Craig's Current - March 2026

Author

Craig Cassar
April 01, 2026

Happy Spring, Ward 12! I’ve been enjoying the warmer days and lack of snow and ice that the back half of March has brought us, and I hope you have, too. In this edition of Craig’s Current, you’ll find an update on development in the Ancaster Village Core (Wilson & Academy) as well as a summary of a Staff report back from my motion asking for an assessment of backyard chickens in rural settlement areas. I also have good news about two more traffic calming implementations in our ward (Meadowbrook Dr and Hamilton Dr), and details on the launch of my 2026 Community Grants Program. There’s all that and much more in this March 2026 edition of Craig’s Current. Enjoy! 

And a reminder: please click ‘Read Online’ above to enable navigation links within the newsletter.    

CONTENTS  

COUNCIL NEWS  

 WARD 12 NEWS 

392-412 Wilson St E Public Meeting Deferred 

At Planning Committee on March 24, 2026, I requested a deferral of this application to the next Planning Committee meeting, which will be held on April 14. My goal was to make sure everyone had time to fully participate in this process, should they want to. As a reminder, the March 24th Planning Committee agenda was only made public at midday on Friday, March 13, hours before the start of March Break, and potentially just before residents left for the break. My motion to defer this item to the next meeting on April 14 passed 8-3, and I’m grateful to those colleagues who supported my request. This new date gives any community members who were away for March Break time to write a letter or register to delegate. Instructions on how to participate are on my website, CraigCassar.ca/development 

Water Bill Changes Coming 

Alectra Utilities has advised several municipalities, including the City of Hamilton, that they will no longer provide water meter reading and water billing services. Therefore, the City will assume this responsibility to ensure residents continue to receive seamless and reliable service. Beginning April 2026, you will receive your water bill directly from the City of Hamilton through Hamilton Utilities Billing (HUB) by mail or electronic billing. 

This will not affect water service, water quality, or water rates. If you currently receive your electricity bill from Alectra, your account number and payment method with HUB will stay the same. 

Important: 

  • If you currently receive a paper bill in the mail from Alectra, you will begin to receive a paper bill from HUB. 

  • If you are currently enrolled in pre-authorized payments with Alectra, you must re-enroll with HUB to continue with this method. Existing pre-authorized payments with Alectra will not automatically transfer to HUB. 

  • In December 2025, residents on pre-authorized payments were mailed instructions on how to transfer. If you have not yet done so, instructions and more information are at Hamilton Utilities Billing  

Vacant Unit Tax 

This year’s declaration period is now open with a deadline of April 15, 2026.  All residential property owners must submit a VUT declaration for each property owned, even if the property is their primary residence and is occupied. This includes homeowners living in their own homes, as well as those who own secondary or rental properties. Note that principal residences are one of the many exemptions from the tax, but owners still need to declare them. The declaration takes just a few minutes to do via the online portal. I have already completed mine; it was quick and easy.   

To complete a declaration, homeowners need the roll number and access code found on their Notice or Reminder to Declare Letters or their most recent property tax bill. Declarations can be submitted in various ways, including online, by phone, by email, and by mail. Printed declaration forms will also be accepted at all the Municipal Service Centres across the city. Full details are available online at hamilton.ca/VacantUnitTax. Residents with questions can contact the City via email at [email protected] or by calling 905-546-2573.   

The Vacant Unit Tax applies to all properties classified as residential under MPAC, including single-family detached, townhouses, row houses, and multi-family dwellings (duplexes to sixplexes). In Hamilton, this represents approximately 180,000 properties. The VUT aims to increase the supply of housing in Hamilton by encouraging homeowners to keep their properties occupied rather than vacant, and supports the City’s broader housing strategy.  

Key Dates:   

  • Declaration Period Opened: December 17, 2025   

  • Deadline to declare: April 15, 2026.    

