Dear Neighbours,

We’ve had a rainy few weeks and I am happy to have the sun back out. The benefit of the rain though, is that it has brought in some more beautiful flowers and greenery. I know I am enjoying walking the Ward 3 neighbourhoods and parks and seeing all the new flowers in bloom. I hope you’re also able to take some time to enjoy the lush greenery and beautiful flowers around us.

The nicer weather also brings a return to many outdoor festivals and events around #OurWard3. This Saturday, Ottawa Street will be closed down for the 10th anniversary of the annual Sew Hungry event, and the Family Planting Day at the Children’s Garden at Gage Park will also be happening. I have shared more details on both below.

As you continue reading this newsletter you will find many more informative updates on various City Services, and engagement opportunities for residents.

With this Sunday being the celebration of Mother’s Day, I am sharing that I recognize this can be a complicated day for many. My wish is that we may all find some peace and joy this weekend as we celebrate, remember, and consider the mothering we give and receive in our lives.

Yours in community,

Councillor Nrinder Nann

Spring photo of City Hall with yellow, orange, and purple tulips out front. Transparent white box in centre with navy text reads "Council & Committee Updates"

Term of Council Priorities

Last Friday, Council members participated in a Special General Issues Committee meeting to collaboratively identify three priority areas for measurable outcomes this term. The three areas include:

Ecological and Economic Sustainability
Liveable Neighbourhoods
Trust and Transparency at City Hall

Over the coming weeks, a small working group of the Mayor and some Councillors will define the priority areas further with measurable targets so we may report with accountability as a Council to the city as a whole. These three priority areas will also enable City staff to filter through the outstanding business list and prepare for the subsequent annual budgets with a clearer focus as well.

Two Way Main Street Conversion

Neighbours across many neighbourhoods in #OurWard3, especially those who live adjacent to Main St E, have been eagerly awaiting details on the next phase of implementing the two-way conversion. As a Council champion for this project, I am pleased to provide an update and to announce that the time for your input has come!

City staff have been working diligently on the implementation plan which integrates design principles from the city’s Complete Streets Design Manual and aims to enable safety for all road users along Main St E between King St E (the “Delta” intersection) and Longwood Rd. This includes public transit passengers, pedestrians, motorists, and cyclists. The two-way conversion plan will also incorporate a climate change lens by considering additions such as urban trees and permeable surfaces in the planning process.

There will be three Public Information Sessions this month. One online and two in-person meetings that are being co-hosted by the Ward 1, 2, & 3 offices to give residents who prefer to see the information off screen a chance to provide input directly and speak with staff.

Online - Thursday, May 18 from 6-8pm. Advance registration is required here.

In-person Session #1 - Thursday May 25 at 7pm at City Hall

In-person Session #2 - Monday May 29 at 6:30pm at the Bernie Morelli Rec Centre. To register, please contact ward3@hamilton.ca.

I look forward to seeing you at the in-person sessions!

Partnership with Education Institutions for Urban Trees

At Public Works Committee last week, we approved two motions that enable the City to pursue partnerships with educational institutions across Hamilton to help meet the urban tree canopy goals.

Then at Council on Wednesday this week, we added non-profit and faith-based organizations to the mix. This enables the City to work with more partners to achieve our targets together in community. The organizations then take on the maintenance, upkeep of the trees and that shared ownership is a great opportunity for community members: children and others to be part of the effort to restore our environment.

The first of these City provided trees to be planted in Ward 3 will be at Adelaide Hoodless Elementary School this Saturday during the Community Clean Up Day on May 13.

If your school may be interested in taking up this opportunity during the 2023 planting season, please email us at ward3@hamilton.ca and we will direct your request to the appropriate staff.

Short Term Rental Licensing Regime

On January 25, 2023, City Council approved a new by-law to license and regulate Short-Term Rentals in the City of Hamilton, and endorsed the implementation plan to develop, administer and enforce the licensing of Short-Term Rental units.

The Report specified that staff would begin to receive Short-Term Rental licenses on June 1, 2023.

