Land-based learning group Kahnekanoron hosts WATER TALKS! event to share calls to action and encourage discussion on water quality and access in Hamilton
Kahnekanoron commemorated the first issue of their WATER TALKS! zine with a town hall event on Sept. 6, 2024 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. outside Hamilton City Hall. The 19-page zine contains reflections, poems, songs and calls to action about water quality.
The evening began with a few speeches, followed by a collaborative activity. Attendees were invited to respond to a series of questions including “What can you do to help protect water?” and “How has your access to clean water changed over the years?” To end the event, the group sang Anishinaabe and Haudenosaunee water songs to honour and heal the water.
In an interview with the Silhouette, Sonia Hill, founder of Kahnekanoron explained that they started the organization in 2019 with a group of their fellow Indigenous students. Hill completed an Honours B.A. in Indigenous studies and sociology in 2017 and is currently completing a masters degree in Indigenous studies. They were born and raised in Hamilton and are Mohawk, Lebanese, Scottish, Irish and Tuscarora.
The name Kahnekanoron is from the Mohawk language Kanien'kéha and translates to “water is precious.” “The water is connected to everything and the water is our first sustenance. When we talk about our creation stories, they’re centred around water. Water is the first element. It’s what’s here before everything else. It’s in everything. And without it nothing exists,” said Hill.
The water is connected to everything and the water is our first sustenance. When we talk about our creation stories, they’re centred around water. Water is the first element. It’s what’s here before everything else. It’s in everything. And without it nothing exists.
Sonia Hill, founder, Kahnekanoron
“That’s what I want people to walk away from the town hall with and from the zine as well. This idea of if we treat the water as sacred and precious, how would we act differently? How would we walk in the world differently knowing that water is part of every single being, knowing that water is part of every single person and knowing that every single body of water is sacred?” said Hill.
When it was first founded, Kahnekanoron hosted a series of workshops in partnership with McMaster Elder-in-Residence Renee Thomas-Hill and wellness counsellor Brittany Vincze. The sessions focused on understanding and healing our relationship with water and the Earth. This program was based around reclaiming sustenance skills and building community. Registration was limited to Indigenous women and 2SLGBTQ+ students.
Hill discussed the need for accessible sustenance programming, a term which encompasses traditional food and medicine practices. “It was a bunch of Indigenous girls and gays who were living in Hamilton going to McMaster University. We were all students at the time and we were looking for on-the-land sustenance programming that we didn’t have to pay for,” said Hill.
Kahnekanoron is no longer based at McMaster and is open to Indigenous community throughout and around Hamilton. “That was a conscious choice by the group as we all aged out of being students, to be honest, and our lives became centred elsewhere,” said Hill. Specific events such as community days are also open to non-Indigenous folks.
In Aug. and Sept. of 2023, Kahnekanoron organized a town hall for Indigenous people in Hamilton to discuss water quality and access, in addition to grief and healing ceremonies. The first public town hall on water, which was open to non-Indigenous people, was held on Sept. 6, 2023.
The zine launch and town hall this September was intended to continue the discussion surrounding water, specifically surrounding the city of Hamilton. “We were really just hoping to be able to share Indigenous folks’ experiences around water quality or access. That hasn’t really been done, not only in Hamilton but within urban Indigenous communities in general. A lot of the time when we see research with Indigenous communities it’s with on reserve communities. And it’s great that we have so much research with on-reserve communities but we also need research with urban, Indigenous communities,” said Hill.
A lot of the time when we see research with Indigenous communities it’s with on reserve communities. And it’s great that we have so much research with on-reserve communities but we also need research with urban, Indigenous communities.
Sonia Hill, founder, Kahnekanoron
Hill said that Kahnekanoron has conducted some community-based research and water testing, but had inconclusive findings. “We’re still working on water testing in Hamilton. I want to focus on open water sources,” said Hill.
Water quality and access is not limited to drinking water. It also includes having clean bodies of water to swim, fish, and practice ceremonies. “As Indigenous people, our relations with the natural world are so important to us. Growing up not being able to touch water is pretty messed up. You think how that impacts your psyche, you think how that impacts your wellbeing. I’m 29 years old and fished for the very first time this past spring because our water is so unclean. If our water was clean, we would have grown up with those practices,” said Hill.
