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City Terminates Two Immune Compromised HSR Bus Operators Who Are Not Able To Work During COVID – TPR Hamilton | Hamilton's Civic Affairs News Site

January 27, 2021
Update: Following public outcry from Hamiltonians, the two operators have been reinstated to their positions.
After five years, HSR operator Steve Burke was thrilled to finally be medically cleared to return to driving a bus again.
“I love the job”, Burke states.
Burke had to go off work five years ago when doctors told him he needed a liver transplant. After an excruciating two year wait, he was one of the lucky ones.
In April 2017, he received a liver. He “had a complicated postop course” states the office of his surgeon Dr. Mamatha Bhat in a letter provided by Burke to both the City of Hamilton and The Public Record.
The medical letter, dated July 31, 2020, states “Dr. Bhat recommends that Mr. Burke is able to return to work if he feels able.” The Doctor recommends “a graduated return to work, starting with part time hours and gradually increasing the amount of time worked as tolerated.”
The note continues “Mr. Burke will have to gauge for himself what is safe, in terms of his capabilities as well as the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.”
As liver transplant recipient, Burke’s immune system is partially compromised.  HSR bus operators’ compartment is shielded with a plastic barrier, however, this does not provide full protection as air is shared with the rest of the bus. For these reasons, Burke feels the risks are too high to be on a bus every day during a shift.
After 31 years working for the HSR, he was terminated. The City says his contract is frustrated, that because he cannot return to work, his disability is permanent.
The City of Hamilton has determined that, even after COVID, he will not be able to return to work.
Eric Tuck, president of the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 107 which represents bus operators, says the City ended the employment of 11 HSR operators who were on long-term disability last year. The union is grieving only two of the terminations: Burke’s and Christopher Markow.
“First of all, the way these terminations took place the employees are terminated under ‘frustration of contract’”, Tuck states, in his usual direct and honest manner.
“It’s perfectly legal to terminate an employee for frustration of contract if you believe there’s no chance of them coming back or getting better”, Tuck explains. “These are two circumstances where there’s very clear evidence, I believe, that these two employees will be able to return to work.”
Tuck says a recent change in Labour Relations Officer at the HSR has changed the approach of the Company towards employees for the worse.
Tuck says the employees were not treated with dignity. They received their termination letters in general mail to their homes, no phone call and no meeting.
“Prior to this, we always had a sit down with a member if they were well enough to come in and have that discussion, we would find out about their medical condition and whether there’s any chance of them getting better.”
The HSR and City of Hamilton did not offer any work accommodation. Something Tuck and the bus operators all note as unusual, especially as the City of Hamilton says it lacks the ability to effectively engage in contact tracing during the COVID pandemic.
The lack of fulsome contact tracing is one of the many reasons Hamilton City Hall has been unable to manage the spread during the Fall second wave of COVID.
Tuck says the union tried to find Burke accommodated work, be it work from home, or as a road supervisor. Burke started with the HSR in early 1989 and is qualified as an Acting Inspector, which is a role he previously filled. As an inspector, Burke’s contact with the public would be minimal.
Burke says he wants to return to work, especially after the length of his recovery. He says it was difficult in the rehabilitation hospital. He says he had to prove he could walk before they would discharge him after his transplant.
“I finally got home after six months in the hospital for a stay that shouldn’t have been half that long.”
“Since I got home, it’s been a very much slower recovery than I expected”, Burke continues. “I went through hoops to try and get doctors to say that I was able to go back to work.”
He finally received the permission, but it was too late. The City had terminated him.
Tuck says they brought the return-to-work letter to the grievance meeting, but to no avail. The City is holding firm, leaving the union to fight and take the matter to arbitration.
Burke and Tuck are both waiting for doctors to determine when Burke can receive the COVID vaccine.
“I have to take a lot of medication” says Burke of the anti-rejection medications for his transplanted liver. “If I get a cold, I could end up in hospital. I have to be very, very cautious.”
Christopher Markow is waiting for what he hopes will be his transplant day in the future. Originally from Hamilton, Markow lived in Australia for around 15 years before returning to Hamilton in 2008 and quickly applied to be a bus operator. In fact, he applied twice before getting hired in 2010.
“It’s just something I’ve always wanted to do”, he says.
“I knew a few people who drove bus and they always told me what a good job it was. I enjoyed being with the public and dealing with people and that’s basically how I started, I just came back to my roots.”
In 2014, he received the diagnosis he had feared most of his life. He inherited Polycystic Kidney Disease and as well as polycystic liver.
“There was a 50/50 chance that my father would pass it on to me”, says Markow. “Unfortunately, I got the wrong side of the coin.”
Markow is matter of fact about the disease, explaining that he always knew he was at risk stating he is hopeful of a transplant and full recovery.
“I mean this, it’s no one’s fault, but this disease. Over the years has taken everything that I’ve had.”
“I’m grateful”, he says of the HSR hiring him. “They knew prior to me getting hired. They knew I had the disease. I didn’t lie.”
Tuck says the decision of the HSR to terminate Markow particularly bothers him.
“Top specialists say once he has this transplant”, Tuck states. “There is no reason he cannot lead a normal life or return to work.”
It is not just how the City terminated them which frustrates Tuck.
“There is an opportunity [for him to return to work]”, Tuck continues. “The City’s going to pay for Chris to be on long term disability permanently.”
Markow wants to return to work. That hope is what sustains him as he awaits the hope of a transplant, Tuck says. “Why wouldn’t you allow him that dignity”.
“He worked for you for almost five years”, Tuck says. “He is a good worker, a good employee. And then he has the misfortune of getting sick and needing a transplant”.
“He’s waiting for a transplant”, Tuck says. “Once that transplant is done, there’s no reason he cannot come back to work and still have a successful career and work up until 65.”
Markow says he hopes to work longer if his health will allow. “Who’s to say I have to quit when I’m 65 I could work till I’m 70 or 75, as long as I’m healthy.”
“I mean, Chris, could sit there and just collect the long-term disability for the rest of his life to 65, if that’s what he wanted to do. He’s not choosing to do that”, says Tuck. “He’s fighting to keep the job. So he has something to come back to and some hope down the road.”
Tuck asks why the City of Hamilton is not engaging as many employees as possible in contact tracing during the pandemic.
“What are they doing? I don’t get it,” Tuck says. “Certainly, contract tracing is one of the most important jobs at this time.”
The union will fight no matter how long it takes, or the costs involved. says Tuck.
“To just toss people away is just wrong”, says Tuck. “It’s wrong in every, every sense, whether it’s legal or not it, morally and ethically it’s wrong. For the union, that’s worth fighting.”
City of Hamilton Statement:
“While we can’t speak to any individual/specific details of any employee cases as those are confidential personnel matters and involve personal and private health information, we can share that in the case of employees on Long Term Disability (LTD), those terminations typically occur after a long period of time because there has been what is called a ‘Frustration of Contract’.
Frustration of Contract is the legal doctrine/policy where the employment relationship is brought to an end by no fault of either party. While we can’t speak to the individual circumstances of the employees mentioned, I can confirm that Frustration of Contract would typically occur after someone had been on LTD for a matter of years.
By ending the employment contract, it provides for an employee’s right to severance under the Employment Standards Act when the contract of employment is impossible to fulfil as a result of medical condition from which an employee is deemed to be totally disabled and unable to work any time in the foreseeable future.
By the very nature of someone being on LTD, that precludes them from doing any kind of work (nor can they participate in any work accommodations) while on LTD as they are deemed, through the LTD process, not able to work at all from a health perspective. We as the employer always consider each case individually and communicate with employees’ respective medical professional(s) prior to making any decisions.
Fourteen long-term disability (LTD) employees were terminated in 2020. All of these employees remain on full disability benefit payments and health and dental coverage. This is the same benefit coverage they had prior to the date of their termination.
We appreciate that these matters are extremely delicate and sensitive, and we handle each case individually within the legal parameters in which we are required to operate, while ensuring the utmost compassion and consideration for each employee’s personal and often very difficult circumstances.”

created: January 27, 2021


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City of Hamilton COVID Press Conference Summary – TPR Hamilton | Hamilton's Civic Affairs News Site

January 18, 2021
The City of Hamilton held their once-a-week COVID press conference this afternoon. The following is a summary of my Twitter thread which can be read in its entirety here.
Work from home, please work from home, seriously work from home! This is the key takeaway message from today’s press conference.
Hamilton’s Medical Officer of Health Dr. Elizabeth Richardson emphasized this message as the main thrust of her remarks today, saying it is very important for people to stay home as much as possible to prevent the spread of COVID in the community. When she completed this segment, Dr. Richardson took a pause, and then quickly noted that the City of Hamilton has extra precautions in place for its workplaces as Mayor Fred Eisenberger sat in his City Hall office today during the press conference. Mayor Eisenberger made repeated statements regarding the importance of working from home.
Working from home is possible for Mayor Eisenberger, he has a house with separate home office. For others, their apartment is crappy with their partner also working from home. Many of us are dealing with terrible internet. Heck, being stuck at homes is tough. It is nice to go to the office.
Mayor Eisenberger working from his office encapsulates the dilemma of work-from-home. It is easier to work in the office.
There is growing concern regarding two COVID outbreaks in homeless shelters. The City is preparing Bennetto Recreation Centre as a homeless isolation shelter if cases continue to increase. At present, people are being provided accommodation in an isolation shelter operated by Wesley.
Johnson states the City has capacity in shelters despite the two with outbreaks not taking in new clients. He stated the City has available hotel rooms.
Hamilton Director of Emergency Operations Paul Johnson thanked people for complying with outdoor skating hours and for wearing masks while skating. Johnson noted many people have thanked the staff operating the rinks, and this is much appreciated.
There is no winter golf as per provincial orders. Winterfest will be online only.
A East Hamilton hair salon on Galmont Drive was open over the weekend, contrary to COVID regulations. The operator is facing numerous charges under the Reopening Ontario Act. Media asked questions, no specifics were provided.
Johnson stated the City understands being closed is very difficult for these types of businesses, but it is necessary and there are no excuses for being open.
Johnson emphasized that people are to call the City of Hamilton for COVID enforcement and not police or 9-1-1.  The City number is 905 546 2489.
Dr. Richardson spoke to the pause regarding vaccinations behind Long Term Care homes and high-risk retirement homes. With Pfizer retooling their production line in Europe, the province is preserving supply to ensure all people already given a first dose will have a second dose available.
Dr. Richardson stated it is good in the medium to long term that Pfizer will be able to produce more vaccine and Hamilton is working to prepare for the arrive of a steady supply of vaccines. “It is disappointing news in the short term”, said Dr. Richardson. “we are going to continue with the planning” for larger vaccination clinics.
In response to a question claiming “Hamilton has been left out again” regarding the province adding 500 “surge beds” in Ontario’s regions worst hit by COVID, Dr. Richardson stated that she supports the decision of Ontario Health as it will keep patients closer to home. Dr. Richardson says many patients from outside of Hamilton are admitted to Hamilton’s ICUs due to the strained capacity in the Greater Toronto Area.

