April Earth Day edition

Hello, Ward 12!

Welcome to the Earth Day edition of our newsletter. My personal mantra is “Every day is Earth Day”, but this coming Saturday, April 22 is the internationally recognized annual Earth Day which first occurred in 1970. In this edition, you will find several events throughout the City for the coming weekend. There are several options that are happening concurrently on Saturday, so you have lots to choose from. On Saturday, April 22, I will be at the Greenbelt Protection Rally and then the McMaster Earth Day Tree Planting event, and on Sunday, April 23 at 3 pm, I will be hosting the community clean up starting behind the Ancaster Library.

Also in this edition is an article about our plans to establish native pollinator gardens at the Library/Municipal Centre. This will be a project in cooperation with Butterflyway Hamilton which I have been a part of since 2021. We're looking for volunteers if you are interested.

You find a link to watch the neighbourhood meeting for the proposed development at 509 Southcote Rd that was held in March. You can read about the Hamilton Council on Aging; about what's being done to ensure water pressure for residents on Lower Lions Club Rd; and there is a short report on road surface improvements happening soon on Academy St and Church St.

Finally, you can look forward to the promised 2023 budget edition of our newsletter in the very near future once we have some final details from staff. For the time being, I hope you have an excellent Earth Day and I hope to see you at one of the events.

Join the Westmount Eco Ninjas on Earth Day April 22 at the Farm Boy / Shoppers Drugmart Plaza at the corner of Mohawk Rd and Magnolia Dr. Bring your signs, your neighbours, and your voice! Let’s tell Doug Ford we value our foodland and wetlands!

Green Venture is Hamilton’s lead agency to promote sustainable living ideas. They helped pioneer the use of Blue Boxes, Green Carts, and rain barrels. Celebrate Earth Day with two events hosted by Green Venture!

April 22 from 10 am - 12 pm. Join their NATURhoods Ask the Experts Drop-In Day at Veevers House. Learn about adding green infrastructure and naturalized elements to your property and come with questions about native plants, rainscaping and more!

April 22nd from 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm. Registrations are now open for their Earth Day Market Tree Walk! Increase your awareness of urban forest benefits, learn about medicinal plants, and how to forage wild foods, AND increase your tree ID skills. For the second year in a row, Green Venture will be hosting a tree walk as part of the Earth Day Market at Gage Park. Learn more and sign up HERE

The McMaster Centre for Climate Change in collaboration with Nature at McMaster, the Academic Sustainability Programs Office, and Trees for Hamilton are working to develop a model forest. This Carbon Sink Forest will facilitate carbon sequestration by planting trees to help mitigate climate change. It will also help preserve biodiversity, sustainability, and conservation, and improve air quality and human health.

The goal of this event is to plant 300 trees that will gradually develop the McMaster Carbon Sink Forest. Established on a one-hectare plot beside McMaster Forest lands in west Hamilton, this tree planting event is accessible by walking, biking, public transit (HSR Bus Route 51 and the 05), or car (there is an additional parking lot at the Wentworth Area, that is a 4-minute walk from the tree planting site). The full address is 1213 Wilson St. E., Hamilton ON, L8S 4K5. Register HERE

Let’s clean up all those 'treasures’ the snow has been hiding! Everyone is welcome on Sunday, April 23 at 3 pm for the Ward 12 office’s first community clean-up event! Bring the kids and the Grandparents too, and let’s pick up all the litter that has accumulated over the winter months. No RSVP is required, but if you are planning to come, feel free to let us know at [email protected]

Where: Meet at the rear entrance of the Ancaster Municipal Service Centre at 300 Wilson St E (behind the Ancaster Library). Bike racks and car parking are available.

When: Sunday, April 23 at 3 pm

What to bring: We will supply cloth gloves and plastic bags. Please bring sturdy (and if you have it) water-resistant footwear, a hat, sunscreen, and water. Maybe even a wagon if you have one!

See you on Sunday!

Want to learn how to help sustain native pollinators in your yard? Come garden with us! The Ward 12 office is committed to combating climate change, increasing biodiversity, and helping native pollinator species thrive in Hamilton. This is why we have big plans for the gardens behind our office in the Municipal Service Center. Over the coming weeks, we will be creating a native pollinator garden to attract and support local pollinators, and everyone is invited to come play a part. If you are interested in helping to create the garden and learning how to garden with native plants join (David Suzuki Foundation) Butterflyway Ranger / Councillor Craig, then drop us a line at [email protected] and we’ll let you know when you can join us! See you in the garden 😀 

If you missed the neighbourhood meeting in March you can watch the recording HERE. Send your comments about the proposal to the emails listed on our website: Craigcassar.ca. Navigate to >Ward12 >Development >509 Southcote.

The Hamilton Council on Aging (HCoA) is a non-profit charitable organization that was founded in 2005 when the need for an independent group that focuses on and addresses the systemic issues that affect the aging experience was identified. HCoA recognized that some seniors fall through the cracks between existing agencies and government departments and have worked hard to close that gap. There are so many resources available on their website that many will find useful including the Age-Friendly Guide to Outdoor Recreational Trails found under “Things to Do” HERE

The City of Hamilton is looking to build a new water pumping station that will replace the existing station on Main Street West close to Whitney Ave. The pumping station was built in 1968 and is in need of an upgrade to enhance water-system security and reliability for residents of Ward 1, Ward 13, as well as residents of Ward 12 on Lower Lions Club Road. The question is, where should it be constructed? That’s where residents of Pressure District 17 come in! All homes in the Pressure District will receive a mailed notice in late April. A recording of public information session (PIC) #2 will be available to view on the city’s website between April 29 and May 19. Online feedback is welcome during that period. Have your say! Learn more, watch the recording of PIC #1, and watch the presentation for PIC #2 after April 29 HERE.

Church St. E and Academy St. will be getting a facelift beginning end of April/ early May. Both streets are part of an awarded construction contract funded through the Canada Community Building Fund and were chosen by Councillor Ferguson prior to his departure from the Ward 12 office. Work will include road rehabilitation with minor concrete repairs where required.

Find out about past and future construction projects city-wide HERE

All the best to everyone from Sherri, Nancy and Craig in the Ward 12 office!