2021-03-14 Ward 1 Newsletter

HIS EDITION OF THE WARD 1 NEWSLETTER INCLUDES:

Hamilton’s COVID-19 vaccination program expands to include adults aged 80+ with the launch of the Provincial online booking portal
Hamilton Gets Hosed – Premier is shortchanging Hamiltonians on LRT funding
Victoria Park Spray Pad Elements Survey ends March 19
Victoria Park Playground Accessibility Features Survey Start March 15th
Beulah Park Playground Elements Survey ends March 19
H.A.A.A Park Renewal Plan
NATURhoods: Naturally Adapting to Urban Runoff - A Ward 1 Online Event
Main Street West Water Distribution System Shutdown NOTICE
804-816 King St W (UHOPA-19-004 & ZAC-19-009) Statutory Public Meetings March 23, 2021
Gender Gap in Cycling - Cycle Hamilton Study Wants to Hear from Women+
Water, Wastewater, and Stormwater Master Plan
Hamilton Seniors of the Year Nominations Open
Placemaking Grant Pilot Program Applications Close April 9, 2021
Kirkendall Garden Club and the Giant Pumpkin Growing Contest
Unwanted flyer delivery
Online Events

Hamilton’s COVID-19 vaccination program expands to include adults aged 80+ with the launch of the Provincial online booking portal

Vaccination of adults 80 years of age and older

With the launch of the provincial online booking portal on Monday, March 15th, Hamilton’s vaccination program will expand eligibility to include those 80-84 years of age (in 2021) to the currently eligible population of 85+ years of age. www.hamilton.ca/VaccineBooking
These recipients will be able to register using the provincial vaccine booking tool beginning Monday, March 15th; you may find the booking link at www.hamilton.ca/VaccineBooking.
These are all by-appointment-only clinics; walk-ins are not permitted.

For those who do not have access to the internet or a computer, or do not have a valid Ontario photo health card, please call the Public Health Services COVID-19 Hotline at 905-974-9848, option 7 to book an appointment. Due to potential call volumes expected at the call centre, the City of Hamilton encourages everyone to self-register online if able to so, it's the quickest process to get an appointment. The hotline is trying to focus on those without health cards and those without computer access.

Vaccination of adults 85 years of age and older

As of March 10th, 6,300 doses have been administered to those adults who are 85 years of age and older, making 55% of the 85+ eligible population vaccinated.

Next steps for those residents aged 85+ who have called to register for a COVID-19 vaccine and who have not received a call back:

Call-backs for appointments will continue through to March 14th at 4:00 pm. It is important that residents answer phone calls when they are called back.
Call-backs will discontinue after March 14th at 4:00 PM.
Beginning March 15th, those who have not received a call back are encouraged to use the online booking tool to book an appointment. Booking instructions and a link will be found at www.hamilton.ca/VaccineBooking.
These are all by-appointment-only clinics; walk-ins are not permitted.

For those who do not have access to the internet or a computer or do not have a valid Ontario photo health card, please call the Public Health Services COVID-19 Hotline at 905-974-9848, option 7 to book an appointment. Due to potential call volumes expected at the call centre, the City of Hamilton encourages everyone to self-register online if able to so, it's the quickest process to get an appointment. The hotline is trying to focus on those without health cards and those without computer access.

Preliminary vaccine roll-out to July 1, 2021

85+ Now
Indigenous 55+ Now
80+ March 15, 2021
75+ April 15, 2021
70+ May 1, 2021
65+ June 1, 2021
60+ July 1, 2021
Under 60 schedule not yet released

Vaccination of community healthcare workers

Those community healthcare workers who have registered through the vaccine registration online portal and have received a confirmation email will remain in the queue, do not need to re-register. It’s important to remember that once registered; healthcare workers will be called for a COVID-19 vaccination appointment in the upcoming weeks or months as they become eligible. The appointment bookings are not allocated in order of registration, but rather are based on prioritization outlined in Ontario’s COVID-19: Guidance for Prioritizing Health Care Workers for COVID-19 Vaccination. Community healthcare workers can register for a vaccine by visiting www.hamilton.ca/VaccineRegistration. We appreciate your patience during this process.

