The pedestrian stairs between the Waterfront Trail and York Blvd are closed due to safety concerns.
In a post, Ward 1 Councillor Maureen Wilson wrote, “Through regular maintenance inspections it has been discovered that a retaining wall, that is part of the structure that the stairs are constructed on, has loose stones and is showing signs of fatigue.”
“The steel stair structure itself is not failing; rather, the wall upon which some of the stair footings are located is the concern.
City staff report that this will require significant remediation.”
In a statement, City of Hamilton Director of Environmental Services Cynthia Graham states:
“This Communication Update is to inform the Mayor and Members of Council that the
stairs located at York Boulevard, at the McQuesten High Level Bridge, that leads pedestrians from the York Boulevard multi-use path to the Waterfront Trail at the
Desjardins Canal, are required to be closed.It has been discovered through regular maintenance inspections that a retaining wall, that is part of the structure that the stairs are constructed on, has loose stones and is showing signs of failure. The steel stair structure itself is not failing, rather the wall upon
which some of the stair footings are located is the concern.It is anticipated that this will be a long-term closure, as the retaining wall needs to be
more thoroughly inspected and design work completed to determine what a permanent
fix might be. As this is anticipated to require significant remediation, staff predict that a
capital budget ask will be included in the 2026 capital budget for consideration.The Waterfront Trail from Princess Point to Bayfront Park will remain open during the
closure and residents will be redirected to either Bayfront Park or Princess Point for
access.Staff understand that this is an important recreational link that is well used by residents,
and staff will work as quickly as possible, while still ensuring all proper due diligence is
considered to repair the retaining wall.”
Production Details
v. 1.0.1
Published: May 16, 2025
Last updated: May 16, 2025
Author: Joey Coleman
Update Record
v. 1.0.0 original version
v. 1.0.1 added staff statement