Craig's Current - July 2026

Author

Craig Cassar
July 31, 2026

Hello, Ward 12.  It’s been an eventful July with very hot temperatures and several days of very bad air quality due to wildfires in Northern Ontario. I hope you managed through it well. There has been a lot happening at City Hall and in Ward 12. There’s a bit of a ‘roads’ theme in this edition as there are several articles relating to road work and road safety. I hope you can find some time to read this month’s issue of Craig’s Current and get caught up. 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

**Remember, please click ‘Read Online’ above for the contents links to function fully.

HAPPENING AROUND HAMILTON 
Various events around town

AI Data Centres

At its July 15, 2026, meeting, Hamilton City Council voted against implementing an interim control bylaw (ICBL) to impose a one-year moratorium on the development of AI data centres in Hamilton. Many passionate Hamiltonians were engaged in this topic via hundreds of letters sent to Council and many in-person delegations at City Hall. Thank you to those of you who contributed.

On July 17, I issued a detailed statement providing insight into this complex topic and how I reached my decision to vote against the bylaw. You can read that on my website: CraigCassar.ca under ‘Public Statements’.

A couple of months ago, I didn’t know much about AI or data centres but have spent a great deal of time educating myself, so in this article I will share what I have learned about possible data centre proposals in Hamilton and City Council’s jurisdiction to make decisions about them.

First of all, I learned that AI data centres can be categorized into two broad categories: 

  1. Private, hyperscale projects used for generative and consumer AI

  2. Small-scale projects used by scientists for research and analytical work

I share the concerns about hyperscale data centres and am cognizant of the very adverse effects that hyperscalers can have on the communities where they are built. For context, hyperscale is considered 100MW or more. For comparison a large car manufacturing facility uses between 20-50 MW.  There are currently prospective data centre projects being considered for Hamilton which were reported in the news and sparked the consideration of an Interim Control Bylaw - ICBL – or, more simply put, a one-year moratorium on data centre development. 

Unfortunately, there was some incorrect reporting by the Spectator on their size and electricity use (200MW instead of 20MW) that has now been corrected (see below). Both projects would be small-scale (well below the hyperscale threshold), and both would be built in already existing buildings. 

Digital Research Alliance of Canada (DRAC) project is proposed to be built in an existing building next to CN Rail at 386 Wilcox Street, on the Steelport Industrial Lands. It would be a maximum of 20 MW. DRAC is a non-profit organization funded by the Canadian government. Its purpose would be to provide compute capacity for Canadian university researchers at no cost. Currently, researchers must purchase very costly compute time from US Cloud providers like Microsoft, and having that data under US control puts it at risk. DRAC is recommending to the Federal Government that the facility have closed-loop direct-to-chip cooling, which uses far less water than other methods. There would be no fans that cause the noise issues found in the US centers, and the servers would share space with offices inside a sound-insulated building. 

A map of Hamilton’s Bayfront Industrial Area, including the former Stelco lands where the Digital Research Alliance of Canada has applied for federal funding to build a small-scale data centre in an existing building. The red rectangle is the proposed site.

McMaster Innovation Park is considering a project to provide compute capabilities to McMaster and a local partner in the former Hamilton Spectator building at 44 Frid Street. It would be 9 MW with the potential to grow to 39 MW in future phases. In the province's push to build more homes, universities are now exempt from the Planning Act (Bill 185, 2024) and do not need Council approval. They can apply for a building permit at any time since a municipal ICBL wouldn't apply to them.

Hamilton Spectator Building where McMaster proposes a 39MW research data centre at full build-out

As this topic evolved over many weeks, it seemed like it became a referendum on the concept of artificial intelligence and data centres in general, which are topics well beyond municipal jurisdiction. 

For the record, I am not a fan - nor a user - of generative AI. The proliferation of deepfake videos and AI-generated art is incredibly troubling on many levels. Although this technology can provide efficiencies and remove the need for humans to do mundane, repetitive tasks, there are very concerning side effects about the impact on people and their livelihoods across many fields. This is a good time to point out that this newsletter is written exclusively by human beings (me and Ward 12 staff members).

