Cyber Security Update, Affordable Housing, Children's Museum Update & More
Dear Neighbours,
It is early to feel like Spring is upon us, yet here we are! I am seeing more and more plants and buds sprouting during my daily walks in the ward. Plus, with the annual Spring Bulb Show starting this week at Gage Park (more info below) brighter and more colourful days are upon us.
I hope you all take some time to honour the women whom have had a positive and powerful impact on your lives this International Women’s Day on March 8th. I know I plan to spend as much time as possible with my mom and daughter and to send out notes to the women whom I value and appreciate.
Included in this issue of the e-newsletter we have included information on the City’s cyber security incident, as well as important Ward 3 updates.
As always, the Ward 3 team is here to support residents. Regrettably, the cyber security incident has impacted our office’s phone lines, and while we cannot be reached by phone at the moment, residents can still contact us by email at ward3@hamilton.ca
Yours in community,
Councillor Nrinder Nann
Photo of Hamilton City Hall in spring with tulips out front. Transparent white box in centre with navy text reads "Council & Committee Updates".
CYBER SECURITY UPDATE
Last Sunday February 25th, the City of Hamilton was impacted by a cybersecurity incident that compromised some of our IT systems. City Manager Cluckie confirmed yesterday on March 4th, 2024 that the City of Hamilton is experiencing a ransomware attack. The City is actively investigating the situation to understand the full extent and impact. We have a dedicated team of experts who have taken swift action to investigate, protect our systems, and minimize the impact on staff and the community.
We thank residents for their patience during this time and apologize for any inconvenience accessing the City’s services you rely on. While a timeline for recovery is not yet known, the City is committed to resolving the situation as quickly and effectively as possible.
As the investigation is ongoing, and due to the sensitivity of this issue, we are managing all inquiries about the incident centrally. Council and City staff value transparency and sharing information publicly, and as such, regular updates will be posted at https://www.hamilton.ca/cyberincident. The list of service disruptions is available on the City’s website, and continues to be updated.
The Customer Contact Centre is operational and able to take phone calls from residents at 546-CITY. However, we are not able to access our Ward 3 Office phone lines.
As soon as the system is up and running, the City will be actively reviewing our security protocols and implementing additional measures to strengthen our defenses against cyber threats. Your safety and security remain our top priority, and we're committed to maintaining the integrity of our systems moving forward.
AFFORDABLE HOUSING ON CITY SURPLUS LANDS
A key enabler for municipalities to work swiftly to deliver new affordable housing is to reallocate city-owned lands that are pre-zoned to build on. The advantage of working strategically this way with City-owned lands makes us more eligible for provincial and federal funding. Both higher orders of government see the use of publicly owned lands as essential for delivering supportive and truly affordable housing.
This made up a series of recommendations from the City's Housing Secretariat to implement work plan items for the Housing Sustainability Investment Roadmap.
On December 6, 2023, staff recommended 6 City-owned properties to help with our affordable housing goals:
171 Main Street East (Ward 2) - parking lot; already zoned residential (currently undergoing a feasibility study)
9 Clarence Street (Ward 2) - empty land; needs to be rezoned residential
70 Hope Avenue (Ward 4) - parking lot; needs to be rezoned residential
5 Lake Avenue South (Ward 5) - parking lot; already zoned residential
13 Lake Avenue South (Ward 5) - parking lot; already zoned residential
1126 Garth Street (Ward 14) - empty land; needs to be rezoned residential
The properties at 5 & 13 Lake Avenue South are key because they are already zoned residential though functioning as parking lots. In total, there are 162 free parking spots in City owned lots between Lake Avenue and Mountain Avenue. Repurposing the 57 free parking spots is estimated to deliver 67 affordable housing units for up to 100 people on the two lots listed above on Lake Avenue. That leaves 105 parking spaces, with potentially more in a final site plan design for the affordable housing development, as adequate allocation to support residents to access local shops, medical services and to attend the major events that Stoney Creek residents enjoy nearby.
As Councillor Kroetsch recently pointed out in his newsletter, if parking, the loss of a laneway designated in honour of veterans, and supporting local business are the key opposing arguments, then focus on tabling tangible solutions to those issues instead of blocking the development of affordable homes during a housing crisis that the whole of Council voted unanimously on to prioritize addressing.
As Council members, all of our residents across Hamilton expect us to be solution oriented and to deliver outcomes that lift up our communities and the people in them.
Since 2018, I have had the honour of serving as your Ward 3 City Councillor, and during that time I have supported over 180 brand new affordable housing units to be built and occupied in our ward alone. With more under construction this year.
We all have to do our part to help address the housing crisis in our city. If each ward set a target of 200 units per ward, we could deliver 3000 affordable housing units across Hamilton. Both 5 & 13 Lake Ave S could go a long way in meeting such a target in Ward 5.
A final ratifying vote will be required by Council on the future of these sites. It is my hope we will find tangible solutions to support the concerns raised by residents in Stoney Creek, while also delivering on our promise to deliver on affordable housing.