At the time of publication, the City of Hamilton website reports the beach at Pier 4 Park on Hamilton Harbour is closed due to toxin-producing blue-green algae. According to the Hamilton Public Health Services 2023 beach monitoring report, Hamilton Harbor is on the Great Lakes areas of concern list. The report also details that 2020 was the only year in the last decade that the beach remained open for more than 80% of time.
The zine calls for greater education and research into the impact of human action such as sewage spills and stormwater runoff. In 2022 and 2023, the City of Hamilton discovered leaks that resulted in 337 and 59 million litres of sewage flowing into Hamilton Harbour since 1996. The zine also calls for Hamilton city council to take accountability for the state of the water.
“A lot of our city leaders, a lot of researchers at public institutions seem to not care about water in Hamilton because they’re not affected by it. They get to leave, they get to go enjoy water elsewhere, whereas Indigenous folks who are here in Hamilton, we don’t have that luxury of going elsewhere and enjoying water elsewhere, so we kind of have to care about the water here,” said Hill. They mentioned that water access becomes a class-based issue because car and property ownership can greatly increase access to water.
A lot of our city leaders, a lot of researchers at public institutions seem to not care about water in Hamilton because they’re not affected by it. They get to leave, they get to go enjoy water elsewhere, whereas Indigenous folks who are here in Hamilton, we don’t have that luxury of going elsewhere and enjoying water elsewhere, so we kind of have to care about the water here.
Sonia Hill, founder, Kahnekanoron
The zine also included lyrics and QR codes that link to YouTube videos for two water songs, “Wichita Do Ya” and “Kahnekanoron.” Hill explained that these songs are used as prayers and offerings to the water. “We shared those songs so that people could learn them and bring them to water because that is helping the water to heal as well. We hope that people access these to learn them in good ways and share them with water and within Indigenous communities,” said Hill.
In addition to water songs, the zine listed other ways to care for water including contacting local politicians about water-related issues and attending events like the Hamilton Water Walk. “That’s kind of what we were hoping to tell while also sharing teachings and also empowering people to care about water. It’s not too late, the damage isn’t completely all done,” said Hill.
Hill stated that Kahnekanoron will release a new issue of WATER TALKS! annually. Contributions from this year’s town hall will be incorporated into the next issue, which is planned to be released in Sept. 2025. Copies of the zine were available at the town hall by a pay-what-you-can donation and $100 were raised to support the Hamilton Water Walk. Donations will also be used to pay for printing future zines.
Copies of the zine will be available for donation at the Hamilton Anarchist Bookfair on Sept. 28, 2024. If you are interested in learning more about Kahnekanoron, you can visit their Instagram page.
Hamilton City Councillors are at odds following the voting process for the final stage of implementation for the Vacant Unit Tax bylaw, expected to this winter
Amidst the ongoing housing crisis, the Hamilton's city council have been working on the implementation of a vacant unit tax by-law. The vacant unit tax is a one per cent tax increase when a residential unit is noted to be vacant for over 183 days, about six to seven months.
In a communication update released on the city of Hamilton website's dedicated VUT update page, the city expressed their hope is that the tax will discourage Hamilton landlords to leave residential units empty, resulting in more living spaces become available.
The original idea was proposed in 2019 as the vacant home tax, with tangible goals introduced in 2021. These goals included research to understand the implications for such a tax in Hamilton and to consult with those who would be impacted. Through 2022 and 2023 research was undertaken by city of Hamilton staff to inform the proper implementation process that was expected to follow. This initiatve expected to be implemented this winter, by beginning to disseminate declaration forms to the residents of Hamilton.
On Nov. 22, 2023, however, the final vote held to officially approve the bylaw resulted in a tie. The voting for this bylaw was done separately to it’s original scheduled time, as requested by Councillor Tom Jackson, who initially voted against VUT bylaw. The tie has caused VUT to become invalid and the bylaw's implementation plan halted.
The voting process for this bylaw has being criticized by some city councillors, as at the time of voting three councillors were not present, and two of them indicating they were unaware of the separation of the VUT from the rest of items part of the voting. Councillor Nrinder Nann and Councillor Cameron Kroetsch have both publicly voiced their disappointment with the final stage of voting.
"These bylaws could also be put forward in such a way that if a member of Council wanted to vote against them, that member would have to ask for a reconsideration vote. That’s what should have happened yesterday as the enabling bylaw was already the result of a Council decision," said Councillor Kroetsch in statement through X, formerly Twitter.
Currently, the VUT bylaw may still be reconsidered by the city.