source: news-thepublicrecord

created: January 18, 2021

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/


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Farmers’ Market Board Chair Resigns in Protest as City Council Demands Full Rent from Vendors Despite COVID Impacts – TPR Hamilton | Hamilton's Civic Affairs News Site

January 18, 2021
The most committed and longest serving member of the Hamilton Farmers’ Market Board of Directors is resigning in “protest of an avoidable crisis forced upon the Hamilton Farmers’ Market during the pandemic” as City Council refuses to support the market vendors using federal COVID funds to support vendors.
Eric Miller’s resignation letter states the Council have created a crisis in the Market by voting 13-1 to deny COVID rent support to vendors.
Miller was the Chair of the Market Board, who still committed to the Market through years of turmoil and long hours of meetings as a citizen volunteer.
Hamilton City Council is one of the few municipalities in Ontario to not support municipal tenants.  Only Ward 7 Councillor Esther Pauls voted to support municipal tenants.
Mayor Fred Eisenberger voted against supporting the vendors, who are now facing possible evictions from the Market. Vendors have until Wednesday January 20 to agree to pay full 2020 rent or be evicted. This includes vendors whose businesses are closed by provincial COVID orders.
The Mayor’s Task Force on Economic Recovery is calling for a “moratorium on commercial tenant evictions” and call for an expansion of government relief programs. (Page 12)
Ward 2 City Councillor Jason Farr has issued no statements on his website, social media, or newsletter regarding the situation at the Market. By convention, the Ward 2 Councillor sits on the Market Board of Directors. Farr does not sit on the Board.
In a memo dated June 26, 2020, from the Market Manager, who is a part of the City Manager’s Office, the City stated it would reduce rents by 75% for April, May, and June 2020.
This memo was aligned with the actions of other municipal governments and the intent of federal COVID funds given to the City of Hamilton. The City of Hamilton has a fiscal surplus in 2020 from unspent federal and provincial COVID funding.
Miller outlines the options which were available to City Council – use COVID funds or allow the Farmers’ Market Board to use its reserve funds to provide rent support.
Council will vote Wednesday to accept the resignation.


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Hamilton City Hall Lobbying Activities: Director of Growth Planning Now Lobbying for Developers Weeks After Retirement – TPR Hamilton | Hamilton's Civic Affairs News Site

January 18, 2021
Hamilton’s near-voluntary lobbyist registry contains numerous loopholes which makes it the weakest municipal registry in Ontario. For example, it states companies do not have to register if they rent or own property in the ward of the Councillor they lobbying. The rental of a postal box will fulfill this requirement. This loophole also applies to lobbying the Mayor.
Voluntary compliance by senior city staff varies. Some departments require registration before they meet with lobbyists, others do not.
As a result, Hamilton’s lobbyist registry is only a partial record of lobbying activity at Hamilton City Hall.
Less than two months after retiring as the City’s powerful Director of Growth Planning, Guy Paparella is lobbying on behalf of developers at City Hall.
Paparella quickly incorporated himself as a consultant following retirement and is retained by 1507565 Ontario Inc. (Frisina Group), the owners of approximately 106 acres of land located within the Elfrida Community. They are seeking for City Council to approve their lands for new suburban development. Council is presently in the final stages of approving a new comprehensive urban plan, GRIDS 2, which is likely to involve a boundary expansion to allow some greenfield development. For developers, the Council decision means profits potentially in the tens of millions. For developers who do not receive development approvals, they will need to wait an indeterminate amount of time to realize their hoped for profits.
Someone with the deep insider knowledge and connections of Paparella is a very attractive consultant. Former General Manager of Planning and Economic Development Tim McCabe became a lobbyist shortly after retiring in 2013. Following public pressure resulting from McCabe’s lobbying activities, “senior staff” hired after 2016 are no longer able to lobbying. Directors are classified as senior staff.
Waste Management of Canada registered to continue lobbying all members of City Council for the coming year. Waste Management of Canada is regularly lobbying for business, and to promote their new practices and technologies. Waste Management registered two of its staff.
StrategyCorp Inc, a national lobbying firm which properly registers their activities, is representing Ronald McDonald House Charities Canada (RMHC) to Mayor Fred Eisenberger and City Manager Janette Smith”regarding the ICIP COVID-19 Resilience Infrastructure Stream for Municipalities”.
Ontario Educational Collaborative Marketplace is registered as represented by StrategyCorp to meet with City Manager Smith to “Make the City aware of the products and services that are offered by OECM”.
Roll Technologies is the latest E-Scooter firm to register to lobbying City Council about their service. City staff are expected to bring forth a report in the coming weeks regarding the legalization of commercial E-Scooter services in Hamilton. They are based in Toronto.
Ford Motor Company is registered as well, seeking to run their SPIN/Ford Mobility service in Hamilton. Their lobbyist is former Toronto City Councillor Peter Milczyn.
Lime Technologies added their Director of Strategic Development to their lobbyists. Lime’s company name is Neutron Holdings, Inc.
SCOOTY, based in Mississauga, is lobbying the Mayor’s Office, General Manager of Planning and Economic Development Jason Thorne, and City Manager Janette Smith on their service.
Ken Hall renewed his registration as a lobbyist in his capacity as Senior Advisor Community Engagement for the energy utility.
Murray Costello, the District Manager for Enbridge, is registered to lobby both Council and Senior Management Team.
Axon is lobbying the three City Councillors on the Hamilton Police Services Board regarding their body cameras. Axon cameras are being deployed nearby in Peel and Toronto. They hired Kim Wright of Wright Strategies as their lobbyist.
The Progressive Conservative provincial government is requiring municipalities to conduct a review of micro-transit. Teneo, which operates bus.com, is lobbying Mayor Fred Eisenberger and Councillors Judi Partridge and Brad Clark regarding their “alternative transportation model that supports small business operators in the bus transportation sector”.


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Hamilton COVID Data Update for January 11, 2021 – TPR Hamilton | Hamilton's Civic Affairs News Site

January 11, 2021
Hamilton’s Medical Officer of Health Dr. Elizabeth Richardson struck a note of optimism today, and even a momentary smile, as she opened her weekly public COVID update stating vaccination of residents in Hamilton’s long-term Care and retirement homes is underway.
The situation in the community remains bleak. There are now two more hospital outbreaks, a record number of people in hospital, a positivity rate more than double what is considered an unacceptable level, and concerns that the “UK variant” could gain a foothold to only make this worse.
Our Weekly Incident Rate has more than tripled in the past eight weeks, the Effective Reproductive number is well above 1, at 1.16. All indicators are concerning.
All the while, the Ontario Progressive Conservative government says they will be forced to act, eventually. The Premier is expected to announce measures to replace the present “mockdown” with measures to try to lower the spread of COVID in Ontario. A press conference and announcement is expected on Tuesday.
Over the weekend, 15 more Hamiltonians were admitted to hospitals. There were 3 deaths reported during the weekend. The number of new daily cases decreased to 67 on Saturday, and 64 on Sunday.
This decreased the Weekly Incidence Rate to approximately 145.22 on Sunday, from a peak of 181.4 on Friday. The seven-day average COVID test positivity rate was 6.94% on December 31, 2020. ICES reported a 6.72% rate for January 2, 2021 in their weekly analysis.  (The Hamilton breakdown by postal code is here)
New Cases: 146
Cumulative Total of Cases: 7469
New Deaths: 0
Cumulative Total of Deaths: 202
Weekly Incidence Rate: 154.1 (Based upon a population estimate of 589,000 for Hamilton)
Source: Ontario Open Data
Hamilton Health Sciences is reporting 80 COVID patients. HHS is no longer providing the number in Intensive Care.
St. Joseph’s is reporting 30 in-patients.
Hamilton Public Health reports 1490 active cases of COVID in Hamilton.

created: January 11, 2021


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Hamilton COVID Data Update for January 12, 2021 – TPR Hamilton | Hamilton's Civic Affairs News Site

January 12, 2021
It is bad news day in Ontario as the Ontario COVID-19 Science Advisory Table will release the projections they shared with Ontario Premier Doug Ford.
The Advisory Table press conference included the release of new projections – shared with the Ontario Cabinet last week. I have summarized the slides with a Hamilton focus here.
Premier Doug Ford announced new measures to try to lower the spread of COVID in Ontario. Details, the written rules, are expected Wednesday morning
New case counts in the past five days have decreases from the peaks experienced last week. This brings down the Weekly Incidence Rate to approximately 143.0 today, from a peak of 181.4 on Friday. It will be a few more days before we can say if this is a trend, or if it is a momentarily decrease with a new peak to come.
The peaks of recent weeks will result in a wave of hospitalizations in the coming weeks, and it is hospital capacity which is the primary concern of experts at this time.
Hamilton Public Health is clearing a backlog of old case files, which is why the active case count dropped 399 in their update to 1029. The peak, on January 5, was 1714 active cases.
New Cases: 86
Cumulative Total of Cases: 7555
New Deaths: 2
Cumulative Total of Deaths: 202
Weekly Incidence Rate: 143.0 (Based upon a population estimate of 589,000 for Hamilton)
Source: Ontario Open Data
Active Cases: 1029  (Hamilton Public Health)
Hospitalizations
Hamilton Public Health reports 13 more Hamiltonians have been hospitalized in the last daily reporting period.
Hamilton Health Sciences is reporting 90 COVID patients, an increase of 10 from yesterday. HHS is no longer providing the number in Intensive Care.
St. Joseph’s Hamilton is reporting 25 COVID patients, a decrease of 5 from yesterday.

