Craig's Current - October 2024

Hello, Ward 12! Welcome to the October edition of Craig’s Current. As I write this, the tree canopy is in peak fall colour for us to enjoy before we head into the shorter days of winter. I hope you’ve had time to enjoy Nature’s autumn spectacle. In the spirit of continuous improvement, we’ve organized articles into several sections to make it easier to identify topics of interest to you. Starting in this issue you will the following sections: a) City Council News, b) Around Ward 12, c) In Other News, d) Happening Around Hamilton, and finally, Climate Corner. This month’s newsletter is packed with useful information from the latest decisions at Council such as an overview of how road maintenance decisions are made, the housing crisis, a new water treatment plant for Dundas, and Green Building Standards. In Ward 12 news we have good news for the Ancaster Senior Achievement Centre, an update on efforts to install broadband internet in Rural Hamilton, and another property receiving a heritage designation. But, we start with how investments in Paramedic Services have made a big difference to service levels. Happy reading and wishing a safe and enjoyable Halloween to all the goblins out there!

Recently, Hamilton Paramedic Services released data about the huge improvement in Hamilton’s number of code zeros (when one or zero ambulances are available when you call 911). In 2022, there were 381 code zero events, which is unacceptable. When you call 911 and need medical attention you want to be sure an ambulance is available. In 2023, we saw the number of code zeros drop to 32, and so far in 2024, there have been only two, and they were both in January. Investments in the municipal budget, financial assistance from the Province, and a lot of hard work by paramedics and our local hospitals – particularly Juravinski Hospital have made all the difference. 

In the 2023 Budget, this Council approved a $6.88M investment in Paramedic Services, beefing up an understaffed service struggling to keep up with demand and ensuring that ambulances are available when Hamiltonians need them. That funding provided 35 additional full-time paramedics—which is equal to 7 more ambulances on the road—and a bike response team for faster, more efficient off-road care.  

In 2024, we invested another $1.56M, which added 10 more paramedics, an additional ambulance, and all the related ancillary equipment and staffing to keep pace with the growth in demand for emergency medical services as the community’s population increases and ages. 

This result is an excellent example of municipal tax dollars having a meaningful and visible impact in the community.  

Paramedic Chief Sanderson has estimated the service will need to add the equivalent of two 12-hour shifts every year from now until 2031 to keep up with the aging and growing population. Call volumes are expected to go up between 3.5 to 5 percent each year. Already, Hamilton is seeing a 4.5 percent increase in ambulance calls compared to last year. You can read this article in the Spectator or the 2023 Paramedic Service Annual Report for more information. 

I regularly hear from constituents about the housing, homelessness, and mental health crises in Hamilton. Many comments come from a place of compassion, some from frustration, and some from both. Articles on this topic have appeared in several editions of Craig’s Current. The bottom line is that municipalities are not capable of solving this challenge on their own. Solve the Crisis is an Ontario Big City Mayors (OBCM) campaign and I’m thankful for their leadership. The objective is simple:  

"Ontario’s cities have been left to deal with this crisis without adequate resources and support—even though mental health care, addiction treatment, and housing are provincial responsibilities. It’s time for the Governments of Ontario and Canada to take immediate action to solve the homelessness and mental health crisis gripping our communities." 

Hamilton has made massive financial investments during this term of Council, but this is not a municipal responsibility, and these costs should not be borne by residential property taxpayers. In 2024, residents of Hamilton now pay for 67% of the total spend on housing and homelessness.

 Visit solvethecrisis.ca to add your voice to the campaign.  

Visit the City’s new Whole of Hamilton Housing Approach webpage for full details.

You may read more about Council’s recent decision to fund an additional 272 temporary shelter spaces on the City’s Emergency Shelters and Drop-Ins webpage.

To read a short document about the City’s Housing strategy and related investments, click here. 