I think the proliferation of AI data centers has many parallels to the impact the Second Industrial Revolution had on society; many productivity gains and quality of life improvements, but also an accumulation of negative externalities that we are now dealing with in the form of air pollution, environmental impact, and climate change.

Specific to the size and potential environmental impact of prospective AI data centres in Hamilton, misinformation has, unfortunately, been circulated by social media and mainstream media. Much of this seems to be grounded in the legitimate horror stories of hyperscale data centres (those that consume several hundred or even thousands of megawatts of energy) in the U.S., where regulation is sparse or non-existent. That is quite different from what exists in Ontario, where both the Federal and Provincial governments are supporting data centre development, but where many regulations are already in place. The result has been a highly polarized public dialogue sharing information that doesn’t reflect the reality in Ontario or Hamilton. 

Steelport (the company that owns 800 acres of former Stelco lands) applied for a land severance as the first step of developing a portion of their lands. One of the possible uses they cited was a data center. A development proposal has not been submitted to the City of Hamilton

Here’s a quick rundown of key facts about the status of AI data centres in Hamilton: 

  • The Province has oversight of water usage from natural sources, air pollution, noise, and also energy usage via the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO), a Crown corporation responsible for managing Ontario’s power grid, the wholesale electricity market, and the province’s future energy needs

  • The federal government has oversight of pollution discharged into water bodies

  • The City has jurisdiction over zoning and local land use, but the Province is ultimately the Chief Planner for Ontario and final decisions on land matters rest with the Province via appeals to the Ontario Land Tribunal or Ministerial Zoning Orders (MZOs)

  • Alectra Utilities has confirmed that, due to the legacy use of steel making at the site, 519MW of electrical capacity is available on the former Stelco lands (site of the possible DRAC proposal and Steelport severance application)

  • Data centres are allowed to be built in industrial zones in Hamilton’s Official Plan

  • The expected proposal from McMaster and s2e for a small-scale research data centre in the former Spectator building at 44 Frid St is for 9MW of power (4.5MW of planned use and 4.5MW as backup power and would use existing electricity capacity). At full build-out, it could be 39MW.

  • The McMaster project is exempt from the Planning Act, as is any development by a public university in Ontario (Bill 185, 2024)

  • The Digital Research Alliance (DRAC) project would, according to The Spectator, be a publicly funded (federal government) small-scale research data centre in an existing building at 386 Wilcox Street on the former Stelco lands, and would require less that 20MW of power (The Spectator originally reported 200 MW, instead of 20 MW)

  • DRAC’s purpose would be to provide compute capacity for Canadian university researchers at no cost. Currently, researchers must purchase costly compute time from US Cloud providers like Microsoft, and having that data under US control puts it at risk

  • Both projects propose to use closed-loop cooling systems that would not use municipal water and would not generate the noise from fans experienced with air-cooled facilities

  • Both projects propose to direct waste heat into a district energy system that can be used to heat air and water in other buildings on the network, reducing costs and greenhouse gas emissions

  • Small-scale data centres already exist in Hamilton  

With that context, let’s return to the decision for Council to impose an ICBL, imposing a one-year moratorium on data centres, so that City Staff could review impacts on water, electricity demand, heat, noise and land use.

I viewed the matter through an environmental and economic lens and also considered the very limited jurisdiction Hamilton has for any industrial development. I’ll point out that Staff had already been given direction to review the standards and framework for data centres, but as noted above, nearly all of the areas of concern are beyond municipal jurisdiction. That Staff report will be in front of Council mid-2027.

With a very small scope of what Staff could actually recommend as new guidelines, etc, I concluded that it would be unwise to effectively end two potentially beneficial projects planned for existing buildings, located in industrial areas, providing compute capacity for university research, built to existing provincial standards with environmental impacts no greater than other industrial projects that the city would very likely approve.

In the meantime, any development project has a clearly defined process it must follow, and many reviews and studies are required to demonstrate it would meet both municipal and provincial standards. So, it’s not a free-for-all like the examples cited south of the border.

