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- Craig's Current - February 2025
Craig's Current - February 2025
Craig Cassar
February 28, 2025
Welcome to another jam-packed edition of Craig’s Current where I do my best to summarize and share all of the important news happening at City Hall, in Ward 12, and around the City. The most urgent news is that the Ancaster Community Food Drive is happening tomorrow (Saturday, March 1) and volunteers are still needed. Please see that article for details. There is news about development activity happening all around the ward: on Wilson St E, on Southcote Rd, and on Stone Church Rd. In this issue, you’ll also find information about our next town hall on March 19, and the new volunteer program we are organizing to connect volunteers to clear windrows for those in need next time we have a large snowfall. But the hottest topic this month has been the start of the declaration period for the new Vacant Unit Tax (VUT), so that’s where we’ll start.
VACANT UNIT TAX
The Vacant Unit Tax (VUT) notification letter was mailed on February 7th, but due to Canada Post delivery delays, many of you have only recently received it over the past few days.
Further, many residents have encountered frustrating challenges while attempting to make their declaration online or by phone, and my office has received many legitimate complaints. I agree that the registration process is far below expectations, so I called a meeting with the General Manager in charge of the VUT. I have shared all of the concerns you've shared with me, and I can report that City Staff are aware of the issues and are doing everything in their power to improve the experience. Please keep reading for an update on the VUT declaration process.
The Vacant Unit Tax declaration is a new, annual process that all residential property owners need to complete for each residential property they own. Almost everyone will simply need to indicate that their home was occupied in 2024 and is not a vacant home. Units that were unoccupied for more than 183 days in 2024 are subject to a 1% Vacant Unit Tax, however, there are many exemptions to this criteria1.
I've already made the declaration for my home via the online portal, and it took about three minutes to complete. However, many of you have experienced unacceptable technical challenges with the online portal and with phone calls to the City. Further, some of the details of the program have been unclear. Below are the key points that I think will be most helpful for you. For all the details, you can access the City's official VUT page at City of Hamilton VUT
***Key Information about the new Vacant Unit Tax***
ALL residential property owners need to make a declaration for each property owned, even for the home they live in. Why? The City does not have any reliable method to independently identify a) vacant units, b) if multiple units have the same owner, or c) what the primary residence might be if multiple units are owned.
There is lots of time to make your declaration. The declaration period is open until April 30, 2025. You do not need to rush. You can declare online, by phone, at City Hall, or in person at a Municipal Service Centre. Use the webpage link provided above for the details.
Before you can submit your declaration, you'll need to create an account with the City of Hamilton. You may have already done this in the past. This is a one-time action that will not need to be repeated next year.
For this first year of the program, there is no penalty for a late declaration. Some residents have been alarmed because the VUT notice letter mentions a large fine. That fine would be issued for fraudulent claims and does not apply to honest Hamiltonians.
The online portal has been unreliable. City Staff know that many residents are experiencing delays or failures when making their declaration online. This is due to the high demand for a system with limited capacity. Unfortunately, there is no quick fix, but Staff are exploring ways to simplify the process. The declaration period is open until April 30. Please try again in a short while.
Here is a short video with instructions on how to complete your declaration online: How to submit your Vacant Unit Tax declaration online
Residents calling the City are experiencing long delays. The City has been experiencing an unprecedented number of phone calls because of several hot topics: snow-clearing, the VUT, a measles outbreak, the Provincial election, and the delay in receiving interim property tax bills (see the next article). City Staff are aware of this problem and are working hard to alleviate it as much as possible. There is no single quick fix, but they are adapting where they can. If you are prompted to leave a voicemail, you can leave your property details (Roll number, access code etc.) and Staff can complete your declaration and send you a confirmation.
Why does the VUT program exist?
The VUT is one aspect of a many-pronged strategy to increase the amount of housing in Hamilton. The objective is to get people into homes that are currently sitting empty, including units owned by out-of-town speculators who are sitting on vacant properties.
Footnotes
1 Exemptions to the Vacant Unit Tax. No tax is payable in these situations:
Principal residence: the residential unit is the principal residence (i.e. home) of the owner
Death of an owner: the exemption applies to the year of death, plus one subsequent year only.
Major renovations: major renovations or redevelopment make occupation of a unit impossible for more than 183 days in the same calendar year, provided a building permit has been issued.
Sale of the property: the Vacant Unit Tax will not apply in the year of the sale if the transfer is to an unrelated individual or corporation.
Principal resident is in care, institutionalized or hospitalized: the period of time when the principal resident resides in a hospital, long-term or a supportive care facility.
Court order: if a court order prohibiting occupancy of the residential property is in effect.
Non-profit housing: the exemption applies for designated housing projects owned and operated by non-profit corporations.
