to have very clear marching orders as I participate in the federal lobby days in Ottawa in December with my counterparts from across Canada.

FEDERAL ENCAMPMENT FUNDS & PROVINCIAL MATCHING

The Government of Canada has announced a $250 million dollar funding initiative to address the urgent issue of encampments and unsheltered homelessness with the intention of a fifty-fifty cost sharing agreement with provincial governments, bringing it to $500 million. So far, federal discussions with the Province of Ontario have not led to meaningful progress on a cost-sharing funding agreement.

The Government of Canada is willing to work directly with municipalities if necessary, however, without the provincial government cost-sharing, Ontario municipalities will receive less.

For context, in 2024 the City of Hamilton is investing $185.9 million dollars into housing and homelessness solutions, 67% funded directly by municipal taxpayers. And our current temporary shelter expansion work will cost $18M.

On Wednesday, I successfully moved a motion that will have the Mayor act on behalf of the City of Hamilton to request that the province re-engage with the federal government to ensure Ontario municipalities have access to the same funds as municipalities in other provinces. Additionally the City will work directly with our partners in the federal government to maximize this funding opportunity. It is my hope that the cost of services and supports that provide viable options for those living encamped will be paid by these funds and bring back some costs savings to the Hamilton taxbase.

SOLVE THE CRISIS CAMPAIGN

I have written about the Solve The Crisis campaign in previous issues of this newsletter. It is an important piece of advocacy led by the Ontario’s Big City Mayors group to urge the provincial government to adequately address and resolve the mental health and housing crisis we are seeing.

While municipalities are at the frontlines of dealing with this crisis, it is actually the responsibility of the Provincial Government to provide funding and solutions to it. The federal government has also not lived up to their promises to address the issue.

This campaign gives residents a united voice from across the province to demand the provincial government take the needed action that will make real changes in our neighbourhoods.

To learn more and to sign the petition, please go here.

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

WARD 3 COMMUNITY RESILIENCE GRANT - APPLICATIONS CLOSE NOV 15TH

A reminder that the Ward 3 Community & Resilience Grant is still accepting applications until November 15th. The goal of this grant is to support a program or initiative that promotes equity, inclusion, resilience, and community-building work in our neighborhoods. If you are a resident, community group or organization that has an idea for a program or initiative, this is for you!

While organizations are welcome to apply, preference will be given to initiatives that are resident-led and can demonstrate outcomes which are community-focused and that will be delivered in Ward 3 neighbourhoods.

We have moved to an online application process. Successful applications will be approved through a motion passed at City Council. Fall 2024 applications are due by Nov 15, 2024. Apply here.

If you need help filling out the application form, please reach out to the Ward 3 Team at ward3@hamilton.ca. For more information about the criteria and application process, please visit: www.nrinder.ca/communityresiliencegrants

TEMPORARY ROAD CLOSURE - WENTWORTH STREET OCT 28 - DEC 2024

To facilitate water main installation and road resurfacing Wentworth Street between King Street and Wilson Street will be closed. During the closure, there will be no through access on Wentworth Street from King Street to Wilson Street. Cathedral High School will be accessible from Wilson Street. Learn more here.

WARD 3 CAVELL AVE DEPAVE

We’re very excited to announce that the first City-led depave project has happened here in #OurWard3 at 193 Cavell Ave adjacent to Hamilton Indoor Go-Karts.

This transformative depave project is the first of its kind in Hamilton and is in response to the City’s Urban Forestry Strategy, which aims to increase the urban tree canopy to 40% by 2050.

The fact that it’s happened in a neighbourhood where such an initiative might not be expected is a bonus!

A depaving project involves removing a surface like asphalt or concrete and replacing it with landscaping surfaces for the gardens and trees.

At this location, staff removed 684 square meters of asphalt, replacing it with grass and planting several new street trees

We are hopeful that this project will lead to more City-led depaves in the future not only within Ward 3, but also city-wide. The next depave scheduled for #OurWard3 is on Victoria Ave S off the Claremont Access.

WOODLANDS PARK SPRAY PAD IS COMPLETE!

After months of construction, I’m excited to share that the Woodlands Park Spray Pad project is officially complete!

There are some minor finishing touches that will need to be done over the next week or so, but I’m very happy to announce that this project has finally come to fruition. The City really tried to have this complete in the summer, however with the previously reported roadblocks, just were not able to. The spray pad is closed and we will have an official opening next summer.

It has also been really lovely receiving all of the emails from neighbours sharing how happy they are with the work being done. There is a true excitement in the community in anticipation of using the spray pad, sun shelter and seeing children enjoying it next summer. Thank you to the adoptees of Woodlands park, the Barton Village BIA and everyone who participated in the initial input sessions, and who have reached out to us and to staff for their work on this project.

Here are a few pictures of the completed works. Pop by next time you are in the area to check it out yourself.

WARD 3 OFFICE POP-UP AT FIRST PLACE - NOVEMBER 12

My team and I will be hosting a Ward 3 Pop-Up at First Place in the Bagshaw Room on Tuesday November 12 from 5pm-7pm.

Our pop-ups are a way for me and my team to connect with residents one-on-one about municipal issues and to work with you directly. The format will be first come, first served, and you can expect to be greeted as well as be asked to provide contact information so we can follow up with you as needed.

These mini appointments will be 5-10 mins long and we will aim to address your issue on the spot. If your issue requires a follow up, we will aim to be in touch with you within a week.

Many residents have shared how much they appreciate connecting in this way, as not everyone has access to internet or email to reach us in those ways.

We welcome some face to face opportunities to connect with neighbours and are looking forward to seeing you there!

A view of an HSR bus and traffic along Barton St. E. The text "City Services Updates" is overlaid on the image.

TEMPORARY SHELTER EXPANSION WEBSITE UPDATE

The City’s Housing Services Division launched a dedicated section on the City website to provide timely updates and essential information on our ongoing efforts to implement recommendations within the Reducing Homelessness and Managing Encampments Report. This update has been integrated into the “Emergency Shelters & Drop-ins” page on the City website, and can be accessed directly at: www.Hamilton.ca/TemporaryShelterExpansion

This page will be updated over time, and will feature the following key components:

Information Section: A clear and structured section focused on the initiatives approved by Council.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ): A FAQ section will address common concerns to date from residents and partners, covering topics such as the rationale behind the temporary outdoor shelter, the types of services offered, the low-barrier model, and how the City is ensuring environmental safety and success measurement of these initiatives.
Status Updates: The website will offer timely status updates on the implementation of these initiatives, with the first update already posted. These updates will also include links to relevant Council reports and provide transparency on key milestones.
Community Feedback Portal: A feedback form will allow residents to submit questions or concerns directly through the site. This feedback will be reviewed and incorporated into future updates and reports. A summary of the feedback received will also be included in Council updates, ensuring a loop of communication between the City and residents.
Reports and Resources: Links to all relevant Council reports and resources will be available on the page, ensuring that the public has access to the full breadth of information surrounding these initiatives.
Ongoing Communications: we are committed to keeping the community informed on key milestones, and this website will serve as a central hub for sharing updates on the City's efforts. As we move forward, any new developments, including community meetings, operational changes, or additional resources, will be posted here to maintain transparency.

This update is a crucial step in our commitment to ensuring residents and partners have easy access to detailed information and the latest developments. We encourage you to share this with residents in your wards who may be reaching out to ask questions about these initiatives, so that they can stay informed and engaged with the ongoing progress.

BARTON STREET FUNCTIONAL DESIGN

My office co-hosted a community input session with wards 1, 2, 4 and City Staff on October 17, 2024 at Westinghouse HQ in #OurWard3.

Staff reviewed the upcoming road configuration options for the Barton Street corridor between Locke St N and the Red Hill Valley Parkway. This large-scale infrastructure project enables the city to take care of much needed subsurface waterworks while also reconstructing Barton St in a manner that best facilitates community life and vitality.

The project also includes renewing and upgrading municipal services and utility relocations. This approach is aligned with the City of Hamilton 2022-2026 Council Priorities, specifically Priority 2 which seeks to ensure that neighbourhoods are cared for and vibrant, and that people can move around safely and effectively no matter how they travel. Improved active transportation and pedestrian space will provide better access to all residents, provide an alternative to other modes of travel, and help create a more active and vibrant streetscape and neighbourhood.

I think it is important for residents to understand the stages of this project clearly:

Review Scope & Needs
Functional Design Options
Public Input on Functional Design Options
Final Design
Public Review of Final Design
Make final tweaks
Scope out Project Tender for construction
Phased Construction

My office will keep neighbours updated on the next steps as this multi-year project develops and moves through the stages above. In the meantime, you can watch the presentation and provide direct input now at https://engage.hamilton.ca/bartonstfunctionaldesign. You can also register for a monthly engagement newsletter.

CYBERSECURITY UPDATE

The City continues to make significant progress in recovering and rebuilding efforts following the cybersecurity incident earlier this year. Approximately 70% of the City’s total applications have been successfully restored. Almost all services are operating in a full or modified state, with more than half of the City’s services fully operational and the remaining services available through a revised or alternative process.

For more information, visit the city’s website.

WWF’S ONE PLANET CITY CHALLENGE 2024 - WE LOVE CITIES

Hamilton has been selected as the national winner of World Wildlife Fund’s One Planet City Challenge (OPCC) 2024, recognizing the City’s innovative climate action.

The OPCC is a global competition with over 900 cities participating since 2011!

Hamilton was chosen from a shortlist that included Peterborough and Calgary, and as the national winner, Hamilton will now participate in WWF’s We Love Cities competition, which is open exclusively to OPCC finalists.

This competition invites the public to vote for their favourite city, show their support, and offer suggestions on how we can enhance our sustainability efforts.

We Love Cities runs throughout October, concluding on World Cities Day, October 31. The global OPCC winners will be announced in November 2024 at the UN World Urban Forum in Cairo.

To cast your vote, share what you love about our city, or share your ideas about making our city better, please visit: https://welovecities.org/city/hamilton

HALLOWEEN FUN AT POWELL PARK - OCT 26TH

Powell Park is transforming into a Halloween wonderland with crafts, games, and even a 12-foot skeleton (perfect for those spooky selfies!). Join Officer Tags for a costume parade and fill up those loot bags. Its a community event you won’t want to miss! Be sure to register early. Happening at Powell Park at 11am. To register email eventsatgala@gmail.com. Learn more here.

HALLOWEEN HAUNT ON OTTAWA ST NORTH - OCT 26TH

Get ready for a spooktacular day at Halloween Haunt on Ottawa Street North! Saturday October 26th from 10am to 1pm. Folks are welcome to join at East Kiwanis Parkette for a hauntingly good time filled with complimentary face painting, crafts, and a Halloween photo booth! Costumes encouraged, so come dressed to impress! Learn more here.

KIDICAL MASS IN WARD 3 - OCT 27TH

Hamilton's 3rd Kidical Mass is on Sunday October 27 Gage Park near the playground 1pm-3pm. Happening Rain or Shine for a ride around the park and surrounding neighbourhood. Helmets are required and parents must ride with their children. Costumes are optional. Look for the giant bear! Riding will be done as a group so that no one gets left behind.

HARRC COMMUNITY IMPACT REPORT EVENT - OCT 28TH

This gathering will provide an opportunity to highlight the critical work that Hamilton Anti-Racism Resource Centre (HARRC) has undertaken over the past year to address racism in Hamilton and share their hate incident data. Taking place on Monday, October 28th at 6pm at 1 James St. North, Second Floor, McMaster University Continuing Education (Jackson Square). The event will include guest speakers and discussions regarding ways to respond to racism and hate in Hamilton. Learn more and register here.

HAMILTON DAY - NOV 1-3

Our city-wide celebration of Hamilton and small business is coming up next weekend! There will be some trivia, guided tours, music, art, and all kinds of other experiences. It's also a good time to get out to your favourite Ward 3 business and show some support. Learn more here.

HAMILTON WOMENS ABUSE PREVENTION MONTH EVENT - NOV 21ST

The Woman Abuse Working Group, in collaboration with the Native Women's Centre, is hosting Hamilton's annual event in recognition of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. The event will explore ending violence and murder of Indigenous women and girls, and deepen collective understanding of building meaningful collaboration to support gender based violence efforts using a respectful and culturally informed manner. Learn more here.

BARTON VILLAGE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING & FUNDRAISER - NOV 25

Join the Barton Village BIA for an evening of visioning followed by entertainment including live music, refreshments, games, prizes, raffles, and more!

The event will be taking place on Monday November 25, 2024 at Westinghouse HQ (286 Sanford Ave N) with the AGM commencing at 6pm followed by the fundraising event! Tickets for the event are $25 each.

To RSVP for the AGM only, please email info@bartonvillage.ca. To purchase tickets for the event/fundraiser, please visit: https://www.bartonvillage.ca/event-list

ACTIVE CONNECTIONS 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).

Temporary Shelter Bed Update, Federal Government & Development Charge Freeze, Project Updates, Weekend Events & More