I would encourage anyone who is interested in this topic to watch the recording of the public Special Council meeting that was held on July 14, 2026. A wealth of helpful information on this topic was shared with Councillors and the public by three presenters. You can access the presentation slides here: July 14, 2026 Special Council meeting, and watch the video recording here. 

Finally, I've been asked about the similarity of the Interim Control Bylaw Statements from Councillor Hwang and me. Since we had similar perspectives on the topic, we collaborated on the core elements of the message and used that co-created content in each of our statements. 

Elfrida Urban Boundary Expansion vote August 25

Elfrida Community Builders (listed at the link below) have submitted a Secondary Plan application to the City's Planning Department which seeks approval that would help pave the way for a massive, unsustainable urban boundary expansion on the East Hamilton Mountain. The applicants hope that at the August 25, 2026, Planning Committee meeting, Council will vote to approve their plan to cover almost 3,000 acres of prime farmland in Elfrida with low-density housing. Concurrently, they have appealed the City’s June 2025 denial of their application to expand Hamilton’s urban boundary to the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT). Since they don’t yet have an approval for their boundary expansion request, their secondary plan efforts are putting the cart before the horse.

I will vote to DENY the Elfrida Community Builders proposed Secondary Plan. In response to massive public support, Hamilton City Council has voted to maintain a firm urban boundary multiple times since 2021, for so many reasons. Saving farmland and green space, encouraging more density in the city to support business and transit, and most importantly, because low-density sprawl development like this proposal NEVER PAYS FOR ITSELF. The burden of property taxes on residents is a huge concern I hear about all the time, so knowing that an urban expansion will only cost Hamiltonians more, this is the only reason necessary to oppose it. 

As a reminder, Hamilton has a $5.2 billion deficit on infrastructure repairs and upkeep because historical decisions to build sprawling subdivisions in Hamilton have cost us more than they generate in taxes. Simply put, we cannot pay for the infrastructure we already have, and this has led to historic underfunding resulting in poor roads, ageing water and sewer pipes, outdated police stations, recreation centres, and libraries. Building more low-density sprawl would only dig us deeper into that hole, and I will not support it. 

Your comments to Council before the August 25 vote are welcome. Send your email to [email protected] and reference "Aug 25 Planning Committee Elfrida" in the subject line. 

Reports, studies and links to the two public information sessions are at the City's website here.

New Online Planning, Permitting and Licensing Portal

Residents are looking for City services to be easy to access and navigate, so they can get what they need quickly and with as little effort as possible. Historically, this has not often been the reality, but it is a goal of mine and one that all of my Council colleagues share. 

There are several initiatives across the City working towards this goal, but specific to planning and development, the City of Hamilton has officially launched a new online planning, permitting, licensing and by-law system.

This modern system will: 
✔ Speed up application processing 
✔ Provide real-time status updates 
✔ Improve communication and data sharing

The City of Hamilton is focused on putting people first, delivering excellent public service and improving every day. The launch reflects a commitment to resilience, transparency and service excellence, providing faster and more reliable service for residents, businesses, and partners. Learn more: hamilton.ca/pplb.

Hamilton’s Clean Technology Manufacturing Strategy

On July 8, 2026, Council received a presentation outlining Hamilton’s Economic Development Clean Technology Strategy. As we continue to evolve from our Steel Town identity, charting a new direction for economic development is essential. This new strategy outlines a key part of our strategy in the clean tech industry.

Global investment in clean energy and decarbonization solutions recently exceeded $2 trillion. This reflects an ongoing structural shift in capital allocation and industrial renewal. Clean tech is not a single industry. It is an extensive, manufacturing-driven value chain. Electrification, grid modernization, energy retrofits and nuclear power, for example, all require large-scale production of materials and components. Hamilton’s opportunity lies in building and scaling this equipment.

Electrification of transportation and renewable energy projects lead global clean technology investment

Hamilton’s competitive advantage in this sector is anchored in its dense industrial base and established reputation for advanced manufacturing. The city is positioned to manufacture, deploy, and scale clean technologies in real-world industrial settings, strengthening its ability to attract investment and anchor next-generation manufacturing.