created: January 12, 2021


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Hamilton COVID Data Update for January 13, 2021 – TPR Hamilton | Hamilton's Civic Affairs News Site

January 13, 2021
Hamilton’s daily new case number for today is 171, and hospitalizations continue to increase. Without full contact tracing, we do not know exactly where or how COVID is spreading in our community.
During the past ten days, Hamilton Public Health says nearly 50% of cases are from close contact transmission. 28% of cases are “community acquired” meaning unknown origin, 16% are outbreak associated.
The City is expecting to complete the first round of vaccinations in long-term care homes and higher risk retirement homes by Sunday. We do not know further details, the Province has directed that local public health units not release localized information.
New Cases: 171
Cumulative Total of Cases: 7726
New Deaths: 4
Cumulative Total of Deaths: 206
Weekly Incidence Rate: 146.08 (Based upon a population estimate of 589,000 for Hamilton)
Source: Ontario Open Data
Active Cases: 1011 (Hamilton Public Health)
Hospitalizations
Hamilton Public Health reports 8 more Hamiltonians have been hospitalized in the last daily reporting period. (Total of 509)
Hamilton Health Sciences is reporting 92 COVID patients, an increase of 2 from yesterday. HHS is no longer providing the number in Intensive Care.
St. Joseph’s Hamilton is reporting 21 COVID patients, a decrease of 4 from yesterday.
Note that hospital patients coming from different regions, and Hamiltonians may be admitted to Joseph Brant Hospital in Burlington.

created: January 13, 2021


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Hamilton COVID Data Update for January 18, 2021 – TPR Hamilton | Hamilton's Civic Affairs News Site

January 18, 2021
Hamilton’s reproductive number is below 1.0, meaning that the COVID curve is finally going back downwards. Hamilton Public Health states the reproductive number is now 0.92.
If the trend continues, Hamilton’s COVID active case count peak is behind us as of January 5, 2021.
The challenge for the coming weeks will be health care capacity as the peak in new cases will reverberate into a peak in hospitalizations in the coming weeks. The new provincial state of emergency remains in effect for a month, and schools are closed until February 11.
There is a slowdown in vaccinations due to a Pfizer changing its manufacturing process at its European production facility. Pfizer says the changes will enable it significantly increase production once complete. The Ontario government is directing local public health units to pause administering most first doses of vaccines to ensure supply for necessary second doses.
Hamilton Public Health states Hamilton’s long-term care and high-risk retirement homes will continue with vaccine clinics.
New Cases: 121
Cumulative Total of Cases: 8236
New Deaths: 2
Cumulative Total of Deaths: 221
Weekly Incidence Rate: 130.89 (Based upon a population estimate of 589,000 for Hamilton)
Source: Ontario Open Data
Active Cases: awaiting update (Hamilton Public Health)
Hospitalizations
Hamilton Health Sciences is reporting 93 COVID patients, an increase of 7 over the weekend. HHS is no longer providing the number in Intensive Care.
Note that hospital patients coming from different regions, and Hamiltonians may be admitted to Joseph Brant Hospital in Burlington.


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Hamilton COVID Data Update for January 4, 2021 – TPR Hamilton | Hamilton's Civic Affairs News Site

January 4, 2021
The Weekly Incidence Rate of COVID-19 per 100,000 residents of Hamilton remains above 150 as the Public Health Ontario reports 94 new confirmed cases in the past day, and three new deaths.
Province-wide, the number of tests complete is significantly lower than average with a near record high positivity rate of 8.36%
New Cases: 94
Cumulative Total of Cases: 6566
New Deaths: 3
Cumulative Total of Deaths: 180
Weekly Incidence Rate: 156.5 (Based upon a population estimate of 589,000 for Hamilton)
Source: Ontario Open Data
The total number of Hamiltonians who have been admitted to hospital with COVID increased by 3 on Sunday.
Hamilton Health Sciences is reporting an increase of 6 COVID patients since December 31st, bringing the total COVID inpatients to 53, of whom 8 are in ICU.
St. Joseph’s is reporting 21 patients, the same as December 31st..
Hamilton Public Health reports 1603 active cases of COVID in Hamilton, a new peak.

created: January 4, 2021


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Hamilton COVID Data Update for January 5, 2021 – TPR Hamilton | Hamilton's Civic Affairs News Site

January 5, 2021
The Weekly Incidence Rate of COVID-19 per 100,000 residents of Hamilton remains above 150 as the Public Health Ontario reports 151 new confirmed cases in the past day, and 6 new deaths.
Province-wide, the number of tests complete is lower than average with a near record high positivity rate of 8.9%
New Cases: 151
Cumulative Total of Cases: 6717
New Deaths: 6
Cumulative Total of Deaths: 186
Weekly Incidence Rate: 157.67 (Based upon a population estimate of 589,000 for Hamilton)
Source: Ontario Open Data
The total number of Hamiltonians who have been admitted to hospital with COVID increased by 8 since yesterday.
Hamilton Health Sciences is reporting an increase of 2 in COVID in-patients, bringing the total COVID inpatients to 53, of whom 9 are in ICU, an increase of 1.
St. Joseph’s is reporting 22 in-patients, an increase of one since yesterday.
Hamilton Public Health reports 1714 active cases of COVID in Hamilton, a new peak.

created: January 5, 2021


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Hamilton COVID Data Update for January 6, 2021 – TPR Hamilton | Hamilton's Civic Affairs News Site

January 6, 2021
Public Health Ontario reports 155 new confirmed cases in the past day, and 4 new deaths.
A data lag on December 29 means that today’s Weekly Incidence Rate may be slightly overstated due the seven day average including cases reported late on December 30 and 31.
Province-wide, the number of tests completed yesterday returned to pre-holiday levels. The positivity rate average is 6.4%. We can expect an update of the Hamilton data in the next 24 hours.
New Cases: 153
Cumulative Total of Cases: 6870
New Deaths: 4
Cumulative Total of Deaths: 190
Weekly Incidence Rate: 172.01 (Based upon a population estimate of 589,000 for Hamilton)
Note on WIR: Cases were over-reported on December 30 due to data lag issues. The actual WIR is likely between 167 to 169.
The total number of Hamiltonians who have been admitted to hospital with COVID increased by 8 since yesterday.
Hamilton Health Sciences is reporting reporting 63 COVID patients, an increase of 8 since yesterday. 9 of these patients are in ICU.
St. Joseph’s is reporting 24 in-patients, an increase of 2 since yesterday.
Hamilton Public Health has not yet posted their daily COVID update.

created: January 6, 2021


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ICES: Hamilton COVID Positivity Rate Increases to 6.72% at end of 2020 – TPR Hamilton | Hamilton's Civic Affairs News Site

January 8, 2021
ICES data shows Hamilton’s COVID positivity rate increased during December, while the number of people getting tested per day remained nearly the same.
Excluding tests conducted in Long-Term Care Homes, Hamilton’s positivity rate increased to 6.72% for December 27, 2020 to January 2, 2021. It was 4.8% the week prior.
ICES releases COVID positivity rate by Postal FSA, and this data shows Upper Stoney Creek has having the highest positivity rate.
L8J’s positivity rate of 8.98% is the highest in Hamilton for the reporting period, it was 6.26% the week prior. L8J is all areas of Stoney Creek above the escarpment.
L8K is a close second with a rate of 8.90%. L8K is all areas of Lower Hamilton that are south of Main Street / Queenston Road between Ottawa Street and Nash Road.
L9C and L9A have the third and fourth highest rate in Hamilton, with L9B sixth. These postal costs are Hamilton Mountain neighbourhoods West of Upper Wentworth to the Ancaster border, as well as the urban areas of Glanbrook south of Twenty Road.
L9C’s rate is 8.67%, L9A is 7.65%, and L9B is 6.99%.
The fifth highest rate in Hamilton is L8L which is most of Ward 2 and all of Ward 3 norht of King Street. L8L’s positivity rate is 7.02%

created: January 8, 2021


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Neighbours and Owner Reach LPAT Settlement Re: 315B Aberdeen Avenue – TPR Hamilton | Hamilton's Civic Affairs News Site

January 13, 2021
Neighbouring property owners and the owner of 315B Aberdeen Avenue have reached a settlement regarding minor variances.
There was strong neighbourhood opposition to the 315B owner’s application for minor variances, with two dozen delegations opposing the proposal when it was heard by Hamilton’s Committee of Adjustment (CoA) in late June 2020.
The CoA approved the application at a later meeting, having conducted a site visit.
Neighbours appealed to the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal. In December, the appealing neighbours and 315B owner reached a settlement.
LPAT issued approval this week.
The deal requires that the 315B Aberdeen property be merged with 293 Aberdeen on title, (315B is set back in an alleyway adjacent to 293 and other properties), a height limit on the new two-storey home of 8.5 metres, and rules on setbacks and windows to give privacy protections to properties west of the site.