On X, Kroetsch also stated he believes there will be one or more votes about the entire situation regarding the VUT tax. More information on the future directions of the VUT bylaw may be disclosed on Dec 13, 2023.
This is an ongoing story.
The city of Hamilton indicates support for Canada’s Bill C-18 by ceasing advertisements on Facebook and Instagram
On Oct. 11, Hamilton city council passed a motion to stop posting non-essential municipal government advertisements on social media platforms owned by Meta.
This move by the municipal government is an act in solidarity with the Canadian federal government’s recently filed Bill C-18.
This move by the municipal government is an act in solidarity with the Canadian federal government’s recently filed Bill C-18.
Bill C-18, the Online News Act received Royal Assent in June 2023. The act requires big tech companies, such as Meta, to come to agreements with Canadian news outlets in order to compensate them for featuring and sharing links to the outlets' content. As part of this bill, Meta could be required to pay as much as $234 million to news outlets in Canada.
In response to the legislation though, which Meta believes to be flawed, the company has made news content unavailable and unviewable to individuals residing in Canada.
People residing in Canada who attempt to access news content on Meta platforms, such as Facebook and Instagram, are presented with a message stating that they cannot see news content in response to the legislation.
The motion to halt advertisements on Meta platforms in solidarity with Bill C-18 was put forth on Oct. 4 by councillor John-Paul Danko of Ward 8. Though support for the motion was not unanimous, with concerns being brought forth regarding the impact on the city’s ability to relay information to citizens, the motion passed two weeks after proposal.
Danko defended the motion by stating that while there may be an effect on reaching citizens, these can be managed. He also stated that Bill C-18 is important for protecting Canadian journalism and media outlets from large tech companies like Meta.
Danko defended the motion by stating that while there may be an effect on reaching citizens, these can be managed. He also stated that Bill C-18 is important for protecting Canadian journalism and media outlets from large tech companies like Meta.
The city of Hamilton is not alone in its decision to boycott Meta as a show of support for the Online News Act and the federal government. The governments of Quebec City and the Province of Quebec, as well as the federal government itself, have also made the same decision as Hamilton.
While talks between the federal government and Meta are ongoing, it remains unclear for how long Meta's news ban on their platforms will continue and when the situation will be resolved.
This is an ongoing story.
As early as tomorrow, Oct. 25, there is potential for a transit strike as negotiations between the city and local transit union break down
On Oct. 23, 2023, the City of Hamilton released a statement informing residents that transit services may be disrupted in the upcoming week, starting as soon as Oct.25.
This possible strike comes in the middle of ongoing negotiations with the Amalgamated Transit Union Hamilton, also known as ATU Local 107. ATU Local 107 shared with Global News Canada their main focuses in these negotiations has been to ensure that their workers are paid fairly and that the Hamilton light rail transit system is managed as a public resource.
ATU Local 107 have been actively against the privatization of the LTR system, publicly supporting the Keep Transit Public movement and it’s active petition.
These negotiations between ATU Local 107 and the city have been ongoing since Feb. 2023. With no agreement during negotiations, the City of Hamilton shared that they had requested a no-board notice to resolve the issue.
A no-board notice is submitted to Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development who introduce a panel to the negotiations. This move ensures that the discussion has a mediator to help an agreement come into place.
One stipulation in a no-board notice is that after the seventeenth day of the notice being given, strikes and lock-outs can be conducted legally. For the City of Hamilton and ATU Local 107, the seventeenth day since the notice was given will be Oct. 25. which is why the possibility of a transit strike begins then.
Folks who rely on transit to get around the city, including many McMaster University students, are being strongly encouraged to seek alternative methods of transportation to minimize difficulties that could occur during a potential strike period.
This is an ongoing story.
Working with the city through the CityLab Semester in Residence program, students have proposed solutions for affordable housing and the rental marketplace
Hamilton ranks as the third least affordable city in North America to live in and with the escalating cost of living shortages of affordable housing have reached an all-time high. In response, students in McMaster University's CityLab Semester in Residence program have partnered with the City of Hamilton to tackle different aspects of the housing crisis.
The CityLab program is a 15-unit course that allows students from all faculties to apply their skills to real-world issues in Hamilton. In the fall semester, students conducted research and consulted with stakeholders to create proposals for improving transitional housing, affordable housing and affordable home ownership.
Bohmee Kim and Rhea Saini, from the CityLab SIR 2022 fall cohort, presented findings on and recommendations for unlocking municipal land for affordable housing to city council last December.