Local Businesses are well positioned by support from a strong innovation ecosystem, with McMaster University and Mohawk College contributing applied research and workforce development. A skilled talent pipeline and a City Council that actively supports climate solutions further reinforce the growth potential of clean tech manufacturing in Hamilton.

Hamilton’s Clean Technology Strategy

What This Strategy Delivers (2026–2030)

  • Defines the clean tech manufacturing areas of focus

  • Aligns economic development, workforce, and infrastructure planning

  • Presents an achievable action plan and implementation roadmap

  • Positions Hamilton within broader federal and provincial clean economy incentives

See the reports and presentation slides at item 7.3 here and the video here.

Garner Road Progress Update

As previously reported, Garner Rd E between Springbrook and Raymond Rd was fully closed on July 13 with an expected reopening by September 4th. The following is a brief update from the Construction Manager as of July 27:

  • The contractor has excavated down to subgrade level, below the repair, and will now stabilize the soil for the new structure and repair to the sewer pipe

  • The project remains on schedule for all works to be completed by September 4th

As a reminder, here is an excerpt from the City’s announcement on July 9, 2026:

Why the road is closing

Toward the completion of the project in 2025, a section of sewer was found to require additional repair after unstable ground caused the sewer pipe to sink. Since then, soil stabilization and hand tunnelling were used to complete the repair while keeping traffic moving where possible. Ultimately, these methods were not sufficient to complete the repair. Following the engineering review, it was determined that a different approach was required, and that open-cut construction was necessary to safely complete the repair. 

Open-cut construction involves removing a large section of the roadway to access and repair the sewer and rebuild the road. The excavation will be approximately nine metres deep, making it unsafe to maintain traffic through the work zone.

  • You can read the full announcement here

  • Watch my video response to the city’s announcement here

Ward 12 Roads Town Hall

Road conditions are top of mind for Ward 12 residents, and to that end, on July 23, I held a "Roads Town Hall" at the Ancaster Memorial Arts Centre. Thank you to Staff from Roadway Maintenance and Engineering Services and the many residents who attended.  A wealth of information was shared around Hamilton's road network, the road maintenance process, historical and future road investments, why our roads are in the shape they are in, how roads are prioritized for repairs, and much more. You can watch the recording and view the slides on my website on the Town Halls page.

A big takeaway from the meeting was an explanation of the decades of underfunding, after the 1950s building boom, that has led to the deterioration of our road network. Starting in the late 1940s, the Federal and Provincial governments flowed millions to cities to expand and build infrastructure. Like many Canadian cities, Hamilton built thousands of miles of linear infrastructure: roads, sewers, water mains, bridges, and the services that went along with it, such as schools, police and fire stations, recreation centres, etc. Unfortunately, all that funding from upper levels of government did not come with funding for maintenance, repairs, and renewal. After many decades, we now find ourselves in a severe deficit position. Fortunately, this term of Council has initiated a 10-year investment plan for core assets (which includes roads), and this is what a substantial part of recent property tax increases is paying for.

Above is an overview of planned projects in the Ward, and below is a non-exhaustive list of roadway-related activities in Ward 12 in 2026. Note that the summary does not capture all work undertaken within the Ward. Capital construction projects and roadway resurfacing completed by the Engineering Services Division are not included. Work completed in conjunction with other initiatives or by other divisions is also not reflected.