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Ontario COVID Science Advisory Table Brief – Hamilton Information – TPR Hamilton | Hamilton's Civic Affairs News Site

January 13, 2021
Dr. Adalsteinn (Steini) Brown, Co-Chair of the Ontario COVID-19 Science Advisory Table, Dr. Barbara Yaffe, Associate Chief Medical Officer of Health, and Matthew Anderson, President and CEO of Ontario Health shared their projections with the public today during a morning press conference.
They shared a package of slides, which had been presented to the Ontario Cabinet last week. The following is a selection of slides of note from a Hamilton lenses.
The significant jump in positivity among children is the reasons school are closed and kids are doing their best to learn online. Nearly 1-in-5 tests of children between the ages of 9 to 13 came back positive in the final week of December.
Simply put, we already know our cases are increasing and our hospitals are strained. We are about to encounter the “UK” B117 variant which spreads much more easily. It is not just COVID which will kill people if we overwhelm our health care capacity – collisions, accidents, heart attacks, and other medical mishaps which can be treated with intensive care and surgery will be fatal due to lack of space and staff.
COVID in the community becomes COVID in Long-Term Care homes. Even with all precautions, the reality is this virus is viral – it spreads. Staff or visitors, who test negative even a day prior, can be in the incubation period. They become asymptomatic spreads. Masks and shields decrease the risk of spread, they do not eliminate it.
Intensive Care is just that – intensive. It requires specialized equipment and highly trained health care staff. There are limited amounts of both. Already, as the chart shows, many ICUs are well over capacity. When they are 80% occupied, there is the risk that an major incident – an accident, collision, etc – will result in otherwise preventable deaths.
Hamilton General is already overcapacity.
Juravinski is already over 80% capacity, only 2 free beds. This is the cancer centre, those beds could be needed for cancer patients.
Joseph Brant in Burlington is just over 80% capacity. Brantford General and St. Joe’s Hamilton are approaching the 80% theshold.
The record number of cases of the past three weeks will result in more ICU hospitalizations as symptoms worsen following active infection with COVID.
People were very mobile during the Christmas period. However, this includes people doing porch drops who did not visit with others. The data shows movement, not activity. Nonetheless, the mobility data shows a lot more movement than what experts say is necessary to show clear social bubbles and prevent the spread of COVID.
Further, the number of people returning to workplaces – including offices – is higher than what the experts say is needed to bring COVID under control.
What is interesting here is that Hamilton did not see a huge spike in retail visits just before Christmas, however, many of our retails spaces were already closed. In 905 areas where retail was open, there were significant spikes in retail visits. This could be people crossing from the “Grey Zone” into the “Red Zone” areas — including Halton.
Credit is due to Hamilton’s hospitals, regional labs, and public health. 91% of tests are being processed within 48 hours. This is the second highest rate in Ontario, Toronto is 92%.
Hamilton’s Weekly Incidence Rate continues to increase, just above average for Ontario, but nearly four times the “Control” theshold. It will be a lot of work to bring it back under the Control/Restrict/Protest thresholds.


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UPDATE: City Hall Reinstates HSR Bus Operators Following Public Outcry – TPR Hamilton | Hamilton's Civic Affairs News Site

January 29, 2021
Hamiltonians let City Hall know that kicking two immune-compromised HSR bus operators to the curb during the COVID pandemic is unacceptable to us. On Wednesday, The Public Record and other media outlets brought Hamiltonians the story of two bus operators on long-term disability who were terminated by the City of Hamilton.
Following the publication of the story, the City and Union representing the operators met and reached an agreement to reinstate them.
In a statement issued this afternoon, ATU 107 president Eric Tuck states:
The Union is grateful that the employer has agreed to re-instate the two employees immediately. They are working co-operatively to do a full independent medical review of the two individuals current medical situation, and to factor in the Covid 19 component.
Furthermore, the parties have agreed to a more inclusive review process going forward to ensure that all relevant information is presented prior to termination, under frustration of contract.

created: January 29, 2021


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Ward One Councillor Consults Disability Advisory Committee on HAAA Grounds Renewal Plan – TPR Hamilton | Hamilton's Civic Affairs News Site

January 12, 2021
Ward One City Councillor Maureen Wilson attended today’s video meeting of Hamilton’s Advisory Committee for Persons with Disabilities (ACPD) to ask their thoughts and needs regarding the planned renewal of the Hamilton Amateur Athletic Association Grounds.
ACPD member Paula Kilburn thanked the Councillor and City Project Manager Wes Kindree for attending the meeting, noting the City usually waits until project planning is near completion before consulting ACPD. Often this results in ACPD feedback not being implemented.
Kilburn, a person with a visual impairment, stated the park “needs to have tactile surfaces so people know if they are on a running track”, on a pathway, or “approaching a bench”. Kilburn requested the City making the public consultation website fully accessible, including the use of description text for visual figures and elements.
ACPD member Tim Nolan asked about the heritage status of the clubhouse which is on the Charlton Avenue frontage of the park. Specifically, is it designated and will this prevent making it accessible?
Project manager Kindree stated the building is listed as being of heritage interest.
“The overall look of the building will not be transformed”, Kindree stated, adding the goal is to have accessible washrooms in the building as part of the renewal. “Most of the work will be about accessibility inside”.
The City will hold a online public meeting regarding the park renewal on Feburary 4, 2021


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A Day in The Politics of Legalizing Illegal Multiplex Rentals in Hamilton – TPR Hamilton | Hamilton's Civic Affairs News Site

February 18, 2021
Tuesday’s Hamilton City Council Planning Committee witnessed the ugly politics of intensification, rental housing, and how the City of Hamilton operates as 15 feudal wards instead of one city with a wider vision.
Council considered two identical applications to convert existing illegal multiplexes into legal units meeting code. Both were recommended for approval by the City’s planning staff.
The application in Ward 3 was approved. The application in Ward 2 was denied.
The Ward 2 application will eventually be approved by the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal. Farr acknowledges this, stating “they got a pretty good case going into a LPAT appeal. They have a staff report that’s obviously supportive.”
Farr moved to deny the application, and authorize the hiring of outside lawyers and experts to argue against the City’s professional staff at LPAT.
The cost to taxpayers of the LPAT process, with its inevitable outcome of approval, will be around $25,000 at the low end. Around a dozen neighbours are known to be opposed to the Ward 2 application.
For Farr, spending $2000 per vote is money well wasted, so long as taxpayers are footing the bill.
The applications, 95 – 97 Fairholt Road South in Ward 3 and 130 Wellington Street South in Ward 2, both involve large Victorian three-storey single detached homes.
There are an untold number of Victorian homes in Hamilton which are illegal multiplexes. They were converted in recent decades while the old City of Hamilton turned a blind eye.
The ownership of these house recently changed. The new owners are seeking to maximize their profits by legalizing the houses and adding more units in the process. [These two separate applications have with no connection with each other, they coincidentally ended up in front of Council at the same time.]
The City of Hamilton wants owners to legalize existing illegal multiplexes and to bring them up to both building and fire codes. There are significant concerns about the safety of illegal multiplexes. They were converted without the inspections conducted during a proper building permit process.
In a perfect world, the City could punish the scoundrels would illegally converted these homes.
The reality is that the large number of illegal multiplexes make this impossible. Enforcing zoning laws would remove thousands of rental units at a time when Hamilton is experiencing a shortage of available units.
The City wants illegal units brought into conformity and legalized. To achieve this, the City is using a carrot and stick approach.
The carrot is allowing houses which legalize to gain an additional unit or two. For the owner, this increases their revenue per square foot enabling them to both recover the costs of legalization and to gain increased profits in the medium-to-long term.
The stick? City bylaw regularly patrols for signs of renovation construction. The City’s Building Department quickly issues stop work orders and issues fines.
The status quo works for bad landlords. They do not need to do anything to improve their existing illegal multiplexes. So long as the bad landlord keeps the status quo, and does not conduct construction, they can keep operating their illegal units without the costs of meeting standards and code.
A tenant who complains to by-law regarding their living conditions risks losing their rental unit.
A by-law inspection is likely to find serious deficiencies, and the owner can manipulate the situation into getting a declaration that the house must be vacated to make it safe.
The result is a renoviction. The tenant is left to fend for themselves. The landlord can renovate, legalize, and charge above market rents to new tenants.
The bad units tend to be slightly cheaper than a decent unit, and if the tenant has lived in their unit for any length of time, their rent is significantly lower than the present market rate.
It is a bad situation with no obvious solutions.
The carrot?
Legalization costs tens of thousands of dollars. Owners must pay for rezoning. This involves consultants and applications fees. The houses then have to be brought up to building code, and for many of these houses it means extensive renovations to meet fire standards for a multiplex.
In exchange, the City allows for additional units when safe and possible.
The reality is in lower Hamilton, the Provincial Growth Plan effectively requires approval of medium density conversions because of the planning Light Rail Transit project. Thus, the carrot is something the City must now provide anyway.
Both the applications were opposed by nearby residents as over intensification and adding rental units to their neighbourhood.
“The neighbourhood already has numerous rental options in the area affordable options”, Jesse Razaqpur told City Council in opposition to the 130 Wellington Street South application.
“We also have the Ontario Works offices at the corner of Wellington, this neighbourhood is doing its fair share of heavy lifting with respect to mixed land use and access to housing for all income classes.”
“I submit it is resident homeowners who formed the bedrock of such neighborhoods. They’re the ones who have children in the area. They are the ones who take pride in their properties, and maintain their homes and gardens. They are the ones that ensure the neighborhood is a vibrant place. There are people who actually know and talk to one another, socialize together and share the same concerns”, Razaqpur continued.
“As noted in our previous meeting, you can walk down the street and visually, you can know which properties are resident homeowners and which are absentee land or owners renting to various parties.”
“And to be blunt, it is the resident homeowners who actually vote here in the city!”
Councillor Farr praised Razaqpur’s presentation, and Council unanimously denied the application.
The Ward 3 application was opposed by neighbours with similar concerns.
A letter to Council, which Hamilton City Clerk Andrea Holland granted the writer anonymity, from the Unified Home owners association of Fairholt Road South, stated “absolutely not” to the application.
“No more rental units on our street … we are already busting at the seems with rentals and parking … we say no to becoming another Hamilton Ghetto”, the letter reads.
Ward 3 Councillor Nrinder Nann does not sit on Planning Committee, and did not comment on the file during the meeting.
Ward 8 Councillor John Paul Danko voted against the application stating he opposes the carving up of detached homes into multiplexes.
“This could be any single family home in Ancaster, or the South Mountain or anywhere in the city,” Danko stated. “There is no way that we would approve a six unit conversion of a similar size house on the South Mountain. So I’m going to stay consistent and be opposed to this.”
Ward 1 Councillor Maureen Wilson joined Danko in opposing the application.
“We have an outstanding item on our list for a family friendly policy”, Wilson stated. “It seems to me that the same neighborhoods are taking the same brunt of intensification with a house that could be family friendly with two legal units.”
“We’re putting six into it in a neighborhood that has it’s doing its share and carrying the load of multiple units in what were once single family dwellings”, Wilson continued. “So similarly, I won’t be supporting the staff recommendation.”
The decisions need to be ratified next Wednesday during the City Council ratification meeting.

