Elections
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?
Responses to the question: "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? "
In This Page:
53 Candidate Responses (top)
| Mayor | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Brief Response | Full Response |
| Davis, Jim | Yes | Global warming is everyone's responsibility and by keeping our industries in check to follow the guidelines is a starting point. Our upper Governments have to push the auto industry to move faster on removing the internal combustion engine, one of the top polluters in North America. |
| Eisenberger, Fred | Yes | Yes. Municipalities have a huge role to play. We need to continue to decrease emissions that contribute to global warming. Transitioning to low-energy LED street lighting is an example, as well as electric transit vehicles including LRT. |
| Gomes, Carlos | Yes | Yes we all need to take responsibility for the role we play in global warming, starting with larger fines for companies like steelco And defasco who contribute to most of that problem. Taxpayers pay a higher carbon tax than, the companies, meanwhile we product it go to and from work. Company contribute on a daily basis. How does that make any sense to our current government? |
| Graydon, Edward HC | Yes | I am inclined to the frame of thinking that should the steel plants cease to exist it might go a long way to solving many of your questions.If you really want to do your part for global warming all while monumentally changing Hamilton help eliminate the cause and source of the problem.Would not every living thing on earth benefit from the steel plants demise not only immediately but over time? Would it be reasonable to assume that the living conditions of thousands of Hamiltonians would be greatly improved? Would you not assume that the planet as a whole would benefit ?
I would align with actions that would see the end of steel production in Hamilton .I have no concern ,neither am I particularly sympathetic to those that would like to pander to their on going existence |
| Pattison, Michael | Yes | With climate change now rearing its head in so many directions, I don’t begin to have the answers but these are important conversations we need to be having. The city is finding out the hard way that planning and building for the fast-changing progression of climate change is real and we seem to be on the reactionary side of dealing with it. More permeable surfaces must be a top priority in dealing with precipitation. Public cooling and heating zones/kiosks must become a norm in this Municipality as well. City services such as waste collection and arterial road work should all be committed to the night time, trying to alleviate congestion, exhaust and CO2 levels. |
| Schmid-Jones, Ute | Yes | I am proud to be dedicated to taking climate change seriously. That's why I ran for the Green Party, and why I have specifically branded myself for this election as Hamilton’s mayoral choice for Environmental and Economic Climate Resilience. The thing to understand about climate change is not only that ignoring it has enormous costs, but that tackling it can have enormous benefits. The clean energy economy is the fastest growing part of the world economy and currently creates jobs faster than any other sector. I would like not only to see Hamilton establish more concrete plans to be prepared for things like more extreme flooding events, but more importantly I would like to see Hamilton positioning itself to serve as a hub for green jobs. What communities seem to be discovering over and over again is that resilience for the local environment and resilience in the local economy isn't an either or proposition, but something that happens together. |
| Sgro, Vito | N/A | Please use our website vitosgroformayor.ca as the the answer to the provided questions. |
| Tavares, Ricky | N/A | How much are you going to pay me ? $100 and I will communicate with you at your basic level. Otherwise you are useless to me and Hamilton. |
| Wozny, Mark | Yes | Climate change seems to be one of the hot buttons at all level of government.
While City Council on its own, might not be able to effect changes in construction and by-laws that would redirect housing and fossil fuel consumption, the committee of Large City Mayors could certainly lobby to Provincial and Federal governments to ensure that new units become 'solar powered' Solar power costs have gone from some $200 per kwh to some $55 per kwh (in U.S. dollars) Given the plumetting costs and the ability to power not only the home, but vehicles as well, this is something that should be part of the government mandate - perhaps not only on the City level, but through the CMHC - mortgages/loans as the majority are guarranteed by the Canadian Citizens. Hamilton should maintain its forest canopy and ensure all 'treed properties' are preserved, at least as long as possible, in the face of new development. All new housing should be equiped with rainwater reservoirs. Especially in a pinch, the water can be used to maintain yard health, particularly the trees which might consume some 5 gallons of water when in a mature stage. |
| Yan, Nathalie Xian Yi | Yes | Municipal level is the closest level of government to the people. It is a municipal government obligation to take responsibility for their strategy plan and actions to guide therefore the citizens are accountable for recycling and other methods to reduce the carbon footprint. Everything we do everything we plan to do has social and economic consequences on society and-future generations. We see the pollution we see the global warming we see the disasters happening around the world. It is the responsibility of newly elected councilors and individual citizens to consider how new economic model should be designed as environmental oriented designs |
| Ward 01 | ||
| Candidate | Brief Response | Full Response |
| Allen, Jason | Yes | Cities have the greatest role to play in climate change adaptation (resilience) despite having a smaller role in mitigation. Hamilton has a climate change charter it implemented in 2011 and the city has already taken many steps towards reducing its climate footprint. For instance, emissions in Hamilton were reduced by 29% between 2006 and 2012, exceeding the target by 205. An adaption issue we are already facing is regular flooding incidents, which will require the refitting of our storm water system. I would like to see a storm water charge applied to property owners with large parking lots that would then go towards upgrading the storm water system so it doesn’t dump sewage into the bay or Cootes Paradise during a heavy storm. We could also mandate permeable pavers for those wishing to pave their front yards to make them into parking spots. Finally, we need to better communicate to people how to be prepared for extreme weather events, including creating a heat event plan that would prevent the deaths of isolated people (especially seniors) in the event of a protracted heat warning. |
| Anderson, Sharon | Yes | Yes. As Cities are where the majority of the world's population now lives I think that municipal governments have the potential and the ability to affect massive positive change on this issue. I've provided five examples of programs which the City could implement to help address this challenge, it is by no means an exhaustive list. Some of these programs we could do in isolation, others will work best if we team up with neighbouring municipalities to accomplish.
