Hamilton City Councillors are at odds following the voting process for the final stage of implementation for the Vacant Unit Tax bylaw, expected to this winter
Amidst the ongoing housing crisis, the Hamilton's city council have been working on the implementation of a vacant unit tax by-law. The vacant unit tax is a one per cent tax increase when a residential unit is noted to be vacant for over 183 days, about six to seven months.
In a communication update released on the city of Hamilton website's dedicated VUT update page, the city expressed their hope is that the tax will discourage Hamilton landlords to leave residential units empty, resulting in more living spaces become available.
The original idea was proposed in 2019 as the vacant home tax, with tangible goals introduced in 2021. These goals included research to understand the implications for such a tax in Hamilton and to consult with those who would be impacted. Through 2022 and 2023 research was undertaken by city of Hamilton staff to inform the proper implementation process that was expected to follow. This initiatve expected to be implemented this winter, by beginning to disseminate declaration forms to the residents of Hamilton.
On Nov. 22, 2023, however, the final vote held to officially approve the bylaw resulted in a tie. The voting for this bylaw was done separately to it’s original scheduled time, as requested by Councillor Tom Jackson, who initially voted against VUT bylaw. The tie has caused VUT to become invalid and the bylaw's implementation plan halted.
The voting process for this bylaw has being criticized by some city councillors, as at the time of voting three councillors were not present, and two of them indicating they were unaware of the separation of the VUT from the rest of items part of the voting. Councillor Nrinder Nann and Councillor Cameron Kroetsch have both publicly voiced their disappointment with the final stage of voting.
"These bylaws could also be put forward in such a way that if a member of Council wanted to vote against them, that member would have to ask for a reconsideration vote. That’s what should have happened yesterday as the enabling bylaw was already the result of a Council decision," said Councillor Kroetsch in statement through X, formerly Twitter.
Currently, the VUT bylaw may still be reconsidered by the city.
On X, Kroetsch also stated he believes there will be one or more votes about the entire situation regarding the VUT tax. More information on the future directions of the VUT bylaw may be disclosed on Dec 13, 2023.
This is an ongoing story.
This new program creates creative opportunities for a selected poet to encourage engagement with poetry writing in the community
The Poet in Place program is a new inclusive initiative that aims to engage the city's community with poetry and the literary arts.
The program spotlights a chosen poet or spoken word artist who has a term of two years and receives a total honorarium of $20,000, or $10,000 each year. The selected poet's responsibilities include performing original works at public events, delivering poetry workshops in collaboration with the Hamilton Public Library and developing creative placemaking projects.
Brianne Gascho is the cultural project specialist for the city of Hamilton. Her role consists of supporting arts and culture in the community. For this particular program, she is in charge of developing and managing the project as the lead.
Gascho explained the program was originally directed by the city council. They had pushed for a poet laureate program to do more for the literary arts in the city and Gascho and her team were tasked with assembling the project. After community consultations and research, they decided to create a program different from a traditional poet laureate program, as they wanted to remain accessible and to stay rooted in creative placemaking.
Gascho highlighted some key differences between a poet laureate program and Hamilton’s Poet in Place program. One key difference is that laureate programs are rooted in certain conceptions of merit and achievement, making them inaccessible to many artists, especially unpublished ones. Hamilton’s Poet in Place program does not require applicants to be published. Another key difference is that Hamilton accepts Poet in Place applications from spoken word artists, rather than only accepting applications from page poets. These features, Gascho explained, make the program unique to Hamilton.
“What really makes this program different is the amount of placemaking-based project work. . . which is using specific places and spaces in our city to implement projects. So we're going to create opportunities for engagement that are very specific to Hamilton [using poetry],” said Gascho.
The process for choosing the poet begins when the city receives applications from poets, according to Gascho. Application materials include a project proposal, artist bio, community engagement statement and poetic works in the form of writing or video. City staff then check each poet’s eligibility requirements before sending their applications to a jury.
The jury consists of poets, spoken word artists and people with placemaking and project expertise, though the specific members of the jury are not revealed until after the poet has been chosen. The jury reviews applications and reaches a consensus decision for the poet before announcing it in the new year. The process is entirely community-led.
Reception for the program has been both positive and negative. Gascho said that some negative reception is to be expected with the social issues the city currently faces, with people concerned about the monetary cost of the program and whether it is at the expense of funding other initiatives.
On the other hand, there has been a lot of positive support from the city council, the mayor and the broader arts community. This has highlighted a positive outcome of the project, which is that citizens and people not normally engaged with the arts have been given the opportunity to explore that side of Hamilton more.
Gascho also pointed out that the program is relevant to students as a way to venture beyond the academic setting on campus and explore more of what the city has to offer.