Roadway Maintenance and Rehabilitation

  • 437 pothole requests initiated and completed

  • Osprey Drive (Cormorant Road to Sandhill Drive): approximately 1.96 km of single-lane resurfacing

  • Martindale Crescent (Golf Links Road to Legend Court): approximately 175 m of single-lane resurfacing

  • Multiple crack repairs, shoulder drop-off repairs, bridge deck spall repairs, roadway surface discontinuity repairs all completed in compliance with Minimum Maintenance Standards (MMS) 

Pavement Markings and Crosswalks

Pavement markings are refreshed annually across the Ward. In addition to routine repainting, new or refreshed ladder crosswalk markings were completed at the following locations:

  • Amberly Boulevard @ Wilson Street (redo of faded crosswalk)

  • Governors Road @ Highway 52

  • Governors Road @ Lynden Road

  • Governors Road @ Moss Boulevard

  • Highway 2 (Wilson Street) @ Highway 52

  • Wilson Street @ Ancaster Town Plaza

  • Raymond Road @ Fair Street

  • Raymond Road @ Sutherland Crescent

Roadway Safety

  • 29 roadway safety-related work orders were issued in Ward 12

Ward 12 Community Grant Award Winners

Ward 12 is fortunate to receive annual non-property tax revenue from cell towers located within the Ward. These funds are available to spend within the Ward at the discretion of the Ward Councillor, so in 2025, I established a community grants program. This year, I announced that local non-profit organizations and charities could once again apply for one-time grants up to $5,000. I am very excited to announce that a total of just over $50,000 has been awarded across 12 local organizations! The next call for applications will be in early 2027, so watch for the announcement in Craig’s Current and, of course, my social media channels. You can read more about the grants program on my website. 

More Ward 12 Heritage Designations

Ryerson United Church and the former Gurnett General Store (now Ancaster Cheese), both on Wilson Street E.

I'm very pleased to announce that two more Ward 12 properties on Wilson St E in the Village core have achieved Heritage designations, helping to preserve them for the long term.

  • The former Gurnett General Store (and the new location for Ancaster Cheese) - 280 Wilson Street East, Ancaster. See item 8.1 here

  • Ryerson United Church - 265 Wilson Street E, Ancaster. Reports at item 8.1 here

Community Hub Motion

My colleagues unanimously supported my motion at General Issues Committee directing Staff to support the process for a community-led proposal to build a Community Hub at 700 Garner Rd E. This is the land across from Redeemer University and the same area where a new French school will be built. 

The Mohawk Sports Park Council is working on a multi-partner concept proposal that includes indoor and outdoor recreation amenities, community programming space, and regional sport-tourism potential. The plan includes a community fitness Centre, childcare centre, Sports Medicine & Physiotherapy clinic, community kitchen, and group activity rooms. Importantly, it would include high-performance training space to support local athletes.

There is no municipal funding required for this proposal as the capital plan is structured around federal, provincial, philanthropic, and partner contributions.

As this proposal is separate from the City of Hamilton’s work on recreation facilities and the city does not have a formal process for evaluating unsolicited, community-initiated infrastructure proposals, this motion brings some structure to the process and will help the community group advance their project. 

I’m very excited about this project and what it can bring to our community and will work with the group to bring it to fruition.

The Community Hub project proposes to include a wide range of community uses

See my motion at item 9.1 on the July 29, 2026 General Issues Committee agenda here

Win a $50 Gift Card from the Ancaster BIA!

Snap a photo with the Ancaster BIA’s new photo arch for a chance to win a $50 prize to any business in the BIA! The arch decor is changed monthly. How to enter: 

  • Take a photo at the photo arch

  • Post to your page 

  • Tag Ancaster BIA 

Bonus Entry: Share your photo to your Instagram story and tag Ancaster BIA for an extra entry. Please note: your account must be PUBLIC so the BIA can see your entry for a chance to win. Get creative, strike a pose, and show everyone your best photo arch moments!

Hamilton Police Historical Society and Museum in Ancaster

Did you know the Hamilton Police Museum is in the Historic Tisdale House (circa 1825) in the heart of Ancaster? The Hamilton Police Museum welcomes you to explore their exhibits of historic police uniforms, equipment, documents, and photographs on Fridays between 2 pm and 4 pm. Entry is free. Please help support this not-for-profit, volunteer-run organization by becoming a member or by making a donation. More information is here.

Vision Zero

Vision Zero began in Sweden in 1997, with the premise that any loss of life on their roads was unacceptable. This approach to road safety aims to achieve zero fatalities and injuries throughout the transportation network. Everyone involved (system designers, operators, maintenance staff, and policymakers) is responsible for providing a Safe System for all travelers, regardless of their chosen mode of travel, income level, race, gender, or physical abilities. 

