Statement by Brendan Simons

Hello Premier Wynne, Mayor Bratina and Hamilton Councillors

In my travels, I have never seen a city with as much of an inferiority complex as Hamilton. There are those who would tell you the city is so undeserving that it is unworthy of any investment, short of a new highway around it. Thankfully this self-harming attitude is fading. In its place you'll find a growing pride in our city and confidence in our future, not as a distant suburb of Toronto, but as a vibrant center of life and business in its own right. I encourage you to visit us during one of our many open-street events downtown. You can't escape the enthusiasm and optimism.

I am writing you to ask that you support the next step in our transition. Hamilton has spent years evaluating, planning and preparing for a Light Rail Transit line. This line would link McMaster University in our West end and dense residential and business nodes in our East end with the growing fountain of civic life in our core. We have completed an extensive range of studies and plans for this project. They show that bus lines along this route already carry enough passengers to justify an upgrade to rail making this the perfect corridor to re-shape growth in our city around high-calibre transit, just as it has in Calgary, Edmonton and hundreds of other cities.

In short, Hamilton is at a turning point, and this is exactly the right moment for LRT to accelerate our renaissance. We are ready, willing and hopeful for your leadership. Please don't let this opportunity slip.

Sincerely,
Brendan

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