Keep moving on the waterfront

scotto

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Feb 15, 2004
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The Beach Strip
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Posted with full permission from the Hamilton Spectator.
The Hamilton Spectator
(Jun 7, 2007)
If you've ever taken a ride, Rollerblade, walk or run along one of Hamilton's waterfront trails, you know how wonderful the experience can be.

On a sunny morning, the air feeling fresh (albeit fragrant sometimes), the harbour or lake on one side and park, greenery or beach on the other, the trail bustling with families, friends and individuals just revelling in the environment, you can appreciate at a visceral level just how special and vital is our waterfront.

At times like this, it's easy to forget that this sort of public access is relatively new. Two decades ago, Hamilton's waterfront, especially the western end, was a largely desolate place, unfriendly, unwelcoming and seen mostly as a commodity to be used for future harbour business development.

Thanks to the vision, determination and political clout of many people, that attitude changed, and we saw the development of incredible urban havens such as Pier 4 and Bayfront Park, and later the Parks Canada Marine Discovery Centre, HMCS Haida display and eastern portions of the waterfront trail. Thanks again to that collective vision and determination, present and future Hamiltonians have been given their waterfront back. That's a marvellous, moving legacy that should always be traced back to these formative years in waterfront reclamation.

But much as we've come a very long way, the goal of seeing Hamilton reach its full waterfront potential is a long way off. That much is evident from the release of the Bay Area Restoration Council's annual report card, which essentially grades the progress of the harbour's Remedial Action Plan aimed at restoring the harbour to its full potential. (See the report card at www.hamiltonharbour.ca/tsh)

The news is generally good. The report details progress since 2002 and finds that in 17 key areas targeted for improvement, all but one is holding its own or improving. The one that's headed in the wrong direction is beach closures due to bacterial contamination from birds. A relatively new bird diversion program appears to be having some impact, but more drastic action may warrant consideration if this trend continues.

A key area moving much too slowly is overall water quality, and a key battle that must be won is Randle Reef, where toxic sediment on the harbour floor must be either capped or removed. Even Premier Dalton McGuinty said in a meeting with The Spec's editorial board this week that Randle Reef requires concrete action. We couldn't agree more, so call in the provincial and federal governments to stop talking about the problem and make a financial contribution to remediating Randle Reef.

But what can an average person do about a challenge of this scale? Our advice: If you haven't made enjoying our waterfront a part of your lifestyle, do so. The more Hamiltonians experience and fully appreciate the absolute necessity of reclamation, the more that will translate into political will, locally, provincially and federally.

So, you get to exercise, enjoy some really wonderful, recreational real estate, and at the same time help your community become a fully rounded waterfront city. What's not to like?

Howard Elliott

Editorials are written by members of the editorial board. They represent the position of the newspaper, not necessarily the individual author.
 
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