Phase 1 of the implementation of Short-Term Rental licensing was scheduled to be completed in May 2023 with the finalization of a Communication Plan, Enforcement Strategy, and the establishment of the appropriate data management systems to allow for the collection and reporting of necessary metrics.

On April 26, 2023, City Council directed staff to report back to Emergency and Community Services (E&CS) committee in August 2023 with a full suite of options to halt renovictions within the City, namely a city-wide Licensing by-law, a standalone Renovictions by-law, and a suite of enforcement options.

In response to this direction, the priorities of Licensing & By-law Services will need to pivot to accommodate. Therefore, the implementation of the Short-Term Rentals licensing program has a revised timeline for the acceptance of Short-Term Rental licenses. This will be shifted to December 2023. For more information or questions, please email Monica Ciriello at monica.ciriello@hamilton.ca.

Image of houses in the ward. Transparent white box in centre with navy text reads "Ward 3 Updates"

We’re Hiring! Ward 3 Administrative Assistant

Join #OurWard3 office squad! We’re hiring for the position of Ward 3 Administrative Assistant in a Temporary Full-Time role for parental leave coverage.

This temporary full-time position, works closely with me and the rest of the Ward 3 team to provide the essential role of excellent administrative support, case file management, financial administration, research and report development, as well as community and stakeholder relations.

This team member has the ability to build and maintain strong working relationships with residents, team members, partners to the Ward 3 office, City staff, other members of Council, and is able to help resolve issues as well as find solutions. This detailed oriented position will be for the period of June 2023 - May 2024.

If you’re interested in applying, or know someone who is, please check out the job posting here, and submit your resume by end of day on Monday May 15, 2023.

Stinson Community Safety Meeting

At a community meeting about temporary shelters held in March, residents raised community safety and crime related concerns - such as vandalism, break-ins, property theft, and aggressive behaviour - in and around the Stinson neighbourhood. This followed similar reports my office had received and already reported to Hamilton Police Services (HPS).

I offered to organize a community safety meeting to bring together residents and members of HPS for residents to raise these safety and crime related issues directly with HPS. We hosted that meeting earlier this week and more than 50 residents joined us in the hybrid format.

The meeting provided an opportunity for anyone in attendance to ask questions of HPS and to raise safety concerns they had around the neighbourhood. Representatives from HPS committed to engaging with #OurWard3 residents through local community groups, newspapers, and through updates to my office that we can share here and on social media. They echoed the importance of reporting incidents to the HPS anytime there is anything concerning, as this is the data that helps to determine resource allocation.

I have committed to hosting community safety meetings with HPS around the ward to help ensure that resident concerns are heard and addressed by the Police services. As your Councillor, my role is to facilitate meetings such as these and to ensure that residents are heard and that clear next steps stem from the meeting. Ultimately, individual Councillors, and Council as a whole, cannot dictate operational procedures of HPS but we can join our neighbours in advocating for increased responsiveness.

Additionally, HPS will be providing a list of resources to the Ward 3 office for distribution. Once we receive them we will provide them to residents.

Anyone who wishes to make a formal resource allocation or staffing request, can do so by delegating to the Police Services Board.

Community Led Project to Survey Gibson

Last fall, the Gibson and Landsdale Areas, also known as the GALA Herald shared news of the Landsdale Neighbourhood Inventory. This community-led, volunteer-powered project is the work of Built Environment Hamilton, the registered not-for-profit that’s grown out of the Friends of St. Giles.

What started out as the Landsdale Neighbourhood Inventory is now the Gibson-Landsdale Neighbourhood Inventory.

This work is guided by City Staff and follows the City of Hamilton’s Built Heritage Inventory Strategy. For more information about these inventories, please visit www.hamilton.ca/heritageinventory.

To learn more about the history of the Gibson-Landsdale neighbourhoods, and the buildings that have already been designated, please visit the GALA Herald website at www.galaherald.ca.

