Addressing Homelessness & Managing Encampments, Ward 3 Pop-Ups & More
Dear Neighbours,
We have been experiencing such a range in weather locally this summer, which is a further reminder about the importance of integrating and investing in climate resilience in our city building efforts.
Next Tuesday, July 23rd, my office will be hosting an Office Pop-Up at Lucy Day Park from 4pm to 6pm. The City’s Climate Office will also be in attendance to get your input and share information about the City’s Climate Action Strategy. We’ll have some refreshments on hand and all are welcome!
As always, please reach out to my office for any municipal or city service related support by emailing ward3@hamilton.ca or by calling 905-546-2107.
Yours in community,
Councillor Nrinder Nann
Photo of Hamilton City Hall in summer with florals. Transparent white box in centre with navy text reads "Council & Committee Updates".
ADDRESSING HOMELESSNESS & MANAGING ENCAMPMENTS
Let me start off with acknowledging again, no one wants to see tents in City parks and not one member of Council believes encampments are a solution to the compounding crises we are facing as a city.
As you may remember from the last e-newsletter, Council has approved increased shelter capacity and outreach efforts to work toward providing our neighbours who are living encamped with supportive housing options to transition from living encamped toward housing solutions.
At General Issues Committee (GIC) last week, I was able to successfully pass a motion to have staff look at parks that are currently under construction and make recommendations for changes to the Encampment Protocol that will allow for a city-wide approach to protect necessary investment in our parks.
At the next GIC, on Monday August 12th, we will also receive a series of reports with recommendations from staff on encampments including updates to the Encampment Protocol and the possibility of pursuing sanctioned sites in order to help alleviate the negative impact to shared use of our local parks.
Sanctioned Encampment Sites
Councillor Hwang successfully moved a motion at this round of Council and Committee to request staff to provide a report in August about the potential of moving toward a model of sanctioned encampment sites.
Sanctioned encampments have been tested in various municipalities across Canada. They are proving to be an effective, temporary sheltering option with better coordination of services and supports to those living there. It would also be a better way to uphold the rights and dignity of unhoused neighbours until the required investments are made to enable more permanent housing solutions.
Some concerns I have heard from residents about sanctioned encampment sites, specifically those citing A Better Tent City, is that people housed there haven’t moved on and it has become more permanent than anticipated. This is not necessarily the norm. We do not know this to be the case in Halifax or other locations. Also, in Hamilton’s encampment management to date, we have had success in moving people from encampments to permanent housing.
If Council decides to move toward a sanctioned site model that is operated by the Municipality with sectoral partners from health and social services, as opposed to a private interest, there will be a requirement for outcomes that may not exist in another model.
The Shift has put together guiding documents that creates a national standard on managing encampments. If we think about a well-run refugee camp, for example, we can see that there are already national and international standards that exist in providing dignified open air shelters.
Necessarily, these must include things like:
Food
Facilities
Medical Services
Proper elevation of tents and living structures
I will be using these principles to guide my engagement and decisions on this topic when it comes to Council.
Should you wish to delegate to GIC in August on any of these issues, you can find more information here on how to do so.
A aerial photo of Ward 3. Transparent white box in centre with navy text reads "Ward 3 Updates".
METROLINX STAGE 4 ARCHEOLOGICAL WORK AT 1175 MAIN ST. E
On August 6, a team of professional archeologists as well as field monitors will be undertaking a Stage 4 archaeological assessment, which will start on Tuesday, August 6 at 8am (weather permitting).
This assessment is taking place because in earlier stages of the archaeological assessment, historical artifacts were found that required further investigation and a more detailed excavation and documentation is required.
This Stage 4 assessment will include digging on the property next to the north side of Main Street E where archaeologists will dig small test holes to find any important historical features, and then use small mechanical equipment, such as a skid-steer, to remove the top layer of soil in the relevant area. If they find any significant features, they will dig them out by hand and record their findings.
