Ward 5: With no incumbent, 11 candidates focus on safe streets, development and the environment
Bobby Hristova | CBC News | Posted: October 19, 2022 6:15 PM | Last Updated: October 19, 2022
Coun. Russ Powers isn't running after he replaced councillor Chad Collins after Collins became a Liberal MP
CBC Hamilton asked all candidates running for Hamilton city council to share their priorities and speak to an issue that stands out to them as needing to be addressed in their ward. Their answers are left here in full, with light editing only for spelling/grammar. For the candidates who did not answer the CBC Hamilton questionnaire, information has been drawn from their websites, when possible. All of CBC Hamilton's election coverage can be found here.
Road safety, preventing overdevelopment and the environment area among the top issues in the area east of the Redhill, according to Ward 5 councillor candidates.
The lower city ward is bordered by the Mountain to the south, the Red Hill Valley Parkway to the west and Lake Ontario and Hamilton Harbour to the north. The eastern ward boundary follows along Gray Road from the escarpment to Lake Ontario.
Ward 5 includes the beach strip up to the Canal Bridge and the ship canal which separates Hamilton and Burlington. It is also home to St. Joseph's Community Health Centre, Eastgate Square, Battlefield Park, Confederation Park and King's Forest.
The city website says there are 41,855 residents in the ward. There's a higher unemployment rate, a higher proportion of immigrants, single mothers and residents over 55 in the area compared to the municipality.
The average household income in the ward is $66,755 compared to the city average of $87,775. About half of residents in the ward are renters, much higher than the 32 per cent of people across the municipality who rent.
Ward 5 Coun. Russ Powers, who took over after longtime councillor Chad Collins became Liberal Member of Parliament of Hamilton East—Stoney Creek, isn't running which means there will be a new face representing the area.
All the candidates support freezing the urban boundary, support having the city run the light-rail transit (LRT) system and agree the city isn't doing enough to fight climate change.
But there are rifts between candidates on issues like eliminating area rating, shifting funds from police to social agencies, reverting Main Street back to two-way traffic and supporting the presence of a safe injection site in the ward.
Here are the candidates for the ward:
Sebastian Aldea
Aldea ran for the Ontario Party in the Burlington riding this provincial election, amassing 1.4 per cent of total votes.
The Ontario Party opposes public health measures related to COVID-19, opposes abortion and believes there are only two genders.
On the party's page, Aldea says he was born in Ploiesti, Romania and eventually immigrated to Hamilton.
He says he's trying to prevent Ontario from suffering "the scourge of communist totalitarianism."
On Twitter, Aldea posted a transphobic meme.
Krysta Boyer
Boyer, 42, describes herself as a commercial realtor.
Describe one pressing issue facing your ward and what you'd do about it: There are several issues facing Ward 5 and the city as a whole and the most common concern I am hearing among residents is neighbourhood safety. Streets have become less safe, and residents feel helpless to do anything about it. Drivers are ignoring stop signs, and are regularly speeding through the neighbourhoods. As councillor I will be engaging with every neighbourhood and the residents that live there to conduct an audit on what their safety concerns are. From that, with the support of neighbourhood stakeholders, and city staff, I will develop a strategy which will be implemented for each neighbourhood to restore safety to the neighbourhood. I will also create several neighbourhood committees where residents will have the opportunity to meet regularly and share any concerns, needs, and any ideas they may have. This engagement will also allow us to review the impact any of the improvements have had for the neighbourhoods. One of the main reasons I ran for council is so that I could work with our residents to restore safety in our neighbourhoods, while creating a level of engagement which leads to more listening on the councillors part.
Name up to 3 policies you'd put forward or support if elected: I will work toward creating safer streets and neighbourhoods where community engagement will be central to the development of any strategies. Safety includes plans for managing/reducing increased traffic volume, providing reliable transit, and creating options for transit. I will work with stakeholders in the community and public and private sectors to establish an actionable plan to manage the cost of rising homes, over-intensified development in our community, and solutions for our neighbours who are homeless. There are several steps involved in this at the city level and as well as advocating to the federal and provincial governments for policy change and funding. I will continue to support our local businesses with a proactive strategy where businesses will receive timely responses from the city, incentives programs will be easier to access, and a plan to encourage growth in areas which need it such as downtown Stoney Creek. I will bring community events to Ward 5 to celebrate the wonderful residents that live here. These community events will serve to create Ward 5 as a standalone ward where residents providing events for children, families, seniors and adults.
Matt Francis
Francis is 32.
