All Statements of Support
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Leslie Murray-Leung says,
Hamilton voted many times for LRT. You promised LRT. Keep politics out and restore LRT funding.
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Trish Cordiner says,
I am in favour of LRT. We need it to improve our city economically and evironmentally. A promise is a promise and Mr. Ford better take another look at our city and his future in politics. Back to the drawing board and let’s build that LRT!.
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Rachel Vorstermans says,
Ludicrous that you would cut this project and a very clear political move against a city who votes NDP. I’m disgusted.
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Frank Soberg says,
It all seems so blatantly vindictive.
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E Shaker says,
I grew up in Hamilton and have watched this city deal with more than its share of difficulties, but also watched it celebrate everything it has to offer. The LRT is a widely supported initiative that the community has already invested heavily in. Minister Mulroney’s decision to cancel the LRT amounts to the rug being pulled out from under the local democratic process, civic engagement, community support, business investment, municipal innovation and public transparency. Premier Ford should reverse her shortsighted decision and reaffirm his support for Hamilton’s LRT—support he has repeatedly proclaimed since he was elected.
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Jeffrey Smallwood says,
My city needs this to move gorward into the future. I had the pleasure of being in kitchener recently and their lrt is amazing annd the growth and reinvestment it has caused outweighs any argument not to build it. Please give hamilton a chance to no longer be the armpit of the province.
The only way this could get better would be to have the rails made with hamilton steel. Hamilyon the Ambitious City.
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Daniel Hamilton says,
My first experience taking Hamilton transit was in middle school when I took the 34 Upper Paradise to Chedoke Middle School. When I was a little older I used to take the 41 mohawk to my part time job on Upper James. As I moved to university I would hop on the 10, 51, 5a etc to get to McMaster University. As I've grown older and been able to explore larger cities from different provinces and countries I've learned even further the ways a transit system can connect a community. When you look along the proposed route of the first branch of the proposed BLAST network there are so many disparate communities and many that have been left behind. The building of this line represented a hope that the entire downtown Hamilton could feel connected; a trip to McMaster or Tim Hortons Field or Eastgate was only a short trip away. And given how disconnected different parts of this megacity can feel sometimes that sort of interconnectedness was much needed.
For all of us that lived in Hamilton through the 80s, 90s, 2000s, there was never a lot of hope. The steel factories left us, the NHL turned us down, the Ticats almost left us, and we became the butt of every joke for surrounding communities, we were just that ugly place you drove past on the skyway. But in the last decade that has started to change. People now travel to our beautiful city, they come to see the scenery, visit our restaurants, come to our art crawls, and they move here to be a part of a tight-knit and extremely proud community. Instead of getting made fun of when I say I'm from Hamilton, I know get questions and people tell me how much they enjoy it or want to visit. Its a major difference, but we still have a long way to go.
The LRT as it was designed was a major step forward in taking that next step to become a major city and destination. It was the start of a bold vision, it spurred new land developments and when added to all the rejuvenation that already happened it gave me that one thing so many of us in the city lacked for so many decades: hope. It was not a miracle cure or magic pill, but it was a good start.
When the announcement came that the LRT was being cancelled, I felt like all that hope had been taken away. I know that through this whole process we were our own worst enemy. But the best decisions are usually made when people from different backgrounds and different ideas come together to compromise. And with 3 months until the final bids were to be tendered, this was much too late for a unilateral top-down decision to be made after all we've invested into this process. Frankly we deserve better.
So Mr. Ford and Ms Mulroney, I ask you to come back to the table, open the books and talk about a compromise with this community, at the very least we deserve a seat at the table. If the shoe was on the other foot and your region of representation was given this same treatment you would both be outraged. This city has gone through too much to let this stop us now, all we're asking is for you to join us so we can all feel we're on the same team. We deserve a seat at the table, we deserve to have a provincial government that works with us and we deserve a transit system that fits the needs of our city.
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Margaret Shkimba says,
This will be seen as a petty politicking move. Don’t let that be your legacy.
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Yasmin Shaker says,
Dear Mr. Ford,
This decision is clearly a mistake. There is a reasonable path forward to this and I trust you will do the right thing here.
Happy holidays.
Yasmin -
Nancy Clarke says,
You need to fund this project. The Hamilton LRT is needed. You haven't done 1 good thing since you were elected, this could be a first
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sandra lapointe says,
Minister Mulroney made a mistake here but the Premier can fix it. It's not too late to do the right thing for the people of Hamilton.
Hamilton has done the hard work. All we're asking for is fair treatment as compared to Mississauga.
Let the bid process finish. If the final bids come in over budget, scale back the project or ask the Federal Government to help.
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Erich Bertussi says,
stop playing politics by trying to disenfranchise working people, get the LRT built.
or get out of the way and let hamilton build it on their own with the feds.
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Matthias Feiner says,
I would encourage Provincial and Federal governments to allow Hamiltonians to continue to make their own decisions and to continue with the LRT project where a lot of planning has been done and hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars have already been spent. If the government supports LRT to go forward it will be a win-win for Hamiltonians and the Governments as many new Hamiltonians have moved from Toronto and have many contacts in Toronto. Politicians cannot afford to lose the support of Hamiltonians and Torontonians at the same time. It would be certain defeat in the next election. In addition as LRT promotes a large growing taxbase in Hamilton, LRT will help bring the provincial and federal governments the much needed extra tax revenues from a growing population and businesses flourishing in Hamilton along the LRT line.