A Safe System approach includes the following principles: humans make mistakes; humans are vulnerable; road injuries and deaths are preventable; improvements in road safety should be proactively implemented; multiple layers of protection should be built into the road system; and all parties involved share a responsibility for road safety.

Hamilton’s first Vision Zero Action Plan ran from 2019 - 2025 and contributed to a reduction of more than 30 percent in injury collisions. However, fatal and injury collisions continue to occur, including approximately 900 injury collisions and 13 fatalities in 2025.

When I spoke at Public Works Committee on this topic, I stated that there had been six road fatalities in Ward 12 during this term of Council. I suspected that I had understated the number, and I was correct. Further research has confirmed that there have been 13 road fatalities just in Ward 12 since October 2022. That is a shocking and unacceptable number.

An excerpt from the new plan stated the following:

In 2020, Canada experienced approximately 73,000 reported injury collisions, and approximately 1,600 reported fatal collisions, resulting in 1,745 fatalities and nearly 102,000 injuries. These collisions resulted in a social cost of approximately $42.7 billion, including the human costs from injuries and fatalities, property damage, health care expenses, emergency response services (police, fire, and ambulance), court-related costs, towing expenses, out-of-pocket costs for those involved, and traffic delays. Beyond these impacts, each collision also imposed a profound emotional and societal toll on those involved, often leading to life-altering consequences.

Using Hamilton's population share of the country (roughly 1.5%) to do some rough calculations, our share of that impact is $640M. So, could we invest some fraction of that number to vastly improve road safety and avoid future deaths? Certainly, Hamilton’s property taxpayers couldn’t do it on our own, but it puts the magnitude of the challenge in perspective and the importance of investment from senior levels of government. It’s also frustrating when the Province is undermining municipal efforts (prohibiting speed cameras, enabling urban sprawl, and thwarting active transportation projects) that are important aspects of building a safer community.

Focusing on what we can control, our data tells us that intersection collisions account for approximately 60% of all fatal and injury collisions on City roads. Other significant emphasis areas for collisions include aggressive driving (50%), distracted driving (13%), and pedestrians (15%). The plan focuses on developing countermeasures to improve safety in these areas. 

In addition to the improved design and engineering that the City has incorporated into the building or reconstruction of roads - which is essential for building a safer city- the Vision Zero Plan calls for an investment of $2.3M to implement expanded safety measures over the 2026-2032 term. That doesn’t sound like a lot, and it really isn’t, so continued advocacy for greater investments into building safe communities is required. I will continue to lead in this area and work with groups like the Daily School Route who bring immense value to this topic by centering children in our decisions. 

View the reports and presentation here and the video here.

E-Scooter Safety

photo credit: Global News

Does your child ride an e-scooter? Are you familiar with the laws around e-scooters? Hamilton Police Service recently posted a video that outlines the rules: 

  • Riders must be 16 years of age and older

  • It is illegal to ride a scooter under the age of 16

  • Riders from age 16-18 must wear a helmet

  • It is illegal to ride a scooter on the sidewalk

  • Crosswalks can be used but only by walking the e-scooter, not riding across

Parents can be held liable under the Highway Traffic Act and bylaws of the City of Hamilton if children under 16 are found riding e-scooters 

If you wish to report improper use of an e-scooter, please contact Hamilton Police directly on the non-emergency line 905-546-4925 or, of course, 911 if there is an emergency. 

More Ward 12 Traffic Calming Measures

Safety for all road users and pedestrians continues to be a top priority for my office. To that end, I'm pleased to advise that the following measures have been approved in the last two months.