My office frequently receives comments about the condition of our roads and requests for repaving work to be scheduled. Making such specific decisions is not within the scope of a Councillor’s role, but there is a well-defined annual Staff process that guides this important selection process. General Issues Committee recently received a Staff report outlining the historic investments in our transportation network. It highlighted the underinvestment that has persisted for many terms until this Council approved a ten-year plan to catch up. The report also included a process overview for the annual selection of roads for rehabilitation, or at the end of their life, complete reconstruction. I’ll summarize the key points for you here:

The annual budget process begins by reviewing and validating projects included in the 10-Year Capital Forecast. Each project is reviewed to determine if the status has changed (e.g. has been cancelled, deferred, revised) followed by a budget and schedule review of each project. It’s also at this point that new projects may be identified through:

• Priority work to address risk or urgent and critical items

• Condition assessments (regular inspection, structural condition assessments)

• New or updated master plans

• Project expansion to leverage efficiencies with related projects

• Council Motions

New road rehabilitation and reconstruction projects are identified based on Overall Condition Index (OCI) determined from regular pavement inspection. OCI is a numerical value between 0 (worst) and 100 (best) which is used to indicate the overall condition of a road segment. Typically, roads with an OCI of less than 40 are identified as candidates for reconstruction (complete replacement, not just repaved). To get the best value for money, roads with OCI between 40 to 70 are the best-suited candidates for rehabilitation.

Arterial road and expressway projects are currently prioritized based on OCI. For local and collector roads, a priority rating is assigned based on several factors including OCI, geographic location (bus route, traffic volume, road safety, etc.). An additional set of assessment criteria such as road safety, traffic congestion, Council priorities, coordination of works with other divisions, and community needs are applied to all projectes

Once any new road projects have been identified, screening is completed to determine if there are any subsurface needs within the project limits such as a required water main replacement. If subsurface work is required within approximately 5-10 years of the proposed road rehabilitation or reconstruction, the road project is scheduled to coincide with the subsurface work.

Collaborative discussions across several City divisions finalize the prioritized list of projects, ensuring alignment with City of Hamilton’s Strategic Plan, Council Priorities, safety, and available funding. This approach ensures that capital investments are targeted towards the most pressing needs, ultimately enhancing mobility, safety, and overall quality of life for City of Hamilton’s residents.

Once each division has identified new projects and verified ongoing projects from the 10-Year Capital Forecast, a first draft budget is prepared by Engineering Services. If we had sufficient funding and didn’t have to deal with a very large backlog of projects from years past, each of these projects might get completed. However, we have an annual funding gap of over $95M for our transportation network so the aforementioned prioritization process determines which projects proceed.

To close the annual funding gap, Councill approved a 10-year draft capital plan during the 2024 budget process. This gradual increase in funding will balance the need to make up for decades of underfunding. It will take time, but this is an important first step to remediate our transportation network.

In conclusion, I hope this article has given you insight into how road construction decisions are made and the financial obstacles the City must deal with. So, next time you encounter a road that appears neglected, please reflect back to what you have read here and understand that it is not being ignored; our professional staff have a thorough process, but they lack the necessary funding to do the work that needs to be done. Over the next decade, the recovery plan approved by this Council will gradually close that gap.

This month Council endorsed a new Green Building Standards framework for Hamilton.  It will improve the environmental performance of new industrial, commercial, institutional, and residential development within the urban areas of the city.  However, through Provincial Bill 23, projects with 10 or fewer residential units are not subject to Site Plan Control and as a result, Green Building Standards will not apply to those developments. The new standards will examine development applications through the lens of sustainability, energy, and climate resilience, by providing performance requirements across five Impact Categories for buildings and site design.

• Energy & Carbon: Promotes energy-efficient buildings that lower operating costs, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and improve building resilience;

• Ecology & Biodiversity: Preserves, restores, and enhances the natural environment within the development area;

• Water: Reducing potable water use for indoor and outdoor water uses, water metering, and rainwater management;

• Waste Management & Materials: Reducing waste generation during construction and the operational phases of development; and,

• Community & Urban Design: Promotes a sense of place by preserving heritage and cultural features, local food production, healthy practices, and inclusion. This impact category includes educating residents on sustainability features in their community.

