Media Release: City of Hamilton improving safety, supporting community

City of Hamilton improving safety, supporting community: Annual LINC maintenance May 23 to 26

HAMILTON, ON – As part of the City of Hamilton’s ongoing road safety and key infrastructure improvements, the City will fully close the Lincoln M. Alexander Parkway (LINC) in both directions – eastbound and westbound – for scheduled annual maintenance from Friday, May 23 until Monday, May 26, 2025.
Dates and impacts:Eastbound: Golf Links Road to the Upper Red Hill Valley Parkway off-ramp

Friday, May 23 at 8:00 a.m. until Monday, May 26 at 5:00 a.m.Westbound: Red Hill Valley Parkway to Mohawk Road

Friday, May 23 at 10:00 a.m. until Monday, May 26 at 5:00 a.m.

Detours will be in place via Mohawk Road and Stone Church Road.

Work dates are weather-dependent.
Key improvements:

This annual maintenance supports the City’s ongoing efforts to keep roads safe and traffic moving efficiently. Planned work includes:Spot resurfacing and asphalt repairs
Sections of mill and pave
Graffiti removal
Bridge and signage repairs
Pavement markings
Ditching
Catch basin cleaning
Vegetation maintenance

Residents are encouraged to plan ahead, use alternate routes during this time, and expect delays and increased traffic on surrounding roads. Motorists are reminded to follow posted detour signs and take extra caution in construction zones.

The City of Hamilton thanks residents for their patience and cooperation as we complete this important infrastructure project.

Additional Resource:LINC Maintenance webpage

Update on Mayor Horwath

"Mayor Andrea Horwath is continuing her recovery following a recent fall and subsequent surgery. She in good spirits, and is in regular contact with City staff, Council colleagues and is grateful for the support and well wishes she has received from Hamiltonians across the city.

While she continues to rest and rehabilitate at home, Mayor Horwath is staying engaged and up to date on key city matters; and is hopeful that she'll be able to gradually take on more in the coming weeks as her recovery progresses.

The mayor and her team thank the community for its continued patience, encouragement, and support."

About Us

We believe in fostering informed civic dialogue by offering thoughtful, independent coverage of the issues that shape Hamilton. Since our founding, our mission has been to create a space where ideas, questions, and civic concerns are explored with depth, fairness, and integrity. We aim to highlight both the voices of decision-makers and the lived experiences of everyday Hamiltonians. Our format often features long-form interviews, policy analysis, opinion pieces, and reflections that cut through political noise to offer clarity and context. Whether amplifying local concerns or scrutinizing city hall narratives, our purpose is rooted in transparency, accountability, and respect for the public’s right to know.

We have been described as a “taste-maker” in civic discourse — a platform where the serious and the sincere can co-exist with the challenging and the uncomfortable. Our editorial style is direct but respectful, never shying away from difficult questions or uncomfortable truths. We remain committed to fair,  interviews that allow respondents the space to reflect and articulate thoughtful responses. We don’t chase clicks or soundbites. We invite our readers to pause, read closely, and engage critically. 

Homelessness in Hamilton: A Tragedy

Homelessness in Hamilton,  has reached a critical juncture, reflecting a complex interplay of economic, social, and health-related challenges. In November 2024, a Point-in-Time Count identified 1,216 individuals experiencing homelessness in the city, with nearly half reporting being homeless every day of the year. 

The crisis is further underscored by a troubling mortality rate; between December 2023 and May 2024, 25 individuals without housing died, with overdoses cited as the leading cause. These figures not only highlight the urgency of the situation but also the need for comprehensive, compassionate, and coordinated responses.

The Hamiltonian reached out to the city's Housing Services and  Housing Secretariat to make inquiries into Hamilton's strategy. 

1. How is the City ensuring that its investments prioritize long-term solutions to homelessness, as opposed to short-term measures such as emergency shelters or encampments? Could you provide the proportion of the homelessness budget allocated to emergency responses versus permanent housing solutions with comprehensive support services?