“Our plan for unlocking municipal land caught the attention of councillors. . .The staff seemed inclined to pull together an inventory of all the municipal lands that currently exist in Hamilton and survey them for potentially building homes on,” said Saini, a fourth year student in the bachelor of health sciences program.
Our plan for unlocking municipal land caught the attention of councillors. . .The staff seemed inclined to pull together an inventory of all the municipal lands that currently exist in Hamilton and survey them for potentially building homes on
Rhea Saini, CityLab Semester in Residence Fall 2022 cohort and fourth year health sciences student
Kim and Saini’s recommendations proposed redeveloping government-owned plots of land into affordable mixed-use housing to address long-term affordability. They pointed to The Station, a 45-unit affordable apartment complex built on top of an active fire station in St. Thomas, as an example of how building on underutilized municipal land could be done effectively.
Another CityLab project aiming to improve Hamilton’s rental marketplace proposed solutions such as stricter enforcement of property standard laws for residential properties around McMaster, and information campaigns to address the public's lack of knowledge about the rental market, tenant rights and responsibilities.
“One of [the group’s] major findings was looking at accountability from both the city and McMaster – looking at lack of supply of students, education and the rental process,” said Saini.
Kim and Saini described their experiences in the CityLab SIR as valuable for gaining hands-on experience in working on community engagement projects.
“CityLab allowed me to work on a project outside the role of the student or academia. Seeing what it would look like to talk to stakeholders made community engagement less of a theoretical exercise and more actually putting it into practice,” said Saini.
They emphasized the value of having autonomy over their project which allowed them to explore their interests to make real-world change.
“As students, when we talk about making change, we gain the soft skills to do it. And so [CityLab] is the place to build that toolkit and gain those skills to make meaningful change in a respectful and collaborative way,” said Kim, a third year student in the arts and science program.
Kim discussed the upcoming 2023 fall semester project that addresses methods for building a climate-resilient future in Hamilton. She pointed to creating plans for affordable housing that is energy-efficient and sustainable as an example of a project that will be developed by students during the semester.
“Climate change is happening now. Taking climate action is not something we can only do through social media. We also have to take concrete actions. And at CityLab, you are working with the city and community partners. It's a real hands-on project to tackle climate change and have an impact on the people in the community,” said Kim.
Climate change is happening now. Taking climate action is not something we can only do through social media. We also have to take concrete actions. And at CityLab, you are working with the city and community partners. It's a real hands-on project to tackle climate change and have an impact on the people in the community
Bohmee Kim, CityLab Semester in Residence Fall 2022 cohort and third year arts and science student
The SIR program has been effective in addressing the housing crisis in Hamilton. Students in the program have been able to apply their skills to real-world issues and work with community partners to propose practical solutions to create a sustainable and resilient future for Hamilton. Kim and Saini encourage students to subscribe to their student-interest form for updates on SIR application openings and to follow their website and Instagram.
A leak in a combined sewer pipe in 1996 led to approximately 337 million litres of sewage being spilled into Hamilton Harbour before it was discovered in Nov. 2022
On Nov. 22, Andrea Horwath, mayor of Hamilton, released a statement regarding a recently discovered sewage spill.
“At approximately 4:00 p.m. today, I was notified of a sewage spill into Hamilton Harbour in the area of Burlington Street and Wentworth Street that appears to have started in 1996. In line with my commitment to transparency, I asked that this information be made public immediately,” wrote Horwath.
On Nov. 23, the City of Hamilton patched up a leak in a combined sewer pipe near Wentworth Street North and Burlington Street East.
According to the City of Hamilton website, the total cost of the leak repair was $29,830. Of this amount, $17,000 went to excavation and sewer repairs, $9,830 went to vacuuming wastewater to stop the spill and $3,000 went to road restoration.
This leak had gone undiscovered for 26 years, having been created in 1996 and was only uncovered last month. In this time, the City of Hamilton estimates that 337 million litres of sewage were spilled directly into Hamilton Harbour.
The harbour played a large part in Hamilton’s economic growth in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, and its role as an economic centre led to significant pollution of its waters. In 1987, the International Joint Commission identified the harbour as an Area of Concern on the Great Lakes, leading to the establishment of a restoration plan in 1992.
The harbour is also home to numerous fish species, many of which have been declining over the last few decades. According to CBC Hamilton’s interview with Hillary Prince, a spokesperson for Fisheries and Oceans Canada, the species that are currently thriving in the harbour are the ones most tolerant of poor water conditions.
