As Mayor of this City, it is…

As Mayor of this City, it is my responsibility to speak clearly and firmly when unnecessary barriers stand in the way of urgently needed housing. For a decade, the townhouses at the Jamesville site has set empty - as tenants were relocated beginning in 2015, and as redevelopment progress has been delayed by ongoing appeals - particularly by CN. This is the case despite the fact that housing in this neighbourhood, and across our entire lower city abuts railways. Housing in Hamilton predates the railway. While we respect the importance of rail transportation, the City and development partners have worked diligently to address issues raised by CN through extensive studies, planning tools, and mitigation measures. Hamilton has done our part. This project has undergone years of planning, engagement, and technical review; the time has come to move forward. We cannot allow lengthy appeals to stand in the way of urgently needed housing on literally the exact same land that housed many hundreds of residents for seven decades -while families wait years on affordable housing waitlists. Enough is enough.

Since being elected Mayor in 2022, I have made unlocking Jamesville one of my top priorities - raising it with my provincial and federal partners at every opportunity, including bringing then-Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing Paul Calandra to see the site for himself during a 2023 visit to Hamilton. It’s safe to say he was shocked - he had accepted my invitation to Hamilton to discuss affordable housing. What he saw at Jamesville was, and still is, a complete travesty.

I want to thank both Minister Paul Calandra and current MAH Minister Rob Flack for their responsiveness, and I am encouraged that Minister Flack has posted this Minister’s Zoning Order (MZO) for public feedback. I encourage the Honourable Minister to act swiftly to approve it upon the conclusion of the public comment period.

The Jamesville redevelopment represents exactly the kind of community Hamilton - and Ontario - needs: a thoughtfully planned, inclusive, and vibrant neighbourhood where people of different incomes, household sizes, and support needs live side by side. Mixed-income, mixed-density communities like this don’t just provide housing - they build equity, connection, and resilience. They create neighbourhoods where families, seniors, newcomers, and individuals can thrive together, reducing isolation, strengthening local economies, and fostering a deeper sense of belonging. This project is a model for what housing should look like in the 21st century: deeply affordable units, supportive homes, and market-rate housing of various sizes and types, all integrated into one walkable, welcoming community on the doorstep of mass transit (the West Harbour GO transit station). With leadership from CityHousing Hamilton, the commitment of the local Ward Councillor and the ReImagine Jamesville partners - FRAM + Slokker, Melrose Investments Inc, Marz Homes, DeSantis Homes, Thier + Curran Architects and Indwell - we are anxious to deliver the kind of city-building development that benefits everyone.

This site has come to represent something much bigger than a single development - it reflects the cost of inaction in the face of crisis. For North End residents, it’s a daily reminder of what could be: homes for neighbours, families, and future generations vs what is: needed housing delayed by red tape and appeals. I want to express my deep gratitude to this community for their patience, their advocacy, and their refusal to give up on Jamesville. I also want to thank everyone taking the time to submit comments in support of this MZO. Your voices matter.

To the Minister: the vision is clear, the need is urgent, and the partners are ready. Please use your authority to finalize the MZO, cut through the remaining red tape, and help us finally bring Jamesville back to life.

Mayor Andrea Horwath