Information regarding registration, booking, and sequencing will be available on the COVID-19 Vaccines section of the City’s website at www.hamilton.ca/COVIDvaccines.
We need to work together to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in our community, to reserve healthcare and hospital capacity and to protect vulnerable settings.

The Hamilton healthcare partners are making progress in vaccinating members of the community who fall into Phase 1 of the Province’s COVID-19 Vaccination framework. We are pleased to announce that to date, we have administered over 53,216 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, with 16,046 people now fully vaccinated.

QUICK FACTS

Vaccination phasing and sequencing will continue to be released for additional categories as per the direction of the provincial government.
All vaccination planning is based on and contingent on available COVID-19 vaccine supply.
Working groups from across Hamilton’s health sector continue to work to ensure that COVID-19 vaccines are distributed effectively and equitably once they arrive locally. Teams are focused on implementing the provincial framework to ensure prioritization of key populations is met and that the logistics around local storage and distribution of vaccine supply are ready to be operationalized.
It is vital that members of the public, even those who have been vaccinated, ensure that public health measures still be practised until it is safe and said to be safe by the health professionals in all levels of government. Public health measures include:
- stay home if you are feeling unwell
- get tested for COVID-19 if you have symptoms or have been in close contact with a confirmed positive case of COVID-19
- limit gatherings to only members of your immediate household
- maintain a physical distance of at least 6 feet or 2 meters from others outside of your immediate household
- wear a mask or face covering indoors and outdoors when not able to maintain physical distancing
- wash hands frequently

All hands on deck

Significant numbers of City of Hamilton staff have been redeployed to assist with rolling out the vaccine, from the Forestry Department to the Hamilton Public Library. The redeployment will affect city services to some degree.

For example.

Forestry has redeployed 27 staff members. The impact will be felt mainly in the proactive tree canopy work.
The Hamilton Public Library has redeployed 67 staff members; as a result, they have adjusted their hours of service at branches. Effective March 15th, HPL is open Tuesday to Friday, from 1:00-6:00 PM, Saturday. Branches are closed Sunday and Monday. This is a temporary measure to accommodate the City’s recovery efforts. In the coming months, HPL looks forward to restoring services hours and expanding on them as soon as possible.

These are but two examples. As the city moves into Spring, please be conscious that crews are not at their full complement.

Hamilton Gets Hosed - Op Ed by Councillor Wilson

Ontario Premier Doug Ford is shortchanging Hamiltonians on LRT funding to the tune of $2.66 billion. It is historic in proportion and will have a devastatingly negative impact on our city’s future. It’s a mistake that will cause Hamilton to drag on Ontario’s future finances and economic performance. For a premier who prides himself on taking a businesslike approach to government with a keen eye on investment returns, this betrayal is bewildering and fiscally irresponsible.

Just a recap. In 2015, the Province of Ontario committed a $1-billion capital budget for Hamilton LRT. In early 2019, the Ontario Treasury Board — the government agency that manages the provincial budget — approved an all-in 30-year budget of $3.66 billion. That $3.66 billion included the base capital cost (plus inflation since 2015) as well as 30 years of financing, operations, maintenance and life cycle costs, with some additional cushion for unexpected cost escalations.

The difference between the base capital cost and the all-in cost is similar to homeownership. The purchase price of your house is your base cost. The mortgage and ownership expenses over 30 years are your all-in costs. That house down the street sold for $500,000. Its listed price was not the accrued 30-year cost of over $1 million. This is how all major public transit investments are costed and financed by the Ontario government, except for Hamilton’s LRT.

Just weeks before cancelling the Hamilton LRT, the province signed a $4.6-billion contract over 30 years to build, operate and maintain the Hurontario-Main LRT in Mississauga — a project approved with a base capital cost of $1.4 billion. That ratio of base capital to 30-year cost is almost identical to the cancelled Hamilton project.