  • Dynamic Speed Signs for Butter Road

  • Dynamic Speed Signs for Panabaker Drive

  • Restrictive "no heavy trucks" signs on Butter Rd at Fiddlers Green

  • Permissive "truck route" sign Fiddlers Green

  • Restrictive "no heavy trucks" signs at Academy at Wilson and Lodor at Rousseaux

  • Permissive "truck route" sign Wilson south of Rousseaux

  • Three more speed cushions on John Frederick between Stiles Street and Garner Road

  • Two additional speed cushions on Braithwaite Ave

  • Speed cushions on Carrington Court

  • Speed cushions on Lime Kiln

  • Plans to remove the water fountain from Wilson and McLure roundabout to improve visibility

  • Repair of signage, installation of solid white edge line pavement markings, repainting/refreshing the existing “SLOW” pavement markings, and additional vegetation trimming on Mineral Springs Road at the blind corner

Main Street Rehabilitation and Redesign

The Main Street Renewal and Redesign Project is a major infrastructure project focused on road rehabilitation, safety improvements and long-term corridor enhancements that support the safe and efficient movement of people and goods across Hamilton. In May 2022, Council directed staff to advance safety improvements on key downtown arterial roads, including the conversion of Main Street from a one-way to a two-way corridor. Construction is expected to start in Fall 2026 and be completed by the end of 2027. 

The approved budget for this project is $26.2M. The rehabilitation portion of the project will account for between 53% (13.9M) and 72% ($18.9M), depending on the percentage of traffic signals allocated to the two-way conversion. 

  • Key components of the Main Street Project include: 

  • Full road resurfacing from Dundurn Street to King Street East (the ‘Delta’)

  • Rebuilding of all curb ramps at intersections to meet modern Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) standards

  • Construction of curb extensions and introduction of greening opportunities east of Sherman Ave and other locations

  • Enhanced cycling facilities between Victoria Avenue and Sherman Avenue

  • Upgrading of aging traffic signal infrastructure

  • Street lighting improvements

Additionally, in late March, work commenced on a watermain lining project on Main Street between Dundurn Street and Victoria Avenue. This work is being done to address the deteriorated condition of the local watermain due to age, in advance of road resurfacing associated with the renewal and redesign project. Watermain lining is a technique that restores the condition of a watermain and extends its life. In the case of Main Street, the lining will also ensure that sufficient capacity and pressure are available for existing and future development for the next decade or more.

Read more here. Interactive Project Page is here

Help with Finding a Family Doctor

The Hamilton Family Health Team (HFHT) and the Greater Hamilton Health Network (GHHN) Primary Care Network have teamed up to help connect Hamiltonians with family doctors. Working with Health Care Connect and Ontario Health, HFHT and GHHN are offering a service to help Hamiltonians without a family doctor.

If you need a family doctor, sign up with the HFHT/GHHN, and they'll help connect you with care. Check out the HFHT website, give them a call at 365-317-8117, or email [email protected] for more information. Due to the volume of patients, it may take 4-6 weeks to receive a response.

Truck Route Monitoring Dashboard

The City of Hamilton is enhancing transparency on truck route activity by providing residents with clearer access to information on how truck-related activity is monitored and how it informs enforcement, planning and future priorities.

The Truck Route Monitoring Dashboard is now live! It brings together information from multiple City sources into a single, accessible view. Resident reports submitted through the Truck Violation Reporting Tool help the City understand concerns on local roads and identify where attention may be needed. In 2024, the City launched the Truck Violation Reporting Tool to make it easier for residents to report truck route concerns, and this new Dashboard brings together information from the reporting tool and other City sources into a single, accessible view.  It helps residents understand how truck routes are monitored and how this supports safer neighbourhood streets and the movement of goods across Hamilton.

Engage Hamilton Public Consultations

Your voice is needed! Through the Engage Hamilton portal, the City is consulting with the public on the following topics:

  • Customer Experience Strategy

  • HSR Next - Moving Hamilton Forward

  • Age-Friendly and Dementia-Inclusive Community Plan 2027-2031

  • Economic Development Action Plan

Are you trying to figure out what’s happening around Hamilton? Here's what I use to find out - HamiltonEvents.ca, a locally built guide bringing thousands of listings from across the city together to create the region’s most complete events calendar. Discover concerts, festivals, markets, family activities, exhibitions, community gatherings and plenty more, including events happening across Ancaster and Flamborough. You can explore by date, category, neighbourhood or venue, whether you’re making plans for today, the weekend or further ahead. Visit HamiltonEvents.ca and see just how much is happening around the city!

