The McMaster Students Union conducted the 2024 Your City Survey to gather student input on transportation, housing and food security, helping to shape its municipal advocacy priorities
The MSU Your City Survey, which closed on Dec. 4, 2025, collected feedback about McMaster students’ perceptions and experiences in Hamilton, covering topics such as housing, transit, food security and policing. The survey is anonymous but participants have the option to provide their email for a chance to win a gift card to the Grind.
The MSU developed the survey in 2011, running every few years, to address students’ concerns about Hamilton. It asks students about their perceptions of Hamilton’s job market, cultural scene and their likelihood of living in the city after graduation.
In 2015, the Your City Survey was updated to assess whether students’ perception of Hamilton had improved since its launch. The most recent collection of data was in 2018. The questions in the survey shifted focus to transit and neighbourhood safety, while also asking commuter students about their perspectives in Hamilton.
This past year, the survey aimed to inform the MSU’s municipal affairs priorities, including advocating to city councillors and submitting feedback on students’ experience with the housing market, transportation, food security and policing in Hamilton for the upcoming pre-budget submission to City Council.
According to Kerry Yang, the associate vice-president of MSU Municipal Affairs, a document outlining McMaster students’ priorities and concerns for the budget and the city’s plan will be created and presented to city councillors at a later date.
Yang, whose role involves lobbying city councillors and engaging with students on municipal priorities, shared her thoughts on how the survey has evolved since 2018.
“I think how it’s evolved is this survey is probably the most comprehensive one to come out. It’s not just focused on housing, transit but has sort of all topics we typically want to know from students. Because it’s been so long since we did a survey, it was important that this one would be all encompassing and give us a really good snapshot of what the student experience is like,” said Yang.
... because it’s been so long since we did a survey, it was important that this one would be all encompassing and give us a really good snapshot of what the student experience is like.
Kerry Yang, Associate Vice-President of Municipal Affairs McMaster Students Union
When developing the questions for this year’s survey, Yang mentioned they reviewed previous surveys and made an effort to not only ask about students’ housing and transit experience. This survey also inquired about what would encourage students to stay in Hamilton, such as affordable housing options and having a vibrant community with public parks and trails.
“I think the diversity of the questions this year and also just how comprehensive it is, is definitely an improvement in the survey which will hopefully serve as a basis for future surveys. The benefit of asking the same questions year after year is that it makes the survey easy to compare over time,” said Yang.
I think the diversity of the questions this year and also just how comprehensive it is, is definitely an improvement in the survey which will hopefully serve as a basis for future surveys. The benefit of asking the same questions year after year is that it makes the survey easy to compare over time
Kerry Yang, Associate Vice-President of Municipal Affairs McMaster Students Union
Yang noted that she anticipates differences in the results compared to previous surveys, as the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted the rental market and other aspects of student life.
Additionally, Yang mentioned that one potential policy recommendation, based on questions in the survey, to be brought to city councillors would be to pass a cooling bylaw that aligns with the existing heating bylaw.
Yang explained that there are currently regulations requiring heating to be turned on at certain temperatures during specific times of the year, but no similar rule exists for cooling. She noted that many students both on-campus and off-campus lack air conditioning which leads to uncomfortable living conditions.
“We are going to propose directly to the city that they implement the same or similar bylaw where students are being protected from the heat,” said Yang.
The results of the Your City Survey are expected to be released later this year.
Changing COVID-19 restrictions raises questions of which communities can celebrate major holidays
Almost 10 months into the pandemic and nearly every major holiday has been impacted. From religious to secular, people across Ontario have adapted yet another part of their lives to celebrate and enjoy the company of loved ones from a distance.
Not every holiday, particularly of the religious sort, has been treated equally by governments and politicians. The past few months have involved numerous religious and cultural holidays and celebrations. However, these moments of joy and peace have been overshadowed by the constantly rising cases of COVID-19 in Ontario.
In a non-exhaustive list, people across Ontario have celebrated Diwali, Hanukkah, Our Lady of Guadalupe Feast Day, Christmas and Gregorian New Year over the past few months. There are still many religious observances, birthdays and celebrations to look forward to. However, as cases continue to rise it will be challenging to predict how the festivities will unfold, especially with the disparity in how different holidays have been celebrated throughout the pandemic.
April 2020, one month after lockdown began in Ontario, involved several major religious observances, including Passover, Easter and the beginning of Ramadan. While Ontario was still in lockdown, Ontario Premier Doug Ford declared the Easter Bunny an essential service, akin to medical care, grocery workers and firefighters.
“So kids, the Easter Bunny is becoming an essential service and we’ll make sure they have the chocolates ready for Easter,” said Ford.
“So kids, the Easter Bunny is becoming an essential service and we’ll make sure they have the chocolates ready for Easter,” said Ford.
Both Theresa Tam, Canada’s chief medical officer of health, and Ford extended the courtesy to Santa Claus in December. Santa Claus was declared an essential worker to ensure that children would still receive their customary Christmas gifts.
Parents, #Santa and I had a call to discuss his #ChristmasEve plan, and don’t worry – he’s cleared as an essential worker in Canada.
In a message from Santa himself, Santa assured observers that he had been self-isolating and following other public health measures.
While these sentiments are meant to be a moment of joy, especially for children facing significant challenges with the pandemic, such moments of joy seemed to be reserved for Christian and religiously-unaffiliated children.
