Elections
Linda Narducci, Candidate for Ward 1 in Hamilton Municipal Election 2018
Details page for this candidate.
In This Page:
Candidate Details (top)
| Name | Narducci, Linda |
|---|---|
| Election | Hamilton Municipal Election 2018 |
| Area | Ward 01 |
| Party | N/A |
| Votes | 0 |
| lnarducciward1@gmail.com | |
| Website | https://www.lindanarducci.com/ |
| Home | 289-237-2515 |
| Business | |
| Fax | |
| Bio | I was born and raised in Niagara Falls by a single father who had the daunting task of raising 3 girls. In addition to learning the value of family and community from him, the other trait I inherited is his capacity for hard work. My first memory of Hamilton is from childhood - it was a Sunday afternoon and as my Dad sat down to watch a CFL game he suggested I pick a winning team in a friendly bet. I chose the black and yellow team. They won. As an 8 year old, I knew Hamilton as the city we passed when driving visiting family to the Toronto airport, and, the team I had picked to win a football game.
My first trip into Hamilton was as a 16 year old. A friend had a job interview on York Blvd. We came in through Burlington Street. “Ew, who would live here?” I remember thinking. The enormous steel companies, though, were just a first impression. There was development happening downtown and the hole had just been dug for Copps Coliseum. Fast forward a couple more years, I remember coming into Hamilton to the train station on Murray Street - a beautiful building. As well, I recall taking the bus to Rebecca Street. I remember walking up to King Street and seeing the fountain, the original one. My heart was won over. It felt welcoming. Hamilton was alive, all year rather than seasonally like in Niagara Falls. The view coming down the Jolly Cut took my breath away. In 1983 I settled downtown and have remained downtown ever since. It was in starting a family that I started to see the strengths of this community: the school, the church, HAAA, drop-ins and playgroups, the bank on the corner, the library, the people. It felt like home -so much so that my Dad also relocated to Hamilton and spent his remaining years here. I’ve chosen to not only stay in Hamilton for 35 years but to stay and raise my three daughters in what I consider the best area of the city.......Ward 1. I am Ward 1 proud! I am the right choice for Ward 1 because I bring a high level of competence, compassion, and sensitivity to the needs of Ward 1. We’re all good and excel at something. For some people it’s numbers, for some it’s building things. The very best work that I have done is in service; being involved in projects, not only as a decision maker and organizer but in rolling up my sleeves and getting involved behind the scenes to ensure that the work gets done. With 8 years’ |
Responses to Questions (top)
| Question | Brief Response | Full Response |
|---|---|---|
| Global warming is an existential challenge facing humanity. Do you think Hamilton should play a role in addressing climate change? If so, what should the city be doing? If not, why not? | Yes | Not only with Hamiltons heavy industrial manufacturing, but with the amount of cars on our streets, we need to play an active role in addressing climate change. The manufacturing businesses should be held accountable for pollution that spews into our air from their facilities. The City can promote events held by Environment Hamilton and Coalition Against Pollution, more specifically their Pollution Crawl. We have become accustomed to and accept the smoke colors, not really knowing that this is affecting our health and environment. Educating and informing citizens helps to create educated citizen. I support the Urban Forest Strategy and their work and ideas to not only maintain green spaces but to develop more. Protecting our trees and forests not only helps to mitigate the effects of climate change but reduces stormwater runoff. The City can add water bottle filling stations in public spaces along with banning single use plastic. Awareness of the impact that plastic has on the climate is growing but Hamilton should be a leader in reducing our urban footprint. |
| Should Hamilton be trying to attract more young people to live, work and start businesses here, including the 60,000 students studying at Mohawk College, McMaster University and Redeemer University? If so, what should we be doing? If not, why not? | Yes | Yes, absolutely, Hamilton has a lot to offer this demographic. Students and young people need to know that there is housing that is affordable and transportation that will accommodate car-less lifestyles. Hamilton offers several services to support business startups, but it’s not perfect. Hamilton Economic Development offers Summer Company for youth aged 15-29. This encourages young people at a young age to think about entrepreneurship and starting a business. It’s been my conversations that once proceeding to opening a business there are many frustrations with the bylaw and licensing hoops to jump through. This can be quite discouraging. |
| Bonus question: If LRT goes ahead, what will you do to ensure Hamilton receives the maximum benefit? | Yes | I appreciate that change is hard. If the people of Hamilton can see the benefits the likelihood of using it and accepting the system would be higher. I would like to see a fresh and exciting marketing plan using real people, real residents, real stories and how it has improved their lives and lifestyle. This marketing plan should include the businesses that will be affected by the construction. Supporting them in keeping flow of business to them. I think we need to be aware of rental and housing prices, that they are kept within the plans for affordable housing along the line. |