Describe one pressing issue facing your ward and what you'd do about it: No overdevelopment: Protecting Ward 5 from drastic intensification proposals such as 40 storey towers at Eastgate Square and fourplexes in our established neighbourhoods. This will create traffic congestion, decrease parking for residents and strain our infrastructure. The tallest buildings in our entire city should not reside on Centennial Parkway. I will continue to stand up for our community and push back against these drastic intensification proposals. I have spoken to thousands of residents and they are concerned about the future of our beautiful community.
Name up to 3 policies you'd put forward or support if elected: Low taxes: No property tax hikes to pay for light-rail transit (LRT) cost overruns. I will propose that re-developed municipal lands must include an affordable housing component for seniors and people with disabilities. Giving the police the resources to effectively do their jobs. This will prevent crime, speeding and make our community safer for drivers and pedestrians. Lowering speed limits, adding speed bumps and increasing visibility in areas identified as dangerous by our community.
Kevin Geenen
Geenen describes himself on social media as a former legislative assistant at Parliament Hill and a former constituency assistant at the Legislative Assembly of Alberta. He has also been a Conservative Party member.
He worked at the Hamilton airport, was an office administrator at RE/MAX and has done some freelance journalism. He has a following on social media for posting graphics with local headlines and information.
Some of his campaign promises include:
- Working to ensure pedestrian access to Fisherman's Pier and consult with the community regarding possible rejuvenation plans for the entire Lift Bridge area.
- Strengthen neighbourhood watches, increasing pedestrian safety, and improving police effectiveness and transparency.
- Consult with community members about if there is desire to extend HSR service further east into the Winona region or whether the current Transcab transfer service is adequate.
- Increase the affordable housing and general housing supply, promote secondary-dwelling units, advocate for tenants's rights, and help develop the missing middle.
Stan Habza
Habza didn't provide his age, only saying he's "old enough to know better, too young to resist running." He described himself as a former pollution abatement officer for the Hamilton Wentworth region.
Describe one pressing issue facing your ward and what you'd do about it: In talking with constituents of Ward 5, the following all are pressing issues: high residential and business taxes: any higher we will all be living in tents! Infrastructure roads: put user fees on the Linc and Red Hill Valley Parkway. User fees generated should be used for maintaining all roads and sewers throughout the city. Improving St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton ambulance services to include an emergency trauma facility. Hold a lottery and development of lands in Ward 5. No urban sprawl. All issues carry the same weight
Name up to 3 policies you'd put forward or support if elected: User Fees on the Linc and Red Hill Valley Parkway; Lower speed limits in residential, school, park and hospital areas; Get the St. Joe's ambulatory facility upgraded to an emergency trauma facility.
Bob Hurst
Hurst is 43 and described himself as a senior service agent with Canada Revenue Agency.
Describe one pressing issue facing your ward and what you'd do about it: Like many areas of Hamilton, we need to determine the role that Ward 5 will play in increasing the housing supply. In order to stay within the firm urban boundary, new housing is needed in all parts of the city, but we have to make sure to balance that with concerns within our existing neighbourhoods. I will make sure that citizens of the area have their chance to voice their concerns, and ensure the city is addressing those concerns as best as possible, such as increased vehicle traffic and other infrastructure needs. Part of the increased intensification has to include increased transit service throughout the city. Traffic is a major concern for many residents, so we need to provide alternate methods of travel to make people less car-dependent. We also need to make sure that new housing includes affordable housing. Housing prices everywhere have gone up significantly recently, but if we can provide more availability, that will hopefully slow the pace of price increases. While my approach may not necessarily be new, I think it is important to include community members in the process and see reasonable compromises made as a result.
Name up to 3 policies you'd put forward or support if elected: First, increased and improved transit, particularly to under-served areas outside of the old city of Hamilton. Along with that increase, we need to look and see if there would be value in modifying some of the routes to better serve transit users. I would also like to explore options of reduce cost or free transit for certain population groups (high school students or seniors, low income, etc.), or even trying seasonal free transit. If we are willing to forego city parking revenue to encourage shopping during the holidays, why can't we do the same for bus fares to increase travel across the city? Second, we need a comprehensive plan to tackle our infrastructure deficit. If we continue to push the infrastructure costs onto future councils, we will have even more emergency repairs and it will ultimately cost us even more. We need to carefully plan what needs to be done and stick to it, to make sure that we don't constantly have to deal with sudden road closures. Third, we need to improve pedestrian and road safety toward Vision Zero. I would like to see the city launch a major advertising campaign to encourage care when using the roads.
Ryan Ladner
Ladner didn't appear to have a website or any campaign information on social media platforms.
Lynda Lukasik
Lukasik is 55 and is the executive director of Environment Hamilton.