The Hamilton Harbour website states that, while the harbour remains an Area of Concern for the IJC, it has seen significant progress over the past thirty years.
“[T]raction towards a healthier harbour is evident. Improving water quality, healthier wildlife populations, more opportunity for public access, and the return of locally vanished species, such as bald eagles, are benchmarks to celebrate,” reads the Hamilton Harbour website.
Jim Davis runs for mayor a second time with the same platform, maintaining his focus on affordability
Jim Davis could not be reached for comment on his campaign for mayor in the 2022 Hamilton municipal election. The following info included in this article pertaining to Davis's platform is found in his post on the Facebook page Vote Jim Davis 4 Mayor of Hamilton.
Davis ran in the 2018 mayoral election where he finished fourth. He is now running a second time with the same platform as he believes many of the same major issues from when he ran previously are still unresolved.
In the Facebook post stating his platform, Davis makes it clear that his priority is to make living in Hamilton more affordable.
His platform relies on city-run programs, including daycare, recreation and housing initiatives, to keep costs of living low and address the community’s concerns.
Davis believes the city should train current employees for new responsibilities and offer them a raise in pay instead of hiring new workers where possible. He notes that particularly when it comes to the city-run programs he’d like to develop, such as the daycare, there may be a necessity to hire new individuals.
Davis also pledges to keep streets safe by keeping one-way traffic, and reversing the decision made by Hamilton’s city council in May to convert Main Street to two-way traffic due to studies that consistently reported one-way streets led to more pedestrian deaths. In addition to preserving one-way streets, Davis plans on updating heavily travelled roads by laying concrete, which he claims will save the city money.
Jim Davis is running for mayor in the Oct. 2022 municipal election. His candidate profile has be posted as part of a series the Silhouette is running to build student awareness about the municipal election. Candidate profiles will continue to be posted in alphabetical order over the next few weeks. Election Day is Oct. 24 and more details on how to vote can be found here.
C/O Gustavo Sanchez
Amidst cold weather and high COVID-19 case counts, the city of Hamilton failed to protect and consider its unhoused residents
January 2022 was a difficult month for the city of Hamilton, with temperatures dipping as low as -20 degrees Celsius and hundreds of Hamilton residents hospitalized with COVID-19. Unfortunately, low temperatures and high rates of COVID-19 created even more obstacles for Hamilton’s unhoused population.
“What we've observed as COVID has been ongoing and as the cold weather has been ongoing is just the lack of empathy and the lack of tangible sustainable solutions [from the city],”
Koubra Haggar, member of Hamilton Encampment Support Network’s Steering Committee.
HESN is an advocacy group and support network run entirely by volunteers in the Hamilton community. They advocate on behalf of the needs of unhoused residents of Hamilton and provide unhoused people with support and resources.
Vic Wojciechowska, another member of the Steering Committee, explained how shelters in Hamilton have not been adequately supported by the city throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Wojciechowska explained that, earlier this year, all but one of Hamilton’s men’s shelters were experiencing COVID-19 outbreaks.
“Given the Covid outbreaks, [people] were being refused at the door. We had testimonies come in from shelter workers about the lack of municipal support for staffing, for adequate PPE, for any sort of code protocols or measures. We are two years into this pandemic now. The city has had adequate time to respond, to prepare, to prioritize and yet we're in the same position that we were a year ago,” said Wojciechowska.
Hagger added that, over the past few months, the city has taken a clear stance against people residing in encampments by saying that tents have to go.
“They care about aesthetics. The city cares about maintaining a certain image. While making these remarks and saying all these horrible things, they aren't providing any alternatives that are sustainable or dignified,” said Haggar.
Hagger recalled seeing police officers and city workers tell encampment residents to move farther into the trees where they would be less visible.
“The city doesn't have an issue in terms of letting people die in the cold; they also have an issue around maintaining a pristine image of Hamilton that excludes all poor and unhouse folks,” said Hagger.
In November 2021, several people who protested against encampment evictions were arrested. These people said that police officers used violence during the arrests, leaving them with various injuries.
In a video shared by the Hamilton Centre for Civic Inclusion, officers can be seen tackling three Black youth in front of Hamilton’s central police station.
“Here is the footage of Hamilton Police arresting [three] Black youth early this afternoon. These violent attacks are a reminder of outright police brutality & systemic racism. Why are Black youth being arrested when they are advocating for better housing options for residents?”
