Following election day on October 24, Hamilton welcomes Andrea Horwath as its new mayor and incumbent Maureen Wilson is re-elected as Ward 1 city councillor
Over one hundred thousand Hamilton residents cast their votes in Hamilton’s municipal election, which concluded on Oct. 24. Following election day, former Ontario New Democratic Party leader Andrea Horwath was announced as Hamilton’s new mayor, capturing 41.68 per cent of the vote.
Horwath’s leadership marks a milestone for Hamilton — she will be the city’s first female mayor.
Horwath’s leadership marks a milestone for Hamilton — she will be the city’s first female mayor.
The race was close between Horwath and Keanin Loomis, former CEO of Hamilton Chamber of Commerce. Horwath emerged just under two thousand votes ahead of Loomis, who captured 40.51 per cent of the vote.
Bob Bratina, a former mayor of Hamilton, came third in the mayoral race with 12.27 per cent of the vote.
“Hamilton is my pride and my inspiration. I could not have asked for a better hometown. And there are so many people who poured their hearts into making our city even greater. I am filled with gratitude,” tweeted Horwath on Oct. 24, following her election.
“Hamilton is my pride and my inspiration. I could not have asked for a better hometown. And there are so many people who poured their hearts into making our city even greater. I am filled with gratitude.”
Andrea horwath, mayor of hamilton
Horwath’s platform throughout her campaign addressed many key issues affecting Hamilton residents, such as transportation, housing and trust between city hall and the public.
Along with electing a new mayor, Hamilton residents also voted for their city councillors. In Ward 1, over eight thousand residents cast their ballots and incumbent Maureen Wilson won the seat with 74.96 per cent of the vote.
In Ward 1, over eight thousand residents cast their ballots and incumbent Maureen Wilson won the seat with 74.96 per cent of the vote.
Ian MacPherson received 15.72 per cent of the votes and John Vail received 9.32 per cent of the votes.
Wilson addressed Ward 1 residents in a long Twitter thread on October 25.
In this thread, she expressed her appreciation for residents of Ward 1 and her desire to address their concerns. She also thanked her opponent, Ian MacPherson, for his community contributions and for his campaign.
A precise breakdown of the election results can be found on the City of Hamilton website.
A student-focused summary of the city’s mayoral and Ward 1 city counsellor candidates and thier platforms
As the municipal election races come to a close, students should remember that not only are they eligible to vote, but also that their voices matter in this election. Student are able to cast votes for city the mayor of Hamilton, city councillors and school board trustees.
For more in-depth discussions on each of the mayoral candidates, you can check out the candidate profiles posted on the Silhouette website.
Mayoral candidates
In June 2022, Hamilton’s current mayor, Fred Eisenberger, announced he would not be running for reelection. In the weeks leading up to the election, the Silhouette sat down with several of these candidates to discuss their platforms, their reasons for running, and their perspectives on why the student vote matters.
Bob Bratina has had a long political career, as Ward 2 city councillor from 2004 to 2010, mayor of Hamilton from 2010 to 2014 and Liberal member of parliament from 2015 to 2021. He is concerned about affordable housing, financial transparency regarding the LRT project and increased security.
Ejaz Butt is a community activist, an Uber driver, and the founder of the Ontario Taxi Workers Union. Butt explained to the Silhouette that his 20-point campaign agenda was compiled based on feedback from Hamilton residents. This agenda particularly highlights the housing crisis and the affordability of living in Hamilton.
Jim Davis detailed his platform on Facebook page Vote Jim Davis 4 Mayor of Hamilton, the same platform that he ran on in his first mayoral campaign in 2018. Davis aims to prioritize city-run programs, such as daycare and recreation and housing initiatives.
Andrea Horwath served as Hamilton’s Ward 2 city councillor from 1997 to 2004 and as the leader of the Ontario New Democratic Party from 2009 to 2022. Horwath plans on prioritizing public transportation, environmental protection and rebuilding trust between city hall and the public.
Solomon Ikhuiwu is a trained paralegal, evangelical preacher and author who wants to prioritize unifying the city and addressing the housing crisis. Ikhuiwu has worked with unhoused communities in Hamilton throughout his career and is critical of the current state of the shelter system.
Hermiz Ishaya decided to run for mayor to set an example for young people and highlight the importance of youth involvement in politics. Ishaya told the Silhouette that he is particularly concerned about the housing crisis, as well as the city’s infrastructure and roads.
