Craig's Current - November 2023

Hi everyone, and happy November! Welcome to the unofficial beginning of the winter season. As I write this, snowflakes are falling joining the light snow that has already started to accumulate on the ground. It was in similar conditions, just over a year ago, that this term of Council began, and nine new Councillors and the new Mayor were sworn into office. It has been a wild year with many challenges for us to deal with - some of them predictable, but all of them so important to our City's present and future. We've received much feedback from Ward 12 and across the City and have done our best to keep you updated on the topics that matter to you. With the loss of our local weekly print newspapers, keeping you informed through this newsletter, social media, and town halls becomes ever more important. Thanks for all your feedback over these past twelve months. Although not everyone is going to agree with our decisions all the time, I can assure you that I am always working hard to understand each issue, to consider varying points of view, and to always make the best decision for our ward and our city. Please enjoy the November issue of Craig's Current.

To date, there have been two requests for Council endorsement of Battery Storage Energy Systems (BESS) on Ward 12 Greenbelt lands and another one in Ward 3's industrial area. On Wednesday, November 22, I seconded a motion to direct Staff to investigate the feasibility of these three BESS projects and to report back to Council on their findings. Council will not be endorsing any development projects without proper vetting by City Staff. Please take a moment to listen to this clip from last week’s council meeting to learn about the motion and hear my comments. While BESS are a useful climate solution, the location of such a facility is an important factor. I recognize the need to protect prime agricultural land and have been a vocal defender of our Greenbelt lands. I am aware of resident concerns related to noise, fire, and other safety considerations.

Two in-person meetings will be held this week. You will note that their times are overlapping. These are initiated by the proponents, not by the City, so we are not involved in the scheduling.

AYPA project (Powerline Road) 5:30 – 8 pm on Nov 30 at the Ancaster Rotary Centre

WPD project (Shaver Road) 7:00 – 8:30 pm on Nov 30 at Mohawk College

Residents are also free to provide feedback through our office via [email protected] or 905-546-2704

The City of Hamilton is responsible for managing stormwater – the water that comes from rain and melted snow that flows over land and into storm drains, ditches, creeks, and lakes. Currently, stormwater management is funded by water users who pay a stormwater rate based on how much water a home or business uses. The City will be decoupling stormwater funding from water usage and is creating a new fee that will be charged based on the impact to our stormwater system. As one example under this new system, large retail buildings with acres of impervious rooftops and paved parking lots will be required to pay substantially higher fees due to their very significant stormwater runoff and subsequent demands on the City's stormwater infrastructure.

Public consultation is currently underway, and the city is seeking public feedback on the citywide stormwater fee implementation program. The fee will apply to urban and rural residents as well as industrial/commercial and agricultural operations. Having heard concerns from the agricultural community about the new fee and incentive structure, our office has requested that changes be implemented to both the survey to make it more relevant to farm operations, and to the program to better recognize the crucial role farms play in sequestering stormwater. I will be bringing forward a motion to provide clear direction to staff on this matter.

Please share your feedback by writing to the email below and consider attending the upcoming Agriculture and Rural Affairs meeting on Nov 30 at 7 pm at City Hall or watch on the City’s YouTube channel.

Farmers can ask that their farms be assessed by emailing [email protected]

Just over a week away! We are so excited about the upcoming ‘A Village Christmas’ event at the Ancaster Old Town Hall. Be sure to join Ancaster Community Services on Thursday, December 7th for an evening of free entertainment, food, drinks, and of course Santa! The night kicks off at 6 pm with live music and fun. Santa’s arrival & the much-anticipated tree lighting are at 7 pm.

ACS will be collecting non-perishable food, unwrapped toys and gifts, gift cards, and monetary donations in support of their Holiday Assistance Program. They will also have their new TipTap pay device available for an extra easy way to give!

For more information, visit Ancaster Community Services

Just over half the residents of Iroquois, Seneca, Hiawatha, and Cayuga have replied to the streetlight survey that was sent to homes in October. In an effort to gather more data, on November 28, sixty additional surveys were delivered to residents from whom we have not yet received a reponse. We are requesting that anyone on those streets who have not yet provided feedback, please email [email protected] at your earliest convenience to indicate if you are in favour or not in favour of streetlights on your street. Please make sure to include your address in your reply. If you have friends or family in Mohawk Meadows kindly share this message with them!

If you are passionate about biodiversity and supporting local pollinators, please consider joining a group of Ward 12 residents who are planning to not only beautify the Radial Trail but also make it more ecologically friendly! Immediate actions will be: helping to remove invasive species and replacing them with native pollinators. If you or someone you know would like to take part, please email [email protected] 

The long-awaited opening of Southcote Road will take place as soon as the snow clears and the lines can be painted! A turning lane, sidewalk, three pedestrian crossings, and a multi-use path have all been incorporated into the new design. Thank you to everyone for your patience during the closure.

Assaulted Women’s Helpline (AWHL) offers support to all women-identifying individuals who are seeking help. Trained counsellors provide crisis counselling, safety planning, emotional support, information, and referrals in over 200 languages.

AWHL also offers the only 24-hour crisis and support line for seniors in Ontario who have experienced abuse or neglect. The Seniors Safety Line is open to any senior – male, female, two-spirit, trans, or genderqueer as well as those with disabilities, immigrants, persons of colour, and members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community.

If you or someone you care about needs assistance, contact the AWHL at 1-866-863-0511, TTY 1-866-299-0008. These supports are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. All services are confidential and anonymous.

A public meeting will be held on December 11 at Old Ancaster Town Hall from 6-8 pm to discuss the widening of Garner Road between Wilson Street and the Highway 403 off-ramp. Everyone is welcome. Public consultation is important in this study. The design for Garner Road improvements will reflect the long-term needs of the community. There will be two Public Information Centres (PICs) held during the study to gather feedback on the designs and recommendations. Sign up, learn more, and subscribe to be kept up to date on this project at Engage Hamilton - Garner Road.

Christmas is around the corner which means the Holiday Gift Program is in full swing! Flamborough Connects is still in need of donors with 43 Flamborough seniors hoping for a Christmas gift this year. Please consider becoming a donor today so you can be the one to make a difference!

Contact [email protected] 905-689-7880

There are SO many ways to help this holiday season! Ancaster Community Services has several ways for you to get involved including the Family Holiday Tree which is now up and running! Each tag has a requested gift from a child in our community who needs some extra support this holiday season. Visit their festive holiday board in the lower level of the library to pick your tags and help make a child's holiday season extra special!

Please bring in all unwrapped gifts with the tags by Monday, December 11th.

Information about the Holiday Assistance Program and ways to help is available at Ancaster Community Services

The City of Hamilton provides many services to many customers including residents, business owners, students, commuters, and tourists. This includes services you might not even think about such as clean drinking water and ensuring that fire hydrants are working in case of an emergency. The City delivers these services using taxpayer money, and we want feedback from you on how we’re doing.

The City of Hamilton strives to measure the services that our customers are receiving, and how effective we are at delivering those services. Hearing a range of perspectives will give us the opportunity to ensure that future planning of services aligns with our customer needs.

Throughout the planning process your thoughts, opinions, and satisfaction levels will be used to shape the plan, priorities, and strategies for future levels of service.

Tell us what you think about the current services provided by the City of Hamilton by completing this short survey. Your feedback is vital to ensuring that the City aligns services with our customer needs.

 The Ward 12 office wishes to extend our sincere thanks to everyone who engages with our office with suggestions and feedback. All the best to everyone for the approaching holiday season!