Statement from Hamilton Centre for Civic Inclusion
Wojciechowska also pointed out how many of the people making decisions about Hamilton’s housing crisis do not truly understand what the options for unhoused people look like. Wojciechowska recalled that, at a community delegation day to inform the operating budget, a city councilor expressed confusion about why one might choose to live in an encampment over a shelter.
“These are the people that are making the decisions. They don't even understand what the conditions within shelters are,” said Wojciechowska.
Wojciechowska highlighted how this lack of understanding leads the city of Hamilton to present options to unhoused community members that are not truly viable.
“We had someone provide testimony that, during the outbreaks in the women’s sector, people who were in COVID-19 isolation would not be able to access the shower for ten days. Again, these are being presented as options to people. In an encampment, at least you have community, at least you have control over isolation and contact and exposure with others. Whereas [the other option is that] you're crammed into a shelter with who knows how many other people, a shelter in an active outbreak and the city is calling this a housing solution,” said Wojciechowska.
Despite the current situation, Wojciechowska and Hagger expressed optimism that through the work and advocacy of HESN, the public has become more aware of Hamilton’s housing crisis.
“There's been a shift in public narrative over the last year regarding encampments. [There has been a shift in] understanding the conditions and the causes of encampments and understanding how these are linked to the housing crisis and how this is aligned to municipal failure to take responsibility of housing people,” said Wojciechowska.
Treating all members of our community with care is crucial, and this involves respecting and considering the needs of unhoused community members. Moving forward, the city of Hamilton still has much work to do in order to support unhoused individuals.
C/O Adam Thomas
Repeal of the 2020 encampment protocol sparks disapproval across the community
In fall of 2020, the city of Hamilton worked with a number of activist groups to develop an encampment protocol agreement. This protocol allowed unhoused individuals to remain in encampments for up to fourteen days and in some cases, to remain indefinitely. The protocol also called on the city to assist these individuals in moving to shelters or housing.
On Aug. 9, 2021, Hamilton City Council held an emergency meeting in which they voted to repeal this protocol and return to pre-pandemic policy, which disallows all encampments on city property. According to a media release, the decision came because the protocol was deemed ineffective.
“Following today’s Council decision, the City will return to the pre-pandemic approach to services, which includes continued dedication to helping those sleeping rough find safe and humane options while enforcing its bylaws prohibiting camping on public property,” City Council stated in its media release.
"Following today’s Council decision, the City will return to the pre-pandemic approach to services, which includes continued dedication to helping those sleeping rough find safe and humane options while enforcing its bylaws prohibiting camping on public property.”
Hamilton city Council
The council held this meeting as a closed session in a private video conference room. Activist groups who were a part of the development of the protocol were not included in the discussion. The motion to end the protocol was moved by Ward 2 Councillor Jason Farr.
Many activist groups have criticized the city’s decision to prohibit encampments once again. Keeping Six, one of the activist groups that first worked with the city to develop the encampment protocol, released a statement on Aug. 10, detailing their position.
“For the city to walk away from this negotiated settlement unilaterally and without even the courtesy of any communication with us, or any apparent consultation with those on the front lines, is deeply anti-democratic and repressive,” wrote Keeping Six.
“For the city to walk away from this negotiated settlement unilaterally and without even the courtesy of any communication with us, or any apparent consultation with those on the front lines, is deeply anti-democratic and repressive.”
Keeping Six
Hamilton Encampment Support Network, another activist group criticizing the city’s decision, has put forward an open letter to Hamilton City Council.
HESN is a volunteer-run activist group that supports and advocates for unhoused Hamiltonians. According to their Instagram, HESN advocates for the principle that housing is a human right and they seek to make housing accessible to all Hamiltonians. Their methods, as stated on their Instagram, include site monitoring and check-ins, supply drop-offs and observation and de-escalation during teardowns.
In their open letter, which has amassed a number of signatures from both organizations and individuals, they stated the following: “Encampment evictions have been and continue to be dehumanizing, insidious displays of violence in a sustained municipal war on Black, Indigenous, racialized, disabled, poor and unhoused communities, both in so-called Hamilton as well as across Turtle Island.”
“Encampment evictions have been and continue to be dehumanizing, insidious displays of violence in a sustained municipal war on Black, Indigenous, racialized, disabled, poor and unhoused communities, both in so-called Hamilton as well as across Turtle Island.”
Hamilton Encampment Support Network
The open letter goes on to detail how encampment evictions are currently a public health crisis and how the national and provincial governments have been lacking in addressing this issue.