Keanin Loomis, former president and CEO of Hamilton Chamber of Commerce, highlighted building a trustworthy and responsive City Hall, fostering economic growth and making Hamilton a safer and cleaner city as his main goals.
Michael Pattison, who previously ran for mayor in 2014 and 2018, is running in this election on a platform that prioritizes the housing crisis, affordable mental health initiatives, transparency in city spending and food insecurity.
City councillor candidates
Along with voting for Hamilton’s mayor, Hamilton residents will also be voting for city councillors. The majority of McMaster students reside in Ward 1, which has three candidates competing for the seat.
Ian MacPherson founded the Canadian Association of Pompe, an organization that lobbies the government to fund new treatments for Pompe. MacPherson’s priorities include environmental sustainability, road safety and addressing the housing crisis.
John Vail is a small business owner who has previously run for both city councillor and for the provincial Hamilton City Centre seat. His priorities include building transparency in city council, avoiding over-intensification and collaborating with the community.
Maureen Wilson was elected as Ward 1 city councillor in 2018 and is running again in this election. Her platform highlights key areas of priority, such as ensuring safer streets, addressing the housing crisis and investing in public spaces.
McMaster students are eligible to vote on election day, October 24, provided they have government-issued identification and proof of residency in Hamilton. More information on where to vote on election day can be found here.
The Ward 1 Councillor candidates sat down for a debate in The Silhouette office and here's what they had to say.
The Silhouette hosted a live-streamed debate between the Ward 1 councillor candidates running in the 2022 Hamilton municipal election. Ward 1 councillor candidates include Ian MacPherson, John Vail and current Ward 1 councillor Maureen Wilson. All three candidates attended the debate. The debate was guided by Silhouette Editor in Chief Nisha Gill and the main topics addressed included the most significant issues faced by Ward 1, the current housing and affordability crisis and detasking the Hamilton police force.
Following opening statements, candidates were asked to discuss what they perceived to be the biggest issue Ward 1 is currently facing and how they would plan to address it in office.
Vail deemed public safety and police protection as the most pressing concern and highlighted the need for more security outside of the McMaster University campus. Wilson discussed council decorum and established that fostering trust, confidence and transparency is of great concern. Lastly, Macpherson discussed street safety and proposed a greater need for law enforcement on the roads.
Vail deemed public safety and police protection as the most pressing concern and highlighted the need for more security outside of the McMaster campus. Wilson discussed council decorum and established that fostering trust, confidence and transparency is of great concern. Lastly, Macpherson discussed street safety and proposed a greater need for law enforcement on the roads.
In rebuttal, Vail accused Wilson of not remaining transparent during Sewergate. However, Wilson explained that this decision was handled by a previous council, and, once elected, Wilson played a significant role in convincing her council to release the information to the public.
Candidates were asked to discuss the housing and affordability crisis and how it pertains to citizens and McMaster students living in Hamilton.
Wilson discussed her involvement in combatting the affordability crisis during her time as councillor and highlighted its significant impact on students and middle- and low-income families. Wilson then concluded by explaining how McMaster has not been doing its part in developing safe and affordable housing for students.
MacPherson discussed the Hamilton Alliance for Tiny Shelters and explained how he feels that the Rental Housing Licensing pilot program is not the correct solution for this issue.
Lastly, Vail maintained that the affordability crisis has been a persistent issue over the course of many councils and cannot be solved in Ward 1 alone. Due to this, Vail suggests that McMaster students should commute to campus instead of renting student houses.
Issues with the Hamilton police force were first addressed by MacPherson after a conversation on the importance of student involvement in the election. MacPherson referred to the Hamilton police force as a hot topic, and expressed that money should not be reallocated away from the police department. During the free debate period, MacPherson asked Wilson to share own her stance on this topic.
Wilson discussed how police are currently tasked with noncore functions, such as dealing with mental health cases. For this reason, Wilson supports the modernization, realignment and detasking of police services. When Vail asked Wilson to differentiate between defunding and detasking the police force, Wilson maintained that what matters most is to steer front line officers away from being tasked with mental health and wellness jobs.
All three candidates discussed the importance of McMaster students getting involved in the election and casting their vote. Election Day is Oct. 24 and more details on how to vote can be found here.
The live-streamed debate was recorded and available on the Silhouette website.
