Submitted by Ward 2 Councillor Cameron Kroetsch
With March Break behind us and summer ahead, this is a hectic time at City Hall. With fewer public meetings in March, April, and May, every agenda is packed with important items. And, as this is the final legislative year in this term of Council, there are many projects nearing completion.
I’ve often been asked why so many projects seem to be completed in an election year. The question I’m usually asked is if this is happening on purpose to help incumbent Councillors get re-elected. It’s a fair question and one I asked before I was elected. In my experience, it’s incredibly hard to schedule project completion and not something I’ve done in my time as a Councillor. I put motions forward as issues arise, which I imagine is what most of my colleagues do. The answer is that the timing for most projects is often related to the cycle of four-year Council terms. There wasn’t an opportunity, for instance, for new Councillors to add projects to the 2023 budget meaning most Councillors had to wait until 2024 or 2025 to put motions forward, which is what I did.
Most projects require consultation, design, and procurement, which can take years to complete, depending on complexity. That timing means most of the projects put on the books in this term of Council are naturally scheduled to be completed in 2025, 2026, and 2027.
To that end, there are a number of projects scheduled to happen in and around the North End this year, including making intersections safer with pedestrian crossovers (flashing lights) and intersection signals at James Street North and Wood Street and the West Harbour GO Station. There will also be a raised intersection installed at the entrance to Bayfront Park. It will be the first of its kind in the city, designed to slow traffic down and make things safer for everyone who uses the park.
Speaking of parks in the North End, there’s been a fair bit of discussion and media coverage around Eastwood Arena. The most important news to share, up front, is that the City has not yet decided about whether to close Eastwood Arena permanently. It will be closed, temporarily, on April 15 due to serious structural issues and the need to ensure everyone who uses the facility is safe. All user groups have been provided other space for the season (until September) and the City will be making plans for the arena’s future use in the coming months.
Unfortunately, last year, when an engineer was doing an inspection of the arena, serious issues with the roof were identified, which required us to close it temporarily. At that time, we notified everyone that it would be unlikely we could keep the arena open for another full year and that we would have to close it again temporarily to ensure everyone using it was safe.
Residents asked me how we ended up here, with a crumbling asset in an arena where non ice programming is needed and thriving. I’ve checked in with City staff, and done some research, and have more information I can share about the status and some of the recent history of decision making around the arena.
Eastwood Arena has not had any ice programming for almost 5 years, with the equipment for making ice officially decommissioned last year. The only groups currently using this non ice facility are those who play lacrosse, ball hockey, and roller derby. The arena is not a recreation or community centre – there is no drop in programming and it’s not open to the public for regular use (and hasn’t been for a long time). It’s accessed by organized groups, teams, and leagues who pay fees to use the facility.
For those who have been following discussions about Eastwood Arena for many years, you’ll remember there were discussions initiated by the City and former Councillor in 2011 when plans for the Pan Am Games were being made. When it was eventually decided that Eastwood Arena wouldn’t benefit from improvements during the 2015 games, those discussions died. It’s really unfortunate that happened. If the discussions had continued from that point, and plans had been made to fund this asset over that time, we wouldn’t be where we are today, 15 years later. Decisions about this arena were kicked down the road and those who depend on the arena, including children who use it regularly, are unfairly paying the price. There has been a sports rink in Eastwood Park for more than a hundred years and I know it’s important to the local community, even if it’s not something that’s being used by everyone presently. Eastwood Arena is important to me, too, which is why I held meetings with North Enders in 2024 and 2025 and why I engaged residents through a survey about its future. I’ve been working with residents to come up with a plan for this arena and to reimagine how Eastwood Park will be used in the years to come. I’ll keep doing that, whether the arena has to be closed or not.
I expect the City will be able to share information about the status of the arena in May, including whether or not it will close and where user groups can continue to play. I’ll make sure to update folks here in the North End Breezes when I know more.
As I said in the previous issue, I’ll be welcoming North Enders to join me on Thursday, April 9 for a Community Meeting. We’re holding the meeting at Compass Community Health from 6pm to 8pm. You should receive a postcard in your mailbox to invite you to attend if you live in the North End. I hope to see you there. We’ll talk about some of the projects happening in the North End and will make some time to connect with one another informally.
I’ll also be holding a public meeting, with City staff, to discuss the results of the In-Service Roadway Safety Review (ISRSR) of Bay Street. At this meeting City staff and I will review the final Bay Street ISRSR, will outline the work done and the changes proposed, and will answer questions and gather feedback. If you would like to see a copy of the ISRSR, please email us at Ward2@hamilton.ca and we’ll send it to you or visit ward2hamilton.ca/baystreet.
If you need help or want to connect with my office, please email Ward2@hamilton.ca or call us at (905) 546-2197. If we’re on another call when you phone us, please leave a voicemail message and we’ll get back to you. The Ward 2 Team, Joey, Liesl, and Phoenix, are available Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 8:00am to 4:00pm and Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8:00am to 8:00pm. If you want to connect with me directly, email me at Cameron.Kroetsch@hamilton.ca.