On December 17, 2019, Ontario Transportation Minister Caroline Mulroney rode into town and shocked everyone by announcing that the cost for Hamilton’s LRT had somehow ballooned from $1 billion to $5.5 billion; therefore, the project would have to be cancelled immediately. Mulroney’s numbers crumbled under scrutiny. She conflated the base 2015 capital cost with those 30 years of financing, operation, maintenance and life cycle costs and then bolted on an additional high estimate of gross municipal costs related to the LRT.

In an effort to justify where her number came from, Mulroney circulated an independent third-party analysis that reaffirmed the $3.66 billion 30-year budget the Treasury Board had recently approved.
Now, Premier Ford says he is willing to contribute a total of $1 billion toward the full three-year cost of a revived, scaled-back Hamilton LRT. He is asking the federal government and potentially the private sector to cover his shortfall.

He claims this fulfils his promise to Hamilton. This is simply not true. The premier’s advisers conveniently use a completely different set of accounting rules for us than they used for every other major public transit investment in the province.

Recently Premier Ford has suggested the federal government or the private sector may step in to fill this financial hole. This is simply a cynical game of bait and switch, so the province can blame the feds for putting the final nail in Hamilton’s LRT coffin.

Your provincial tax dollars are going to finance LRT projects in Mississauga, Ottawa and Kitchener-Waterloo. Their local property taxpayers, thank you. You are enriching their local tax base as land in and around their LRT corridors becomes more valuable and more attractive as we’ve seen in Waterloo Region, where billions of new investment have followed their far-sighted commitment to LRT.

Meanwhile, in Hamilton, our commercial and industrial tax base hasn’t grown significantly in years. More and more of the property tax burden is falling on homeowners and renters as our infrastructure ages.
Hamilton’s industrial tax base and hard-working people have helped build and finance much of Ontario’s infrastructure over this past century. This city and the people who call it home deserve better than the hand the Ford Government is dealing them.

Maureen Wilson

OpEd in The Hamilton Spectator March 10, 2021

Victoria Park Spray Pad Survey ends March 19th

To find out more about the spray pad, go to https://engage.hamilton.ca/victoriapark. Have your kids pick the type of water features they like in the *survey*.

Victoria Park Playground Accessibility Features Survey Start March 15th

The existing playground at this park had a life-cycle replacement in 2016, with an additional rope climber added in a new play area in 2018. As part of a neighbourhood initiative, this survey seeks community feedback for additional play equipment to enhance accessible play opportunities within the existing playground footprint. Take the survey

Learn more about Victoria Park improvements

From February 18, 2021, online session Video PowerPoint Questions and Answers

Beulah Park Play Structure Replacement Survey ends March 19, 2021

Quick get the kids! Make sure they have the opportunity to help choose the play elements that will make up the new play structure at Beuhah Park.

Come "Play Your Way”, with the online engagement series aimed at collecting community feedback for the play structure upgrade hamilton.ca/playyourway.

H.A.A.A Park Renewal Plan

While the phase 1 survey closed on March 1st, you and the kids can continue to add ideas on the shared idea page and pinpoint trouble spots, suggestions or likes on the map. To date, there are 98 shared ideas and 90 pins on the map.

Phase 2 of park renewal engagement is tentatively scheduled for mid-May 2021.

Not sure what is happening? Find out more by visiting hamilton.ca/HAAArenewal

NATURhoods: Naturally Adapting to Urban Runoff - A Ward 1 Online Event

Green Venture is a not-for-profit empowering Hamiltonians to become climate champions. They are launching a new program, right in our neighbourhood! Learn more about NATURhoods, an initiative to help residents slow water down and soak it up on their property while providing beautification, home to pollinators, places to gather, flood protection, and so much more. Join the Green Venture team on April 6th to learn about incentives that will help you make a difference in your front yard or back yard this spring, plus help us identify some community projects to transform more parts of your new NATURhood!

April 6, 2021 | 7:30-9:00 PM| Online - registration required FREE

Main Street West Water Distribution System Shutdown NOTICE

Hamilton Water will be completing water distribution system maintenance in the area of Main St W/Wilson St E/Lower Lions Club Rd. For this work to occur, a water system shutdown is required during the construction period and is expected to impact your access to water during the time.