Andrew Mrozowski/Executive Editor
The new bylaw can charge violators up to $25,000 for participating in a nuisance party
Oct. 2, 2021 was a dark day for the McMaster University community. Approximately 5,000 students took to the south side of Dalewood Ave. to partake in what they deemed FOCO, or fake homecoming party. Students were on roofs, in trees, trespassing on private property. Videos from the day even showed a small group flipping a car.
The cost of the damage done by students was in the thousands. Tickets were issued and arrests were made, but there was an overwhelming feeling among students that this party shouldn’t have happened.
“The moment it got bad was when a car got flipped, that was disgusting,” said Darius Caimac, a political science student at McMaster, to CBC Hamilton last fall.
The McMaster community quickly realized that many of the students in attendance were not from McMaster, but other universities.
“Most people that disrupted last year were not even McMaster community members, they were in fact from other parts of Hamilton or even other institutions,” said McMaster Students Union President Simranjeet Singh.
Most people that disrupted last year were not even McMaster community members, they were in fact from other parts of Hamilton or even other institutions
Simranjeet Singh, mcmaster students' union president
As a part of the MSU’s efforts to be good neighbours, a clean-up of Dalewood Ave. and surrounding areas was organized with the MSU Maroons the day after FOCO. A service provided by the students union, the Maroons are a group of students dedicated to fostering community between McMaster students, the university and the wider city of Hamilton.
On an administrative level, McMaster University officials were quick to act and reassure the Hamilton community.
“[We] owe our neighbours, our emergency workers and every other student an apology for the disruptions, disrespect of property and disregard of those who live in our community. On their behalf, I apologize for this behaviour, particularly by those who caused damage and put anyone at risk. Such actions are completely unacceptable,” wrote McMaster President David Farrar on McMaster Daily News.
Students were equally disappointed with their peers.
"The reputation of McMaster and all of the students is hurt," said Caimac to CBC Hamilton last fall.
Despite the efforts of both McMaster University and the MSU, word of FOCO unfortunately bled outside of the city’s boundaries. The unsanctioned gathering was largely picked up by media outlets across the greater Toronto area with many asking what was happening at McMaster University.
RESPONSE FROM THE CITY OF HAMILTON
In Oct. 2021, Hamilton was in a vulnerable position due to COVID-19 according to the medical officer of health. The city was in “step 3” of Ontario’s reopening plan, meaning outdoor gatherings were limited to 100 people. Compared to the estimated 5,000 individuals who attended, the city of Hamilton was not impressed by the unsanctioned gathering that occurred during FOCO.
Mayor of Hamilton Fred Eisenberger made a statement at a media briefing a couple days after the FOCO party occurred with regards to how it could have impacted the city’s COVID case count.
“You have to be living under a rock to not understand and appreciate getting together on this level of a scale is potentially going to spread a virus,” said Eisenberger as per CBC Hamilton.
Ward 1 city councillor Maureen Wilson took to Twitter to share her frustrations at the damage caused by the FOCO party.
"This is unacceptable and dangerous. Someone is going to get killed. Past time for @McMasterU to own this annual community debacle. Let's send them the bill for all policing, paramedic & clean up costs. Mac President — get your house in order & stop trashing ours,” tweeted Wilson shortly after the party occurred.
This is unacceptable & dangerous. Someone is going to get killed. Past time for @McMasterU to own this annual community debacle. Let's send them the bill for all policing, paramedic & clean up costs. Mac President - get your house in order & stop trashing ours. pic.twitter.com/KIh6oIXq6I
— Maureen Wilson (She / Her) (@ward1wilson) October 3, 2021
The councillor later went on to give a statement to CBC Hamilton about the events of FOCO.
"When students are here to study, I see them as residents. So I will advocate for their health and their safety but when you are here as a resident, you have responsibilities. Act like an adult and be responsible," said Wilson to CBC Hamilton.
In the same interview, she also stated: “Like most of the residents who live in that area, I'm outraged and hold the university responsible and I hold those students responsible.”
Wilson held the McMaster community responsible for the events of FOCO, but she did not publicly acknowledge that many of the individuals charged were from outside of Hamilton and other institutions.
DEVELOPMENT OF THE NUISANCE PARTY BYLAW
On Feb. 1, 2022, Wilson put forth a motion to Hamilton’s planning committee to start consultation with stakeholders in the community. Their job was to identify potential measures to mitigate damage caused by future large social gatherings — kickstarting the process for Hamilton’s own nuisance party bylaw.
