• Shai Rally Day
• Supporting the Art Gallery of Hamilton
• Update on Textile Diversion Event
• Opportunities to Participate with Engage Hamilton
• Ward 1 Farmers Markets
• Events

Shai Rally Day

The City of Hamilton is proud to announce a special community celebration honouring hometown hero and NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for his record-breaking 2024-25 NBA season.

All Hamiltonians are invited to attend this city-wide rally to celebrate pride and appreciation. The rally is free and open to the public, but pre-registration for tickets is required to maintain appropriate numbers in the facility.

Shai Rally Day Event Details

• Get tickets
• Date: Thursday, August 7, 2025
• Time: 3:30 to 4:30 PM
• Location: Hamilton Stadium, 64 Melrose Ave. N., Hamilton,

Supporting the Art Gallery of Hamilton

Hamilton City Council ratified a new funding and partnership agreement with the Art Gallery of Hamilton (AGH). This new agreement ensures the long-term sustainability of the AGH and protects one of Canada's most significant public art collections. The AGH is an important part of our community, welcoming over 185,000 visitors annually, generating an economic impact of $39.7 million each year, and maintaining a collection valued at over $1 billion.

In addition to this important long-term funding agreement, the AGH is free to visit until August 31, 2025. This summer's free admission - part of the "Hamilton Strong" initiative - is intended to support the health and well-being of community members by offering a space to pause, reflect, and experience the gallery's vast array of incredible art. The free admission program is made possible by a contribution from a private, anonymous donor.

Stop by the AGH to see their current exhibits, including "Helen McNicoll: An Impressionist Journey", the sculpture collection "The Shape of Curiosity", and Lester Coloma's "Masquerade".

Update on Textile Diversion Event

On July 12, the City of Hamilton, in partnership with the Salvation Army, hosted the first "textile diversion event" at the Kenora Community Recycling Centre. Textile waste, including clothing, curtains, linens, shoes, and accessories, makes up 2 to 4% of Hamilton's garbage stream, potentially amounting to 2,500 to 5,000 tonnes annually. This event sought to divert unwanted textiles from our landfills and ensure they could be used by those in need.

This first event was an incredible success, with over 1,900 kilograms of textiles collected, amounting to 11 pallets - far exceeding the Salvation Army's goals for the event. Some residents even organised collections of textiles from their condo buildings. The City and Salvation Army thank everyone who participated in this inaugural event. City Waste Management staff will report back to Council on the results, which will help to inform future events.

Opportunities to Participate with Engage Hamilton

The Engage Hamilton portal offers residents an opportunity to participate in shaping 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:

• Vision Zero Action Plan
  • The City of Hamilton is working on a new 2026-2031 Vision Zero Action Plan to eliminate traffic fatalities and serious injuries, improve roadways for all users, and implement road safety initiatives to reduce the societal costs associated with traffic incidents. This 10-minute survey will collect data and public input before a report is provided to the council. Provide your feedback from now until September 30, 2025.

• Solid Waste Management Master Plan
  • The Solid Waste Management Master Plan (SWMMP) is a strategic framework developed by the City of Hamilton to guide the long-term management of municipal solid waste, which includes the waste materials collected at the curb on garbage day. The SWMMP is a plan to ensure Hamilton remains at the forefront of sustainable waste management and can adapt to evolving environmental challenges. This 10-minute survey will remain open for comments until 11:59 PM on August 8, 2025.

• Safe Apartments
  • A new city bylaw aims to improve apartment building conditions by requiring the annual registration of apartment buildings with two or more storeys and six or more units, conducting building evaluations, and establishing tenant service request processes to ensure that issues inside rental units are addressed. Provide input on your experience with building conditions from now until September 30, 2025.

