Richard Leitner

Hamilton’s public school board says it plans to promote student dress guidelines with a poster campaign, web page, staff training and possible video to combat discrimination against religious or cultural clothing.

Residents who joined the city in opposing a massive redevelopment of the former LIUNA Gardens property are celebrating the Ontario Land Tribunal’s rejection of the proposal.

The new Waterdown school is expected to open in September 2027

A Mobility Matters forum hosted by McMaster University's student EcoCAR team offered a primer on emerging car technology.

The iconic cross at upper Stoney Creek's Devil's Punchbowl Conservation Area won't be visible at night until repairs are made to a damaged LED light panel. Gord Costie, director of conservation area services, said a staff inspection on April 17 revealed the damage, which has been attributed to recent high winds. “Sometimes these things will happen in big storms,” he said, adding he hopes a contractor will complete the repairs within days, weather permitting. The park remains open to visitors. The cross has been an escarpment landmark since 1961, when hydro workers built a wooden version that lasted about five years before being replaced by a metal cross fabricated from an old hydro transmission tower. It, too, fell into disrepair and the current tower was built with the help of a $50,000 donation in 2013 from the Goemans family in memory of Tony Goemans, the late founder of the appliance-store chain that bears his name. is a reporter with Metroland who covers Hamilton communities, education and the environment. Reach him at [email protected]. This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. End of dialog window. This is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button.

Hamilton's approach to patching potholes took some ribbing as more than 60 people took up the chance to question city officials on a range of traffic issues at a Waterdown town hall hosted by Coun. Ted McMeekin. The generally polite April 18 session broke into laughter after a resident recounted what happened when he called the city to complain after damaging a shock on his car when he hit a pothole near a stop sign on Concession 8 the week before. The resident said city crews repaired the road divot five days later, but didn't touch five other potholes nearby, including one he measured to be almost 7.5 centimetres deep. He said he subsequently spoke to a city crew that was patching potholes on Concession 14, and was told repairs are only done to ones identified on their truck's iPad and marked by yellow paint. “Somebody went around and put paint around the potholes, so they'd know which ones to fix,” he said. “That's why there's all those potholes. You go along and fix this one and then you drive over five … It doesn't make any sense to me as a farmer.” Carolyn Ryall, director of Hamilton's transportation division, told residents the city fixes about 90,000 potholes per year and follows minimum maintenance standards set by provincial regulations that consider risk and liability. She thanked the resident for raising the issue and said she'd review the city's processes. “We're dealing with the more severe instances right out of the gate with the intent, if there's other small patches, that we'll come back and address them if not addressed in that time period,” Ryall said. “We're dealing with risk and the size of them, according to specifications.” Her response didn't satisfy the resident, prompting others to joke about ways to ensure potholes meet the city's criteria. “Make them bigger,” a woman called out to laughter. “What colour? I'm going to buy cans of that paint,” another man quipped, suggesting he could mark potholes for repair. Other concerns at the two-hour meeting included the lack of enforcement of speed limits and no-truck routes, drainage issues on Parkside Drive, and the location of red-light cameras in downtown Waterdown. “We're now a community of signs but there's no enforcement whatsoever,” said Greensville resident Andrew Jackson, who asked if he could pay to put a speed cushion on Crooks Hollow Road. He said the road doesn't have sidewalks or soft shoulders, making it unsafe for pedestrians because it attracts “car clubs” and weekday commuters seeking a shortcut when they're in a rush. “This roadway is going to have somebody end up getting killed on it,” Jackson said, adding he'd spoken to a police officer who told him the road is too dangerous for a speed trap. Transportation division manager Mike Field said the city is piloting signage and other measures on rural roads in Ward 11 to try to lessen speeding, but urban roads get more enforcement because they have more collisions. “Managing appropriate speeds on rural roadways is a challenge for everyone,” he said.” It doesn't matter if it's the city of Hamilton or other municipalities because they're generally straight roads and you can drive quickly if you want to.” Jackson said afterwards he appreciated the meeting but felt police and others, like representatives from the city's engineering department, should have been there because they are part of any solution. “All of the responses just felt like Teflon: ‘We hear your concern, you need to report it and we'll evaluate what needs to be done.' It's a blowoff.” is a reporter with Metroland who covers Hamilton communities, education and the environment. Reach him at [email protected]. This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. End of dialog window. This is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button. Anyone can read Conversations, but to contribute, you should be a registered Metroland account holder. If you do not yet have a Metroland account, you can create one now (it is free). To join the conversation set a first and last name in your user profile. Sign in or register for free to join the Conversation

April 10 provincial officer's order states that piles are up to 14 metres higher than allowed

A surge in donations gives Greensville resident Glenn Meldrum confidence a nesting shed for barn swallows at Johnson Tew Park will be installed in September.

Hamilton’s public and Catholic school boards say they’re still reviewing the new rules but support Education Minister Stephen Lecce’s crackdown on student cellphone use.

Site boss's comments to resident at online meeting called ‘disrespectful' 3 min to read