created: February 18, 2021


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Brown Wharf Appeal of Downtown Secondary Plan Continues – TPR Hamilton | Hamilton's Civic Affairs News Site

February 2, 2021
Brown Wharf Development Corp’s appeal of the Downtown Hamilton Secondary Plan continues at the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal. Last week the LPAT issued an order following a video case management conference hearing on January 20.
Brown Wharf owns a series of properties along Main Street West between Queen Street and Hess Street which are significantly impacted by the DTSP height limit of the escarpment.
The City and Brown Wharf continue to negotiate over issues to be address in the hearing. There are ongoing settlement talks as well.
The two sides will exchange reports and studies in the coming months.
The next LPAT case management conference in this matter is scheduled for April 27, 2021.

created: February 2, 2021


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City of Hamilton Updating Site Plan Guidelines – TPR Hamilton | Hamilton's Civic Affairs News Site

February 9, 2021
Hamilton’s Chief Planner Steve Robichaud says his staff will soon release a working draft of new Site Plan guidelines.
Site Plan is the final stage of planning approval, during which details are negotiated between city staff and developers. Under the City’s new permissive zoning bylaws, such as the Downtown Hamilton Secondary Plan, many development applications now go straight to Site Plan as they meet all requirements of zoning.
Many of the new condo buildings under construction in Hamilton’s downtown were approved at Site Plan – which was the intent of the new secondary plan to set clear rules for new development and to provide the incentive of a streamlined approval process for developers whom meet all the criteria set in the new plan.
Going direct to Site Plan saves both the City and developers significant sums of money, and can be the difference for a project happening in Hamilton where the sale values remain lower than Toronto but construction costs are nearly the same.
Hamilton’s current Site Plan guidelines are from September 2003, and reflect a time when Site Plan was not as complex.
Robichaud shared two of the priority focuses of the new Site Plan Guidelines – harmony with bylaws to avoid red tape situations and climate change.
“There’s a strong interest in how the design guidelines address and respond to challenges presented under climate change consideration”, Robichaud told representatives of the development industry during February’s Development Industry Liaison Committee meeting.
He says the City will be looking at some best practices around climate change management.
“In terms of also how we deal with sort of an easy example, we just simply updating our planting list to identical to that sort of process to identify which type of vegetation will be a climate change winner in which type of vegetation will be a climate change loser. And then to ensure that the recommended preferred tree planting species aligns with sort of the climate change winters and putting in trees or materials that won’t survive in five to ten years because of climate change considerations.”
The Planning Department will run a series of engagement and consultation sessions.
Robichauds says Planning wants to ” we hear from all stakeholders, not only … the development community”. He says the City will reach out to NGO and other interest groups.
Matt Johnson, a Registered Professional Planner at UrbanSolutions, stated the industry looks forward to the consultation.
“We look forward to the opportunity to really contribute”, Johnson stated. “I think we’re all looking forward to working together on the new Residential Zoning Bylaw”.
The RZB will be coming to City Council in March, and will update zoning across the City to allow for development and controlled intensification along the Hamilton’s nodes and corridors.

created: February 9, 2021


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COLEMAN: As Laurentian University Seeks Consumer Protection, Will Queen’s Park Push GTA Students to Non-GTA Universities? – TPR Hamilton | Hamilton's Civic Affairs News Site

February 2, 2021
I am always hesitant to use a headline which ends in a question mark.
Betteridge’s law of headlines is a good rule: “Any headline that ends in a question mark can be answered by the word no.”
I suspect it will apply in this instance.
Nonetheless, I am going to discuss what Laurentian University’s decision to seek consumer protection could mean for McMaster University and Brock University.
Laurentian’s decision is stunning, none of us have living memory of a public university in Ontario on the edge of bankruptcy.
More on Laurentian below.
Here is why Hamiltonians should watch to see if the provincial government reacts – McMaster University is seeing a significant increase in student applications while Brock University is seeing a significant decrease.
If the Laurentian situation causes the provincial government to impose firm enrolment caps at Southern Ontario’s big universities including McMaster, it will affect Mac’s budget. On the flip side of the coin, it may prevent Brock from facing a fiscal shortfall which could cause a downward spiral.
Back to Laurentian, the real reasons for Laurentian’s filing are being debated.
Is it financial mismanagement? An unprecedented attempt to impose fiscal restraint in labour negotiations with facility? A clear warning to the Ontario Progressive Conservative government of a need to enforce enrolment caps on the Greater Toronto Area universities (and other Southern Ontario universities) as they take more of the student pool at a time when demographics are expected to be unfavourable to the university sector? Some combination of these factors?
Labour Negotiations
On labour negotiations, tenured professors in Canadian universities are the highest paid in the world.
Sessional instructors are paid poverty wages and do a great deal of the teaching in undergraduate GTA universities. Which gets to one of the reasons GTA universities are happy to over-enrol, it is profitable.
During the 1990’s and 2000’s, the Canadian Association of University Teachers won contracts with low teaching requirements at smaller universities as the faculty prioritized research over teaching.
Laurentian is constrained by a research-intensive collective bargaining agreement while trying to operate an undergraduate focused teaching university.
Education Quality and Smaller Institutions
Covering post-secondary education for Maclean’s magazine, I wrote stories about the quality (or lack) of undergraduate education in Canadian universities.
The smaller institutions tend to provide better quality for undergraduate students, whereas the largest institutions offer greater quality for a small number of students. Students with lower enrolment scores then receive a lower quality of education – the assembly line method of undergraduate education.
Another problem facing smaller institutions is their smaller marketing budgets. The larger institutions can spend more money marketing their product, both to potential students and to existing students. “Quality” surveys conducted by the sector asking their undergraduate students to rank the quality of their education against other institutions have little validity. Students only know the product offered by their own institution. They do not take classes at the other places they are rating against. Naturally, they want to say their institution – the one they chose to attend – is better.
The rankings offered by Maclean’s and The Globe and Mail are great marketing tools. The publications have cornered a market of interest – potential students and their parents – and provide every institution with some ranking they can market which appears externally validated. (And yes, my paycheque when I covered the sector, relied upon the money those rankings made)
I gave extra to smaller institutions in my coverage, reflective of my own background. It is the smaller institutions which are more willing to take students who are, for example, Crown Wards – the least profitable students who tend to need more student supports.
In 2009, I was asked to speak to a group of Crown Wards who were touring McMaster University. The tour was arranged by the local Children’s’ Aid Society following changes to financial aid and loans which made it possible for aging out Crown Wards to attend university, n option which was not available to me when I aged out.
One of the applicants expressed a desire to study French and to do so at McMaster. I knew how dysfunctional the French department at Mac was (may still be for all I know), that studying French is better in an environment in which one is regularly exposed to the language. I knew there would be strong supports for this young person at Laurentian. I recommended Laurentian to them. All the young people I know who attended Laurentian praised the experience.
Enrolment – Every University Needs Students to Pay the Bills
The COVID shock of last academic year resulted in universities making more admission offers than usual. There was much concern about first year students taking gap years causing a decrease in domestic enrolment, and travel restrictions causing a decrease in international students. International student tuition is critical to how universities balance their budgets in Ontario.
Enrolment stats are always years behind; some universities are transparent and others less so. We do not know any of the official enrolment numbers from Ontario’s universities for this year.
The chatter is that the big universities over-enrolled at the expense of the smaller institutions. (Laurentian reported a 15% drop in first-year students)
Obviously, following the news from Laurentian, no university which is experiencing similar first-year enrolments will be keen to share as the incoming cohort of students choose their schools.
The Ontario Universities Application Centre posted application stats for Fall 2021 on Jan 17. Alex Usher over at Higher Education Strategy provides a great breakdown here.
Local Trends at Brock and McMaster
McMaster’s first choice application increased by an incredible 18 per cent to 9650 from 8159 in 2020. Brock dropped 13.9 per cent from 2877 in 2020 to 2478 in 2021.
Overall, Brock’s applications are down 9.3 per cent, McMaster’s are up 9.0 %.
Across all Ontario universities, applications are up 2.3%. There are enough students to spread across the system.
Pressures Facing Brock
Brock is squeezed by its location and offerings. With its campus on the border between St. Catharines and Thorold, it is not the most exciting place to live. For a student moving away from home, there are more attractive options.
There is a significant demand in the West GTA from students who want to be commuter students and live at home for a variety of reasons.
GO provides quick service from Square One in Mississauga to Brock’s competitors – Guelph, McMaster, and York. Getting to Brock is a multi-hour, multiple GO bus trip in each direction.
The regional population of Niagara is 447,888 and older than the Ontario average.
Brock also competes to a limited extent with Western New York liberal arts colleges.
Private Redeemer University in Ancaster draws many of its students from Niagara’s strong Christian communities – a further competitive pressure. Redeemer’s decision to decrease tuition is paying off with significant enrolment increases.
You can see how Brock is being squeezed by competitive pressures.
Does the Province Act?
This is the big unknown question. It is not just Brock which is facing pressure, and many of the universities which are facing pressure are in Conservative Party ridings.
On the other hand, the big universities are also big employers of former political staffers. Do not under-estimate the influence this has upon decision making at Queen’s Park.
The decision out of Queen’s Park may be status quo, a wait, see, and hope Laurentian is the exception and not the beginning of other smaller institutions running out of money.


