March 2, 2022
In the decade since the formation of the Hamilton Federation of Neighbourhood Associations in 2012, how things happen in the city has changed so much that were it possible to venture back in time and present to that year's Council the implications of organizing, energizing and empowering Hamilton residents by way of NAs...chances are 'gobsmacked' would have attained quorum.
Here's an excerpt from the interview with Federation Chair Ms McCrawley featured on 'This is Our Hamilton'.
TIOH: So, 'night and day'? Does that describe the difference between now, and pre-formation of your federation?
McCrawley: (laughing) Absolutely! Think of the situations in the previous years that had driven so many Hamiltonians to distraction: West Harbour, including Setting Sail, the CN Ontario Municipal Board hearings. The Pan Am Games Stadium site-selection process. IWS2. Our dance with illegal dumping and garbage collection. The questionable destruction of the Lyric/Century Theatre. The Connaught's prolonged, languishing state. The HWDSB headquarters situation involving the Joe Singer building, the Board's relocation to Crestwood, Mac's entrenchment at 100 Main West. And the biggest battle of all, 'Aerotropolis'. Voices were being raised, but despite the din, it was too online-focused, too fractious...and we were always too late.
TIOH: Consistently behind the 8-ball, always behind the wave.
McCrawley: Exactly!
TIOH: And now? Now that you've got 119 neighbourhood associations in place in the sixteen wards?
McCrawley: (laughing) Night and day.
TIOH: Why?
McCrawley: Because we changed the landscape of our local governance. Because we now have activated residents in most neighbourhoods. We have cohesion, we have synergy, we have power. We work with our councillors and our mayor, we're part of the process now, whereas before, some of us voted every four years and then went about our business...and a small number of us were vocal when our frustration level was high enough.
TIOH: But there are still contentious issues, situations where the consensus on the street doesn't get delivered by the City or by developers.
McCrawley: You're right. But nothing that comes close to how badly the process was being executed 'back then'. And I need to point out that it's only because of the initiatives from the Federation that Hamilton was able to forge its own unique way forward regarding LRT when provincial funding vanished. That happened as a direct result of our 'Congress at Copps' in 2015.
The rest of the interview can be found at www.thisisourhamilton.ca
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