Group of Municipal Councillors Issue Open Letter Against Notwithstanding Clause
Over 40 councillors from across Ontario came together to issue an open letter against the use of the Notwithstanding Clause, calling on the mayors who signed the open letter to withdraw their statements.
Hamilton signatories are Ward 2 Clr Cameron Kroetsch, Ward 3 Clr Nrinder Nann, Ward 4 Clr Tammy Hwang, and Ward 13 Clr Alex Wilson.
Federal Liberals Prepare to Provide Direct Winter Shelter Funding
The federal Liberals have begun bypassing provincial governments and will directly fund municipal winter shelter responses. The federal government plans to provide $250-million across Canada.
The first five cities to receive funding will be Calgary, Edmonton, Toronto, Regina, and Saskatoon. Expect Hamilton to be in round two. The funding will offset Council-approved spending for this winter, but will be less than what Hamilton has determined is needed.
Other Councils Endorsing Call for Notwithstanding Clause
Cambridge: Councillors voted 6-3 to endorse their mayor’s call for the notwithstanding clause. CTV reports the councillors who did not vote in favour ‘said they support the majority of the resolution, but worried about it leading to mandatory treatment.’
Midland: Council voted 7-1 to endorse the call for notwithstanding clause legislation.
32-26, Montreal Council Motion to Declare Homelessness State of Emergency Fails
Mayor Valérie Plante said declaring a state of emergency would not change the municipal response and was not helpful. The motion was moved by Clr Craig Sauvé, who was recently a federal NDP candidate.
Woodstock puts its Ontario Housing Target Windfall into a New Homelessness Service Centre
It was a 4-3 vote to support the mayor’s request to be “proactive” in responding to homelessness in the smaller community, putting the nearly $2-million ‘windfall’ into the project.
Recommended Listening
The 905’er podcast interview with St. Catharine’s Mayor Mat Siscoe is an excellent discussion in which he explains why he is requesting the Notwithstanding Clause. Siscoe is a thoughtful leader. This is an important listen for understanding the reasons he signed the letter.
Related: Sarnia Mayor Mike Bradley, who is known for taking ‘populist’ (in the most neutral meaning of the term) positions, and who is managing one of Ontario’s most difficult encampment sites – does not support using the Notwithstanding Clause.
This was first published in TPR's Email Editior Email Edition Date: November 25, 2024 Link to this Newsletter Edition Subscribe to the Newsletter here.