1. Since your election to the council, you've demonstrated a distinctive approach to representing your constituents and enacting change. Could you share what you believe sets your approach apart from others, and how it has served both you and your community over time?
I've always believed elected officials should follow up on the priorities they advanced when they were running for office. I put forward a detailed platform when I ran that I shared with all Ward 2 residents. Since being elected, I've updated residents on the progress I've made. I've done this because I care deeply about keeping my word and engaging with the Ward 2 community on issues big and small. It's why I've held over 60 community meetings during this term, with more planned. It's important to me to listen to residents, to update them on what's happening at City Hall, to talk about what I do using plain and accessible language, and to answer questions so I can be held accountable. Perhaps the most common piece of feedback I receive from people I engage with is thanking me for being so transparent. Of course, there are those who criticize my approach, but I think I'm working hard to honour my commitments and focus on what I can achieve in my role as a Councillor during this term.
2. In March 2024, you were temporarily suspended by the Ontario Civilian Police Commission (OCPC) to investigate a complaint alleging a violation of its code of conduct. You've voiced concerns about the duration of this process and its silencing effect. Given that additional allegations arose following your public comments, do you accept that the broadening of these complaints may have contributed to delays? How do you view your role in the ongoing delay, and can you provide any evidence to support your perspective on whether this matter is being intentionally prolonged?
While I believe it was unfortunate for the complaint to be filed in the first place, it's just as unfortunate it has taken over a year for the OCPC to investigate the complaint. I'm still awaiting a ruling. As a publicly elected official, I feel it's essential for transparency and accountability to be demonstrated in everything I do as a member of Council, and that includes my appointment as a member of the police board. I believe our institutions must be both transparent and accountable to the public they serve. I think accountability can make some people feel uncomfortable, but I don't think that's a reason to file complaints. As to the length of time it's taken for the OCPC to issue its ruling, I'll leave it to the public to decide whether or not it's reasonable for the Province to spend more than a year investigating a complaint over comments I made in public. I look forward to returning to my work on the police board as soon as possible.
3. Social media can be an incredibly powerful tool for outreach, but it can also pose risks. Your critical comments regarding the Police Services Board’s budget process in 2023 were a significant factor in the complaint filed against you. In hindsight, do you view your use of social media in this instance as effective, problematic, or a bit of both? Have you gained any insights into the consequences of such actions, and do you stand by your decision to use social media in this way?
I believe in using all tools available to communicate openly and transparently with the public. Social media is one of those tools. It's immediate, accessible, and it can be effective if used well. In most cases, things I've posted on social media have been things I've already said in public and on camera at public meetings. Social media can be used to share information with people who may not have been able to watch those meetings. I'm comfortable using it, as I did for years before becoming a Councillor. While I understand that the openness and immediacy social media provides can be difficult for some to embrace, it's not going away. It can be a very democratic tool. I plan to keep using it to help me communicate with Ward 2 residents and Hamiltonians across the city.
4. Your tenure as President of Guelph’s largest labor union is an important part of your background. In what ways has that experience shaped your perspective and approach as a city councillor, particularly when it comes to advocating for working families and community interests?
Unionism is, by its very nature, based on working together to achieve a common good. It can be messy. It can be challenging. But it can also be hugely rewarding when important progress is made on behalf of a group of members trying reach a collective goal. I see being a Councillor in a very similar light - working together with the community to improve our city and, in my case, downtown Hamilton. Through messiness and challenges come important progress. The issues we face as a city are bigger, and sometimes more complex, but I think the foundational values I learned from my time in the union movement have served me well in this role and will continue to help me to work with the community to make Hamilton better no matter the challenges we face.
5. Many have pointed to a sense of unease surrounding the downtown area, particularly after dark, due to concerns about safety and crime. Why do you think Hamilton struggles to revitalize its downtown despite previous efforts? What innovative strategies or initiatives are currently being explored to improve the core and encourage more people to visit and live there?
The notion of revitalization suggests current failure. It's a premise I don't accept. The positive changes I've seen over the past 10 years in our downtown outweigh some of the very real challenges we're facing at the moment. I live downtown. It's my home. I shop here, meet with my friends here, cycle and walk here, and work here. I'm very aware of what's going on in Ward 2, successes and challenges both. Our downtown, like most downtowns in cities that are almost 200 years old, is a work in progress. I'm proud of the vibrant community that's been built downtown including art crawls, new businesses coming to our city, festivals, great architecture, parks, and beloved local institutions like the Hamilton Farmers’ Market, Theatre Aquarius, and Art Gallery of Hamilton.
