All Statements of Support
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Jeff Jefferson says,
Dear Mr. Ford,
Hamilton of all the cities I’ve lived in has the most problems. These include:
1. Dangerous roadways (I’ve been hit by a car in the bike lane);
2. Violence;
3. Police brutality currently under review;
4. Lack of accepting outsiders (turnaround for people moving here is higher than 50%);
5. Covert pollution issues in the industrial areas that may be in the top five man-made disasters in the world and have gone unreported;
6. Poor public transit; emissions are a real problem as is air quality;
7. A downtown that is filled with vagrants due to failure of integrated housing;
8. Theft etc. etc. etc.As the primer of Ontario, you need to be a man of your word and stand tall to address the significant issues of every major city in Ontario. Saying it was ruined by the socialists doesn’t allow you to evade accountability to take charge to improve conditions. Stripping away LRT and then concurrently handing it to another city, that may also need it, sets a bad image for your character and has been perceived as a slap in the face to the people of Hamilton, as it should. It is time to look in the mirror and ask yourself if you really want to be premier to help each and every member of this province unbiasedly. If the answer is yes, then you will find a way to get the LRT back on track. Not only that you will start working with different levels of government to address the issues I mentioned above, but that will also take billions in cleanup and lots of social infrastructures to support education, police services (and training to behave in keeping with a Canadian force), and moral support to champion the changes. With the billions in the cleanup, an entire waterfront that is viable could be built and a common lower-income housing area in areas that have been cleaned up could be developed. This would allow downtown to be free of the people that keep most citizens away. Time to clean up Hamilton and investment is the start of changing the way things work here, the culture, cooth, and morale of the city.
Jeff
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Mark MacDonald says,
Hi Doug,
You should issue a statement about Hamilton and your views about it and be honest. The place has so many problems stemming from huge pollution issues in the east end due yo coke use in steel to a recent large scandal of dumping billions of sewage into the lake. Being from away, I don't even know what Hamilton stands for as it is a society out for a quick buck that doesn't protect its community members or the most vulnerable. It really needs a social intervention and guidance top down because the morals arent right and they aren't Canadian in the slightest. As the premier, you have a duty to stand tall and point out when they are screwing up. Silence helps no one. Also a passive aggressive approach by promising money and later renig is an act of aggression that reflects poorly on you. This isn't a money issue for you but about political gain but you must be a man of your word here to give Hamilton at least a shot. LRT would help Hamilton as would billions in a capping project followed by moving underprivledged to neighbourhood's built on these areas with social supports and police services built in. This is how the downtown can be reclaimed. Canada shouldn't have a bum town in Ontario. You have fiduciary duty to help fix it. -
Jacques Cormier says,
The citizens of Hamilton have been clear. We will get the LRT we deserve.
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Reyna Matties says,
Hi,
I live in Landsdale and bought a house in 2016 with the understanding that the cycle and public transit infrastructure would continue to be developed. I am very frustrated with the decision to cancel LRT funding before the RFPs even came in. Kitchener, and Mississauga already have LRT being developed. Liuna and others have invested in Hamilton along the LRT route, so I see this decision as a drastic step backwards for Hamilton. -
Nancy McPhee says,
The LRT is desperately needed. As low income housing is pushed out of the centre, it is absolutely necessary to have quick and reliable cross city movement.
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Jesse Gallant says,
Hamilton needs this project, our population is on a heavy incline and current transit is over crowded.
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Aaron McBride says,
I support Hamilton getting provincial $ for LRT. Transportation across the province needs updating and we need to start somewhere.
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Donna Weldon says,
LRT works. Look around the world and you will see that where it is established it is well used by the population.
It gets people out of their cars and that is what we need. Give Hamilton back their opportunity to introduce environmentally friendly transportation! -
Nancy DeLeeuw says,
The LRT is not just another transit system (but highly favourable) but is the catalyst to rebuilding the decaying infrastructure of This city. The time is now!
