MEDIA RELEASE:City of Hamilton transforming streets into destinations: King William Street

For Immediate Release
July 11, 2025

City of Hamilton transforming streets into destinations: King William Street

HAMILTON, ON – The City of Hamilton invites residents and visitors to spend time on King William Street this summer. The iconic restaurant row will transform into a vibrant pedestrian-only hub starting Wednesday, July 16, 2025.

The reimagined space will feature outdoor public seating, dynamic programming and a welcoming atmosphere designed to bring the community together. As part of the City’s broader downtown revitalization and economic development goals, this initiative will create a lively destination for all.

“Together, Hamiltonians are building a more vibrant, inclusive and community-focused downtown core,” said Mayor Andrea Horwath. “I am thrilled that this summer, we are transforming King William Street into a pedestrian-only destination. With the energy and creativity of our residents leading the way, this is a proud moment for our city. I can’t wait to see King William Street come alive as a dynamic public space where neighbours connect, local culture shines, and our small businesses thrive.”

Details:

Date: Wednesday, July 16, 2025 to Sunday, September 14, 2025
Location: King William Street from James Street North to Hughson Street North

Access: Residents can walk freely on the street! King William Street from James Street North to Hughson Street North will be fully closed with no vehicles permitted from Monday, July 14 at 7:00 a.m. to Monday, September 15 at 6:00 p.m. 

Key highlights:

• Opening day (July 16): Join the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra for a lunch time concert and Hamilton Fringe Festival for opening night festivities.
• Meet and greet (Monday to Saturday): The Downtown Hamilton BIA team will be on site to greet visitors and support festivities.
• Hamilton Fringe Festival takeover (July 16 to 27): King William Street will serve as the heart of the Hamilton Fringe Festival, featuring daily programming and live stage entertainment. 
• Pop-up performances: Live acoustic sets from local musicians, weekly concerts from the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra and the 73 'Til Infinity dance series.
• Shop local: Artisan goods, handmade treasures and local vendors during pop-up market days.
• Supercrawl send-off (September 12 to 14): Wrap-up the summer season at Hamilton’s legendary Supercrawl music and arts festival, which will be held on James Street North and surrounding streets. 
• Come together on King William: Dynamic seating that invites people to relax, socialize and find comfort in the space.
• Taste the neighbourhood: Restaurants lining the area, visitors are steps away from great patios and delicious food! 

“This transformation is about more than creating a pedestrian zone - it's about creating a place for people,” said City Manager Marnie Cluckie. “King William Street reflects Hamilton’s creativity, culture, local character, and community spirit. I’m excited to see the work of our City teams and the Downtown Hamilton BIA come to life in this vibrant public space.”

For full schedule details, visit Hamilton.ca/KingWilliamSummer. The schedule will be updated regularly with additional details and new events. 

Quick Facts:

• King William Street pedestrianization is presented by the City of Hamilton in collaboration with the Downtown Hamilton BIA. 
• Event staff managed by the Downtown Hamilton BIA will be on site daily Monday through Saturday from approximately 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. 
• In 2024, the City of Hamilton’s Tourism and Culture Division temporarily transformed King William Street into a pedestrianized space on seven (7) select days. The initiative returns this year with an expanded scope.

Additional Resource:

City of Hamilton King William Summer Street webpage

Teaser- Mystery Special Guest

He has helped shape moments you will never forget. If you live on planet earth,  you know his work. Who is he? Wait and see, as The Hamiltonian will soon feature this world wide icon.

Update: So, we are getting some rather pointed emails telling us it is unfair to keep you guessing. In the interests of meeting you halfway, we will release a hint a day. 

1st hint: We all have these from time to time, and they are not pleasant. 

2nd hint: The end of the school year has come.

3rd hint: South of Baltic Sea coast 

4th hint : Every house has one.  

5th hint: Babies

Cartoon of the Moment

 

MEDIA RELEASE:Local 772 ("IUOE")

The IUOE Local 772 is pleased the parties reached a tentative agreement that will be presented and ratified on Wednesday. However, the members certainly do not feel valued or appreciated for the valuable critical service they provide to Hamiltonians. The facility is understaffed with a revolving door of underpaid employees. We cannot attract or retain qualified experienced employees to ensure our drinking water is safe and are wastewater discharges are compliant with Ontario regulations.

The City continues to fail in its duty to address the critical issue of fairness, continues to promote patterned bargaining, what’s good for one should be good for all. That fails in reality. Again, we remind the public this was not about fiscal responsibility and certainly was not about fairness to employees, it was about playing politics. We wasted millions to avoid a $300,000 settlement.

We do not appreciate Mayor Horwath or City Manager Cluckie sugar coating the disruption or settlement. They demonstrated little respect for the essential service delivered by these employees or the employees themselves. Unfortunately, that is how the bargaining unit feels. Happy to return to work but let down by the City, council and management.

Just one final word, we do want to apologize for any harm or disruption caused to the citizens of our great City. We struggled with many decisions, but our only tool is picketing to pressure the City of Hamilton to do the right thing. We are pleased those disruptions will end with the end to the labour disruption. We thank the Hamiltonian for their extremely fair coverage during this labour disruption.

