City Council Fail Lists
In 2020, Ryan Moran began tracking lists, by year, of City Council’s failures. He called them “Council Fail Lists” and he was on the O Show in 2020 and 2021, with host Laura Babcock, to discuss them in more detail.
Ryan shared these lists with us and we’ve annotated them here with links to the content as reported in the mainstream local media. The links are organized by date and vary in number based on the depth, type, and kind of local coverage available.
The lists are separated by year and start with the 2019 list. The 2020 and 2021 lists will be added.
2019
Red Hill Valley Parkway Road Surface Coverup
- February 6, 2019 – CBC Hamilton – Apology to citizens as staff admit report on asphalt issues on Red Hill Parkway hidden for years
- February 7, 2019 – Global News – City of Hamilton apologizes after 2013 report on ‘slippery’ Red Hill is uncovered
- February 7, 2019 – Raise the Hammer – We Deserve to Know the Truth About the Buried Red Hill Parkway Report
- February 7, 2019 – CHCH – Slippery conditions on RHVP kept under wraps, city staff apologizes
- February 8, 2019 – The Hamilton Spectator – RED HILL: A look back at the history and controversy of the Parkway
Extremists Demonstrating on City Hall Forecourt
- June 18, 2019 – The Hamilton Spectator – Message to our mayor: Hate groups are growing under our noses
- July 10, 2019 – CBC Hamilton – Peaceful, family-friendly LGBTQ rally planned Saturday to ‘counter hate’
- July 26, 2019 – Global News – Hamilton anti-hate coalition to launch ‘No Hate in the Hammer’ campaign
- August 10, 2019 – CHCH – No-hate protest at Hamilton City Hall
- June 25, 2019 – Raise the Hammer – Hatred and Extremism Wear Yellow Vests in Hamilton
- August 15, 2019 – Raise the Hammer – It’s Time to Make Hamilton Safe from Hate
- September 26, 2019 – The Hamilton Spectator – Choir raises mighty voice against hate at Hamilton city hall, from groups like Soldiers of Odin
Highest Reported Hate Crime Rate in Canada
- July 22, 2019 – CHCH – Hamilton has the highest rate of hate crimes per capita in the country
- July 23, 2019 – CBC Hamilton – Hamilton has the highest rate of hate crimes in Canada: report
- July 23, 2019 – Global News – Hamilton has highest rate of police-reported hate crime in Canada: StatsCan
- July 24, 2019 – The Hamilton Spectator – Hamilton had highest rate of police-reported hate crimes in 2018: Statistics Canada
- August 15, 2019 – Raise the Hammer – It’s Time to Make Hamilton Safe from Hate
Ignoring LGBTQ Advisory Committee’s Flag Raising Recommendation
- May 16, 2019 – The Public Record – Hamilton LGBTQ Committee Votes to Revoke City Hall’s Privilege to Raise Pride Flag in Protest of City Discrimination
- May 22, 2019 – Global News – LGBTQ2 advisory committee votes against raising Pride flag in front of Hamilton City Hall
- May 27, 2019 – The Public Record – Coleman’s Notes: Hamilton LGBTQ Youth Tired of Being Ignored
- May 30, 2019 – The Hamilton Spectator – City of Hamilton will fly Pride flags despite lack of support from the LGBTQ advisory committee
- May 30, 2019 – CBC Hamilton – City will fly Pride and trans flags, but won’t host flag-raising ceremony
- May 31, 2019 – CHCH – No LGBTQ flag raising ceremony at Hamilton City Hall
Failing to Respond to Violence at Pride
- June 17, 2019 – CBC Hamilton – Police took ‘far too long’ to respond to ‘violent’ Pride protest: Pride Hamilton
- June 18, 2019 – The Hamilton Spectator – Hamilton a hot bed for far- right extremists
- June 25, 2019 – Raise the Hammer – Mayor’s Response to Pride Day Violence is Disturbing
- June 27, 2019 – Raise the Hammer – Hamilton Is Not a Safe Space
- June 8, 2020 – Raise the Hammer – An Independent Review into the Events Surrounding Hamilton Pride 2019
- June 9, 2020 – The Public Record – Independent Investigation into Police Response to 2019 Attack on Hamilton Pride Reveals a Broken Police Command
Voting Against Providing Menstrual Products in City Facilities