There is precedence for such a bylaw in other municipalities, including London, Guelph and Brampton.
Such a bylaw would help to mitigate the costs for city services during large social gatherings, such as FOCO. During the FOCO party in 2021, Hamilton Paramedic Services reported an expenditure of $19,605.76 and Road Maintenance reported an expenditure of $1,731.37. While Hamilton Police Services and Municipal Law Enforcement did not collect cost metrics, in an emailed statement to the Silhouette HPS Superintendent David J. Hennick said there was an expenditure of approximately $20,800.00 in labour costs and approximately $6,200.00 in overtime costs, adding up to approximately $27,000.
“While I appreciate that cost may be one factor, it was not the main factor. Public safety and the deterrence of such events in our community led to the implementation of this bylaw being brought to Hamilton and it was believed that the implementation of this bylaw will help in that regard,” said Hennick.
A report provided to Hamilton’s planning committee on Sept. 6, 2022, revealed that emergency services in Hamilton; urban planning departments of the city; other municipalities; McMaster University; McMaster Students’ Union; Mohawk College and Mohawk Students’ Association were consulted leading up to the creation of the bylaw.
However, when asked about their involvement in the development of the actual bylaw, Singh and McMaster Dean of Students Sean Van Koughnett said the university was left in the dark.
“The city went ahead and determined internally that they were going to create this bylaw. We were not engaged in the development of that bylaw . . . We weren’t engaged directly in the development of it or even indirectly,” said Van Koughnett.
The city went ahead and determined internally that they were going to create this bylaw. We were not engaged in the development of that bylaw . . . We weren’t engaged directly in the development of it or even indirectly
Sean Van Koughnett, McMaster University Dean of Students
Singh confirmed Van Koughnett’s statement. The MSU President also shared concerns that the needs of the McMaster student community were not being thoroughly considered.
“This was an initiative taken upon by, I believe, councillors [and] the city to do what they feel best represents their constituents. My view is that, in part of that process, we must also be aware of what needs are of a very important demographic in Hamilton, which is the student body of McMaster University. We just hope that in the future there's more clarity provided in terms of how this legislation will be applied. And when it is applied, it is in a just and fair way and it does not target students,” said Singh.
And when it is applied, it is in a just and fair way and it does not target students
Simranjeet Singh, Mcmaster Students' Union President
ABOUT THE BYLAW
The nuisance party bylaw was approved by city council on Sept. 14 and came into effect immediately.
According to the definition outlined in the bylaw, a nuisance party is considered an event that results in
The bylaw details the consequences for hosting or participating in such an event.
“Under the bylaw, it is an offence to sponsor, conduct, continue, host, create, allow, cause or permit a nuisance party. Attendees of a nuisance party may be charged if they fail to immediately leave upon the order of police. If charged an individual host, property owner or attendee can face up to $10,000 for a first offence and $25,000 for any subsequent offence related a nuisance party,” said Monica Ciriello, director of Hamilton licensing and bylaw services in a statement emailed to the Silhouette.
If charged an individual host, property owner or attendee can face up to $10,000 for a first offence and $25,000 for any subsequent offence related a nuisance party
Monica Ciriello, director of Hamilton licensing and bylaw services
According to a document on the city of Hamilton website, a breakdown of administrative penalties for the bylaw are as follows:
| Designated Bylaw & Section | Short Form Wording | Set Penalty |
| 4 | Sponsoring, conducting, continuing, hosting, creating, causing, allowing or permitting a Nuisance Party | $500 |
| 5 | Attending a nuisance party | $300 |
| 6 | Owner/occupant allowing, causing or permitting a nuisance party | $300 |
| 10 | Using a highway that has been closed without authority | $300 |
| 11 | Removing or defacing any barricade or highway sign without authority | $300 |
| 12 | Failing to comply with order to cease nuisance party | $400 |
| 13 | Failling to comply with order to leave premise | $300 |
| 21 | Obstructing an officer | $400 |
Unique to Hamilton’s iteration of the nuisance party bylaw is the addition of the University District Safety Initiative. The UDSI was developed in partnership between the city and HPS to further support the enforcement of the bylaw and its goals.
