February 1, 2025 - BREAKING NEWS

Speculators want Hamilton City Council approve a Minister’s Zoning Order (MZO) to force the expansion of Hamilton’s firm urban boundary onto hundreds of acres of Hamilton's prime farmland, wetlands, water courses, woodlots and meadows.

Deadline is Monday, Feb 3 to send a note to Council to say No!

A quick copy/paste contact list is HERE

Hamilton Planning staff recommend Councillors reject the MZO for dozens of reasons listed in the staff report on the Feb 4, 2025 Planning Committee agenda.

You may wish to pick and choose from these points to make your email unique.

The six Upper West Side land speculators listed on page 3 of the MZO took a gamble in buying the land and wish to expand solely for their own profit.

There are dozens of watercourses, wetlands, woodlots and meadows in this parcel and they should be protected in a time of climate crisis and biodiversity loss.

Field studies to determine species at risk and natural habitat are outdated and don’t conform to city requirements that they be no less than five years old.

The 2023 Subwatershed Study and Stormwater Master Plan provided is not based on an approved Terms of Reference and appears to be missing a number of items.

Staff have confirmed the expansion lands are all prime farmland.

As a taxpayer there is no support for Hamilton to expand given we have a $3.8 Billion deficit in funding and maintaining our existing crumbling infrastructure. Adding more roads, watermains, etc. on farmland will exacerbate this deficit making taxpayers pay more.

UWS claims to have a memorandum of understanding with Habitat for Humanity giving them first right of refusal to build a mere 2% of affordable housing but it has not been provided.

This is the third attempt by UWS force Hamilton’s urban boundary and is a phenomenal waste of Planning Staff’s time and resources, and taxpayer money.

Indigenous consultation was deemed insufficient by staff.

The MZO conflicts with the City Council approved firm urban boundary growth strategy in the Urban Hamilton Official Plan and the City is actively implementing land use policy and zoning changes, incentive programs, and process improvements to meet the City’s housing needs within the existing urban boundary.