- May 13, 2019 – CBC Hamilton – Hamilton rejects putting free menstrual products in some municipal washrooms
- May 14, 2019 – CHCH – YWCA disappointed about Hamilton’s decision not to offer menstrual products in city buildings
- May 15, 2019 – The Hamilton Spectator – Hamilton councillors vote down motion to offer free menstrual products: Questions, answers and reaction
- May 19, 2019 – Raise the Hammer – A Guide to Menstruation for the Uncomfortable
Former White Supremacist Working in City’s IT Department
- May 8, 2019 – VICE News – Former Neo-Nazi Leader Has Been on City of Hamilton’s Payroll for Years
- May 9, 2019 – CBC Hamilton – City of Hamilton to investigate how former white-supremacist leader got hired
- May 9, 2019 – Global News – Hamilton’s city manager promises investigation into former white supremacists employment
- May 9, 2019 – CHCH – Employment of former neo-Nazi at City of Hamilton raises concerns
Affordable Housing Crisis – Rent Increase of 24%
- November 14, 2019 – Global News – Hamilton rental prices spike at 24 per cent year over year, study says
- November 21, 2019 – The Hamilton Spectator – Hamilton experiencing massive rent increases
- November 28, 2019 – The Hamilton Spectator – Hamilton facing escalating rent prices and evictions
- December 1, 2019 – CBC Hamilton – 45 per cent of Hamilton renters living in unaffordable housing, new report says
Turning Hamilton Heritage Property over to Faith-Based Think Tank
- September 25, 2019 – Raise the Hammer – Remembering the Legacy of Hate as Council Considers Partnering With a Homophobic Political Action Committee
- September 25, 2019 – CBC Hamilton – City moves forward with Cardus negotiations, despite concerns from some LGBTQ residents
- September 25, 2019 – Global News – Hamilton supports partnership with Christian think-tank, despite concerns
- September 26, 2019 – The Hamilton Spectator – Residents object to proposed Cardus takeover of Balfour House
24 Billion Litres of Mixed Sewage Leaked into Cootes Paradise and Chedoke Creek – #SewerGate and #CootesCoverup
- November 20, 2019 – Global News – City of Hamilton admits Chedoke Creek was flooded with sewage for 4.5 years
- November 20, 2019 – CBC Hamilton – City says 24 billion litres of sewage and runoff leaked into Chedoke Creek
- November 21, 2019 – The Hamilton Spectator – EXCLUSIVE: Hamilton city council, staff have kept a 24-billion litre sewage spill secret
- November 21, 2019 – CHCH – RBG unaware of the raw sewage leaked into Chedoke Creek
- November 24, 2019 – Raise the Hammer – Hamilton’s Secret Council and the Financial Penalties for Speaking Out
- November 25, 2019 – The Hamilton Spectator – Hamilton sewage scandal: What happened, and why was it kept secret?
- November 27, 2019 – CHCH – Hamilton sewage leak
- November 28, 2019 – The Hamilton Spectator – Sewage secrets released: Hamilton council apologizes, makes Chedoke spill documents public
- November 28, 2019 – CBC Hamilton – Here’s a look inside the facility that leaked 24 billion litres of runoff and sewage
- December 3, 2019 – The Hamilton Spectator – Sewergate: What will the Chedoke sewage spill cost Hamilton taxpayers?
- December 5, 2019 – The Hamilton Spectator – City shares ‘chronology’ of west Hamilton sewage spill
- December 11, 2019 – The Hamilton Spectator – Hamilton city council calls off probe into leaker of confidential reports on Sewergate
Refusal to Cost Biweekly Garbage Pickup
- November 18, 2019 – CBC Hamilton – Hamilton city councillors reject idea of biweekly garbage pickup – again
- November 19, 2019 – Global News – Hamilton councillor ‘disappointed,’ bi-weekly trash pickup plan rejected
- November 19, 2019 – The Hamilton Spectator – Pitch for every-second-week trash pickup in Hamilton dumped
Unilateral “Pause” and City Takeover of the Hamilton Anti-Racism Resource Centre
- February 14, 2019 – The Hamilton Spectator – Hamilton Anti-Racism Resource Centre being “temporarily paused”
- February 22, 2019 – The Hamilton Spectator – What happened to Hamilton’s anti-racism resource centre?