The shutdown will take place on Thursday, March 18, 2021, between 7:00 AM – 12:00 PM. During the shutdown, you will NOT be able to use tap water.

In general, this shutdown will impact residents living south of approximately 1870 Main St W. Affected residents will have received a letter last week.

You can prepare for the shutdown by:

Filling a water pitcher and keeping it in your fridge for drinking or cooking.
Filling your sinks so that you can wash your hands.
Filling a bucket of water to refill your toilet tank if you require the use of your toilet more than once during the shutdown.
Plan to shower, wash clothes, wash dishes before or after the shutdown.

Once the water service is restored, there may be a possibility of discoloured water. It is recommended that you flush your cold water tap until the water runs clear. The City will be flushing the water system and will continue to take water samples to ensure safe drinking water levels.

If you have any questions, please contact the Customer Contact Centre at 905-546 2489 (CITY).

804-816 King St W (UHOPA-19-004 & ZAC-19-009) Statutory Public Meetings March 23, 2021

Application for Urban Hamilton Official Plan Amendment and Zoning By-law Amendment for Lands Located at 804-816 King Street West, Hamilton

Planning Committee Meeting on March 23, 2021, beginning at 9:30 AM. Look for Planning Committee's Agenda to be uploaded with the reports on March 18, 2021. Go to Council and Agenda website

Anyone wishing to delegate to the Planning Committee regarding the application can find more information on how to do so on the request to speak to a committee of council page

Gender Gap in Cycling - Cycle Hamilton Study Wants to Hear from Women+

Women account for only 30% of people who cycle in Hamilton, so Cycle Hamilton is preparing a report about how the City can address this gender gap. They are looking to speak with women+ to help inform the recommendations. Where you are a road warrior, casual cyclist, or have not been on a bike since grade school - this study is for you!

How to participate

Visit the Cycle Hamilton website for information on the study, look for near-future opportunities to sign up for one of the virtual discussions, or complete the survey. You can also sign up by calling 905-218-3534

Cycle Hamilton is a member-supported nonprofit working to make Hamilton the best place for everyone to ride a bike. This project is funded by the City of Hamilton's Cycling Committee.

Water, Wastewater, and Stormwater Master Plan

The Water, Wastewater and Stormwater (W/WW/SWM) Master Plan is a strategic and comprehensive growth and infrastructure planning study to provide a basis for decision making to shape the City’s future growth.

The W/WW/SWM Master Plan consists of a review of growth projections, servicing policies, design criteria and completion of public consultation and servicing strategy evaluation under the Municipal Engineers Association Class Environmental Assessment Master Plan Process. The population and employment projection inputs are developed by the City planning department under the GRIDS 2 process and will consist of population, employment and densities within existing (Infill/Intensification) areas and new Greenfield growth to 2051.

The study will determine the short and long-term water, wastewater, and stormwater infrastructure needed to support growth to 2051.

The objective of the integrated Master Plans is to:

Provide a strategic vision for the next thirty years to accommodate future growth, and ensure safe, clean drinking water and effective environmental protection
Ensure safe, sustainable and optimized water and wastewater services
Provide a business case for the need, timing and cost of water, wastewater and stormwater services

Public input is an important part of the Class EA process. Throughout the Class EA process, there are several times when there is an opportunity for public and stakeholders to provide their input. For this study, public consultation will occur:

Early in the process to introduce the study and to get public feedback (Notice of Commencement).
Once the alternatives have been evaluated and the preliminary preferred solution has been selected (PIC #2).

For more information and contacts to the https://engage.hamilton.ca/wwsmasterplan

Hamilton Seniors of the Year Nominations Open

The call for nominations for the City of Hamilton’s 26^th Annual Senior of the Year Awards is now open. The deadline for nominations is May 28, 2021. For more information about the awards program and to submit a nomination, please visit www.hamilton.ca/seniorsawards

With links to Hamilton’s 10-year Strategic Plan and Plan for an Age-Friendly City, the Seniors Awards celebrates the role seniors play in helping Hamilton to be the best place to raise a child and age successfully.