Read more in the Hamilton Spectator and on the October 1 Planning agenda at item 11.2

Council recently approved funding for a much-needed replacement of the Dundas Wastewater Treatment plant, one of two wastewater treatment plants that serve the City of Hamilton. The largest of the two is the Woodward Avenue Plant located in the northeast part of the city. It has an average daily treatment capacity of 409 million litres per day and serves a population of over 518,000 people. It has recently gone through upgrades and will need continued investment to keep up with our growing City.

The Dundas plant, in contrast, has an average daily capacity of just over 18 million litres per day (about 4% of the total water treated in Hamilton) and serves a population of around 50,000 people. Its location - along the Desjardin Canal which empties into Cootes Paradise - means that the quality of the effluent is vital to the restoration efforts of the 320 hectares of marsh that comprise this vital nature sanctuary.

In 2015, the budget for the Dundas project was $142 million, but due to the general inflation and global building cost escalations through the pandemic, the cost is now $252 million. The good news is that the planned state-of-the-art membrane bioreactor technology is actually cheaper to build and operate than just replacing the plant with less effective like-for-like technology. The effluent from the existing plant has a phosphorous content of 0.5 mg/L, but the new plant will be ten times better with a phosphorous load of only 0.05 mg/L. (Read that carefully: there is a zero to the right of the decimal point!) We’re getting cleaner water at a better price!

The process of building the plant will begin with regulatory approvals and detailed design, which means that construction is not likely to begin before 2028.

You can read about the investment in the Dundas plant in this Spectator article. If you’d like to read more details about each of the wastewater treatment plants, you can do so on the City of Hamilton website.

One of our Term-of-Council Priorities is to build trust in municipal government via improved responsiveness and transparency. Monthly newsletters like Craig’s Current are part of that effort. Another step recently taken relates to the newly signed lease with Tradeport, operator of the John C. Munroe Airport which is situated on City-owned land.  

You can read more about the lease agreement in this article from the Spec, but I want to point out the motion moved by Ward 9 Councillor Brad Clark and seconded by me. It was supported unanimously and included the following simple direction:

That staff be directed to review the lease agreement, make any necessary redactions, and publicly release the remainder.

Documents like this should not be hidden from public view. They would always be available by a freedom-of-information request, but that takes money and effort by individual Hamiltonians. By approving this motion, the lease will be available for all to read once the City’s lawyers have appropriately reacted to the specifics that can’t be shared.

If you’re interested, here’s a quick history of our airport:

The airport opened in October 1940 as Mount Hope Airport, primarily serving as a Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) base during World War II. It hosted training units for the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan, including elementary flying training and air navigation schools.

After World War II, the airport gradually shifted towards civil use. The military ceased using it as a base for Air Reserve operations in 1964. This marked the beginning of its transformation into a commercial airport.

In the 1980s, local politician John Munro secured a $55 million federal investment to expand and develop the airport's facilities. In recognition of his efforts, the airport was renamed John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport in 1998.

In 1996, the City of Hamilton signed a 40-year contract with a private consortium to manage and operate the airport. This consortium included TradePort International Corporation, a subsidiary of Vantage Airport Group.

In 2023, over 820,000 passengers traveled through the airport, a number which is still recovering from the pandemic impact. It has become the third largest cargo airport by payload with 158M kg landed in 2023.

If you’ve kept up with Craig’s Current, you will recall that development charges (DCs) are the fees that municipalities are legislatively required by the Province to collect from developers of new homes and businesses. These fees enable ‘growth to pay for growth’, meaning that the City is able to finance the infrastructure required to support new residents and businesses. Examples include upgrading water mains, building new roads, libraries, recreation centers, and hiring additional emergency responders, etc. to keep up with a growing population. Without development charges, these costs would be spread across existing taxpayers, and we’d all be paying a lot more in property taxes.