The City of Hamilton is committed to tackling homelessness through sustainable, long-term solutions that prioritize permanent housing with comprehensive support services. Guided by the Housing Sustainability & Investment Roadmap and the Housing & Homelessness Action Plan, the City follows a Housing First approach, ensuring that investments are directed toward stable housing rather than short-term emergency responses. 

The City’s 2025 Tax Budget reflects our commitment to housing solutions by allocating critical investments toward housing and homelessness initiatives. Additional 2025 investment breakdowns will be updated on the Whole of Hamilton Housing Approach webpage in the coming days. As part of the 2024 tax budget, Hamilton City Council committed $4 million annually for affordable housing and $10.3 million per year for supportive housing over three years. 

For more information on how Hamilton is prioritizing housing solutions, you may find this helpful:Housing Sustainability and Investment Roadmap: Year Two Update – News Release (December 5, 2024)
City of Hamilton Adopts 2025 Municipal Budget – News Release (February 19, 2025)2025 Tax & Rate Budget | The City of Hamilton – Webpage

2. What actions is Hamilton taking to ensure that funding for homelessness is directed toward sustainable housing solutions and supportive services, rather than being primarily focused on crisis management and temporary fixes?

The City of Hamilton has adopted the Whole of Hamilton Housing Approach, which promotes cross-sector collaboration to create long-term housing solutions. This approach ensures that municipal investments are strategically directed toward permanent, affordable housing and wraparound support services, helping individuals transition out of homelessness with stability and dignity. 

The City also implemented the Affordable Housing Development Project Stream, launched to support the expansion of affordable housing in the non-profit housing sector. In January 2025, the City announced $8.2 million from this yearly allocation to fund 11 projects, creating 440 affordable housing units and 435 supportive housing units. By providing municipal contributions such as fee exemptions, land, and capital funding, Hamilton is actively partnering with non-profit housing providers to scale sustainable housing solutions. 

3. Can you provide data on the number of individuals entering homelessness each month versus those transitioning into permanent housing? Does the City collect data that allows for an accurate measurement of this trend?

The City works closely with the homeless serving sector to collect data about the state of homelessness and access to affordable housing in the city. As numbers are fluid, you can view the most recent stats online via the Housing and Homelessness Dashboard | City of Hamilton. 

4. Has Hamilton looked into the best practices of neighbouring regions, such as Guelph-Wellington and St. Thomas, to learn from their efforts in reducing homelessness? If so, could you describe those practices and any potential plans to incorporate them? If not, what factors have prevented this?

Yes. The City of Hamilton is a member of the Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness and the Built for Zero collaborative, working with national and regional housing collaboratives to share best practices, drive innovation, and strengthen efforts to prevent and end homelessness.

We also work with municipal peers through the Greater Toronto Hamilton Area Housing Housing Table

Promises, Promises or Finally?

At The Hamiltonian, we believe meaningful progress in city governance and statecraft is essential. 

In this spirit, The Hamiltonian posed a series of direct and challenging questions to City Manager Marnie Cluckie. Her responses are included in full, allowing our readers to make their own determinations as to whether the proposed changes will help Hamilton turn itself around.

We thank Ms. Cluckie for engaging in this important dialogue, and we remain committed to holding public leadership accountable while amplifying the voices of Hamiltonians seeking a better future.

1. As the City of Hamilton’s most senior public servant, reporting to City Council and the Mayor, you carry significant responsibility for the administration and leadership of the city. In light of a recent survey indicating that 80% of respondents do not trust City Hall, and a recent article in The Hamilton Spectator referencing a C.D. Howe Institute report that ranks Hamilton last in financial transparency among major Canadian cities, what would you say to residents who are justifiably concerned by these findings? Additionally, how do you intend to assist to restore public confidence?

We take the concerns of Hamilton residents very seriously. As City Manager, I understand that trust must be earned - through transparency, accountability, and consistently delivering high-quality customer service.

