This edition of the Ward 1 newsletter includes:

• Update on the Barton+Tiffany Outdoor Shelter
• Forthcoming Aberdeen and Dundurn road construction
• Preliminary Recommendation From the Complete Safe Streets Study for Strathcona & Kirkendall
• Ontario Land Tribunal outcome regarding 200 Market/55 Queen Street North
• Vacant Unit Tax - Mandatory Occupancy Declarations Starting January 2025
• Hamilton Launches Interactive Budget Simulator
• The Order of Hamilton Open for Nominations Now Open
• Reminders: Last Curbside Yard Waste Collection Monday
• It's Not Spam, It's Hamilton Recreation's New Program Portal
• Events

Update on the Barton+Tiffany Outdoor Shelter

In the spring of 2023, Hamilton City Council unanimously declared a homelessness crisis. This is a humanitarian crisis on a scale not seen in generations and one that is impacting communities across Canada, from the largest cities to the smallest towns. Urban areas are significantly affected by this crisis, which is the result of a many factors. When it comes to the action on the homelessness crisis, we all have work to do. 

The City of Hamilton remains committed to prioritizing deeply affordable and permanent housing solutions. Despite this, there is an immediate and pressing need for shelter. With the winter months approaching, there is an urgent need for shelter. The rapidly approaching cold can be deadly for people experiencing homelessness, as exposure to the elements increases the chance of premature death and ailments. When people are without stable accommodation, they may seek unsafe locations to rest, isolating them from medical support and food sources and increasing the risk of harm due to fires set for warmth. 

With this in mind, Mayor Horwath directed city staff to report on immediate measures that could be quickly and efficiently implemented, recognizing that tents are not suitable. After this direction in August, Hamilton City Council approved the addition of 192 new temporary shelter beds and a low-barrier shelter on the Barton + Tiffany lands that will provide 24/7 wrap-around support for up to 80 residents, including couples and people living with pets. The services offered on-site will include mental health and addiction support, housing resources, and essential services provided by the Good Shepherd. 

While work started, there was a temporary delay in ensuring the City complied with an order established by the Ministry of Labour. The city is engaged in ensuring that residents on the site are kept safe from adverse health impacts due to the site's contaminated nature. Beyond this, the City has determined that no encampments will be allowed within a 1-kilometre radius of the site and has received a commitment from Good Shepherd that agency staff will be on-site at all times. Municipal Licencing Enforcement (by-law), Animal Services, and the Hamilton Police Service will all ensure potential issues are dealt with as they arise. 

The City has released an “FAQ” page for residents based on questions and concerns they have received. The FAQ page also allows you to ask any questions, provide comments, and familiarize yourself with Hamilton’s plan for the site. You can access that page here.

We are all committed to solving our community's homelessness crisis. The Barton + Tiffany Outdoor Shelter is a temporary measure to provide safety to some of our community’s most vulnerable members while we work toward lasting solutions. 

Forthcoming Aberdeen and Dundurn road construction

In 2027, the City of Hamilton will begin making substantial infrastructure improvements to Aberdeen Avenue and Dundurn Street South. These once-in-a-generation investments will address residents' concerns and modernize outdated infrastructure along two well-used corridors. 

In the spring of 2024, an external consultant’s report identified some key areas of concern for Aberdeen Avenue between Studholme Road in the west and Queen Street South in the east. The report included recommendations to inform future sewer system design and address short—and long-term impacts.  

The report also included recommendations on Dundurn Street South between Aberdeen Avenue and Hill Street. 

Staff are developing a Request for Proposals to engage an engineering consultant to complete the preliminary and detailed design work. Design for a project of this scale and complexity typically takes 2 to 3 years to complete. 

City staff have begun assessing alternative street configurations that reflect a Complete Streets and Vision Zero approach. The work includes collecting data on traffic volumes and existing street conditions and developing conceptual street design alternatives, which will be presented at future public consultation sessions. 

The back-of-sidewalk to back-of-sidewalk redesigns of Aberdeen and Dundurn (Aberdeen to Stanley) will include essential improvements, such as: 

• Replacement of four watermains, trunk and laterals 

• Replacement and modernization of wastewater systems, including the separation of outdated combined sewers (separating sanitary and storm) 

• Enhanced pavement markings, signage, and pedestrian crossings 

• Replacement of ageing retaining walls 

• Modernization of traffic signals, reduction of lane widths, and widening of sidewalks 

• Improvements to streetlights 

• An evaluation of all multi-modal elements on both roads. 

