Labour Day Weekend!

I love Labour Day weekend - it's certainly a great time to be in Hamilton.  In the International Village, the annual Mustard Festival brings music, art, and addictive corn to around 15,000 people each year.  How cool is it that our city is the mustard-milling capital of the world?  Then on Monday, support Hamilton Labour by heading downtown for the Labour Day Parade, starting at York/Queen St. at 10:30 am.  In the afternoon, of course, we all watch as our Ticats mop Ivor Wynn with the Argos in the Labour Day Classic.  Hup Hamilton!

Bike Rental Program for Hamilton?

If you were near City Hall today between 3 - 6 PM today, you may have noticed a bunch of bicycles and transit-oriented displays.  The main attraction was a demonstration display of bike rental terminals.  Already implemented in several major cities around the world, these systems are installed in key locations throughout an urban centre and stocked with bicycles for rental.  The bikes are quite nice, the terminals are easy to use, and the whole program is incredibly affordable for the consumer!  This is exactly the kind of initiative that Hamilton should be exploring.  Clean and affordable transportation options for everyone!  Learn more in a recent Hamilton Spectator article by clicking HERE

Walking a Mile in Her Shoes

Wow!  I've certainly earned a new respect for women in high heels...  To make that look graceful takes some serious practice. 

I just got back from participating in the annual "Walk a Mile in Her Shoes" fundraiser held by the YWCA of Hamilton.  The idea is that men walk a mile in bright red high heel shoes in exchange for raising funds to support the work of the YWCA.  To learn more about the YWCA, just click HERE

Meeting Jack Layton

On Saturday, I had an opportunity to meet the Hon. Jack Layton, MP, and leader of the Federal New Democratic Party.  Pictured above from Left to Right are:  Sage Pearson (Campaign Manager), Myself, Jack Layton, and Lucas Duguid (Campaign Designer).  Mr. Layton was interested to hear about the race for Ward 2, and offered his encouragement for the campaign!

Hamilton: Open for Business?

If you take a look at the Hamilton Spectator today, you'll find a disturbing article discussing Hamilton's failure to support, or even accommodate small businesses.  Seriously Hamilton, we can do better.  As we watch the decline of manufacturing, how can we not be doubling our efforts to support the small businesses that ultimately weave the economic fabric of any city?

Here are the opening paragraphs of the article.  If this doesn't add weight to the need for dramatic change on City Council, I'm not sure what does...

Hamilton's small business owners have ranked this city one of the worst places in Ontario for running a business.

In a survey conducted over the last year by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, an average of 75 per cent of 520 local business operators ranked the city as poor on its handling of key business issues.

"These are the areas that our members feel need to be addressed," said CFIB policy analyst Plamen Petkov.

"It's clear from these results that local government performance does not meet the expectations of small business owners."

As a small business owner myself, I know what it's like to work with an uncooperative City Hall.  It's time for Hamilton to validate the phrase "Open for Business" by actually working to welcome and support the businesses that can fill our empty storefronts and enhance our BIAs.  An increase in the quantity and quality of local entreprise means an increase in our commercial tax base.  An increase in our tax base means more money is available to reinvest in our community through social programming, tax breaks, and infrastructure improvements.  It's clearly time for some creative new energy in Ward 2.