Though holidays like Ramadan and Yom Kippur have not been commercialized in Canada, to the extent that there are fictionalized treat deliverers for children, the messaging from many, including political leaders, around non-Christian celebrations has been called racist and white Christian supremacist.
Continually blaming Brown people in Brampton for rising #COVID19 cases is unnerving & racist.
Instead of learning how people's vulnerabilities are guided by their circumstances (multi-generational households, poverty & employment), we lay blame.
In an opinion article published in the Toronto Starin November, three contributors demonstrated how religious celebrations are not to blame for rising COVID-19 cases, particularly in Brampton, Ontario. “It’s not Diwali, it’s precarious employment and less healthcare resources,” read the article title.
The three authors of the article are Sabina Vohra-Miller, Amanpreet (Preet) Brar and Ananya Tina Banerjee, who all work in the healthcare sector. They wrote about how racist stereotypes have overshadowed the inequalities and inequities faced by South Asian communities in Ontario and Canada at large.
“It’s not Diwali, it’s precarious employment and less healthcare resources.”
Many South Asians, especially in communities like Brampton, are forced into precarious employment, financial differences and inequalities in access to healthcare. Racialized peoples are overrepresented in precarious employment across Ontario.
Racialized peoples and communities, immigrants and refugees, low wage workers and precarious employees are all at greater risk of being infected by COVID-19. The expert contributors noted how these social inequities, particularly systemic racism, negatively impact health outcomes, including exposure to COVID-19.
Racialized communities, including South Asian communities, have been vilified for COVID-19 outbreaks.
“[We are] staring down the barrel of another lockdown,” said Ford in mid-November.
Ford noted this prior to Diwali, while Peel Region mayors told their communities that enforcement officials would be patrolling the streets to enforce restricted celebrations.
In an interview with CP24, Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie encouraged residents to be cautious. “Remain vigilant now to avoid jeopardizing the upcoming winter holidays,” said Crombie.
“Remain vigilant now to avoid jeopardizing the upcoming winter holidays,” said Crombie.
At least three Diwali gatherings were disrupted by police and bylaw officers in Brampton. At the time, Peel Region was in the red zone that allowed for up to 100 people outdoors for religious services. Police said that fines were issued to Gurdwara Nanaskar for a gathering; however, it is unclear whether the outdoor celebration exceeded the limit of 100 people.
In an article published on Dec. 20 by CP24, sources with knowledge of the province’s public health decisions said that all of Ontario would enter lockdown at 12:01 a.m. on Dec. 24. Several medical experts, including the Ontario Health Association and Dr. Abdu Sharkawy, were cited in the article. The Ontario Health Association recommended a four-week lockdown across Ontario.
In an interview with CP24, Sharkawy was worried about the impact of a delay in lockdown measures.
“I’m really worried these people will use these four days . . . to forge a mad scramble towards malls and retailers to try and get those last minute Christmas gifts, or perhaps to gather in social occasions with others before we’re all locked down,” said Sharkawy.
A lockdown would further restrict social gatherings, which were a high concern for many health experts with Christmas approaching.
As of Dec. 21, 21 public health units in Ontario were in green, yellow or orange zones. These zones allowed for indoor gatherings of up to 10 people, restaurants and bars to operate at reduced capacity, including over Christmas.
Yet, Ontario did not announce a lockdown as of Dec. 24. Instead, Ford announced on Dec. 21 that Ontario would enter lockdown after Christmas. The lockdown and tighter restrictions were implemented as of Dec. 26.
“The province announced new restrictions starting on Boxing Day — after people would have already done their last-minute shopping and gathered for the holidays,” wrote Toronto Star Health Reporter Jennifer Yang.
“[The after-Christmas lockdown] gave people implicit permission to proceed with their holiday plans,” said Dr. Lanard.
Yang interviewed Jody Lanard, a risk communications expert, about the lockdown. “[The after-Christmas lockdown] gave people implicit permission to proceed with their holiday plans,” said Dr. Lanard.
After Christmas, there has been a significant shift in COVID-19 cases across Ontario. Public health units previously in green, yellow and orange zones have seen infection rates doubling since Christmas.
As of Nov. 29, Lambton Public Health Unit had 14 active cases and an infection rate of 12.2 cases per 100,000 people. Lambton moved from the green to yellow zone the following day, but remained in the yellow until the Dec. 26 lockdown. In the same week, City of Hamilton Public Health Services had 473 active cases and an infection rate of 80.7 cases per 100,000 people. Hamilton was locked down as of Dec. 21.
Now, as of Jan. 13, Lambton has 261 active cases and an infection rate of 226 cases per 100,000 people. Hamilton now has 1,111 active cases but an infection rate of 148 cases per 100,000 people.
With the significant increases of COVID-19 cases in the two weeks following Christmas and increased lockdown measures as of Jan. 14, there are questions about how Christmas celebrations were policed.
With the significant increases of COVID-19 cases in the two weeks following Christmas and increased lockdown measures as of Jan. 14, there are questions about how Christmas celebrations were policed. The vast increases in cases and loose restrictions appear to indicate that families still gathered and traveled for Christmas, such as Ontario MPP Randy Hillier.
Yet, there appear to be few, if any, news stories on how these gatherings were policed or if any were shutdown. Global News reported that the Ontario Provincial Police are aware of Hillier’s gathering but it is unclear if charges will be laid or fines levied. Hillier also remains as an independent MPP.