Should you have any questions regarding the archeological work, the Hamilton-Niagara Community Engagement team is available by phone at 905-521-1003, or by email at hamilton@metrolinx.com.
TEMPORARY ROAD CLOSURE - BALSAM AVE
Please be advised that Balsam St N between Cannon St E and Beechwood Ave, will be temporarily closed to through traffic from 8:00am-6:00pm for crane works at Tim Horton’s Field on Wednesday July 24, 2024.
UPCOMING WARD 3 POP-UPS
#OurWard3 Pop-Ups are continuing throughout the summer and into the fall season. My team and I will be hosting a Ward 3 Pop-Up on the following dates and times:
Tuesday July 23rd from 4pm-6pm at Lucy Day Park
Tuesday August 6th from 2pm-4pm at Myrtle Park
Tuesday September 24th from 5pm-7pm at Birge Park
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 minutes 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!
BISHOPS PARK COMMUNITY INPUT MEETING - AUGUST 13TH
As mentioned in our previous e-newsletters, due to the cyber security incident and the 10 week impact to most capital works projects, the community meeting my office hoped would take place this June is now scheduled for Tuesday August 13th, 2024 in a virtual format. There will also be an in-person satellite space set up, and we are just firming up the location as the Central Memorial Rec Centre is not available due to summer programming.
At this meeting, City staff will respond to the requests related to a play structure, improved accessibility, maintenance of existing trees and other issues raised by neighbours. To be transparent, none of this currently has any allocated funding and is not formally on the capital works master plan. As such, any changes would require a financing plan.
We will be delivering flyers in the Stinson neighbourhood this upcoming week, as well as requesting the help of the Stinson Community Association to get the word out.
BIRGE PARK COMMUNITY POOL PARTY
My office and I are planning to host a pool party and community gathering at Birge Park this summer!
This event will be open to all and will have light refreshments and activities for kids. Stay tuned and follow me on Instagram and Facebook for the announcement.
DEVELOPMENT AT 87-109 ASHLEY STREET
The Planner who is working for the developer who intends to build a multi-unit residential building at this location will be hosting a virtual community meeting in mid August. This meeting will provide updates on the plans based on staff and resident feedback from their meetings last year.
Currently, the final date and time for this meeting has not been set, nor has the website been updated yet, but the meeting will occur before the next e-newsletter goes out. Residents in the immediate area will receive a flyer notification of the meeting once the date and time are set, and the project website will be updated prior to that as well.
If you are interested in learning more or attending the meeting, please contact Craig Rohe, the Planner for the Developer, directly. You can reach Craig at: crohe@gspgroup.ca
Graphic of a diverse group of people of all abilities with the Hamilton sign at City Hall in the background. Transparent white box in centre with navy text reads "City Services Updates".
HAMILTON’S INAUGURAL ACCESSIBILITY AWARDS
This year marks the first year for Hamilton’s new Accessibility Awards, an initiative designed to recognize and celebrate the achievements of individuals, groups, and organizations that have improved accessibility for persons with disabilities. This awards program underscores the City of Hamilton’s commitment to acknowledging and valuing significant contributions to advancing accessibility in our city.
The Accessibility Committee for Persons with Disabilities (ACPD) proposed these awards in February 2022. In June 2023, City Council approved establishing this annual awards program to be presented at the ACPD-hosted Accessibility Fair.
Some key dates to remember are:
Nomination Period: July 18 - August 15, 2024. Nomination forms can be found at www.hamilton.ca/AccessibilityAwards
Selection Process: August 15 – September 4, 2024.
Awards Presentation: September 26, 2024, 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at Hamilton City Hall Forecourt. Awards for an individual, a community organization or group, and a business will be presented during the Accessibility Fair. The ACPD will play a crucial role in the selection process.
For a list of complete details and information, please visit, www.hamilton.ca/AccessibilityAwards
CYBERSECURITY INCIDENT RESPONSE
The City of Hamilton is making further strides with its cyber incident recovery and restoration efforts. The City is maintaining momentum by safely and securely restoring additional services, and more are planned to return soon.
