Blind squirrels: Hamilton's housing crisis

Vincent J. Curtis

29 May 22

RE: The real work of city growth is never easy.  Spectator editorial 28 May 22.

Even blind squirrels can find a nut occasionally, and it appears that the nuts writing Spectator editorials might find the squirrel yet.

Having won the battle not to expand the urban boundary, the victors are now confronted with the consequences of their victory.  The actual business of accommodating 236,000 new Hamiltonians within the existing urban footprint is going to inconvenience a lot of the current residents.  And that’s just building the accommodations above ground.  The real problem arises underground.

The existing sanitary sewers and water supply of the lower city and the Mountain are designed to handle the existing number of residents, let’s say 400,000 people.  Put another 236,000 into that same area, and there may not be enough capacity to handle the additional required volumes.  Never mind whether the electrical substations can handle the addition power demands.  Never mind all the additional parking that will have to be handled on existing residential streets.  Disregarding power and parking, the entire city will have to be dug up to install larger pipes.

On the other hand, an entirely new area of development would only require the installation of new trunk lines to service the new area, and more parking is not a problem.  A much cheaper and convenient solution to growth.

What will be needed is an outer ring road connecting up with the QEW at Fruitland Road and the 403 and 6 interchange.

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