Our downtown is something we should all be proud of. It's fair to say we have challenges that linger, just as they have for decades, sometimes ebbing and flowing, but never really disappearing. It's the nature of a mature, urban environment. I think to ignore that discounts the beautiful tight knit community I've come to know and love. I think City staff and Council have acknowledged the struggles we're having and are putting in the work to improve things, even if many of the challenges we face downtown are much bigger than our municipal government is able to address single handedly. Hamilton is pulling its weight, now we just need the Provincial and Federal governments to start to do the same.
6. Recently, you shared Police Chief Bergen’s email address with the public, explaining that as a Councillor, you cannot direct the Chief on his responsibilities, but that the public has the right to contact him directly. Some may see this as a breach of protocol, potentially disrupting the Chief’s ability to fulfill his role efficiently. Do you believe this action was in line with your duty as a representative, and do you see any potential repercussions in the context of ongoing complaints to the Ontario Civilian Police Commission? How do you defend this decision?
Elected officials are not permitted under law to direct the operations of the police, including members of Council and the police board. That responsibility rests solely with Chief of Police Frank Bergen. As a Councillor, I'm regularly asked about what I'm going to do about policing, crime, and public safety downtown. This is why I've encouraged people to reach out to the Chief directly with their comments and concerns by emailing him or calling his office. His contact information is available online through a simple Google search. I think it's the lawful thing for me to do - crime and public safety are Provincially mandated under the office of the Chief of Police. Residents should have an easy way to get in touch with the Chief to engage on issues under his mandate. I don't think the Chief disagrees with that sentiment. In fact, Chief Bergen has regularly promoted outreach to build better relations with communities throughout our city, including our downtown. He's never asked me not to share his contact information with residents. I think that's a good thing.
7. Reflecting on your time as a City Councillor, what is the accomplishment that you are most proud of? How has it positively impacted your community, and what led you to choose this particular achievement as a defining moment of your tenure?
While the term isn't over yet, there's much to reflect on and be proud of, despite the challenges we face as a city. There are many things I'm proud of including closing the streets for art crawls, restructuring the Hamilton Farmers’ Market, making the Hamilton Waterfront Trust more efficient, developing the Ward 2 Community Grants Program, and improving to street and sidewalk safety downtown, to name a few, but I think the biggest achievement for me is to have honoured my commitments to engage with residents and be accountable for what I pledged to do when running for office. I have been available, listened, offered solutions, and done the work required to implement those solutions, even when that might not have been the most popular thing to do. I remain committed to showing up at the Council table to advance policy to build a better Ward 2, and a better city overall.
8. The issue of homelessness continues to challenge Hamilton, and various solutions have been proposed. Do you believe initiatives like MiniCabins are a viable part of the solution? How can we balance the need for housing with a deep respect for the dignity of those experiencing homelessness?
As a city, we have to explore all options to deal with the national crisis this country is facing in helping those who are homeless. As I’ve said many times at Council, there is only one solution to homelessness and that is housing. Housing is expensive to provide and Hamiltonians can't afford to provide it alone. We need upper levels of government to, at a minimum, do their fair share like they used to, decades ago. I'm sorry to say that they're not. As a result, Hamilton is having to react, to be creative, and to fill in the gaps. I don't think those who have been deprived of housing should be forced to live in shelters, indoors or outdoors, but until we have enough safe and accessible housing for everyone in our community, we will continue to work with half measures and creative solutions. That can sometimes be messy work. From what I hear when I speak with Hamiltonians, they see that we're trying to help, even if we don't always get it right, and they know this crisis is beyond our ability to manage alone. I'm committed to continuing to do everything I can in my role as a Councillor to get more housing built and to provide better options for those who need our help.
9. Is there any particular issue or question you wish we had asked that we haven’t yet touched on? Feel free to use this opportunity to ask that question and respond to it.
Thanks for asking but I don't have a question to pose and respond to.
10 We understand that you have a creative side and are a poet. To give our audience a deeper sense of who you are beyond your political role, would you be willing to share a poem that you’ve written? If so, we’d love to hear the inspiration behind it and any context you feel is important to understand the work.