A rain water spout pouring into a rain barrel with a garden in the background. Transparent white box in centre with navy text reads "City Service Updates"

Hamilton Water Scheduled Maintenance: Saturday May 13

Hamilton Water provided #OurWard3 office with notice of an upcoming temporary lane closure near the intersection of Burlington Street East and Wellington Street North, where Hamilton Water will be performing scheduled maintenance work at this location on Saturday, May 13, 2023.

During this time, traffic will be reduced to one lane, and street parking will be limited. Work will begin Saturday morning at 6:00 a.m. and is anticipated to be completed no later than 2:00 p.m.

Automated Traffic Enforcement Update

Driver behaviour complaints continue to be shared with my office. Neighbours continue to report that there is excessive speeding, especially late at night, along Kings St E and Main St E. We also continue to hear that cut through traffic is zipping through our neighbourhood roads. The Ward 3 Complete Streets design recommendations are part of a suite of interventions we are implementing to make our roads safer. This update includes details on two other specific tools: Red Light Cameras (RLC) and Automated Speed Enforcement (ASE).

Ward 3 has the second highest number of violations at red light cameras which signifies people are blowing red lights. This driver behaviour makes our roadways unsafe to all users. As a deterrent, the red light camera violation fee is set at $325 provincially through the Provincial Offences Act.

The new RLCs to be installed in #OurWard3 will be located at:

Cannon Street East at Wentworth Street - Westbound
Burlington Street East at Ottawa Street North - Eastbound

Additionally, existing RLC’s on Wilson Street at Wentworth Street North and Sanford Avenue North be decommissioned to coincide with the two-way conversion of Wilson Street – Victoria Avenue to Sherman Avenue, scheduled for reconstruction in 2023/2024, and subsequently relocated to:

Cannon Street East at Gage Avenue North - Eastbound

Nineteen new Community Safety Zones (CSZ) have been designated across the city. This designation also enables the use of Automated Speed Enforcement cameras in these zones which results in an average fine of $75 for speeding.

The new Community Safety Zones in #OurWard3 are:

Gage Avenue South between Lawrence Road and Main Street East
Lawrence Road between Gage Avenue South and Ottawa Street South
Victoria Avenue North between Robert Street and Shaw Street
Birge Street between Wellington Street North and Victoria Avenue
Lottridge Street between Beechwood Avenue and Cannon Street East
Gage Avenue North between Beechwood Avenue and Cannon Street East
Victoria Avenue North Charlton Avenue East and Wilson Street
King Street East between Emerald Street South and Wellington Street North
King Street East between Gage Avenue South and Lottridge Street
Main Street East between Gage Avenue South and King Street East
Wentworth Street North between King Street East and Barton Street East
Ottawa Street North between Cannon Street East and Barton Street East

If you witness dangerous driving and excessive speeding, you are encouraged to call Hamilton Police Services at: 905-546-4925. Tip: try to jot down the make, model, colour, license plate of the vehicle and make note of the time and location of the poor driver behaviour before reporting.

City of Hamilton Rain Barrel Sale

The Ward 3 office is happy to share that Hamilton Water’s annual online Rain Barrel Sale has begun.

Rain Barrels are a great way to capture water that normally would go into the sewer and divert it to garden and other outdoor uses. Rain Barrels also help with stormwater management by reducing the load on the sewer systems during a heavy rainfall.

From now until May 31, residents can visit our website at www.hamilton.ca/rainbarrelsale to order their rain barrels for $85 each with taxes included and free delivery.

Deliveries will be completed throughout the sale, and all deliveries will be completed no later than June 16, 2023.

For more information, or if you have questions, please contact Chris Wilson, Program Manager Outreach and Education at 905-546-2424 ext 2901.

Bernie Morelli Facility Maintenance Closure: June 13 - June 22

City Recreation Staff provided my office with a notice for an upcoming Facility Maintenance closure of Bernie Morelli Recreation Centre from Tuesday June 13 to Thursday June 22, 2023.

This closure is necessary to address the broken tiles in the hallway outside of the staff offices and change rooms.

