The already overdue report on the uncontrolled collapse of the Gore Buildings is delayed, again.
Hamilton City Council voted in early November 2024 to reduce the number of times they meet by nearly 25 percent, from 19 scheduled ratification meetings in 2025 to 15.
The result is a growing backlog of incomplete work as Council repeatedly defers and delays business.
The staff report on the collapse was scheduled to be released on April 1. This was delayed until April 22. It is now tentatively scheduled for release on May 14 as part of the May 21 General Issues Committee agenda.
At approximately 6:12 a.m. on Monday, November 11, the 24 and 28 King Street East buildings collapsed onto the Gore Park promenade. Nobody was injured.
Had the collapse occurred hours earlier or hours later, dozens of people would’ve been injured, with fatalities likely.
On the day of the collapse, immediately following Remembrance Day ceremonies in Gore Park, Mayor Andrea Horwath and City Manager Marnie Cluckie visited the site.
Mayor Horwath described the uncontrolled collapse as “terrifying—it’s terrifying what could have happened … but for the Grace of God there are no injuries.”
Cluckie stated that staff were on site three days before the collapse. “Staff were on site at this building on Friday, trying to facilitate action on it.”
During the past five months, City Hall has issued only one statement.
On November 12, the City wrote had followed all its procedures.
“Municipal Law Enforcement and Building Division teams have been vigilant in monitoring these properties,” the statement reads, adding, that “an Order to comply, from the Building Division, was issued on July 22, 2024, to the building owner to address specific concerns; however, compliance had not yet been achieved.”
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v. 1.0.0
Published: April 26, 2025
Last updated: April 26, 2025
Author: Joey Coleman
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v. 1.0.0 original version