PROPERTY TAX BILLS
My office is aware that some residents still haven't received their property tax bill, and the first installment payment is due on Friday, February 28th. I can share that the City has followed the same legislatively required timelines they do every year and mailed the bills on February 7th, which was 21 days before the payment deadline. The cause of late deliveries appears to lie with Canada Post. City of Hamilton Senior Management is aware of the delays, is monitoring the situation, and is considering waiving penalty charges for a 30-day period, effectively creating a payment deadline extension to March 31, 2025. An update is expected at the March 5th Council meeting.
CITY HOUSING HAMILTON ANNOUNCEMENT
I often get asked, "What is the City doing about the housing crisis?"
I've previously shared the work being led by the new Housing Secretariat including the Housing Sustainability and Investment Roadmap, a strategic plan to tackle the issue holistically. (Links below)
In February, City Housing Hamilton (CHH), the City's affordable housing provider, had some fantastic news to share. They have achieved the goal of making nearly 500 affordable homes available for Hamiltonians! Early in this term of Council, we approved $3.8 million for CHH to renovate these homes that had been in a state of neglect and were sitting vacant.
Please visit this link for the full announcement.
You can read more about CHH and their projects here
Info on the Housing Secretariat is here
The Housing Sustainability and Investment Roadmap is here
TUNE IN!
There is so much to gain from watching City Council and Committee meetings. Every decision Councillors make is based on the information provided by our Staff and feedback from citizens. What is read in the news is often a scant summary of the detailed discussions around very complex topics. I encourage everyone to take some time to watch a meeting of your choice to gain an understanding of the time and effort that precedes each and every vote. You can watch meetings live as they happen or watch the recording later, on the City’s YouTube channel. Follow along with what’s being discussed by reading the Staff reports and appendices. They can all be found on the Council meeting calendar.
ANCASTER FOOD DRIVE TOMORROW!
Please help! Volunteers are still needed to fill many unclaimed food pick-up routes for tomorrow's (Saturday, March 1st) Ancaster Community Food Drive, and to return signs to the Fairgrounds after the event.
You can sign up online for a route here
Or email the organizers at [email protected]
Other ways to help:
1) Leave your non-perishable food donations on your porch by 9am on Saturday, March 1st
2) Drop off non-perishable food donations at one of the Ancaster Fire Stations from February 22nd to March 1st
3) Make a financial donation to Ancaster Community Services – please select Ancaster Community Food Drive from the drop-down menu here.
Let's all work together to make this the best Ancaster Food Drive ever!
DOWNTOWN ANCASTER DEVELOPMENT
The developers of the Marr-Phillipo site (Wilson and Academy) and the former Brandon House site (Wilson and Rousseaux) have recently resubmitted their respective development applications requesting an amendment to Hamilton's Official Plan (OP). Each of the applications is identical to the proposal they had previously submitted. The obvious questions you might be asking are 'Why are they doing this?', 'How can they do this?', and/or 'What's the City's position?' I would like to walk you through where we are on the applications and what to expect in the coming weeks and months. Please read my full statement on my website
WARD 12 TOWN HALL: MARCH 19, 2025
Save the date! The next Ward 12 town hall will be held on Wednesday, March 19 at the Ancaster Memorial Arts Centre. The topic will be Community Safety with the Hamilton Police Service’s Division 3 Leadership and Crime Managers present. More details to follow.
CALLING WINDROW VOLUNTEERS!
A windrow is that aggravating pile of snow that the plow leaves at the end of your driveway. In Hamilton, and most other municipalities, it is the responsibility of the property owner to remove it.
We know that clearing windrows is very difficult (impossible!) for some residents so we are putting out a call for volunteers who would, depending on availability on the day, volunteer to clear the windrow from the driveway of an elderly or disabled resident who does not have a family member at home to do it. If you’d like to volunteer and be paired with someone who needs help, please email or call our office.
Further background on windrow removal:
In 2023, Council directed staff to investigate the possibility of enhancing snow clearing service to include windrows. The full report ("Winter Control") from December 4, 2023, is available public works committee agenda. Council did not pursue adding windrow removal to the service level as it would require up to $27 million annually. That equates to a property tax increase of over 2%. As we are already dealing with rapidly increasing costs of existing services, there was no appetite to add this item to the property tax bill.
Later in 2025, Staff will be providing Councill with a full debrief on the challenges and opportunities related to the snowstorms we’ve had so far this year.
FALKIRK FOREST / TIFFANY CREEK HEADWATERS
To those asking about the construction activity occurring on the south side of Stone Church Rd. just west of the roundabout at Omni Blvd (outlined in pink on this map), here is some information: The lot is privately owned and is zoned ‘Agricultural’ which means a single-family residence is permitted. A building permit to construct a single dwelling has been granted. This is not a decision that comes to Council since the zoning permits a home. The work occurring now is related to driveway construction. Community members have raised concerns that correct construction protocols are not being followed, and my office has inquired with City Staff.
