This edition of the Ward 1 newsletter includes:

• Update on the School Streets Initiative 
• Seasonal Clean-up Events
• Tree Giveaway
• Sterling Street Closure
• Seasonal Maintenance: Splashpads and Playgrounds
• Attend Hamilton's Youth Town Hall
• Historical Gathering
• Housing Updates
• Stormwater Incentive Program and Fee Estimator Tool
• FINAL CALL to Submit Your Vacant Unit Tax Declaration
• Opportunities to Participate with Engage Hamilton
• Your 2025/2026 Waste Calendar and Tags
• In Case You Missed It
• Westdale in 10,000 Steps
• Events

Update on the School Streets Initiative

From April to June of 2024, the City of Hamilton launched a "School Streets Feasibility Study" along Lamoreaux Street in Strathcona, adjacent to Strathcona Elementary School. A "School Street" is a vehicle-free street alongside a school that is open to pedestrians, cyclists, and other active travel mode users during school drop-off and pick-up. Vehicles cannot enter School Street at any time (except in emergencies) to provide a safe and healthy space for active transportation. Studies conducted around the world have found that school streets reduce congestion, improve air quality, enhance well-being, and make areas around schools safer for everyone.

The Strathcona Elementary School pilot program involved placing barrel pilons and "Road Closed" signs on a 70-metre stretch of Lamoreaux Street beside the school. Trained staff were on-site and neighbours were informed of the pilot program well in advance. Chalk was provided for students, and the Strathcona Home and School Association organised three pop-up events in June to "activate" the street while it was closed.

During the pilot program, every school day from 8:30 to 9:00 AM, City staff collected information on the methods of transportation used, congestion in the area, and the sense of safety among parents, caregivers, and students. The data collected showed a 70% reduction in traffic around the school, a 10% increase in the use of active transportation to get to school, and a 20% increase in perceptions of safety for the school commute among parents, caregivers, and students.

This pilot program provided invaluable data and insights. City staff have made recommendations, and we will be considering options going forward. Councillor Wilson fully supports the program and adds that some due diligence is still required for the project's implementation, but feels confident that it will be implemented for the 2025-2026 school year. 

Seasonal Clean-up Events

It's that time of year again! Join your neighbours as Hamiltonians pitch in to help keep our parks, alleys, and shared spaces clean and healthy. The City of Hamilton's Team Up to Clean Up Program provides all the tools needed to run a community clean-up, including gloves and specially marked recycling and garbage bags. 

Interested in hosting or participating in a neighbourhood clean-up? It's as easy as 1,2,3:

1. Register your team/event at least 2 weeks before your event
2. Pick up your supplies provided by the City
3. Start cleaning!

For details or to register, visit www.hamilton.ca/teamuptocleanup  

Or, if you want to make your alley beautiful, check out Hamilton's Beautiful Alley Program

You can also join some of the community clean-up events that groups across Ward 1 have already organised. Here are some of the events already planned in our community:

Bruce Trail and Highland Gardens Clean-up Day

• Time: Saturday, April 26, 2025, from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM
• Location: The Corner of Hillcrest Avenue and Mountain Avenue 
• Info: Join a community clean-up that has been organised by the same community member since 1985! Rain or shine, bring your energy, and we will supply gloves, bags, and a bin!

Beautiful Alleys Spring Clean in Westdale 

• Time: Saturday, April 26, 2025, 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM 
• Location: Meet at Marion Ave S at King St W by the Bike Share stands.
• Info: Join your neighbours and make new friends. Let's beautify our community and ensure our neighbourhood is safe and enjoyable.

Tree Giveaway

The City of Hamilton's annual tree giveaway is back. Every year, the City gives away a variety of native tree or shrub species to plant in your yard. Select your tree or shrub and register for your pickup date and location at hamilton.ca/treegiveaway. 

