Featured image: Councillor Kroetsch with members of City staff, Trustee Dahab, and representatives from CN Railway and Metrolinx at the Strachan Street tree planting in late October

SUBMITTED BY WARD 2 COUNCILLOR
CAMERON KROETSCH

It’s been an active and productive year at City Hall, and in the North End, and I’m grateful to be able to represent you as Ward 2 City Councillor.

Thanks to everyone who came out to the Hamilton Public Library or joined us live online to participate in our Ward 2 Neighbourhood Town Hall on November 13. It was a robust meeting with many questions about citywide and North End issues. Residents wanted to know more about how City Hall works, how I am approaching the work I do, and where I stand on a number of issues. I was happy to be able to engage with everyone face to face.

I’m proud that we were able to hold more than 25 meetings to engage with the community in 2023 and I look forward to announcing our engagement schedule for 2024, which will include more opportunities to hear from you directly.

If you haven’t seen it yet, please take the time to read the 2022-23 Impact Report, which is available through my social media accounts and the Ward 2 website at ward2hamilton.ca/reports. It outlines what we’ve been able to accomplish over the past year, and what I hope we can do together over the next 3 years.

This year, I’ve worked with the community to address concerns around restoring some of the local urban forest canopy and I will be meeting with CN Railway and Metrolinx to discuss potential improvements to the lands along Strachan Street and at the West Harbour GO Station.

I’ve also worked with my colleagues on motions to direct the repair of existing affordable housing units, invest in non-profit co-operative housing, and to implement a Housing Sustainability Investment Roadmap. We’ve also put forward motions to protect renters including new bylaws regulating evictions, maximum heat in the summer months, and tenant health and safety.
In addition, the Ward 2 Team has taken on some projects with more local impacts like embarking on a multi-year plan to improve North End sidewalks, working with City staff to conduct street safety reviews and audits, adding garbage cans in busy parts of the core, and implementing a program to clean up litter hot spots.

Over the course of 2023, Council approved my motions to deliver $30,000 in Community Grants to organizations operating in the North End including Compass Community Health, Lucky Lion Night Market, North End Breezes, NENA, Steel City Inclusive Softball Association, St. Lawrence the Martyr Church, and Welcome Inn.

This has all happened while making significant progress on my campaign promises, especially my commitment to doing things differently as a City Councillor.  I will continue in that spirit and will listen, engage, and represent you at City Hall.

None of this is possible without the expert support of the Ward 2 Team and I want to take this opportunity to thank Liesl Thomas, Hasnain Khan, and Joey McCullough for all of the work they do, every day, to respond to resident concerns, support my work at Council, and make Ward 2 a better place for everyone.

If you need our help, at any time, please reach out at Ward2@hamilton.ca or through our office phone number at (905) 546-2197. The Ward 2 Team is in the office Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 8:00am to 4:00pm; Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8:00am to 8:00pm; and Saturdays from 10:00am to 2:00pm.