* Electric buses, electric city vehicles and electric small equipment * Clear plastic bags for garbage pickup to make sure recyclables have not been included in the garbage; an alternative to the plastic bags would need to be developed in the long term * Solar panels and other forms of green energy as well as green roofs for all City facilities and infrastructure where possible * Zoning laws which strongly encourage solar panels on private homes and residential buildings * A phased-in ban on single use plastics. However bans on single use plastic straws need to consult advocacy groups for persons with disabilities for feasible alternatives prior to implementation. |
| Cole, Sharon | Yes | Absolutely and particularly with those City facilities and services that are within the City's sphere of influence. For example, reductions in emissions from built environments, reductions in energy and water consumption. Reductions in emissions as part of the overall Transit Plan, including strategies to expand the use of clean energy and electricity options in public vehicles, buses, rapid transit, etc. Strategies to reduce the reliance on automobiles. Reduce the requirement for fossil fuels, landfill emissions, landfill use and increased recycling options and reductions in food and agricultural emissions. |
| Eroglu, Ela | Yes | Climate change is one of the biggest problems facing not just Hamiltonians but all humanity. Hamiltonians are supportive and committed to tackle the immediate threat and to take any necessary steps to deal with climate change. The City should establish itself as a leader in the fight against climate change by setting examples and establishing standards and benchmarks for environmentally-sustainable developments. Unless we act now, it may be too late. We have nothing to lose from keeping the environment sustainable, but everything to lose if we neglect it. |
| Geffros, Sophie | Yes | Hamilton must commit to environmental justice in all aspects of our decision making. That includes making sure that Hamiltonians are able to safely use active transportation such as cycling, and fully implementing LRT. It also means ensuring that all new development is in accordance with a gold or platinum LEED certification. Hamilton should also participate in the LEED for cities pilot project to ensure that our city in general is in accordance with the highest LEED standards.
With rising temperatures, heat waves are quickly becoming a public health crisis specifically for some older adults and people taking certain medications. As we proceed with the creation of our Urban Forest Strategy we must not wait to take action. From pedestrian safety to urban cooling to stormwater drainage to beauty, street trees provide immense benefits to our city and our communities. While many areas of Ward One are filled with street trees this is not equal everywhere in our Ward. For example, in Strathcona, especially along Main and King streets there is an absence of trees for large stretches. Street trees benefit us from a public health, an economic, a social, and an environmental perspective and it’s time we got serious about planting and conservation. Looking ahead we need to raise awareness and usage of Hamilton’s Street Tree Planting Program modelling best practices from OPIRG’s Hamilton Street Tree Project. Additionally we must address the gaps along major arteries like Main street and KIng Street and ensure legislation prevents developers from removing more street trees needlessly. |
| Massie, Richard | Yes | Hamilton is protected from ocean levels rising and severe drought living in the interior and beside the Great Lakes,. However, we can expect the costs of storms, snow removal and stormwater flooding to increase and negatively impact city operations. Our City government decisions can have a faster impact locally than federal initiatives |
| Miklos, Lyla | Yes | Protecting our Tree Canopy and Urban Forests. Implementing LRT so we are not dependent on fossil fuels to power our public transit system. |
| Narducci, Linda | 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. |
| White, Harrison | Yes | Hamilton needs to play a role in addressing climate change. Many cities across the world were addressing climate change issues prior to international agreements such as the Paris Climate Agreement. Many cities in the United States continue to participate in combatting climate change despite their nation’s withdrawal from the agreement. Hamilton should act just as other major cities have and recognize the importance of combatting climate change. There are aspects the city needs to improve, that would also assist in combatting climate change. Improving public transit for example, the use of the LRT, according to the EPA released by the city, will help cut back on three major air pollutants. Developing and improving public transit further would continue to assist in cutting green house gases through reducing the use of personal vehicles. |
| Wilson, Maureen | Yes | As discussions about climate become hijacked by partisan agendas, there is an opportunity and need for cities to step up and act on behalf of an urbanizing nation and planet.