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Debbie Dalle Vedove, Transit Trailblazer, Announces Retirement as HSR Director – TPR Hamilton | Hamilton's Civic Affairs News Site

February 22, 2021
Hamilton’s Director of Transit is retiring, voluntarily.
After nearly five years, Debbie Dalle Vedove’s last day in the HSR office will be June 30, 2021.
As the head of the Hamilton Street Railway, Dalle Vedove restructured the HSR, responded to the 2017 Transit Crisis with decisive action, implemented modest public transit improvements, and avoid scandals all while navigating the treachery of the HSR politics and Hamilton City Hall.
She will be remembered for establishing stability and rerailing the HSR towards renewal after decades of decline.
Dalle Vedove brought diplomatic skills second to none and a strategic vision many of us could not see.
The Most Difficult First Year and Final Year
It is an understatement to describe Dalle Vedove’s first year as difficult. It ended with the union representing HSR employees calling on City Council to fire Dalle Vedove.
Only days prior, The Public Record used a Freedom of Information request to reveal the HSR was not operating up to 10% of scheduled service on most days.
Mayor Fred Eisenberger and Hamilton City Council cut the HSR budget in early 2017, imposing a hiring freeze. At the peak of the crisis, Ward 5 City Councillor Chad Collins and Ward 12 Councillor Lloyd Ferguson demanded the HSR stop using overtime to keep buses on the road.
It seemed the HSR was derailing before everyone’s eyes. Transit riders were scrambling to find other means of getting to work. Staff morale plummeted, retirements increased, and Dalle Vedove changes to operational management seemed ill conceived in the middle of the crisis.
Here is how I described August 18, 2017: “Last Friday, the HSR failed to put at least 15 buses on the road. Riders looking to get the Ticats game dealt with buses not showing up, and other bus routes saw hour long service gaps as HSR managers failed to communicate and address the situation.”
Dalle Vedove was ready, as soon as City Hall could no longer deny the crisis, Dalle Vedove stood in front of Council with a plan to quickly hire needed operators while increasing available overtime to meet scheduled service standards.
Six months later, the crisis was resolved.
2020 brought COVID. HSR employees cannot work from home. They must drive, clean and repair buses. Ticket clerks and supervisors must interact with the public.
Dalle Vedove empowered her staff to quickly implement solutions quickly in the early days of COVID.
The shields separating the operator compartment on buses are a made in Hamilton solution. They are manufactured in Ancaster and installed by HSR staff at the Mountain Garage.
As of Friday, nearly a year into the pandemic, only four HSR employees have tested positive for COVID. None of the cases have been tied to the workplace.
Dalle Vedove publicly credits HSR staff for the successes of the past year.
Reversing the Decline of the HSR
She brought stability to the HSR, ensuring it will not return to the decades of decline it experienced between 1994 and 2014.
In 2014, following a sexual harassment scandal which a labour arbitrator described as one of the worst cases of mismanagement they had ever seen, City Council was forced to remove HSR Director Don Hull.
(City Council promoted Hull out of the Director position to a nearly created role in City Manager’s Office at the request of then City Manager Chris Murray.)
Hull was replaced by David Dixon who surprised everyone by being a strong advocate for public transit.
Dixon angered City Hall by stating the HSR needed to be improved as a prerequisite to implementing Light Rail Transit. Dixon pushed for a revival of the HSR which Council would not support. The Ten-Year Transit Strategy was brought forth as compromise.
As Dixon famously stated Council “unanimously supported it, with the exception of the funding”. After 21 months as HSR Director, Dixon left to work on the Eglinton LRT in Toronto.
Three months later, Dalle Vedove begin her tenure as HSR Director.
She inherited a demoralized workforce, an organizational structure which was dysfunctional at the best of times, and a City Hall which sees public transit as a burden.
Changing the management structure of the HSR in her first year was no small feat. With this changes came a few slogan “HSR, Your First Choice”.
It remains aspirational, and Dalle Vedove leaves the HSR on track to achieve this goal.
Planning is well underway for a future revamp of the HSR, the (Re)envision exercise.
Data collection practices implemented during the past five years means the HSR actually knows what is happening on the road, how people are travelling, and where Hamilton’s greatest transit needs actually are.
The pandemic means the (Re)envision campaign is delayed. Officially, major route changes are now expected in Fall 2022. The politics of Hamilton City Council combined with 2022 being the municipal election year means we should expect a delay until 2023.
This is the mastery of Dalle Vedove’s time leading the HSR. She laid a strong foundation for better transit while respecting the primacy of Council in setting transit policy.
Dalle Vedove significantly improved the reputation of the HSR within the transit sector and built the capacity of internal managers to take on the role of HSR Director.
The competition for the next HSR Director will attract many great candidates thanks to Dalle Vedove’s efforts.
Started as a Bus Operator, Climbed the Ranks as a Woman
Dalle Vedove began her career as a bus operator for the Toronto Transit Commission and worked up the ranks of the TTC.
“I drove trolley buses, regular buses, I drove subway streetcar, everything that had a wheel on it”, she stated in a 2019 podcast with transit vendor Trapeze Group.
She discussed her steady climb in the ranks of the TTC where she was a supervisor, divisional management, and finally human resources. She moved to Oakville Transit as Operations Manager and eventually the Director of Oakville Transit.
“It was always my dream job to be the head of a transit agency so that I could make a difference”, Dalle Vedove stated in the podcast describing why she moved to Hamilton.
As a woman in transit, and one of the first to climb the management ranks, Dalle Vedove encountered harassment and toxic behaviour. In 2001, while an Assistant Superintendent in the TTC’s Arrow Road Division, a bus operator wrote extremely offensive graffiti regarding Dalle Vedove in a washroom stall.
Dalle Vedove entered the HSR at a time when women were still unrepresented in the management or supervision ranks. In 2013, there was only one women among the fourteen inspectors (who assist the on-duty supervisor but are not considered supervisors), and this woman was subjected to a campaign of sexual harassment which an arbitrator found was enabled by rampant mismanagement at the HSR.
There are now women at all levels of the HSR.
“I have seen firsthand the many challenges that females have historically faced in this traditionally male dominated industry”, writes ATU 107 President Eric Tuck. “Director Vedove has been a true trail blazer who has broken thru that proverbial ceiling.”
Rebuilding Morale at the HSR
Dalle Vedove led by example.
In the photo above, while presenting to Council, she can be seen wearing her HSR employee ID card. HSR employees are required to have their cards visible while working inside HSR buildings.
Dalle Vedove led at the wheel, both figuratively and literally.
She maintained her Class ‘B’ drivers license. At the lowest point of HSR morale in Fall 2017, having heard that evening operators felt forgotten by management, Dalle Vedove took the wheel of the last bus on the road – the “drop-off bus”. Departing the HSR garage around 2:30am in the morning took over a dozen bus operators home.
This night earned Dalle Vedove great respect among HSR’s front line staff. She heard first-hand concerns of operators. She remained at the HSR Mountain garage for the start of the next day’s operations, meaning the earliest morning operators. (She also drove the “pick-up” bus)
Over the past few years, operators have shared stories of Dalle Vedove reaching out to them with praise, and with offers of support during times of bereavement and personal challenges.
In media interviews and at public events, Dalle Vedove spoke firmly of the need for and value of public transit.
She consistently moved the political goal posts in Hamilton, and wisely avoided the minefield of Light Rail Transit. Her comments on LRT primarily focused upon the HSR (Re)envision campaign with repeated statements that her goal was to build a HSR ready to make LRT successful for riders.
An Example for the Future
Upon arriving in 2016, Dalle Vedove became the highest profile women working at the City of Hamilton. To say she faced the glass cliff be an understatement.
The HSR had never had a woman in charge, only recently having a single woman in mid-management, and this was a time when there were no women in the senior management ranks of the City of Hamilton.
She set an example for the hundreds of women climbing the ladder at a time when the top ranks of Hamilton City Hall, and Hamilton City Council, remain an old boys’ network.
Hamilton is truly fortunate she led the HSR at such a critical time, and we are better for her service.

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Hamilton City Council To Study New Planning and Public Health Requirements for Demolitions – TPR Hamilton | Hamilton's Civic Affairs News Site

February 2, 2021
Ward 3 Hamilton City Councillor Nrinder Nann wants changes to the Building Code to require demolitions include notifications to surrounding areas of the potential contaminants and health impacts allow with a “detailed action plan to mitigate all potential impacts to human health, air quality and waterways or soil”.
This follows the botched demolition on September 30, 2019 when Deslan, a division of American Iron and Metal, at 319 Sherman Avenue North sent a particulate dust plume in all directions. (Video taken nearby that day)
Nann responded that day, and today at Council Planning Committee move a motion to make sure it never happens again.
“It was on the afternoon of September 30 2019 that a demolition of a decade’s old structure from the former steel maker Hamilton specialty bar caused a massive black cloud of industrial grade dust and debris to engulf the surrounding homes and businesses and spread across several neighbourhoods”, Nann stated. “Its plume was seen from many kilometres away.”
The demolition occurred with a City of Hamilton permit and met all the requirements of the time.
“The company responsible for the demolition Deslan / AIM had met with all the requirements of the permit, including working with an engineer to ensure safety measures were in place and that environmental impacts had been addressed”, Nann continued.
“Meanwhile, the affected community was shocked and scared by the incident with no advanced warning of the demolition, no knowledge of its immediate health implications and very little guidance on how to deal with the aftermath. neighbours were worried about the possible health impact on their children, elderly and immuno-compromised neighbours and those with respiratory illnesses and other vulnerable residents. At the ward three office we heard from parents with toddlers playing outside who had had to rush their children indoors after they and their children and their toys were covered with fallen debris. We’d heard from a crossing guard leading children across a nearby intersection who found herself in a kid’s envelope in a black cloud. And we heard from a grandmother whose property backs onto the demo site, who wondered if she needed to destroy her entire backyard food garden for fear of the vegetable she grew would harm her children and grandchildren.”
Nann says the City needs to “prevent that from ever happening again” and the motion introduced today is designed to achieve this.
In addition to Building Code changes, which must be implemented by the Province, Nann wants Hamilton City Hall to follow the example of other municipalities by having Public Health involved in demolition permit approvals.
Nann amendment her motion to clarify these requirements would apply to commercial and industrial properties, responding to concerns from other councillors that routine small residential demolitions – such as attached garages – do not pose a similar concern for public safety and the imposition of the proposed requirements would be burdensome for homeowners.
“I do support this particularly around the industrial ramifications of demolition”, stated Ward 15 Councillor Judi Partridge. “I’m curious and pleasantly surprised,  that the City of London has some requirements. And so can I anticipate or can council anticipate that there will be research done into the City of London’s process and that that information will come back to council as part of the report.”
Staff confirmed Nann’s request for a review of London’s process will be completed.
“There’s chemical plants there’s all kinds of different manufacturing plants”, on the concession roads of Hamilton’s rural areas Partridge noted in supporting the motion for a staff report.
“I don’t think there’s anybody a soul alive that wants to see another specialty bars incident that happened in Ward 3”, stated Ward 12 Councillor Lloyd Ferguson. “I saw that cloud does come out on CHCH many times and was quite frankly disgusting … I fully support moving forward to something on this I just have trouble taking the scope beyond industrial.”
“I don’t want to see some poor guy wants to replace his garden shed ,and just kind of knock it down, that he has to notify every neighbour within 120 meters or whatever the distance will be under the Planning Act”, Ferguson stated.
The motion passed Planning Committee unanimously. It requires Council ratification next week.
Staff will work on the report and return to Planning Committee at a future date with proposals for implementation of the goals expressed in Nann’s motion.