MAIN ST TWO-WAY CONVERSION UPDATE
An inter-divisional staff team of roads, engineering, and transportation planning have moved forward in developing an implementation plan for the two-way conversion of Main Street between King Street E (the “Delta” intersection) and Longwood Road S.
The implementation plan will integrate a Complete Streets redesign that will enable safe use for all road users including public transit passengers, pedestrians, motorists and cyclists and will also incorporate a climate change lens by considering additions such as urban trees and permeable surfaces in the planning process.
Council previously directed staff to provide options to implement Main Street two-way conversion within two years and/or prior to the initiation of LRT corridor construction. This included prioritizing two-way conversion lane re-alignments, intersection and signal upgrades, and corridor upgrades necessary for implementation with further corridor upgrades, resurfacing, and other capital rehabilitation work phased over the following four to six years.
Staff evaluated three delivery options to accelerate the overall implementation schedule
as follows:
Traditional Project Delivery - In this model there is a projected timeframe of 24-30 months allocated for the detailed design phase, including hiring of dedicated resources, followed by a 30-month period for the construction phase.
Accelerated Project Delivery - Provides opportunities to advance the detailed design by nine to twelve months and construction by four to six months, resulting in an 18-21 month design period and a 24-26 month construction timeframe. Saving 17 months on the timeline with a targeted completion by Q4 2027/Q1 2028.
Agile Project Delivery - The agile project delivery method involves division of the project into manageable segments which would be constructed as soon as they are designed. Several tenders would be issued and awarded, potentially starting as early as mid-2025.
Thorough considerations for the physical allocation of space to the roadway included traffic operations, transit, corridor flexibility and integration with the Light Rail Transit project. The recommended alternative (asymmetrical configuration) allows for the incorporation of a number of complete streets features including curb extensions, parking and greening opportunities in the easterly section, cycling facilities in the east/central section (Victoria to Sherman), transit priority measures and low impact development opportunities in the central/westerly segment.
To enable the use of an accelerated approach, on February 20th, Public Works Committee approved single-sourcing for staff to work with the experts whom have helped with the design study to day.
A detailed update will be shared in a future issue of the e-newsletter when staff are able to provide a further breakdown. In the meantime, you can review the staff report and presentation for more information.
A rendition of the work being done to expand the Hamilton Children’s Museum. Transparent white box in centre with navy text reads "Ward 3 Updates".
SHERMAN AVE ROADWORKS - PHASE 2
The City is preparing to mobilize Phase 2 of the LRT enabling works that address subsurface infrastructure and subsequent improvement to Sherman Ave South.
DESO Construction Limited will be completing the project. This phase will focus on Sherman Avenue South from Dunsmure Road to the dead-end past Cumberland Avenue. This contract will include partial lane and partial road closures, road removals, trench excavations, installation of new water services, watermain, concrete road base, curb and sidewalk, and final roadway paving.
The construction start date for the works is anticipated to begin mid March 2024 with an August 2024 completion.
A temporary watermain will be installed during the construction period to supply all existing residents and property owners impacted in the construction zone. The installation of this temporary watermain will start in March 2024. Residents and property owners are advised that all properties will be supplied with potable water via a blue hose connected directly to their outside tap. Once you see the BLUE 3/4- inch hose connected to the tap, please turn off the valve that is located at your water meter. At that time the blue hose will become the water supply to your residence until further notice. DESO staff will be available on site to assist any residents that require help during the transition to the temporary source.
Local property Owners may encounter minor disturbances including but not limited to road closures, lane restrictions, traffic detours, reduced speed limits, etc. during watermain replacement, roadway paving, curbs, and sidewalk replacements. To assist with site congestion, we ask that residents find alternate street parking during the duration of the project.
For any questions or concerns, please contact Dennis Souza, C. Tech at 289-442-5515.
BALSAM & DUNSMURE REPAVE
Big thanks to #OurWard3 neighbour Ada, who wrote a special note requesting safer roadway surfaces to enable better cycling in her neighbourhood.
I have also heard consistently from residents who live adjacent to the Jimmy Thompson Pool about the constant failing pothole fills and completely deteriorated roadway.
In 2017, many people in the Stipley Neighborhood were resurfaced to extend their surface quality and life cycle.
Last week at Public Works Committee, I moved a motion to ensure Balsam Ave from Main St. E to Cannon St. E and Dunsmure from Prospect to Gage Ave are resurfaced to extend the quality of the roadway to reduce maintenance costs on the roads and enhance safer cycling on the designated cycling boulevard.
One of the delays in getting this done last term was the need for potential coordination of subsurface work with the LRT construction. However, it was confirmed by Metrolinx that these roadway segments are not part of that project.
The resurfacing timeline will be communicated with local neighbours prior to the project being initiated.
CHILDREN’S MUSEUM UPDATE
Many residents have been asking for a timeline on the work being done at the Hamilton Children’s Museum.