1. Remove hidden subsidies and pricing system that favours greenfield development The most important action cities can take in addressing climate change is to direct where residents live. Urban planners have been speaking about the need for compact urban development for over 30 years, however, sprawl continues. Human beings respond to price changes. The biggest deterrent to tobacco consumption occurs with an increase in the taxes levied against tobacco. The auto industry shifted to compact cars after consumers were beset by an energy crisis in the early 1970s. It is no different in terms of land development. On this front, Dr. Pamela Blais has revealed a municipal land development system that acts as a disincentive to urban development because it is riddled with hidden subsidies and a pricing system that favours greenfield development which, in turn, uses up a tremendous amount of energy in its servicing and is more reliant on the private automobile. 2. Development and Implement an Urban canopy and plantation strategy that is responsive to a changing climate Trees, shrubs and other greenery add to our property values, offers habitat to many wildlife species, and shade to all. The city must reexamine its own tree planting list to ensure that what is being planted is amenable to extreme temperature conditions and disease. The City must lead in insisting that trees are considered essential public infrastructure in development plans and in the (re)construction of public space including walkways. The City of Chicago has a decade old vegetation strategy that sees that municipality planting butterfly weed and spartina grasses that absorb runoff and filter pollutants like de-icing salts used on sidewalks and roadways. Chicago also uses thermal radar to identify the city’s hottest locations which then become the focus for pavement removal and green roofs. 3. Retool and Adapt Our Infrastructure Each time our physical infrastructure undergoes reconstruction the City could use that period of rebuild to refigure our infrastructure in response to climate change. Again, Chicago serves as an example. That city installs below surface storage tanks during road reconstruction to permanently catch and hold rain water to prevent flooding and avoid combined sewer overflow into waterways, like our Harbour and creeks. 4. Build Better Transit An accessible, reliable and affordable city transit system will encourage and enable more residents to choose public transit and be less reliant on private auto. This, in turn, will impact GHG emissions. 5. A fair Water-Waste Water Levy Hamilton’s stormwater management system is currently paid primarily through water bill rates. As stormwater costs rise, conservation efforts have reduced the amount of money available for this purpose. Large impervious areas like commercial parking lots contribute the most to stormwater runoff, without contributing to the costs of dealing with it, while nearby households that face greater flooding risks are left to foot the bill. I support a new stormwater system, similar to the ones in place in London, Mississauga and Ottawa, that supports conservation efforts and is more transparent by design. 6. Firm urban boundaries See my response to the first question in this survey. Thank you 8. More Permeable surfaces The City must commit to a target of permeable surface in all new developments and during the redevelopment of existing space. At present, these asphalted areas are heat sinks that prohibit night time temperatures from falling in the summer months. What’s more, permeable surfaces would help address the residential flooding of basements and improve water quality by easing pressure on our older combined sewer/water system. 9. Safe Shared Streets Protected, safe and continuous bike lanes would offer more residents a safe and convenient alternative mode of travel and ease reliance on the private automobile. This, in turn, would improve our air quality and limit our GHG emissions. Safer pedestrian crossings and walkways with slower traffic speeds throughout and between our neighbourhoods would also help support our natural environment for the same reasons. |
| Ward 02 | ||
| Candidate | Brief Response | Full Response |
| Daljeet, Suresh Venodh | Yes | Climate Change will not only affect us but future generations as well. There's no reason, with today's technology, we should still be polluting the way we are. Of course Hamilton should play a role. We've come a long way already and we have to continue enforcing our emission standards and hold polluters accountable.
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| Farr, Jason | Yes | Firstly, we should set examples by the way we operate as a corporation. Past examples of efforts that speak to our acknowledgment that this is a serious issue include, but are not limited to, City-wide street lighting transformation to lower impact L.E.D. tech, Community Energy shared heating and cooling of Downtown facilities and solar lighting installations where applicable.