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Nancy Milawski says,
You need to start living up to your promises the first time instead of constantly changing your mind, like with the autism situation.
Reinstate funding before it raises the cost even more.
Stop treating Hamilton different from Mississauga and Toronto. -
clara vuillier-devillers says,
Dear Premier Ford,
I have always found myself incredibly lucky to have spent most of my life living in Hamilton, a city that I love. As a child I loved growing up in the Durand neighborhood, and I loved moving up onto the escarpment as I grew older. I loved attending Westdale Secondary School and walking around Westdale Village during lunch. On weekends I loved hiking to nearby waterfalls, I loved spending Saturday mornings at the Hamilton Farmers’ Market, and I love walking my dog at Bayfront Park. But most of all, I loved the community. I love everything about this city. However, when I went off into first year university at the University of Waterloo, I realized for the first time in my life that maybe the city that I grew up in and loved so dearly was not as terrific as I once thought.
Quite recently, the Region of Waterloo has installed an LRT system will rails connecting two downtowns, four university campuses, hospitals, intercity transit, and multiple shopping centers and neighborhoods. As a university student, I use the LRT daily to go to and from classes as a quicker and more practical alternative than the bus. The LRT system forms the spine of public transportation in the Waterloo Region and has simplified my life enormously, as well as the lives of many other citizens who rely on public transportation.
As climate change increases, all cities need to adopt more public transportation alternatives. Especially towns who house numerous universities and colleges like Hamilton with McMaster Univeristy, Mohawk College, and Redeemer. Within the densely populated schools, very few students are able to afford having their own vehicles for transportation, and these students as well as all Hamiltonians need affordable and practical solutions to navigating this wonderful city.
I will always love Hamilton. In fact, I hope to own day move back here, and settle down with a family of my own. I hope that my children will grow up loving wondering around Westdale Village, to love hiking to waterfalls, to love spending Saturday mornings at the Hamilton Farmers’ Market, to love walking the family dog at Bayfront Park and to love their community. However, most of all I hope that they have an LRT system to facilitate the transportation between all the great things they love about Hamilton.
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Barb Ross says,
Pro transit
Pro bike
Pro bus
Need LRT
WANT LRT -
Mike Kovach says,
A crucial project that will bring Hamilton properly into the 21 st century. Too much time, debate,and money has been expended to see this city building project not come to fruition.
This happened with the Linc-Red Hill expressway and finally they were completed late and more expensively.
Not much call to have them ripped out.We lost out on the Sky Train 30 plus years ago. Don't let history repeat itself.
Lets determine the "true" cost to build this LRT and get on with the job. Why is it wrong for Hamilton, but not for Kitchener-Waterloo, Missisauga, Brampton and Ottawa.
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Alexander White says,
The LRT project is good for Hamilton - for residents, businesses, students, developers etc across the city. It is an important investment into key infrastructure in the core of the city, a seed of the BLAST network and an important influence for broader development along the route and across the city (as seen in KW). Further delaying these investments unnecessarily is irresponsible.
Cancelling the project now, shortly before the three RFP submissions are returned, including associated pricing, is bizarre. Only then should decisions be made to find additional funding or rescope as required. Using questionably inflated estimates including 30yrs of O&M/Lifecycle etc to justify the decision due to apparent cost escalation is inappropriate and likely worse. Good for the AG and LIUNA for following up on this point. -
Benjamin Crotty says,
Cancelling the LRT is a mistake. The project is incredibly important as a first step in improving Hamilton's transit. It's also important for encouraging investment in Hamilton, updating the infrastructure on King St, and attracting more business to the King St corridor. All of those things need to happen anyway. This project will do all of those things, and cancelling the LRT now just wastes all of the money that has already been spent.
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Duncan McFarlane says,
it is an incredible loss to Hamilton's growth should we not get improved transit. the HSR is not enough as it is and causing more people to turn to cars. whereas a solid system would have more people skipping the extra carbon waste daily.
