CityCAST

Former CityLAB Semester in Residence student Daniella Mikanovsky researched sidewalk snow removal in Hamilton as part of her undergraduate thesis. In this episode, Daniella speaks about the recent changes that the City of Hamilton made to its sidewalk snow clearing policy, and what this means for the future of the City. Recorded By: Ananya Yadav and Julia Menezes Edited By: Julia Menezes

In this episode, Gabriella Christopher and Ned Nolan discuss their respective experiences delegating as citizens to Hamilton City Hall. They discuss the delegation process, where citizens can go for support, and the opportunities and challenges that have emerged for delegates in the context of the pandemic. Recorded By: Ananya Yadav and Julia Menezes Edited By: Julia Menezes Interested in delegating as a citizen to Hamilton City Hall? Delegate registration information can be found on the City of Hamilton's website: https://www.hamilton.ca/council-committee

In 2013, Calgary and its surrounding areas were overcome by a devastating flood. The city paid billions in damage and suffered a great human cost - with 5 lives lost. In the aftermath of this calamity, the City of Calgary understood the importance of mitigating flood risk and building a flood-resilient city for the future. Tanya Laing, who is a Watershed Planning Strategist at the City of Calgary, discusses the work the city has done in flood-risk management to prevent such a catastrophe from occurring again. Recorded By: Ananya Yadav, Wendy Zhang (CityLAB SIR Climate Change Resiliency Team) Edited By: Wendy Zhang

Tune in to hear Tanya Laing, Heather Galbraith, and Jill Curley from the City of Calgary tell us about Calgary's climate plans. They speak about the beginnings of their climate program and how the 2013 Calgary floods ignited a commitment to better climate resiliency plans in the city. They also discuss how they engaged with the public to build a better plan for all. Recorded By: Ananya Yadav, Derya Demirci, Henry Challen, Wendy Zhang (CityLAB SIR Climate Change Resiliency Team) Edited By: Wendy Zhang

This episode is Part 2 of our interview with the Executive Director of the Bay Area Restoration Council, Chris McLaughlin. Chris talks about effective stormwater management strategies, and shares how BARC engages with community members to get them involved in the change-making process in Hamilton. Recorded By: Ananya Yadav, Derya Demirci, Henry Challen, Wendy Zhang (CityLAB SIR Climate Change Resiliency Team) Edited By: Ananya Yadav

This episode features a conversation with the Executive Director of the Bay Area Restoration Council (BARC), Chris McLaughlin. He talks about how he got involved with BARC and then describes the type of work that the organization is involved in, along with their working relationship with the City of Hamilton. Chris further talks about the problem of subjective data metrics and explains why he thinks Hamilton must handle stormwater more effectively. Recorded By: Ananya Yadav, Derya Demirci, Henry Challen, Wendy Zhang (CityLAB SIR Climate Change Resiliency Team) Edited By: Ananya Yadav

In this episode, McMaster Research Shop participants Chelsea Barranger, Fairuz Karim, and Marzan Hamid speak about their ‘Nowhere to Go' project with the Beasley Neighbourhood Association. They emphasize the need for more public discourse in Hamilton surrounding public washrooms that are accessible, sustainable, and community-driven. Listen to this episode, then check-out @HamOntWashrooms on Instagram and Twitter to join the conversation! Recorded By: Ananya Yadav and Julia Menezes Edited By: Julia Menezes Interested in learning more about the Research Shop and the ‘Nowhere to Go' report? Visit: community.mcmaster.ca/research-shop

This episode features a conversation with Bianca Caramento who is the Manager of the Bay Area Climate Change Council. Learn more about what the BACC does and how it works together with other organizations and the City to catalyze climate action in Hamilton! Recorded By: Ananya Yadav, Derya Demirci, Henry Challen, Wendy Zhang (CityLAB SIR Climate Change Resiliency Team) Edited By: Wendy Zhang

This is part 2 of our conversation with Jon Davey, who is the environment and climate change committee chair for the North End Neighborhood Association (NENA). In this episode, Jon talks about the challenges of getting political support for climate change policies and dealing with difficult stakeholders. He shares his thoughts about the sustainability of the Pier 8 development and the importance of sustainable public transportation for all. Be sure to check out Part 1 as well, where Jon talks about some of the greatest challenges facing Hamilton with regards to climate change and how North End residents are helping to make a positive difference in the community. Recorded By: Ananya Yadav, Derya Demirci, Henry Challen, Wendy Zhang (CityLAB SIR Climate Change Resiliency Team) Edited By: Ananya Yadav

In this episode, CityLAB SIR students speak to Jon Davey, who is the Environment and Climate Change Committee Chair for the North End Neighborhood Association (NENA). Jon talks about some of the greatest challenges facing Hamilton with regards to climate change and how it impacts residents in the North End and what they're doing about it. Recorded By: Ananya Yadav, Derya Demirci, Henry Challen, Wendy Zhang (CityLAB SIR Climate Change Resiliency Team) Edited By: Ananya Yadav

Rachel Braithwaite is the Executive Director of the Barton Village Business Improvement Area (BIA). In this episode, Rachel speaks about the role of BIAs in Hamilton and the challenges facing the Barton Village BIA in the context of the global pandemic. Guest: Rachel Braithwaite Recorded by: Randy Kay Edited and Narrated By: Julia Menezes Interested in learning more about the topics discussed on CityCAST? The application deadline for the CityLAB Semester in Residence has been extended until June 15, 2021. You can find the application on the McMaster Office of Community Engagement website or on the CityLAB Hamilton website. Don't forget to follow us @citylabsir on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!

