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Saturday June 11, 2022

June 11, 2022 by Graeme MacKay

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Saturday June 11, 2022

A toast to bad roads and integrity

Today, a little positivity seems in order. And so, two tips of the proverbial chapeau.

February 13, 2015

First, to the Canadian Automobile Association, which just released its annual worst roads in Ontario report. Not because Hamilton gets top billing, as home of the worst road in the province — Barton Street East. And not because the report also has a regional component which tells us the worst roads in Hamilton are Barton East, Aberdeen Avenue, Burlington Street East, Upper James and Rymal Road East.

Anyone who drives the city will confirm that these are among the worst, although there are just so many to choose from.

May 19, 2021

No, we raise a glass to the CAA because its annual report is so useful in many ways. It keeps the state of our roads on the public and government radar. It is holistic in the sense that it doesn’t just ask drivers to vote, it includes pedestrian and cyclists. Too often city streets are judged too much on the whims of motorists, when those arteries are so much more.

The CAA’s report is also a good reality check. You don’t have to look far to find a Hamiltonian who will swear that this city’s roads are simply the worst anywhere. No doubt it seems that way sometimes, but the report’s wide lens confirms that road conditions are terrible in many if not most Ontario cities. Toronto and Prince Edward County are other municipalities that made the worst-of-the-worst list again this year.

March 30, 2022

The truth is that nearly all Ontario cities, especially the older ones like Hamilton, have brutal infrastructure deficits, and roads figure prominently. Municipal governments, ours included, are always running behind trying to keep up. Using the Barton Street example, city hall has plans to spend $7.5 million over the next two years on Barton area streets and sidewalks. By the time that is done, there will be another street on the worst-of list, and more competing demands for money and resource time to fix them.

Not to let city hall off the hook entirely, but it’s worth bearing in mind that our worst roads are often in the industrial heartland of the city, where heavy truck traffic takes its toll more than where traffic is largely residential and commercial. Upper James may be an exception to a point, although it too carries its share of heavy truck traffic across the top of the city to downtown.

A final note: We also love the CAA roads report because it never fails to generate lots of reader comments and letters. We can’t get too many of those, so thanks CAA. See you next year. (Hamilton Spectator Editorial)

L E T T E R to the E D I T O R

Letter to the Editor, The Hamilton Spectator, June 16, 2022

Hamilton’s future

Letter to the Editor, The Hamilton Spectator, June 16, 2022

I am very disappointed in both The Spectator for printing Graeme MacKay’s Saturday editorial cartoon and in Mr. MacKay for creating it. First, to The Spectator — Hamilton is actually part of your newspaper’s name. Too bad you do not accurately promote the city.

But mostly my disappointment is with Mr. MacKay whom I thought would have better knowledge of the LRT project which is such a vital part of Hamilton’s future. I’m pretty sure he actually lives in the area and should be better informed.

The many misinformed who are anti-LRT never did get the fact that a very vital part of the LRT construction is to repair aging infrastructure along the LRT route. These repairs and the LRT project overall will take the city into a much better future. And the monetary value of LRT (business, taxes, etc.) will take care of some potholes, too.

Jane Slote, Hamilton

Tuesday July 5, 2016

July 4, 2016 by Graeme MacKay

Editorial cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Tuesday July 5, 2016

One Month to Go – Should we panic about Rio Olympics? Get real

When is it time to panic about the Olympics? It’s true, things are not pretty in Rio de Janeiro, even as the Olympic torch arrived Tuesday in Brazil, with three months until the opening ceremony of the Games.

There’s the raw sewage in Guanabara Bay, slated for sailing events. The doubts over whether the subway line connecting the Olympic venues will be finished in time. The horror of the collapse of a recently built $12 million seaside bike path (two dead, three injured), calling into question the integrity of the other structures the city has built for the Games — for which, by the way, ticket sales are still hovering at only about 62%.

But panic? Well, the Zika virus is spreading, with some delegations debuting “Zika-proof” uniforms.

The city’s notorious crime rate looms large, and Amnesty International has called attention to the death toll from police crackdowns in the favelas, or shantytowns.

All this while the country remains embroiled in economic recession, a corruption scandal and political drama, most notably impeachment proceedings against President Dilma Rousseff.

But let’s pause a moment. It has become tradition to sound alarm bells in the months leading up to an Olympic Games. Before the last go-round, Sochi for example, cries of crisis came often:

Venues built on protected lands. Swollen budgets tied to crime syndicates. Illegal dumping and contaminated water. Anti-gay legislation and hate crimes. Pussy Riot. And stray dogs, everywhere.

But good luck finding an example of a truly noble Olympics. Politics take a toll because the Olympics are never free and clear of their political moment. (Continued: CNN News)

The above cartoon ran locally on June 11, 2015, in advance of the Toronto Pan Am Games.

Saturday November 21, 2015

November 20, 2015 by Graeme MacKay

By Graeme MacKay, Editorial Cartoonist, The Hamilton Spectator – Saturday November 21, 2015

Confusion surrounds push to preserve Desjardins Canal bridge

The fate of one of the city’s busiest old bridges is up in the air.

And it’s entirely possible that not one of the 5,180 drivers-per-hour who use it at peak times could name or even locate the bridge on a map.

Beaten to death by the stadium

Don’t feel bad — neither could Hamilton councillors Wednesday, despite their decision to talk to the province about preserving parts of the 84-year-old span.