Understanding those facts, you can appreciate that DCs are critical to municipal finances. That’s why the impending implementation of a 3-year DC freeze as part of the Federal Government’s launch of the $6B Canada Housing Infrastructure Fund (CHIF) is concerning. Earlier this year, the City increased its DCs to reflect increasing costs as we are required to as part of a 5-year review cycle. With the CHIF implementation, those increases will not take effect for another three years requiring the City to cover the gap.

The CHIF is intended for both provinces and municipalities and is intended to positively affect the supply of housing. $1 billion of the fund will be directed to municipalities to support urgent infrastructure needs. The remaining $5 billion will be distributed to the provinces, but Ontario has not yet entered into an agreement with the Feds.

Although this program should result in some amount of funding to Hamilton, it has the potential to have a significant negative impact on the city’s finances over the next three years (i.e. tax increases and/or an increase in debt). The projection of foregone City revenue from DCs over the next three years is estimated between $132 million to $270 million, depending on the rate of new development. Any CHIF funding would offset those numbers, but based on Hamilton’s population, it’s hard to envision Hamilton receiving funding anywhere close to what we’d lose. In order to have a positive impact on housing supply and City finances, we’d need to receive much more than we’d lose from the DC freeze, which is an even less likely scenario. We should know more in the coming months and will be sorting through the impact during the 2025 budget process. Please stay tuned to Craig’s Current for updates.

If you’d like to hear General Manager Mike Zegarac speak in more detail, you can watch that video here.

Over the past several years, the board members at the Ancaster Senior Achievement Centre have been working on a proposal to add a gym to their facility on Alberton Rd. As our population ages and word of this excellent facility has spread, it’s become clear to the Board that they need more room to offer programming that is in high demand. A project design has been completed, so the project just needs to be funded.

I am happy to share that ASAC’s gym expansion project is part of an application to the Green and Inclusive Community Buildings Program Intake 3 submission that was unanimously supported by Committee at GIC on Wednesday, Oct 2. This important step means that the project is part of an application to the Federal Government to receive up to 60% of the required funding. Stay tuned to Craig’s Current and my social media for updates on this exciting project.

Over 75% of land in the City of Hamilton is considered rural and many of these rural communities, including the rural areas in Ward 12, continue to face significant challenges in accessing reliable and affordable broadband services since they are not serviced by fiber broadband infrastructure. The result is a significant digital divide between urban and rural residents.

This is a sentiment I’ve heard repeatedly from rural constituents, so I am happy to report that Council recently carried a motion directing staff to reinvigorate their work with internet service providers (ISPs) to close the gap.  

Expanding broadband infrastructure is aligned with the City of Hamilton's long-term strategy for fostering economic development, enhancing quality of life, and ensuring that all residents benefit from high-speed internet, but expanding the network is not within the City’s purview. We rely on private corporations such as Rogers, who currently has a contract to install rural broadband infrastructure in Hamilton.

But rest assured that the City of Hamilton has actively supported - via letter of reference - any applications for funding programs when requested and has previously developed an innovative permitting approval process, funded by ISPs.

To further support the goal of achieving high-speed internet access across rural Hamilton, in October, Council approved the following resolutions:

· That the Council of the City of Hamilton supports the establishment of partnerships with local internet service providers and regional stakeholders to plan, fund, and implement high-speed broadband expansion along rural roads and underserved areas;

· That Council commits to working with relevant provincial and federal authorities to ensure that rural broadband expansion remains a priority for the long-term growth and prosperity of the City of Hamilton and advocate for continued and increased funding to support broadband infrastructure development in rural communities;

· That Council directs staff to work with Internet Service Provider(s) to seek a rural broadband expansion plan, including identification of candidate rural roads in Hamilton where alternative installation techniques, such as plough-in (considering both Roadside and Property line), may be implemented for faster broadband deployment, taking into consideration costs vs risks vs benefits;

· That Council directs Engineering Services staff to report back within 4 months on the progress of the rural broadband expansion plan, risks and mitigation plan, possible partnerships, costs and any potential funding sources if available and timelines for implementation; and

· That Council directs Engineering Services staff to continue actioning upon the rural broadband expansion plan in consultation with other departments and Internet Service Provider on a regular basis and report back to Council every 6 months until the completion of the program.