Free Summer Activities Around Town

The Supie Program is celebrating its 117th year in Hamilton and returns this summer, offering free, staff-led drop-in games and activities in parks across Hamilton from June 29 to August 28. Regular programming runs Monday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., weather permitting. The program supports active play, social connection and accessible recreational opportunities close to home. In Ward 12 the Supie Program runs at Meadowlands/Travis Carter Playground at 160 Meadowlands Blvd. 

With its mix of family-friendly amenities, and year-round programming, Pier 8 is the perfect spot to enjoy the outdoors and experience what the waterfront has to offer! Head on down and take advantage of the free roller skating rink, pull up a lawn chair and take in a free summer jazz or blues concert every Thursday evening from 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM, or, if you'd like to spend a little extra, grab an ice cream from Waterfront Scoops (open daily from 12:00 PM to 9:30 PM) and hop on board the Harbour West Trolly Tour, a fully-narrated 80-minute ride from Pier 8 to Princess Point and back.

There is so much to do in Hamilton this summer, including golf, free fitness, tai chi and yoga programs in the park, and the usual fitness and rec programs residents know and love. Check out all the summer fun offered by the City of Hamilton and enjoy!

Summer on King William Street

For the second year running, the iconic restaurant row in downtown Hamilton is transforming into a vibrant pedestrian-only hub featuring live music, performances and events from July 15 to September 13, 2026.  This buzzing outdoor space provides public seating and free public programming including music from Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra, guided dance lessons, popup marketplaces, and Supercrawl in September. Check out the full event listing here.

Aug 1 Summer Salsa Fest Pier 4 Park, 64 Leander Dr, all day

Jul 31-Aug 2 Lucky Lion Asian Night Market Bayfront Park

Aug 1 Elvis Ancaster Memorial Arts Centre

Aug 7-16 A Chorus Line Ancaster Memorial Arts Centre

Aug 6 Harvest Day Festival Carluke Orchards, 2194 Shaver Rd, 10 am -1 pm

Aug 8 Historic Kitchen Garden Tour Dundurn National Historic Site

Aug 9 Train Days Miniature Train Rides Hamilton Museum of Steam and Technology

Aug 9 Cops N Rodders Classic Vehicle Show Bayfront Park, 9-3 pm

Aug 14 Love Your Lakes Bayfront Park Cleanup Bayfront Park, 10-12noon

Aug 21-23 Cactus Festival King Street Dundas

Aug 28-30 Winona Peach Fest Winona Park, 1328 Barton Street West

Aug 29-30 Spices of India Bayfront Park 

Can Electric School Buses Fuel the Grid?

The answer is yes, they can, and it’s called V2G, or vehicle-to-grid, where electric vehicles are connected to the power grid, so their batteries can supply power to the grid when it’s most needed. In turn, the vehicles recharge when demand on the grid is lower. BC Hydro has been running pilots and concluded that after the school run, buses used in the pilot only used 75-100 kWh of their fully charged 255 kWh capacity, which left 100-125 kWh to be fed back into the grid at peak times. The buses are then charged up again overnight when the costs and demand are low.  

Read the full article here.

Climate Change Reserve Fund Projects

I'm pleased to say that Council voted to approve 16 projects from the City's Climate Change Reserve fund that will help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, expand our urban forest, improve efficiencies in City operations, enhance parks and natural areas and improve the quality of life for Hamiltonians. Climate action at the local level becomes abundantly clear as wildfires in Northern Ontario burn, hotter, faster, bigger and more often due to drought and excess heat from the burning of fossil fuels. Read more about the approved projects in the City's press release here.

Climate Dashboard

Check the CBC News Climate Dashboard for live updates on record-breaking weather and current conditions across the country. Set your location to find out how today's temperatures compare to historical trends. 

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.