| Do you support improved public transit in Hamilton? If so, what changes do you propose? If not, why not? | Yes | Public transit is designed in theory to help reduce road traffic. With driving on our main streets clearly, this isnt working. We need an improved public transit, create a quality service and people will leave their cars at home. More buses are needed on routes. Public transit is a service; I can appreciate the long shifts, sitting for hours on end. The HSR has an obligation to review it’s workplace culture. These workers deserve a dignified washroom and washroom breaks, they deserve to be treated fairly by all patrons, they need schedules that are supportive and conducive to being able to be engaged in outside interests or family life. |
| Do you support the "Vision Zero" goal of eliminating traffic fatalities and serious injuries in Hamilton? If so, what specific actions would you take to implement this policy? If not, why not? | Yes | Absolutely and very strongly yes, I support Vision Zero. If having neighbours injured or worse, fatalities due to traffic, the fact that Vision Zero is a global movement, should be enough reasons to support it. I travel along Main Street and King Street, from Dundurnto Ottawa Street and can vaguely recall seeing speed limit signs posted. I walk along this same corridor throughout Ward 1; speed along Main and King corridor needs to be decreased. The speed may be 50km, most drive these two arteries up to 70km. It would be nice to have a police presence with radar along these corridors as well as more red light cameras. All these I see as short term strategies. Ultimately, I support Main Street and King Street two way conversion. |
| Hamilton has been experiencing a slow-motion crisis in housing affordability. Do you support an expanded role for the City to provide more affordable housing? If so, what should Hamilton do? If not, why not? | Yes | Affordable housing is a global growing concern The City must be open to listen to the residents and the needs, it needs to think long-term but also consider immediate needs. It is their responsibility to bring in regulations that encourages a diverse mix of housing types. With much talk about lane houses there are other options such as cluster homes. Affordable housing needs to be close to opportunity/jobs, transit. The City needs to implement a 20% rate on affordability with all new developments. |
| Do you support phasing out area rating for transit? Why or why not? | Yes | Yes I do. Ward 1 is one of the hardest hit areas with the area rating for transit. That aside, and in light of the LRT (and B.L.A.S.T) every corner of Hamilton will benefit from this improved transit system and the transit tax should reflect this fairness. Hamilton is the only city in Ontario that continues to charge residents a different tax rate for transit, depending on where you live in the city. |
| Hamilton has a legacy of multi-lane, one-way arterial streets dating back to the 1950s. Do you support accelerating the conversion of these streets to two-way? Why or why not? | Yes | As stated above, yes I do support two way conversion, the sooner the better. Safety aside, businesses I have spoke to welcome this conversion as it offers more exposure to their business with traffic from two directions and an increase in walk in business as the speed will be lower for traffic and pedestrians feel safe. For residents, two way streets are safer; drivers are more engaged and speeds are lower. |
| The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act mandates that cities must be completely accessible by 2025. What changes would you make to ensure Hamilton complies with this mandate? | Yes | I think Hamilton is doing a good job in moving forward on complete accessibility by the year 2025. Ward 1’s Locke Street Library is currently closed for updating to accessibility. Part of the renovations are to create a barrier free washroom. Community engagement is always a good place to start in awareness to areas that need updating. It can be a challenge for those with no barriers to actually see and experience accessibility issues. Let’s encourage a feedback system where public areas that are limited accessibility are brought to the City’s attention, which make it easier to manage and address in correcting. The City could offer an accessibility audit for private businesses, or program that provides assistance in awareness or in transformation into an accessibility friendly space. |
| Since the 1950s, most new residential and commercial development in Hamilton has been single-use suburban sprawl. Do you believe Hamilton needs to concentrate new development within the already-built area? Why or why not? | Yes | I do not think development should be concentrated on solely in these areas. Although there was in the past, rapid growth and development and a trend to living in suburbs, and perhaps it is still, the trend, however, appears to be shifting and changing. People are looking to live in urban areas that expose them to diverse cultures, accessibility resulting in less car ownership, they enjoy the urban sense of community and with working, socializing and living in a concentrated urban area rely heavily on several modes of transportation. Another trend that fuels the urban development and living there is the concern and care for the environment and the thumbprint they are leaving. |
| Council has voted dozens of times since 2008 to advance Hamilton's light rail transit (LRT) project, including voting to submit the plan with a full funding request to the Province in 2013, and voting to accept full funding and implementation from the Province in 2015. Do you support completing the LRT plan? Why or why not? | Yes | We need improved ways to move around the city; faster, more efficient, less pollution. I do support the LRT along with the BLAST network to accommodate the growth and development not only within the city but also the mountain, Waterdown, Ancaster, airport. Currently, Hamilton has a precarious work rate of 60% which has a negative effect on lives, potential growth of a city and home affordability. LRT along with the BLAST network will not only support the cities transit needs but extend to combat this precarious work and affordable homes epidemic. |