The Senior of the Year Awards is a program that recognizes senior citizens residing in Hamilton who made outstanding voluntary contributions to enriching our community's social, cultural or civic life.

There are nine award categories, including Senior of the Year (provided by the Ontario Ministry of Seniors and Accessibility), Lifetime Achievement, Innovation, Behind the Scenes, Diversity and Cultural, Leadership, Compassion and Companionship, Economic Leadership, and Healthy and Active Living. There is also a Youth Supporting Seniors Award recognizing dedicated youth volunteers ages 15-24.

An event to celebrate the achievements of the nominees and Ward recipients is being planned for October 2021.

Placemaking Grant Pilot Program Applications Close April 9, 2021

With a generous donation from the Patrick J. McNally Foundation, Hamilton residents have the opportunity to received funding for "placemaking grants".

Placemaking brings a neighbourhood to life by turning everyday spaces into destinations and gathering places. You don’t need to worry if you’re new to placemaking. It’s something that happens regularly, whether you go about it intentionally or not. Chatting with neighbours, building a community garden and hanging out at a park all contribute to placemaking

Project for Public Spaces, a world-leader in placemaking, describes successful places' qualities in its thought-provoking placemaking resource section. They offer principles like “lighter, quicker, cheaper” and giving people at least ten reasons to visit a place. To them, placemaking is a community-driven process that “capitalizes on a local community’s assets, inspiration, and potential, and it results in the creation of quality public spaces that contribute to people’s health, happiness, and well-being.” In other words, it’s your ideas and presence that make a great place - Project for Public Places, 2009. Learn more at https://www.pps.org/article/what-is-placemaking.

For more information and resources, see the City's Placemaking Grant Pilot Program website

Kirkendall Garden Club and the Giant Pumpkin Growing Contest

The Kirkendall Garden Club will be holding a neighbourhood/area giant pumpkin growing contest - check out their website or Facebook page for registration information and details.

Unwanted Flyer Delivery

For those who wish to stop the weekly flyer delivery to your residence, call Metroland at 905-575-4004 and ask to opt-out.

Online Events

International Day for Elimination of Racism | March 21, 2021

History - United Nations End Racism Day
Local Event
- International Day For The Elimination Of Racial Discrimination live on Facebook | March 21, 2021 | 1:00-3:00 PM
National Events
- New Understandings: Diversity, Inclusion and Covid; Speaker Jesse Wente | March 24, 2021 | 12:00 PM | FREE registration required
- Roundtable: Is Criticizing Immigration Racist? Presented by the Canadian Museum of Immigration Pier 21 with support by the Canadian Race Relations Foundation | April 7, 2021 | 1:00-3:00 PM | FREE registration required

Live Music (Online Concerts)

MacChangers Virtual Project Showcase | March 31, 2021 | 3:00-5:00 PM | (Online) Registration required

This year's MacChangers projects are focused on four Challenge Areas in alignment with the City's 25-year community vision: Our Future Hamilton.

CityLAB Project Showcase for Winter 2021| April 9, 2021 | 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM |(Online) Registration required

This virtual community-wide event will feature students from McMaster University, Mohawk College, and Redeemer University as they showcase the projects they have worked on this semester in collaboration with staff members at The City of Hamilton. From city-wide projects aimed at improving responses to COVID-19 challenges and making City services more accessible to bridging the digital divide in the Beasley neighbourhood, CityLAB projects are driving innovative change right here in Hamilton. Learn more about the projects

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The City of Hamilton is situated upon the traditional territories of the Erie, Neutral, Huron-Wendat, Haudenosaunee and Mississaugas. This land is covered by the Dish With One Spoon Wampum Belt Covenant, which was an agreement between the Haudenosaunee and Anishinaabek to share and care for the resources around the Great Lakes. We further acknowledge that this land is covered by the Between the Lakes Purchase, 1792, between the Crown and the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation.

Today, the City of Hamilton is home to many Indigenous people from across Turtle Island (North America), and we recognise that we must do more to learn about the rich history of this land so that we can better understand our roles as residents, neighbours, partners and caretakers.

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