“It's an opportunity for students to engage with practicing artists and arts professionals. . . it provides opportunities for students to actually connect with these [poetic] projects. . . and be able to see the literary arts and more broadly, the creative arts activated in our community,” said Gascho.
Gascho encourages students to attend workshops or performances held by the poet in the future. If they have any questions or would like further information about the program, they can connect with her or other members involved in arts and culture. Her information is located here. She hopes that students will enjoy what the program has to offer and feel involved in the community.
City to request a one-year extension from ministry after failing to negotiate with the Haudenosaunee
The city’s efforts to dredge Chedoke Creek following a 24-billion-litre sewage spill have been temporarily paused, following conflicts with the Haudenosaunee Development Institute. As a result, the city has requested the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks to extend their Dec. 31, 2022 deadline to Dec. 31, 2023 and to order the HDI to allow the city to resume work.
The Chedoke Creek cleanup efforts are based on the discovery of an open sewer overflow tank gate from 2014 to 2018. The gate was found to have released 24 billion litres of untreated sewage and stormwater, including 4,200 tonnes of pollutants, into Chedoke Creek and Cootes Paradise. Details of the extent of damage were kept from the public until the Spectator published confidential files in Nov. 2019 outlining the city’s efforts to keep the incident from the public, dubbing it “sewergate”.
After apologies from the mayor and council, the city immediately received orders from the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks to evaluate and address the damage. The ministry also pressed charges against the city for violating statutes in the Environmental Protection Act.
Preparation for targeted dredging of the Chedoke Creek sewage spill started in late-August but was halted several times after disagreements over the HDI’s requests for the City to have their consent and approval, based on treaty rights.
Matthew Grant, city spokesperson, described the conflict as unresolvable by municipal legislation.
“And I know, legally speaking, the Crown has a duty to consult. There's no duty to seek consent. We have been engaging with [the HDI] with consultation. The desire to have them as the governing authority seeking consent on the project would require a change in provincial law. And that's not a law that we can change,” said Grant.
Aaron Detlor, delegate and general counsel for the HDI, referred to the Supreme Court ruling of Tsilhqot’in Nation v. British Columbia in 2014, that the government has a duty to consult and accommodate Indigenous groups, or ask for consent, to avoid infringement on Indigenous titles. He claims that the city has not adequately consulted with the HDI and has not accommodated for the HDI’s independent reviews of the dredging plan by providing funds.
The city attempted to resume work in mid-September but was faced with obstructions on the construction site by members claiming to be affiliated with the HDI, according to Grant.
Nick Winters, director of Hamilton Water, described the various disruptions that workers have faced during the project, in a media conference. Issues such as blocking access to the site, refusing to comply with health and safety processes and an incident involving stolen equipment and tools from a dredging machine have prevented workers from continuing the project.
Detlor argued individuals associated with the HDI have been present at the site, but have not been unlawful, created a nuisance or blocked or stolen equipment. He claimed the city was wrongly attributing such events to the HDI.
“We talked to the contractor and they realized that [the stolen equipment] wasn't us whatsoever. We had nothing to do with that. And the fact that the city tried to slander us by including us in that allegation, it's not honourable. It's not reasonable. It's not appropriate . . . This is really the city trying to criminalize Indigenous people for exercising rights because the city knows that it messed up,” said Detlor.
City staff have consulted with the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, the Huron-Wendat Nation, the Six Nations of the Grand River and the HDI on hiring Indigenous Environmental Monitors from each nation that attend the work site for the duration of the project, with a pay cap of $40,000. Currently, the HDI has requested their monitors to be compensated $350,000, said Winters.
“[The request] is far above and beyond what this one has been requested by the other Indigenous nations. And it's also beyond any authority that city staff have, to provide that type of funding to one of the Indigenous nations as part of this project,” said Winters.
Detlor stated that the extra costs were for independent reviews of city reports and consultations, internal communication with members of Six Nations, information dissemination to Indigenous communities and engagements with the city.
“The reason that we're here is because we fervently believe that we have an obligation to the environment. We have an obligation to Mother Earth. And we're doing this not because of money, any type of publicity or issues. We just want to see a real cleanup done that puts this creek back in the shape it was or better than it was before the spill,” said Detlor.
Detlor also stated that the HDI will continue to exercise treaty rights regardless of the outcomes of the city’s request to the MECP.
The delays as of Oct. 3 have added $466,000 to the original project quote of 6 million dollars. The city has stated that costs will increase by $10,000-$15,000 daily while the city contractor is on standby.
