Ward 2 Hamilton

Ward 2 Hamilton This is the official account of the office of Ward 2 City Councillor Cameron Kroetsch

05/30/2026

Quick update on what’s happening with Eastwood Arena. Great news for the community and everyone who uses it - Eastwood will reopen in September.

Great time celebrating the International Village BIA’s 50th birthday today. Congrats to Executive Director Susie Braithw...
05/30/2026

Great time celebrating the International Village BIA’s 50th birthday today. Congrats to Executive Director Susie Braithwaite on this important milestone and the work she does every day to support local small businesses downtown. Come down to the Village today to join in the celebration!

Appreciate the leadership of Councillor Nann on this. Her message is clear and I agree with her. Council cannot comment ...
05/27/2026

Appreciate the leadership of Councillor Nann on this. Her message is clear and I agree with her. Council cannot comment on an application that is still actively before the Committee of Adjustment, a tribunal legally established by the Planning Act (the Province) and independent from Council.

Despite that, we're still able to offer thoughts, broadly, on issues and to provide information to the public on how to connect to the Committee of Adjustment process and how residents can get engaged in it. Councillor Nann has outlined that in detail in her four page statement.

Councillor Nann and I are bringing forward a motion to the June 16 meeting of the Planning Committee to provide guidance around Council's role and the role of City staff in charting this new legal and planning territory. More when I have it.

05/20/2026

Update on the decision by the Committee of Adjustment and the path forward. It’s now up to the applicants to decide whether or not they want to appeal the decision of the Committee. More when I know it.

This week, at James Street North and York Boulevard, crews are out starting the process of reconstructing this intersect...
05/14/2026

This week, at James Street North and York Boulevard, crews are out starting the process of reconstructing this intersection to make it safer and more accessible. This is the result of a safety review I asked to be done earlier in the term. Sidewalk detours are in place so please be careful.

If you would like to see the letter sent to nearby residents and businesses about this work at the end of April, visit https://drive.google.com/file/d/1LW90-J2QHBiCFOWsbm4G5jCMhvbrTWEJ/view?usp=drive_link.

To see a detailed design of the work that's planned for this intersection, visit https://drive.google.com/file/d/1o4E2_pGJdRkuYWGvWoreEz2R7s_tknCn/view?usp=drive_link.

Art Crawling tonight! Hope to see you out Hamilton. It’s the first one of the year and it’s already full of life.
05/08/2026

Art Crawling tonight! Hope to see you out Hamilton. It’s the first one of the year and it’s already full of life.

On the weekend, white supremacists in black masks held a demonstration on James Street North. Nearly 100 years ago, the ...
05/08/2026

On the weekend, white supremacists in black masks held a demonstration on James Street North. Nearly 100 years ago, the K*K, in white hoods, did the same. If you don't think this is an issue in our city, I hope this is the wake up call you need. Here's my motion on this from yesterday.

Over the last year, there have been a handful of similar demonstrations in our downtown. This kind of behaviour is increasing and it's targeting racialized, q***r, trans and other folks. We didn't stand up to the K*K in 1930. We let them march. We shouldn't have. Let's not make that mistake again.

Thanks to Councillor Nann for seconding my motion. It directs staff to work with HARRC and others to address the gaps that keep preventing us from addressing this as a City and as politicians. It also finally requires the City to come up with a plan for politicians who are targeted.

And, to be clear, I will not be posting any images of the actions described in this post and comments will remain off. When I post about white supremacy in this city, the white supremacists try to make things worse. I'm not giving them the opportunity. Feel free to share, though. It matters.

This week, we are taking a stroll through one of my favourite parts of the city, Hess Village. Things have changed for t...
05/07/2026

This week, we are taking a stroll through one of my favourite parts of the city, Hess Village. Things have changed for the better, with a new BIA, and a variety of businesses lining Hess Street South, George Street, and King Street West. It's no longer the Hess Village of our youth.

Hess Village has gone through some ups and downs. This area wasn't always designated a “village”, however, and before the 1970s, it had "been run-down and dilapidated for years" frequented nightly by boisterous and dangerous motorcycle gangs.

In April of 1972, a law firm moved into a large house on Hess Street South that was "honeycombed with rooms". Very soon after, they quietly purchased and restored nearby properties. "The buildings were stripped of antiquated wiring and fittings and the process of rebirth was started."

By November of 1972, a bookshop, art gallery, and boutiques had moved into the ancient homes. Activity surged along Hess Street South and George Street as buildings were restored and occupied. Businesses were opening faster than zoning could be changed, giving the area new life seemingly overnight.

In 1975, the idea of closing George Street to create a pedestrian mall had gained much traction as a way to encourage and continue building on the cozy village atmosphere. Though cancelled due to budget constraints, the concept returned in 1977 as a pilot project that won the hearts of Hamiltonians.

Hess Village became the model for revitalization. In 1975, the International Village Committee cited it as proof a pedestrian cultural shopping area could work. By 1976, its mix of restored buildings and small businesses was the inspiration for Bold Street’s redevelopment.

Through the mid and late 70s, the Village developed into a trendy retail, restaurant, and residential mix. Vegetarian food, "mod" clothing stores, denim related shops, and other "hodgepodge" boutiques filled the streets. They created a casual “Parisian flavour" that defined Hess Village.

Today, Hess Village is home to a vibrant and diverse array of small businesses. If you haven't visited lately, I hope this post will give you a new perspective on its history and another reason to appreciate it.

Pedestrianization has been at the heart of the Village's renewal, for decades, and as the new Hess Village BIA works on its upcoming action plan, I'll continue to support a path forward to make this area more accessible for everyone who walks, rolls, and bikes downtown.

Address

71 Main Street West
Hamilton, ON
L8P4Y5

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 4pm
Tuesday 8am - 8pm
Wednesday 8am - 4pm
Thursday 8am - 8pm
Friday 8am - 4pm

Website

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1gzeV9cKB8Tu5F2vLCqodt5MFNKaywU5aVg6PlhATW98/edit?usp=drive

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