Mayoral Candidate Brian McHattie
Brian McHattie is currently the councilor for Ward 1 and is one of 12 candidates running for Mayor of Hamilton. McHattie’s platform focuses on building safer neighbourhoods, stimulating economic growth and jobs, improving transit, creating an open participatory government, and improving environmental regulations.
McHattie believes that students will be impacted the most from his transit plan.
“I’ve got a four part transit plan, and it begins with enhancing local transit,” said McHattie. “Over years of being the Ward 1 Councillor in the McMaster area working with MSU and others, the frequency of busses has been a problem.”
The plan includes increasing the A-line service that runs to the Hamilton mountain, creating applications with real-time data, and adding a light-rail transit line that runs from the McMaster area to Eastgate Square. He is also interested in working with the Graduate Students Association to get part-time students annual bus passes.
“We’re hoping to get a downtown campus so it’s important to have that linkage.”
McHattie also has plans to improve the downtown core of Hamilton.
“I’d love to see a student residence downtown, I’ve had discussions with Mac about a grad residence,” said McHattie. “One of the challenges, we’ve worked with MSU over the years, is the student bubble that is Westdale and McMaster itself. A lot of students don’t get to other parts of the city.”
Another important issue to McHattie is the environment. Previously he ran a business called the Green Planet Tour Company, and worked for Environment Canada as well as the Hamilton Conservation Authority. If elected, he plans to have a portion of Hamilton’s green space declared the Cootes to Escarpment National Park. Another portion of his platform describes working with the Ministry of Environment to create stricter rules around pollution and air quality in Hamilton.
When asked what makes him unique above the other candidates, McHattie responded, “I think it’s my ability to work well with others. Over the past 11 years on city council I’ve developed a great relationship with my fellow councillors. That is absolutely critical to the success of a mayor; the mayor only has one vote.”