This year, trees and shrubs will be distributed at two locations: 

• Bayfront Park 
  • 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM on April 26, May 10, and May 31. 
• Mohawk College Parking Lot P1 
  • 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM on May 3 and May 24

One tree or shrub per property. Pre-registration is required. Upon pickup, residents are asked to bring their driver's licence or property tax bill for confirmation.

Sterling Street Closure

McMaster University will close its Sterling Street entrance at Forsyth Avenue North on April 29 and 30, 2025. The university will be performing road work, and large vehicles will be using the area. Cars entering campus will be redirected down Forsyth Avenue North to Stern Drive near the David Braley Athletic Centre. The HSR will also be rerouting buses around campus for the duration of the roadworks.

For more information, please see McMaster University's Facility Services website at this link.

Seasonal Maintenance: Splashpads and Playgrounds

As we get closer to the start of summer, we want to provide some additional information on seasonal maintenance, especially around splash pads and playgrounds.

• Splash pads:  
  • The City of Hamilton has 71 splashpads that require pre-season servicing before they are ready for community use. This includes inspections, repairs, and general maintenance. There will also be regular "in-season" maintenance, including regular inspections, removal of litter and debris, and graffiti removal as needed.
  • Splash pads will be activated during the May long weekend (May 17-19, 2025). During the season, splash pads will be on a timer control, set to operate from 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM every day.
  • There are four splash pads in Ward 1 at Alexander Park in Ainslie Wood, Churchill Park in Westdale, Victoria Park in Strathcona, and the H.A.A.A. Grounds in Kirkendall. For information on their location, as well as the location of other City of Hamilton splash pads, please see the City's interactive splashpad map.
• Playgrounds:  
  • The City of Hamilton has 291 play structures that need regular monthly inspections and maintenance. Each of these structures must be maintained following Canadian Standards Association guidelines by certified staff. Maintenance is conducted year-round, but additional services, such as litter collection and graffiti removal, are accelerated from May to September.
  • In addition, the City of Hamilton maintains an inventory of 172 "play courts", which include tennis and basketball courts. Work has already begun to prepare the tennis and basketball courts for the season. 

For information on other seasonal maintenance, please see our previous edition on waste & litter, grass cutting, general park maintenance, and street sweeping.

Attend Hamilton's Youth Town Hall

The Hamilton Youth Town Hall is a full-day, civic engagement event designed by youth, for youth. Open to young people aged 14-29, this experience invites you to explore what it means to be active citizens and influential voices in your community. 

Join Model City Hall and the City of Hamilton's Youth Strategy Team for a day of: 

• 💬 Youth-led conversations around current youth priorities in Hamilton 
• 💡Knowledge and skill-building opportunities focused on leadership, advocacy, and civic awareness 
• 🗣️ Dynamic opportunities to ask questions of and interact with your elected officials 

This is your chance to share ideas, ask bold questions, and develop key skills which will help you lead change, right here in Hamilton. 

Lunch will be provided, and registration is required.

Be part of shaping the future. Your voice matters!

MCFN 13th Annual Historical Gathering

The Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation (MCFN) will hold their 13th Annual Historical Gathering at the Ancaster Fairgrounds from April 29 to May 1, 2025. This important event showcases the lands, waters, and people of the MCFN. During the event, members of the MCFN gather to hear from community members, elders, and experts, as they discuss the past, present, and future.

While this is an event for and by MCFN members, interested residents can visit their webpage to learn more.

Housing Updates

There are two important updates on housing and homelessness to share with the community.

The first is that the City of Hamilton has joined the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative's Innovation Track Program and has begun two pilot programs designed to help streamline and enhance planning and development applications. The "First Wave Portal" pilot program uses artificial technology to provide data-driven development and planning assistance, reducing the need for repetitive tasks and speeding up approvals. The "All4One" pilot works to shorten the overall timeline of the Site Plan process for all non-profit developments. Both pilot programs have already yielded important results, speeding up overall processes and decreasing the time it takes to approve much-needed projects. For more information, please see the City's press release on the programs.