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Hamilton Library Updating Booking and Event Policies On Assumption Charter of Rights Will Apply – TPR Hamilton | Hamilton's Civic Affairs News Site

February 18, 2021
Hamilton’s public library is updating its facilities booking and rental policy to reflect recent court rulings outlining how public institutions should distinguish the line between hate and controversy in a manner compliant with the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
In recent years, controversies have erupted at other public libraries in Canada as controversial speakers and organizations rented library spaces for events and public talks.
The Hamilton Public Library will operate on the assumption that the Charter applies to its decision making in room bookings. The Courts have not definitely ruled if the Charter applies to room rentals, which are not a “core function” of public libraries.
Circulation of materials for loan is clearly a core function of public libraries prescribed and funded by government legislation, there is no dispute the Charter applies to public libraries in these functions.
“The question of whether libraries are governed by the Charter in all of their activities cannot be definitively answered”, writes lawyer Wade Poziomka of Ross & McBride LLP in a 15-page legal brief commissioned by the Hamilton Public Library Board.
“There is a sound basis for saying that the Charter probably does apply to the operations of the HPL generally.”
Distinguished Visiting Scholar at Ryerson University James L. Turk contributed to the brief.
Ontario’s Divisional Court ruled the decision of the Ottawa Public Library to revoke a rental agreement was not subject to judicial review.
The Court found that rental was a private event and the rentals was not a core function of the library. Therefore the agreement was private in nature and its cancellation not subject to judicial review. The Court made no findings regarding the Charter.
The Canadian Bar Association provides a good summary of Weld v Ottawa Public Library, 2019 ONSC 5358 here.
Turk’s view of Weld is the Divisional Court ‘has taken an overly narrow view of the core
functions of a library’. While the decision will be ‘persuasive’, the question of if the Charter applies to public library rentals in other circumstances is not settled.
Can the HPL deny a booking for a public talk by a controversial speaker? This is the unanswered question.
The legal memo notes the Library must be careful in exercising prior restraint of speech in its decision making. The memo recommends adding the following to HPL policy “Refusing access to library space will not be denied except where there are reasonable
grounds to believe that the proposed activity/use of the space is contrary to the law and/or would interfere with the public’s use of the library”.
The legal memo states the HPL “should consider explicitly stating that it will not rent space to groups or events that HPL has reasonable grounds to believe are likely to engage in hate speech as proscribed by the Criminal Code”.
The Hamilton Public Library Board voted Wednesday to receive the memo. The Chief Librarian will return to the Board with an amended Policy on Partnerships, Programs & Space at a future meeting.


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Hamilton On-Street 2021 COVID Patio Applications to Open Next Week – TPR Hamilton | Hamilton's Civic Affairs News Site

February 9, 2021
Hamilton City Hall is preparing for an “extremely heavy volume” of on-street patio applications from restaurants and other hospitality businesses when applications open next week for the 2021 season.
The City is prepared to process applications quickly, and is “aiming for a April start” to the patio season, City of Hamilton Business Development & BIA Officer Julia Davis told Business Improvement Area representatives during their monthly meeting Tuesday morning.
There were 163 applications last year, and the City is planning for a significantly higher number this year as outdoor dining will be essential to businesses as they manage COVID indoor dining restrictions.
A press release will be issued by the City when the online application site opens “later next week”.


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Hamilton Police Project $1.6-Million Surplus for 2020 – TPR Hamilton | Hamilton's Civic Affairs News Site

February 22, 2021
Hamilton’s Police Service is projecting a $1.6-million fiscal surplus for 2020, which the HPS attributes to significantly lower than average retirements, decreased training due to COVID physical distancing requirements, and decreased use of fuel, utilities, and supplies.
HPS budget surpluses were subject of a recent debate at Hamilton City Council. Ward 3 Councillor Nrinder Nann moved to have the surpluses returned to City Hall and placed into reserve to be spent on community services and housing. The motion failed 2-11.
The current policy is that HPS surpluses are placed into a reserve account maintained by the Police Board to cover future years with potential deficits. In practice, the reserve account grows in size and is drawn from for police capital projects such as the recently constructed Investigation Services Building in Downtown Hamilton and the planned future police station in Waterdown.
Only 25 Hamilton Police members retired in 2020, “less than half of the previous two years”. The result is the HPS spend $500,000 less in sick bank payout than forecast. This portion of the surplus should be placed into the sick bank reserve. HPS has a sick bank liability of approximately $24-million with $6.7-million in the sick bank reserve.
“As a result of the COVID-19 Pandemic, annual training and conferences were postponed or cancelled. While the Service was hopeful to conduct some of its training in the fourth quarter, COVID-19 lockdowns did not allow for this to occur”.
The price of fuel was lower than forecast in 2020.
“Mostly attributed to the delay in opening the new Investigative Services Building”
HPS did not fill many civilian vacancies during the first months of COVID
The HPS’s spending in these areas were decreased due to COVID.
HPS is spending more on legal expenses than forecast


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Hamilton Public Health Seeking Library Staff to Support Vaccination Clinics and Campaign – TPR Hamilton | Hamilton's Civic Affairs News Site

February 17, 2021
Hamilton’s Public Health Unit is requesting staff from the Hamilton Public Library to provide administrative and logistical support for expand vaccination as the city expects to receive thousands of doses on Thursday and Friday.
“We just received word today that the public health is looking for some additional people for a period of time”, says Chief Librarian Paul Takala. “What’s clear to me is the [HPL pandemic[ plan says that our highest priority needs to be supporting the public health response.”
The Hamilton Public Library implemented a pandemic plan following SARS in 2003.
“We have trained customer service people that would be able to fill in on fill those gaps that need to be filled”, Takala says.
The Library seconded many of its staff to contact tracing and other COVID response activities, many library staff remain working for Public Health at this time.
During the next phase of vaccinations, it is expect many older residents will book their appointments by phone.
The Library is already making regular calls to older residents across Hamilton to alleviate isolation and to ensure seniors are connecting to services they need.
Having the Library provide phone bookings for vaccinations is a natural fit.
Takala says the Library may decrease in-person branch hours to five days a week, Wednesday to Saturday, from 1pm to 6pm to increase the number of staff available to assist Public Health.
“I think right now we’re just in the midst of the kind of the dark winter of this pandemic”, Takala says. “We really need to make every effort as a community to make progress on vaccinations.”
He says vaccinations are key to eventually being able to resume many in-person library programs.
Takala expects the secondments of staff to Public Health will be temporary. “They are looking to hire people, but it takes some time.”
All Hamilton Public Library branches reopened earlier today. The present hours are Tuesday-Friday 10am-6pm, Saturday 10am-5pm.

created: February 17, 2021


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Ontario Land Tribunals to Merge into One Body – TPR Hamilton | Hamilton's Civic Affairs News Site

February 17, 2021
The Local Planning Appeal Tribunal, Environmental Review Tribunal, Board of Negotiation, Conservation Review Board and the Mining and Lands Tribunal will be merged into a new single tribunal know as the Ontario Land Tribunal.
At present, the various quasi-judicial adjudicative tribunals share an Executive Vice-Chair and administrative support.
Bill 245, introduced in the Ontario Legislative Assembly on Tuesday, includes numerous changes to the administration of justice in Ontario. I will focus upon the Land Tribunals portion.
The short is significance of the change is that any member of the existing tribunals will be able to hear matters which had previously been the purview of the other tribunals. Presently, many of the Vice-Chairs and above of the various tribunals are cross appointed and conduct hearings across the tribunals.
The changes in the legislation are primarily housekeeping.


