Dear Neighbours,

Happy fall! This time of year always feels to me like a time for reflection – as the days shorten, the weather cools, and the leaves start changing colour. It is also a time when we collectively bring our attention to gathering with friends, loved ones, and families to celebrate and give thanks. Whether you do so in ceremony, ritual or quietly in solitude, I hope you are able to pause and reflect on what you are grateful for and what you can commit to doing better going forward.

September was a busy month of important Council, Standing Committees, community events and FCM Committees and Board meetings. As a result, this update I have limited my update to three areas.

Reducing Homelessness and Managing Encampments

I often say, the role of each level of government is to not only protect human rights, but to tend to the conditions that advance them.

However, when it comes to the humanitarian crisis unfolding in every town and city in Ontario, we are limited. We do not have the financial capacity to do it alone as cities.

As recognized by the Association of Municipalities of Ontario in their recent report,  “encampments are the latest expression of a homelessness crisis decades in the making. These encampments are a tragic result of cracks in the foundations of our housing, health, and social systems and are a public policy failure by successive provincial and federal governments. A lack of intergovernmental cooperation and lack of integration of effort, and insufficient supply of affordable housing have compounded matters.”

“Municipalities are often caught balancing the important needs of unsheltered people living in encampments, who deserve to be treated with empathy and respect, with the responsibility to ensure our communities are safe and vibrant places for all residents.”

“In a province as prosperous as Ontario, homeless encampments cannot be the best we can do for our residents, communities, and businesses…”

It cannot be said enough, we need the provincial and federal government to work with municipalities on aligned strategies and funding to tend to the conditions we are facing in our city.

And yet we cannot sit by and do nothing. Council has acted to respond to the need for wrap around supports and accessible shelter options.

Council approved staff’s recommendation for a 192 bed increase to the existing shelter system, as well as, a temporary outdoor shelter (previously referred to as a sanctioned site) at Barton-Tiffany Lands in Ward 2 with the capacity for approximately 80 people. This outdoor shelter will be run by Good Shepherd in collaboration with the City, Greater Hamilton Health Network and other service providers. It will include wrap-around supports and services to help transition folks into housing.

The 192 bed increase will begin implementation this Fall while the outdoor shelter is anticipated to begin intake in December. While no municipality can require everyone currently living encamped in our parks to move into any of these shelter spaces, we know from direct outreach that many will choose to make use of these additional, low barrier, spaces.

Of the much needed 192 bed expansion to the shelter system, 138 beds will operate in Ward 3, of which 123 beds are within a four block area. At Council, I raised concern about the concentration of these additional shelter beds with the existing encampments in adjacent parks. I requested staff to apply the same 1km radius that will be set around the Barton-Tiffany outdoor shelter to prevent over-concentration in Ward 3. Details on which parks, parkettes and greenspaces this will include will be reported back by staff at a General Issues Committee meeting later in October. (Given the print cycle of the GALA Herald, I encourage you to visit my social media platforms or website to stay on top of the updates on this file.)

Along with the Mayor, I have also directed staff to reach out to the appropriate federal and provincial ministries to access the recently announced federal funding to support communities in managing encampments and addressing homelessness.

In an effort to remain in adherence with our obligations as a City, while also balancing the responsibility to ensure our parks are safer for all, I collaborated with my Council colleagues to move direction that City staff report back in Q1 2025 on potential changes to the current Encampment Protocol, enforcement of the Parks and Streets By-law, and sunsetting the current Encampment Protocol in a manner that is compliant with the Charter and current case law.

Staff are confident that the addition of these beds will make a tangible difference in the levels of encampments we see in parks in Ward 3 and around the City. We will require patience over the coming months while folks living encamped who consent are transitioned successfully to these spaces.

All the while, I remain committed to pulling every lever available to the city to maintain the affordable housing stock we already have, while also delivering more deeply affordable and supportive housing across Hamilton.

150 Years of HSR

In other important news, Hamilton is celebrating 150 years of HSR service all year long!

There have been many events, special fare days, and bus wraps to help commemorate. There is an excellent exhibit at the Visitor Experience Centre in the historic Lister Building exploring HSR’s legacy, see artifacts and photographs for the very first time and look forward to Hamilton’s bright transit future. I encourage you to go check it out if you haven’t yet.

With that said, I think Ward 3 has landed the ultimate celebration with the current construction of a state-of-the-art bus maintenance and storage facility (MSF) at 281 Birch Ave N. If you haven’t been in the area lately, let me tell you the scale of site and speed at which it is being built is quite remarkable.This new facility represents a significant investment in Hamilton and supports the City’s ongoing commitment to transit expansion, as outlined in the Ten-Year Local Transit Strategy. To learn more visit: hamilton.ca/environmental-assessments/hamilton-transit-bus-maintenance-storage-facility-design

Upcoming Ward 3 Events:

There are a number of events this month that I hope to see you at. You are welcome to attend the following:

  • 104th Annual Garden and Mum Show themed: Candy Land – Oct 4th-13th at Gage Park Greenhouses
  • Ward 3 Office Pop Up – October 8, 5-7pm at North Central Park
  • Community Input Session on Barton Street Functional Design – October 17, 6:30-8:30pm at Westinghouse (virtual option available as well)
  • Ward 3 Community Open House on Affordable Housing Projects – October 24, 6-8pm at Bernie Morelli Recreation Centre (virtual option available as well)
  • Ward 3 Community Update on Complete Streets Plan – October 29, 6-8pm at Bernie Morelli Recreation Centre (virtual option available as well)

We encourage advance registration so we can best accomodate your participation and ensure you have the information you need. Please email ward3@hamilton.ca for any of the events and updates listed above.

To stay current on all updates, events and opportunities, sign up to receive my e-newsletter released each week we have a Council meeting.

And if you require any support from my office, please email ward3@hamilton.ca or call (905-546-2702).

Wishing you all a safe and happy Halloween! I can’t wait to see all the decorations and costumes around #OurWard3 over the month!

Yours in Community,

Councillor Nrinder Nann