Thread by @EnvHamilton

Watching #HamOnt Council LIVE to support a #JustRecoveryHamOnt - great first delegation by @mjwhigginson about road safety and a Just Recovery!!! Watch with us: bit.ly/3oFH49eDelegat…

Next up is Maanvi Dhillon of the @MSU_McMaster - Maanvi is doing a fantastic job keeping up the MSU tradition of strong municipal advocacy in #HamOnt - great demands for transit and mobility justice, defunding the police, and more! (plus a #ClimateEmergency reference!)

Next up is @anthonymarco of @hamiltonlabour to speak for the third year in a row to talk living wage in #HamOnt - he and the HDLC are pushing for the city to be a full living wage employer!

Up next is Aya Younis to also speak to the student living wage issue in #HamOnt, another first time delegate doing a great job!

(note: if you know anyone's twitter handle who we mention in these tweets, please quote tweet and mention them!)

On the student living wage, we're now hearing from @BrockBodo! He's sharing his personal story of what the financial reality for his family has been while he is a student "$14 an hour does not cover these costs. We are going into debt to cover these costs." #HamOnt

Now up is Aiden McIlvaney who is speaking to #HamOnt Council about the anxiety he as an 18 year old student feels when he considers how much attending post-secondary education costs, and the need for students to earn a living wage. Another great young first-time delegate!

Another first time student delegate Ayla Bahram is speaking to her own lived experience with poverty as a student needing to help support her family. Unfortunately it's cut short and we'll need to see if we can return to her thanks to technical issues. #HamOnt

Now up is former EH intern Hasnain Khan on behalf of the @MSU_Advocacy! He's speaking in favour of the student living wage as well, and he's doing a good job at it! #HamOnt

Back now is Ayla Bahram!

Sharoni Mitra on behalf of @cupe_3906 is speaking in favour of the student living wage now! As the President of a union that represents over 3000 members, many of them students, Sharoni is in a unique position to understand the struggles and cost of living for students. #HamOnt

Devika Nair is now up speaking on the topic of the student living wage. Another young student making their delegation for the first time to #HamOnt Council! Amazing series of delegations on the needs and create experiences of students today.

Now up is @karl_andrus on behalf of @HamOntCBN and he's talking about the #JustRecoveryHamOnt collective! justrecoveryhamilton.ca #HamOnt

Question from @ward1wilson to @karl_andrus about mobility justice and how it relates to economic justice - great and interesting question, with a great and interesting answer! #HamOnt

Now up is @TomCoopster speaking to the importance of all the different groups that makes up #JustRecoveryHamOnt - and the need for #HamOnt Council to build on bold steps taken in the past to ensure we have a just recovery from the pandemic!

Up now is Bill Johnston on behalf of @uuhamilton in favour of the housing recommendations in the #JustRecoveryHamOnt document, he's referring to some pretty devastating loss of affordable housing each year in #HamOnt.

(some City Councillors are now declaring conflicts of interest because they are landlords and the last two speakers spoke about housing) #HamOnt

Now up is our executive director Dr Lynda Lukasik! EH is a proud member of the #JustRecoveryHamOnt collective, and for this delegation Lynda is speaking to the need for a "new normal" to build a resilient and inclusive #HamOnt - and she lays it out frankly for Council:

Council MUST freeze the urban boundary. Failing to do so will be a choice by Council to lock #HamOnt into unsustainable sprawl that makes it harder to build an inclusive and climate resilient city where people are already living!

Great timing too because up now is @NancyH20628799 speaking in favour of a Just Recovery for #HamOnt and stopping suburban sprawl too! Nancy is an Ancaster resident and is conveying that to address the #ClimateEmergency we must address land use!!!

And thank you to Nancy for sharing our petition during her presentation!

https://twitter.com/EnvHamilton/status/1357504363846107136?s=19

Jeanne Mayo who sits on the #HamOnt Seniors' Advisory Committee is now speaking to Council about the transit needs of older adults, in particular the needs of older adults who live in areas of our city that have little to no viable mobility options.

Jeanne is making a series of recommendations that would not only help older adults, but all who live in #HamOnt whether they rely on the HSR/DARTS or not! The more people who take transit, the better for our air, roads, and climate!

