urbanicity - december 2011
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A Monthly Journal in the Bay CityTRANSCRIPT
HAMILTON ONTARIO | CANADA | Published Monthly | DEC 2011 | urbanicity.ca | FREE
urban cityi A monthly journal in the bay city
191 James Street North }{ Hamilton, Ontario }{ L8R 2K9 }{ 905.523.7269 }{ acclamation.caFREE PARKING * PRIVATE LOUNGE for 60 PEOPLE * PATIO
NO LOVIN’ for McLOVIN’
Gemini-nominee JR DiGS chats with urbanicity from the rooftop of BIZCLIP about Hamilton, Peter Mansbridge, and why he has no lovin’ for McLovin’. p.11
Jeff Santa Barbara on a foggy night in downtown Hamilton | photograph by Reg Beaudry
IN THIS ISSUE
THE JOURNEY of MIRANDA HILL EATING WHAT WE REMEMBERONE IS THE LONELIEST NUMBER
“Looks like fun”
Lydia Lovric explores the single-child trend, reminding us that only children are lonely children. p.6
One year after leaving his role as Mayor of Hamilton, Fred Eisenberger breaks his silence and shares the facts about Mayor Bratina. p.5
Award-winning author Miranda Hill sits down with Elisha Stam to discuss her book Petitions to Saint Chronic and Project Bookmark Canada. p.10
Paul Wilson serves up reflections on the rise, demise, and reprise of fast food phenomenon A&W. p.7
NOTHING UNTIL NOW
p.2
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PUBLISHER + EDITOR
CREATOR | LAYOUT + DESIGN
CONTRIBUTORS
AD INQUIRIES
FORUM
Downtown Hamilton International Village
Ottawa Street Locke Street
Westdale Village of Ancaster
Town of Dundas Village of Waterdown
Stoney Creek Concession Street District
Selected Hamilton Mountain locations
Greater Hamilton Area
MARTINUS GELEYNSE Owner | MG International
Director | Hamilton24 [email protected]
REG BEAUDRY
Photographer Graphic designer
*PAUL WILSON Former columnist | Hamilton Spectator
MARK CHAMBERLAIN President | Trivaris Family of Companies
Chair | Jobs Prosperity [email protected]
*FRED EISENBERGER Former Mayor | Hamilton, Ontario
CEO | Canadian Urban [email protected]
GRAHAM CRAWFORD
Owner | HIStory + [email protected]
*MURLINE MALLETTE
Director | Liaison College Hamilton Campus
TERRY COOKE CEO | Hamilton Community Foundation
PAUL SHAKER Director | Centre for Community Study
RYAN McGREAL Editor | raisethehammer.org
*ADRIAN DUYZER Associate Editor | raisethehammer.org
LAURA FARR Staff Writer
*JAMIE TENNANT Program Director | 93.3 CFMU
*CHRISTOPHER CUTLER Manager | PATH Employment Services
JOEY COLEMAN Independent Journalist
DONNA SKELLY Broadcast Journalist
*KEANIN LOOMIS Chief Advocate | Innovation Factory
*PETER ORMOND Environmental Engineer
Lecturer | Mohawk [email protected]
RICK COURT
Dean of Business, Media, & Entertainment | Mohawk College
DON FORBES Manager, Specialist Advisory
Services | Grant Thornton [email protected]
*ROBERT LEAKER Vice-President of Innovation and
Emerging Markets | Meridian Credit [email protected]
*LYDIA LOVRIC
[email protected] | urbanicity.ca 905.537.5928
Canweb Printing Inc.
We welcome discussion! Each month, the FORUM section will
display letters to the Editor. In order to be accepted, letters must include valid contact information and the full
name of the writer. Send your letters to: [email protected]
*denotes in this issue
former writer and broadcaster | currently enjoying life as a full-time mom to three
little rug rats. [email protected]
*DAVID PREMIPrincipal Architect at dp.ai
PRINTER
HAMILTON ONTARIO | CANADA | Published Monthly | DEC 2011 | urbanicity.ca
urbanicity [ur-buh-nis-i-tee] - noun1. a monthly journal of ideas, issues and experiences in the bay city.
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FORUMWe welcome discussion! Each month, the FORUM section will display letters to the Editor. Inorder to be accepted, letters must include valid contact information and the full name of the writer.
Send your letters to: [email protected]
FRONT COVER [ left to right panel ]
*Fred Eisenberger | photograph courtesy of The Hamilton Spectator*JR Digs | photograph by Reg Beaudry*
*Allen and Ryan | A&W Television Ad
Miranda Hill | photograph by Lisa Sakulensky*Little Johnny | photograph courtesy of the Internet
RE: urbanicity
I have picked up your paper a number of times and always find it quite impressive. The front page of the November issue caught my eye particularly as the picture of the city is a great shot, and I also picked up on the picture of Glasgow. I have been there many times as my family hails from Glasgow. It has a lot of similarities to Hamilton but sadly has some glitz as well and some old and new architectural masterpieces that we have yet to see rise in Hamilton. After all, Glasgow was home to Charles Rennie MacKintosh - one of the greatest architects. However, I have hope that we may one day see rise to such development here in Hamilton.
-Ian McSevney
RE: Whipped
About time.... thanks Lydia! -Robert Smith
Christmas is a time when people talk about joy, unity, and gifts. We gather with family and friends to eat and drink. More than any other, Christmas is a holiday of ‘goodwill toward men’ and of togetherness. Of community. What better time then, for us to reflect on our civic community? [Interestingly, the word ‘city’ bookends the word ‘community’]
Hamilton is an amalgamated city. We’re a city of many communities - sometimes bitterly opposed. As demonstrated in the last municipal election, we are a city with a wide variety of viewpoints and values. We are home to extreme wealth and to extreme poverty. We are heavily urban, but yet we have wards that are mostly farmland. As the third most ethnically diverse city in Canada, our population makes up a cultural mosaic more vibrant than most. A large segment of our citizenry is aging rapidly, but we have also seen a recent influx of young professionals into our city. Our city is home to churches, mosques, temples, synagogues, and individuals of all types of spiritual inclinations. There is literally a cliff running through the middle of our city. We are a community of many communities indeed.
Over the last year, we have had a few fights in our community. We’ve fought about the location of the Pan Am Stadium, the velodrome, LRT, area rating, and the aerotropolis. We’ve also endured elections at the municipal, provincial, and federal levels. It has not been an easy year for our city. This Christmas, Hamilton is a city divided.So how is it, then, that we can progress together into 2012 with hope for our collective future?
Or rather, how is it, I would ask, that we could not?
Originally penned by C.S. Lewis in his book The Magician’s Nephew, the phrase “a thousand points of light” was popularized in the speeches of former American President George H.W. Bush. He used it in his inaugural address in 1989, stating: “I have spoken of a thousand points of light, of all the community organizations that are spread like stars throughout the nation, doing good. We will work hand in hand, encouraging, sometimes leading, sometimes being led, rewarding.”
While we may be a community with many divisions, we remain a community filled with a thousand points of light. No matter how small or lonely each point of light might be - consider a single candle or Christmas light - it can illuminate a room when shining in concert with many others.
We don’t all know each other. We don’t all get along with, or agree with each other. We don’t have to. I am convinced that, with respectful dialogue, a little understanding, and some ‘goodwill toward men’, we have every reason to progress together into 2012 with optimism and hope.
This Christmas season, let’s reflect on our community of communities, on our divisions, and on our commonalities. Let’s enter 2012 with vigour, igniting many more points of light in the city we call our home.
MARTINUS GELEYNSE | Publisher + Editor
RE: Whipped
Dear Lydia,
I was quite impressed by your opinion piece, “Whipped”, in the November issue of Urbanicity. You’ve certainly hit the nail on the head. Men need to be wearing the pants, not the apron, in a relationship. Women just don’t seem to realize that they can’t have it all; they need to stop complaining about their rights and focus on what they’ve got going for them. When a man comes home from a hard day at work, dinner should be on the table, his favourite drink should be waiting for him, alongside his adoring wife and children. A man should never have to lift a finger towards housework. If he does, then there’s obviously something wrong with his wife, and she should be reprimanded. Washing dishes and picking up after children is clearly women’s work. When a man struggles all day to put food on the plate and a roof over his head, he should not have to worry about the menial chores that his wife ought to have completed. It’s time for women to finally acknowledge this. I’m glad that you realize your place in society and heartily embrace it. After all, look what happens when women try to go to
work outside of the home: marriages fall apart, and children end up splitting their time between two single parents. Women should feel completely fulfilled by their duties at home. If all of their chores are done, to the best of their ability, then they can choose to do something extra, like pottery or yoga. As we all know, there’s absolutely no reason for a red-blooded North American man to participate in pointless activities such as these. Real men don’t need to demonstrate compassion or concern; everyone knows that real men don’t have emotions. Something as irrational as an “emotion” is clearly restricted to the realm of the feminine.
I commend you on your ability to articulate your ideas in writing. As I’m sure you’re aware, most people have chosen to blur the lines when it comes to gender roles these days. I’m pleasantly surprised to discover that a woman is capable of writing about such a complicated issue, and actually getting it right. Congratulations! (Although I do hope that you haven’t neglected any of your household duties in order to complete this article.) Sincerely, from your friendly, neighbourhood testosterone-driven man.