Winters described factors such as permit extensions and demobilizing and remobilizing contractors as factors that can add additional costs to the project. Moreover, Winters highlighted the potential for the high concentration of nitrogen and phosphorus in the sediment to leach into the water which can create algae blooms.
With the upcoming municipal elections looming on the horizon, mayoral candidates Keanin Loomis, Andrea Horwath and Bob Bratina have advocated for increased transparency and better leadership for the project if elected.
Macpherson plans to build safer intersections and address the city’s housing crisis
The Silhouette sat down with Ward 1 city councillor candidate Ian Macpherson to reflect on his current campaign and the most pressing issues for the upcoming election.
Prior to throwing his hat into the ring for the position of city councillor Macpherson has been an active member of the community. He started the Canadian Association of Pompe to lobby the government to fund new treatment for Pompe, a genetic metabolic disorder.
However, frustrated by the long process to pass bills and certain decision-making by the Hamilton government, Macpherson now wants to now make a difference in the city.
He pointed to proposed legislation to turn Main St. into a two-way street as an example of an inefficient, expensive project. Macpherson said the legislation, aimed to reduce pedestrian injuries and deaths, is not the best solution to make the street safer and will instead end up increasing traffic and emissions.
Macpherson created an alternative proposal to make an all-way pedestrian scramble, where all traffic is stopped to allow pedestrians to cross in a multidirectional fashion, with a five-second delay between phases of traffic. He argued the five-second delay would reduce any pedestrian injuries or vehicle damages from cars running red lights.
“[The proposal] addresses all intersections at the same time, is cheaper and has faster implementation,” said Macpherson.
Macpherson has also proposed an adaptation of a traffic light program introduced in Jacksonville, North Carolina, where through traffic control software traffic lights on the opposing street in an intersection will remain red if a car runs a red light on the main street until it safely passes.
In addition to making safer intersections, Macpherson advocated for helping Hamilton’s unhoused population and addressing the affordable housing crisis in the city. He plans on expanding the Hamilton Alliance for Tiny Shelters program, a volunteer and donation-based temporary housing program, by providing areas for shelters as well as financial support.
“The HATS program is a great initiative and Hamilton should support them in any way they can and try to expand this project to get people off the streets, out of tents and help them find permanent housing,” said Macpherson.
“The HATS program is a great initiative and Hamilton should support them in any way they can and try to expand this project to get people off the streets, out of tents and help them find permanent housing."
Ian Macpherson, ward 1 city councillor candidate
Macpherson described perseverance and understanding different perspectives as some of his strongest asset as a prospective city councillor.
“I have persevered all my life. I've viewed society from a different position than most and I've learned to problem solve really quickly. I had to do that my whole life due to my disability. I also see three perspectives instead of one. I think every problem is not one problem. There's many problems surrounding that problem and you have to address all those problems at the same time,” said Macpherson.
If elected, Macpherson views cohesiveness as the main challenge of a city councillor.
“I really hope that the new councillors are on the same page and they're not voting against each other. If you look at everybody's platform, they all say affordable housing, safer and better infrastructure, etcetera but these things don’t get done. I think cohesiveness is a big part of it . . . If the councillors are cohesive and have the same mindset and goals, a lot should be done for the next four years in Hamilton that will help improve the city,” said Macpherson.
“If you look at everybody's platform, they all say affordable housing, safer and better infrastructure, etcetera but these things don’t get done . . . If the councillors are cohesive and have the same mindset and goals, a lot should be done for the next four years in Hamilton that will help improve the city,”
Ian Macpherson, ward 1 city councillor candidate
Ian Macpherson is running for city councillor in Ward 1 in the Oct. 2022 municipal election. His candidate profile has be posted as part of a series the Silhouette is running to build student awareness about the municipal election. Candidate profiles will continue to be posted in alphabetical order over the next few weeks. Election Day is Oct. 24 and more details on how to vote can be found here.
Graphic by Elisabetta Paiano/ Production Editor
The threat of climate change was made clear by the fires that spread across Australia earlier this year. Heat waves and drought caused bush fires that permanently altered the country’s landscape, which were made at least 30 per cent worse by the impacts of climate change.
Australia’s devastating fires are only an early example of the consequences of the climate crisis. Although, across the world, Hamilton has its own possibilities for disaster. In November it came to light that 24 billion litres of sewage spilled into Chedoke Creek from 2014 to 2018, which the city kept hidden despite possible impacts on the local environment and residents.
In addition to the Chedoke Creek contamination, the city was charged in late 2019 to clean up toxic chemicals that had been seeping into local waterways. The city-owned John C. Munro International Airport had years-old chemicals in surrounding soil which leached into nearby water during wet weather. The spills make it clear that Hamilton needs to be prepared for the environmental impacts of climate change, especially flooding, which will become the city’s main concern along with extreme heat.
