This edition of the Ward 1 newsletter includes:

• The City of Hamilton's Tariff Response
• Tree Giveaway
• Highland Gardens Park - Public Feedback on Improvements
• Infrastructure Updates
• Rethinking Chedoke Creek: Community Design Lab
• Spongy Moth Update
• Attend Hamilton's Youth Town Hall
• Nominate a Senior of the Year
• Rain Ready Hamilton: New Residential Stormwater Rebate Program
• The 2025 Monarch Awards
• Temporary Escarpment Rail Trail Closure
• Advance Mailing of 2025 Property Tax Bills
• Events

The City of Hamilton's Tariff Response

The Hamilton Chamber of Commerce hosted an event on cross-border trade in light of the unfolding and ever-changing tariff landscape.  I was pleased to attend the event and offer an update on City of Hamilton actions in my capacity as Deputy Mayor for May.  It is a time of great uncertainty and volatility brought on by irrational and unpredictable politics, which creates an environment that upends investment activity and business planning. 

Hamilton’s steel, aluminium, and advanced manufacturing sectors face immediate and significant challenges. Our agricultural and goods movement sectors, central to Hamilton’s economy and critical to food security, resilient supply chains, and transportation networks, are also of concern. 

The City of Hamilton is undertaking a series of actions in partnership with other municipalities in Ontario. These actions include advocacy efforts to ensure Hamilton’s concerns remain a priority during federal negotiations, direct engagement with U.S. Policymakers in the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence regions, and inter-municipal collaboration to share best practices, coordinate responses, and explore strategic opportunities to mitigate the impact of trade challenges. 

The City also focuses on local economic development and promotes local language across all tourism channels. In addition, the City suspended all employee business travel to the United States effective March 18, 2025. Exceptions are made for tariff-related advocacy travel, but the general policy will remain in place until further notice. 

Hamilton City Council is reviewing its procurement policy to ensure public dollars support Canadian businesses and products. In the second quarter of 2025, Council will receive a report on amendments to the policy. For more information, please see the information report delivered to the Council on April 30, 2025. 

Now is a time for collaboration across all sectors, governments, and public and private agents to ensure that all that can be done is done to protect jobs and our economy.

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. There are only three more pick-up dates this season!

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

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

Highland Gardens Park – Public Feedback on Improvements 

The City is seeking public input on a preferred design for staircase improvements at Highland Gardens Park (55 Hillcrest Ave). The staircase at the foot of Mountain Avenue is an important connection between the neighbourhood and the park. 

Planned improvements include cladding the existing staircase, replacing railings, installing a sitting area at the top of the stairs, improving the crosswalk at Hillcrest and Mountain, and landscaping and tree improvements. 

During the consultation, the community can provide feedback on one of two stair concept plans, choose a preferred shade option, select railing materials and design, and offer input on the sitting area materials and design.

The designers are soliciting community feedback on a preferred staircase concept, including the railing materials, seating area design, shade options, and shade structure design. They are also collecting people's favourite memories of the space to better understand what Highland Gardens means to residents. 

The Highland Gardens Park Stair Improvement survey is available now on the Engage Hamilton portal and will remain open until May 30, 2025. 

Ward 1 Infrastructure Updates

As we move into the warmer months, a number of infrastructure projects will start or enter a new phase. Residents can always get updates about the infrastructure projects happening in Ward 1 on our Ward 1 Infrastructure page. Timing updates on roads, parks, and facilities within Ward 1 are included.

Rethinking Chedoke Creek:  Community Design Lab 

The Bay Area Restoration Council (BARC) is seeking insight from community members across the Hamilton Harbour watershed to better understand and repair our relationship with water. 
 
The Rethinking Chedoke Creek Community Design Lab presents conceptual images intended to engage and encourage people to reimagine the role of public land and public space in that relationship. 
 
BARC invites community members to explore these images, rethink each space, and provide their thoughts, ideas, and feedback through their survey page. 

Spongy Moth Update

The City of Hamilton takes invasive species management seriously. The City’s Urban Forest Strategy aims to ensure the long-term health of trees on public and private land with the goal of reaching a 30% canopy cover in Hamilton’s urban areas. To help reach these goals, the City engages in regular invasive species management. 