- Finn Logan
We aren’t just another car dealer
GARBAGE |
285 and the CRAZY PEOPLE
Less is moreROBERT LEAKER
The City of Hamilton recently published their municipal performance scorecard. Since this is where all of our precious tax dollars go, I highly recommend that you read it – there are some interesting insights. When I see how the millions in City revenue are spent, it raises questions in my mind as to what the role of government is. Does the City exist to build public infrastructure or set policy that encourages efficient use of tax dollars? If we could be more efficient with essential services, we could invest more in public infrastructure such as public transit, parks, library and perhaps even tax cuts. Obviously, there are essential services the city must provide such as road maintenance, potable and waste water management, and waste collection. But what
about the government’s role to create and set policies that maximize the efficiency of our tax dollar spend? For example, let’s talk about garbage. I have a family of six and I’m happily complying with the weekly one bag waste limit. In fact, I could probably get this down to one bag every other week without too much trouble. What this garbage limit has done however, is make me realize just how much other stuff gets diverted for recycling. I thought the order was Reduce, Reuse, Recycle? It would seem the consumer packaging industry has put society under environmental and economic siege. Picking through my weekly recycling makes me realize just how much useless consumer packaging exists for the sake of marketing alone. And now after
reading the municipal performance report, I can see not only the societal costs (to the environment), but also the real dollar costs.
The numbers
Over the past five years, Hamilton has done a reasonable job of diverting more recycling from landfill. Our diversion rates have progressed from 41% in 2006 to 48% in 2010. This is likely due to the recycling programs and has a net positive effect on the environment. However, the total tonnage of stuff being hauled from our driveways was only modestly impacted over the same period. With the same amount of stuff being collected and the total cost of
disposal (including diversion) increasing over time, this area of municipal management will continue to chew through $45 million of our tax dollars at an continuously increasing rate. Is there anything the municipal government can do to decrease the total tonnage collected? If 80% of the stuff I haul out is unnecessary consumer packaging that I don’t want in the first place, is there not a role the municipal, provincial and possibly federal governments could play to restrict its creation in the first place? Real savings of tens of millions of dollars could be allocated to better infrastructure, or better yet, to tax reductions. Similar arguments could be made on other areas of spending as well. Are we throwing tax dollars at the
underlying problems of our community or at the management of the outcomes? Do we need more police or more early intervention with at-risk youth? Should we be increasing waste water management infrastructure or using less water? Building more roads or funding public transport? If our government really looked at the numbers, they might be coming up with better solutions.
ROBERT LEAKER is the Vice-President of Emerging Markets and Innovation at Meridian Credit Union. [email protected]
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| IDEASHAMILTON ONTARIO | CANADA | Published Monthly | DEC 2011 | urbanicity.ca
“Do something about the crazy people on your streets, please Hamilton. Really! Do something about them. Get them off the streets.”
- Billy Connolly at Hamilton Place
CHRIS CUTLER
“There are too many social service agencies in the downtown” has been an easy mantra for far too long by those seeking to attach blame for the decline in Hamilton’s city core. As the reasoning goes, the presence of an overwhelming number of helping agencies in the core attracts the ‘wrong kind of people’ to our downtown. The ideas of feeling afraid for personal safety, and even reluctance to share the streets with ‘those people’ is sadly common.
Let me state my biases up front. I live in the downtown core. I work for one of those helping agencies and serve as an active board member for at least one other such agency. I am an activist with and a booster of the downtown Hamilton Farmers’ Market. For me “those people” have names. They have stories. They have lives. They matter to me and they matter to those of us who embrace the downtown Hamilton experience. They are not attracted to the downtown like moths to a light simply by the presence of social services. The street-involved and poor in our downtown have been derided. They have been characterized as the problem rather than as the symptom or the manifestation of a bigger problem that their presence
represents. The victimization extends even into our local chattering and political classes. As recently as this spring our Mayor (and former councillor for the downtown Ward 2) was heard, while speaking in a public forum, to paraphrase the Scottish comedian Billy Connolly after his most recent appearance at Hamilton Place. It would appear that Billy had referenced our street population at the outset of his act, finishing finally by imploring his audience to “do something about the crazy people on your streets, please Hamilton. Really! Do something about them. Get them off the streets.” The Mayor concluded his paraphrasing by repeating Connolly’s assertion, saying that indeed we need to do something to get the crazies off of our Hamilton streets. During the last municipal campaign, several electioneering politicians, most notably our mayor, argued that we were deluged by social service agencies in the downtown. He made reference in particular to the number 285. The Mayor and others claimed that there are 285 social agencies in our downtown. Living, working and playing in the downtown as I do, I scratched my head in bewilderment. Where exactly were these social
agencies? Obviously given my work I knew of quite a few, including the Ontario March of Dimes, St Leonard’s Society, Good Shepherd, Mission Services and Goodwill Amity. But are there actually 285 social service agencies all attracting the wrong people to the downtown? Where could such a precise and well-considered number have come from? A number that had so obviously served as a call to action for the Mayor and others deeply concerned about attracting so many of these wrong people to our downtown? I finally found it online in a document called A Profile of Downtown Municipal Wards 2, 3, 4 and 5 prepared in August 2008 by the Social Planning Research Council of Hamilton on behalf of Mission Services. There it was clear as day in Table 9: Community Services by Service Category for Hamilton Municipal Wards. In Ward 2 there were indeed 285 service organizations and support groups. Hang on. What was that? Community services are not necessarily social service agencies? What’s that you say? In many instances, several service programs were found to be all operating out of the same agency or location. Perhaps the agencies were not as numerous as we had assumed?
Just who and what were these services that had so alarmed the mayor? Who were these ‘crazies’ attracted to our once proud downtown? I scanned the list for more answers. Surely the Mayor could not be wrong about this when he had been right about so many other things like the Stadium, LRT and the Waterfront Trust? Was it possible that the Mayor and others had just grabbed that number without actually reading the report? Not in my Hamilton. I read on. The organizational culprits at the heart of our inner city decay soon revealed themselves. There they were. The Canadian Football Hall of Fame, the Canadian Club of Hamilton, and even the veterans of The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders of Canada were all among the offending services. The list grew. St. Joseph’s Hospital, the Farmers’ Market and Scouts Canada were there, too. What did it all mean? Still it went on to list Whitehern, the Hamilton Literacy Council, the United Way, and Hamilton Place were all included to amount to a total of 285. More incredibly, the list even included seven departments of the City of Hamilton as net contributors to the supposed inflow of undesirables into our downtown. Finally, I noticed what had to be the most offensive community service
of all: the Central Memorial Seniors Bridge Club. What I was also reminded of by the report was that the downtown was home to the highest levels of unemployment, the greatest visible minority population, the most recent immigrants and of the most severe poverty in the city. Jerry Frug of Harvard once argued that people, “foster an increasing suspicion of people considered ‘other’ and thereby undermine the possibility of solutions to urban problems.” So here is a novel idea. Instead of blindly blaming the 285 community services operating in our downtown for attracting the ‘wrong kind of people’ to the core, let’s be honest and accurate in our relaying of information. And instead of victimizing the street-involved and disadvantaged in our downtown, let’s establish a task force or working group immediately to engage the agencies, business and the City in working together to make the downtown livable for the 99% not just the 1%. Accuracy and integrity will enable us to address our challenges and move forward together.
CHRISTOPHER CUTLER is the Managing Director of accessibility360. He is a community activist and downtown resident.
If 80% of the stuff I haul out is unnecessary consumer packaging that I don’t want in the first place, is there not a role the municipal, provincial and possibly federal governments could play to restrict its creation in the first place?
123rf.com
HAMILTON ONTARIO | CANADA | p.4Published Monthly | DEC 2011 | urbanicity.ca
HUMBUG TO THE AEROTROPOLISEach Christmas season, billions of human beings celebrate the birth of Jesus. Crowds amass to hear excerpts from the Bible, sip eggnog at family gatherings, and exchange gifts. At Easter, the fact that Jesus was crucified for speaking his truth is lamented. Many also watch the traditional Charles Dickens classic, “A Christmas Carol”. In this story, Ebenezer Scrooge is given a candid perspective on his ruthless habits. Realizing the appalling injustices caused by his self-absorption and addiction to greed, Scrooge ultimately weeps with shame, regretting his ways, and opens his heart. When faced with the truth, Scrooge changed. As 2011 draws to a close, the world is mired in chaos. Fukushima has sunk Japan. Libya and Egypt have overthrown their villain dictators. The global financial system is on the brink of collapse with the world’s model alliance – the European Union – tumbling first. While trillions of dollars finance militaries - planet’s largest business, millions starve in Africa. It is time that the world faces truth once again. As predicted, the flawed system is failing. After all, continuous growth is not sustainable. It’s mortal, like us! The global Occupy Movement echoes the dire reality that: “It’s time to change the system”. The rising disparity between the rich (the 1%) and the poor (the other 99%) isn’t just. Instead of examining the situation, the Occupy Movement has been largely ridiculed by media, protestors are condemned and the system marches blindly forward. The longer we prop up this flawed economic model, the more painful the transition to a sustainable model will be. How does this relate to Hamilton? In 1885, the last spike marked the completion of Canada’s coast to coast railway. Yet, in 2011,
Hamilton is not even connected to the main rail system anymore. Why? Like most communities around the globe, we’re handcuffed by a system that doesn’t have the interests of the average citizen – the 99% – in mind. Hamilton is currently facing a critical moment of truth in our own context. Right now, paving farmland around Hamilton’s Airport is our Colonel Gaddafi. Hamilton’s aerotropolis expansion is channeling monies away from serious investment in Hamilton’s crumbling infrastructure, including the LRT. In fact, a billion dollars or so – the annual budget for Hamilton – is on the table to purchase, expand, and service Hamilton’s aerotropolis. Plus, the planned network of interconnecting highways to build a massive transport hub would also be covered by our tax dollars. Do you realize that Hamilton Airport is one of only a few airports in Canada that allow for flights around the clock, 24 hours per day? I personally don’t appreciate being awakened each night by planes that shouldn’t be flying over the populated city. If the aerotropolis project is such a clear winner, then why is the City’s 40-year lease agreement with Tradeport International, the private airport operator, a secret deal? Who’s involved? What are their interests? Businessman Ron Foxcroft is the Chairman of the Board of Tradeport International, the company that manages Hamilton’s Airport, and has interests in numerous ventures. He’s also the owner of Fluke Transport, a trucking company. Mr. Foxcroft lives in Burlington.