  • Late Declaration Deadline with a late declaration fee: May 15, 2026 

Draft Harmonized Private Tree Bylaw  

Hamilton is putting down roots for the future! Did you know that about 58% of Hamilton’s trees are on private property, and we lose more and more each year? The City can’t meet its 40% tree canopy coverage goal through park and street planting alone. That’s why the City is proposing a Private Tree By-law and updates to the Tree Protection Guidelines for trees affected by development and construction. Your feedback is needed! There are several public meetings you can attend, or you can read the draft bylaws and updates and fill out the survey here. 

State of the Urban Forest Report 

You may recall that in June 2023, Council approved an Urban Forest Strategy (UFS) for Hamilton, which included a goal to grow the city's tree canopy from its current 18% coverage to 40% coverage by 2050. Canopy cover represents the amount of land area covered by individual trees and woodlands as seen from above. Another directive of the UFS was for Staff to provide occasional reports on the "State of the Urban Forest", and that report was included on the February 23, 2026, Public Works Committee meeting agenda (linked below).  Staff were to provide regular updates when new tree canopy or inventory data becomes available and summarize the city’s progress on UFS action items, the condition of public trees and woodlands, key achievements, challenges, planned initiatives, and future resource needs. The next State of the Urban Forest Report will be presented to Council and the public in 2031. 

Here are some quick facts about the current state of Hamilton's Urban Forest: 

  • Hamilton's urban tree canopy has been at 18% since 2021 

  • Hamilton's rural canopy cover, measured for the first time, stands at 26.3% 

  • Coverage over city-owned parks and open spaces is above 30% overall across the urban boundary 

  • Private lands and rights-of-way hover around 16-17% canopy cover within the urban boundary 

  • Certain private land uses are trending as low as 4.5% canopy cover.  

  • The city’s public trees remain overall in good health (87% in good health condition) 

  • Environmental stressors and the impacts of climate change continue to be monitored 

  • Biodiversity challenges persist due to the dominance of certain species, such as Norway Maple 

  • Younger, smaller-diameter trees (0–20cm diameter) make up 56% of the urban street tree population 

  • Large mature trees over 61cm in diameter account for only 7% of urban street trees, highlighting a need to protect existing large trees and support young tree growth to strengthen our future canopy 

  • Environmental stressors, pests, and urban development pressures continue to threaten canopy growth 

  • Achieving our canopy goal will require expanded programs, updated policies, continued protection of existing trees, and expansion of planting initiatives 

  • There are several major initiatives in the works to support the City's urban forestry program in 2026/27 

  • Most city wards experienced a slight decline in canopy cover—generally less than 1%—between 2021 and 2024. 

Read the full report at item 7.2, Appendix A here 

Listen to the discussion starting at 2:09 pm here: Public Works Committee - February 23, 2026 

Rural Settlement Area Chicken Feasibility Study 

In early 2025, Council supported my motion to evaluate the possibility of allowing backyard chickens in rural settlement areas (RSAs). Examples of Ward 12 RSAs include Jerseyville, Copetown, Lynden, and Sheffield. Residents with chickens had reached out to me asking for updated bylaws after receiving ‘orders to comply’ from Municipal Law Enforcement. In March, Staff presented a short report to Planning Committee. They did not recommend any changes to our existing bylaws to allow chickens in RSAs. Further, there is a lack of support from my rural Councillor colleagues, so there is no clear path forward to updating our bylaws. You can read the staff report and watch the video of the discussion here. 

Ward 12 Community Grants are Back! 

The Ward 12 Community Grants program has been developed to support groups, projects, or events in the ward that add to the vibrancy, energy, and enthusiasm in the community by investing in its people, public spaces, or natural environment. Grants are funded exclusively by revenues the City receives from cellphone towers operating in Ward 12. Grants of up to $5,000 are available to organizations that are registered not-for-profits, registered charities, or have other demonstrable non-profit status. There is $50,000 available for grants in 2026. The application deadline is 5 pm on Thursday, April 30, 2026.  

