Editorial Cartoon

Saturday July 12, 2014

Saturday July 12, 2014By Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Saturday July 12, 2014

Killing two birds with one sign

For SaleIt turns out a block-letter “Hamilton” highway sign faces some pricey road blocks.

City councillors officially pulled the plug Monday on a fast-tracked, $230,000 effort to build a “civic gateway” along Highway 403 that would be ready in time for the 2015 Pan Am Games.

Cost-leery councillors learned fabricating the metal sign would probably only cost $40,000. But design and archeological studies, road-building for access, utilities and traffic management could pump the total beyond $230,000.

City manager Chris Murray also said it isn’t worthwhile soliciting donations for the project until detailed cost and design information is available.

Gobsmacked councillors referred the report to the 2015 budget debate, but gave staff permission to use up to $36,000 in reserve cash to do geotechnical and design studies on a Highway 403 site near Old Guelph Road.

Detailed project costs will be considered as part of 2015 budget discussions.

Councillors initially supported an online “#time4sign” campaign spearheaded by local pundit and public relations expert Laura Babcock, but later balked at the high price.

A similar block letter Stoney Creek sign erected years ago cost close to $300,000, noted area Councillor Brad Clark.

“We can’t rush this,” said Clark, who suggested council has been “flying by the seat of our pants” in pushing the project for a Pan Am deadline.

“I appreciate the desire to get it done quickly, but I’m not sure we can.” (Source: Hamilton Spectator)

Friday, June 14, 2013Meanwhile, the storied City Motor Hotel sign has come down — for now.

The city will dismantle and store the tarnished, towering sign “with the hope of resurrecting it sometime down the road,” said ward Councillor Sam Merulla.

Merulla said the vintage sign is an important piece of Hamilton’s history, but added it will take some work — and possibly up to $50,000 — to restore.

There are no concrete plans to reuse the sign, he added, “but we’re looking.” (Source: Hamilton Spectator)

 

LETTERS to the EDITOR

Hamilton welcome sign (Editorial cartoon, July 12)

Graeme MacKay’s cartoon is just plain brilliant. Thank you to him for thinking outside of the box and for the great suggestion for the use of the old City Motor Motel sign.

Why not restore the sign at a cost of $50,000 instead of the proposed $200,000 plus, plus for a Welcome to Hamilton sign? A welcome sign has been needed for years and we still do not have one. How difficult can it be?

Hamilton is a unique city and this sign would be perfect. As shown in the cartoon, it looks like the right size, and positioned on the pillars, it looks like a big H. I love the arrows directing tourists to our wonderful city.

Hey, City Council, you gotta love it. Look at the money you would be saving the taxpayers and actually recycling for better use.

I can’t wait!

J. Campbell, Hamilton

 

City Motor Hotel sign (Editorial cartoon, July 12)

We know the City of Hamilton has other challenges, yet Graeme MacKay’s editorial cartoon offers a bright idea, one not so far-fetched — the maintenance, preservation-in-place and reuse of the city’s neon signs as 20th-century historical artifacts and pieces of art. Consider Hamilton’s neon signs as a reflection of a modern “coming-of-age” for the city.

In Colorado, Denver’s 26-mile long Colfax Avenue, known as one of the longest commercial streets in the U.S., has a glimmering array of neon signs, the earliest installed in the 1930s. Advertising local businesses such as motels, auto shops and ice-cream parlours, 12 of them are on Colorado Preservation’s list of endangered places.

The city of Burnaby, B.C., has purchased and restored several neon signs considered “rare civic heritage landmarks,” including one from an iconic hamburger stand. My guess would be that many area residents would miss the Hutch’s-on-the-Beach neon sign if it was changed to a different style. Recently it was announced that the Sam the Record Man sign will be reinstalled on the side of a university building in downtown Toronto.

Here’s a thought — maybe the City of Hamilton could use the City Motel’s neon sign as a welcoming sign where it is currently located or a new development or business could reuse the sign. By considering such signs in a different light and frame of time, we can create ways that existing businesses could keep them in use and new businesses can coexist with these “old” signs rather than lose such signposts from the urban landscape.

 Marsha Paley, Burlington

 

SOCIAL MEDIA

 

From Scott Thompson, CHML, July 14, 2014

We all know the history involving the saga of the Welcome sign for Hamilton.

Some well-meaning movers and shakers in town thought it would be a good idea to have a sign ready for the 2015 Pam Am games.

Little did we remember this was all dealt with over a decade ago but nothing was ever done by council to complete the project. Surprised?

