Where Hamilton city councillors stand on the $3.4B offer for LRT
Several councillors worry about how much it will cost the city to operate the system
A $3.4-billion deal is on the table for light-rail transit (LRT) system in Hamilton, and city councillor Ester Pauls — who has been against the LRT — says Hamilton would be a "laughing stock" if it refused.
Federal and provincial officials behind the offer, each pitching in $1.7 billion, say it's for LRT or "no deal." And at some point, Hamilton city councillors will have to decide whether to accept the project or decline.
CBC News reached out each councillor to see where they weighed in on the issue. Here's who answered, who did not, and where they stand.
Wards 1 to 4
Councillors who represent wards below the escarpment from the Chedoke-Cootes area in the west to east Hamilton have all voiced support for LRT.
Coun. Nrinder Nann (Ward 3) told CBC News last week that she didn't want "to see the city miss out on this opportunity."
Coun. Maureen Wilson (Ward 1) has also advocated for LRT since her election, most recently posting on Twitter about how LRT in the neighbouring region of Waterloo can limit urban sprawl.
"Same same," she wrote, with the hashtag "Yes LRT."
Coun. Jason Farr (Ward 2) charts his support to when he first filled the seat in 2010. He said the project will create 7,000 jobs and bring a modern system to the "busiest transit corridor in Hamilton."
"I would say it's time to move," he said. "There is not a single road toward even a conversation about other options for these federal/provincial commitments."
Ward 4 (east Hamilton) councillor Sam Merulla says he too hasn't wavered.
"My position hasn't changed. Therefore, if the offer presented before us is identical in nature then we have deal. If not, then we need to talk," he said in an email.
Wards 5, 9, 10
While several versions of the LRT have been proposed over the years, this route would be a return to the original plan of a 14-kilometre line from McMaster University to Eastgate Square in Stoney Creek. That line would run alternately down King and Main streets.
Coun. Chad Collins (Ward 5) didn't answer inquiries for this story, but his thoughts on the project have been nuanced. Once an LRT opposer, Collins voted in favour of a plan in 2017, saying he didn't want to give "false hope" to residents fighting it.
He's voiced skepticism since that the province would come through with funding.
Ahead of the official announcement, Ward 9 (upper Stoney Creek) councillor Brad Clark reiterated his support for bus rapid transit (BRT) instead. He said that system would affect more people and worried about costs of running LRT — the $3.4 billion offer only applies to capital expenses. He's also written to the ministry supporting BRT along the A and B lines.
But both federal minster of infrastructure and communities Catherine McKenna and Ontario minister of transportation Caroline Mulroney have shot down any possibility that the money could be used differently.
Neighbouring councillor of Ward 10 (lower Stoney Creek) Maria Pearson, who has been against LRT since 2018, says city costs are on her mind too.
"I am very concerned what numbers are going to come in for ongoing operating and maintenance," she said.
Wards 6, 7, 8
Because the money disappears if the city doesn't take the deal, Ward 7 (central Mountain) councillor Esther Pauls says she has "no choice" but to say yes to LRT.
"I would hate to say no and give it to another city," she said. "We would be the laughing stock, I think, if that would happen."
Pauls says she still has questions, but the project will create jobs and housing. That's why some constituents opposed to LRT are changing their minds, she said.
"They're coming around, believe it or not."
She expects the question to come to council in June.
Ward 8 (west/central Mountain) councillor John-Paul Danko said he wants the project to be tendered immediately, saying it's shovel-ready and would help COVID-19 economic recovery.
The LRT's origins date back to 2007, when the city used a Metrolinx grant for an environmental assessment.
Danko has been vocal about his support, and was one of two councillors — the other being Wilson — who followed Mulroney for answers after a chaotic news conference announcing the project's cancellation in December 2019.
The minister had cited cost overruns and said Hamilton couldn't bear the costs of LRT. But the recent federal announcement to pitch in too has revived the system.
"There is no longer any discussion about if we will build LRT, the discussion now is how do we make sure this investment is leveraged to ensure all of Hamilton benefits," Danko said.
Still, Ward 6 (east Mountain) councillor Tom Jackson said his "preference" is BRT. Jackson says he worries about whether such a hefty offer would "in all likelihood rule out any future funding to build a system for the entire city."
Wards 11 to 15
Ward 11 (Glanbrook) councillor Brenda Johnson said she is opposed and that BRT needs to completed first to support the LRT. But Ward 12 (Ancaster) councillor Lloyd Ferguson, who's supported the project in the past, is less decided now.
"Maybe," he said about whether he would support it. Ferguson said he wants more information on operating costs and whether the service would be area-rated. He also worries that the construction would impact the ability of Ancaster residents to travel to and from the downtown area.
Ward 13 (Dundas) councillor Arlene VanderBeek and Ward 15 (Flamborough) councillor Judi Partridge both didn't reply. VanderBeek voted in favour of an LRT plan in 2017, and Partridge has been opposed.
Ward 14 councillor Terry Whitehead is still on sick leave, and his office says he will be until June 30.
Mayor Fred Eisenberger, who has pushed for LRT in Hamilton since 2014, called the federal announcement a "win." He said a memorandum of understanding would require a vote from council.