We were one of the first Ontario cities to support the Blue Dot movement through a motion of Council. We also regularly support and receive guidance from our friends in outside organisations like Environment Hamilton. The environment is a priority in Hamilton as Council regularly fully supports increased actions toward polluters from our industrial core and beyond. We are demonstrating as a local governing body an awareness and belief in global warming and must continue to do so and govern accordingly. |
| Kroetsch, Cameron | Yes | Yes, every person, business, and government must play a role in addressing climate change. The City should be focusing on:
● Developing a Hamilton Green Standard (similar to the Toronto Green Standard , now in its third version) for new development. We need to ensure that we don’t build new structures that make the problem worse. ● Improving our air quality. We can do this by planting more trees and protecting the trees we have. If we have to remove trees we should be replacing them with more trees, not just an equal amount. This also means a protected and connected bike lane network across the entire city. ● Taking the Community Climate Change Action Plan seriously. At present, the public information available on the City’s actions in relation to this plan is non-existent. We must make sure that we’re either implementing this plan aggressively with real public targets or revisiting it to ensure that it meets more realistic goals. |
| Smith, Nicole | Yes | LRT is one significant step but the city can do a lot more with solar energy on rooftops and developing a complete protected north-south as well as east-west cycling route. By making cycling a viable option for all ages, we address multiple goals of health and well-being, better safety, and cleaner air. |
| Tennant, Mark | Yes | I support The Green energy act. There is always more to do with regards to Green energy. More education to residents with regards to recycling, low carbon emissions, Etc. Renewable and 100% sustainable energy needs to be the focus and future for our city. With many pressing issues, each has to be addressed and prioritized. Again, the city needs to engage experts and work collaboratively with them to move the initiative forward. |
| Ward 03 | ||
| Candidate | Brief Response | Full Response |
| Bureau, Alain | Yes | |
| Farr, Laura | Yes | We do play a role already, and this work needs to be continued. The City does some good things - proactively asking home owners to plant trees on their property in road allowances (Street Tree Program), and measuring the Greenhouse Gas emissions inventory and targets. Most people don’t know that the City of Hamilton achieved the corporate 2012 and 2020 emissions targets for reduction already. A further 50% reduction of 2005 greenhouse gases levels by 2030 and an 80% reduction of 2005 greenhouse gases levels by 2050 has now been set.
The Community Climate Change Plan was also developed (http://climatechangehamilton.ca/plan/) , and work continues in a partnership with the City of Hamilton Public Health Department (CleanAirHamilton), GreenVenture, and other stakeholders. |
| Kuruc, Ned | Yes | It is important that the city of Hamilton adapt internal measures to ensure that our day-to-day operations move toward a more sustainable future. It is also important that the city establish guidelines that will guide our decisions to ensure they comply with standards that will contribute to a sustainable future. |
| Nann, Nrinder | Yes | Yes, Hamilton and all cities have a role to play in addressing climate change, such as:
* Building better transit to make it easier for people to leave the car at home * Working with industry to reduce particulate matter and other pollutants * Studying other cities' green roof programs and implementing one here * Creating more Electric Vehicle parking spaces to make it more attractive to consumers to purchase an EV or PHEV. * Look at modernizing Hamilton's fleet vehicles with hybrids or EVs where costs allow * Expand on incentives for new developments to be more energy efficient |
| Smith, Dan | Yes | I think we should play a role. I think better monitoring of air quality from our factories is needed, as well, we need to encourage more people to start using less polluting methods of transportation such as cycling and, walking and public transit. |
| Sprague, Kristeen | Yes | I do think Hamilton should play a role in addressing climate change, because climate change will affect us whether we like it or not. Climate change impacts more than just our physical environment. It also impacts people's stress levels and general health. Concrete improvements include making sure that we invest in affordable, accessible public transit, protecting our green spaces, and encouraging forms of recreation and recreational infrastructure that allows people to walk and ride bicycles safely. We also need to research and understand how problems such as gentrification contribute to global warming. The elimination of our manufacturing industry make seem "green" to some people, but it's hardly "green" to manufacture steel in Hamilton and yet import steel from across the world to build our LRT. We will always need manufacturing, so we need to consider how glossing over our working class base and history and relying more heavily on importation and outsourcing supplies actually contributes to climate change. |
| Ward 04 | ||
| Candidate | Brief Response | Full Response |
| Merulla, Sam | Yes | Again, since the early 2000's I have sponsored infrastructure renewal that eliminated the flooding crisis in East Hamilton and facilitated the creation of the Storm Emergency Response Group to study climate change issues and recommend changes to accommodate accordingly. |
| Ward 05 | ||
| Candidate | Brief Response | Full Response |
| Yes | ||
| Maldonado, Juanita | Yes | Yes. |
| Ward 06 | ||
| Candidate | Brief Response | Full Response |
| Jackson, Tom | Yes | Our Local Government has promoted an environmentally friendly City. Strong Citizen advocates in concert with City Council have successfully pushed for greater industry standards on pollution emissions and also many measures have been taken to transform the image of our City to a cleaner, greener, more attractive destination place. |
| Taylor, Timothy | Yes | I think Hamilton already is playing a role. The HSR 10 year transit plan, the proposed LRT plan, traffic initiatives... Not to mention holding industry responsible for their pollution control measures. |
| Ward 07 | ||
| Candidate | Brief Response | Full Response |
| Benson, Steve | Yes | I am concerned when it comes to the planet. However, I do not believe that people should be taxed for this issue. Having to pay additional taxes with no proof that these taxes will help reduce the carbon footprint, is hard to swallow.