Danielle Koleyak is an Environmental Project Manager at the City of Edmonton. In this episode, Danielle talks about the importance of bringing about a cultural shift and building partnerships in the community for climate work. Recorded By: Ananya Yadav, Derya Demirci, Henry Challen, Wendy Zhang (CityLAB SIR Climate Change Resiliency Team) Interview Led By: Derya Demirci Edited and Narrated By: Ananya Yadav Additional Information: The deadline for the CityLAB Semester in Residence applications has been extended to June 15. You can find the application on the McMaster Office of Community Engagement website or on the CityLAB Hamilton website. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @citylabsir

Danielle Koleyak is an Environmental Project Manager at the City of Edmonton. In this episode, Danielle talks about the challenges that her team ran into while pushing for new climate plans. She discusses some of the struggles of community engagement, and how the interdisciplinary nature of climate change brings together a variety of different ideas and expertise. Recorded By: Ananya Yadav, Derya Demirci, Henry Challen, Wendy Zhang (CityLAB SIR Climate Change Resiliency Team) Interview Led By: Derya Demirci Edited and Narrated By: Ananya Yadav Additional Information: The deadline for the CityLAB Semester in Residence applications has been extended to June 15. You can find the application on the McMaster Office of Community Engagement website or on the CityLAB Hamilton website.

In Part 2 of 2, Beatrice Ekoko and Deepak Palanichami discuss the relational dynamics between a city government and an advocacy group and how that impacts their work. Additionally, they dissect the impact of the pandemic on climate action within the city. Recorded By: Ananya Yadav, Derya Demirci, Henry Challen, Wendy Zhang (CityLAB SIR Climate Change Resiliency Team) Edited and Narrated By: Ananya Yadav

In Part 1 of 2, Beatrice Ekoko and Deepak Palanichami from Environment Hamilton share what they think are Hamilton's key environmental issues, and provide insights on what the City can do to improve its climate resiliency strategy. Recorded By: Ananya Yadav, Derya Demirci, Henry Challen, Wendy Zhang (CityLAB SIR Climate Change Resiliency Team) Edited and Narrated By: Ananya Yadav

In this episode, Vancvouer's Sustainability Director Doug Smith emphasizes the importance of collaboration, equity, and building local capacity in climate work. Doug also shares his thoughts on the Government of Canada's new climate plan, A Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy, and what impact it might have at the provincial and municipal levels.

City of Vancouver's Sustainability Director Doug Smith shares some important insights on what it takes to build a climate resilient city. He highlights key elements of Vancouver's climate plan and shares his ideas on what municipalities across Canada need to be doing to build climate resilient cities.

In this episode, we look at City Committees as a way for citizens to participate in the political power structure at City hall. Here's a link to the city of hamilton committee listings https://www.hamilton.ca/council-committee/council-committee-meetings/committee-listing We sat down with Cameron Kroetsch, Chair of City of Hamilton LGBTQ Advisory Committee for a physically distant interview to get his thoughts based on his experience. There are many citizen committees that act as an advisory body to elected officials. What does that look like, how does it work, and what could be improved? Recorded by Randy Kay Edited and narrated by Stephanie Wang, Guest: Cameron Kroetsch (@CameronKroetsch @AdvisoryLgbtq)

Explore city life in Hamilton, Ontario with CityLAB Semester in Residence students as we uncover the ways cities work and the issues that need innovative solutions. Recorded by Randy Kay Edited by Gurvir Chana Guest: Michael Borrelli, Beasley Neighbourhood Association TOPIC: Role of Neighbourhood Associations in City/Community Engagement https://www.ourbna.com/ Recorded October 16, 2020 in Hamilton, Ontario Canada

In today’s episode we break down all your confusion around affordable housing. One of the barriers to us understanding what affordable housing is, is that there is no universal definition of the concept. We’ve invited Greg Tedesco from the City of Hamilton and Jeff Neven from Indwell to our CityLAB class to discuss what affordable housing looks like in practice. The two also give students some tips on how they can get more involved with these issues and help build networks with people who are in need of this kind of housing. To learn more about affordable housing in Canada, the affordability crisis, and organizations that are working to fight for affordability, check out these links below: https://indwell.ca/ http://housingresearchcollaborative.scarp.ubc.ca/our-response-to-the-covid-19-pandemic/?fbclid=IwAR1UtOiAXJMdXwBc-wnrZ-YQHk9aUmKpBDuSi8np1QutTh_Oq8SRMR2EFjs http://www.pushthefilm.com/ https://www.hamilton.ca/social-services/housing Make sure to stay connected with Claire and CityCAST by following us on social media: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/citylabsir Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/citylabsir Stay tuned for more episodes!

Jason Thorne joins us at CityLAB to discuss the City of Hamilton and answer questions that the Semester In Residence students had.