Hamilton mayor urges Ontario to push through Jamesville housing development despite CN's appeal
CBC
Mayor Andrea Horwath is appealing to the Ontario government for help in getting nearly 500 homes built in Hamilton despite CN Rail blocking the project for years.
The city evicted residents from 91 of its affordable townhouses — a community known as Jamesville — nearly 10 years ago, with the expectation of quickly redeveloping the property on James Street North.
But CN Rail, which operates a yard and tracks that are close by, previously said it's concerned about the impacts of odour, vibration and noise on future residents.
The private railway company appealed the city's Jamesville plans to the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT) in 2022, but the proceedings have dragged on.
The partially demolished site has sat vacant ever since, and is fenced off and deteriorating.
A hearing was supposed to take place last February, but that was cancelled, said the city in a news release the month before. At that time, both sides had requested a case management conference or settlement hearing for May or June.
But as of last week, no agreement had materialized, and Horwath announced she's asked the province to issue a Ministerial Zoning Order (MZO) to break the "logjam." An MZO would override any municipal land conflicts and allow the housing work to go ahead.
"Right now, we have a real chance to get it across the finish line," Horwath said in a video posted to Facebook. "But we need your help."
The Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing is accepting feedback until Aug. 12 about the Jamesville redevelopment before it makes its decision. The mayor urged residents to share their thoughts on redeveloping the site.
"You know what it would mean to see families, seniors and young couples thriving here again — not a boarded-up shell of what once was," the mayor said. "So let's get it done Hamilton."
The project would include 315 private market units and 160 affordable units in both stacked townhouses and apartment or condo towers. The stacked townhouses would be built first, notes the MZO posting.
The site would be developed by FRAM + Klokker, Melrose Investments Inc., Marz Homes and DeSantis Homes, with CityHousing Hamilton and Indwell providing the affordable units — some with wraparound supports.
CN Rail did not respond to a request for comment before publication. The story will be updated with any response.
In April 2024, a spokesperson told CBC Hamilton that while it is a part of the Hamilton community and wants to enable these kinds of projects, it has a duty to protect future residents living near its infrastructure.
Timiskaming—Cochrane MPP John Vanthof recalls the meeting in Thunder Bay earlier this month. He was part of the nine-day road trip along Highways 11 and 17 with other NDP MPPs.
A bill before the Nova Scotia Legislature is proposing raising the age limit for support for young people who have been in the foster care or group home system to 26.
The Fredericton Police Force has reallocated funds so new staff can be hired this year to better manage evidence after a police error upended murder cases against five people.
One of two pilots killed in a plane crash at New York's LaGuardia Airport Sunday earned his wings at an Ontario college, CBC News has learned.
Air Canada passengers who were aboard Flight 8646 when the CRJ-900 aircraft struck a fire truck upon landing at New York's LaGuardia Airport on Sunday evening say the collision was sudden and forceful, and they may owe their lives to the pilots who died in the incident.
Cardiac services are set to expand at a Winnipeg hospital once regarded as one of the best in Canada for heart care.
A 26-second TikTok video has ignited a larger conversation about vulnerable populations, theft and content creation.
Some family doctors and emergency room physicians working in Edmonton hospitals warn that an April 1 end to stipend pay arrangements could put patient care at risk and increase suffering.
An Auditor General of Canada report has found that B.C. saw drastically fewer international students than was forecast ever since wide-ranging federal immigration cuts began in 2024.
Six years after e-learning became a mandatory requirement to get an Ontario high school diploma, students don't appear to be taking online school to diversify their course selection as the province had intended, according to a CBC News analysis of provincial enrolment data.
Sarnia City Council will hold a special meeting Tuesday morning to respond to social media comments made by Coun. Bill Dennis, who criticized city spending on a new mural by Indigenous artist Kennady Osborne as “virtue signalling by woke politicians” — then made a series of comments in response to a reply from Aamjiwnaang Chief Janelle Nahmabin that some have characterized as unprofessional and aggressive.
While many Albertans continue to feel the pinch at the pump, Premier Danielle Smith says the government is not considering any fuel tax breaks, as it does not believe it will make much of a difference.
WARNING: This story contains disturbing details about gruesome deaths and sexual abuse.