For many students, the biggest daily dilemma is deciding what food to order for lunch. With a variety of meal-time options available in university campuses it is harder to educate students on the lack of food options available to the general public.

But for one week, a group of McMaster students will be eating and surviving in the same way as thousands of Hamiltonians, scraping by on the meager amount of food provided by a food bank.

From Oct. 12-19, five students from each faculty will be participating in the “Do the Math” challenge hosted by the McMaster Poverty Initiative (MPI). MPI’s main focus is to link the McMaster community with poverty issues and promote long-term advocacy.

The Do the Math Challenge seeks to raise student awareness about the issues of hunger and food security in Hamilton. Do the Math requires each student to eat only the contents of a single food bank bag for an entire week, attend a tour of a local food bank, and complete a daily reflection blog on the challenge.

According to Hamilton Food Share, an average of 18,600 individuals each month rely on food from their local food bank in order to sustain their dietary needs. While food security and hunger are core community issues, they often remain concealed from high-income groups and students who are unlikely to personally experience or know of those who may experience chronic hunger issues.

Melia Sufi

The student participants are also required to choose one way of publicizing the issue of low social assistance rates. This can be done through acts such as writing a letter to an MPP or volunteering in a community agency.

Jeff Wingard, MPI Coordinator and organizer for the Do the Math challenge, shared his thoughts on what the event hopes to achieve.

“One of our main goals is to show people how inadequate the food supply really is and bring awareness to social assistance traits,” he said. Welfare rates keep up with the cost of living. Everybody should be given the right to go to the grocery store and afford to live.”

Wingard also discussed how difficult it is to mimic the effects of poverty. However the Do the Math challenge is the most realistic and hands-on way for students to sink their teeth into issues surrounding food security.

He recognized that McMaster students who participated in the challenge in previous years enjoyed it as a whole, demonstrated a greater respect towards those who utilize food banks, and that they each gained a new perspective on social assistance in Ontario.

While food banks and food security may seem removed from the average student’s thoughts, Do the Math strives to counter notions of widespread prosperity and an abundance of food in Hamilton.

The event is part of the province-wide Do the Math Campaign which seeks to mobilize Ontarians to protest the gaps in the current social assistance system. Figures such as activist Naomi Klein, Toronto Medical Officer of Health, Dr. David McKeown and singer Damian Abraham have become involved in the movement.

Even as students have been breaching the barrier of the campus “bubble” in the past few years, many community social issues, both good and bad, remain under the average student’s radar.

The Vital Signs Report, released on Oct. 12 by the Hamilton Community Foundation, sought to shed light on community strengths and challenges through measuring the quality of life in Hamilton across 12 issue areas.

The report created three levels of concern through which community members could evaluate community issues. The Vital Signs Advisory Committee and several members of Hamilton Roundtable compiled the report for Poverty Reduction. Internet and telephone surveys randomly sampled various households across the city.

Across the board, survey responses noted that there was satisfaction with the community’s approach to addressing issues in “arts and culture,” “getting around (transportation)” and “the environment”.

The community was urged to take immediate action towards addressing the “gap between the rich and the poor” and “work-related issues.”

The most staggering and prominent finding in the report indicates the continued increase in number of people working full-time yet still living below the poverty line in Hamilton. The most recent data available, from 2006, shows that 6.7 per cent of Hamilton’s population is in this category. This average is a marked increase from both the Ontario average (5.5 per cent) and the Canadian average (5.8 per cent).

The gap between the rich and the poor, a major focal point for the Occupy movement, has persisted in Hamilton, mirroring larger national trends. In 2009, the poorest 20 per cent of Hamiltonians had 5 per cent of the total income, while the richest 20 per cent accounted for 41 per cent of the total income.

The report takes into account all the neighbourhoods across Hamilton, including the Westdale-Ainsley Wood area.

McMaster students were not specifically identified in the report. However, community engagement has been at the forefront of campus affairs. Community was a major part of McMaster president Patrick Deane’s visioning letter “Forward With Integrity.”