Dundurn Street South (Stanley to Hill) will include resurfacing only.  

These essential upgrades will ensure Aberdeen and Dundurn can continue to meet the growing needs of our community. Both streets are important to residents of Kirkendall and Ward 1. The street's infrastructure has struggled to meet the current demands. This generational investment will ensure Aberdeen and Dundurn continue to serve our communities well into the future. 

In the lead-up to construction, there will be a few important things about which residents should be aware. 

• Temporary improvements on Aberdeen Avenue between Dundurn Street South and Studholme Road—As the order of the phased work is unknown, a temporary solution will be applied to the most degraded section of Aberdeen. To this end, the city is planning a“shave-and-pave" in 2025 to support the road until full reconstruction. 

• Public engagement on preliminary designs—Once preliminary designs have been submitted, the city has planned a round of robust public engagement in the fall of 2025 to ensure residents are fully informed and aware of the project's scope. This will be a chance for community members to provide input on proposed changes and suggest other improvements that can be made. An overarching objective will be to create a design that will be holistic and equitable and meet the needs of all ages and abilities, regardless of how residents travel. 

 The goal of the Ward 1 office is to communicate the City’s plans with residents and be an accessible partner during this process. These generational investments will help us address safety concerns, improve the flow of transportation in our community, modernize our ageing infrastructure, and ensure Hamilton is future-ready. 

Preliminary Recommendation From the Complete Safe Streets Study for Strathcona & Kirkedall

A second in-person public consultation meeting was held in each neighbourhood during October, Kirkendall on October 21 and Strathcona on October 22. 

These sessions provided an overview of the study area, the work done to date, opportunities, and preliminary recommendations for comments and feedback.

Staff are requesting the communities' feedback on the proposed solutions and identification of any gaps.

All presentation materials are available on the project website. ...engage.hamilton.ca/strathcona-kirkendall-complete-sts.

• Video & presentation (pdf)
• Mapping of Proposed Recommendations
• Examples of Measures

Please review and submit any questions, comments or concerns on or before Friday, December 6, 2024, by email to [email protected] or via the Map Your Comments tool.

Update on the Ontario Land Tribunal decision regarding 200 Market/55 Queen N/125 Napier

The City of Hamilton reached a settlement with the property developer at 200 Market/55 Queen St N/125 Napier Street in the Strathcona neighbourhood. The settlement was submitted on November 21st to the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT) following mediation organized by the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT) between the City and the applicant, Vrancor Development.

Read more about this settlement here.

Vacant Unit Tax - Mandatory Occupancy Declarations Starting January 2025

Starting January 2025, all residential property owners must submit a mandatory occupancy declaration annually. The City has mailed out a flyer as a reminder, which you should receive in the coming weeks.

The City of Hamilton is instituting a Vacant Unit Tax (VUT) as one of the measures to address its affordable housing crisis. By creating a disincentive to have units remain vacant, the City aims to make more housing available for those who need it. The City will charge an additional tax of one percent of a property’s assessed value on any vacant residential unit for more than 183 days in a year. The revenue generated from this tax will be reinvested into City programs to strengthen housing initiatives.

Hamilton joins the cities of Vancouver, Toronto and Ottawa to implement a VUT.

The VUT is an annual tax payable by the owner of a residential unit that has been vacant for more than 183 days in the previous calendar year. All owners must submit an annual mandatory declaration on the status of their property. If a mandatory declaration is not submitted, the unit will be considered vacant, and the VUT will be charged.

Find more details and a video explaining the vacant unit tax on the City's website. ... hamilton.ca/home-neighbourhood/property-taxes/vacant-unit-tax

Hamilton Launches Interactive Budget Simulator

The Balancing Act Budget Tool offers a user-friendly and educational experience, helping residents navigate the complexities of municipal budgeting. By simulating the decision-making process, users can adjust funding for services such as public safety, infrastructure, and social programs, seeing in real time how these changes affect the overall budget balance.

This budget tool is now live and can be accessed at ...engage.hamilton.ca/Budget2025.