As Council receives updates on this work, I will share them in Craig’s Current.

On Friday, September 27th's Municipal Heritage Committee meeting, City Staff recommended Heritage Designation for Orton House which sits at 311 Wilson Street East. Orton House met 6 out of 9 of the Ontario Regulation 9/06 criteria for designation as a heritage property. It was built circa 1850 and is associated with several prominent Ancaster residents including lawyer Thomas McMurray, Dr. Henry Orton and R. George Devy Farmer. It was originally built as a one-story cottage with the second floor added by Dr. Orton (you can see the change in the colour of the bricks marking the addition in the photo). The heritage designation was ratified by Council on October 23, 2024.

As a quick recap, the following five Ward 12 properties have received Heritage Designation during this term of Council:

· 419 Wilson Street East (Ancaster Masonic Lodge)

· 380-386 Wilson Street East (former Ancaster Hotel and Coach House)

· 1166 Garner Road West (Shaver Homestead)

· 176 Wilson Street East (Birchlawn)

· 241 Wilson Street East (former Ancaster Carriage Company Factory)

Thank you to City of Hamilton Heritage staff for their diligent work as they continue to prioritize the protection of historical buildings in Ward 12 and throughout the City. If you know of a property that you would like to be considered for Heritage Designation, even if you are not the owner, please contact Staff using the information available on the City's heritage webpage.

Car theft is a problem all across the country. In August 2024 in Ward 12, there were 8 auto thefts reported to Hamilton Police Services (HPS), and 84 overall year-to-date. The HPS BEAR unit (Break Enter Auto and Robbery) is focused on these thefts but cannot provide any details of investigations underway due to the sensitivity of that work. However, they can share that they continue to work with upper levels of government on actions to tackle auto theft.

As you likely know, some thieves exploit key fob technology to steal vehicles. Auto thieves have devices and technology to detect and use the signals that can start a vehicle parked in a driveway without actually using the key fob. But there is a way to combat the key fob’s weakness. A Faraday bag is a small pouch designed to store vehicle key fobs and block the electronic signals they emit. It is strongly recommended that in addition to placing the key fobs inside the Faraday bag, vehicle owners store the bags as far away as possible from main level exterior doors and windows of the home.

Courtesy of HPS, complimentary Faraday bags can be picked up at the front reception area of Station 30, located at 400 Rymal Rd East in Hamilton while supplies last. We will also have a small number available at the Ward 12 office, at 300 Wilson St in Ancaster, co-located with the Municipal Service Centre underneath the Ancaster Library. Please email [email protected] ahead of time to ensure someone will be available if you plan to pick one up from our office.

According to HPS, the makes and models of vehicles most often targeted by thieves are: Dodge Ram 1500, Ford F150, Honda Civic, Toyota Tundra, Chevrolet Silverado, Honda CRV, GMC Sierra, Honda Accord, Jeep Wrangler, Hyundai Elantra, Toyota Corolla.

Watch this video which provides information about the bags and how thieves utilize electronic signals to steal vehicles. More information at CTV News – These are the most stolen vehicles in Canada

Calling all would-be and seasoned gardeners! The Ancaster Library branch now has a Seed Library where you can share, borrow, and donate seeds at no cost! Like borrowing books from the library, seed libraries depend on gardeners to return seeds at the end of the season to replenish supplies. Along with vegetable seeds, check out the growing selection of Ontario Native Pollinator Perennials available. Seeds from these local flowers will only germinate in spring if they have gone through a cold winter period, so the best time to plant them is now! Learn everything you need to know about winter sowing at the Monarch Awards website, then grab some seeds from the library and get sowing!

Would you like to learn to crochet? Already know how and want to use your skills for a good cause? Need volunteer hours? Or maybe you teach a class that would like to learn a new skill?  Take part in the Milk Bag Mat Project! Contact Hannelore Klimek at 905-387-7496 or join her and others on Saturdays from 1- 2pm at Heritage Church, 557 Garner Road West, Ancaster where you will 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 has made 431 mats and counting which have been shipped as far away as Haiti, Malawi and Honduras and used in homes, schools and hospitals.  