Siobhan Stewart, MSU President, emphasized the variety of ways in which students choose to engage in community affairs, especially through various MSU services and clubs.

“People find their own channel and have their own unique story about what community engagement means to them.”

Stewart also noted that there is increased mindfulness towards including both community and student opinion on Hamilton’s social issues.

Several McMaster professors and employees are actively involved in the Poverty Roundtable and have advocated for university involvement and projects to address social justice issues in Hamilton.

Gary Warner, former Director of the Arts & Science Program, past Chair of the Hamilton Community Foundation and Poverty Roundtable member, reflected on student knowledge of Hamilton’s inequalities.

“I think students are likely not aware of the impact of income disparity related to postal codes in Hamilton, which is reflected, for example, in vastly different life expectancy – 21-year gap – and in test results and gradation rates in Hamilton's secondary schools.”

The McMaster Poverty Initiative (MPI) is the most notable example of the call for collaboration between students, staff and faculty to examine Hamilton’s social justice issues.

Jeff Wingard, MPI Coordinator and a member of the Vital Signs Report team, remarked upon the increase in student awareness and engagement with the community, especially in exploring the community’s booming arts scene.

“[But] I think on the flip side ... there are deep pockets of poverty and real hardship that exist in Hamilton, which I think get a bit lost if you don’t see it [on campus]”

Wingard also spoke about the need for continued research on community inequalities and the equal importance of communicating this research to diverse audiences, including students and the populations being studied.

McMaster has a reputation of being both a research-intensive institution and school with a strong spirit of volunteerism and community engagement, most recently exemplified by events such as Open Streets McMaster and MacServe.

Warner suggested that in keeping with the recommendations made by the Forward With Integrity Community Engagement Task Force, McMaster should strive to assign higher value to community-engaged research.

On Sept. 21, students could lounge in muskoka chairs and play a round of bocce ball - in the middle of the MUSC parking lot.

Although the single parking spot was only temporarily converted for a few hours, it was meant to catch students attention and get them to talk about the issue of commuting. Run by SmartCommute, in partnership with MetroLinx,The City of Hamilton and the Office of Sustainability at McMaster, this initiative intended to spark conversation about how students, faculty and staff get to campus.

SmartCommute hopes to educate the community about different commuting options, whether it be walking, biking, carpooling or using public transit. They have converted parking spots into grassy areas at various offices and malls around Hamilton and the GTA.

Site Selection Magazine in Atlanta reports that Hamilton generated the highest number of expansion projects during the past year that have drawn at least $1 million, created at least 50 new jobs, or made use of at least 20,000 square feet.

Analysts ranked cities based on new projects mostly in the private sector that would attract potential investors.

Norm Schleehahn, manager of business development at the City of Hamilton, says the university’s main contribution to Hamilton’s 2012 ranking is its new automotive resource centre (MARC) at McMaster Innovation Park (MIP).

The federal government has injected $11.5 million into the new facility, which will cover approximately 80,000 square feet of space in a former industrial warehouse across from the MIP Atrium.

For the most part, MARC will be a laboratory facility to accelerate research in the automotive sector, focusing on hybrid vehicles.

The project costs $26 million in total and is expected to employ 120 to 150 people.

McMaster’s downtown health campus, to open two years from now, will make the list of projects for 2013, Schleehahn said.

Nick Bontis, professor in the DeGroote School of Business, says the City is pushing forward with downtown renewal and McMaster faculty and students are leading the charge.

Bontis said facilities like MIP offer researchers a bridge between doing research in the lab and finding opportunities to commercialize ideas in the marketplace.

“That’s why McMaster University acts as an engine of growth for the manufacturing sector,” he said.

“We’re sitting on a large supply of potential commercialization projects,” he continued. “But we don’t have enough horsepower or capacity for faculty to both do the research and commercialize the research. That’s where we need the community to get involved.”

MIP, a $69 million off-campus facility used mainly for conferences, is in the midst of discussions with private developers to build a hotel at the park. Plans haven’t been finalized but the hotel would accommodate researchers, entrepreneurs and the general public.