Now the mad dash to get something up in time, may prove fruitless as more consultation has to be done.

Forget about a stadium, we can’t even get a sign up in time for the games.

Although one aimless councillor thought the old City Motor Hotel sign was worth saving so it can be restored.

The councillor lamented it’s a piece of Hamilton history and wants it stored to be resurrected again.

Really, I thought we were trying to rid ourselves of the run down, derelict, backwards city image.

Seems some at council still refuse to get out of the past.

Perhaps like Spec cartoonist  Graeme MacKay captured in his weekend drawing, maybe the City Motor Hotel sign can be retrofitted and used as a Welcome to Hamilton sign.

 I’m Scott Thompson.

Well said Scott, it really makes you wonder where the Council’s priorities are when we see this type of thing happen and the cartoon that reveals what a laughing stock our Council is when they make these types of statements. I was laughing so hard when I was this picture in the Sat Spec, my wife thought I was loosing it….. Election time is around the corner, lets hope we get some needed changes at City Hall to move forward as you say.

Like Alan, I was nearly spitting up breakfast with my laughter…what a great cartoon and how fitting. When the article said about restoring the sign at $50,000, I nearly spit up my coffee too. When O WHEN is this City Council of ours going to do something Right, for a change ? Worse than Mr. Dithers from the Dagwood comic strip. They debate a simple issue to death and nothing gets done until it’s too late. No wonder we have so much voter apathy and little faith in those who are supposed to be running this Town with some vision….anyways it was a great cartoon. I wonder if anyone on City Council “got it”

 

 

Friday July 11, 2014

Friday July 11, 2014By Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Friday July 11, 2014

Ontario Government vows to reintroduce crackdown on distracted driving

Premier Kathleen Wynne says she’s concerned that Ontario teens are forming bad habits when it comes to texting while driving, after a new survey suggested an alarming number of students are typing while behind the wheel.

Thursday, February 27, 2014“It’s very worrisome to me because when young people start to have a habit of driving and texting, that’s harder to break,” she said.

Her re-elected Liberal government will bring back legislation that would toughen penalties and add demerit points for distracted driving, Wynne said.

“These machines are so ubiquitous in their lives that they just have them with them all the time, and so we need to break that cycle,” she said.

The survey conducted for the Centre of Addiction and Mental Health found that more than one-third of licensed Ontario students in Grades 10 to 12 — an estimated 108,000 teens — reported having texted while behind the wheel at least once in the past year.

Among Grade 12 students alone, 46 per cent of those who drive say they also texted at least once while operating a vehicle, according to the 2013 Ontario Student Drug Use and Health Survey.

Yet the student surveys have found that the percentage of students who reported drinking and driving has declined dramatically over the past 20 years, it said.

There are more deaths as a result of texting while driving than drunk driving, Wynne said.

“It’s a real problem and that’s why we’ll be reintroducing the legislation.”

The previous bill, which would impose three demerit points in addition to increasing the maximum fine for distracted driving to $1,000, died when the June 12 election was called. (Source: Toronto Star)

SOCIAL MEDIA

Posted to Yahoo News Canada. Ran in Thunder Bay Chronicle, St. John’s Telegram, Ottawa Citizen, Nanaimo Daily News, Prince George Citizen, Brandon Sun, and Regina Leader Post

Thursday July 10, 2014

Thursday July 10, 2014By Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Thursday July 10, 2014

Rob Ford’s sobriety coach kicked shirtless protester, says officer

A Toronto police officer spotted a member of Mayor Rob Ford’s entourage kicking a protester at a campaign event this morning.

“If you want me to help you out, you can’t be kicking [the protester],” said the uniformed officer to Bob Marier, Ford’s so-called sobriety coach. “I saw you kick him. I saw it happen.”

After the officer scolded Marier, he walked away without saying anything.

The exchange between Marier and the officer was caught on camera by local media.

Marier is a recovering alcoholic and drug addict who helps others with addiction problems stave off temptation. He has been travelling with Ford since the mayor’s return to his job after a two-month stint in rehab.

The officer on the scene was watching protesters gathered around the mayor at the Tuesday morning news conference.

The protest was an extension of Ford’s confrontation with a shirtless jogger in East York on Canada Day. Protesters have since followed the mayor, demanding answers from Ford whilst not wearing shirts.

Ford said he wasn’t bothered by the demonstrators — at one point stopping his speech to chuckle — and said “they can protest all they want.”

But his team actively tried to disrupt the gathering, standing in front of signs and confronting the protesters.

The result was a chaotic event.