Businessman David Braley owns the Airport Business Park adjacent to the airport, a business park that has been 90% vacant for decades. A developer, Mr. Braley is also a Conservative Senator in Ottawa.
Senator Braley lives in Burlington. Richard Koroscil is the President and CEO of Tradeport International, and last year was President of the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Koroscil is also Hamilton’s representative on the Board of Directors for Metrolinx – the regional transit agency. Isn’t that a conflict of interest right there? Hamilton needs a thorough review of all aspects of Hamilton Airport and its related projects – especially the aerotropolis. Aside from the secret lease that we, the citizens of Hamilton should have access to, this includes an historical review of all board members, land transactions, projects, property owners and affiliated organizations. Especially when a private entity is being subsidized by the public purse. In order to change the way things are being done in Hamilton, we need to change the system. A review of the intricacies of Hamilton’s Airport is that first step. Learn more about Hamilton’s Airport and decide yourself. Should we invest in air travel, the most inefficient mode of transportation, or should we invest in community-building projects instead? Until this project is stopped, we’ll continue to make the wealthy even wealthier on the backs of the community. Hamilton has a lot to gain, including an LRT system. We need to realize the truth of what the aerotropolis would mean for Hamilton, and we need to realize a sustainable alternative. Scrooge saw the light, but not everyone does. Merry Christmas. Learn more at: civicleague.ca
PETER ORMOND is a car-free vegan engineer, and the host of web-based GreenTV. newscliptv.com/videos/green_tv.html
PETER ORMOND
Hamilton is currently facing a critical moment of truth in our own context. Right now, paving farmland around Hamilton’s Airport is our Colonel Gaddafi.
LRT rendering courtesy of the City of Hamilton | Photo manipulation by Reg Beaudry
Fred Eisenberger | Hamilton Spectator File photo | Courtesy of The Hamilton Spectator | thespec.com
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| ISSUESHAMILTON ONTARIO | CANADA | Published Monthly | DEC 2011 | urbanicity.ca
NOTHING UNTIL NOW |It’s time to share the facts about Mayor Bratina
RYAN MORAN
ADRIAN DUYZER
FRED EISENBERGER
Bob Bratina just marked the end of his first year in the job as Hamilton’s Mayor. As you know, I held the same job for 4 years. It’s no secret I wanted to be re-elected, but Bob threw his hat into the ring and won. Fair and square. Since then, I’ve moved on, becoming the CEO of the Canadian Urban Institute. Although my job is based in Toronto, my wife Diane and I are still very much based in Hamilton. I have my new job. Bob Bratina has his. Because I’ve moved on, I’ve avoided the temptation to be an armchair quarterback, a role that, in my opinion, is neither appropriate nor appreciated. I’ve chosen to watch everything and say almost nothing. That is, until now. Why now? When you no longer hold the position of Mayor, what’s left is history and your personal legacy. I believe history should be accurate, not fanciful. I’m writing this piece to share the facts from my administration on behalf of myself and on behalf of all the people who worked so hard to help me implement my ideas, not the fiction that continues to be offered up by Mr. Bratina in speeches and on his very regular appearances on CHML. I can handle the personal attacks and references, of which he has made many, especially on CHML, but it’s his looseness with the facts I can no longer tolerate. While there are many of the Mayor’s comments that would benefit from clarity, I’m going to limit myself to 4 of them.
I [ LRT ] Here’s a transcription of an exchange between Bob and Bill Kelly from July 22, 2011 regarding the costs of LRT.
KELLY: The former Mayor sat right there in that chair and said they (Provincial Government) should pay it (LRT), somehow that morphed into they will pay it.
BRATINA: But you know, it's interesting though, so many facts are being thrown around that may be myths. So I think that there's probably a Canadian Urban Mythstitute that, from which myths emanate. Because it's myth. It's not fact. I love myths.
First of all, ridiculing the organization of which I am the CEO, The Canadian Urban Institute, is not only inappropriate for someone in Bob’s position, it’s also unfair. To me. To the people who work there. And to the people who support the organization. I assure you, our work is not based on myths. I should point out that this portion of the show was edited out when it was re-broadcast. Perhaps somebody associated with the show, or with the Mayor’s office, agreed with me? Secondly, the benefits of LRT are now and in the future. Big projects require big thinking and big actions. They also require big money. Rather than taking our foot off the gas, we should have kept the momentum and the knowledge we had built. Sure, we need to know what the costs will be before digging, but you have to keep going in order to develop a realistic
budget. Now we have neither momentum nor a budget. Not to mention losing some very valuable people in the process. Waterloo has looked closely at both the costs and the benefits of LRT. They have decided to approve their plan for LRT because they concluded that moving people on more roads was considerably more expensive than investing in LRT, not to mention the land value increase in and around a fixed rail system. They did not have an agreement from the provincial government through Metrolinx to fund their LRT. Hamilton did. If we do not push for the funding for LRT, other Ontario municipalities will be only too happy to take our place in line.
II [ GO TRANSIT ] As far as I’m concerned, not to mention many senior people connected to the GO file both municipally and provincially, before I left office Hamilton was already getting all-day GO service in time for the Pan Am Games. It was not in jeopardy. Staying on top of the file is a given, but suggesting that it needed to be moved up to the top of the priority list was pure theatre. I can’t blame Dalton McGuinty for seizing an opportunity created by mayor Bratina to re-gift all-day GO to Hamilton during an election campaign. The Liberals should have been pushed to confirm their commitment to LRT and rapid transit in Hamilton, a commitment they made in the previous election campaign. I am, however, delighted that Council has re-committed to keeping LRT on the agenda. I worry the Mayor’s handling of the
transportation file both in direct talks with the Premier and through comments made to the media, particularly on CHML, may have weakened Hamilton’s case for LRT funding from the province. We’ll see.
III [ AREA RATING ] Despite the recent confusion over whether I opposed or proposed the citizen’s council to help deal with area rating, the fact is I introduced the idea of engaging citizens to help us to determine the best path forward on the thorny issue of area rating. Having said that, at a recent event in Ancaster, Mayor Bratina told an audience that were it not for his vote and his effort, the agreed to process for creating the citizens forum on area rating would never have happened. I took a lot of flak for proposing the idea. I was accused of ducking the issues due to an upcoming municipal election. The fact is that the citizen’s forum did an incredible job of weighing the issues and presenting their f indings and recommendations to Council which, in my opinion, gave council the opportunity to develop some rational and acceptable solutions. A number of councillors who previously had opposed this direction tell me the process proved to be very helpful in reaching a positive resolution.
IV [ ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ] As I used to say, my job as Mayor was getting things done and getting things ready. That’s why I pushed, with Council
support, to increase significantly the budget and resources for our Economic Development Division. In my last year in office, the City of Hamilton cracked the billion dollar mark in building permits, its highest ever. I didn’t do all the work to make this happen, but I certainly led the charge on ensuring the team had enough resources to do what they do best - bring development to Hamilton. I was fortunate enough to have full support from Council. Our remarkable Economic Development team were given the resources they needed to do the job they were passionate about doing. Their results continue to impress. I hope they will continue to be given the resources they need to do such a critical job in helping to shape Hamilton’s economic future. At the end of the day, I’m asking for one simple thing. Accuracy at all times from the Mayor and from the Mayor’s Office about work I, the previous Council, and staff did. To do any less is to run the risk of appearing to be pinning somebody else’s medals on yourself.
FRED EISENBERGER is the former Mayor of the city of Hamilton and is currently the President and CEO of the Canadian Urban Institute. This article was originally published in the Hamilton Spectator, Saturday, November 19, 2011
I’m writing this piece to share the facts from my administration on behalf of myself and on behalf of all the people who worked so hard to help me implement my ideas, not the fiction that continues to be offered up by Mr. Bratina...
SLOWLY JEOPARDIZING HAMILTON’S FUTUREThe situation in Hamilton is improving. That's the good news. The bad news is, it's not improving fast enough. As a city we lack the sense of urgency, the ambition and the operational skill to compete at the national and international levels. Unfortunately, we don't have a choice: like it or not, that's the level we're competing in. The choice isn't between playing and not playing, it's between winning and losing. Consider the bicycle. This mundane form of transportation is an increasingly important part of the world's most successful and innovative cities. The Copenhagenize Index, which ranks cities according to their efforts to establish the bicycle as a "feasible, accepted and practical form of transport", recently ranked chilly Montreal as the eighth most bicycle-friendly city in the world, and the best in North America. The other cities on the list are some of the world's most desirable, including Amsterdam, Barcelona, Tokyo, Berlin, Paris, London and New York.
By establishing themselves as leaders in promoting cycling, these cities are not just attracting cyclists. They're sending a clear message that they have an agenda for decreasing traffic congestion, improving air quality, promoting physical and mental health, ensuring the safety of their citizens, and combating climate change. They're declaring that they are leaders, not followers. Their message is heard loud and clear by highly mobile young people, high-tech companies, entrepreneurs and investors, who flock to these metropolises at impressive rates. Here in Hamilton, progress has been excruciatingly slow. In 1992, the Region of Hamilton-Wentworth released the Bicycle Network Study. The study focused on creating the basis for a bicycle network that could be implemented rapidly. The Region's 1995 Official Plan endorsed the creation of a bicycle network, which included four main elements, including a "Lower City Spine route" from Dundas to Stoney Creek via King and Main.