According to Vic Wojciechowska, a volunteer with HESN, even the previous protocol did not adequately protect people from encampment evictions.
“People [were] displaced from park to park, often faster than within a 14-day framework. That's because the city was initiating that 14 day process the moment that a tent would appear in a green space. This was not public information; this is something we learned by showing up to encampment teardowns.”
“People [were] displaced from park to park, often faster than within a 14-day framework. That's because the city was initiating that 14 day process the moment that a tent would appear in a green space. This was not public information; this is something we learned by showing up to encampment teardowns.”
Vic Wojciechowska, HESN VOLUNTEER
Further, the letter emphasizes how the current pandemic has exacerbated the public health threat that encampment evictions pose.
“We also know that houseless community members are at far greater risk of contracting COVID-19 under current overcrowded shelter conditions and that encampment evictions physically prevent homeless community members from accessing resources, supports,and medical care through routine displacement,” stated the open letter.
According to Wojciechowska, the open letter is an important way to create awareness about encampment evictions.
“It was one thing that [could] be done to bring people together, to talk about what it means for the protocol to happen, [to be] repealed and to just create some sort of initial conversation,” said Wojciechowska.
According to Wojciechowska, there are many reasons why shelters may be inaccessible for some unhoused individuals or why they may choose encampments over shelters. They explained that, due to COVID-19 precautions, shelter space has decreased dramatically. As well, Wojciechowska said that shelters can restrict the autonomy of their residents in multiple ways, such as through implementing strict check-in and check-out times.
“People have shared with us that they actually look forward to the summer months when they can stay in an encampment and can actually create their own communities and ways of keeping each other safe,” stated Wojciechowska.
“People have shared with us that they actually look forward to the summer months when they can stay in an encampment and can actually create their own communities and ways of keeping each other safe.”
Vic Wojciechowska, HESN VOLUNTEER
When discussing the city’s response to encampments, Wojciechowska emphasized the importance of listening to unhoused individuals in the community.
“Let them choose to stay outside. Let encampments exist. If people are telling you that they feel safer in encampments, listen to them and build that into your response,” said Wojciechowska.
When the Silhouette reached out to Councillor Jason Farr, they were not available for an interview.
A fortunate update on the transportation project haunted by political chicanery
Graphic by Elisabetta Paiano and Andrew Mrozowski, Managing Editor
A RECAP FROM LAST YEAR
We last wrote about the state of the Hamilton light-rail transit system project on Jan. 23, 2020. The proposed project involved the construction of an LRT line, extending from McMaster University to Eastgate Square along the Hamilton Street Railway B-line.
However, on Dec. 16, 2019, the Minister of Transportation Caroline Mulroney informed Fred Eisenberger, the mayor of Hamilton, that the provincial government had decided to cancel plans for the project.
The reasoning behind this cancellation was that the project would have cost over five times more than the previous Kathleen Wynne provincial government had implied. Eisenberger considered this a betrayal on the part of Premier Doug Ford and the Ontario provincial government.
The estimated cost for the Hamilton LRT project was revealed to range from $4.6 billion to $6.5 billion in a meeting between the Ministry of Transportation and the city of Hamilton. This is approximately five times that of the initial $1 billion Wynne promised Hamilton in May 2015 for the project.
The cost was later set at $5.5 billion, without any cost breakdown. According to a statement from Mulroney on Dec. 16, the estimated costs originated from a report by an unnamed expert third party. Kris Jacobson, then director of the LRT project office, noted that without context, the estimate from the provincial government was impossible to interpret and verify.
Andrea Horwath, NDP member of provincial parliament for Hamilton-Centre and leader of the official opposition, called onFord to reveal the third-party’s cost estimate. On Dec. 18, 2019, Horwath sent a letter to the auditor general of Ontario, Bonnie Lysyk, requesting an investigation and report of the rationale behind the LRT cost estimates provided to the public. The Auditor General’s report on the Hamilton LRT costs was set to be released by the end of 2020.
Despite the cancellation of the Hamilton LRT project, it was decided the initial $1 billion commitment from Wynne’s provincial government would be used for transportation in Hamilton, with the total funding being diverted to different infrastructure.
Exactly what infrastructure would be funded by the $1 billion would be at the discretion of a newly formed Hamilton transportation task force. Comprised of five respectable people who reside within the city, the task force was responsible for creating a list of transportation projects for the ministry of transportation to consider as alternatives to the LRT.
