• The Winter Windows of Ward 1
• Remembering Judith Bishop
• Upcoming Work on the Scenic Reservoir
• Past Ward 1 Budget Townhall [video]
• Parking Revenue and Holiday Parking in local BIAs [CORRECTED]
• Housing Updates
• Update on the 10-Year Downtown Revitalisation Strategy
• Protect yourself against respiratory viruses this season
• Nominations are open for the City of Hamilton's 50th Arts Awards
• Events

The Winter Windows of Ward 1

If you’re strolling around the neighbourhoods of Westdale and Strathcona this holiday season, you may come across some beautifully decorated windows featuring a number as part of the design. What’s going on here, you might ask? The windows are part of the neighbourhood "Living Advent Calendars", a relatively new holiday tradition that turns neighbourhoods into giant, "living" Advent calendars. Each night from December 1 through 24, a new decorated window is revealed, and the dates and addresses are shared publicly so everyone can participate. These wonderful examples of community spirit and togetherness encourage us to get out, explore our communities, meet our neighbours, and take in the festive sights this holiday season.

Living Advent Calendars originate with the "Levande julkalendern" started in Sweden where, in Stockholm's historic old town, windows are decorated to mark each day leading up to Christmas. Revellers venture to new locations each night to see the artistic expressions of holiday spirit from their neighbours, meeting and connecting with their community along the way. The tradition quickly spread across northern Europe and the UK. As a way of socialising and building community while staying outdoors, living Advent calendars were an ideal way to celebrate the season during the Pandemic.

Here in Ward 1, two communities put on their own version of the Living Advent Calendar tradition. Westdale's Living Advent Calendar was introduced in 2012 by a Swiss expat and has been going strong there ever since. And, in 2020, the tradition spread to Strathcona, where it continues.

These incredible window displays are a great way to bring people together and bring a little warmth into this chilly time of year. Be sure to check out this year’s editions as this wonderful Ward 1 tradition continues!

The Strathcona Living Advent Calendar

All is merry and bright in Strathcona this year as the neighbourhood's Living Advent Calendar returns for 2025. This year, 42 homes across the neighbourhood will be showcasing their festive windows each day from December 1 to December 24. Venture through the community and see the sights this holiday season. And, at select locations, non-perishable donations will be collected for the Strathcona Community Pantry. 

Westdale's Living Advent Calendar

Join your neighbours and celebrate the season with Westdale's 14th Annual Living Advent Calendar. One window will be unveiled each night leading up to December 25. Wander through Westdale and take in the sights this holiday season!

Remembering Judith Bishop

Last Sunday, Ward 1 resident and former HWDSB Trustee Judith Bishop passed, unexpectedly. Judith was a gardener of sorts. She devoted her life to enriching the ground for a bounty she knew she would never see or enjoy. Her devotion to childhood education and child welfare was her work from dawn to dusk. She believed in the promise of each child and our duty to enrich and enable that potential. Judith was kind and curious. She loved her family, and she loved her city. She was a loyal friend and faithful neighbour. 

Personally, I will miss her good cheer, her wit and wisdom. My thoughts are with her family and so many people who loved her.

A celebration of life will be held on December 18, 2025, at the Waterfront Conference Centre (555 Bay St N) from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM. Words of remembrance will begin at 5:00 PM.

Upcoming Work at the Scenic Reservoir

Starting in January, Hamilton Water will begin work on the Scenic Reservoir, located along the Radial Trail.

This work is part of Hamilton Water’s ongoing maintenance and asset management program and is being completed to ensure the continued reliability of water service. Work will occur from January to May 2026 at times of low water demand to ensure no disruption to municipal water services. Work may resume again in late 2026 if all necessary construction is not complete by summer.

There will be no impact on the quality of Hamilton's drinking water from this work. The Radial Trail parking lot at 1180 Scenic Dr will be closed for the duration of the work, and access to the reservoir will be restricted. There may be temporary access restrictions on the Radial Trail during construction. At times, trail users may need to share the space with construction vehicles.

Budget Townhall

Did you miss the Ward 1 Town Hall - Budget Edition last month? Not to worry! We recorded the event.

• Presentation by senior finance staff to the Ward 1 community.
• Overview of Budget and Finance
• Water Budget
• Stormwater Fee Tax Supports
• Understanding the Tax Bill

Parking Revenue and Pre-Holiday Parking in Local BIAs [CORRECTION]

Before 2025

In previous years, Hamilton shared a portion of its total parking revenue with local Business Improvement Areas (BIAs) under an outdated formula. At that time, the City’s parking division also fully funded the annual 2-hour Pre-Holiday Parking Program across all BIAs.