The Ministry of Transportation calls the structure one-half of the Desjardins Canal bridges — basically, the east and west traffic lanes of Highway 403 that cross the old watercourse connecting the harbour to Cootes Paradise.

But in a previous life, the eastbound span was called the Longwood low-level bridge, carrying that road across the canal from 1931 until the 1960s, when it was incorporated into the highway. (The westbound span was built in the ’60s.)

The dreams which never die

The city has to act fast if it wants to influence a looming provincial plan to replace the historical bridge, said Coun. Aidan Johnson, who moved a motion Wednesday directing staff to talk to the province.

“All heritage architecture and infrastructure in the city should be protected to the best of our ability precisely because it is our heritage,” he said. “Especially if the province is going to pay for it.”

Johnson said city cultural staff alerted him to the impending bridge replacement — and an opportunity, through the environmental assessment, to lobby to retain “heritage aspects” of the concrete bridge, such as distinctive abutments.

The bridge doesn’t meet the criteria to be a provincial heritage bridge, according to the project website. But MTO spokesperson Astrid Poei said via email it’s possible the existing bridge piers could be “cut off” and preserved to “reflect the width and materials of the old bridge” with the cost of the work covered by the province.

A replacement bridge would still be built, she noted, but the remnant piers would remain as city property. Construction is slated to start next year and won’t finish until 2018.

Neverending Lister

The project website says the preferred fix for the aging canal span is to completely replace and widen the old Longwood bridge while rehabilitating the younger westbound highway structure.

Johnson argued the city has nothing to lose for arguing to preserve part of the “beautiful” bridge — even as he acknowledged being initially confused about exactly what bridge is under threat.

Councillors bemusedly searched the Internet and unsuccessfully tossed out guesses about exactly which bridge was under discussion during the meeting.

The confusion was understandable — the canal is criss-crossed by several historic spans, including the McQuesten high-level bridge and rail bridges used by CP and CN.

But unless you paddle the canal or walk the adjacent trail, you’d never realize the stretch of Highway 403 is a bridge at all.

Coun. Lloyd Ferguson, a former construction industry boss, expressed doubt about the idea of a partial preservation.

“In my experience, it’s not easy to save parts of a bridge,” he said. (Source: Hamilton Spectator)

Thursday June 11, 2015

June 10, 2015 by Graeme MacKay

Editorial cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Thursday June 11, 2015

Pan Am trains headed to new Hamilton GO station – ready or not

The province plans to deliver soccer fans to Hamilton’s new GO Train station for next month’s Pan Am Games whether the building is finished or not.

Construction continues on the station, platform, train tracks and elevators with just a month left before games celebrations kick off in the city July 9.

Transportation Minister Steven Del Duca reiterated Tuesday the $44-million-plus station will be open for business, noting Metrolinx on Monday released a schedule of planned Pan Am service to the city starting July 11.

“I have visited the crews working hard on site daily to deliver this new transit station, and I have been assured by Metrolinx that this new GO Station on James Street North will be operational in time for the Games,” he said in an e-mailed statement.

“Landscaping around the station, including the laying of sod, will continue to take place after the station enters service, but these finishing touches will not impact the operational status of this station.”

That’s good news – if hard to believe, said Mayor Fred Eisenberger.

That’s the official word and I’m prepared to take them at their word,” said the mayor, who noted in a morning speech how much construction remains to be done on the station. “When I drive by, I personally am hard pressed to see how that might happen, but I’m not a construction guy.”

The mayor said he thought it was possible a basic platform could be made safe and opened for GO train visitors, if not the station building itself.

“I’m suspecting it’s just a platform … If they can get a train there, they can let people off, that’s great.”

Eisenberger added he didn’t consider a fully open GO station “integral” to games planning as it might have been with the originally envisioned West Harbour stadium. (Source: Hamilton Spectator)

Friday April 10, 2015

April 9, 2015 by Graeme MacKay

Editorial cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Friday April 10, 2015

“Inexcusable” Pan Am Stadium delays continue

The city has cancelled community events booked for its new $145 million stadium this month as construction — and damage repairs — continues on the long-delayed project.

City Pan Am committee chair Lloyd Ferguson said Thursday the 22,500 seat stadium is “very, very close” to being done, more than nine months after it was supposed to be completed.

Ferguson said a critical building inspection walk-through is scheduled for Monday and an occupancy permit could be granted within a couple of weeks.

Pan Am Stadium Chronology

But he added contractor Ontario Sports Solutions has also been busy fixing water damage caused by faulty water seals in the east stands on top of finishing touches to the new stadium.

Last summer, the beleaguered contractor also had to repair $25,000 in damages from a fire that broke out in a ventilation room just before the Labour Day Classic Ticat game.

Infrastructure Ontario and the contractor can’t hand over the stadium to the city until it achieves “substantial completion,” a contractual threshold that will also trigger more than $80 million in withheld building payments.

Four requests from the contractor for substantial completion have so far been rejected by IO’s independent certifier, according to city staff.

The ongoing delays have forced the city to cancel an unspecified number of community bookings for the stadium and May is currently on hold.

Mayor Fred Eisenberger called that “inexcusable.”

“We’ve been held up for how many months now?” he asked at the committee. “I want to have assurances we’re not going to continue to hold up … community events.” (Source: Hamilton Spectator)