Come learn how to divert unwanted plastic from the landfill and create something beautiful and needed! If you have clean used milk bags to donate, please drop them off directly at the church on Saturdays or bring them to the donation box we have set up at the back entrance of the Ancaster Municipal Service Centre.

Only 30% of Ontario’s original wetlands remain intact, but many farmers and ranchers are working hard to restore wetland ecosystems on their lands. These farmers recognize that wetlands are good for agriculture. Wetlands reduce soil loss, enhance biodiversity, reduce flood and drought risk and clean the water, which benefits both farms and communities. Click here to read the stories of two Ontario farms who enlisted the help of ALUS (Alternative Land Use Services) to help them put wetlands to work on the farm.

As part of Hamilton’s Indigenous Landmarks and Monuments Review, the City’s Indigenous Relations team is seeking community feedback on high-priority landmarks and monument sites that were identified as potentially problematic by Indigenous knowledge keepers, elders, and Indigenous community members as part of the Honouring Our Roots Circle of Experts. If you missed the community meeting on October 8, your feedback is still welcome. Please take a few moments to watch the short video, read the summary, and fill out the online survey.

Guard against frozen pipes with these helpful tips from the City’s Frozen Pipes webpage

Whether you are a renter, or a homeowner learn how to determine if you have lead pipes and what actions to take if you do, at the City’s Lead Water Service Replacement webpage.

Here’s a quick snapshot of some of the many activities and events around the City over the next couple of months:

Ongoing children, tween, teen, adult and elder programming at Hamilton Public Library branches, Ancaster and Lynden

Sinfonia Ancaster – Question And Answers –Friday, November 1, 7pm – Ancaster Memorial Arts Centre

Hamilton Day Friday, November 1 – Sunday, November 3, in Ancaster and throughout Hamilton

Remembrance Day Ceremony Monday, November 11, 10:45am - Ancaster Townhall

The Sound of Music (Theater Ancaster) November 15 to December 1 - Ancaster Memorial Arts Centre

St. John’s Church Christmas Bazaar Saturday, November 16, 9am to 12:30pm – St. John’s Anglican Church

Santa Claus Parade Saturday, November 16th 2pm *New location this year. Parade route starts at Limeridge Mall

Ancaster Christmas Village Saturday, November 16 from 11am - 4pm.

Urban Boundary Expansion - Open House For Public Input

· Tuesday, November 26, 12pm to 9pm - Hamilton Convention Centre

· Thursday, November 28, 6pm to 10pm - Ancaster High School

· Also available for your feedback soon on Engage Hamilton

A Village Christmas - Ancaster 2024 - Shop Ancaster Village Wednesday, December 5, 6pm to 8pm                                                                                                                                        

Sinfonia Ancaster Home for the Holidays Friday, December 6, 7pm - Ancaster Memorial Arts Centre

It's a Wonderful Life Friday, December 6 – Sunday, December 8 - Ancaster Old Fire Hall

Ancaster Christmas Craft Show Saturday, December 14, 10am to 3pm – Ancaster Fairgrounds

Welcome to Climate Corner, a new addition to Craig’s Current. In this section, I’ll be featuring stories on the Climate and Environment and will include ways you can take action. In the first installment, I am sharing a short video I made during a recent tour at the Royal Botanical Gardens. Senior Aquatic Ecologist Jennifer Bowman from the RBG led a hike on the RBG Arboretum Trails along the north shore of Cootes Paradise.  She told us all about the ongoing restoration efforts for this vital marsh ecosystem. From pollution to invasive carp, to fluctuating water levels, there are many challenges to overcome, but Jennifer and her team are making progress. The video is just a couple of minutes long, so please have a look (watch here). If you’d like to support the RBG by purchasing a membership or making donation, you can do that at their website.

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 Twitter.