Each BIA could choose its own free-parking window. Both Locke Street and Westdale Village usually selected the November 24–December 24 period.

2024 Shared Parking Revenue (Per Ward 1 BIA)

• Locke Street BIA received $11,774
• Westdale Village BIA received $16,067

2025 Changes

With the introduction of alternative parking payment systems across most BIAs, the City could track and allocate revenue far more accurately. In 2024, a report to Council recommended changes to the shared parking revenue program.

• The cost of the Pre-Holiday Parking Program now rests entirely with each BIA.
• The standard program period was set from December 1 to 31, to reduce confusion around the city.

2025 Shared Parking Revenue (Per Ward 1 BIA)

• Locke Street BIA: $24,265 (projected)
• Westdale Village BIA: $20,625 (projected)

*Note the parking App works in the Westdale area, but meters remain coin only, unlike Locke, which has the parking kiosks. December also coincides with exam season at McMaster University, making free on-street parking more attractive than campus lots with daily rates.

2-Hour Holiday Parking Program Cost Per BIA In Ward 1 (Optional)

• Locke Street BIA: $13,970 [Corrected]
• Westdale Village BIA: $10,937

Impact on Annual Parking Revenues If the Pre-Holiday Parking Program were in Effect.

• Locke Street BIA would have a net loss of  $1,497 after covering the cost of holiday parking. [Corrected]
• Westdale Village BIA would have experienced a net loss of $6,379 compared to its 2024 revenue share.

Decision for 2025

The decision not to proceed with 2-hour free pre-holiday parking in 2025 was made by the BIAs themselves, not by the City of Hamilton. Both Locke Street and Westdale Village, along with six other BIAs citywide, opted out of the program this year. 

Housing Updates

This week, Hamilton City Council addressed two programs aimed at addressing housing affordability and supporting the City's Housing Sustainability and Investment Roadmap.

Affordable Housing Acquisition Plan.

This two-year pilot allocates funds from the federal Housing Accelerator Fund to assist non-profit housing providers with the acquisition of rental properties. It uses municipal tools, such as fee waivers and property tax rebates, to make it easier for non-profit organisations to buy, upgrade, and manage affordable units for all Hamiltonians. This is an intentional and strategic pathway to ease and slow the erosion of Hamilton's affordable housing stock. Research shows that, for every new affordable rental unit constructed, Hamilton loses 23 affordable units thanks to rent inflation, significant rent hikes for vacant units, and renovictions. From 2011 to 2021, Hamilton saw a reduction of over 16,000 rental units with rent priced below $750 per month. The Affordable Housing Acquisition Plan is a meaningful way to address affordability concerns by working collaboratively with all available partners and strengthening the "Whole of Hamilton" housing approach.

Rental Housing Licensing Program.

A pilot version of this program was phased in between January 1, 2022, and December 31, 2023, and has been active in Wards 1, 8, and 14 since that time. With the pilot set to expire by the end of this year, staff reported back on the progress made since its inception.

Since the start of the Rental Housing Licensing Program pilot, staff and fire prevention officers have:

• Proactively investigated 3,459 properties
• Received 1,219 rental housing licence applications
• Identified 87 illegal duplexes or triplexes
• Worked to bring 24 of these units into compliance with the law
• Issued 141 administrative penalty notices or orders to comply

Feedback received during the pilot program has been informative. While most property owners believed that the Rental Housing Licensing Program was implemented with good intentions, some found it financially difficult to comply with municipal and provincial law. Many have already done so, though, and are frustrated that their fellow landlords may not be as proactive. Tenants expressed strong support for the Rental Housing Licensing Program, noting that it has worked to create safer spaces and hold landlords accountable. To date, there are no indications that costs have been passed along to tenants or that any tenants have been displaced due to the pilot program.

Importantly, this program is funded by user fees, meaning there is no extra cost to non-landlord homeowners. All costs of hiring full-time Fire Prevention Officers and Licensing Compliance Officers are recovered through revenue generated by this program.

Based on the success of this program, City Council's Planning Committee voted to make the pilot permanent as of January 1, 2026. Staff will report annually on the year's progress, and by December 31, 2027, Council will receive a report outlining the feasibility of scaling this program to other wards.

Each of these programs is one more step toward addressing the housing and affordability crises in Hamilton.

Updates on the 10-Year Downtown Revitalisation Strategy

On December 3, Hamilton City Council received a report prepared by the consultancy group Cultural Spaces on a draft of the 10-Year Downtown Revitalisation Strategy. The goal of the Strategy is to establish a common, forward-looking vision for the Downtown over the next 10 years. This means identifying priority actions to be undertaken over the short, medium, and long term that are needed to support that vision and ensure Hamilton's Downtown is a destination where people want to live, work, play, and invest.