The second update is that the City's temporary Barton-Tiffany shelter has reached full capacity and is now home to 80 residents. This low-barrier site includes laundry and washroom facilities, common buildings for residents, 24/7 on-site support, on-site case managers, healthcare services, addiction support, and assistance in finding housing. The Good Shepherd operates this site in partnership with the City of Hamilton and has increased the City's shelter bed capacity by 80 per cent. The goal is always to provide permanent, safe, and affordable housing, but this shelter offers an important interim measure to help some of Hamilton's most vulnerable people find safety and shelter on their pathway to permanent housing. For more information, please see the City's press release on the programs at this link.

Stormwater Incentive Program and Fee Estimator Tool

The City of Hamilton is launching a Stormwater Incentive Program and a stormwater Fee Estimator tool to help property owners prepare for the new stormwater fee, which will take effect in April 2026. Currently, stormwater management is funded by wastewater fees, meaning the amount each property pays is based on the volume of drinking water used. To ensure the City of Hamilton can fund much-needed infrastructure maintenance and upgrades, the City will transition to a program in April 2026 that charges properties based on the amount of runoff from their properties that enters the stormwater system. All residential properties will pay a fixed rate based on the type of dwelling. There are a series of rebates available for those who work to improve their own property's stormwater infrastructure. Information on these programs is available on the City's website.

FINAL CALL to Submit Your Vacant Unit Tax Declaration

The deadline to submit your Vacant Unit Tax (VUT) Declaration is April 30, 2025. All residential property owners in Hamilton must complete a VUT declaration if a residential unit in their home or building was vacant for more than 183 days last year. The VUT is an additional 1% of a property's assessed value.

Alternatively, you can access a PDF copy of the declaration here. If you would like a physical copy dropped off at your residence, please contact the Ward 1 office by email or phone at 905-546-2416.

Opportunities to Participate with Engage Hamilton

The Engage Hamilton portal provides a way for residents to get involved in guiding the future of our city. Residents can provide important feedback, offer their unique insights, and help inform the direction Hamilton takes.

There are currently some opportunities to participate that may be of interest to Ward 1 residents:

• Our Future Downtown: Hamilton’s 10-Year Downtown Revitalisation Strategy
  • Feedback will be accepted until June 1, 2025. Visit the Community Pop-up at James Street North Art Crawl on May 9, 2025, for an in-person opportunity to engage.
• PAMP! The Public Art Master Plan 2026 - 2036
  • Share your ideas relating to public art stories until March 28, 2025

Your 2025/2026 Waste Calendar and Tags

The City of Hamilton has mailed out the 2025/2026 Waste Guide. This year's Guide comes along with 12 blue trash tags that can be used to put out an extra bag of garbage throughout 2025 and into 2026. For more information on what goes in the garbage and how to use the trash tags, please check the City's Garbage and Bulk Items website.

If you have not yet received your tags and/or calendar, please call the city at 905-546-CITY (2489), or email our office at [email protected].

In Case You Missed It

The Ward 1 newsletter comes out every two weeks. We include important information for residents about events, policies, and programs that may be of interest. Here are some pieces from the last few weeks that you might have missed:

• Changes to the Blue Box Recycling Program: Hamilton's Blue Box program has changed. Starting April 1, 2025, the City's Blue Box recycling program was taken over by Circular Materials Ontario, a not-for-profit producer responsibility organisation. Read more at this link.
• Air Conditioner Support: In June 2024, the Hamilton City Council approved a motion expanding subsidies for air conditioning to low-income households across the City. You may qualify for support. Read more at this link.
• Bike Share Funded: On April 9, 2025, Hamilton City Council's General Issues Committee discussed funding Hamilton's Bike Share Program. The program was fully funded thanks to community advocacy. Read more at this link.

Westdale in 10,000 Steps

Ward 1 resident Roy J. Adams has published a new book, "Westdale in Ten Thousand Steps: The Story of Hamilton's Western Plateau". The hand-bound book is available at King West Books and Dundas's The Printed Word. Adams, a local poet and emeritus professor at McMaster, has previously published volumes of poetry. Congratulations to Roy on this new accomplishment!