Focused on a customer-centric approach, the most recent updates on restored services include:
Bus Annunciator System: providing transit commuters with next-stop announcements and onboard updates.
Real-time Bus Route Information: available through third-party applications like Google and Transit. Trip planning in the Apple app will resume shortly, once enabled by Apple. Thanks to the General Transit Feed System (GTFS), Transit customers can now view both the scheduled and real-time bus information, which will significantly improve the trip planning experience.
Restoration of GISNet: internal GIS Services used by staff and a critical component of the City’s public service delivery in support of development processes, public health initiatives, transportation operations, and the delivery of water and wastewater services.
Visitation Rates Tracking at the Gage Park Tropical Greenhouse: ensuring compliance with occupancy numbers through accurate and ongoing visitor tracking. During the time when this system was down, staff were manually checking attendance numbers to the facility to ensure compliance.
Processing Building Permit Applications: the City has resumed processing nearly 1,000 online building permit applications that were stalled due to the cyber incident, enabled the restoration of the ProjectDox system. New building permit applications should still be submitted in person at City Hall, 3rd Floor, 71 Main Street West, Hamilton.
Dental Services Scheduling: normal business processes for scheduling dental appointments have resumed. Regular dental programming for adults and seniors restarted on Friday, July 12, with services for children resuming on Monday, July 22.
Additionally, the City expects the following services to resume in the coming weeks:
Coordinated Service Delivery for Homeless-Serving Partner Agencies: the Homeless Individuals and Families Information System (HIFIS), a database that supports access, collection, and sharing of real-time client information so that individuals and families needing support are prioritized and referred to appropriate services.
Bus Location and Scheduling Adherence and Monitoring: the Streets Computer-Aided Dispatch/Automatic Vehicle Location (CAD/AVL) system for monitoring the location and schedule adherence of buses for both safety and service.
For the latest information, a full list of service disruptions, and answers to frequently asked questions, visit hamilton.ca/cyberincident.
Photo of one of Green Venture’s Urban Gardening Club meetings at Pinch Bakery & Plant Shop . Transparent white box in centre with navy text reads "Community Events & Opportunities”.
BAYFRONT PARK CLEAN-UP WITH BAY AREA RESTORATION COUNCIL & A GREEN FUTURE, JULY 24
Join BARC and A Greener Future for an evening litter clean-up at Bayfront Park on Wednesday July 24 from 6:00pm-7:30pm!
We will be scouring the shoreline to pick up litter and make our harbour clean and green. Gloves, trash bags, and refreshments will be provided.
After the clean-up, we will sort and categorize the collected waste. This activity helps us understand the types of litter that are most common in our area and strategize for future waste reduction efforts.
Please visit the Bayfront Park Clean Up EventBrite page to register!
FESTIVAL OF FRIENDS - AUGUST 2-4
The 2024 Festival of Friends featuring The Village People, War, The Washboard Union, Crash Test Dummies, and more will take place on the weekend of August 2nd - 4th in Gage Park.
The Festival of Friends is an outdoor music, art, and crafts festival in Hamilton, Ontario. It has been produced annually since 1976. Admission to the Festival has always been – and will always remain – free to everyone. The full schedule now online at https://festivaloffriends.ca.
JOIN GREEN VENTURE’S URBAN GARDENING CLUB
Green Venture’s Urban Gardening Club offers workshops, volunteer opportunities, and occasional experiential group outings.
This free club is a friendly and inclusive space for you to meet like-minded individuals and improve your gardening literacy. Our workshops focus on environmentally-conscious urban gardening.
Garden club members can use the knowledge they learn at the meetings to support green spaces around the city. Green Venture offers various volunteer opportunities throughout the year for folks of different skill levels and interests.
To sign up, visit their website and register. Meetings are often held at Pinch Bakery and Plant Shop in #OurWard3 at Sherman and Barton.