Submission in support of the…

Submission in support of the proposed MZO for 405 James Street North (Jamesville Redevelopment Project)

As a resident of Hamilton’s North End, I am writing in strong support of the proposed Minister’s Zoning Order (MZO) to advance the Jamesville redevelopment project. This site has sat empty and deteriorating for nearly a decade — not because of public opposition, planning failure, or community disinterest, but because of a single, well-resourced corporation using procedural delay to block urgently needed housing.

CN Rail’s appeal to the Ontario Land Tribunal has created an unacceptable bottleneck in a process that otherwise has full municipal and community backing. The company's stated concerns — noise, odour, vibration — are not new, nor are they unique to this site. Many of us already live alongside the railyard and understand the tradeoffs. CN’s argument rings hollow: if the company is genuinely concerned about future residents, it should work in good faith with the city and developers to implement mitigation strategies, not stand in the way of 475 new homes — including over 150 affordable units, some with supportive services.

This is a neighbourhood with parks, transit, small businesses, and infrastructure ready to welcome more residents. Every month this site remains vacant, the human and economic costs grow. Families continue to face long housing waitlists. Businesses miss out on the vitality that density brings. And a once-vibrant site remains fenced off, symbolizing delay instead of progress.

Ministerial intervention is not a silver bullet, but in this case, it is a justified and necessary step. It is unacceptable for a private entity to block a publicly supported housing initiative for years — especially one that contributes directly to solving the housing crisis, leverages public land, and reactivates a long-dormant part of the city.

I urge the Minister to issue the MZO and help get this project back on track. Hamilton needs this housing — and it needs leadership to ensure no single stakeholder can stall desperately needed community development.