Before the Ballot- with Ward 10 Councillor Candidate and Incumbent Jeff Beattie

Welcome to Before the Ballot with Ward 10 Councillor Candidate and incumbent Jeff Beattie.

Looking back on your current term, what accomplishments are you most proud of in your ward ? Please elaborate.

That's a difficult list to narrow down. My goal, in any of my various community leadership roles, has always been to make things better, leave it better than you found it, that kind of thing. Since being elected as Ward 10 Councillor, I’ve supported rolling out expanded Transit to Winona, made investments in 5 community parks, with 6 more planned for this year, invested in rebuilding many Ward 10 Roads, such as Fruitland and DeWitt, started the City’s first Youth Council for young people in grades 7 to 12, supported the foodbank in it’s relocation and growth, supported the rebooting of the Community Garden, renovated the newly renamed John Koudys Scout Hall, got the ball rolling on the new Winona Recreation Centre (planned for 2028), restarted the planned reconstruction of Barton Street and Fifty Road and am assisting the local School Board in their efforts to build a new elementary school in the Fruitland area. I’m also proud to be easy to find, very accessible (with local Office at Stoney Creek City Hall), and proud to provide the community with as much information as possible about community events and issues and upcoming City information sessions and meetings.

Looking back on your current term, what things do you wish had gone differently? Please elaborate.

I voted against the first two tax increases, and worked to reduce the second two (no voting on those due to Strong Mayor Powers). I wish that collectively more of us had pushed those increases back to a more reasonable number, although I know that's more of an editorial comment than a personal reflection. I also feel that I was caught off guard by the Stoney Creek Parking Lot debate. For us living here in Stoney Creek, the consideration was never-ever anti-afforable-housing, and so it was was quite shocking to be accused of that by some of my colleagues (One colleague in particular referred to the pleas of Stoney Creekers as “Sanctimonious Horsesh**”), as well as non-Stoney Creekers who had been (in my opinion) misinformed about what the concern was actually about. How ugly that whole issue became, and allowing it to feel personal was something I was not prepared for.

Residents across Hamilton continue to express concerns about affordability, infrastructure, and public safety. What specific priorities would define your next term if re-elected?

My track record will speak for itself on this - I have supported infrastructure investment (particularly in Parks, Roads, Sidewalks and Transit), supported improved Police resources to improve Public Safety and voted against tax increases. I believe that those are the priorities that matter most to Ward 10 residents and I will continue to support those initiatives. I believe that the City needs to refocus on it’s core priorities, and ensure that tax dollars are being spent in a way that brings tangible results.

What distinguishes you from potential challengers seeking to represent your ward in this election? If your bid is presently unchallenged, summarize what skills you offer that defines you.

Again, track record. I have followed through on what I pledged to do when I was running in the 2022 election, and though there is more to do - it isn’t hard to find evidence of my commitment to getting things done. As much as I admire and support the democratic process, I can’t stress enough the importance of someone in this role who has the full picture, the history, the lived experience and the deep knowledge base of where this community has been, where it is, and where it wants to go. These are not things that can be learned, they are experiential. You can’t fake being a Stoney Creeker, Fruitlander or Winonian, you either are - or you’re not, and it’s something that occurs over a lifetime, it’s not entry-level.

If re-elected, what would success look like for your ward by the end of your next term?

Success for the next term looks like a number of things: a new Winona Rec. Centre underway with a new Library, a new Winona Paramedic Sub-station, Enhanced Fire Services for our growing Fruitland and Winona Communities, work underway for rebuilding Barton Street between Fruitland and Fifty, Expanding Fifty from Highway 8 to the South Service Road, work underway for a new sports park and elementary school in the Fruitland area, transit expansion to the Stoney Creek lakeshore and Fifty Point areas with regional connections to Niagara Region and Grimsby’s soon to be built GO Train Station, work underway at the new Cherry Beach Park (hopefully with a new dogpark option), sidewalk connections on the Winona Road, Grays Road, Millen Road and Fifty Road overpasses with plans for sidewalks at the Glover Road overpass, increased Police presence with the role-out of the enhanced Core-Patrol unit at the East End Station and lastly - investments for the few remaining Ward 10 Parks still waiting for refurbishment (particularly Mapledene, John Willson, Lawrence P. Sayers and Memorial). There are other things, too, but that’s the highlight.

How can voters contact you or learn more about you, in the context of this election?

For all things pertaining to my re-election campaign, voters can find more information about me at jeffbeattie.ca as well as on Instagram and Facebook at @votejeffbeattie. You can also email me at jeff@jeffbeattie.ca or call my campaign office at 289-656-1720. For City-related issues,residents can continue to contact me through my usual City phone number and email.

Thank-you Jeff for engaging with Hamiltonians on The Hamiltonian!