The Spongy Moth, first detected in Ontario in 1969, is very harmful to trees. The larvae and caterpillars of the Spongy Moth can defoliate entire trees very quickly, which can be extremely harmful during hot, dry summers and when other pests are present. Since 2008, the City of Hamilton has engaged in a Spongy Moth Control Program to reduce the moth population to below 2,500 egg masses per hectare. This program includes burlapping trees, aerial spraying, targeted ground spraying and egg mass collection. The product used in the spray program is an organic bio-pesticide that targets Spongy Moth and other caterpillars, and does not affect humans, pets, other animals, or bees. 

The Spongy Moth population was low throughout 2024, allowing for a scaled-back approach to management. Current forecasts also estimate a low population for 2025. The City’s efforts focused on the area with the highest population – the Mohawk Meadows neighbourhood of Ancaster, specifically Wildwood Park on Green Ravine Drive and the Filman Road area. After a successful egg mass scraping event in the area, the City’s Director of Environmental Services is confident the Spongy Moth population in Hamilton will remain low throughout 2025. Read the full report.

On the City's Tree Health page, you can learn more about the City of Hamilton’s invasive species, pests, and tree disease strategy. You can find more information on the invasive species of concern in Hamilton and how to report invasive species online.

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 to 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!

Nominate a Senior of the Year

2025 marks the 30th anniversary of Hamilton’s Senior of the Year Awards. Each year, we honour seniors (Hamiltonians 65 years of age or older) who have made outstanding contributions to enrich our community's social, cultural, or civic life. 

Any Hamiltonian 65 years of age or older is eligible for nomination, except those who have already received the award. Residents must have resided within the City of Hamilton for at least five years prior to their nomination and must be current residents. 

The nomination deadline is June 30, 2025. For more information on the Senior of the Year Awards or to nominate an outstanding senior, please see the City’s awards website.

Rain Ready Hamilton: New Residential Stormwater Rebate Program 

Managing stormwater effectively is critical to reducing urban flooding, protecting water quality, and fostering a sustainable urban environment. This new rebate program—from Green Venture in partnership with the City of Hamilton—offers residents funds to adopt Low-Impact Development (LID) solutions like rain gardens, bioswales, rainwater collection systems (rain barrels), permeable paving, and green roofs.  

Hamilton residents can apply for two funding tiers. For more information, please visit Green Venture’s website. Applications close on June 1, 2025. 

The 2025 Monarch Awards

The Monarch Awards were launched in 2016 by the Hamilton Naturalists’ Club and Royal Botanical Gardens. Now, nearly a decade later, the program takes flight again, led by Halton Region Master Gardeners, who are revitalising the initiative with a fresh, inclusive approach.

The Monarch Awards recognise local gardeners transforming their residential spaces into thriving habitats for pollinators, birds, and native plants. The revitalised Monarch Awards feature a simplified application and a supportive evaluation process designed to educate and empower gardeners of all levels. Applications open June 1, 2025, to residential gardeners in the City of Hamilton who personally care for their properties using ecological practices, and remain open until June 30. The award's focus is front gardens that raise awareness of biodiversity, increase the amount and quality of habitat for native flora and fauna, promote sustainable landscapes, and emphasise ecological gardening practices.

For more information or to submit a nomination, please see the Halton Region Master Gardeners.

Temporary Escarpment Rail Trail Closure

To facilitate the safe and orderly clean-up of the Escarpment Rail Trail, temporary closures will be in effect from 7:00 AM to 3:00 PM from Friday, May 9, to Monday, May 12, 2025. During the clean-up, select sections will be closed to ensure the safety of users and staff. Pedestrians & cyclists looking to traverse the escarpment should be aware of vehicles and staff on the trail, and that through access will be paused, at times, for their safety. Pedestrians can expect minor delays as they pass the work zone.

Advance Mailing of 2025 Property Tax Bills

The five-week Canada Post strike in November and December 2024 resulted in inconsistent mail delivery throughout the first quarter of 2025. Due to this, property tax bills reached residents later than initially anticipated. To address these delays, the city treasurer approved a 30-day waiver of penalty charges. 