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Oshawa’s Integrity Commissioner: Councillors Cannot Direct Bylaw Enforcement – TPR Hamilton | Hamilton's Civic Affairs News Site

February 8, 2021
It is a situation playing out in many municipalities, well meaning groups serving the homeless who are struggling to obey COVID gathering restrictions.
In Oshawa, a group providing sandwiches to the homeless posted on Facebook they were facing bylaw enforcement. A City Councillor quickly jumped in, and wrote the City’s Director of Municipal By-Law enforcement asking if this were true, for the Director to explain if it were true, and for the Director to cease enforcement until “a full report is presented to members of Council and we as the elected Council have had the opportunity to debate and decide on any further course of action”.
A complaint was made to Oshawa’s Integrity Commissioner, Guy Giorno, that directing staff violated the Code of Conduct.
Giorno, in a well written report, finds that the Councillor did use his office to try to influence enforcement and that this is a violation of the Municipal Act, the Police Services Act, and the Code of Conduct for the City of Oshawa.
Giorno did not recommend a sanction writing:
“I accept that Councillor Nicholson was motivated by a desire to secure the continued provision of food and necessities to the homeless and people living in extreme poverty. Despite the gravity of interference in the independence of law enforcement, I accept that his contravention of section 15 was an error of judgment made in good faith.”
Giorno’s report will be foundational to future Integrity rulings across Ontario as it is very informative and educational on the rules regarding the separation between councils, councillors, and the day-to-day operations of a municipality. (The reference is Gobin v Nicholson, 2020 ONMIC 13 (CanLII))
A couple of key paragraphs:
Section 15 of the Police Services Act provides that a municipal council may appoint persons to enforce the by-laws of the municipality, and that municipal law enforcement officers are peace officers for the purpose of enforcing municipal by-laws.[8] While in the discharge of their duties, they are provincial offences officers.[9]
The jobs of law enforcement officers involve discretion. While law enforcement officers have a duty to enforce the law, they also have a duty to exercise their discretion, including the discretion to write or not to write a ticket, or to pursue or not to continue an investigation.[10] Police discretion (or, in this case, the discretion of municipal by-law officers) is not absolute,[11] but nonetheless is an essential element of the justice system.[12]
The independence of law enforcement officers underpins the rule of law.[13] Independence means that a law enforcement officer cannot be subject to political direction in deciding whether to lay a charge or whom to charge with an offence.[14]
The connection between municipal law enforcement officers’ discretion and their independence from Council Members was explained in this manner in a staff report to Toronto City Council:
Once officers determine the permitted tools, . Officers consider the seriousness of the violation, the impact of the violation on public safety, the likelihood of the person to repeat the violation, and the impact of the enforcement activity on business and community in Toronto. .[15] [emphasis added]

created: February 8, 2021


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Ruining the Best Laid Plans, A Hamilton Tradition, LRT Edition – TPR Hamilton | Hamilton's Civic Affairs News Site

February 11, 2021
Over 15 years, dozens of reports, hundreds of political statements, an unprecedented number of political flip-flops and probably more #HamOnt tweets that any other topic — not withstanding all of this, there is a whole new LRT proposal being considered.
This one, running from McMaster University to Gage Avenue (but not Gage Park) seems to be keeping with the great Hamilton political tradition of finding ways to ruin the best plans.
Since 1982, our best laid civic projects have been subject to endless debates at City Council, everyone becomes frustrated, and then a “saviour” proposal is draw on the back of a napkin.
Due to exhaustion, the napkin is quickly declared the greatest idea ever, and thus starts the next scene of Hamilton’s ongoing civic deficiency.
Instead of a proper LRT, after 15 years of drama, we have nothing and desperately will take anything.
The Province is saying the provincial treasury will commit $1-billion to the project, and that the Federal government needs to figure out the rest which will be some combination of federal money and financing from LiUNA’s pension fund to cover the municipal contribution.
Mayor Fred Eisenberger, who has stated LRT is his top priority for eight of his ten years as mayor, says he is pleased the province remains committed to some form of LRT in Hamilton and is identifying this as one of five priority GTHA transit projects.
LiUNA is quoted, a clear indication of how far along their financing plans are. LiUNA is a powerful political machine in our region, which is reflected in their being quoted alongside politicians in this government release.
Along with today’s press release, the Province of Ontario released a “Hamilton Rapid Transit Benefits Report” from Metrolinx which measures various mass transit options.
The report states the key reason LRT is on the table is expected federal infrastructure spending in the coming year as part of a package of incentives to stimulate the economy post-COVID. It is “shovel-ready”, whereas BRT alternatives are at least two, likely four years away from construction.
Further, Metrolinx acquired all the land necessary for LRT and this represents sunk costs.
The report does not explain why Gage Avenue for the new terminus. One does not need a report to know the reason – the significant cost of tunnelling under the CPR rail line just east of Gage Avenue.
A LRT terminus requires bus connections. There is no where to build the necessary infrastructure for buses at Gage Avenue North and King Street East. Further, the layout of neighbourhood streets presents a challenge for buses to use streets as a loop.
Expect the final terminus to become the Stadium at Cannon Street and Balsam Avenue, using the parking lot of the former King George Elementary School as the LRT phase one terminus to facilitate bus connections.
Longer-term, once a hope for expansion of LRT to Eastgate Square occurs, this spur will be particularly useful for servicing events at the stadium and placing relief trains mid-system to respond to demand or delays.
Is this latest LRT plan good for Hamilton compared to a full run to Eastgate Square? Will it represent a first phase? These are questions for which reasonable people can have differing answers.
Now it all depends on financing and if the LRT comes back to Council for another vote.

created: February 11, 2021


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TPR Live Blog for February 2, 2021 – TPR Hamilton | Hamilton's Civic Affairs News Site

February 2, 2021
It is Groundhog Day, insert obvious witty lines referencing the movie. I viewed it in theatres and immediately loved it. In 2006, it was an episode about the movie which hooked me to the podcast Radio Open Source.
Today at City Hall, it is Planning Committee.
It is a light agenda, in part because the number of planning applications decreased last year. Of note, the legalization of a six-dwelling unit at 130 Wellington Street South. City planning staff are recommending approval. There is also a motion to ask the Province to implement regulations requiring notification to municipalities of details related to demolitions. This followings the significant air pollution event of September 30th 2019, when an errant demolition by American Iron and Metal (AIM) occurred at 319 Sherman Ave. N.


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TRANSCRIPT: Hamilton City Councillor Brad Clark Remarks on Alleged Corruption in City of Hamilton Building Department – TPR Hamilton | Hamilton's Civic Affairs News Site

February 8, 2021
Ward 9 Hamilton City Councillor Brad Clark stepped down from his leadership roles on Hamilton City Council following the release of audio excerpts in which Clark discussed alleged kickbacks in the City of Hamilton building department with noted anti-corruption watchdog Paul Manning.
Clark issued a statement on Sunday distancing himself from his own remarks. “The unfounded rumours and inferences that I made on this private call were just that, unfounded”. Clark is not speaking further to the matter.
The audio can be listened to, in its entirety, on Manning’s YouTube page here.
Note: The Hamilton Spectator states they are unaware why Clark believed they were investigating the allegations.
0:01
MANNING: What up my boy?
0:07
CLARK Arlene [Vanderbeek] advised me that the Building Department issued a building permit for a house in Pleasant View Dundas that isn’t supposed to have any houses built there.
0:21
CLARK: Can’t build a house, unless it is one house on 2500 umm … acres of property or something like, And use they can’t built any houses because they can’t make money on that shit.
0:33
CLARK: So some guy bought 10 acres and build a house there! He got a building permit! The house is up. Now the roof is on. And Arlene found out about it, and talked to Building Department. The Building Department went back and talked to Planning [Department] and Planning said: no, the zoning doesn’t allow that. So they have issued an order to stop work on the house, and they’re telling him to tear the house down.
0:58
CLARK: It was the Planning Department that approved it. It was the Building Department issued a building permit. It is illegal because of that and now they’re telling him to tear it down and Arlene is flipping out.
1:11
CLARK: It’s gonna cost the City a million dollars if they want to tear down, I mean the guy’s gonna have to be bought off.
1:16 AUDIO SKIPS.
CLARK: You’ve got Steve Buist [of the Hamilton Spectator] digging in deep because that’s happening all over the freakin city.
1:23
CLARK: So what’s going on in the Building Department and how come building permits are being issued, when they shouldn’t be issued? And who is paying who to get those building permits issued? It’s a nightmare.
1:37
MANNING: You think there’s some kind of corruption then behind it?
1:40
CLARK: It’s just, it’s just, it’s just beginning to scratch the surface. And Steve Buist is like a dog with a bone. He’s not dropping it.


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Video Shows Hamilton Police Officer Lunge at Resident During Testy Interaction – TPR Hamilton | Hamilton's Civic Affairs News Site

February 12, 2021
A resident of Hamilton released video showing a Hamilton Police Service Officer lunging at her at the end of an interaction between her and the officer at the end.
Hamilton Police issued a statement this morning which reads “The interaction captured on the video is concerning and has been forwarded to our professional standards branch for investigation. Public trust and accountability are integral to our work and we are committed to upholding these values.”

created: February 12, 2021


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101 King Street East Redevelopment Approved – TPR Hamilton | Hamilton's Civic Affairs News Site

March 5, 2021
It may be the most unique new building in Downtown Hamilton, and gained glowing praised when reviewed by Hamilton’s Design Review Panel.
101 King Street East, which housed Klassy T-Shirt for decades, is being adapted with a seven storey addition at the rear of the existing three storey building. The commercial unit on the first floor remains and there will be nine residential units above on floors two to seven.
The project is managing to make effective use of a very small site, and will wedge into the centre of the King Street’s north side between John Street and Catharine Street.
It’s seven storey height also reveals the differences in floor height of the past on this block. The neighbouring properties’ tall ceilings mean their third storeys are equal to the new building’s fifth storey.
The project required minor variances.
Downtown zoning requires buildings to have a 4.5 metre width, the existing building width is 4.20 metres. The Downtown Secondary Plan requires short term bicycle parking in mid-rise buildings, a variance granting exception was granted recognizing the constraints of the site.
Hamilton’s Design Review Panel reviewed the project in August 2020 with all members present praising the project.
DRP member Robert Freedman, a former director of urban design for the City of Toronto stated “this is a great project” adding “clearly a lot of careful thought went into it”.
Jackie VanderVelde, a landscape architect, joined her fellow DRP members in praising the project stating it is a “remarkable [project] on a very tight site.” VanderVelde’s praise included for the green roof planned for the building.
The developer stated at DRP they hope to begin construction in 2021.
There were no objections filed to the application, meaning there is no risk of Local Planning Appeal Tribunal.
Below are slide captures from the City of Hamilton which show just how narrow the site is, and why DRP praised the creativity of the project designer.