Plus, the fact that companies with deep pockets can buy carbon credits to add to the pollution, negates everything this tax is supposed to represent. With that said – the pollution generated in Hamilton has been reduced by 90% since the 1990’s. This in part Provincial governments recent new mandate of accumulative pollution taking into account air pollution moving in from the USA and not individual pollution as it has been. Obviously, working toward zero emissions is the ultimate goal. However, within this framework, we should address the water quality, or lack thereof, in Hamilton. Downtown Hamilton has over 600 km of piping, collecting both raw sewage and rainwater, mixing them together before heading to the Woodward treatment plant. Vulnerable to flooding and overflowing this summer beaches had to be closed due to blue/green algae and human waste floating in the Bay. Adding to this, years and years of toxic chemicals being disposed of in the area should give us, as Hamiltonians, serious cause to be concerned. |
| Kazubek, Joseph | Yes | I believe that even though the province has canceled the cap and trade, we as a city can look into offering some tax grants to present businesses and home owners within the city that as willing to invest into a greener future. I would consider using the new tax revenue from the dispensary that are looking to become licensed within the city to fund this program. Also any new permits will be required to follow set out guild lines to ensure low pollution production.
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| MacIntyre, Dan | Yes | I don’t pretend to be an expert on global warming. Aside from the obvious answers of: finding cost-effective ways to use cleaner energy, increasing ridership on our HSR system, and creating new green spaces. I do know that it served me very well to sit down with Lynda Lukasik, Executive Director of Environment Hamilton, back in May, and having that relationship grow will certainly aid me in making sure I’m doing the right thing. We absolutely, and on Hamilton Mountain in particular, need to eliminate a lot of the asphalt that exists. A great example is around the corner from my home at Upper Sherman and Mohawk. If you’re looking for a case study on how not to act as a responsible land owner or good corporate citizen come and walk the north-west parking lot with me. You’ll be amazed! |
| McMullen, Geraldine | Yes | The City has partnered with Mohawk College, the City of Burlington and Sustainable Hamilton Burlington in the development of the Centre for Climate Change Management at Mohawk. The goal of the Centre is to develop real solutions for Hamilton and area in the form of business and community greenhouse gas emission reduction. This, in turn, would create a more sustainable future of responsibility in our use of the planet’s resources. |
| Pauls, Esther | Yes | The City should be doing more with community heating systems and other opportunities to reduce green house gas emissions. |
| Ward 08 | ||
| Candidate | Brief Response | Full Response |
| Danko, John-Paul | Yes | We are already seeing the effects of Climate Change in Hamilton - engineers now oversize stormwater management systems and bridges because the historic 100 year flows are proving inadequate for a functional design. As an industrial city, there are a number of initiatives that we can undertake to address climate change that also help to reduce pollution. Focusing on infill transit oriented development instead of sprawl, supporting local agriculture, zoning and building permit changes to require better energy efficiency and higher quality construction with longer lifecycles, charging for stormwater runoff to discourage large impervious surfaces and continuing to expand Hamilton's urban forest canopy. |
| Wicken, Colleen | Yes | The city has an obligation to be a good steward of our community. Sustainability has three complimentary influences it is good for the environment, good for people and lowers our cost base as a city. |
| Ward 10 | ||
| Candidate | Brief Response | Full Response |
| Beattie, Jeff | Yes | Again, the City should be play a leadership role - but budget needs to be part of a balanced conversation. Green initiatives on new buildings, efficiency retrofits on existing facilities, and making low- or no emission vehicles part of the City's fleet should all be considered. |
| Ward 12 | ||
| Candidate | Brief Response | Full Response |
| Marley, Kevin | Yes | Yes, we need to be a leader not just in Ontario but in Canada. We need to strive to be the best by helping the residents of this city go green and have the city services themselves become a much greener enterprise |
| Scime, John | Yes | I believe that everyone has a humanitarian responsibility to do their part in addressing global warming. As a city, we need to continue to provide robust facilities to handle the changes and begin to influence behaviours of responsible waste reduction and curbing the atmospheric heat blanket that is continuing to thicken.