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Sonja De Pauw says,
The way of the future in Hamilton is the LRT. Anything else is looking backward and we cannot afford to do that, both for the sake of the climate and Hamilton's economic future.
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Wayne Baker says,
The city of Hamilton should have light rail transit just like Toronto, Mississauga, Ottawa and Kitchener-Waterloo.
If all those cities are having their light rail lines funded and constructed, then Hamilton should have its line funded and constructed as well.
Hamilton deserves to have high order public transit service just like other cities in Ontario.
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Loren King says,
Stop playing cheap politics, Doug. If Ontario can afford a $5billion LRT for Mississauga, then it can easily afford a $1billion LRT in Hamilton. We need more integrated regional transit options connecting Ontario businesses and communities, not fewer.
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Cathy McPherson says,
Premier Ford - I strongly urge you and your government to reconsider your cancelation of the LRT in Hamilton. This system is critically important to our city for many reasons: by helping to reduce the air pollutants in our city; by bringing more jobs and investment into our city and the golden horseshoe area ; and by enabling us to upgrade our infrastructure along the LRT line.
Our LRT system is already well on its way to being completed. There is no benefit to taxpayers to cancel it at this time. The cancelation of contracts will cost us dearly - both financially and in terms of Ontario's loss of credibility as a jurisdiction "open to business".
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Amy Seczek says,
Cancelling the LRT is a terrible mistake! Reverse this mistake and get the project back on track!
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John Day says,
This is not fair, not just, not right, we have worked so hard to get this project out of the gate, you know we need this if the GTA, greater Hamilton, Niagara region and Ontario is to continue to do well. I thought you were a visionary, a man who could see what the possibilities could be, please don't give up on Hamilton, the GTA, Niagara and Ontario, many of us want to see you win another election, I can not support you if you do not support the LRT. Thanks for listening >> John Day
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Brian H says,
Premier Ford,
Your campaign consisted of slogans that Ontario was open for business. You also publicly addressed the democratic will of the people of Hamilton by asserting that if they voted for LRT, then they would get LRT. Premier Ford, the actions taken last week by your government suggest you have faith in neither of those opinions.The positive impact on climate emissions in GTHA by providing a more carbon neutral means of transport AND removing single-driver vehicles from our city roads aside, the construction of LRT contributes positively to our tax base and our employment situation. The increase in infrastructure to support LRT can not be questioned. The entire piece is a positive gain for Hamilton residents and businesses.
Please demonstrate good faith toward the people of Hamilton. Rescind Minister Mulroney's untimely and unpopular decision to unilaterally cancel Hamilton's LRT project just weeks before numbers would come in.
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Shawn Ord says,
This truly Is a huge hit to Hamilton, and to the majority of people here that have been looking forward to an improved transportation system in the city for a long time. Many businesses have also bought along this rail line preparing for this system in the future. Lastly, we had a whole city election where this topic was at the forefront of debate and which lead to our current mayor winning. Keep your promise. Build the rail.
Thank you for your time,
Shawn Ord.
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Andrew Pettit says,
I am dismayed and disheartened to be petitioning yet again to move Hamilton's LRT project forward; it's a transformative investment in far more than just transit that has been campaigned for, voted on and designed over the past 12 years. More than dismayed and disheartened though, I am grateful for the community leaders, elected officials and individual activists, volunteering their time, alike, who somehow persist. They give me hope, even confidence, that good judgement and an optimistic vision for our great city, will win out. It's never too late to come to our senses, to recommit and move this project forward, but sooner would most definitely be better.
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Bryan Webber says,
An investment in the LRT in Hamilton will pay dividends for decades to come.
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Sterling Holmes says,
The Ford govt needs to recognize the people of Hamilton were put to a choice by candidate Sgro in our last election and they voted roundly pro-LRT. Doug Ford pledged to respect the voters' s choice. There is no backing down now. Federal and provincial funds can get this funds can get this done. So be the Premier and the govt you all want to be and go forward so Hamilton and our Province can benefit economically, culturally and environmentally.
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David Johnson says,
This last minute cancelling the LRT is shameless especially when other Transit Initiatives have been expanded or not also cancelled
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lydia van Delft says,
it's 2020, Hamilton needs to be prepared for the future.
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Guy Bradford says,
As a former Hamilton resident, I know full well that years of work was put into getting the LRT done. Hamilton is growing and now is the time for long-term transit infrastructure to be installed. Reneging on such an important promise is reflective of a government that lacks integrity, vision, and general decency.
Do the right thing: help build the LRT like you promised.
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Beverley Wagar says,
I totally support the Hamilton LRT. Was devastated to learn the rug had been pulled, promises broken, and the work to date, including all the demolishes and expropriations along the corridor, will become part of the ruin of Hamilton's downtown. The future once looked bright.
We DO NOT need a task force. This issue has been voted on repeatedly, for decades. We need to get on with it. Hamilton wants light rail transit! -
Jim Molnar says,
Doug, you can reverse the decision and build light rail in Hamilton. Future generations will thank you for it. Do it now!
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Juan Carlos Lorenzo says,
I fully support the LRT. Our city is too large to get across from one end to another. This will make travel time minimal, reduce traffic on the roads, and also reduce GREEN HOUSE GASES. Hamilton’s carbon footprint is large enough as it is.
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