As someone without allergies to pollen, this is one of my favourite times of the year. Love the magnolia trees behind City Hall and all the chirping sparrows nearby. #HamOnt

Students and members of the community participated in an art project to beautify the fencing at Jamesville. Come check out the project, lining James Street North, when you have a chance. Local public art matters. #HamOnt

Spring has arrived and we will soon see tiny green buds dotting Ward 2. This week, we are taking a look back at the history of some of our favourite municipal assets, our trees, or more specifically, what were often referred to as shade trees. #HamOnt

There have been questions raised and misinformation shared about the potential eviction of Jantzi Cheese from the Hamilton Farmers' Market. Residents are emailing me, as Chair of the HFM Board and Ward 2 Councillor, so I think it’s important to share what's happening and how we got here. #HamOnt

At today’s Planning Committee my motion to address the demolition by neglect of our vacant and heritage buildings, seconded by Councillor Nann, will be tabled. We must protect our vacant and heritage buildings and we need the tools to do it. It matters. #HamOnt

Tenants at 226 Rebecca Street presented me with a card today thanking me for a motion I brought forward in 2024 to refresh their community room. When I ran in 2018, I committed to helping improve this space, so it was wonderful to see it come to fruition. #HamOnt

This week Council will be voting on the Downtown Revitalization Strategy. Here’s a quick update on what it’s all about and why it matters. We have to get this right. Our downtown depends on it. #HamOnt

Good morning Ward 2! There's a watermain break this morning near Durand Coffee. There will be traffic restrictions on Charlton Avenue West from Caroline Street South to Hess Street South to accommodate this emergency road work. City staff expect the repair to be completed today. #HamOnt

Reminder that the Bay Street Safety Review meeting is happening on Tuesday at 7pm in Council Chambers. Come out to get a summary of the recommendations and have your questions answered. I'll be hosting the meeting and will be joined by City staff so we can hear your feedback directly. #HamOnt

Everyone in my apartment building received their postcard for the Saturday, April 25 Tenant Forum this week. That means yours is on the way, if you haven't received it already. If you haven't registered yet, please sign up at ward2hamilton.ca/tenantforum. Hope to see you there! #HamOnt

See you tomorrow for the North End Community Meeting! I'll be at Compass Community Health starting at 6:00pm talking about projects being completed in 2026, addressing issues raised by North Enders, answering questions, and connecting informally with residents, one on one. #HamOnt

Thanks to Caitlin Craven and Ameil Joseph for two excellent articles on addressing the ongoing issue of “hate” in Hamilton. We need new language, we need more coordination, and we need each other to confront what’s happening. Writing like this gives me hope. #HamOnt

In three weeks, Councillors from Wards 1 through 4 will be hosting tenants at Hamilton's first Tenant Forum. Flyers and newsletters are being sent out across the lower city. Join elected officials, listen to experts, and connect with one another. Register at simpli.events/e/tenant-forum. #HamOnt

I’ll be on vacation starting today and will be returning to work on April 9. If you need any assistance from the Ward 2 Team, please reach out to them directly at Ward2@hamilton.ca or call (905) 546-2197. Off to Montreal on the train for those curious. See you soon #HamOnt!

Today’s heritage post is a sneak peek at the Coppley building in downtown Hamilton, which is being lovingly readapted by Core Urban. Thanks to Steve Kulakowsky for the tour of the future apartments, hotel, and Hamilton Community Foundation office space. Can’t wait to see it when it’s done! #HamOnt

Ward 2 Newsletter March 31, 2026

Today marks the final day of operations for the Hamilton Waterfront Trust. As Chair of the Trust, it’s a bittersweet moment for me, but I'm happy we’re leaving things in a much better place than we found them and have ensured the programming people have come to depend on will remain. #HamOnt

Ward 2 Newsletter - Issue 36 March 30, 2026

Issue 36 of the Ward 2 Newsletter is out. In it I list the street safety projects due to come online this year, what's happening with Eastwood Arena, and some inside baseball about the Notices of Motion I brought forward last week. Hope you enjoy it! #HamOnt

Thanks to Ricardo Tranjan for coming to Hamilton today to speak to tenants about his work on housing. I appreciated his call to for us to rethink the old supply and demand arguments for more housing - it’s about better policy and protections for renters. Legislation matters. #HamOnt

Thanks to a friend who found this bike out in the wild. It’s hard to describe how it feels to see this, a reminder of a time that feels so disconnected from today. The site is still up and people still visit it. Really proud of how our downtown community came together during COVID. #HamOnt

Landlord notices drop significantly with Hamilton’s new anti-renoviction bylaw Tenants are “very happy” one year into a new program meant to stamp out “bad-faith” displacement.

This Council’s work to finally begin to address issues facing its 200k renters is already bearing fruit. I’m grateful to my colleagues for supporting this work as Ward 2 remains one of the most renter dense communities in Ontario. It matters. #HamOnt

Hamilton needs to do more to combat hate, say activists, councillors City staff report wants to co-ordinate hate response efforts between departments, spend $50K on education and awareness in 2026.

There are some serious gaps in the City’s response to incidents of white supremacy, racism, and discrimination. My motion will address those gaps. The City can’t do it alone. I look forward to working with the community on this. Thanks to the Spec for reporting on it. #HamOnt

Thanks to Dr. Karen Bird for this article in today's paper. Evidence based debate around the Council table is too often lacking. Until we hold ourselves to a higher standard, we'll continue to degrade democratic debate and good decision making. Evidence based decision making matters. #HamOnt

I'll be meeting with seniors in Ward 2 next Thursday. Come out to the YWCA to get an update on the work we discussed last year and to connect one on one. Engagement matters. #HamOnt

A new stop sign has been installed in the area of Louisa Avenue and Kingsway Drive in Corktown. This area has been difficult to navigate, for years, due to the way these streets come together. It's just as important to highlight local issues, as it is citywide matters. Keeping you informed. #HamOnt

Quick update, post Committee, on my warming centres motion. Hoping to get feedback from Council in time for April 15 when it comes forward for approval at the General Issues Committee. #HamOnt

Thanks to the Spec for publishing my letter. It’s important to set the record straight. #HamOnt

I've tabled a motion, which will come forward in April, to ensure there's a better plan for winter warming, including in an emergency situation. Recreation centres shouldn't be used in this way without a plan in place and an ability for the public to weigh in on the plan. It matters. #HamOnt

It's a great time of year. These feathered friends are our official City bird. Looking forward to seeing what they get up to this year. Can't wait to meet some new peregrine falcon chicks! #HamOnt

Over the weekend, a resident reached out to report a serious hole in the roadway at James Street North and Colbourne Street. Today, City staff went out to fix it. Thanks to the folks in our Public Works Department who dealt with this dangerous issue quickly. #HamOnt

Residents at 100 Forest Avenue and 123 Charlton Avenue East are asking for a response, in writing, to their concerns about pests, maintenance, recycling, staffing, and Above Guideline Increases. Here's my letter to the building owner asking for them to take tenant concerns seriously. #HamOnt