Doug Ford, the mayor’s campaign manager for the October municipal election, dismissed the protest, accusing the protesters of being members of rival campaigns.

“People see through it,” he said. (Source: Toronto Star)

 

Wednesday, July 9, 2014

Wednesday, July 9, 2014By Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Wednesday, July 9, 2014

Tim Hortons Field won’t be ready for first two Ticat home games

Two weeks ago, the vice-president of Infrastructure Ontario was asked if there was time to get Tim Hortons Field done in time for the Tiger-Cats’ July 26 home opener, assuming good weather and no bankruptcies by subcontractors.

Friday, July 19, 2013“Yes,” said John McKendrick. “Yes, there is. Yes.”

Apparently there wasn’t.

As if to put an exclamation point on a project that has divided, excited, angered, intrigued, frustrated and baffled Hamiltonians for the past half-decade, it was announced Monday that the building wouldn’t be ready for the Ticats’ games on July 26 and 31 after all. Instead, those two contests will be played at McMaster’s Ron Joyce Stadium.

“All partners, including IO, confirmed today that the stadium would not be ready in time,” said Infrastructure Ontario communications adviser Mandy Downes.

While news of the announcement came suddenly — following the second long meeting in a week involving all the principals — it can’t have been much of a surprise to anyone who’s driven by the site lately.

Wednesday July 9, 2014There’s definitely been some progress made over the past few days. Most of the steel frame for the huge scoreboard has gone up since late last week. The turf isn’t ready for action, but it’s been laid. Other work has been done under the stands in the bowels of the building where it can’t be seen.

However, these incremental improvements were clearly moving at a slower pace than the hands on the stopwatch are spinning toward D-Day. With just seven days to go until the building department was going to be asked to begin its inspection toward granting an occupancy permit, there’s still more than a little to do.

Pan Am Stadium Chronology

Pan Am Stadium Chronology

According to Infrastructure Ontario, tasks remaining to be completed include: “Field of play installation, exterior building facade work, sprinkler systems installation, all mechanical and electrical work, installation of seats, VIP and box suites, installation of broadcast facilities, installation of railings and elevators throughout public areas.”

Sound like a lot? Walk around the site and it sure looks like a lot.

“They just haven’t been able to progress as they thought they would,” says Hamilton general manager of public works Gerry Davis.

So there’s another delay and another twist written into one of the most convoluted narratives this city has ever produced.

Even in its current state, this stadium looks like it has the potential to be really nice when it’s finally finished. Until now though, it’s been an ongoing migraine that flares up at regular intervals, with Monday being a Tylenol 3 day. (Source: Hamilton Spectator)

 

Tuesday July 8, 2014

Tuesday July 8, 2014

By Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Tuesday July 8, 2014

Justice minister expects legal challenge to proposed law

Current and former sex workers led the debate on proposed changes to Canada’s prostitution laws Monday, making their cases for and against the legislation.

Justice Minister Peter MacKay kicked off a week of justice committee meetings by warning MPs that prostitution will be decriminalized if his proposed legislation isn’t in place by the end of the year. He told reporters following the meeting that he expects a Supreme Court challenge if Parliament passes the bill into law.

Thursday June 26, 2014Later in the day, MPs heard from current and former sex workers.

Timea Nagy of Walk With Me Canada Victims’ Services said she supports the government’s proposed law, and says the vast majority of sex workers are forced into the industry.

Nagy described her horrifying experience as a victim of human trafficking. Her first encounter was with three men at a massage parlour.

“I closed my eyes, and I looked up and I was thinking that if anyone would have seen this, would anyone come and rescue me? Only to find out later that my so-called bodyguard was watching the whole thing on video,” she said.

“I was indoors, it was safe, they paid for their services, but nobody told me the rules because I was new to it, so I was raped for about an hour by three different men.”

The Supreme Court of Canada struck down Canada’s old prostitution law last December in a ruling known as Bedford, and gave it a year to replace it with one that would comply with the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

MPs also heard from current and former sex workers who say they chose their profession and want to be able to protect themselves.

“If this bill becomes law, clients will not provide information on themselves, which is essential to protect ourselves from people who are badly intentioned,” said É​milie Laliberté, a spokeswoman for the Canadian Alliance for Sex Work Law Reform.

“This approach is in contradiction with the Bedford decision because it criminalizes clients as well as our professional and personal relationships and infringes upon our right to personal safety.”

One argument against the legislation is that it infringes on workers’ right to expression because it limits how they advertise their services. (Source: CBC News)

 

OTHER MEDIA

Posted to iPolitics.com.