Describe one pressing issue facing your ward and what you'd do about it: Smart Urban Growth Management – Ward 5 is on the cusp of major change with infill projects proposed for the Queenston/Centennial (near future LRT and GO Train service) and King Street corridors. The city must get these developments right, ensuring quality of life for current and future residents is not compromised. I will call for a Complete Streets Audit – especially around these corridors – to ensure safe streets for people of all mobility abilities and cyclists, to support public transit, and ensure vehicular traffic is managed. Comprehensive street safety work – prioritizing active transit and public transportation – has never been undertaken in Ward 5 in any meaningful way. Housing choice and affordability must also be considered in these re-developments, including: deeply affordable (less than 30 per cent household income), affordable, fully accessible, & family friendly housing, and the use of green development standards to ensure new housing is climate resilient. I hold a PhD in planning and I will apply my academic skills, along with over 20 years of advocating for smart urban planning at City Hall, to ensure Ward 5 redevelopment happens in a way that brings benefits to all residents.
Name up to 3 policies you'd put forward or support if elected: I will continue to advocate for proper resourcing and implementation of the city's Climate Action Strategy (CAS). Hamilton lags behind other municipalities on climate action because efforts have largely been put on hold during the pandemic. The new council must ensure the CAS is swiftly implemented. The CAS's mitigation plan will create green jobs and enhance quality of life while building climate resilience in our city. Its adaptation plan will help realize climate justice by ensuring that marginalized community members don't suffer from climate change impacts like extreme heat or cold. I also support the call for a 'maximum heat by-law' that would require landlords to provide cooling in rental units when the temperature exceeds a trigger value, just as they are required to provide heating during cold weather. This policy is urgently needed as marginalized Hamiltonians already struggle with health impacts from extreme heat. Finally, I will support accelerating implementation of the city's Complete Streets policies. Council approved a 'Complete Liveable Better Streets' design manual & priority must be placed on applying these methods to unsafe streets across the city.
Gordon Noble
Noble is 62 and describes himself as a retiree.
Describe one pressing issue facing your ward and what you'd do about it: Since amalgamation, Ward 5 has lost its identity. As your councillor, I will strive to return that identity. We will celebrate our downtown core and our beachfront which has been underappreciated, neglected and ignored. We need to embrace all the opportunities that Ward 5 has to offer.
Name up to 3 policies you'd put forward or support if elected: I spent 36 years working in senior positions within the City of Hamilton and I have seen the good, the bad, and the ugly of city spending. I am committed to ensuring that our tax dollars are being well spent. We need safe streets for pedestrians, cyclists and motorists. We require traffic calming areas for all our streets.
Angela Pugliese
Pugliese is 59 and describes herself as having 17 years in customer service, working as a small business person with a disability.
Describe one pressing issue facing your ward and what you'd do about it: The upcoming project at Eastgate Mall, so many concerns from merchants and employees of the future the mall, overcapacity of condominiums in this project is a major concern. If elected I would look into this plan, I will reassure merchants that I would support this mall and it will remain indoors and accessible, we need a balanced project plan that meets the needs of residents, we have a housing crisis that needs to be addressed.
Name up to 3 policies you'd put forward or support if elected: First, to make Hamilton the most accessible city. Second, create double housing stock in Hamilton, and end homeless. Third, to make Hamilton the most substantial city.
George Rusich
Rusich is 40 and describes himself as the owner of Karma Wellness Clinic.
Describe one pressing issue facing your ward and what you'd do about it: Under-utilized beachfront along Confederation Park. I'd develop an entertainment district, including sports and recreational vendors, a gaming area, art and music vendors of local talent and cultural festivities. I'd also renovate the beachfront property by enhancing and upgrading Wild Waterworks. This will create a must visit tourist destination, creating numerous jobs and promote inclusivity and diversity.
Name up to 3 policies you'd put forward or support if elected: Recreational annual fund of $500 for every youth under 16 years of age. Small business discount of 15 per cent to Ward 5 residents buying or using the products and services of businesses located within the ward. Community on-demand transport system for seniors aged 65 and up at a flat fee of $3 within Hamilton.
School board trustees
The candidates for school board trustees in the area are:
Public school candidates:
- Zahid Butt
- Marie Jackson
- Nancy Silva Khan
- Joseph Szigeti
- Todd White
Catholic school candidates:
- Aldo D'Intino (incumbent)
- Lucas Mascotto-Carbone
For more of CBC Hamilton's election coverage:
- Student groups among those doing final push to get out the vote in Hamilton this week
- OPINION | At 18, I only recently realized the importance of community engagement and politics
- WATCH: CBC Hamilton's community election panel at the Hamilton Public Library, Saturday, Oct. 15
- Why some Hamilton-area residents are choosing not to vote this municipal election