Thanks for asking about my writing. I don't have anything current to share with your audience. I would encourage everyone who reads this to get a hold of poetry by the City's Poet in Place, Lishai Peel, or to attend an event at which she speaks. I have been impressed by everything she's done to contribute to the cultural life of our city and think every Hamiltonian would benefit from reading or hearing her words.
6. Recently, you shared Police Chief Bergen’s email address with the public, explaining that as a Councillor, you cannot direct the Chief on his responsibilities, but that the public has the right to contact him directly. Some may see this as a breach of protocol, potentially disrupting the Chief’s ability to fulfill his role efficiently. Do you believe this action was in line with your duty as a representative, and do you see any potential repercussions in the context of ongoing complaints to the Ontario Civilian Police Commission? How do you defend this decision?
Elected officials are not permitted under law to direct the operations of the police, including members of Council and the police board. That responsibility rests solely with Chief of Police Frank Bergen. As a Councillor, I'm regularly asked about what I'm going to do about policing, crime, and public safety downtown. This is why I've encouraged people to reach out to the Chief directly with their comments and concerns by emailing him or calling his office. His contact information is available online through a simple Google search. I think it's the lawful thing for me to do - crime and public safety are Provincially mandated under the office of the Chief of Police. Residents should have an easy way to get in touch with the Chief to engage on issues under his mandate. I don't think the Chief disagrees with that sentiment. In fact, Chief Bergen has regularly promoted outreach to build better relations with communities throughout our city, including our downtown. He's never asked me not to share his contact information with residents. I think that's a good thing.
7. Reflecting on your time as a City Councillor, what is the accomplishment that you are most proud of? How has it positively impacted your community, and what led you to choose this particular achievement as a defining moment of your tenure?
While the term isn't over yet, there's much to reflect on and be proud of, despite the challenges we face as a city. There are many things I'm proud of including closing the streets for art crawls, restructuring the Hamilton Farmers’ Market, making the Hamilton Waterfront Trust more efficient, developing the Ward 2 Community Grants Program, and improving to street and sidewalk safety downtown, to name a few, but I think the biggest achievement for me is to have honoured my commitments to engage with residents and be accountable for what I pledged to do when running for office. I have been available, listened, offered solutions, and done the work required to implement those solutions, even when that might not have been the most popular thing to do. I remain committed to showing up at the Council table to advance policy to build a better Ward 2, and a better city overall.
8. The issue of homelessness continues to challenge Hamilton, and various solutions have been proposed. Do you believe initiatives like MiniCabins are a viable part of the solution? How can we balance the need for housing with a deep respect for the dignity of those experiencing homelessness?
As a city, we have to explore all options to deal with the national crisis this country is facing in helping those who are homeless. As I’ve said many times at Council, there is only one solution to homelessness and that is housing. Housing is expensive to provide and Hamiltonians can't afford to provide it alone. We need upper levels of government to, at a minimum, do their fair share like they used to, decades ago. I'm sorry to say that they're not. As a result, Hamilton is having to react, to be creative, and to fill in the gaps. I don't think those who have been deprived of housing should be forced to live in shelters, indoors or outdoors, but until we have enough safe and accessible housing for everyone in our community, we will continue to work with half measures and creative solutions. That can sometimes be messy work. From what I hear when I speak with Hamiltonians, they see that we're trying to help, even if we don't always get it right, and they know this crisis is beyond our ability to manage alone. I'm committed to continuing to do everything I can in my role as a Councillor to get more housing built and to provide better options for those who need our help.
9. Is there any particular issue or question you wish we had asked that we haven’t yet touched on? Feel free to use this opportunity to ask that question and respond to it.
Thanks for asking but I don't have a question to pose and respond to.
10 We understand that you have a creative side and are a poet. To give our audience a deeper sense of who you are beyond your political role, would you be willing to share a poem that you’ve written? If so, we’d love to hear the inspiration behind it and any context you feel is important to understand the work.
Thanks for asking about my writing. I don't have anything current to share with your audience. I would encourage everyone who reads this to get a hold of poetry by the City's Poet in Place, Lishai Peel, or to attend an event at which she speaks. I have been impressed by everything she's done to contribute to the cultural life of our city and think every Hamiltonian would benefit from reading or hearing her words.
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