As negotiations between Canada Post and the Canadian Union of Postal Workers continue, another labour disruption is possible on May 22, 2025. To avoid another delay, the City has decided to mail final property tax bills between May 7 and May 12, 2025. The tax instalment due dates remain the same. The next instalment is due June 30, 2025, and the following instalment is due September 30, 2025. 

If you want more information on the payment schedule, please see the City’s property tax page. 

Events

Kirkendall Neighbourhood Association Annual Compost Sale

• Saturday, May 10, 2025
• Location: Blessings Christian Church, 115 Stanley Ave
• Info: The Annual KNA Compost Sale is tomorrow! $4.50 per cubic foot bag or bring your container(s). Green thumbs deals: 5 for $21 or 10 for $41. Pre-orders can be made by emailing the KNA. Payments can be made by cash, cheque, or e-transfer to [email protected] during the sale. Please note that if you have not pre-ordered your order, it will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. Many thanks to Monaghan Mushrooms Ltd., D'Orazio Infrastructure and Blessings Christian Church for their event support!

TVO Today Live in Hamilton – True North Strong: Why Music Matters 

• Saturday, May 10, 2025, 6:30 PM 
• Location:  The Music Hall, 24 Main St W 
• Music brings people together, especially in times of turmoil. During these turbulent political times, and as Canadian national identity and sovereignty are as strong as ever, TVO’s Steve Paikin will engage award-winning musicians Sarah Harmer, Cadence Weapon, and Tom Wilson in a conversation about how they see music playing a role in the broader world of democratic public conversation. Registration required.

Hamilton Civic Museum’s Free Cemetery Tour – The Women of Hamilton 

• Sunday, May 11, 2025, 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM 
• Location:  Hamilton Cemetery Gatehouse, 777 York Blvd
• Celebrate the remarkable stories of the Women of Hamilton on this engaging and historically rich tour at Hamilton Cemetery. Guided by expert storytellers, this tour shines a spotlight on the influential women who helped shape the city’s history, from trailblazing leaders and social reformers to artists, entrepreneurs, and everyday heroines whose contributions have left a lasting legacy. Stroll through the serene and historic cemetery grounds as you uncover the lives of these extraordinary women, set against the backdrop of Hamilton's social and cultural evolution. Learn about their struggles, achievements, and impact on the community and beyond. This tour is free to attend. Details are available on the cemetery divisions website.

Touch-A-Truck at Pier 8 

• Saturday, May 24 from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM 
• Location: Pier 8 Parking Lot, 47 Discovery Dr
• Join the City of Hamilton in celebrating National Public Works Week with a FREE “Touch-A-Truck” event. This year’s event will allow residents of all ages to literally ‘touch-a-truck’, including snow ploughs, HSR buses, a waste collection packer, and more.  The event also features activities and giveaways for kids, a traffic light demonstration from our Transportation group, painting a snow plow blade, and other fun activities! There is limited parking at Pier 8, so a complimentary shuttle bus is offered between Pier 8 and Bayfront Park.

Children's Water Festival 2025

• Tuesday, May 27 to Thursday, May 29, 2025
• Location: Pier 4 Park, 64 Leander Drive, Hamilton
• 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 newfound respect back to their 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 wants to raise the event with school officials, please check out the Children's Water Festival page.

Churchill Park Clubhouse Planning Meeting 

• Thursday, May 29, 2025, 7:30 PM to 8:30 PM 
• Location: Online via Zoom 
• Connect, collaborate, and celebrate community! The Churchill Clubhouse Board invites YOU to be part of something special! We’re planning exciting events and want YOUR ideas, energy, and heart. Join us to learn more about how you can contribute and get involved in your neighbourhood. For a link to the next event’s Zoom meeting, contact the organisers at [email protected]. We look forward to seeing you there! 

Kirkendall Neighbourhood Association Community Yard Sale

• Saturday, May 31, 2025
• Location: Various locations throughout Kirkendall. See the map.
• Join the KNA Community Yard Sale this spring. Register here if you're interested, and then the KNA will promote your location on its KNA website, social media sites, and newsletter emails to the Kirkendall neighbourhood. The KNA maps all participating locations and provides a downloadable poster to post near their location. Any questions can be directed to the KNA events team.

Do you need a place to set up your table? Blessings Christian Church has offered its parking to residents who need a place to set up. Email the KNA for details.

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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