The ongoing occupation of Gage Park by encampments has to end. The discovery this week of a network of tunnels, enabling the establishment of a makeshift power theft operation has reduced Hamilton to a laughing-stock in Toronto media outlets. It has once and for all shown the total failure of the city’s encampment protocol where “low barrier” apparently means “no barrier,” and “Housing first”—what does that even mean?

Monday, the case of the 19 people who were evicted from encampment a couple of years ago will finally be heard, unless there is another adjournment. City legal staff say we can’t take aggressive action on encampments until that matter is settled. We disagree. The city has already decided to ban encampments in Bayfront Park and Pier 4 Parks once the Barton-Tiffany site is opened. That hasn’t been tested in court and who’s to say it won’t be challenged? The fact is, a lot of this stuff is being made up as we go along. The city has also banned encampments in parks where construction is taking place. So, encampments are being banned on a piecemeal basis for more than one reason, notwithstanding whatever the courts are doing.

There never should have been encampments allowed in Gage Park. All parks are not created equal. Gage Park should be viewed not only as a park, but as a historical site, showcasing the creative genius of Canada’s foremost landscapers, architects and artists of the first half of the last century. It is the centrepiece of the entire Hamilton Park system. Its desecration is intolerable. In addition to its role as a public park, it is also an arboretum with more than 100 varieties of trees and shrubs, including copper beech trees that are almost 200 years old. It is a refuge for the Ward Three residents who live within walking distance of the park, but also for Hamiltonians who come from all parts of the city to enjoy its magnificence.

The councillor whose ward includes Gage Park says she still feels safe taking her child through the park. Many others don’t, but the issue goes beyond safety—it’s the protection of one of the city’s most significant cultural assets from vandalism that is equally at issue. So much of our heritage is being trashed these days by victimhood grifters, in many cases taxpayer supported; its time to say enough is enough and start showing some pride in our community. Let’s start by giving the community back its beloved Gage Park.

On the eve of the long-awaited hearing of the case of 19 individuals suing the city for evicting them from encampments, the Ontario Court of Appeal has ruled that the Ontario Human Rights Commission cannot appear as an intervenor in the case. The OHRC along with the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, Women’s Legal Action Fund, the British Columbia Civil Liberties Association had applied to intervene in the case. In September a judge ruled none of the parties could appear as intervenors in the case, stating, “The Applicants, who are very well-represented, propose to file expert evidence on the impact of the by-law in question and to make argument with respect to constitutional implications, the effect of international law and the particular impact of the by-law on vulnerable communities, including women. I do not think that the proposed interveners have much to add. The applications to intervene are dismissed. “

In a unanimous decision made on November 27 the appeals court ruled that it did not have proper jurisdiction to interfere with the earlier decision but added, “to be clear, nothing in these reasons should be taken as suggesting, had there been jurisdiction, that we would have found that the application judge erred.”

Hamilton council has been told on several occasions by city legal staff that the case in question is based on the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and has far -reaching implications, and for that reason they have advised the City to avoid any widespread clearing of encampments until the court has ruled. Cities across Ontario have also been mindful of the Kitchener court ruling that declared homeless people can’t be evicted from encampments if there is no alternative shelter available.

That being the case, London Ontario has banned encampments in several parks and even Hamilton has plans to ban encampments in Bayfront Park and Pier 4 Park once the tiny shelter site on Barton-Tiffany land is up and running. That site is scheduled to be open on December 20^th. Crews have been seen working through weekends fencing the area, dumping and spreading fill and paving the site with asphalt in order to comply with orders to create a barrier between the historical contamination of the site and the proposed shelters.

Just Ask Bob, available on Cable 14, is all about teaching and advocacy. Host Bob Assadourian brings his extensive experience to every episode of this half hour series. Bob believes in homeowner rights and teaches how to find the right contractor for residents to keep them from getting ripped off.

Bob Assadourian answers homeowners and provides valuable household tips in his show, on his website and now, in the Bay Observer. Following are some examples:

Can you please tell us about cultured marble? What exactly is it, how well does it work in a bathroom above a tub or shower? Can it be custom made to match existing tiles in a bathroom? Liz – Waterdown, ON

In basic terms, Cultured Marble is a mixture of fiberglass, resin and crushed limestone. A more technical description is as follows: Cultured Marble belongs to the family of cast polymers. Cast polymers are a mixture of an unsaturated polyester resin, highly filled with inorganic particulates and pigments. Fillers used are engineered calcium carbonates for Cultured Marble and Marble-ite. New Home Builders do not like to tile the wet area/ceiling above Showers and Bathtubs.

Do yourself a big favour and prepare your home for your contractor, whether it is for a small repair or a full blown  renovation. If your contractor will be responsible for moving your furniture (sometimes again and again), at least have the courtesy to remove breakable items and empty the furniture to make it weigh less… From the home’s front door right to the work area, keep things out of the way so the crew can move around freely and not risk banging into things. Remember, your belongings are important, and their extra time is money!