Fast-forward sixteen years to the present day and there is still no integrated, continuous network of bicycle lanes in Hamilton. Neither King nor Main feature bicycle lanes, and both are forbiddingly dangerous for cyclists. Then again, there is no plan for bicycle lanes on King and Main in the City's most recent plan, Shifting Gears 2009, the Cycling Master Plan that was approved by Council in June 2009. That plan has bike lanes in the lower city on east-west arteries like Cannon Street and Burlington Street instead. Those aren't built either. In fact, very few of the bike lanes in the plan, which includes the lower city, the mountain, and surrounding areas, have been built. That's because the plan's timetable is extraordinarily long: 20 to 40 years, which prompted Terry Cooke to lament, in a 2009 Spectator column, "They built the Great Pyramid in ancient Egypt in 20 years. But in Hamilton it's going to take us 40 years to construct a network of bicycle paths." The plan's stated vision is also depressingly devoid of ambition. It outlines two goals, one of which is that
“fifteen percent of all daily trips would be made by foot or bicycle". But a 2003 study on the health benefits of cycling that compared the rates of walking and cycling in various countries found that, six years before Shifting Gears 2009, 12% of daily trips in Canada were already made by pedestrians and cyclists. This rate was contrasted to nations like The Netherlands (46%), Denmark (41%) and Germany (34%). Those are goals to aspire to. When we speak of vision, a goal of three percent more than the national average from six years previous doesn't qualify. Why not aim for 50% instead of 15%? In 2010, Montreal experienced a 35% to 40% increase in ridership over its 2008 rate. New York City grew ridership by 35% between 2007 and 2008. These increases are not random. They are the result of deliberate policy decisions and decisive, rapid implementation of ambitious plans. Our sluggish progress towards the ultimate goal of creating a continuous, integrated bicycle network is just one example of a paralytic culture of inaction.
In October 1956, Hamilton converted its two-way downtown streets to one-way thoroughfares. Seven months later, the Transportation and Traffic Committee held a packed meeting where businesspeople complained of "decreasing business returns, the refusal of old customers to visit the stores, large numbers of heavy trucks passing through the downtown area, the alleged conversion of King Street into a highway", according to a Spectator article dated May 1957. Fifty-four years later, we've managed to convert just a handful of downtown streets back to two-way. Why is it taking us so long to make substantial improvements in our state of affairs? Most of us have little patience for people who, despite knowing what they must do, keep finding reasons not to just go and get it done. Are we satisfied with that as Hamilton's reputation?
ADRIAN DUYZER is an entrepreneur, business owner, and Associate Editor of raisethehammer.org. He still believes that Hamilton can be the Ambitious City. Adrian lives in downtown Hamilton with his family. [email protected]
In the song “Youth,” on the 2007 album Oracular Spectacular, the band MGMT declares that “the Youth are starting to change, are you starting to change?” Indeed, in the context of municipal population planning, the youth are starting to change. This change is occurring both demographically and conceptually. In terms of population, proportionately, there are increasingly less Canadian youth now than in decades past. In terms of definition, despite the official Government of Canada definition of 15-30 years of age, some groups, including Next Generation Consulting and their Next Cities project work, identify youth, young leaders and professionals as stretching up into the early 40s. Conceptually, “youth” is increasingly being recognized as an umbrella term, taking into account a myriad of life-stages, choices,
and identities. In addition to this, in 2002, the Conference board of Canada announced that by the year 2020, Canada will face a workforce shortage of one million workers. This prediction holds pressing implications for Canadian provinces, regions, cities and organizations in regards to attracting and retaining the top talent of the next generations – including Generation X, Generation Y (Millenials), and thereafter. This will, and indeed, already does, require these entities to change. So, to follow-up on MGMT’s question, is Hamilton starting to change? Well, sort of. It is actually two questions. The first: Are youth, grassroots groups, a collective of companies both for and not-for-profit, various individuals in the city, and
the City’s administration changing? Yes. Is the City of Hamilton, in the overall sense of having a vision, strategy, and leadership on the topic of youth, both in and outside of the city limits changing? No. Recently the Hamilton Training Advisory Board (HTAB) commissioned a report assessing Hamilton’s strengths and weaknesses (resources, community partners, etc.) in relation to youth. This assessment can serve as preliminary work towards the potential development of a comprehensive Hamilton Youth Strategy, and was defined by the principles of Youth A t t rac t i on , Re ten t i on , Engagemen t and Development. To be clear, this would not be a strategy that HTAB would, or necessarily should, compile (though, like many others, they would play a role as a community partner), but rather, it is the
strategy that the City of Hamilton should have initiated development on a decade ago. The average age of Hamilton’s population, like most geographically definable regions in the “developed” world, has been steadily increasing. This trend is alarming, but not startling. However, it should also be noted that Hamilton’s average age is consistently above that of the Province. Moreover, the McMaster Alumni Association has identified that in 1997 the McMaster University alumni population was approximately 90,000, with 70% of active alumni residing in the Golden Horseshoe, in 2011, those numbers are 152,218 and 47% respectively. Hamilton has been experiencing a net out-migration of youth for some time, and the time for action was years ago. Yet, it is not necessarily too late to act. If
not from immediately committing to the development and implementation of such a strategy, Hamilton can, at least, easily benefit from the similar complacency of other Canadian municipalities. Now, there is no intention of turning this into a Hamilton-youth downer manifesto, if you are reading this article, you are likely one who is already well aware of Hamilton’s various strengths and weaknesses. Therefore, it is more worthwhile to take advantage of the fact that those reading this may indeed be those who can effect change in the city. As such, for more info on what can, has, will, and needs to be done, see next month’s issue.
RYAN MORAN, holding a recently completed MBA, is a former President and CEO of the McMaster Students Union. [email protected]
THE YOUTH ARE STARTING TO CHANGE | part I of II
Young Evan Jurmain and the mirror | photograph by Reg Beaudry
p.6HAMILTON ONTARIO | CANADA | Published Monthly | DEC 2011 | urbanicity.ca
REVIEW | MURLINE MALLETTE
Rankin’s Grill
LYDIA LOVRIC
KEANIN LOOMIS
Just like the trend towards lofty condos or “right-hand” rings, there is a similar movement when it comes to only children. For a myriad of reasons, more and more couples are opting to have just one child. Some cite economic concerns, others claim that they just don't have the time or energy to care for more children. But the end result is that there are more people growing up in the world (especially in western societies) without a brother or sister. Obviously, the decision to have a baby – or how many babies to have – is a deeply personal one. Not everyone is cut out for parenthood and it's clearly better to figure this out sooner rather than later. Some parents hope to have a second child, but find themselves struggling with fertility issues. Others always imagined having two or three kids, but find themselves in the midst of a divorce or separation. What is worrisome, however, is the fact that selfishness appears to be a deciding factor for many families. Parents who simply don't want to bother with nighttime feedings again or return to the joys of diaper duty seem to comprise a significant percentage of these new small families. Mothers and fathers who
can't wait to travel again or have a rich and vibrant nightlife (which is nearly impossible when you have little rugrats) are causing family sizes to dwindle. Yes, children are expensive. And yes, children require an obscene amount of work to the exclusion of almost all else...but is it really okay to deprive your child of a sibling simply because you're lazy? I can already hear the vitriolic screams coming from parents who made the conscious decision to have an only child.
But what is more telling, is the abundance of feedback I receive from only children who tell me how much they long for a brother or sister of their own. Most tell me that they spent years trying to convince mom and dad to have a baby, to no avail. They describe a childhood that – while happy – was also lacking. And lonely. That loneliness is only amplified in adulthood. Grown men and women recognize how fleeting life is and they think about the day that their mother and father will no longer be around. Having a sibling – someone who knows you in a way that no one else can – would be a great source of comfort during difficult times. Granted, only children are generally privy to certain luxuries: There is more money for sports and piano
lessons, private tutors, and money for college or university. Heck, there may even be a new car in the driveway to celebrate a sweet sixteen. The parents' resources and attention do not need to be divided. But privilege without the experience of sharing and cooperation can also lead to the famed “only child syndrome”...kids who are spoiled, entitled brats. This is an assessment backed up by the Child Development Institute (CDI) based in the U.S. According to the CDI, only children tend to be “pampered” and “self-centred” and feel unfairly treated when they don't get their own way. A recent survey from CareerBuilder shows that while only children are more likely to earn six figures and are also more likely to hold a C-level position (CEO, CFO, Senior VP, etc.), they are less satisfied overall with their jobs than workers who have a sibling. It isn't much of a stretch to suggest that only children tend to be less satisfied with life, too. After all, when you start out as the centre of the universe, it can only go downhill from there.
LYDIA LOVRIC is a former writer and broadcaster, currently enjoying life as a full-time mom to three little rug rats.
ONE THE LONELIEST NUMBERIS
After seeing a film a few Saturday afternoons ago with our long-time friends Diane and Jack Brokenshire, Gene and I decided to head on down to Rankin’s Restaurant in Delta country. As we walked in, I wasn’t certain whether we were at a Ti Cat tailgate party or a Delta “old farts” reunion. Owner Gary Rankin welcomed us with hugs and kisses, and proceeded to lead the Ti Cats cheer for the whole restaurant. Most of the diners were off to the game and Gary said he might see us later in the evening. It was a great game for the Cats. I love the energy that radiates from a group of people hell bent on having a good time. Rankin’s is the type of restaurant that welcomes families, sports teams, and diners just interested in stopping by for a good meal in casual surroundings. Our server Amanda’s personality matched the
atmosphere of Rankin’s. Drinks were ordered; menus presented and as soon as we heard the specials Diane and I opted for the ribs, baked potato and Caesar salad. Diane’s choice was, in her words, “sloppy with sauce that will dribble down my chin”. I ordered the Cajun dry ribs. Our guys chose Fish and Chips. Jack and Gene are die-hard Fish and Chips guys. Amanda’s service was excellent. The kitchen must have been hopping with a full restaurant but they never missed a beat. Well-done. Our ribs and fish and chips were fab and as always, our table talk was lively. Both Diane and Jack are Delta grads, so looking at all the photos on the walls brought back great memories. Jack was unable to find any pictures of his Delta days on the water polo team. The Delta team had trounced
Hill Park 15-2 in the finals earning Delta the “1960 Senior Water Polo City Championship” trophy. Jack was team captain, played centre, and was top scorer for the season with 17 points. Jack’s brother Larry played for the junior team that year. I’m certain he’ll be talking to Gary about this mix up on the wall, and if I know Jack, he’ll make sure Gary gets a water polo picture mounted ASAP. Rankin’s Restaurant has a menu suitable for every appetite and pocket book. I love the atmosphere and energy of the place. Somehow it is all Hamilton; representing the feel of the area it sits in. I’m going to revisit Rankin’s again and again. The only problem with a good review is I might not get a table next time.