Applications should be submitted using the application form linked below. If you require assistance in completing an application, please contact the Ward 12 team at [email protected] or via telephone at 905-546-2704. Organizations that received funding in 2025 are eligible to apply again in 2026; however, first consideration will be given to organizations that have not previously received funding from the Ward 12 grant program. Apply at CraigCassar.ca/grants 

As a reminder, below is a list of the worthy recipients from 2025. 

Garner Road Update 

During the first three months of 2026, the sewer project on Garner Road near Springbrook has continued to encounter challenging underground conditions that have extended the completion timeline far beyond what was expected. The City has issued a communication update indicating that progress has been made, and the road should be restored in April. You can read the full update on the City’s website here. 

I hope you are enjoying my video series, Craig’s List – Support Local. Supporting local businesses is always important, but it’s absolutely critical in the current context of tariffs, threats to Canadian sovereignty, and general economic uncertainty. In this series, I profile local businesses on my list so that you can add them to yours. Click the link below to watch the most recent Craig’s List - Support Local video:   

Community Clean Up 

Thank you to Glendale Motors’ owner Doug Kloet for organizing another Wilson Street East clean-up effort. If you would like to help, meet us at Glendale Motors: 407 Wilson Street East on April 18th from 9am to 11am. Dress appropriately for the weather, including brightly coloured clothing for visibility. We will gladly sign volunteer forms for high school students in need of service hours for graduation.  

If you would like to organize a clean-up in your community, the City can help! They will supply bags, gloves, tools, and in some situations, an entire trailer full of useful tools to help you out. Find more information at Team up to Clean up 

Old Town Hall Upgrades Complete 

It's great to see the beautiful results of the work undertaken at the Ancaster Old Town Hall in 2025. Restoration of all exterior wood components included: 

  • Wood fascia, soffit, frieze board, brackets and roof returns 

  • Front portico columns, entablature, gable end and vaulted ceiling, fascia brackets and all trims 

  • Central cupola, including replacement of existing roofing 

  • Installation of protective coverings on windows. 

Kudos to contractor Alan and crew from Heritage Mill, based in Dundas, and George Robb Architects. 

Ancaster Heritage Days - June 13, 2026 

Save the date for this year’s Heritage Days! The organizers are looking for sponsors, Soapbox Derby registrants, donors and volunteers. Questions? Visit the website here. 

My office has received many requests for traffic calming on both Meadowbrook Drive and Hamilton Drive, and having witnessed for myself the excessive speeds on these streets. I’m pleased to let you know that traffic calming measures have been approved for installation this season. More locations are still being assessed.  

Hamilton Drive Safety Upgrades 

Five sets of speed cushions will be installed on Hamilton Drive this season. Two sets will be located north of the Highway 403 bridge, and the remaining three will be south of the bridge. (Note: these will be permanent speed cushions and not the temporary ‘speed bumps’ that were in place for a few months in 2025.)   

Meadowbrook Drive Safety Upgrades 

Example of a raised crosswalk

  • Raised crosswalks with warning signs and pavement markings at Morwick Drive  

  • Raised crosswalks with warning signs and pavement markings at Tranquillity Avenue 

  • Roadway reconfiguration through lane narrowing and on-street parking regulation modifications 

  • Pavement marking enhancements at intersections  

  • Raised crosswalk at existing stop-controlled intersection adjacent to Meadowbrook Park 

Initially, Staff did not have this final raised crosswalk by the park in their plans, but when I shared feedback from residents, they saw the need to calm traffic at this end of the road near the park and to reduce the likelihood of speeding vehicles through the bend at Abbey Close.  

Youth Violence and Bear Spray Risks 

The Hamilton Police Service invites parents and caregivers of children and youth of all ages to attend this community presentation. Together, we can build safer schools, safer neighbourhoods, and stronger families. For more information or to register for the online session, email: [email protected]  

*registration only required for virtual session 

Pothole reporting 

Hamilton sees the highest number of potholes during freeze–thaw periods. Each year, the City’s road crews typically complete between 70,000 and 90,000 pothole repairs, with the greatest demand occurring in late winter and early spring. In Ward 12, there were 437 pothole requests initiated and completed in 2025. Safety-related locations are prioritized in accordance with Provincial standards and the City’s level of service. Temporary repairs may occur first, with permanent repairs completed when conditions allow. Residents can easily report potholes through the City’s new reporting tool “Report a Problem” from your phone or computer here or by calling 905-546-2489 (CITY), Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Please have the location and approximate size of the pothole ready. 