This parcel is one of a very few privately owned properties in the Tiffany Creek Headwaters and tree removal is permitted here. Other owners of land in the area are:
Hamilton Conservation Authority (Green hatches)
Infrastructure Ontario (Yellow hatches)
Roman Catholic Diocese (Purple hatches)
City of Hamilton (Blue hatches)
Private ownership: (Red outline)
My office recognizes this is a significant natural area that should be protected. With that in mind, I have recently met with both the Hamilton Conservation Authority and the City of Hamilton Real Estate division to explore possibilities for protecting these lands in the Tiffany Creek Headwaters.
509 SOUTHCOTE ROAD
The City and owner of 509 Southcote reached a settlement in January 2025, meaning permission is granted for 59 three-storey street townhouse dwellings arranged in 10 blocks fronting onto a private condominium road.
Disappointingly, only four out of a total of 376 live trees on site will be preserved. Unfortunately, years ago, the City had zoned this area for residential development and not as a core (natural) area, so there was no defense available to the City to preserve the mature trees on this lot. This is not at all the outcome my office hoped for and really underscores the impact that historical zoning decisions have on planning decisions, even decades later.
A revised tree protection plan will require the developer to provide compensation for trees that will be removed. Increased setbacks to the northern and eastern property lines have been included, namely: the northerly side yard will be a minimum of 9.2 meters from any dwelling unit’s rear wall and a minimum of 4.5 meters for any end dwelling unit’s side wall. The easterly setback will be 7.5 meters. At this time my office does not have any indication of when development might begin on this property.
Note that more than the required minimum number of parking spaces will be provided to reduce the chances of parking spill-over along Moorland Crescent and Burbridge Way.
RICHARDSON HYSLOP FREBOLD HOUSE
A quick update on Richardson Hyslop Frebold House at 243 Garner Road East. The removal of the sludge that was dumped on the property is under the supervision of the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks. I will share any information from them as I receive it.
As for the house itself, my staff and I met with representatives from Losani Homes on January 21 and discussed both their plans for the development of the property and the maintenance of the historic house. It was my understanding that Losani would commit to regular inspections of the house to identify any maintenance issues that arise, so they can be dealt with quickly. These included:
- Roof Inspection
- Eavestroughs
- Downspouts
- Internal inspection
My office has followed up with Losani on three occasions, January 22, February 5, and February 12 asking for an update. We are still awaiting a reply.
In case you are interested, Losani’s contact details are [email protected] and 905-561-1700
BLUE BOX PROGRAM IS CHANGING
Beginning April 1, 2025, the City of Hamilton will no longer supply blue boxes to residents and the current distribution of blue boxes at Municipal Service Centres and Community Recycling Centres will end. Effective April 1, 2025, Circular Materials Ontario will be responsible for the distribution of blue boxes to existing residents and those moving into new developments. More information to follow as to how residents will acquire blue boxes in these scenarios. Learn more at City of Hamilton Blue Box Transition
REPORT A POTHOLE, SINKHOLE OR ROAD CUT
As temperatures warm a little bit and fluctuate around the freezing mark, we’re seeing the annual increase in new potholes on our roads. Residents can play an important role in drawing City Staff’s attention to needed repairs.
For city-maintained streets, you can report potholes, sinkholes, deteriorating road cuts, and the need for street sweeping to deal with road dust or debris on the road.
Learn more at Road and Sidewalk Maintenance
For Provincial routes, call MTO at 1-866-636-0663.
OFFICE EXPENDITURES
In the interest of transparency, I wanted to draw your attention to the Councillor and Leadership Expenses page on the City of Hamilton website. The link will take you to the city-wide office budget page. Set the filter to the year 2023 as that is the latest year that has been uploaded and additionally, 2023 reflects the first full year I was in office, having been elected in October 2022. Prior years reflect the expenditures of the former Councillor. When the 2024 office budget numbers are uploaded to the City website I will share them.
Free admission and parking at the Gage Park Greenhouse for this year’s Spring Tide show! Donations to Hamilton Food Share are appreciated. Canned goods and monetary donations will be accepted. Learn more here.
CLIMATE CAFE
Green Venture will be hosting Climate Cafés in 2025—informal, inclusive spaces where community members can come together to discuss climate change, its local impacts, and practical solutions for our city. These gatherings aim to foster meaningful dialogue, share ideas, and empower individuals to take action that contributes to a sustainable, low-carbon future for Hamilton.
Potential topics include water conservation and protection, energy efficiency and reducing emissions, sustainable waste management, and other community-driven solutions. By focusing on these issues, Green Venture hopes to spark ideas and partnerships that address the unique challenges and opportunities in Hamilton.
Green Venture is currently seeking partners to help facilitate or support these cafés, whether through co-hosting, providing venues, translation and accessibility services, promotion, or contributing expertise.
If you or your organization would be interested in collaborating, please email their Energy Program Coordinator Nicole at: [email protected]
THANK YOU
Thanks as always to everyone who reaches out to engage with our office. I hope you enjoyed reading this month’s newsletter. Please share it with Ward 12 neighbours and friends. If you have questions feel free to reach out to us at [email protected] and subscribe to the Ward 12 newsletter at CraigCassar.ca. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and Bluesky.