Councillor’s Update

Dayna, North End Resident and Reader

“I look forward to the always-prompt delivery of the next edition to my mailbox, and to receiving the email alerting me to its availability! I so appreciate that there remains a local community paper at a time when so many others have ceased publication. It’s been a great introduction to the North End!”

Kristina Santone

“Being a part of the North End Breezes board for the past two years has been a privilege. The team does amazing work within the community and serves as a resource hub for all. They are committed, and most importantly, passionate about preserving the North End’s legacy, while also continuing to foster its growth. Whether you are new to the area, or a longtime resident, I encourage you to volunteer with the Breezes in some capacity if you’re able. This team is small but mighty and they are always looking for more support. I’m grateful for the relationships and community I’ve been able to build while serving on the board.

I’ll be joining Welcome Inn as the Executive Director and look forward to taking on a new role in the North End Community while staying connected to The Breezes. “

Happy 2024 to everyone who calls the North End home. I’m excited to continue to represent you as your Ward 2 City Councillor over the rest of this term and I hope you had a restful and rejuvenating holiday break and are looking forward to the year ahead. I’m planning a number of exciting new initiatives this year that I hope to share in the coming months and I’ll be shifting my focus in 2024 to continue to engage with you around the key issues you’ve told me are important to you. Part of that shift will be a change in engagement, moving away from neighbourhood town halls to meetings that are focused around key issues like the environment and climate change, housing and development, and traffic and pedestrian safety. I’ll be holding these meetings across Ward 2, including in the North End, and I’ll share the details with you as soon as they’re finalized.

In neighbourhood news, at the end of 2023, the City installed a new railing along the Mary Street Pedestrian Bridge and attended to the graffiti that was there at the time. I hope this makes the experience of using this bridge safer for everyone over the winter months. In this term of Council, the City will be investigating the feasibility of replacing the entire bridge deck with materials that provide better traction and are more sustainable. I also put forward a motion in December that was approved by Council to fund renovations to the Bennetto Auditorium to make it fully accessible and to upgrade its audio and visual equipment so it can be used more regularly. I’m hoping that work will begin later in 2024, but in the meantime, I’ll be coordinating with City staff to ensure that we can hold meetings in the North End this year in spaces that are both accessible and have the audio and visual capabilities to deliver an experience that everyone feels they can fully participate in.

Stay tuned, this month, for more information about the next Ward 2 Community Grants process. Last year, we were able to give out $175,000 in grants and we’re hoping to do the same over the course of this year. If you’re a group or organization in the North End who needs our support, please visit ward2hamilton.ca/grants for more information.

If you haven’t seen it yet, I encourage you to read the 2022-23 Impact Report, which is available on 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. If you need to reach the Ward 2 office, 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. As always, if you’d like to reach me directly, please contact me at Cameron.Kroetsch@hamilton.ca. Happy New Year!