Nice to hear it on other fronts, from other sources. However...

"We must ensure that we have a broad community conversation about these lands. People from Dundas, Ancaster, and Stoney Creek have just as much at stake in the redevelopment of these lands as people who live in the immediate area. However, before we even talk about what we want on these lands, we need to assert a sense of urgency to make sure they are in public hands, so that uncompromised redevelopment is possible.


We often talk about the potential of Hamilton. At a recent Chamber of Commerce event focused on the city’s renewal, writer Christopher Hume remarked that there is no question that development is going to happen in Hamilton. The question we must ask ourselves is whether we want to be active participants or mere bystanders."

The above are excerpts from the Spec article 'Don't dilute west harbour's potential'. It was written by David Premi and Paul Shaker of RethinkRenewal.

As its title indicates, the piece focuses on West Harbour, the rail lands and (by extension) the recent agreement that was reached with CN, the tail end of an OMB appeal involving Setting Sail. 

I'm not an expert on relocating the rail yards. I've heard some pretty qualified opinions about the practicality and feasibility of it being done, as have I heard and read thoughts about the residents-engineered plan that kicked off this recent phase of interest, which focused on the 2018 date of potential game-changing circumstances. 

But what caught my eye was the the stance taken by Messrs. Premi and Shaker regarding the importance of residents being part of the process to ensure that ideal development is created. This notion isn't anything new to this site. In fact, it's a mantra, and connects directly with the Town Halls Hamilton effort, the Hamilton Neighbourhood Associations effort, and This is Our Hamilton. So it's heartening to hear it on other fronts, from other sources. 

Because the truth is that by-and-large, currently, general resident concern or enquiry is not framed this way. Yes, we email our councillor. Yes, we comment on blogs and newspaper feedback sections. But ultimately, that's not what I'm referring to and I don't believe it's what the gentlemen from RethinkRenewal are talking about, either. 

'You don't ask, you don't get.'

A pretty simple mantra I was presented with decades ago. And in both the development-of-our-city and general governance fronts, I'm not convinced we're programmed to do this. Part of this is simply a legacy mindset; the development of a city is left to the 'powers-that-be', and we as citizens take what we're given. (Understanding of course that our Council and City Staff are there to more-or-less protect the common good, the common interests of common Hamiltonians.) Instead, we react. 

Garbage pickup policy. 

The Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board headquarter relocation and schools closings. 

Ward boundary review. 

AEGD. 

Yes, some of our 'aware-and-energized' residents let their feelings be known. In the creation of civic causes such as 'S.O.S.', of 'We Need 3', the efforts that Environment Hamilton spearhead. And we do get flurries of social commentary online, of delegations to Council, and well-intentioned protest efforts. But –and this is directly connected to our habits at the polls– in the main, we don't marshall sufficient numbers to attain critical mass, so a) we're not taken as seriously as we might be, and b) we're not taken as seriously as we might be. To borrow a phrase from City Hall, we never achieve quorum. 

For a second, let's go back to the op-ed piece. Within the context of the excerpts, two reference points stand out: 'conversation' and 'active participants or mere bystanders'. 

The former implies a process. Comprised of corralling information, exchanging ideas, developing qualified opinions, debating differences, attaining compromise...reaching consensus. In an 'I want it now!' world, this takes protracted effort. (Here are two wonderful Scott London essays, ones that I've mentioned previously: 'Thinking Together: 'The Power of Deliberative Dialogue' and 'The Power of Dialogue'.)

And when you toss in the fact that we have a culture in Hamilton greatly influenced by 'legacy malaise', seasoned by long-term frustration and cynicism, where distrust and resignation abounds, then even looking at this in theoretical terms is daunting: never mind the tradition of development being one of City officials and developers being in lockstep with residents reacting after-the-fact, we simply aren't inclined towards dealing with issues in rational ways; we tend to want to vent, to rant and to rage. Be it on Facebook pages, on posters, or in the Comments section of The Spec. So we're not feeling empowered en masse, and we're not well-equipped to express any empowerment anyway. 

And in terms of the standard conversation that takes place, of being genuine participants, we complicate the issue by not asserting ownership of the arena. 

What I mean by this is if we as residents, as primary stakeholders in our community don't 'own' the arena of conversation, then we're ceding power. Time and time again. 

So the ARC sessions as put on by the HWDSB? The delegation procedure that exists at Council? Any 'meeting' produced and presented by anyone other than residents? Subtly, unconsciously but inarguably reinforcing the power dynamic. 

Yes, we need to be participants in the conversation regarding anything about how our city is going to be re-imagined, about what changes we're going to see. But my belief is that unless we are the ones holding the events, unless we are the ones setting the stage, inviting the other player at the table into our arena, we're invariably ceding power, and the chances of us being taken seriously –no matter the lip service paid, no matter the polite, patronizing bafflegab being bestowed upon us– are slim and none...and Slim just left town. 

I'm not stating anything revolutionary here. I'm not claiming to have discovered something heretofore wholly unrealized. This is no different than being called into the Boss's office to 'discuss' something. That power dynamic is entrenched. It's almost impossible to change it. But ours? There is nothing preventing us from framing things in our favour. Nobody has ever said 'You can't have community meetings that aren't 'guided' or 'presented' by your councillor.' (In that instance, we have a tendency to be grateful when they step up and 'guide' proceedings, as if some act of beneficence has been bestowed upon us. I've been to councillor-generated, presented-by meetings. And the ones I've been to have been well-run, well-intentioned events. But they do nothing to ameliorate the power structure. Which is odd, considering that we're the employers and they're our employees.)

The other thing I have to point out that the event referenced by the gentlemen was not, at its core, intended for 'regular Hamiltonians'. Not at the advertised ticket price. (An event that Christopher Hume was a focal point of, the same Toronto Star writer/commentaryist who gave a free talk for we, the people, last autumn at the Canadian Football Hall of Fame auditorium.) And other events that have taken place say, over the past year, have not targeted residents. They have been constructed and executed for what I suppose you could refer to as 'professionals'. Or, if that label doesn't apply, then 'urban planning aficionados', those 'aware-and-energized' amongst us who are perhaps leaders in their fields, or who can afford (and are inclined) to attend such events. 

So in order for us to have Hamiltonians who are authentic participants taking part in the vital conversations about how our city is going to be reinventing itself, we need to be especially mindful what the goal is: Is it to provide more opportunities for our forward-thinkers within our professional community to rub shoulders, reinforce commonly-held beliefs about what needs to be done and allow for more networking to be done...or is it to impact the skill-sets and awareness of those from the streets, the neighbourhoods, the communities and wards, to inform and inspire them so that they choose to become participants in the conversation?

Both of these factors contributed to me initiating the Town Halls Hamilton effort last year. Because I saw a need for us to own the conversations that should be driving the re-envisioning of our city, and that they be accessible and open to all. What's required for this initiative to blossom is for various groups...The Hamilton Civic League, the Chamber of Commerce, RethinkRenewal, neighbourhood associations across the city, The Spec, CHCH, the potential list is endless...to work together, to collaborate to maximize efforts, and in doing so, provide credence to the underlying effort, that of better equipping our residents to take their rightful places at the governance table. 



M Adrian Brassington