“During specific time periods during the year; specifically, St. Patrick’s Day, Homecoming and “Fake Homecoming”, the “University District Safety Initiative” would be in effect and nuisance parties within them would be subject to a zero-tolerance approach, acting to minimize the negative effects of an ongoing nuisance party and ensuring those involved are held accountable,” stated the Sept. 6 report.
In essence, the City of Hamilton does not need to declare a nuisance party in order to ticket people who are participating in large unsanctioned gatherings around McMaster.
The area covered by the UDSI spans the east side of McMaster campus, north of Main St. W. between Forsyth Ave to King St. W. and Main St. W. to Oak Knoll Dr. It also covers south of campus from Main St. W. to Baxter St and Bowman St. To Dow Av. This notably includes the area where FOCO occurred last year.
The UDSI is currently in effect from 12:00 a.m. on Sept. 28 to 11:59 p.m. on Oct. 2.
SIMILAR BYLAWS IN OTHER CITIES
Waterloo, London, Guelph, Brampton and Kingston all have implemented similar bylaws. Waterloo and Kingston were both directly consulted by Hamilton in preparation of the Sept. 6 report. Hamilton’s iteration of the nuisance party bylaw is remarkably similar to Kingston’s bylaw.
“Each representative [of bylaw enforcement in other municipalities] was supportive of nuisance party provisions, indicating it was beneficial to officers as an additional enforcement tool,” stated the bylaw report from Sept. 6.
The Silhouette reached out to the students’ unions at both the University of Waterloo and Queens University about whether they felt their bylaws have been used as an effective “enforcement tool”.
Alma Mater Society Queen’s Commissioner of External Affairs Sahiba Gulati said the bylaws did not stop students from forming large gatherings.
“With the bylaws in place [in Kingston], there have been some incidents where students were being wrongfully ticketed when passing by or not able to enter their student houses due to bylaw officers breaking up large gatherings on their streets. Last year especially was a bad year for us as we had police contact from all over the GTA including police on horses for the situation, making our students feel unsafe,” said Gulati in an emailed statement to the Silhouette.
Waterloo Undergraduate Student Association President Stephanie Ye Mowe shared similar sentiments about the effectiveness from the city of Waterloo’s bylaw.
“Nuisance bylaws can be useful tools, but fear of fines aren’t keeping students off the streets in this case and municipalities should recognize the risk of bylaws being weaponized against student communities,” said Ye Mowe in an emailed statement to the Silhouette.
Nuisance bylaws can be useful tools, but fear of fines aren’t keeping students off the streets in this case and municipalities should recognize the risk of bylaws being weaponized against student communities
Stephanie Ye MOwe, Waterloo Undergraduate Student Association President
THE ISSUES AND WHAT IT MEANS FOR STUDENTS
Upon a thorough reading of the Sept. 6 report, many contradictions were made with reference to how the bylaw will be enacted. The report makes reference to McMaster’s 2021 homecoming weekend; however, there has not been a university sanctioned homecoming event since 2019.
The report also states there were nearly 5,000 individuals in attendance at last year’s FOCO. While this is an accurate statement, it must be noted the city’s report does not acknowledge that the majority of charged “attendees” were not McMaster students.
The bylaw does not effectively state how these consequences will be enforced. As Singh noted, there is a worry that this bylaw will be used to target students, rather than be used as a tool to deter nuisance parties.
Hennick also stated external officers will be brought in to support HPS in their operations during the 2022 fake homecoming weekend. There is a large discrepancy between city spending of resources on last year’s FOCO compared to the St. Patrick’s Day party earlier this year, $27,000 and $202,858.05 respectively. Although Hennick indicated that the FOCO costs were only an estimation, this is still a large difference between costs.
Surveillance cameras have been set up on Dalewood Ave. with signs informing the community of their presence.
The Sept. 6 report goes on to break down four different reasons as to why the nuisance party bylaw would not be an effective use of city resources. First, police will always have to be present at large gatherings, which will always have a cost. Second, bylaw and police officers might not be able to determine who is responsible for causing a nuisance party. Third, as nuisance parties are advertised on social media, it further makes it difficult to determine who started it. Fourth and finally, a large number of attendees trespass on private property during a nuisance party, but the party does not necessarily involve the property owner or tenants. These properties are victims of nuisance parties, not active participants.
The city outlined the above issues, yet still maintained that it is for the good of the community to enact this bylaw.