MURLINE MALLETTE is the Executive Director/Owner of Liaision College of Culinary Arts Hamilton Campus. [email protected]
Being a voracious consumer of current events, despite the known consequences to my mental health, it seems that there are only two kinds of stories right now – the bad, which are ubiquitous, and the not-so-bad, which are sprinkled about to serve as rays of hope. Case in point: the Globe and Mail’s November 16th Report on Business contained an editorial titled “A Scary Prediction For The Collapse Of Paper Money” preceding an article titled “Optimism Growing About North American Economy.” The barrage of bad news and the schizophrenic predictions about the future of mankind have exacerbated our collective depression, if not specifically the economic kind, certainly the clinical kind. We try hard to grasp at green shoots, but we have to remind ourselves that we’re only four years into this shit. No one should be surprised that it will take a lot longer to unwind a decades-long, credit-fuelled inflation of wealth that had nothing to do with reality. Obviously there are a lot of structural issues globally, and particularly in the US economy, that need to be worked out to restore confidence. However, I can’t help but feel that if things turn out okay in America, it will be only by mistake. It’s not like there are any good guys in Washington, but even if a panacea were found, it seems a sure bet that Republicans on a path to destroy government would come out against it.
Seemingly at the precipice again, when you think that politicians in Washington really have to buckle down and concentrate on fixing things, the US elections are about to suck all the air out of Earth’s atmosphere. Good luck getting anything done until at least 2013, which itself is the start of the 2016
presidential campaign… So, with nothing to be optimistic about in Europe either, I count myself lucky to be in Canada during this time of turmoil, gripping the pillow tight while waiting for the nightmare to end. I’d guess that 98.9% of the estimated one million other Americans living in Canada feel the same. In fact, more are renouncing their US citizenship now than ever before. Ostensibly it’s to avoid double taxation, but they wouldn’t be doing so if they hadn’t given up on the idea of America in the very first place. Though happening right overhead, Americans have been fairly oblivious to the not-so-bad story of Canada. It is here that a tolerant and hardy folk have created North America’s Scandinavia, determining that good government and a strong social contract beat made-for-TV political dramas and surrendering one’s faith to the Holy Trinity of God, the Son and Capitalism. Managed growth was not so sexy in the 2000s, but it sure looks good now. And though not without problems, things in Canada would be pretty decent if we weren’t so vulnerable to what was going on in the USA. Instead of feeling smug or victimized, however, a recent Ipsos poll shows that Canadians now pity Americans for the state of their society (while descending on their malls and thumbing through Arizona and Florida real estate guides to pick over their fire sales). Canadians have always claimed to be more evolved, patriotically pointing to lower tuition rates and free health care, but now they have 100% confidence in saying so. And with good reason. Realistically we are perhaps only a third of the way through our economic malaise if you look back at the
length of time it took to endure the Great Depression. Regardless, despair over events that are outside of one’s control obviously doesn’t do any good. We have to believe that things will get better or there would be no reason for carrying on. Just like our grandparents were indelibly affected by the Great Depression, this time in our lives will impact us and our children forever. Surviving through turmoil is a character builder and even as we struggle to figure out a way out of this mess, we should feel chastened about how we got here. The truly bright side of things is that struggle requires us to focus on the things that matter the most to us. I may have lost a job and a house two years ago, but I held on to my wife, my kids and my identity. This sequence of events brought me to Hamilton where I have found meaning in a satisfying career and purpose in an authentic, urban community. Having moved twenty-five times in my life, Hamilton, itself a not-so-bad Canadian story (Is a not-so-bad story wrapped in a not-so-bad story a good story?), is the first place that actually feels like home. I know it’s not the experience of every Hamiltonian, but it is here that I’ve truly learned to be happy with what I have. Not living in one’s home country can be alienating, but not so for Americans living in Canada, where cultural differences are very subtle. In fact, if you’re like me and look on in horror at the ideology espoused by the Tea Party, I find my values are better suited for Canadian living, where the entire 20th century isn’t in danger of repeal.
KEANIN LOOMIS is Chief Advocate at the Innovation Factory, a not-for-profit Regional Innovation Centre. [email protected]
A NOT SO BAD CANADIAN STORY
...yes, children require an obscene amount of work to the exclusion of almost all else...but is it really okay to deprive your child of a
sibling simply because you're lazy?
Sad little boy | photograph by 123rf.com
| EXPERIENCES p.7HAMILTON ONTARIO | CANADA | Published Monthly | DEC 2011 | urbanicity.ca
PAUL WILSONEATING WHAT WE REMEMBERA & W back in downtown Hamilton
Some of us are old enough to remember the A&W radio jingle. “Hop in your car, come as you are,” the happy chorus sang. And at our house, we sang right along with them. It was the early Sixties, and we lived in Sarnia. Dad was in sales, sometimes on the road for several weeks at a time. So who could blame Mom for fleeing the kitchen some nights? She and the four kids, we did jump in the car, we did come as we are, and we did head for Sarnia’s Golden Mile. And there we pulled up to that orange-and-brown landmark. It was famous for the burger family – Teen, Mama, Papa, Grandpa. We got them with the works. It must have been messy in the back seat of our ’57 Ford. Midway through the 60’s, we packed up and moved to Montreal. There, Dad was home most of the time and that was the end of dinners at a drive-in.
The drive-in era faded away everywhere. In Hamilton, the A&W brand vanished from the street. But now it’s coming back – in downtown of all places,
at the very address it surrendered nearly half-a-century ago. In 1919, in Lodi, California, Roy Allen and Frank Wright started serving their creamy root beer – a blend of herbs, spices, barks and berries that’s still a secret today. They soon introduced “drive-in service.” Canada’s first A&W opened in Winnipeg in 1956. Hamilton’s first opened in 1960 on Queenston Road, east of Nash, where Taco Bell is today. Several more A&W drive-ins followed quickly. King West, which became Harvest Burger; Main West, where Boston Pizza is now; Upper James, that later became a Taco Bell; the Delta, site of a McDonald’s. You pulled up under the drive-in canopy. A carhop scurried over and fastened a tray to your window. Soon you were in a state of root-beer-and-burger bliss. But McDonald’s started to cream the competition. At A&W, you might wait in your car seven or eight minutes for that foil-wrapped food to arrive. At the Golden Arches, people were walking out with Quarter Pounders in 90 seconds.
In the late 70’s, A&W began shutting down most of its drive-ins. The chain moved inside, into shopping centres. But they aren’t building those malls anymore. And A&W decided it was time to get back on the street. No more carhops – the drive-in would not be coming back. The drive-thru was the new way. In 2007, A&W opened a restaurant at Upper James and Hester, its first freestanding outlet to be built in Hamilton in over 35 years. This past summer, a second opened at Centennial and Rymal. And a third is now under construction in the heart of downtown, on King West between Bay and Caroline. When it opens in a few months, it will be store No. 755. And it is unique. Graham Cooke, one of the owners of A&W Canada, believes not one of all those other stores has been built from the bones of an old A&W. When A&W vacated the site, Harvest Burger moved in right away and stayed 32 years, until this past August. They even left the drive-in canopy in place,
though you had to go through the door to get your food. A&W has knocked down that old canopy, but the walls of the old store still stand. They’ll be the skeleton for A&W’s new “boomerang” design, a retro look. There are more coming. Cooke expects to open another restaurant in 2012 at Barton and Ferguson, where its neighbour will be the jail. Who’d have thought? And after that, Barton and Nash, by the Red Hill expressway. The King West outlet downtown will be bucking the burger trend. Harvey’s left the core. So did Wendy’s. Now A&W Canada is bigger than either of them. Bigger than Burger King too. With sales of nearly $800 million last year, A&W is now second only to McDonald’s in the burger game nationally. A&W here is not owned by the U.S operation. And south of the border, A&W is not much of a player these days. Canada now has twice as many stores as the U.S. Part of the success here is due to the continuing TV-ad adventures of Allen the cuddly manager and his
geeky staffer Ryan. And A&W is successfully playing to the demographics. Toronto is a tough market, Cooke says, as there are many there who arrived from other parts of the world and don’t know the frosty-mug story. But places like Hamilton are different. A&W wants to be in centres where much of the population has stayed put for the last generation, where people have held onto the experience. That would be the baby boomers. Every now and then, we order up a juicy 800-calorie Grandpa Burger with cheese. We can’t help it. We’re eating what we remember.
