Voting for dollars
Hamilton has become a focal point for provincial politicians determined to scoop up fresh ground. Will that translate into economic opportunity for this city in the form of dollars from Queen's Park?
How long will it be for Hamilton to get hourly GO Train service?
October 06, 2007
Daniel Nolan
The Hamilton Spectator
Hamilton has been front and centre on the radar of all three major political parties this election.
Will that focus play to Hamilton's advantage as it struggles to chart a new economic course?
Some of the candidates are certainly giving voice to the issue on the hustings.
Chris Robertson, running for the Progressive Conservatives in Hamilton Centre, has talked about how Hamilton will benefit under his party's plan to move 10 per cent of government office jobs out of Toronto.
Nerene Virgin, running for the Liberals in Hamilton East-Stoney Creek, said she's talked with the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce about the economy and believes the province should encourage sustainable manufacturing that won't compete with China.
She's not specific, but the Liberals have a $500-million auto sector fund (the NDP have proposed a $600-million auto fund) that has provided $15 million to McMaster University to develop lighter metal for cars along with business partners Dofasco, Stelco and General Motors. Virgin has also talked about how "smart" businessmen like Ron Foxcroft have made new investments in the city.
"This is Hamilton's decade," she said at a recent debate in Stoney Creek. "We need to believe in the city like they do."
But do the parties understand just what Hamilton needs to steer toward economic success? Through this past week, The Spectator has published stories detailing the insights of business leaders, economists, planners and many others invested in this city's future. Those people talked about the brownfields, city planning, environmental cleanup and investment in change.
Do these visions mesh with what the politicians are promising?
The answer is yes on some issues. For others it is unclear.
Immediate concerns like the toxic-contaminated Randle Reef in Hamilton Harbour and GO Transit are being addressed by the province after years of lobbying by local politicians and the public.
GO trains began hourly service to the Aldershot GO station last month, part of a $1-billion expansion of GO Transit services. Ottawa, Queen's Park and municipal governments split the $76 million bill to add a third rail between Burlington and Bayview Junction, near the Royal Botanical Gardens, with the idea of someday running hourly trains out of the Hamilton GO Station and extending GO train service into Niagara. About 1,000 commuters a day use the Aldershot station and it's expected to double.
But the city is facing other pressures, such as the need for more serviceable land, more money for economic development, west harbour development, downtown redevelopment and dealing with rising social services costs. Hamilton has the highest urban poverty rate in Ontario and the Liberal government has provided the city with $60 million in the last four years to offset that expense.
Some of the parties have policies to cover these aspirations, but it is not clear where others fit.
The Liberals have made direct promises related to Hamilton's future and the Conservatives and New Democrats have signed on to some of them. For instance, the Conservatives support the Liberal government's creation of the Greenbelt, 7,000 square kilometres from Niagara Falls to Peterborough protected from development.
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http://www.thespec.com/News/Local/article/260424