For more information click here. https://triplerinc.ca/contact-us/

Peel Police are combing through video footage in an attempt to get the identities of persons involved in violent racially-motivated incidents that took place in November

A Strategic Investigative Team was formed to investigate several offences that occurred during and after protests at a Mandir on The Gore Road in Brampton as well as related incidents at the Westwood Mall in Mississauga.  

Included in this release are images of persons of interest or suspects responsible for offences that include assault, assault with a weapon, assault causing bodily harm, assault police officer and public incitement of hatred. Investigators are asking for your help in identifying them.

Investigators continue to analyze hundreds of videos of the incidents and are working to identify additional suspects involved and anticipate further arrests.

Anyone with information on the identity of the depicted individuals are asked to contact investigators at either 12 Division (Mississauga) at 905-453-2121 extension 1233, or 21 Division (Brampton) at 905-453-2121 extension 2133.  Information may also be left anonymously by calling Peel Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or visiting www.peelcrimestoppers.ca.

Investigators are asking anyone with video or images of the demonstrations, to submit them using the following link:

https://prp.ca.evidence.com/axon/community-request/public/pr240353091

For media inquiries, please contact the on-duty Public Information Officer at (905) 453-2121, extension 4027.

Inflation likely hovered at or a little above the Bank of Canada's two per cent target rate in November, economists expect, after Taylor Swift's Eras Tour swept through Toronto and offered a temporary economic boost.

These days, if you see Billy Merasty on a Winnipeg street, you’re most likely to recognize him as Roger Laughingstick, the low-key zany deejay spinning platters that matter for the Grouse Lake reservation community of the CTV comedy series Acting Good.

Kettle and Stony Point librarian Anastasia Shawnoo is using Christmas letters to pass Anishinaabemowin to the next generation.

Lucy Robinson passed away at 81 in September, but her family and friends are continuing her spirit of giving back to the community by organizing a blanket drive in her memory. "We decided that … we would make her maybe a little bit proud of us and that she did teach us to give back," says close friend Marilyn Wright.

Some federal public servants in Ottawa wait nearly an hour each morning for a coveted spot in one of the city's suburban co-working spaces rather than endure the commute to their government offices downtown.

The federal government’s GST/HST holiday kicked off Saturday, and while some in the food industry hope it will lead to a boost in sales, shoppers are unsure whether it will encourage them to spend more. 

 Niagara police have arrested a man who they say conducted two armed robberies over an 18-day span.

The first one occurred November 21 at a CIBC located at 4100 Victoria Avenue, Lincoln. 

Police say that at approximately 10:55am, the suspect entered the bank while brandishing a firearm.  The suspect approached the bank teller and demanded money.  The male suspect left with an undisclosed amount of cash.

Then on December 9, a male suspect entered the TD Canada Trust located at 364 Scott Street, St. Catharines.  Once again, the suspect was armed with a firearm and demanded cash from the bank teller.

Several units of the Niagara Police Service plus the Hamilton BEAR Unit all worked jointly to conduct an extensive investigation and identify the suspect, who, tuned out to be responsible for both hold-ups.

Thursday, Isaiah SHARPE (29 Years Old) of St. Catharine’s was arrested and charged with armed robbery, disguised with intent and possession of a firearm, contrary to Prohibition Order

Sharpe was held in custody pending a bail hearing in St. Catharines.

Anyone with information is asked to contact detectives at 905-688-4111, option 3, ext. 1009528.

Members of the public who wish to provide information anonymously can contact Crime Stoppers of Niagara online or by calling 1-800-222-8477. 

London police are looking for a suspect who fired a gun outside of southwestern Ontario's largest emergency room early Saturday morning, shattering windows and the confidence of medical staff working inside. 

An Indigenous woman caretaking for her four grandchildren while staying in different hotels in London, Ont., since February fears she'll have to move back to a trailer with no heating or hydro by next month if funding runs out. 

Two London-born professional footballers are using a long-running NFL initiative to show support for a national youth charity aimed at helping kids in distress.

A rally demanding justice for Erixon Kabera, who was shot and killed by police, is taking place at Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Saturday.

With the Bank of Canada announcing its fifth consecutive interest rate cut since June, homebuyers and industry experts say lower rates are likely to encourage more buyers to enter the market.

The rapid-fire spread of bird flu, an evolving toxic drug supply and the political response to it, plus the rise and expanding use of medications like Ozempic. These are some of the top medical stories we plan to cover in 2025.

Southgates Carpets pleaded guilty to workplace safety violations leading to the death of Ron Hill in September 2023, but owner Mike Charaf did not show up Thursday to hear victim impact statements.