Now up is @EasyThePianoMan from @HCCI1! A #JustRecoveryHamOnt collective member, Kojo on behalf of the HCCI is speaking specifically to the recommendations from our collective on how to address systemic racism in #HamOnt along with hate and xenophobia.

Senna Rose Thomas is now speaking to #HamOnt Council, Senna is a grade 12 student who is concisely telling Council that they must do something to address the homelessness crisis in our City.

Pascale Marchand is now speaking to #HamOnt Council, she has prepared a great looking presentation for her delegation on the social determinants of health (including climate change!) and is speaking in favour of the #JustRecoveryHamOnt demands as well today!

Sue Markey is now delegating in support of the #JustRecoveryHamOnt principles. Sue is an amazing #HamOnt environmental activist - and is explaining her support for the principles succinctly and clearly!

Jamie Stuckless now speaking to Council and encourages them to engage and consult with #JustRecoveryHamOny collective, thanks Jamie! Moves onto speaking specify for the need for sidewalk snow clearing in #HamOnt.

Jamie also makes some great recommendations how the #HamOnt public could provide input on the budget process beyond the single Public Delegation Day that we are afforded.

Up now is Darlene Wesley who is a @AcornHamilton member and is speaking in favour of the #JustRecoveryHamOnt principles, and the demands by ACORN to protect tenants - she is sharing her personal experience in her rental during the pandemic, and has received a renoviction notice.

Another @AcornHamilton member, Veronica Gonzalez, is now speaking to housing issues in #HamOnt and how people are being pushed out of their homes.

Now up is EH's @iancborsuk speaking about the urgent need to maintain investments in public transit in Hamilton.

Ian is urging Council to keep up the commitment to transit to avoid a post-pandemic 'Carmageddon'

Ian is speaking now to the (Re)envision project of the HSR and the potential for transit network reconfiguration to help everyone - especially those who depend on transit - to get to where we need to go with a dependable, robust system.

Ian is reinforcing a critical message for EH - a firm urban boundary is essential for enabling us to provide comprehensive transit service within a more compact, higher density urban area! #ClimateEmergency

Barry Conway is now delegating to #HamOnt Council on the need for additional city services as well as protection for workers in the face of increased gentrification and precarious situations, especially for young workers.

Important: Barry is delegating on behalf of @CUPELocal5167!

Now up is Violetta Nikolskaya of #JustRecoveryHamOnt collective member @YWCA_Hamilton - Violetta is honing in on how the pandemic has disproportionately impacted women over men, and the need for an equity focus to ensure a just recovery! #HamOnt

Up now is Paula Grove who represents a new artist group who support the #JustRecoveryHamOnt principles and are keenly aware of the effects gentrification have had on #HamOnt artists.

After a tech glitch cutting her first attempt short, Kasey Waddell is back to talk about the student living wage and her fascinating research she's done on the diverse #HamOnt student population we have!

Now up is EH co-founder and #HamOnt legend, Don McLean, who starts by saying that the record number of delegations today speaks to the growing dissatisfaction among the public when it comes to the City addressing a variety of issues be it housing, climate change, or the police.

Don, as many in the viewing party are pointing out, is telling some hard truths to our Council about their actions (and inaction) with his blunt and impactful delegation to #HamOnt Council.

Now up is Miriam Sager who is also delegating in favour of the #JustRecoveryHamOnt principles and demands - Miriam is an amazing activist and community member, #HamOnt is lucky to have her!

The remaining approximately 10+ delegates that were on today's agenda are not or are no longer on the WebEx video call.

It's worth noting that this meeting started at 3pm, many of us delegates were on the call at 2:30pm. It's now 6:45pm. That's over four hours.

#HamOnt

We are now watching/listening to the remaining pre-recorded video delegations that were submitted by Jonathan Lopez, and Mike Burnett of @AcornHamilton. Now Jacqueline Cantar.

Cantar's delegation was calls for defunding the HPS and reallocation of funding to other services and housing. Now Michael Lopez' video, also from @AcornHamilton, he argues strongly why renovictions are wrong and what #HamOnt should do about it.

A lot of strong themes today!

Today's meeting comes to a technical close after Councillor Pearson confirms that those who declared conflict of interest can still vote to receive all correspondence, which carries. @ward1wilson as chair emphasises those who could not delegate can still provide correspondence.

Thank you to all who delegated today in favour of the #JustRecoveryHamOnt principles!