PAUL WILSON blew into town 30 years ago to work at the Hamilton Spectator and learned to love this place. For most of his career at The Spec, he wrote a three-times-a-week column called StreetBeat. He recently stepped away from that to become a citizen at large. [email protected]
An example of what the new A&W store will look like at the old Harvest Burger location on King Street between Bay and Caroline, Hamilton ON
The A&W "drive-in" concept was born in California in the 1920s and spread across the continent. Car hops were at your vehicle in a jiffy, sometimes on roller skates, to
take your order and hook the tray to your window. The era passed when people started getting out of their vehicles and picking up their fast food even faster at the McDonald's counter. After nearly vanishing from the Canadian landscape, A&W is back. The chain has new stores planned in Hamilton in the core on King West near
Bay and on Barton East near the jail.
SECRET HAMILTON |The W.J. McCallion PlanetariumDWAYNE ALI
p8HAMILTON ONTARIO | CANADA | Published Monthly | DEC 2011 | urbanicity.ca
MATT JELLY AN OPEN LETTER TO DAVE MADENOwner of 249 Hess St. N and 245 Catherine St. N.
Hi Dave. My name is Matt Jelly. 1 year, 3 months and 22 days ago, I reported your property at 249 Hess Street North to the Ministry of the Environment, for containing hundreds of barrels of improperly stored hazardous waste, strewn about in a series of crumbling structures on your property. This property is situated in proximity to a residential neighbourhood. As a result of reporting your property to the Ministry, it was revealed by the Hamilton Spectator that you owned a second property, just blocks away at245 Catherine Street North, which existed in a similar state of disrepair and neglect, containing numerous vats of high-phosphorous rainwater. This site also used to house 200,000-300,000 litres of corrosive chemicals, including chromic acid, phosphoric acid, cyanide, sulpheric acid, nickel acid, nickel chloride, zinc chloride, and an assortment of barrels containing caustic acid and nickel solutions. During your ownership of the property, these chemicals seem to have been removed from this site. It is unclear to myself and others however, where that material ended up. Having seen personally both a 1999 Hotz Environmental inventory of the Catherine Street North site, as well as corresponding labels on barrels at 249 Hess Street North, I can only conclude that this material was not accounted for and properly disposed of, but rather moved from one property to the other. The site at 245 Catherine Street North contains a residential house on the property, which for years you have rented out to vulnerable individuals who had no knowledge of the true environmental conditions of the site. You have also enlisted some of these vulnerable individuals in the handling and improper disposal of hazardous material on this site. This site also exists directly across the road from a retirement home, which predominantly houses vulnerable senior citizens living on the margins of society. Now Dave, before you start thinking I'm picking on you, you should know that 1 year, 3 months, and 16 days ago, I also exposed a large toxic mess at a property you do not own, at 350 Wentworth Street North. It contained hundreds of barrels of tar byproduct, as well as a big coal tar pit. That was also in a residential neighbourhood. It still hasn't been completely cleaned up, despite previous promises to have it cleaned up by mid-October. The owners of that
property are also under investigation by our mutual friends at the Ministry of the Environment.
Your two properties have been under investigation by the Ministry for more than a year now. I have a lot of questions, most of which can't be answered until these investigations finally wrap up and their results can be entered into the public record. Yesterday afternoon, as a result of your failure to pay taxes on 249 Hess Street North, your property was put up for tax sale by the City of Hamilton. No offers were made on it. My guess is that the City of Hamilton may have to oversee a process that would see the property be remediated and redeveloped by a new owner, hopefully with a capability and competence which you do not seem to possess. This week, the City of Hamilton also completed the removal of vats from the property at 245 Catherine, and demolished the industrial buildings on the site, at a cost of $135,000, which will be added to your tax bill. In the event that you fail to pay these taxes, the $135,000 will exist in the form of a permanent lien on the property. The soil on this site remains contaminated with lead and chrome. City staff is awaiting a full analysis by Conestoga-Rovers & Associates. So, now you're suing the City of Hamilton and the Ministry of the Environment for $3.5 million. You paid $22,245 for 249 Hess Street North, and $22,240 for 245 Catherine Street North. Get real. I had a chance to read the Statement of Claim you entered to the Ontario Superior Court of Justice in your suit against the City and the MOE on November 3rd, 2011. I couldn't help but notice that you mentioned my name a few times, along with a few allegations, which are wholly inaccurate, and in my view defamatory. In your claim, under heading "For Injunctive Relief and for Damages", you have a list of 22 points. Point 20 states that Mr. Chris Meyers, an individual I've never met, deposited two shipping containers on your property. You go on to allege that Mr. Meyers tipped me off to the presence of the material. You also characterize me as "Mat Jelly, a 27 year old on social assistance, who aspired to be the Mayor of Hamilton". Let me make a few things clear to you. I have never met Mr. Chris Meyers, another individual named in your lawsuit. I didn't need much of a tip to find the mess on your property. As a result of focusing my attention on property standards by-law compliance,
which was well-documented in local media, I was led to investigate your property because it was in a state of serious disrepair, obvious from observation standing on public property. I was initially informed of the possibility of hazardous material on this site by a fellow concerned citizen, but Mr. Meyers was not this individual.
As for your characterization of me personally, I should inform you that I am a 29 year-old who has never received social assistance, but nonetheless believes those services ought to exist for those who do in fact need them. I don't believe however, as you seem to, that the concerns of any citizen in our community should be considered less valid, based on how they derive an income. Shame on you. There was a time where I did in fact seek election for Mayor, but that was 8 years ago today. Last fall, I sought the council seat for Ward 2, unsuccessfully I might add. I did not expose these sites as some sort of gimmick to get myself elected. I exposed the conditions of these sites because I love the city I live in. I ran for the Ward 2 council seat for that same reason. The person who did in fact win the election for the Ward 2 council seat, Councillor Jason Farr, feels as I do that these two properties are a blight on our community and must be mitigated. As you proceed in your satirical $3.5 Million lawsuit against the City of Hamilton, the municipal government representing the citizens of Hamilton, as well as the Ministry of the Environment and a number of civil servants who I have gained a lot of respect for through this process, I think I speak for the majority of my fellow Hamiltonians when I say that the 500,000 of us aren't very happy with you. We're pissed. And if the past year of Hamilton's political history is any indication, we're not prone to arriving all on the same page. On this, we are resolute. You have no business left to do in our City. Don't come back.
MATT JELLY is a local artist, graphic designer and property manager living in Hamilton, Ontario. Matt is an advocate for built heritage, toxic site cleanup and the revitalization of downtown HamiltonThis letter originally appeared on Matt’s personal blog, www.mattjelly.com, on November 10th, 2011.
PLANETARIUM GPS Coords: 43.26217, -79.92015
Location: Burke Science Building, McMaster University,
Rm. B149Web:
www.physics.mcmaster.ca/planetarium/
3D THEATREGPS Coords: 43.26129, -79.91654
Location: Michael G. DeGroote Centre for Learnin and
Discovery, McMaster University, Rm. 1110Web:
origins.mcmaster.ca/3D-theatre/
SecretHamilton.ca is a community-driven answer to the question “Why Hamilton?” The
site has no affiliation with the city or its tourism board. For locals and outsiders, it’s a resource
to show off the best of Hamilton. The emphasis on interactive maps, location, and imagery let anyone easily explore numerous “secrets” on
their own as though they were local.
This is the second article in a row to draw on a public aspect of McMaster University. However, this shouldn't be surprising given the strong role the University has in the city.
The popularity of augmented reality apps for iOS and Android OS that deal specifically with our night sky is perhaps telling of a renewed public interest in astronomy. While the ability to personally engage in the field with a virtual guide is great, it still doesn’t compare to a knowledgeable human counterpart. And, ‘Siri’ notwithstanding, the human guide will actually respond to your questions. One of the drawbacks of living in a populated city is that the accompanying light pollution prevents all but the brightest of nighttime objects from being seen. Your best alternative, then, becomes one of the local public virtual options. The W. J. McCallion Planetarium at McMaster University has been in operation in the Burke Science Building since 1954. A starfield projector was actually in use as far back as 1949 – with a wartime parachute serving as the screen. It’s the first planetarium in Ontario to offer public shows, and it remains one of the few available to residents in the greater Toronto and Hamilton areas. The site is even more important since the McLaughlin Planetarium adjacent to the Royal Ontario Museum was shuttered in 1995 due to budget cuts. Thus, it’s a chance for even non-Hamiltonians to experience this guided virtual tour of the night sky. Most shows are unique and driven by a particular topic or theme. They’re typically put on by graduate or post doctoral students. Look out for ‘Festive Skies’ this month, an exploration of the wintertime sky. Shows
usually run on Wednesday evenings. At $5 per person, it also makes for a great date night. The facility seats 35 with one wheelchair space available. But, the planetarium isn’t the only place on Mc-Master campus in which the public can explore the cosmos. Officially opened to the public in early November, the 3D theatre within the Michael G. DeGroote Centre for Learning and Discovery is a $250,000 facility that houses dual state-of-the-art projectors for hour-long weekly 3D shows. While the planetarium’s immersive experience uses a dome for its projections, the 3D theatre uses a screen similar to that which you’d see in a movie theatre. The presentations are based on real data generated at the Swinburne University of Technologies’ Centre for Astrophysics and Supercomputing in Melbourne, Australia. Thus, the visualizations go beyond simply entertaining fare. A part of the Origins Institute at McMaster, it’s a chance for the public to experience a different type of astronomical guided tour. The theatre holds 120 and also doubles as a lecture hall during the day. Tickets can be reserved online for $5 as well. Finally, if astronomy is your thing, you may also want to check out the Hamilton Amateur Astronomers club (http://amateurastronomy.org). They meet on the second Friday of every month, so you may have to choose between art (James St. North Art Crawl) and science.
DWAYNE ALI is the founder of Secret Hamilton, a project that seeks to introduce Hamiltonians and visitors alike to the many unknown treasures of the Hamilton.