We are grateful to the Mayor’s Task Force for their dedication and the comprehensive report they produced. The survey findings indicate that more needs to be done to strengthen public confidence. We acknowledge the concerns; City staff are reviewing the Task Force recommendations and will report back to Council with actionable options that align with community priorities.

In the meantime, we continue to take steps to modernize our systems, improve communication, and make information more accessible. My commitment is to ensure that our administration operates with integrity, communicates openly, and puts residents at the centre of everything we do.

Examples of some initiatives currently underway to build back better and stronger include:Improving the Customer Service Experience, by launching a new online recreation registration and facility booking system to make it easier for residents to access programs; rolling out a new phased customer relationship management solution; and developing a roadmap to ensure a consistent customer experience across all service delivery channels.Modernizing Systems and Processes, through new technology and tools, such as implementing a Freedom of Information (FOI) tracking software to manage key performance indicators, launching an online service portal for Vacant Unit Tax declarations, and piloting two programs to improve the development approval process.

Advancing Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility (IDEA), by developing Hamilton-specific IDEA

What's It Like to be a Lawyer- with Wade Poziomka

Join us as we go behind the scenes of everyday professions and roles — from the well-known to the rarely explored — to uncover the personal, human side of work, please enjoy our chat with lawyer  Wade Poziomka of Ross and McBride

Thank-you Wade for engaging with Hamiltonians in The Hamiltonian!

1. At what point did you realize that a career in law was the right path for you? Could you describe some of the formative experiences that shaped your decision?

From a young age, I’ve always felt a deep sense of injustice when I saw people, particular those from equity-seeking groups who were vulnerable, being treated unfairly. I always anticipated I would pursue a career in policing or law – both helping professions. In law school, I interned with the Interantioanl Labour Organization (ILO) in Geneva, Switzerland and worked with Guido Raimondi. Mr. Raimondi was the Legal Advisor of the ILO at the time and later went on to become the President of the European Court of Human Rights. My time at the ILO was a formative moment, as I realized how the law could be a powerful tool for social change.

In my view, the law isn’t just about arguing legal points or applying the law but identifying failings in the law and advocating for legal reform so that the law changes to meet the needs of equity-seeking groups. The law, ultimately, is about fairness and justice.

2. For individuals considering a legal career, what are some key questions they should reflect on to determine if this profession aligns with their goals and values?

There are many different areas of law and kinds of lawyer. While those aspiring to be lawyers will often hear that there are too many lawyers in the profession, with respect to human rights law, in my view, there aren’t enough.

Law school is a significant undertaking – 3 years of study at a significant expense. I would encourage anyone interested in law to reach out to lawyers and ask to shadow for a day or two in an area they think they may be interested. Seeing the day-to-day aspects of the job can help inform a significant decision.

For those interested in applicant-side human rights law, I would encourage you to think about why you want to practice in this area. Some questions to think about when considering human rights law as a career choice are:

“Do I feel compelled to fight for justice, particularly for those who don’t have a platform to speak for themselves?”
“Am I prepared for the emotional and mental toll that can come with advocating for individuals who face systemic barriers?”
“Am I committed to continuous learning, as the law is always evolving, especially in human rights and constitutional matters?”
“Am I ready to use the law as a tool not just for personal gain, but as a means to create meaningful change for vulnerable or equity-seeking groups?”

3. Without disclosing any confidential information, could you describe the most challenging case you’ve worked on? What made it particularly difficult, and how did you approach or resolve those challenges?

The litigation against the City of Hamilton on behalf of individuals who are houseless and were erecting shelter in public spaces was one of the most difficult cases I’ve worked on. The case was very polarizing – with individuals in the community feeling very strongly about the issue.

I certainly understood the plight of those in the City who were angered at the loss of some public spaces. But I also saw the deep humanity of those in encampments and the struggle they experienced every day. It’s easy to demonize an individual – call them a drug addict or accuse them of ‘gaming the system’. It’s much harder to see the humanity in an individual in need. At the end of the day, all different types of people were erecting shelters, but one thing was certain – the need was certainly greater than the the