Events

Kirkendall Neighbourhood Association Food Drive

• Time: Saturday, May 3, 2025
• Location: Throughout Kirkendall
• Info: The annual "Fill a Bus, Feed a Family" Food Drive in support of Mission Services Good Food Centre is back for its 17th year! Food donation bags will be delivered to residences from Friday, April 25, to Wednesday, April 30. If you don't receive your bag, email [email protected]. Place your food donation on your doorstep/porch by 10:00 AM on May 3rd for pick up. If you are away you can drop your donation off at one of our depot locations listed on your bag.

  If you have signed up for a food drive lawn sign, it will be delivered to your lawn on Sunday, April 27th. It will be picked up on May 3rd/4th.

  The food drive still has some volunteer roles to fill, specifically event day roles at McMaster Innovation Park, on our HSR bus, or as part of the Car Collection Team in the neighbourhood. Further details about these roles can be found on our Food Drive webpage.

MMIWG2S Red Dress Memorial

• Time: Monday, May 5, 2025, 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM
• Location: Honouring the Circle, 21 Rosedene Avenue (off the Clairmont Access)
• Info: Community members are invited to the 2025 Day of Remembrance event for missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, and two-spirit people. Light refreshments and snacks will be provided as community members perform a ceremony to honour those missing and lost.

Community Information Meeting re: Sacajawea's 95 Dundurn St S project

• Time: Monday, May 5, 2025, 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM
• Location: First Unitarian Church, 170 Dundurn Street South
• Info: Save the date for a community information meeting about Sacajawea and Flourish Housing's new housing development for Indigenous post-secondary students, which will take place at 95 Dundurn Street South. More information will be made available closer to the date.

Kirkendall Neighbourhood Association Annual Compost Sale

• Time: Saturday, May 10, 2025
• Location: Blessings Christian Church, 115 Stanley Avenue
• Info: Mark your calendar for the KNA's annual compost sale. Pre-orders are accepted. The compost prices: $4.50 per bag / 5 bags for $21 / 10 bags for $41. Email [email protected] with your order. Many thanks to Monaghan Mushrooms Ltd., D'Orazio Infrastructure and Blessings Christian Church for their event support!.

  The KNA is looking for volunteers to help at the compost sale. Email [email protected] for more information. Students! It's a great way to earn your community hours!

Children's Water Festival 2025

• Time: Tuesday, May 27 to Thursday, May 29, 2025
• Location: Pier 4 Park, 64 Leander Drive, Hamilton
• Info: The Hamilton Children’s Water Festival in 2025 will take place in-person (with virtual activities available) and is an opportunity to educate students about the importance of water conservation, protection, awareness, respect, science, technology, history and health. The ultimate goal is to foster decision-makers, initiate the process of behavioural change, to empower children to initiate change within their homes, schools and communities, and to encourage children to become catalysts for change by taking information and new found respect back to their own environment.

  Registration is completed by Grade 4 teachers in Hamilton-area schools. If you are a teacher looking to register, or a community member who would like to raise the event with school officials, please check out the Children's Water Festival page.

Kirkendall Neighbourhood Association Community Yard Sale

• Time: Saturday, May 31, 2025
• Location: Throughout Kirkendall, locations TBD
• Info: Are you planning to purge household items, kids' toys, or clothing this Spring? Do you have too many tools in the tool shed? Consider joining our Kirkendall Community Yard Sale on Saturday, May 31. Register here if you're interested, and we'll promote the event on the KNA website, social media sites, and Newsletter emails to the Kirkendall neighbourhood. 

  Need a place to set up your table? Blessings Christian Church has offered its parking to residents needing a place to set up. The KNA will assemble a map showing all the sale locations and give participants a link to a downloadable poster to post near their location. Have questions? Please direct them to [email protected]

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!

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