In addition, the federal and provincial governments have invested heavily in the university’s health and engineering research facilities.

A grant announcement in early August revealed the province would provide $4.6 million for 14 projects in the research sector.

Over the past two years, McMaster has received $38.5 million through the Knowledge Infrastructure economic stimulus program for post-secondary infrastructure enhancements across Canada.

$22 million will help create new research space and stimulate increased production of medical and industrial isotopes at McMaster’s nuclear research facilities. The remaining funds will help build two new centres for cancer and spinal cord research.

“Hamilton has been a leader in the manufacturing industry but our economy is diversifying. There are a lot of businesses in the city that are thriving,” Schleehahn said.

He added that the city’s new status as an investment hotspot provides a reason for students to consider staying in Hamilton post-graduation.

In the near future, students will likely encounter a much more regulated environment when searching for student rental properties.

On Sept. 18, a report proposing a new by-law will be presented to the Planning Committee at City Hall. The proposal seeks to address issues in regulating rental units across the city, and is believed to include a licensing program for all rental units (excluding those in apartment buildings) in the City of Hamilton.

The proposed by-law would begin to be drafted following the Planning Committee meeting and would most likely take shape by the end of November.

Discussion of regulating rental units has been ongoing. The current proposal looks to regulate rental units under the provincial Municipal Act. The intention of the licensing program is to ensure uniform standards for all rental properties across the city.

Rental licensing programs in other municipalities such as the City of Oshawa have sought to monitor property maintenance and ensure proper documentation and insurance.

Student rentals are not the sole target of this proposed by-law but the Westdale Ainsley-Wood and Mohawk-Buchanan-Bonnington-Southam neighbourhoods were specifically identified in earlier planning discussions in 2008.

Both neighbourhoods cater to student populations and experience an influx in residency as a result of the short-term nature of student leases.

Because the by-law itself has yet to be drafted, there have been concerns that another provision may be included which would seek to limit the number of bedrooms in a dwelling unit.

The City of London is the only municipality in Ontario to have limited number of bedrooms to five per dwelling.

Because this type of inclusion falls under a different provincial act, the Planning Act, Councilor Brian McHattie believes that a limitation on number of bedrooms would be discussed under zoning or as a separate by-law.

“The focus is safe housing. We have unsafe and unpalatable housing across the city,” said McHattie.

MSU VP Education Huzaifa Saeed reiterated the positive intent of the proposed by-law and the benefits to students.

“From one angle … this is a good deal for students. This would avoid horror stories with absentee landlords,” said Saeed.

Saeed raised another important question: “From an economic standpoint…what would this do for affordability of [rental] housing? That depends on the licensing fee.”

However, he also noted that it is difficult to fully comment on how this by-law would affect availability of rental property to students until the Sept. 18 meeting. 

Both Councilor McHattie and Saeed stated that the MSU would be and has been a part of the consultation process in the discussion regarding regulating rental units.

A more concrete plan of action will be developed by the MSU following the report to the Planning Committee.

Until the by-law is officially before City Council it remains unknown how deeply this will affect students. While the goal is higher quality student housing, potential repercussions remain a latent issue.

Forty-one new HSR buses are now on the streets in the Ancaster-Dundas-Flamborough-Westdale area. The aim of the City’s initiative is to provide local residents with improved service while using greener vehicles for better air quality.

Of the 41 new buses, only four will contribute to route extension, while the remaining 37 will replace older models that are less fuel-efficient and have reached their 12-year lifespan.

The newer buses are mini-hybrid models with electric cooling fans that reduce the amount of energy needed to cool the engine. The buses weigh 1000 pounds less than previous models and have a new transmission designed for smoother operation and increased fuel economy.

Mayor Bob Bratina said in a press release that public transportation is a key strategic priority for City Council.

“These new buses will allow the HSR to provide increased capacity and more reliable transit service to our riders," he said in the release. "We hope Hamiltonians will consider leaving their car at home more often and taking transit instead.”