“Despite these limitations, the inclusion of remedial costs allows for partial cost recovery for city services [and] may act as a deterrent for those considering hosting or creating a nuisance party,” stated the report.
The city of Hamilton failed to consider that students also comprise the community and the creation of this bylaw has the potential to damage their sense of community safety. This begs the question: why are students exempt from this feeling of community safety?
Why are students exempt from this feeling of community safety?
Ye Mowe weighed in on how nuisance bylaws had affected student morale living in Waterloo.
“Students have a reasonable right to enjoyment within their municipalities, just as any other residents. And even though bylaws may be created with good intentions, students and student associations have noted that bylaws can be over enforced in student neighbourhoods – having a negative, long-lasting impact on those who pay the fines and the communities they live in.” said Ye Mowe.
Students have a reasonable right to enjoyment within their municipalities, just as any other residents. And even though bylaws may be created with good intentions, students and student associations have noted that bylaws can be over enforced in student neighbourhoods – having a negative, long-lasting impact on those who pay the fines and the communities they live in.
Stephanie Ye MOwe, Waterloo Undergraduate Student Association President
Along the same lines, McMaster students should be cognizant that their elected Ward 1 councillor, who has stated that she will look out for their interests while they are students in Hamilton, was also the leading voice behind the creation of this bylaw which seemingly targets students at McMaster University.
The provincial university advocacy group, Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance, released a policy paper in 2020 outlining the stance that students deserve equal treatment under Ontario municipal bylaws and should not be targeted, discriminated against or challenged by bylaw enforcement simply for being a student compared to a permanent resident of a city.
OUSA called on the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing to create a system with accountability to better protect students from discriminatory bylaws. The organization also called on the Ministry of the Attorney General to release a statement, setting the precedence for students' status as a proxy of age, marital status or recipient of public assistance to grant more protection under the Ontario Human Rights Code.
The Sept. 6 report states that the nuisance party bylaw would be used as another tool to send a message to Hamiltonians that large unsanctioned gatherings would not be tolerated across the city. However, the UDSI was created to specifically target the areas surrounding McMaster University and expedite the process of declaring a nuisance party. McMaster University wasn’t consulted on which parts of the community would be considered for the UDSI, which already leaves out large areas of student housing and family homes in the west end of Hamilton.
“Again, we weren't involved in that process . . . I don't want to speculate. I'm not sure how they are they drew the maps, but certainly it is centered within our student community,” said Van Koughnett.
It should also be noted that landlords could be at risk of receiving fines on their property taxes due to the nuisance party bylaw; however, the same recurring issue of how the bylaw will be administered comes up once more.
“[The nuisance party bylaw] may encourage property owners/landlords to amend rental lease conditions for tenants to preclude these types of nuisance behaviours on the property,” stated the Sept. 6 report.
THE RECEPTION
The university, the MSU and the city are all concerned for public safety and the risk such large unsanctioned gatherings pose to the community. These concerns are warranted given not only the damage caused by last year’s FOCO, but also the events taking place at other universities, including Western University and University of Guelph, over the past few weeks at their own homecoming parties.
Both university administration and members of the MSU expressed their support for measures to mitigate these damages; however, they were also concerned about the implications of the current bylaw specifically for student safety.
“We support efforts to try to avoid and minimize the risks associated with large gatherings. So, if this bylaw helps to do that — and we hope that it does have an impact — then that’s a good thing . . . from the university standpoint, one of our main concerns is student health and safety. Anytime you get a large gathering like that, that's not managed in any way and there's obviously alcohol and other substances involved, there's a high degree of risk,” said Van Koughnett.
Singh echoed Van Koughnett’s thoughts and he also raised concerns about the potential for use of unnecessary force in the enforcement of the bylaw.
“[The MSU] shared concerns that some items may be up to interpretation by law enforcement when they actually are applying the bylaw and we're worried that may lead to cases of misapplication of force,” said Singh.
The city of Hamilton, McMaster University and the MSU have spent the week leading up to FOCO 2022 trying to educate students on the financial repercussions that the bylaw may have. Van Koughnett went door-to-door on Dalewood Ave. and visited students’ homes to chat with them about the implications of the imminent street party.
The city of Hamilton has also left flyers on the doorsteps of houses in the UDSI, informing potential partygoers of the new bylaw and warning them of the associated consequences through the nuisance party bylaw.