There are various components leading to the solution, but I believe that Hamilton can strive to be LEED Gold or Platinum in public buildings throughout the city. |
| Ward 13 | ||
| Candidate | Brief Response | Full Response |
| Gelder, Rich | Yes | In addition to re-committing to funding public transit so as to get people out of their cars, we need to ensure that our waste diversion program is robust. We need to solve the odour problem of our central composting facility and ensure measures are in place to ensure proper recycling initiatives. |
| Mitchell, Pamela | N/A | Declined to answer |
| Vanderbeek, Arlene | Yes | Yes, I think we have a responsibility to address global warming and climate change in our City, workplaces and homes. We signed the Blue Dot Declaration, as a Council. We all have to do this together and City leadership can be shown through active and open procurement policies that lean to addressing climate change, education and communication, and consistency in building a Hamilton Culture of Climate Change advocacy. |
| Ward 14 | ||
| Candidate | Brief Response | Full Response |
| Iszkula, Robert | Yes | Yes, Divesting from fossil fuels and encouraging all large organizations in Hamilton to do so would be a great start. It is also imperative that we anticipate environmental impacts when we create bylaws that drive development. Permeable pavers that reduce runoff pollution and heat island effects, planting more trees, encouraging use of electric vehicles, transit and cycling, as well as zoning so that people have amenities close to their houses - all of these can improve quality of life for local residents while at the same time making a positive impact on climate goals. |
| Whitehead, Terry | Yes | I think that as a municipality we have a responsibility to be educate our residents on making responsible decisions that can mitigate climate change. Ultimately, the jurisdiction and power to impose environmental policy and targets falls under provincial and federal jurisdiction and it is up to municipalities to comply with those directions.
We should be promoting environmentally friendly alternatives for transportation, providing the infrastructure to accommodate more electric vehicles, investing in green energy/technologies and start-ups, attracting entrepreneurs and innovation that are environmentally friendly. Of course the city is always responsible for educating residents on reducing waste at home that goes to our landfills. It's a complex issue and we must work together as a community to become an environmentally friendly centre of excellence. |
| Wilson, Bryan | Yes | Every municipality can play a role in this. There are many things we could be doing from installing rooftop solar on all city buildings, to planting trees in our downtown core.
I would love to see an expanded recycling program. We can offer a program as other cities do to redo lawns with drought resistant plants that need no care and no watering saving on water usage and storm runoff that when it comes from a grass lawn is usually full of harsh chemicals needing cleaning. Id love to see Hamilton implement a food forest for the food bank in a few different parts of the city. So that lower income individuals can have in season fresh fruits and vegetables and we get more green space. |
| Ward 15 | ||
| Candidate | Brief Response | Full Response |
| McKechnie, Susan | Yes | Again, reflecting on the strategic priorities of the city, a key element to consider has to do with environmental stewardship and being “Clean and Green.” It is important for Hamilton and for Hamiltonians to do their part. As a hub of the past steel mill boom, Hamilton unfortunately has a disproportionate share of responsibility on leading from a social stewardship perspective. As evidenced in progressive cities like Buffalo and Pittsburgh, moving away from steel to green is incredibly possible and incredibly lucrative. In Buffalo over 1 million square feet of previous Steel Mill Brownfield sites, still owned by the city, is home to Tesla’s Solar City. In Pittsburgh, entire street corridors are filled with autonomous vehicles, linking the city to its brain hub at Carnegie Mellon. Turning green can deliver incredible value – perhaps Hamilton can glean some inspiration from these and other great green leaders. |
Response Summary (top)
| Brief Response | Count | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Yes | 50 | 94.3% |
| No | 0 | 0.0% |
| Maybe | 0 | 0.0% |