249 Hess St. N. | photograph by Matt Jelly
p.9HAMILTON ONTARIO | CANADA | Published Monthly | DEC 2011 | urbanicity.ca
| PLACES
DAVID PREMI
DESPERATELY SEEKING A DESIGN REVIEW COMMITTEEThe built environment of cities influences people profoundly. Well-designed spaces and structures encourage interaction between people, healthy street life, and inspiring visuals in our downtowns. Poor design discourages investment and negatively affects the area around it in a multiplicity of manners. This month, architect David Premi examines the idea of Design Review Committees as a means of realizing a higher standard for design in Hamilton.
“This would have never happened if Hamilton had a DESIGN REVIEW COMMITTEE.”
The bleak and unimaginative Centre on Barton, Hamilton ON | photographs by Martinus Geleynse
“A perfect example of how a well designed city can look”
Buenos Aires, Argentina
WHAT IS A ?
A design review committee (DRC) is a municipal panel, typically consisting of volunteer design professionals including architects, engineers, landscape architects and planners. The primary role of a DRC is to review the d e s i g n o f p r o p o s e d p r o j e c t s , a n d s e n d recommendations to planning staff. The DRC must have a clear mandate and clearly defined operating parameters. Their primary role is to ensure quality design in projects that will have a significant impact on the public realm. Different jurisdictions select candidate projects in various ways. They can be projects in certain “sensitive” zones, “significant” projects only, large projects only, etc. Public meetings or charrettes could be useful in defining these parameters. Submissions can be reviewed in a number of different ways, depending on individual circumstances. For very large and important projects, promoters of a development and their consultants can be asked to make a formal presentation, with models and three dimensional images, or in the case of smaller but significant developments, less formal submissions can be subject to a simpler desk review by the committee. Most DRC’s meet every two to six weeks, allowing applications to be reviewed promptly. Organizations such as CABE in the UK review up to 16 applications in a full day session. With the current level of inner-city development in Hamilton, sessions would not likely last more than a few hours. Closed, private sessions are required in order to avoid political or community influence in technical discussions regarding architecture and urban design. Closed sessions are the norm for the vast majority of existing DRC’s. Experience gained in many other municipalities around the world tells us that a DRC should be free from political or community influence, and should therefore not include politicians, city staff, or lay members of the community. The function of a DRC is to offer expert advice and should therefore be comprised exclusively of experts. Typically at least half of the members of DRC’s are practicing architects. Some urban designers and landscape architects are also usually included. All should be active practitioners. Some DRC’s recently have included sustainable design experts. If any committee member has any interest in a particular development, they must excuse themselves from that particular session. This would be entrenched in the DRC operating policies. Members of a DRC are usually volunteers. To avoid political influence to the greatest extent possible, the appointments to the committee should be made by qualified personnel with the City staff, usually the Planning Department. Design professionals are the best qualified to make this decision. Ideally, the opinion of the expert committee should be binding. Some municipalities allow provision for the political administration to overrule the decision of a DRC, as long as a reason for doing so is made public, but this starts to defeat the purpose. Most commonly, DRC reports are submitted directly to Urban Design as part of the site plan approval process, and/or during pre-submission reviews.
DESIGN REVIEW COMMITTEE BUT DEVELOPERS WON’T LIKE IT...
The development community may initially view the establishment of a DRC with suspicion. They may perceive interference with their process. They may think that a DRC review will slow down the process. They may view the DRC as another impediment to an expedient approvals process. In fact, quite the opposite is true. For DRCs to be implemented, a public information campaign would been to be mounted, ensuring that the DRC process and value are clearly communicated to developers and the general public.
A publicity campaign would focus on the following:
1. A DRC exists as a mechanism through which a municipality can offer service to developers. The purpose is to add value to a specific proposal by ensuring an acceptable quality of design. The developer is given, as part of their development fees, expert advice, thereby helping them to feel secure that they are protecting their investment. The DRC should be presented as a service rather than as an obligation.
2. A DRC is a way to streamline and accelerate the review process. Proponents would be encouraged to apply for DRC review before formal submissions are made.
3. Bad design is expensive. Good design makes money. Research shows that well designed projects are more financially successful. If the City has more good design, everyone wins.
4. Good design begets good design. By raising the bar and increasing awareness of issues surrounding good design, a positive design culture can be created. Public expectations of design will be enhanced.
5. A DRC is free from political influence. The public is more inclined to trust a group of independent design professionals than politicians or city staff.
6. Examples of DRCs successfully implemented. In Vancouver, where a DRC has existed for more than 30 years, there is widespread support from both the professional and development communities. By all accounts, the DRC in Vancouver is a resounding success.
ADVANTAGES OF HAVING A * The City of Hamilton is a major landowner in the downtown core and will likely find itself in the position of developing more projects in the future. The DRC would offer all the same benefits to City projects.
* Architects almost unanimously endorse the idea of DRC’s. Designing a significant urban project can be overwhelming in its scope and range of issues. The input of peers and other professionals is a resource that is otherwise unavailable. The extraordinary value of this input is embraced and welcomed by architects.
* A DRC tends to help foster a culture of design and collegiality amongst the community of design professionals. An architect will surely put extra emphasis on design quality if they know that the project will be scrutinized by peers.
* A DRC, by requiring clearly documented drawings, models, and often presentations, forces designers to examine their design in more detail that they might otherwise.
* In any municipality, especially larger ones, unqualified personnel often find themselves in the position of making design related decisions. It is not possible to employ enough architects, urban designers and landscape architects, with recent practice experience to provide thorough and competent design review. Many of these individuals find themselves in positions that they would rather not be in. A DRC can relieve the resultant anxiety and stress, leaving staff free to focus and comment on elements that they are specifically trained to deal with.
* The cost of administering a DRC is relatively low as the members work on a volunteer basis. The City would experience enormous value for a small investment.
D.R.C. WHICH OTHER CITIES HAVE A ?
The City of Toronto Design Review Panel was approved by City Council as a pilot project in June 2006 and made permanent in November 2009. Following similar pilot projects, DRC’s were made permanent in Ottawa in 2010, Vancouver in 1998, London in 2008, Calgary in 2007, and Mississauga in 2007. A pilot project has been recently approved in Vaughan. Note the trend in Ontario.
London, Birmingham, Austin, Chicago, New York, Helsinki, Amsterdam, and Copenhagen are amongst the hundreds of international cities that have the equivalent to a DRC. Bilbao (Spain), Cape Town (South Africa) and Dublin (Ireland) have been selected as the three shortlisted cities that will move on to the next round of evaluation in the bid to becoming the World Design Capital in 2014. All have DRC’s.
DRC WHY DOESN'T HAMILTON HAVE A ?
That’s a very good question! Consider the following excerpt from the Downtown Secondary Plan, approved in 2001 and amended in 2005:
“6.2.9.3.1 Leadership in the Downtown
a) The City of Hamilton commits to being a leader in Downtown Hamilton’s issues. The City will promote Downtown through the establishment a Design Committee for Architectural Peer Review This will contribute to an overall improved design in both private and public development in downtown Hamilton.
The City will establish a design committee to provide a peer review of all public and private projects in the Downtown in order to ensure that projects reflect appropriate architectural design at a high quality. The design committee shall advise staff on the architectural and design issues related to land use changes and development.”
DRC
NEXT STEPS: THE PREREQUISITES FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A
1. A clear understanding of the need for a DRC is essential. What are the problems that we are trying to solve? What are the strengths we are trying to secure? What are the mistakes we are trying to prevent? These and other questions can be explored through staff study, focus groups, surveys, and charrettes. As I said in my last column in urbanicity, public engagement is essential.
2. The political will to improve the general level and awareness of design must exist. Ask your councillor or the mayor what they think about this. Start a discussion.
The establishment of a DRC Pilot Project is one of the critical “next steps” that we must take as a city to move forward with any hope of developing a healthy urban environment for our kids. We decided to do it ten years ago, but nothing appears to have happened since. It is becoming increasingly uncommon for a city the size of Hamilton not to have a DRC. Our inaction on this and other critical issues is sending a message to the world that we are not very serious about city building.
DAVID PREMI is the Principal Architect at dp.ai (David Premi Architects Inc.). His offices overlook Gore Park, and he lives with his family in the Kirkendall neighbourhood. [email protected]
DESIGN REVIEW COMMITTEE
p.10HAMILTON ONTARIO | CANADA | Published Monthly | DEC 2011 | urbanicity.ca
THE JOURNEY of MIRANDA HILLELISHA STAM
Miranda Hill | photograph by Lisa Sakulensky
This project was commissioned by Greg Sather of McCallum Sather Architects. The mural, Woodland by artist Lesia Mokrycke, is designed to incorporate the environmental focus of the firm into the existing post-industrial neighborhood. Completed in six weeks, the mural was painted alla prima in exterior acrylic paint on the east wall of the building. Playing off four vertical columns, the mural utilizes the architecture of the building to create a landscape of a forest scene in the city. The juxtaposition between natural, architectural and industrial elements is the strength of this piece. It has since become an important part of the urban landscape of the community at 157 Catharine Street North.
