The Public Record publishes a regular newsletter, we post it at the end of each day, sign up to get future editions delivered to your inbox in the mornings, or see our archives.

View Email Edition in your web browser

Today is the big day, the launch of The Public Record’s monthly patron membership model to create a sustainable online open local news outlet right here in Hamilton. The first of its kind in Canada.
As a member of our Press Club, your financial support enables The Public Record to provide news for all Hamiltonians, and to continue to grow our in-depth coverage. In the coming months, we plan to commission freelancers to ensure every ward race is covered, and to expand our coverage at City Hall.
Members of our Press Club receive invitations to our regular Press Club coffee meet-ups, talks, and other events. Members of the Press Club receive their own Fact That Mug as our thanks for your support.
Our next Press Club coffeehouse is May 6, become a member today to receive your invitation to the event. 
Thank you for your support,
Joey

Joey’s Opening Note: LED and Student Politics

The intersection of student politics and LED lighting may not seem interesting on the surface, but it does provide us an opportunity to explore the growth in the relationship between McMaster Students Union (MSU) and Hamilton City Hall.
As some of you know I was a higher education reporter for Maclean’s and contributor to The Globe and Mail for the first four years of my journalism career, I read platforms from hundreds of student politicians, and often remarked ” you can only say free tuition so many ways”.
Rare is the student politician with an original platform plank, MSU President Elect Ikram Farah‘s LED lighting plank is one of those ones:
“Students have identified the need for increased lighting in low-traffic areas on campus as well as in off campus student-populated areas. The issue at hand is that poor lighting, broken lights and lack of light poles are contributing to the safety of students on and off campus. The City of Hamilton is currently beginning to upgrade street lighting on residential streets throughout the city over the next three years. However, while in office, the MSU will prioritize working with the Hamilton municipal government to implement more LED lighting on campus and off campus within the next year.”
I read this platform and immediately started looking into how it could be implemented. Turns out, LED light installation in Ward 1 is happening this summer. However, this was not obvious to me, and even staff I talked to didn’t know this.
LED light installation on side-streets started in Downtown Hamilton this year – in large part because it’s a “pedestrian priority area”. In hindsight, City Hall should treat Ainslie Wood and Westdale with the same pedestrian priority lenses. When they failed to, as a journalist, I should’ve caught this oversight and asked why. I failed to catch this.
How did LED lighting become a student politics platform?
Two years ago the McMaster Silhouette started covering how City Hall impacts students. This coverage help inspire student politicians to creating a new position, Associate Vice President Municipal Affairs in 2017, to lead their advocacy efforts at City Hall.
With the MSU engaged on “bread and butter” issues like this, they will see increasing results from their advocacy. Quite a change in only two years time.

Burlington Mayor Rick Goldring hosting Glen Murray at RBG next Wednesday

Free! Former Winnipeg Mayor and former Ontario Environment Minister, now Executive Director of the Pembina Institute Glen Murray will speak next Wednesday evening about “Why Mid-Sized Cities Will be Sustainability Leaders”. Tickets are free, but limited. RSVP here.

Canada’s Ambassador to the US in Hamilton Next Friday

Canada’s top representative in Washington, Ambassador David MacNaughton will speak to the Ontario Chamber of Commerce’s AGM next Friday at the Sheraton during a luncheon from 12:00 to 1:30pm. His schedule is not yet public for the day, it is likely he’ll meet with local officials about steel and aluminum tarrifs, and with the City’s economic development office about cross-border trade.
Tickets for the luncheon are on sale from the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce, at $60/$70 each.

Local Briefs:

The Public Record Recommends:

Be Engaged

This Week

  • Thurs Apr 19, 7pm, Nash Jackson House in Battlefield Park, Olde Town Stoney Creek Community Assocation meeting. Details
  • Thurs Apr 19, 7pm, Fortinos 1579 Main Street West, Ainslie Wood Community Assocation meeting. Details

Next Week

  • *new*  Weds Apr 25, 7:30pm, RBG 680 Plains Road Burlington, Glen Murray “Why Mid-Sized Cities Will be Sustainability Leaders”. Details

May

  • Thurs May 3, 4 to 6pm, Civic Stadium 64 Melrose Avenue North, Hamilton Port Authority Community Update meeting. Details
  • Sunday May 6, 1 to 4pm, Beasley Community Centres, Beasley Fair 2018: Finding Level Ground, a discussion on affordable housing and how to keep Beasley a complete community.  Details

Newsletter top photo: The Public Record mugs at our last Press Club event