Some of the priorities identified for the 10-Year Downtown Revitalisation Strategy include increasing a sense of safety and well-being for all, protecting our main streets, and retrofitting downtown to facilitate mixed-income communities, beautified public spaces, and an overall sense of opportunity. The draft report highlights important steps we can take as a City, such as strengthening the investment relationship between the City of Hamilton and key health and educational institutions, improving cleanliness standards and downtown lighting, activating public spaces, attracting new businesses, and investing in public amenities for all.

Early consultation gathered feedback from groups such as the Circle of Beads Indigenous consultation group, the McMaster Students Union, and Downtown residents, businesses, and not-for-profits. Residents were also engaged through interactive pop-up information sessions during the first week of November (including at the Locke Street Farmer's Market on November 1). Further stakeholder consultation will continue into 2026, and a final report should reach the City Council in the coming months.

Protect yourself against respiratory viruses this season

The winter respiratory virus season has begun. Hamilton Public Health Services expects respiratory illness activity to increase in the coming weeks. Among the viruses of concern for Public Health are Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), COVID-19, and the H3N2 variant of Influenza A (the "flu").

Public Health strongly encourages all eligible Hamiltonians to get vaccinated to protect their health and the health of those around them. Check your vaccine eligibility and learn more about RSV to stay safe this winter cold-and-flu season.

Nominations are open for the City of Hamilton's 50th Arts Awards

Nominations are now open for the 50th City of Hamilton Arts Awards. The Arts Awards honour those members of our community who have been diligent archivists, sharp narrators, and bold visionaries of our city. 

Members of the public can now nominate artists for a Lifetime Achievement award, a Creator award, or an Arts Champion award. Independent panels of arts professionals will select notable artists and arts community leaders to be recognised for their excellence and contributions to Hamilton.

Nomination packages are now available. Information on eligibility criteria, submission requirements and how nominations are scored and selected through the peer adjudication process is available with each nomination. Packages can be submitted online or in person at the Hamilton Arts Council, 115 Main St E, 3rd Floor.

Nominations are open until Friday, January 16, 2026, at 4:00 PM.

Events - Ward 1

Churchill Park Clubhouse Winter Market

• Friday, December 12, 2025, from 5:30 PM to 8:30 PM
• Location: Churchill Park Clubhouse, 167 Cline Ave N
• Join the Churchill Clubhouse Advisory Board for one of Westdale's most magical winter nights. The Churchill Park Clubhouse Winter Market is a free makers market with an incredible lineup of local makers, artisans, crafters, and creators offering unique holiday gifts and handmade treasures. There will be live music, warm refreshments, and information on the clubhouse's programs and initiatives. And, if you're looking to help out, volunteers are still welcome! Email [email protected] if you want to volunteer. 

Victorian Christmas at Dundurn

• Monday, November 24, 2025, to Wednesday, January 7, 2026
• Location: Hamilton Municipal Cemetery Gates, 777 York Blvd
• Step into a world of festive charm and history this holiday season at Dundurn Castle! Experience the magic of a Victorian Christmas on a guided tour of the grand home of Sir Allan MacNab and his family, beautifully decorated with cedar boughs, ribbons, and dried flowers by The Garden Club of Hamilton. Discover how Christmas was celebrated in the 19th century, from Victorian traditions to Canadian holiday customs. Bring your loved ones and share in this beloved Hamilton tradition as you enjoy the sights, sounds, and spirit of a Victorian family Christmas. 

Events - Explore Your City

A Christmas for the Ages at Whitehern

• Saturday, November 29, 2025, to Sunday, January 4, 2026
• Location: Whitehern Historic House and Garden, 41 Jackson St W
• Enjoy Christmas for the Ages as we explore how different generations of the McQuesten family celebrated Christmas. The historic home is fully decorated, including three Christmas trees, complete with period toys and beloved artefacts nestled beneath them. The dining room table is beautifully set with the original china the family used for Christmas and New Year’s celebrations. Come to Whitehern and experience the holidays as they were celebrated in the 1850s, 1870s, and 1930s. 

Greener Ward 1

Let's do our part in Ward 1 to create healthy, biodiverse neighbourhoods for all living things! Check out Greener Ward 1!

Ward 1 Infrastructure Updates

For up-to-date information on all the infrastructure projects happening in Ward 1, check out our Ward 1 Infrastructure Projects webpage.

Ward 1 Development Information

Here you can find general information on developments and their status in the planning process.

Follow along for timely Ward 1 Updates via:   

• Email: [email protected]
• Tel: 905-546-2416
• On social media: