Good morning.
Today: City Council to debate a seven-year strategy to change Hamilton’s conventional public transit system, the Ontario Land Tribunal is expected to approve a confidential settlement between the City of Hamilton and the owner of 299, 307, and 325 Fiddler’s Green Road in Ancaster, City Council’s Development Industry Liaison Group meets, the Police Services Board will meet to deliberate the 2026 police budget (the meeting is closed to the public), and Ontario’s Minister of Colleges and Universities will visit Hamilton.
As well, special advance voting for the Ward 8 city council by-election begins at City Hall.
It is the beginning of a busy week at City Hall.
Here is a brief summary of today’s meetings and events.
City Hall
9:00 a.m. Special City Council General Issues Committee: HSR Next
A long-awaited consultant report regarding future routing and expansion of public transit in Hamilton is being presented to City Council today. The report recommends increasing transit service by 55 per cent between the year 2026 and 2032, significantly increasing the number of upper and middle managers, and creating express service routes to connect major shopping malls, post-secondary institutions, and GO train stations.
The report makes no recommendation on how to address tax area-rating, pushing an issue that was supposed to be dealt with in 2003 to 2033.
Will councillors address area-rating? What about HSR managers determining there is insignificant potential ridership to justify operating a bus between McMaster University and Waterdown? Will any councillor ask why HSR managers are the only GTHA transit managers not required to work during peak transit times?
The meeting agenda, with the report included, is here. YouTube livestream here.
9:30 a.m. Development Industry Liaison Group
The agenda for this meeting is not available. The City plans to livestream the meeting on YouTube here. The meeting is by video conference.
11:00 a.m. Hamilton Police Service Board – 2026 Budget
CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC
The Police Board will begin setting the 2026 police budget in a closed session meeting. Once the 2026 budget is nearing finalization, the Board will hold the required public consultation meeting. The agenda is here.
Ontario Land Tribunal
10:00 a.m. OLT: 299, 307 and 325 Fiddler’s Green Road
The OLT should rubberstamp a settlement agreement between the City of Hamilton and Highgate Holdings Inc. regarding a non-decision appeal that was filed on October 21, 2024.
Highgate’s original zoning by-law amendment sought permission to expand an existing retirement home on the property.
The current retirement home has 100 rooms. The application seeks to add 59 units. The original proposal would remove 35 of the existing 44 trees on the property. (Here’s a TPR story regarding the appeal filing from January 2025.)
Provincial Politics
1:00 p.m. Ontario Conservative Government Announcement
“Nolan Quinn, Minister of Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security … to provide remarks.” [YouTube]
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Published: September 14, 2025
Last updated: September 14, 2025
Author: Joey Coleman
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