“Different partners are trying to use the tools at their disposal to try to manage this type of situation. So, in our case with McMaster, we tried to do a lot of education upfront and in this case one of our priorities is to educate students about this new bylaw because none of us want to see students . . . many of whom are trying to make financial ends meet, with a heavy fine,” said Van Koughnett.
I’m on Dalewood this morning to educate students about the #hamont new nuisance by-law, which carries fines of up to $10K, and to discourage the large gatherings that pose significant risks to the health & safety of our neighbours & @McMasterU community members. pic.twitter.com/rAukdpkjeD
— Sean Van Koughnett (@Sean_VK) September 26, 2022
We’ll see if the city’s efforts pay off to deter students from gathering on Dalewood Ave. this year.
This is an ongoing story.
C/O Randy Kay, Unsplash
Hamiltonians, including students, will be heading to the polls again in October 2022
This year is a busy one for democracy in Ontario. After having gone to the polls in June to elect their provincial representatives, Hamiltonians will do so once again on Oct. 24 to elect the municipal government.
In Hamilton, the positions that will be decided in this upcoming election include the city’s mayor, 15 city councillors, 11 English Public School Board trustees, nine English Catholic School Board trustees, one French public school board trustee and one French Catholic School Board trustee.
Candidates were first able to file their nomination paperwork starting on May 2. They have until Aug. 19 to submit these forms, or if they choose, to withdraw their nomination.
As of July 28, the candidates for Hamilton’s mayor, included Keanin Loomis, a former chamber of commerce chief; Ejaz Butt, a former taxi union official; Bob Bratina, a former Hamilton mayor 2010 to 2014 and Andrea Horwath, who will be leaving her Hamilton Centre seat to enter the race. After having severed the city as mayor for three terms and as a city counsellor before that, current Mayor Fred Eisenberger has chosen not seek re-election.
Hamilton is composed of 15 wards and one city counsellor from each ward will be elected to represent their community’s interests on the city council. Most students reside in Ward 1. As of July 7, there were two candidates for Ward 1’s counsellor: incumbent Maureen Wilson and Ian MacPherson.
Students are eligible to vote in the upcoming election so long as they are Canadian citizens, at least 18 years of age, are residents of Hamilton — this includes if you are a tenant in the city — and are not otherwise disqualified from voting. Students who consider their home municipality — the city they may return to live in when they are not attending school — are eligible to vote in both the election in their hometown as well as the city of Hamilton’s election.
Students are eligible to vote in the upcoming election so long as they are Canadian citizens, at least 18 years of age, are residents of Hamilton — this includes if you are a tenant in the city — and are not otherwise disqualified from voting. Students who consider their home municipality — the city they may return to live in when they are not attending school — are eligible to vote in both the election in their hometown as well as the city of Hamilton’s election.
A voters’ list will be prepared for Sept. 1. In order to add, confirm or update your information, students will need to visit www.voterlookup.ca. To add your name or to make changes to the voters’ list after Sept. 1, you will need to contact the municipal clerk, who is responsible for organizing the election.
Additionally, like all voters, in order to vote on election day, students will need to show identification offering proof of their residence in Hamilton. For students living in residence, they should be able to receive a document offering proof of residence from their post-secondary institution. For students living off campus, this could include a utility bill or a transcript from their post-secondary institution.
There are a number of ways individuals can vote in Oct. Students will be able to vote by mail, at advance polls and on election day.
While the location of advanced polls are still to be announced, there will be located in each ward and they are slated to be open on Oct. 7 and 14 from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. as well as Oct. 8 and 15 from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
On election day, there will be polls at post-secondary institutions in the city, including McMaster University, Mohawk College and Redeemer University. At these locations, the city is planning to pilot their “ballot on demand” system.
On election day, there will be polls at post-secondary institutions in the city, including McMaster University, Mohawk College and Redeemer University. At these locations, the city is planning to pilot their “ballot on demand” system.
At a “ballot on demand” poll, there will be an e-poll book and printer, allowing for staff to provide voters with a ballot form in any ward — not just the ward the polling station is located in. This system allows voters to cast their ballot without having to go out of their way to a polling station Voters will still be required to show identification in order to vote.
While these are still early days for election, some issues expected to be raised include the ongoing housing crisis in the city, the COVID-19 pandemic, the development of the LRT and the urban boundary expansion. These issues and how they are decided will have important implications for students and their time in this city, making it important to be informed and participate in this election.