Writer Miranda Hill met with me in one of my favourite, unpretentious coffee shops. She leans into the dining room chair, comfortable amongst other regulars and baristas who know exactly how she likes her coffee. Hill seems like she belongs here in this coffee shop. The community of Westdale feels like hers as well, a place where she and her family have lived for nearly three years. She has my attention; Hill is as riveting as her writing. She won the respected Writers’ Trust/McClelland & Stewart Journey Prize on November 1st for her short story and first publication, Petitions to Saint Chronic. The award is given to a new author to distinguish an impressive short story, putting Hill in the same ranks as some very gifted and renowned Canadian authors, including Yann Martel, writer of Life of Pi. We can claim this artist as our own. Hill feels supported in Hamilton, connected to a tight circle of local writers who attend each other’s book openings. The Hamilton writers are a small enough community that they can be friends. I was pleased to hear of authors living among us, chronicling our city into stories. Petitions to Saint Chronic was written while Hill was completing her Optional Residency at UBC’s Master’s of Fine Arts program. It is about an unnamed woman
and two companions; all three are drawn to the desperation of an attempted suicide. The nearly-dead man, Gibson, is broken and comatose after falling twenty-four stories. The three individuals wait, each with their own reasons for wanting Gibson to wake up. Micheline wants to help Gibson turn his life around and make him successful. Carlos wants to give Gibson the gift of God’s love. The unnamed woman is broken herself and likes Gibson just as hopeless as he is. The story explores both how much pain the woman can take before she changes her circumstances, and ultimately what inspires her to do so. Hill is busy as a mother, wife, and writer, but she also runs a fascinating organization called Project Bookmark Canada. The organization has erected ten plaques (Bookmarks) in locations around Ontario quoting passages from Canadian literature. The text on the plaque must relate to the exact location mentioned in the book or poem. Hamilton was recently graced with a Bookmark of John Terpstra’s poem “Giants” at Sam Lawrence Park. Terpstra’s poem playfully describes giants sitting on the edge of the escarpment. The Bookmark allows the reader to enjoy the poem while standing on the escarpment, connecting literature with our physical geography.
Project Bookmark Canada’s hope is that with funding and time, they will have Bookmarks all across the country, emphasizing how important reading is to our everyday lives. The idea of the Bookmarks came to her while she was living in the Distillery District in Toronto, walking with her young children around the streets of her neighbourhood. At times, she found herself reading passages in books that would mention the intersections she passed every day. As Hill said in a recent article, she felt like she stepped into the stories she was reading. Her relationship with literary texts was changed as she realized how connected literature was with her physical reality.
I encourage you to pick up a copy of Petitions to Saint Chronic. It can be found in The Journey Prize Stories 23, an anthology of the finalists for the prize. Read this story and feel proud that Miranda Hill lives and writes in our community. Her first collection of short stories is coming out next fall.
ELISHA STAM is a stay at home progeny wrangler, impulsive writer, and ravenous reader. She lives downtown Hamilton. You can read more of her reviews at elishastam.wordpress.com.
We can claim this artist as our own. Hill feels supported in Hamilton, connected to a tight circle of local writers who attend each other’s book openings...I was pleased to hear of authors living among us, chronicling our city into stories.
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| ARTSHAMILTON ONTARIO | CANADA | Published Monthly | DEC 2011 | urbanicity.ca
JAMIE TENNANT
While George Stroumboulopoulos is interviewing pop culture icons and Peter Mansbridge is interviewing important political figures, proud Hamiltonian JR DiGS is interviewing whoever he can lure into his van. Yes, he really does shoot his talk show in his Van. 'JR DiGS Man with A Van' airs Saturday nights Nationally on Global and it might just be the lowest no/low budget show in the history of the Canadian boob tube. On December 23rd, the Third Annual JR DiGS Acoustic Christmas Concert will again be featuring your favourite Hamilton Musicians up close and acoustic in the effort to raise money for kids in need in this city at Christmas time. Go to www.jrdigs.com for the performer line up & concert details.
ON ALL THE NATIONAL MEDIA ATTENTION Ya, I think it was the Toronto Star article that suggested I had lost the Best Talk Show Gemini Award but got more ink about it than Strombo and Peter Mansbridge combined get in an entire year. I have never been written about in any of the major newspapers before so to have full page and positive articles like that in all of them was wild. The next time I get that much media attention I'm sure it will be because I'm living in my van and not just shooting my talk show from it anymore - but with any luck that won't be for at least another year or so.
ON CELEBRITIES ENCOUNTERS No point in talking now about the big names everyone knows and cares about because I've probably tweeted about it already. Something I have never talked about before is a recent encounter with someone I consider to be a comedic genius. I was standing in an elevator and in walked Garry Shandling. He spent the entire time in the elevator questioning his friend on whether he was funny enough or not. Filled with self doubt and anxiety about some speech he just gave, he was exactly what I would expect him to be like which made the encounter so amazing and interesting. I'm glad I didn't ruin it with an awkward introduction like I did the time I met Sasha Baron Cohen.
ON HAMILTON PRIDE I'm glad I bought a house here a few years ago and have friends and roots in this city now. I love saying I'm from Hamilton, especially when I'm hanging in certain circles who want to make sure they tell people they aren't from Hamilton and that they live in Ancaster or in Burlington. If you live in a fancy place like LA and want to talk shit about Hamilton, well that’s when your Hamilton pride really kicks in. It makes you have to stand up and tell that person to shut the 'F' up and then post a bunch of YouTube videos like I did a while ago when the dude who played McLovin in the movie “Super Bad” felt like he needed to say a bunch of dumb negative stuff about Hamilton after spending time here shooting the movie “Kick Ass”. I still have "NO Lovin For McLovin"!
ON HIPSTERS I guess maybe I'm just getting old and out of touch because when a couple of what you’re calling “hipsters” walk by or pedal by on an old ten-speed bike, I always find myself thinking, “Does anyone even play sports anymore?”
ON THE ANNUAL ACOUSTIC X-MAS CONCERT Ya, this will be the third year that we have got the gang together to raise money for City Kidz at Christmas. Its amazing to have so many kind and generous friends who happen to be super talented musicians. Among those on stage and acoustic last year were Tom Wilson, Mike Trebilcock, Harlan Pepper and Arkells lead singer Max Kerman which made for a great night of live music on the 23rd of December. Every nickel we raise goes directly to purchasing gifts at Christmas for kids in need in this city. To find out more about the concert, where to buy tickets, etc. please go to www.jrdigs.com
JR DIGS |
MICHIGAN LEFT | ArkellsThe term “Michigan Left” refers to a traffic system in the state of Michigan where you have to make a right turn and then a U-turn in order to make a left turn. Think of it as having to go in the opposite direction before you can get where you’re going. It’s also the title of the new album from Arkells, a band who have yet to see their trajectory reverse. Since starting at McMaster under the name Charlemagne, the band (named for the Westdale street on which they lived) Arkells have worked steadily to move their career forward. Their debut album, Jackson Square, was a rock record full of smart hooks but free of dumb clichés. Its
singles received radio play across the country and paved the way for Michigan Left, an album less rough around the edges but with even more hook “It's been a few years since Jackson Square, and I think as writers and arrangers we've grown quite a bit,” says guitarist Mike DeAngelis. “In that sense there's a higher level of production and fit and finish on Michigan Left, and that was very much intentional. Jackson Square, while definitely a more raw record, is still pretty melodic pop rock, and I think Michigan Left is just a natural extension of that. “ New influences have meshed with old on Michigan Left (for example, if you think Where U Goin sounds
oddly like Hall & Oates, you’re not crazy) but the band remains on the rock side of pop. No drum loops or duets with R&B stars have appeared to help the band cash in on popular music’s current club music environment (no offense, Coldplay). Theirs is a situation where the overused phrase “on their own terms” actually means something, and the band never takes it for granted. “We definitely feel lucky for the chance to play in front of people every night, and we also feel fortunate to have grown our audience gradually,” says DeAngelis. “ It's hard to say whether or not we've 'earned' our success, but we definitely work hard at it. When we've
done things like win a Juno, or play a particular venue or reach a particular goal, there's usually a moment where we get to look back and feel accomplished, but it's brief – we're mostly focused on the next thing.”
Arkells appeared as part of the Grey Cup telecast last month, and will begin a tour through Ontario and Eastern Canada in the new year. They stop in Hamilton at the Convention Centre on January 20, revisiting the city they call home. Not every member of the band lives here, but Hamilton is where the band began, and where it built a loyal fan base. Many Hamiltonians are more than happy to claim Arkells as their own.
“We do consider ourselves to be a Hamilton band, and are very proud to be from Hamilton,” says DeAngelis, “so it's pretty awesome that the city is proud we're from there too. Hamilton is building a reputation for being a hotspot for music in Canada, rightfully so, and we're really glad to be a part of that.”
JAMIE TENNANT is the Program Director at 93.3 CFMU.FM, the campus-based community station at McMaster University. [email protected]
Sleeves of Arkells from the album “Michigan Left” | photographs by Brody White | brodywhite.com
“Hamilton is building a reputation for being a hotspot for music in Canada, rightfully so, and we're really glad to be a part of that.” - Mike DeAngelis | Arkells
photographs by Reg Beaudry
p.12HAMILTON ONTARIO | CANADA | Published Monthly | DEC 2011 | urbanicity.ca
STYLE AND THE CITY at the AGH | photographs by Mike Lalich
LOW KEY STUDIO + GALLERY’s launch in the Radigan Building | The work of Low Key owner Christoph Benfey | Dan Rivero in front of his work
HIStory + HERitage on James Street N | Gala opening of SLEEK 2
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| LIFEHAMILTON ONTARIO | CANADA | Published Monthly | DEC 2011 | urbanicity.ca
TALK MEDIA - Ian Thomas + Denise Dickie at the Art Gallery of Hamilton | photograph by Mike Lalich
JR DiGS throws a concerned look as Brad Chichakian stands on his newly purchased downtown building
Anita Taylor’s frightful Halloween bash
Gore Park, downtown Hamilton | 11 11 11
Staircase LUCKY 7 film premier | TOP - Jacqueline Boulet, Matthew Wilson + Dennis Andres | L-R Derrek Peels and Aaron Cameron | Lucky 7 lead, Philippe Buckland
Musician John Mamone’s iPhone self-portrait | johnmamone.com
AGH announces a new art space at 118 James St. N | Louise Dompierre in middle | photo by Mike Lalich The look of Dane | loosecanongallery.com
All photographs by Reg Beaudry unless specified otherwise
