Court in Ontario city struggling with gun crime closes over safety fears
Global News
Hamilton, one of the most populated cities in Ontario, has seen a rise in shootings this year and if it doesn't get it under control, 'incredible opportunities' could be wasted.
A federal courthouse is leaving an Ontario city plagued by gun violence to ensure the safety of visitors and staff.
Hamilton, which is one of the most populated cities in the province, has seen a rise in shootings this year, police tell Global News; 13 of those have happened in broad daylight in busy areas.
One of them happened near the Tax Court of Canada last month, which until July 19, had a location in the downtown core — an area of the city with “incredible opportunities” to progress that could be lost if Hamilton doesn’t get the violence under control, business advocates say.
“This has been an ongoing issue that I believe that the lack of progress on it is starting to impact people’s decision making. … The people who are going to choose to leave are the people who can, and the businesses who can,” said Greg Dunnett, president and CEO of the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce.
“We have these incredible opportunities in the pipeline for our downtown: we have the LRT, we have a new arena district, we are working towards having a thriving part of our community, but we need to address this issue to allow those opportunities to reach their potential.”
The Tax Court of Canada informed the public and the legal profession of the closure in a notice July 19.
“As a result of ongoing security concerns for the public, employees and members of the court, the Tax Court of Canada has made the decision to cease its operations at its current Hamilton location, permanently and effective immediately,” Chief Justice Gabrielle St-Hilaire said in that notice.
“We are aware that this measure will cause inconvenience and delays for parties in the Greater Toronto Area, Hamilton and Niagara. The Tax Court of Canada has requested that the relocation process be accelerated.”
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