This list was due to the provincial government by the end of February 2020. Despite the cancellation of the LRT project and the creation of a task force to plan the diversion of the allocated funding to other projects, Eisenberger remained committed to the construction of the LRT.
WHAT NOW?
More than a year later and the situation has greatly evolved. The Hamilton transportation task force made its recommendations on the allocation of the $1 billion granted to Hamilton by the Wynne government to the ministry of transportation on March 16, 2020. Mulroney later made the recommendations public for the sake of transparency.
“So basically it wasn’t an announcement per se, it was the province of Ontario following up. They said they would do an audit, they did an audit, they did a task force, the task force came back and said that higher-order transit was necessary for the city of Hamilton,” said Eisenberger.
The task force made a total of 15 recommendations. Some of the recommendations included: a "higher-order" transit system and an "intra-city" bus rapid transit or light-rail transit system along the A or B lines in Hamilton. This would resemble the previously cancelled project.
The task force made a total of 15 recommendations. Some of the recommendations included: a "higher-order" transit system and an "intra-city" bus rapid transit or light-rail transit system along the A or B lines in Hamilton. This would resemble the previously cancelled project.
LRT or BRT, the report said, would reduce congestion, bring economic uplift, thus bringing substantial benefit to the residents and businesses of Hamilton. This indicated the task force was still in favour of the Hamilton LRT project and recommended the province reach out to the federal government to acquire the funding required for the LRT project.
This recommendation came after Eisenberger spoke to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in a visit to Ottawa prior to March 2020 about the Hamilton LRT. According to Eisenberger, the federal government was willing to fund the Hamilton LRT project, but the provincial government had to officially ask for the funds.
“That task forced looked at all the transportation options and came back with the same conclusion that higher order transit was necessary for the city of Hamilton. It was the best investment and it was certainly aligned to LRT and since then, the Premier on several occasions, has came to make sure that Hamilton gets the appropriate investment in transportation and LRT is the one that he’s been advocating for,” said Eisenberger.
This turn of events indicated a sentiment towards revisiting the Hamilton LRT project. With that said, there were other recommendations in the Hamilton transportation task force report, including a cost estimate around all-day GO service. The recommendations from the task force were welcomed by Eisenberger as an indication the LRT project was still on the table.
The awaited auditor general’s report on the breakdown of the $5.5 billion estimate for the Hamilton LRT project was released on Dec. 7 2020. Lysyk determined that the original $1 billion commitment from the provincial government only covered the costs of construction and was based on a 2012 Environmental Project Report from the City of Hamilton.
Lysyk concluded in her report that the $5.5 billion estimate that led to Mulroney cancelling the LRT project was a more accurate estimate for the total costs of the project. Although Ford welcomed this news as vindication for his government, the auditor general’s report indicated that the city of Hamilton was misled on the actual costs of the LRT for years.
“The Ministry of Transportation was aware as early as December 2016 that the estimated costs for the project were significantly higher than its public commitment of $1 billion in 2015, which was only for construction costs. The increases were not made public or communicated to the City of Hamilton until fall of 2019,” said Lysysk in the report.
“The Ministry of Transportation was aware as early as December 2016 that the estimated costs for the project were significantly higher than its public commitment of $1 billion in 2015, which was only for construction costs. The increases were not made public or communicated to the City of Hamilton until fall of 2019.”
Bonnie Lysyk, Auditor General of Ontario
According to Eisenberger, the city of Hamilton and the province of Ontario have a signed memorandum of understanding which outlines how the project will proceed. In the event of budget constraint, it is documented that the provincial government would lobby at the federal level to gain more funding for the project.
“[The city’s] level of involvement is not at the highest order, but certainly awareness as to what direction [the province is] going [in] . . . So true to that original [memorandum of understanding], [the provincial government is] following up with the federal government and as I understand it, they are warmly received. Now it’s a matter of discussions on who’s going to contribute what,” explained Eisenberger.
While the project is now set to conclude at Gage Park, Eisenberger plans to continue the project in phases.
“We’re not going to be tearing up everything from Eastgate to McMaster,” emphasized Eisenberger.
Currently there is no estimated time as to when the project will be completed. However, the mayor is looking forward to the benefits that the project will bring.
“The whole idea behind this project was to inspire new opportunities, to inspire new development, to inspire more people coming along that corridor to provide more business opportunities. More shops, more stores and more housing,” said Eisenberger.