Staff have strategically scheduled this closure after the completion of spring registered programs and before the start of summer programs in order to minimize impact to residents

Photo of children’s hands holding soil with plants. Transparent white box in centre with navy text reads "Community Events"

Children’s Garden Project: Family Planting Day

The Children’s Garden Project’s family planting day is quickly approaching and will be taking place on Saturday May 13, 2023 from 10am - 12pm at Gage Park.

The wonderful garden friends and volunteers have been patiently growing seedlings and planning what The Children’s Garden Project will grow this year, and now it’s finally time to plant!

Bring your garden gear and join them to get everything prepped and planted for the 2023 season, as well as to have some fun learning how to take care of the garden.

This is a drop-in event open to all children and their families, with adult supervision required for attending. Also, please remember to bring your own snacks and beverages for this event.

Sew Hungry - May 13

Ottawa Street BIA’s Sew Hungry event is celebrating its 10th anniversary and we want you to join in on the food focused fun on Saturday May 13th from 11:00am-8:00pm on Ottawa Street between Main St. & Barton St.

Sew Hungry will feature over 30 food trucks, a beer garden, live music, and an activity zone. For more information on specific vendors and food trucks, as well as an interactive map, please visit www.sewhungry.com.

Photo of a microphone in the forefront and a blurry image of an audience in the background. Transparent white box in centre with navy text reads "Opportunities for Residents"

Hamilton Community Benefits Network LRT Meeting - Wed May 24 - 6:30-8:30pm

My office is sharing that the Hamilton Community Benefits Network is hosting a series of educational and interactive community dialogue sessions about the Hamilton Light Rail Transit and Community Benefits this month.

The LRT Community Dialogue session for #OurWard3 will be held on Wednesday May 24th from 6:30-8:30pm at Bernie Morelli Recreation Centre (876 Cannon St. E).

These sessions will be in-person and are family friendly. Snacks and refreshments will be provided. Masks are highly encouraged and will also be provided. Please register here.

For more information about the Hamilton Community Benefits Network, please visit: www.hcbn.ca.

Urban Expansion Areas Survey & Public Consultations

In 2022, six areas of land called Urban Expansion Areas were added to the City’s Urban Area as part of a Provincial decision on the City’s Official Plan amendment to plan for growth to 2051.

To guide the planning for these new growth areas, the City is:

Establishing a Policy Framework outlining requirements for Secondary Plans in Urban Expansion Areas
Developing Secondary Plan Guidelines to guide all future secondary planning processes for Urban Expansion Areas

These Urban Expansion Areas will become new communities and neighbourhoods, and the City wants to hear your thoughts on what is important to you in planning for these areas.

The public consultation will be both virtual and in-person. Dates to participate include:

An online survey is available until midnight on May 26 at engage.hamilton.ca/growinghamilton
A LIVE Virtual Information Meeting held on Monday, May 15 from 7:00 – 8:30pm (registration is available at engage.hamilton.ca/growinghamilton)
A drop-in open house on Wednesday, May 17 from 6:30 – 8:30 pm at Hamilton Central Library, Hamilton Room (main floor), 55 York Boulevard.
A second drop-in open house on Wednesday, May 24 from 6:30 – 8:30 pm at Mount Hope Community Centre, 3027 Homestead Drive.

If you have questions, or want to be added to the project mailing list, please contact UEAplanning@hamilton.ca. If you have any accessibility requirements in order to be able to review the material and provide comments, please contact Mark Kehler at Mark.Kehler@hamilton.ca or by phone at 905-546-2424 Ext. 4148.

John Howard Society of Hamilton, Burlington & Area Student Jobs

John Howard Society of Hamilton, Burlington & Area (JHSHBA) are currently recruiting for two Canada Summer Jobs positions:

Program and Service Assistant
Reception and Administrative Assistant

These positions are 8 weeks in duration, have an immediate start date and pay $15.50 per hour.

If you know a post secondary student who might be interested in joining JHSHBA for the summer, please have them send their resume to Donna de Jong (she / her / elle), Executive Director at ddejong@jhshba.ca.

Term of Council Priorities, Two-Way Main St. Conversion, Urban Trees, Short Term Rental licensing