Building a Stronger Hamilton Community
After enrolling at McMaster, students join a diverse and vibrant community of people with a huge array of knowledge, experiences, and skills. In Hamilton there exists a culturally rich mosaic of people who have helped build a community with phenomenal potential. However, many students often view themselves as outsiders, as temporary residents whose role in the Hamilton community is fleeting. The pandemic has vastly exacerbated this alienation, as almost half of the student body is experiencing what it is like to live, work, and study in Hamilton for the first time. In this theme, I outline the steps I will pursue to not only better support students in their transition into the Hamilton community, but also provide the tools to help students feel at home, as an integral part of Hamilton itself.
Working with Metrolinx to expand busing
during Welcome Week and re-introduce express busses
GO Transit via Metrolinx offers vital transportation services to students. Due to the pandemic, frequency of buses has been reduced with express bus routes from high demand stops mostly eliminated. Thus, to bring back highly important services, I will work directly with Metrolinx to ensure expanded frequency during peak travel periods and to adapt to student needs. A notable example will be during Welcome Week, when I will ensure greater bus frequency to help ensure Welcome Week reps have the necessary transit resources to help them safely travel. In addition, under my leadership, the MSU will work directly with Metrolinx to re-introduce express bus services which have been suspended. Overall, this initiative will help supply students with more robust transit options for travel across the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area.
Conducting a study to determine the average
rental prices, availability, and demand in Ward 1 of Hamilton
Housing is another topic at the forefront of student concerns. Rental prices in Hamilton have risen precipitously, with a rise of 5.4% from 2019 to 2020, compared to 2.2% for the provincial average. This paints a picture of a rental market in need of reform to better support rights of renters. However, a major piece has been lacking, and that is data specific to the regions of Hamilton. McMaster University is located in Ward 1 of Hamilton, an electoral division currently represented by Hamilton City Councillor Maureen Wilson. Most students who rent also live in this area, but there is a lack of data pertaining to the rental market specifically in this region. As a result, I will lead the creation of a study to help better understand the rental environment specific to Ward 1 as it will give relevant data to student experiences. This study will be done in collaboration with groups such as the Office of Community Engagement, MacPherson Institute, the City of Hamilton, and other partners. With the results, we hope to gain specific, granular information which can be used to conduct advocacy to the University, City of Hamilton, and province regarding renter rights. This advocacy will likely include calls for construction of new housing units to meet unfilled demand, expansion of the Hamilton rental licensing pilot, and greater restrictions to prevent exploitation of the market by some landlords. With the implementation of solutions to the study’s findings, we will be able to create a more affordable and accessible housing market for students and those in the greater Hamilton community.
Conducting advocacy campaign to inform
students of upcoming provincial and municipal elections
Ensuring students are informed of their rights and obligations as is key, as it will provide them with the agency needed to receive the supports, resources, and tools they deserve. Thus, concurrent to my planned study, I also hope to lead an information campaign that will help inform students as to the rights they hold, protect them from unsavoury actors such as rogue landlords, and allow them to be more aware of Hamilton City bylaws to reduce fines administered. This will go hand-in-hand with promotion of the upcoming Ontario provincial election and Hamilton City Council elections, thus giving the knowledge they need to make informed electoral decisions.
Working with local Hamilton Businesses
to introduce increased rebates and discounts for students
Engaging with local businesses is a prime method by which we can build a sense of community. If students are given the opportunity to engage with businesses and local organizations more directly and regularly, they will be able to form the necessary connections and relationships to feel at home. This is of course reciprocal, as businesses and other local organizations also stand to benefit from the diverse array of experiences, knowledge, and skills on offer from the McMaster student body. To help support the integration of students within the Hamilton community, I hope to work with local businesses to introduce a greater array of student discounts. The end result will be that students will spend more of their time connecting with and purchasing the valuable, unique, and innovative goods and services offered by local Hamilton businesses and organizations. Simultaneously, businesses still reeling from the effects of the pandemic will be able to benefit from the increased engagement offered by the McMaster student body. The result will be an environment where students will be able to benefit from not only a more cohesive sense of community, but also more affordable goods and services.