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Alireza Gholipour says,
I hope that you guys are representing all Ontario’s including over half million who live in this City. We will also vote and remember you next time around
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Grant Heggie says,
Reverse this bone headed decision. The LRT is a great idea.
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Kathy Garneau says,
Dear Premier Ford,
Hamilton needs this LRT. As a small business owner located near the proposed LRT I see many benefits for the citizens of Hamilton.
Please do not pull the funding for this important project. -
Alex Zafer says,
Doug Ford,
Your broken promise to Hamilton has been duly noted. Your message is clear, we do not matter when it comes to being 'Open For Business'. I guess this slogan does not include Hamilton. You can reverse this decision. Be better. Do better.
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Ilpo Lehto says,
This LRT was already creating hope within the business community and within the populus of the city. The routing and other changes within the lower city should stimulate so much new investment that the other pieces of the BLAST plan of transit should all fall into position in the projected timeline. Will there be disruption, of course but all building projects do that. The city will still need to replace underground services along the same routes even if this was not planned to be built but this would give a sudden change that would become reflected for the next century is savings in underground services which will allow other areas to benefit of the same improvement.
In short this LRT project will improve the city not just in transportation but in city provided services throughout the city. It will improve investment opportunities for individuals and businesses that affect all of us in Ontario, not just in Hamilton.
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Alicia Cox says,
I believe the LRT will bring much needed money, infrastructure, businesses, people and jobs to Hamilton. The money wasted and people displaced are appalling. I say Yes to the LRT!
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Sarah Sztramko says,
Upgrades to our public transit system are needed now so we can prepare for the future. A truly visionary leadership team would support initiatives such as this to support our communities in the medium-long term, beyond the short election cycle.
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Kevin Walsh says,
Please reinstate the LRT. The city needs a better option for riders. LRT is the best option more buses won’t ease traffic congestion
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Malcolm Forbes says,
Real leadership isn't petty, vengeful, nor does it have a long memory. The decision to scrap the LRT is squarely based on the fact that it runs through the Leader of the Opposition's riding.
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Jennifer Walton says,
Last year, Premier Ford, you said, "I support building the Hamilton LRT because the people of this great city deserve a working transit system. This is an investment that will create jobs, countless new jobs and stimulate economic development." After the last municipal election, you said, "When people democratically elect someone, if [Mayor Eisenberger] wants an LRT, he's gonna get an LRT...that's democracy."
Where is democracy now?
Do the right thing, Premier Ford. DO THE RIGHT THING!
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MARK POOLE says,
What you have done is wrong! Admit your mistake and carry on with your word on the LRT for Hamilton, not only because you put your word on it, but because this city needs it and wants it. For so many positive reasons that vastly outweigh the negative ones. REINSTATE YOUR COMMITMENT TO THIS CITY AND CONTINUE TO DO EVERYTHING YOU CAN TO SEE THIS THROUGH UNTIL THE FIRST OF OUR CITIZENS GET ON THE TRAIN ITSELF AND COMMUTE TO WHERE THEY ARE GOING.
Sincerely, Mark Poole -
Jennifer Causey says,
Premier Ford,
It is fiscally irresponsible to pull the plug on the LRT. So much money has already been spent on making the LRT happen. Businesses had planned on investing in Hamilton because of the LRT and killing this project is essentially killing long term investment in our city which is only in its infancy in terms of growth. Great cities have great transit and we want to be a great city.
Sincerely,
Jennifer Causey -
Richard Gelder says,
Transport Minister Caroline Mulroney came to town and without saying a word, ripped the heart out of our community.
Light Rail Transit was to have been a transformative investment for Hamilton. Smart development and investment were, and are, contingent on it being built.
Premier Ford, it is not too late to reverse this devastating decision. Like communities across the province, Hamilton needs Light Rail Transit to bring it's transportation needs into the age of climate change. Please act now to restore the funding for Hamilton's LRT!!!
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Raidin Brailsford says,
Look at Chile and New York and think about what Ontario could do if you eff with our transit
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