Ward 1 Farmers Markets

Good things grow in Ontario! Ward 1's delicious and local farmers' markets have returned for the season. Stop by and pick up some local produce, chat with your neighbours, and meet the people behind your food. This year, Ward 1 has two weekly farmers' markets to choose from:

• The Locke Street Farmers Market - 260 Locke Street South (in the Locke Street Tire and Automotive Parking Lot) - every Saturday from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM
• The Westdale Village Farmers Market - King Street West @ Marion Avenue - Every Tuesday from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM

Events - Ward 1

Hamilton Children's Museum Pop-Up at Dundurn

• August 2 and 3, 2025, 12:00 PM to 3:30 PM 
• Location: Dundurn Castle, 610 York Boulevard
• Hamilton Children’s Museum will be popping up at Dundurn National Historic Site in the Historic Kitchen Garden. Bring your young family and friends for free nature-based activities in “Sophia’s Garden”, a child-focused interactive space. This program is weather-dependent and will be cancelled if there is audible thunder, heavy rain, or if temperatures exceed 40°C. Join this free, interactive event, sure to be an excellent time for young families!

Halton Region Master Gardeners' Garden Journeys

• August 8 - 10 & August 15 - 17, 2025 
• Location: Across Hamilton
• Come and be inspired by a wide range of gardens—some are just starting to plant native species and remove invasive species, while others are further along on the journey to creating an ecologically sustainable garden. Meet and chat with gardeners about their techniques, native plants, and tips and tricks for cultivating a sustainable garden filled with healthy native species. Garden Journeys is a free, city-wide event, so mark your calendars!

Sundays UnLocked

• September 21, 2025 & October 19, 2025 
• Location: Locke Street South, between Hunter Street and Herkimer Street
• Enjoy the sights, sounds, and shops of Locke Street South during this summer’s Sundays UNLocked Open Street. From 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM on the third Sunday of the month, Locke Street South will be pedestrian-only as Locke’s merchants and community partners take over the street for a friendly and fun festival.

Events - Explore Your City

Salsa at the Station

• August 7 & 21, 2025, 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
• Location: Ferguson Station, 244 King St W
• Summer of Salsa Beginner Latin dance lesson: 6:00-6:45 PM, Mini Latin dance social: 6:45-8:00 PM

Hamilton and Scourge Memorial Ceremony

• August 8, 2025, 6:00 PM to 6:45 PM
• Location: Confederation Park, 680 Waterfront Trail
• This event will honour the loss of 53 sailors when the USS Hamilton and USS Scourge were sunk off Port Dalhousie. A reproduction of the USS Hamilton will be on site, and naval cadets will place flags and flowers at the stones memorialising the men lost. This is a free event from Hamilton Museums.

Park Crawl

• August 8 & September 13-14, 2025
• Location: John Rebecca Park & Gore Park
• Park Crawl will activate both Gore Park (5:00-11:00 PM) and John Rebecca Park (4:00-6:00 PM) simultaneously on select summer days, offering attendees a variety of free and exciting family-friendly entertainment. The event will take place in both parks on June 13, July 11, August 8 and September 13 + 14.

83rd Anniversary of the Raid on Dieppe

• August 19, 2025, 11:00 AM
• Location: Dieppe at Hamilton’s Dieppe Veterans Memorial Park, 1033 Beach Blvd, Hamilton
• Hosted by the Hamilton Veterans Committee and The Royal Hamilton Light Infantry Regimental Association, the service will pay tribute to the more than 6,000 Allied forces, most of them Canadian, who took part in the largest raid of the Second World War. A total of 582 members of the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry (RHLI) took part in the August 19, 1942, raid. In the end, 197 members from the RHLI died, marking the single greatest loss of life of Hamiltonians to date, and nearly 300 were wounded or taken prisoner. Over 1,000 Canadian soldiers, sailors and aircrew lost their lives during the raid.

National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

• September 30, 2025, 7:00 AM (Sunrise ceremony), 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM (Afternoon gathering)
• Location: West Harbour (exact location TBA closer to the event)
• Join your neighbours at a day of remembrance, awareness, and education in honour of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on September 30, 2025. Hear from a survivor of the Mohawk Institute Residential School, reflections and teachings from an Indigenous elder, a drumming and community voices ceremony, and opportunities to learn, reflect, and honour the truths of Residential School Survivors.

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: