An open letter to Wards 5, 9, 10 and 11 Councillors

Subject: The PanAm Games Stadium Site Selection Debacle and Its Effects on the Municipal Id

I was pretty unhappy with how the stadium became (by dint of default-by-way-of-apathy?) the Number One Election Issue this year. Putting aside Mainstream Media's role in defining the parameters of governance and of wishing there'd been a much stronger push by incumbents to take firm stances on far more substantive -and pressing- issues, what made me the most unhappy was that this wishy-washy, soap-operaish situation crept into the collective consciousness of Hamiltonians, took root and added to the long-festering mindset of 'Hamilton Can't Do'.

Watching the recent developments regarding Aldershot, and the resultant talk, the message board activity, the commenting on The Spec's site, my 'unhappiness' has been cranked up to 'concerned'. Hence this letter.

While there might not be much any of you can do to magically 'fix' this stadium situation, in the spirit of my wanting to find ways to increase the relationship of engagement between the citizenry and their elected representatives, I suggest that there is something you can do, something that could be vital to Hamilton moving forward...although it's admittedly not as 'flashy' as effecting a last-minute, workable solution to the aforementioned fiasco:

Town halls should be held. Right now.

Throughout the entire city to be sure, but as I am a 'Cricker', most of my encouragement would be towards the four of you having them.

Generating clarity, clearing the air, establishing the facts, taking back ownership of the process...providing much-needed context.

Having town-halls wouldn't be 'about' The PanAm Games Stadium Site Selection Process. They would be about clearing the air, about restoring faith in Council, about cancelling out the negativity that everything surrounding the issue has added to our legacy 'Hamilton Can't Do' malaise. They'd be about reassuring residents that this fumbled process is not a bellwether. They'd be about restoring confidence.

Otherwise, this interlude will undoubtedly poison future efforts to move forward, no matter how well-founded, no matter how well thought out they might end up being.

P.S. As for simply 'letting it go', waiting for it all to just blow over, therefore relieving Hamiltonians of further aggravation... I wouldn't even know where to start with that notion.