The Order of Hamilton Open for Nominations Now Open

The City of Hamilton is pleased to announce that nominations are now open for the Order of Hamilton, which honours exceptional voluntary service to community building.

The Order of Hamilton recognizes individual Hamiltonians who have made significant voluntary contributions that enrich the lives of residents and strengthen the community.

Nomination forms are available online at www.hamilton.ca/OrderofHamilton and in person at Hamilton City Hall, all Municipal Service Centre locations, and all Hamilton Public Library branches.

The deadline for nominations is December 18, 2024, at 4:00 pm

Reminders: Last Curbside Yard Waste Collection Monday

Monday, December 2, marks the last day for yard waste collection in this calendar year. Collections will resume on March 3, 2025. Residential yard waste can be taken to a Community Recycling Centre for free all year.

Natural Christmas tree curbside collection takes place the first and second week of January.

Learn more about garbage and recycling here. 

It's Not Spam, It's Hamilton Recreation's New Program Portal

The Recreation Division has launched a new online registration, facility booking and membership system for programs and services on November 21, 2024. Most active users of the previous system have been migrated to the new system and sent an email notification with information on how to access their account.

If you have:

• a Recreation Assistance Program subsidy
• an active participation pass or clip card,
• an active rental contract,
• a balance on your family account or
• registered for recreation programs within the last two years.

An account has been created for you, and the identified primary contact will receive a notification to the email address on file with instructions on how to access and review the account.

An email notification from [email protected] was sent to active users with instructions for reviewing family accounts; within the email was a link to the new software cityofhamilton.perfectmind.com/

Understandably, some residents thought they were receiving a malicious email.  Rec staff have since sent a second email explaining the change. 

Find out more about the new software here.

Events:

Kirkendall Neighbourhood Association Neighbours’ Survey 

• Location: Online at this link – Survey here 
• Time: Now until Friday, December 6. 
• Info: Have Your Say! Almost five years ago, the Kirkendall Neighbourhood Association (KNA) collected feedback on its direction and priorities from 300 local residents. Now, we are checking in with you to see whether we should make any revisions. Please complete our short 5-minute survey at this link. The deadline is Friday, December 6th. 

Westdale Winter Wander

• Location: Westdale Village    
• Time: Friday, November 29, 5:00-8:00 PM, Saturday, November 30, 11:00 AM to 8:00 PM, and Sunday, December 1   
• Info: Join the merchants of Westdale for the annual Westdale Winter Wander. The Villages shops are decked out for the season, cafes have lots of tasty holiday beverages, restaurants and food shops have lots of great food, and there's plenty of holiday shopping to support 
  • Late night shopping, Friday 5:00-8:00 PM  
  • Outdoor artisan/vintage market with live music Friday and Saturday, 5:00-8:00 PM
  • Storytime with Santa, Friday Night (full), Saturday, 11 AM & 12 PM (some spaces available) at Alterna Savings. Reserve a spot by emailing [email protected] 
  • Coco-Cola Caravan – take free family photos Friday night from 5:00-8:00 PM 
  • Breakfast with Santa, Saturday at 10 AM at the Snooty Fox, $10 per ticket, with all funds going to McMaster Children’s Centre. Email: [email protected]
  • Skydiggers concert on Friday at 8:00 PM, Chicago Transit Canada on Saturday at 7:30 PM - The Westdale, tickets available at thewestdale.ca  

Strathcona Living Advent Calendar

• Location: various locations in the Strathcona neighbourhood 
• Time: Evenings starting December 1 through to the 25th  
• Info: Join your neighbours for Strathcona’s 5th Annual Living Advent Calendar, inspired by the Westdale Living Advent Calendar and a Swiss tradition. Each day of Advent, participating homes in Strathcona will reveal a decorated window.  
• Check out more information on the Linktree, including a poster with a QR code you can print out and hang up. The map with the reveal dates will be shared before December 1st! 

 Westdale Living Advent Calendar 

• Location: various locations in Westdale 
• Time: evenings beginning December 1 through December 25 
• Info: Each day in December, a decorated window will be revealed in homes around the Westdale neighbourhood. Check out the Westdale Living Advent Calendar instagram page for the list of addresses which will be posted shortly!

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!

Follow along for timely Ward 1 Updates via:   

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• Tel: 905-546-2416
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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 recognize 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. 

Learn more about the City of Hamilton's Land Acknowledgement here.