Rising temperatures bring the possibility for droughts. Conversely, increased precipitation could lead to flooding, rising lake levels and could negatively impact shoreline erosion.
Hamilton also has to worry about greenhouse gases, which are largely produced in the city by burning fossil fuels, transportation and industry. In 2018 the city committed to five points of action which include creating a greenhouse gas emissions inventory and an emissions reduction target.
In March 2019 Hamilton declared a climate emergency along with hundreds of other municipalities across Canada. Along with the declaration, the city committed to a climate vulnerability and risk assessment, which has yet to be completed. In December 2019 city councillors approved a climate action plan, but they have yet to include any deadlines or costs associated with the project.
One important change is that the city will try to apply a climate lens to future actions. According to Kate Flynn, the acting director at the centre for climate change management at Mohawk College, the city is using a climate lens to prevent some of the worst effects of climate change and adapt to impacts we can’t avoid. For example, when the city makes an infrastructure improvement, they must consider the future environmental impact of chosen supplies and processes.
Flynn also pointed out that infrastructure changes are necessary to prepare for climate change, specifically in transportation and public works. She noted that over time Hamilton will be at risk for increased precipitation which would lead to flooding and harm water quality, so updates to city infrastructure and residential homes are necessary to avoid damages.
“I think one of the things that's really important to dispel is this myth that Canadians are going to be okay,” said Flynn, “the thing about climate change is that it's a global issue, but the effects of it are going to be hyperlocalized.”
“I think one of the things that's really important to dispel is this myth that Canadians are going to be okay [. . .] the thing about climate change is that it's a global issue, but the effects of it are going to be hyperlocalized.”
While the economic and physical effects of climate change are becoming more of a concern for the city, the social impacts are still largely overlooked. Caitlin Thompson and Joann Varickanickal, volunteers with Climate Ready Hamilton, a community organization, stressed the importance of social cohesion for disaster preparedness.
Thompson and Varickanickal suggested that students get to know their fellow community members and think about how vulnerable populations, like elderly, homeless and low-income community members, will be disproportionately impacted in times of climate crisis. One project CRH worked on sought to map out spaces open to the public for food and shelter in times of disaster. If a heat wave occurred, vulnerable residents without air conditioning could find a place to cool down through the community-sourced resource hub.
Beyond cases of climate disaster, CRH also works to help communities improve the environmental conditions brought on by local pollution.
“Look at communities that are in the industrial core . . . we know that they have poor air quality, but a lot of people in those neighborhoods don't know that they can work together and you can report those things to the government . . . part of this project now can be going into neighborhoods and supporting neighborhoods and understanding their rights,” said Thompson.
Thompson and Varickanickal also noted the importance of preparing a 72 hour kit.
“If there's a massive emergency . . . aid will begin [about] 72 hours after,” said Thompson. “Basically you need to be able to be prepared and stay okay by yourself for 72 hours because you may not get help.”
According to the city of Hamilton website, residents should prepare a 72 hour supply of food and water, along with a “go bag” with items like a first aid kit, blankets and more.
Preparing for 72 hours only works in case of an emergency, but we have to prepare for a future where climate disaster is a regular part of our lives. According to the Centre for Climate and Emergency Solutions, climate resilience is a framework for thinking about climate change and our ability to prepare for, and bounce back from, climate-related disaster. Climate resilience accounts for the irreversible damage already done to our climate, along with possibilities for mitigating some of the worst effects we could see in the future. Flynn noted that climate resilience isn’t only about infrastructure, but also how we can improve our social systems to better support one another through the impacts of climate change.
“If you're talking about climate resilience, well we should be talking about resilience in other ways too? Like making sure . . . everyone has access to good food no matter what happens, right? So it's kind of a framework for thinking through solutions through the lens of equity,” said Flynn.
Despite possibilities for climate resilience, the state of climate change is dire and sometimes frightening. Flynn reflected on how she continues to work in climate change management despite the cataclysmic effects on the climate.
“I think why people are like, how do you get out of bed every day and think about climate change? And I'm like, because believe it or not, there's so many opportunities within climate change to just like do all the things that we've always thought about doing, but never really prioritized. There's no more excuses,” said Flynn.
"There's so many opportunities within climate change to just like do all the things that we've always thought about doing, but never really prioritized. There's no more excuses."
Hamilton will face unique challenges from climate change that the city will have to manage. To create a climate resilient city, community members will have to come together to care for one another. Whether it’s creating a 72 hour kit or a map of resources, knowing who needs help in your community and how will be integral.