The total cost of the new buses is $18.8 million, $6 million of which comes from the City of Hamilton’s Gas Tax Fund allocation from the federal government. The City contributed $1.13 million to the project and Transit Reserves provided the remaining $11.67 million.

As of Sept. 2, service level increases affecting students and residents are also in effect.

5A/ 5C West Hamilton
(Saturdays and Sundays)

Buses are now departing to and from Ancaster Meadowlands every 30 minutes on weekends from approximately 6 a.m. to 12 a.m. This provides additional direct service from the Westdale/University area to the stores, restaurants and services in the Meadowlands.

43 Stone Church
(Saturdays and Sundays)

Buses now run every 60 minutes on Saturday evenings (approximately
7 p.m. to 1 a.m.) and during shopping hours on Sundays (10 a.m. to 6 p.m.).

44 Rymal
(Weekdays)

Expanded service has been added every hour during the midday and early evening.
#44 Rymal will now operate between 6 a.m. and 9 p.m.

One additional westbound and eastbound trip has been added to 51 University in the evenings, and minor trip adjustments have been made to 41 Mohawk on Sundays and Holidays to provide better connections with the new 5A/5C route.

Some Hamilton residents oppose the idea of demolishing the old Board of Education building downtown for a McMaster health-related satellite campus.

After months of debate, Hamilton’s City Council is pushing forward with plans for a joint Hamilton-McMaster venture on a new health campus, which will replace the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board headquarters at Main and Bay Street. The building would also house some of the City’s public health offices.

Though the Board has agreed to relocate to a spot on the Hamilton mountain, some residents weren’t pleased when they heard the board of education’s headquarters might be demolished for the cause.

Former Hamilton Spectator columnist Paul Wilson, architect Joseph Singer, and Hamilton resident Matt Jelly are among those who spoke out that the university should look at other available properties. In 2008, the Municipal Heritage Committee urged the City to consider the heritage value of the 44-year-old headquarters, considered by many to be a modern architectural gem. The Education Centre does not, however, have a formal heritage designation.

Following a vote last month, public health staff will move into the Robert Thomson building, above Jackson Square, with the health campus holding some public health offices as well when it is complete.

The 195,000 square-foot campus, eight years in the making, was approved by city councillors last July. The campus will integrate research, education, and family medicine while playing a role in downtown renewal.

“The new campus will be a centre for student learning, research, patient care and training,” said Gord Arbeau, director of public and community relations at McMaster.

“It will accommodate about 4,000 students, many of whom will be in the faculty of health sciences, with others participating in events and conferences.”

Now that demolition plans have    been finalized, the school board will preserve some key features of the Education Centre, including a statue donated by Dutch Canadians in 1967, a frieze above the building’s main entrance depicting various occupations, and a time capsule buried under the cornerstone of the building.

In addition to the city’s partnership with McMaster on the campus, the city had been trying to consolidate 460 public health employees in a new downtown location since 2005. The school board had planned to sublet part of the Robert Thomson Building to serve as temporary headquarters, but city staff wanted to use most of the space to accommodate public health workers.

Tense negotiations between city staff and councillors about a “swing space” for school board employees put the deal with McMaster on hold until the end of March, when it was resolved that the campus would be built at 100 Main Street W.

As school board employees wait for new headquarters to be built at Crestwood school, they will move to offices in the Robert Thomson Building,  Stelco Tower, and Standard Life Building.
Last month, councillors finally ended the debate with city staff, voting 8-5 to consolidate public health staff in the Robert Thomson Building. While not the cheapest option, the space would provide more comfortable quarters for most of the city’s public health workers.

Construction of the downtown health campus will begin later this year. The building must be ready for use by July 4, 2014 in order to secure $19 million in funding by the province.

The campus is expected to accommodate 54,000 patient visits per year and grant physician access to 15,000 Hamiltonians currently without family doctors. It is also projected to create 650 jobs during construction and bring 450 McMaster employees to the downtown core.