Regards,
Greg Hoath
Business Manager
International Union of Operating Engineers Local 772 ("IUOE")

MEDIA RELEASE: City of Hamilton and HOWEA workers reach tentative deal

MEDIA RELEASE For Immediate Release July 8, 2025 HAMILTON, ON – The City of Hamilton and the Hamilton Ontario Water Employees Association  (HOWEA) bargaining unit reached a tentative agreement on July 7, 2025, subject to ratification by the HOWEA membership and City Council. “I’m very pleased that the City of Hamilton has reached a tentative agreement with the Hamilton Ontario Water Employees Association. This is an important step toward restoring full services for residents, and supporting the workers who keep our city running every day," said Mayor Andrea Horwath. "I want to thank both bargaining teams for their efforts in reaching a deal that reflects our City’s commitment to fairness, fiscal responsibility and respect for our workers. To HOWEA members, thank you for your service, we look forward to welcoming you back. And to our residents, thank you for your patience and understanding throughout the process.” “The City is pleased to have reached a tentative agreement that supports both our valued HOWEA members and all Hamiltonians,” said Marnie Cluckie, City Manager. “These past eight weeks have been difficult on our employees, their families and the community we serve. My sincere thanks to everyone for their dedication, professionalism and commitment to finding a resolution so we can continue moving forward together.” “The hard work and resilience demonstrated by our Public Works staff throughout this labour disruption has been truly inspiring,” said Jackie Kennedy, Acting General Manager, Public Works. “Thank you for stepping up and taking on additional duties, ensuring that essential water, wastewater and stormwater services to our community continued without interruption.” As a next step, HOWEA members will vote on ratification on Wednesday, July 9, 2025. Pending results of that vote, City Council will meet to finalize ratification. Additional Resource:City of Hamilton labour disruption webpage

Tentative Agreement Reached in Water Workers’ Strike

Following a tense and prolonged strike by Hamilton’s water system specialists, represented by IUOE Local 772, The Hamiltonian has learned from Greg Hoath that a tentative agreement has been reached between the union and the City of Hamilton. The proposed agreement is scheduled to be presented to union members at a meeting on Wednesday, July 9.

Mr. Hoath has indicated that further updates will be provided following the membership vote.

The Hamiltonian commends both the City of Hamilton and IUOE Local 772 for their efforts at the bargaining table and their commitment to reaching a resolution.

We remain hopeful that the agreement will be ratified and that members will be able to return to work promptly, ensuring continued delivery of this essential public service.

Email Request to the City of Hamilton

Sent yesterday at 11:53pm, Copied to Ms. Cluckie, Mr. McMullen who is  covering for Mr. Zegaric and Ms. McCormick

Mr. Zegarac,

I am writing on behalf of The Hamiltonian regarding the ongoing strike involving water workers.

We request a breakdown of the total costs the city has incurred to date as a result of this strike, including both hard and soft costs. Specifically, we seek to understand the full financial impact, which should encompass, but not be limited to, expenditures related to hiring external services to ensure that management or replacement employees can cross picket lines and access water facilities.

To clarify, we are asking for a comprehensive figure that represents the total costs the city has borne in connection with both the strike itself and its management.

We must note that this question has been posed previously without a response. As Hamiltonians are the primary stakeholders of these public funds, they are entitled to transparency on this matter. Given the protracted nature of this strike and the time that has passed without resolution, we believe it is imperative that this information be made available to the public.

We would appreciate it if you could provide a detailed report of the total costs incurred, along with a clear breakdown of those expenses, by Thursday, July 10.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Sincerely,
The Hamiltonian

A Message to Hamiltonians and the City of Hamilton from Water Worker on Strike

The following message was conveyed too The Hamiltonian from Chris Boliard; a member of HOWEA. It is presented as received. 

I am a member of HOWEA and IUOE 772. A department has been upended and irreparable damage has been done to our Hamilton Water team for no reason by the City of Hamilton. The water workers strike in Hamilton will be entering its 8th week soon. Negotiations have all but ceased and the City of Hamilton does not seem eager to get back to the table. 

It seems as though the city is waiting until they inflict enough financial hardship on the striking members until we can't fight financially any longer. This is union breaking behaviour and bad faith bargaining. I have worked for the City of Hamilton as an operator for 19 years as the lead operator at the water treatment plant. As a steward of the environment, I have been a hard and diligent worker which would be echoed by my supervising staff. As of today our voices have been silenced at every turn by the City of Hamilton demoralizing our legal efforts to picket and gain attention and pressure on the City of Hamilton.
I ask you to help pressure the City of Hamilton to answer some simple questions. This can be done through FOI REQUESTS for the following information.

GOOD FAITH BARGAINING
- What specific measures is the city taking to ensure that negotiations are fair and equitable?
- How does the city plan to justify the lack of parity with wage and benefit discrepancies between the water workers and other positions with less stringent qualifications?

COSTING
I would like to request information regarding the financial implications of the ongoing strike. Specifically, how much money is the city spending while this situation remains unresolved? Understanding the costs associated with this strike is essential for the residents of Hamilton, as it directly impacts our community and the essential services we rely on.

We need a equitable resolution to this matter, recognizing the rights of us the workers and the legal obligations of the City of Hamilton. They have publicly stated numerous times that they are champions of transparency, but actions speaker louder than words. Holding the City of Hamilton accountable is crucial for maintaining trust within our community and workforce. Any effort you can make to help resolve this would be greatly appreciated.

Sincerely,
Chris Boilard