Sunday Parking Enforcement Pilot 

On March 29, the City began piloting Sunday parking enforcement to make streets safer and parking fair for everyone. The pilot will help keep sidewalks, bike lanes, and streets clear, so pedestrians, cyclists and drivers all have room to get around safely. Existing staff resources will be utilized, and during the Pilot, enforcement will be complaint-based, responding to resident‑reported concerns. Report parking issues at 905-546-CITY (2489). More parking info here. 

New Passport Parking App 

It’s now easier for you to pay for parking in Hamilton using the Passport Parking App on your smartphone. No more searching for change and running to the meter before it runs out.  Simply download the new Passport Parking App from the Apple Store or Google Play Store to create your free account. Park anywhere you see the Passport Parking App sign, enter the location ID number to pay, track or add time to your parking directly from your smartphone. The App accepts Visa and Mastercard payments only. More info here. 

Rain Ready Grants Available! 

The Rain Ready Hamilton program provides grant funding to residents who install approved projects such as rain gardens and permeable surfaces on their properties with the aim of helping stormwater soak in at source rather than inundate the sewer system. In 2025, the program was approved for 73 projects on residential properties, including some in Ward 12. These new installations will reduce stormwater in Hamilton by nearly 1 million litres every year, which benefits the City by:  

  • Reducing urban flooding by enhancing rainwater infiltration  

  • Protecting water quality and groundwater quantity  

  • Reducing pollutants in creeks, streams, and Hamilton Harbour that are carried by stormwater  

  • Reducing pressure on City stormwater infrastructure  

  • Increasing the amount of green and pollinator-friendly spaces 

This year, residents can apply for two funding tiers: up to $1,500 and up to $5,000. The deadline to apply is April 17, 2026. 

RSVP for Informational events and learn more about available funding. 

  • April 2: Webinar: Design & Integrating Plant Communities, 6pm 

  • April 7: In person: Ask the Experts at EcoHouse – 22 Veevers Drive, Hamilton from 6-8pm 

  • April 9: Webinar: Installation Monitoring & Maintenance, 6pm

Learn more about the program and RSVP for info sessions here 

Unwanted Household Items 

If you have new or gently used furniture or other household items that you no longer have a need for, please donate them rather than put them out for garbage collection! Habitat for Humanity takes donations that can be sold in one of its two Hamilton ReStore locations to raise funds for its housing initiatives.  Other items accepted include: appliances, cabinetry, sinks, new flooring/ceramic tile (minimum of 80 sq. ft.), tools, and décor merchandise, as well as windows and doors, electrical items, hardware, housewares, HVAC, lawn tools, lighting, new lumber, unopened paint, plumbing, new siding, and six-litre toilets. For more information, see HabitatHamilton.ca/donate 

Get on the Voters List! 

It's an election year! Hamiltonians will head to the polls throughout the month of October to vote in the municipal elections. Are you on the voters’ list? Check or register to vote here: https://vreg.registertovoteon.ca/en/home 

Milk Bag Mat Volunteers Needed 

Would you like to learn how to crochet? Already know how and want to use your skills for a good cause? Need volunteer hours?  Take part in the Milk Bag Mat Project! Learn how to easily crochet unwanted milk bags into much-needed plastic mats for those less fortunate.  It takes 250 bags to make a single mat, and Hannelore Klimek (pictured below right) has made over 460 mats and counting, which have been shipped as far away as Haiti, Malawi and Honduras and used in homes, schools and hospitals. Learn how to divert unwanted plastic from the landfill and create something beautiful and needed! Contact Hannelore at 905-387-7496 for more information.  