The new Children's Museum will feature a 1500 square foot addition that is colourful, fun and whimsical in design; additional spaces for programming; new seating spaces, play rooms and quiet areas; a new larger family washroom, and a barrier free front entrance.
Construction began in January 2023 and is anticipated to be completed by the end of 2024 with the site re-opening with new exhibits and programming in Summer of 2025. This work included heritage restoration work on the original Gage family home structure. Staff have advised that there are no delays and are currently on schedule to meet this re-opening date.
I have asked Staff to update the Hamilton Children’s Museum expansion on the City’s website with the most up to date information for residents.
Neighbours can also find monthly project updates in the LINC Newsletter. Sign up for this newsletter is on the Hamilton Civic Museum webpage at https://hamiltoncivicmuseums.ca/ at the bottom of the page.
Photo of multiple paper yard bags filled with yard waste. Transparent white box in centre with navy text reads "City Services Updates".
CURBSIDE YARD WASTE COLLECTION RESUMES THIS WEEK - MARCH 4, 2024
Curbside collection of yard waste will resume next week, starting on March 4, 2024.
Yard waste will continue to be collected curbside each week on your waste collection day until Friday, December 6, 2024. As a reminder, residential yard waste is accepted at the City’s three Community Recycling Centres, for free, year-round. For information on the yard waste program please visit www.hamilton.ca/yardwaste.
HAMILTON WATER PROTECTIVE PLUMBING PROGRAM
With spring approaching, Hamilton Water would like to highlight our Protective Plumbing Program. During heavy rainfall, the sewer system can reach capacity and become overloaded. This can lead not only to overflows into the environment but also to an increased risk of basement flooding.
Installing a backwater valve in the private plumbing of the home allows wastewater to flow in only one direction - to the city sewer. In the event of a sewer backup, the valve flap closes, preventing anything from flowing in or out until the backup subsides and the flap reopens.
Disconnecting downspouts reduces the overall amount of stormwater in the sewer system, decreasing the chance of an overflow event and potential basement flooding.
Under the Protective Plumbing Program, residential property owners can receive a grant of up to $2000 from the City of Hamilton to install a backwater valve in the basement, disconnect downspouts from city sewers, and complete other eligible works that can help to reduce the risks of basement flooding while lowering demand on our sewer systems. There is even a supplemental loan program of an additional $2000 on top of the grant, should it be required.
To get started, property owners may call the City of Hamilton at 905-546-2489 (CITY) and speak to a Customer Service Representative who will guide them through the process.
More information about this and other programs to assist property owners can be found in the Basement Flooding section of our website.
Photo collage of tulips in red, purple, and yellow. Transparent white box in centre with navy text reads "Community Events & Opportunities".
SPRING TIDE BULB SHOW, MARCH 8-17
It is the wonderful time of year where hundreds of spring bulbs will be on display at the annual Spring Tide Bulb Show at the Gage Park Greenhouse from March 8-17, 2024.
There will be a Floral Shop, Café, Do-It-Yourself Workshops, Seminars and a pop-up Weekend Vendor Marketplace.
Admission is free so be sure to bring the family, participate in a scavenger hunt and enjoy the first sights, sounds, and smells of spring!
Donations to Hamilton Food Share are appreciated. Canned goods and monetary donations will be accepted. For more information, please visit: www.hamilton.ca/springtide
SHEMOVES: CELEBRATING WOMEN IN PUBLIC TRANSIT CAREERS, MARCH 8, 2024
Women are an underrepresented group in the transit industry at large and this holds true at HSR. We continue to encourage and inspire more women to pursue careers in transit and to build a workforce that reflects our city and customers.
SheMoves is a celebration of women in public transit careers, highlighting achievements and contributions of women in this dynamic industry. In a panel presentation format, we share stories from trailblazing women who have made their mark in the world of public transportation and give firsthand accounts of the experiences, challenges, and triumphs in the field.
Please join us on Friday March 8, 2024 from 11am-3pm at the Hamilton Public Library, Central Branch.
This event is open for anyone to attend, but will be focused on women’s experiences in the transit industry and the HSR. The event is also family friendly as the Hamilton Public Library will be offering a children’s storytime focused on public transit for children in attendance.
Registration is encouraged, and those who do register will receive complimentary transit fare for the event.
To register, please visit: https://www.hamilton.ca/things-do/festivals-events/events-calendar/shemoves-celebrating-women-public-transit-careers
HAMILTON YOUTH TOWN HALL, APRIL 13
Join us on Saturday April 13, 2024 from 1pm-4pm on the 2nd Floor of City Hall for Hamilton’s first ever Youth Town Hall!
This free, interactive event is hosted by Hamilton City Councillors in partnership with Model City Hall and City of Hamilton Youth Strategy to connect youth with City Councillors, and provides youth a chance to share their ideas, as well as participate in youth-led discussions and a Q&A with City Councillors.
If you’re between the ages of 14-29 and interested in attending, you can register online by visiting tinyurl.com/hamontyouth.
We hope to see you there!