- April 26, 2019 – The Hamilton Spectator – Anti-racism centre delay is unacceptable
- December 9, 2019 – Raise the Hammer – City Proposal to Restart Anti-Racism Centre Ignores Racialized Voices
Alectra Utilities Data Breach
- December 11, 2019 – Global News – City of Hamilton warns data breach may compromise residents’ personal information
- December 11, 2019 – CBC Hamilton – Potential data breach of unknown number of Alectra customers through Hamilton water bills
- December 12, 2019 – The Hamilton Spectator – Hamilton warns residents of ‘potential privacy breach’ by Alectra Utilities
- December 14, 2019 – The Hamilton Spectator – Alectra says it didn’t get permission to share Hamilton customer information with third parties
- December 16, 2019 – CBC Hamilton – Alectra says investigation shows no customer information was breached
Highest Greenhouse Gas Emissions in GTHA
- December 16, 2019 – The Hamilton Spectator – Hamilton the greenhouse gas capital of the GTHA: study
Cancellation of Light Rail Transit (LRT) and $1 Billion Investment
- December 16, 2019 – CHCH – Hamilton’s LRT cancelled, project to cost five times more
- December 16, 2019 – Global News – Ontario government cancels Hamilton LRT project, mayor calls announcement a ‘betrayal’
- December 16, 2019 – CBC Hamilton – Ontario cancels Hamilton LRT in chaotic announcement; mayor calls it a ‘betrayal’
- December 17, 2019 – The Hamilton Spectator – A ‘betrayal’ of the City of Hamilton – Ontario pulls out of LRT
- December 17, 2019 – The Hamilton Spectator – Hamilton police called as LRT-cancelling news conference devolves into chaos
- December 17, 2019 – Raise the Hammer – Province Abruptly Cancels Hamilton LRT
- December 19, 2019 – The Hamilton Spectator – What are the hidden costs of Hamilton’s cancelled LRT project?
2020
- Mayor prioritizes trying to get his dog recognized as a service animal Ignoring both AODA Service Animal standards and requirements, and common therapy animal practices
- Snow removal debate and dismissal mobility issues of residents
- Council moves to ban recreational use of Cootes “to protect citizens”
- Tampon-gate, and council voting not to stock feminine hygiene products in certain public facilities
- Terry Whitehead’s ongoing harassment of Councillor Wilson
- Loss of SoBi, and vote not to support operations for a few months until a new direction can be determined
- Effectiveness of Mayor’s economic recovery taskforce
- Dragging feet on opening pedestrian areas and patios
- Spending $28 million on widening Rymal, despite revenue and spending concerns
- Housing Crisis Saga
- Councillor Sam Merulla threatens a gym equipment supplier, and then CHCH news, using the weight of his professional office for a petty personal matter
- Councillor Terry Whitehead arbitrarily and without any jurisdiction threatens Executive Director of Hamilton Centre for Civic Inclusion with integrity investigation
- Commonwealth Games Saga
- Integrity Commissioner Saga
- Housing and Defund Demonstration Saga
2021
- Mayor tweets insensitively glib comment about the failed insurrection at US Capitol, while it is happening; short time later apologizes for it
- Council voted to deny rent support to municipal tenants at the Hamilton Farmers Market, demanding full rent or eviction; contradicting the Economic Recovery Taskforce recommendation of a moratorium on evictions
- Council explores preventing letters critical of them from being added to Council agendas
- City lawyers demand that the city logo not be used on the Reddit Hamilton Community thread, by sending a cease and desist to community admins
- Entertainment Precinct closed door deals
- Related, the continued and substantial use of in-camera council sessions, represents a disturbing lack of transparency, and evasion of critical input and oversight from public and media
- LRT Debate, continued dithering in the face of an historic investment in the city from two levels of government
- Police Surplus
- Board of Health Governance, Councillors Collins and Jackson vote against restructuring that would allow diverse representation on Board, the only two opposed
- Voting for $30 million in Federal Gas Tax Fund allotment to be allocated to $2mil chunks per ward for Pork Barrel vote-buying projects like sidewalk repairs
- Voting down a request to remove the statue of MacDonald, despite widespread support of this and similar actions being taken in cities across the country
Source
Ongoing list entries by Ryan Moran
Last updated – August 31, 2021