Animal Services Donations 

Did you know the City of Hamilton’s Animal Services is always in need of cash donations as well as items that can help the animals in their shelter? The City of Hamilton is registered as a qualified donee with the Canada Revenue Agency and can issue official donation receipts for: 

  • Medical needs of animals that have been assessed and deemed appropriate for the adoption program and/or animal rescue organizations 

  • Costs involved with the shelter enrichment program of animals assessed and deemed appropriate for the adoption program and/or animal rescue organizations 

  • Costs involved with sending animals out of province that have been assessed and deemed appropriate for animal rescue organizations 

Receipts will be issued for donations of $25 or more and donations of new items with a receipt for a value of $25 or more 

A long list of needed items includes blankets, newspapers, towels, indestructible toys, pet food, washable pet beds, grooming supplies, and much more. Learn more here.  

Hamilton Public Library Contact Change 

As of March 2, 2026, the main contact number for the Hamilton Public Library will revert to 905-546-3200, its original number before the cybersecurity incident. 

Ancaster Lions Fundraiser Tea 

Come out and enjoy some delicious pastries, sandwiches, salad and tea/coffee put on by the Ancaster Lions. All money goes back into the community for those in need. Contact Joanne at: 

Fieldcote in Bloom: Spring Watercolour Workshop 

April 12 - Participants will learn to paint the bright blue skies and botanical colours of the spring season in a loose, expressive style anyone can learn. We'll consider basic colour theory, composition, and get familiar with those materials in a beautiful and encouraging setting. Materials will be provided. Ages: 16+. Tickets and info here. 

Various Events Around Town 

A History of Earth Day 

This year's Earth Day will take place on April 22, and several clean-up events are scheduled around town. Earth Day was initiated in 1970 and has grown into a global celebration, with over a billion people participating in more than 193 countries annually. This day is dedicated to educating and mobilizing individuals, communities, and governments on the importance of the environment and the necessity of its preservation and restoration. Organizers of the first Earth Day, which occurred at the University of Michigan, chose the theme “Give Earth a Chance” and envisioned patterning it after the recent teach-ins on the Vietnam War. Organizer Arthur J. Hanson summed up the event:  

“To our surprise, it became one of the largest events in the history of the university, involving the whole town of Ann Arbor, popular celebrities of the day such as Gordon Lightfoot and the cast of the musical Hair, and some 150 events spread over a week. By some estimates, 50,000 people participated. There were more than 13,000 attendees at the kick-off event, and we had to turn people away.” 

Read more about the history of Earth Day here 

Clearing the Air 

"Don’t solar panels and wind turbines generate huge amounts of waste? Aren’t our efforts pointless if China’s emissions keep growing?" Those are but a few of the questions people regularly ask Hannah Ritchie, a data scientist and the deputy editor of Our World in Data.  

"There is this feeling that, in order to tackle climate change, we’ll be creating huge numbers of other massive problems," Ritchie said. 

Sometimes these objections can be weaponized as arguments against the green energy transition. On other occasions, this conflicting information comes from climate-conscious sources who don't have the full picture, Ritchie says. But how big are these problems, really? And, more importantly, are they worse than climate change itself? In her new book, Clearing the Air: A Hopeful Guide to Solving Climate Change in 50 Questions and Answers, Ritchie uses data to put those concerns in context. Read the CBC article here. 

Here Comes the Sun Webinar

Seniors for Climate hosts this timely discussion with climate author and activist Bill McKibben. “This webinar will highlight the urgent need to raise our voices and build a stronger, more effective climate movement together. McKibben will answer important questions and speak about his latest book, Here Comes the Sun, exploring why renewable energy is now poised to transform the world.” 

The webinar will feature a keynote presentation followed by a live Q&A and will open with an update on Seniors for Climate's 2026 campaign, Break Through the Climate Silence. 

Wednesday, April 8, at 6:30pm on Zoom. RSVP here 

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.